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SWEET LAND of Liberty

Basic blocks in red, white and blue that don't have a specific fabric placement make this scrappy patriotic quilt an easy summer project.

Veneered Chessboard

It’s easy to create a veneered chessboard with an inlay accent, using a minimal number of tools.

Coopered Seat

Building a sculptured rocker starts with a coopered seat. Or as I call it, \"The Big Smile Seat!\"

Soap vs. Syndet Shampoo Bars

If you have been making soap for any length of time, you’ve most likely heard of shampoo bars. If you have not heard of them, they are hard bars of soap used to clean hair. They are an alternative to the more common liquid shampoos sold in stores in plastic bottles.

22 Greatest Tools in the History of the World

Tools make us human, but we are not the only ones who use tools. Some birds drop rocks to crack shells open, and certain apes use sticks to get food or groom themselves.

Earth’s Crust and the Milky Way

In attempting to explain earthly phenomena, geologists tend to look downward at Earth itself. It now appears they need to shift their gaze skyward.

AFRICA’S OLDEST DINO

The skeleton is nearly complete and, depending on the report, it's been described as the size of a collie dog, an emu, or a Shetland pony at about three feet tall and six feet long. Say hello to Africa's oldest dinosaur, Mbiresaurus raathi!

The Webb Space Telescope It's Not Just for the Stars!

Fanfare surrounding the new Webb Space Telescope focuses on spectacular images from the far reaches of the universe. But Webb also has provided revealing looks at the sister planets within our own solar system.

RV Rockhounding

ON THE ROAD WITH THAT CAMPING COUPLE

Volcanoes and Emeralds

I've had the privilege to give lectures worldwide at shows, club meetings and retreats. I've also done videos and DVDs including Russian Gem Treasures, shot in Russia and another associated with the Smithsonian about American gem mines.

PAIL Treasures!

From Gems to Fossils, Dig Them at Home

ULTIMATE Gift Guide FOR ROCKHOUNDS

What to Buy for the Rock Lover in Your Life

Detecting Earthquakes from Above Both Here - and on Venus?

When we think of earthquake monitoring, we think of ground-based networks of seismometers, ground-hugging fiber-optic cables, and similar ground-based systems. After all, if trying to detect rumblings within the ground, shouldn't we hug the ground? Well, not necessarily per an article in Geophysical Research Letters.

The Chimeric Dream to Forecast Volcanic Eruptions

It has been a dream to accurately forecast a violent volcanic eruption long in advance. To some, it's a chimeric dream that will never produce concrete results.

A New Member of the Human Family Tree?

Although beginning with a common ancestor, humans and chimps parted ways long ago, with humans walking upright and chimps remaining as knuckle-walkers.

Whither the Koh-i-Noor Diamond?

It's the stuff of legend! The 105-carat Koh-i-Noor is an oval diamond so big and brilliant its Persian name translates as \"Mountain of Light.\"

When Did We Become Warm-Blooded?

A New Technique Explores the Question

“THE SPANISH STONEHENGE” RESURFACES And a New One Is Found!

The Iberian Peninsula is in severe drought, drier than it's been for 1,200 years. Although that is bad news, it has been a boon for scientists. As a reservoir has shrunk to record low levels, a prehistoric monument of about 100 rocks has resurfaced, rocks arranged in a stone circle not so different from England's famed Stonehenge.

Using Deep Learning to View the Rich Data of Seismology

Seismology is a data-rich science. Vast arrays employing thousands of sensors continuously sample and monitor for seismic waves and motion. Sampling rates can involve 100 points per second.

Did Dinos Die From a One-Two-Three Punch?

It has been widely accepted that a giant asteroid from space struck the area of Chicxulub on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula and unleashed worldwide chaos that ultimately doomed the nonavian dinosaurs to extinction. Now it appears that asteroid had a sister-or two.

Want a Dino? Search Your Own Backyard!

When a man in Monte Agudo, Pombal in Portugal dug into his backyard garden in 2017, he found much more than a soup bone buried by the dog. He stumbled across giant ribs of what is believed to be a brachiosaurid.

COLOR-THERAPY Gemstones

Designing Jewelry Based on the Healing Properties of Colors

The Silver of POTOSI

Triumph, Tragedy & El Tío

CURVED RIDGES SHAPED TIPS

Complex carving with curved ridges and shaped tips can be daunting.

NIPOMO MARCASITE

Many of the digging locations for this marcasite are on private property. It was allowed at one point to collect with the owner's permission, but a few rockhounds ruined it for the rest by trespassing, trampling newly-grown crops, and opening and closing gates not allowing cattle to get to their water sources. As a result, this material hasn’t been dug for a few decades.”

THE MAGIC OF MARBLE

Sculptors and architects have an abundance of natural stone materials to choose from alabaster, travertine, granite, limestone and soapstone to name a few. But one medium has always stood out - marble. For the last 2,500 years, marble has been chosen for many of the greatest works of sculpture and architecture, from the Parthenon of Classical Greece to Michelangelo's Pietà and Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial.

The Pleasures and Perils of Competitive Exhibiting

Competitive exhibiting offers lots of opportunities to earn awards through venues like club shows, county fairs, trade shows and Federation shows. Since 1995, I've been involved in competitive exhibiting from three perspectives: administering, judging and exhibiting. Here are my suggestions for best practices.

Holiday Products and Packaging

Ah, November and December ... Did you know that a total of 13 major holidays are celebrated within these months worldwide?

The Little Book of Beldi: A Modern Take on a Classic Soap.

Making Soap, Cosmetics & Candles magazine readers, please meet Rebecca K. Wright.

What Sustainable Packaging Means to You

Sustainability is more important than ever, but it is also more confusing than ever.