Art and Creativity Journal: The Tiniest Things

In the last update I was talking about painting the small things that serve us well as "impulse items" at shows and festivals.

While double checking and quality sorting my smallest unpainted stones, I set aside a batch of the really tiny ones which are destined to become what we have named "Faerie Stones."

The tiniest Alchemy Stones

To be honest, they are a pain in the butt to create!

If you consider the intricacy of the patterns that go on my painted stones, and then put that in context of painting on a stone that's about the diameter of a US dime coin or slightly bigger, you get the picture of why I say they're a pain in the butt to create.

Just like everything else I do they are entirely free hand done... except on these there's almost no space to work with and somehow I have to figure out how to create a viable design and put the tiny lines on the stone without messing up.

And no, I don't use magnifying glasses or anything like that and I'm very grateful for the fact that I have really good working eyesight from about 10-12 inches away from whatever I'm looking at.

At five dollars each, the Faerie Stones are basically the lowest price item we have. They're not listed in any of the online shops, because photographing and describing them would just be financially unviable, but we do keep a substantial number of them around to offer at face-to-face events.

It never ceases to amaze me just how many of these little things we sell! And I guess that's why I put up with the tedious process of painting a bunch of them for every season.

In spite of the fact that it at least feels like I'm doing these till I'm cross-eyed we invariably end up with not having enough and selling out before we get to the end of most events. Then I come home and I have to scramble to make some more in time for the following weekend!

Of course, it's not really what I want to be doing, but it is a great way to get people to stop at the booth and linger for a while and — on the upside — we often end up selling more than one to those who are looking because they start lining them up on the counter and deciding that one is not enough and sometimes we end up with as many as 12-15 in a single sale.

So, I just challenge myself to keep painting more even when I don't feel like doing so! Which is, alas, most of the time! But you don't always get to do what you want sometimes you have to do what people are asking for.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You!

If you enjoy painted rocks, do check out The Hive Rocks Project and help spread the word about Hive, while also being creative!

Because I am trying to make some semblance of income — a part time living, even — I now add this footer to all my posts, in the hope that someone, somewhere, might decide to take a further look at my work, and perhaps consider supporting independent art.

Thank you, in advance, for your consideration and support!

My Alchemy Stones Patreon appeal

Alchemy Stones web site and blog

Alchemy Stones Etsy Store

Alchemy Stones on Facebook

Alchemy Stones on Instagram

Alchemy Stones on Twitter/X

Regardless, your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!

Thank you for supporting independent art & creativity!

2026.08.04 AS-TXT-402/372