I'm at a creative block. I have a friend wanting a stand for some ceramic garden stones like some of the plate displays. I just can't come up with a good idea for a look that isn't mass produced looking. Anyone got pictures or ideas of something similar?

That's a tough one without knowing more. Do you have pictures of the stones, the setting, buildings, fences, other art in the area, etc.?

I can come up with a number of ideas to kick you off but there's no telling which direction to go without knowing what the area's like. For instance a person could make a pretty cool setting of wrought vines, resting on some stones with roots meandering over them and have some stones suspended off the ground by the vines vines. Like the vines grew so fast they carried some stones off the ground in the process. However something organic like plants may look totally out of place in a modern or art deco house.

Anyway, more info please and pics would be excellent. Pics are always excellent.

Frosty

Edited May 15, 200917 yr by Frosty

She want's a ground stand and makes relatively large (couple feet across) for her garden and around an normal farm house type of decor. Doesn't need to be too fancy as most will be hidden. She's also hoping to sell them so I can't do too much to distract.

Does she want a hidden stand? If so a concrete footing and some anchors would do it.

Something like a fitted ring stand on a tripod aught to look nice and show off your work without detracting from hers.

Legs with upset ends that appear mooshed onto her rocks with feet on the ground ends could be cool. The rock contact ends could have pins epoxied into drilled holes in the rock(s). The legs and feet could be farm animals from the lowest joint down, cow, chicken, etc.

Wouldn't that look cool? An apparent multi-ton boulder standing in your yard on a pair of chicken legs and feet?

A BIG coil spring would be neat too, especially if it'd wobble on it. Boingy Boulders Inc. I think we're onto something here!

I assume these are hollow and so pretty light. This would make it possible to make very delicate stands as a nice contrast to the apparent mass of the boulders. How about a 2-3' sq. boulder caught in a giant spider web? The web could be deformed like the boulder almost made it through but stopped at the last second. Maybe have a GIANT slingshot laying on the ground a hundred feet away or so. Maybe have a giant spider sucking the rock juice out of it?

This is starting to be fun.

Frosty

I've made several "plate holders" in the past. Trying to come up with a design that doesn't look mass-produced or just welded together bars is a challenge.

For several, I made them up to look like the old fireplace Scotch Broiler. It is in the shape of the upside down U omega shape, with several cross bars riveted on, and a short "shelf" across the bottom but up about an inch. These originally would have been set in front of a fireplace, with a leg from the top sticking back to prop it up. You would them lean a hunk of meat or piece of bread on it, resting on that "shelf", and heat it up and roast it in front of the fire.

For the plate holders, I made them without the back prop/brace, and with a couple holes to mount them to the wall. The bottom "shelf" stuck out a little farther, and was also lipped up a bit to help hold a plate on it. When sized right, they made a good display for a large pottery platter.

So something similar but larger could be made up to hold those ceramic blocks. From the front they would be barely noticeable. But from the side or back you would be able to see any "fancy" work.

Just an idea.

Plus any manner of vines with leaves and tendrils to hold up and "grasp" the stones/blocks would look nice. Kind of like the vines taking over and growing up/around the stones.

Mikey - that grumpy ol' German blacksmith out in the Hinterlands

Edited May 16, 200917 yr by Mike Ameling
bad spellin