Northeast Ohio Rocks! You've done it again. Here is your 5th complete set of rocks in every state.
Painted Rocks grew into a Nationwide movement during the summer of 2017. It was a busy summer and more and more people were finding Northeast Ohio Rocks! On July 20, 2017 I posted our very first complete set of Northeast Ohio Rocks! in every state. You can see our first set here
By August 27, 2017 we had another complete set of Northeast Ohio Rocks! in every state. You can see our second set here
It wasn't over yet. People were still finding rocks during the fall that were hidden during the summer. By October 2, 2017 we had another complete set of Northeast Ohio Rocks! in every state. You can see our third set here
And, Yes! It has happened again. On October 30, 2017, twice in one month, we had another complete set of Northeast Ohio Rocks! in every state. It is absolutely incredible how painted rocks have changed the way people share with each other across the United States and around the World. Here you go, your 5th complete set of Northeast Ohio Rocks! in every state.
From painting rocks in libraries, in nursing homes, in schools and in our homes, Northeast Ohio Rocks! has changed the way we interact with others by creating and sharing smiles. The World needs something fun and wholesome to talk about and be a part of. Our group has many dedicated painters that have created these little kindness vessels and sent them on their journey to create smiles and a chain reaction of kindness. When you find a rock, pass it on. It's journey is not over. It has many more smiles to make. You never know where it might be found next. Rock on!
For the Week of June 10, 2018 For the week of June 10, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Judy Tompkins as Artist of the Week. Below Judy shares her story.
I have always had a passion for arts and crafts. Although I wasn't very good at drawing, I enjoyed sewing, crocheting and always like fixing things.
I started painting and hiding rocks about 1 1/2 years ago. I've never been lucky enough to find any yet, but my family members have found a few. I would have to say, including the 300 share100smiles, I've painted close to 1200 rocks.
Painting and hiding rocks is such a rewarding and worthwhile project. It warms my heart when i see my rocks have been found and I'm happy to bring a little happiness to someone else's day.
I love to paint just about anything on my rocks. Harry Potter, lil monsters, flowers etc. The ideas are truly endless. Thank you for choosing me as artist of the week. I am truly humbled.
For the Week of June 17, 2018
For the week of June 17, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Joyce Phillips as it's Artist of the Week. Below Joyce shares her story.
I started painting rocks with my grand kids, daughters and son-in-law in the beginning of July 2017. We were inspired after finding several rocks while out hiking.
Before rock painting my arts & crafts were limited to small crafts with the grand kids or helping with school projects. I became obsessed with painting and was producing 10 - 12 rocks a day.
In October, I became ill and was later diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer & my rock painting slowed considerably. I had surgery in December and am now on chemo until end of July or early August. I still manage to paint a few rocks a few days each week. I like to try new ideas but I also enjoy letting the rocks speak to me and creating simple things like dogs, flowers, rainbows, collages and such.
I have painted around 1500 rocks including 3 sets of 100 smiles and have found around 15. The members of this group are the nicest people. Everyone is so positive and encouraging which is so uplifting. Thank you for choosing me and rock on Northeast Ohio Rocks!
For the week of June 24, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Traci Sanders Moody as Artist of the Week. Below Traci shares her story.
Hello my name is Traci Moody and I am so excited to be the artist of the week! I love being a part of Northeast Ohio Rocks! because it allows me to relax my mind ( I am a High School Biology teacher) and dabble with crafts and creativity. I have "painted" and "hid" 485 rocks since March of 2017 including 1 set of 100 smiles. I say "paint" because I lack that artistic talent most possess in this group; instead I work with stickers and really only paint in the backgrounds. Ocean scenes are the best ha ha. Another way I skirt around my lack of painting abilities is to write puns. The cheesier the better! Even though my rocks are not museum quality I have seen first hand the smiles they bring. So if you are reading this and haven't participated yet because you don't think you are an artist, please pick up a brush and get started.I promise you, fun will be had by all. I am kind of a homebody, and therefore seldomly hide my own rocks. I usually give the rocks I create to my Mother in Youngstown to hide for me. She likes watching the group to see if our rocks get posted. I also love to share this experience with my students. They hide my rocks for me whenever they go on vacation for winter, spring or summer break. My students and I were so excited to see my rocks posted from students' trips to Iceland and Disneyland. I always have a few rocks on hand to pass out to family and friends at get togethers. Everyone gets something positive out of this group no matter what role you play: the painter, the hider, or the finder. My hashtag is #furbabiesrock because I am the Mother of 4 dogs and a mini pig. Although I create rocks for holidays and group specified themes, my love for wildlife is noticeable since animals are usually the subjects of my rocks.This group has opened my mind to arts and crafts and I have branched out and started a few different projects. I enjoy painting ceramics, making button art and lawn art /flowers (from tea cups and saucers). All in all this group has opened my eyes to new projects/ideas , introduced me to a plethora of kind people and has shown me just how impactful a small act of kindness can be. ( I have literally jumped for joy each of the 6 times I have found a rock) Thank you & Rock on!
For the Week of May 6, 2018 For the week of May 6, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Carole Hogan as Artist of the Week. Below Caroles shares her story.
Carole used to paint with acrylics years ago. Knitting, crocheting, and sewing have always been my favorite craft projects. She has made some quilts and wall hangings, and participated in a doll making group.
Her daughter got her interested in rock painting after a "girls day" of painting. She signed her up for Northeast Ohio Rocks. Carole likes to paint Snoopy rocks the best, but has tried many others, getting a lot of ideas from Pinterest. She has painted about 400 rocks and has found 3.
The themes are a challenge but she participates when she can. This is a fun, creative group. Everyone has the same passion, to "paint rocks" and "make people smile".
For the Week of May 13, 2018 For the week of May 13, 2018, Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors the Jennifer Treacy Miller family as Artist of the Week. Below Jennifer shares their Northeast Ohio Rocks! story with us.
The Miller 6 are an amazing family of painters, hiders, finders and re-hiders. Thank you Jennifer! Thank you #miller6rocks
My whole family paints rocks! We are a family of 6 and the kids are 9,9,6 and 1 now. My kids love crafts and love to draw, but other than school crafts, we were not too artistic at home. I had first heard about Northeast Ohio Rocks when some of my friends had started painting them, but when we found our first rock we wanted to paint our own to hide. We all like to paint different things. Flowers, mandalas, Mario rocks, candy rocks, and rocks with writing. We just started using paint pens this spring and that has helped us a lot! We like painting rocks because it is fun, but I think one of our favorite things is hiding them. We love leaving rocks in places that we visit, or driving around town just to hide them in local places. It is awesome when we can see that our rocks have been found. My kids are great rock finders. We think we have found at least 15 rocks that we have posted and rehidden. We have been keeping a list of the hashtags on the rocks so we can try to follow them too. We have painted around 50 rocks so far, but we are ready to paint a bunch more over summer break. I love painting as a whole family, it is a way to relax and enjoy something together. I love that this group is here to spread kindness and smiles, and I think it is a way to bring out the artist in everyone! Thanks for this group!
For the Week of May 20, 2018 For the week of May 20, 2018, Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Billie Esterle as Artist of the Week. Below Billie shares her Northeast Ohio Rocks! story with us.
Thank you Billie for all you do here at Northeast Ohio Rocks!
I can't paint beautiful pictures. I have 0 talent. So I paint the rocks and write words and use stickers. I love the sparkle Mod Podge so all my rocks sparkle! Everyone needs a little sparkle in their lives! I started painting about 14 months ago and have painted almost 2500 rocks. My favorite part is hiding the rocks. Love it when little kids find the rocks. My husband and I are in Colorado right now, I brought 30 rocks to hide and will be painting with my grandsons while we are here. Recently a rock I painted made it's way to Uruguay. It was a pink rock that said "Hope" One of my favorite things to paint are little gold rocks I write "YOU ROCK" on them and leave them for servers at restaurants. They get a big kick out of them. Thank Nancy for starting this group. I love seeing the beautiful rocks!
For the Week of May 27, 2018 For the week of May 27, 2018, Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors Debby White as Artist of the Week. Below Debby shares her Northeast Ohio Rocks! story with us.
I started to paint rocks a year ago thanks to my daughter who gifted me a basket of paints and brushes right after I retired. My love of painting and drawing goes back to elementary school where as a child I just loved Art Class. I also loved paint by number and velvet art. I really am enjoying my new hobby, I love painting / hiding but I especially love finding rocks. I have been lucky I have found about 10 Northeast Ohio Rocks! painted rocks. I have painted over 1000 rocks. I really enjoy being a member of this fine group.
This month I would like to honor some people who consistently share kindness with all of us at Northeast Ohio Rocks! If you have posted a painted or a found rock, you have probably gotten a comment from some of the ladies I am going to honor this month. For the Week of April 8, 2018 For the week of April 8, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors member Betty Lou Kee. Betty, you are truly a blessing to all of us. YOU ROCK!
First I would like to thank Nancy for all the work managing Northeast Ohio Rocks!. It is a wonderful way anyone can show kindness. My sister in law Becky Barnes signed me up soon after you started. She also supplies me with clean rocks, then hides them for me. I haven't painted many but I did meet the 100 smiles challenge. Becky set me up to keep my mind active as my body no longer at 80 is very active. The biggest benefits I get are spending time on my phone seeing the posts of painted rocks, then the finding of them. I especially like to see the kids smiles, that makes me real happy. We have some really wonderful artists in the group that do fabulous work. This viewing is " my trip to an art gallery ". I also feel like l am a part of a big family and really relish seeing how everyone has progressed over such a short time. As some rocks have read, Kindness is Free . Kindness is something really needed in today's world and hey, spreading to 70 countries , Wowza! Getting children and families into painting and hiding together is a sure way to teach them how to share kindness and have fun too. Since I don't get out much I have yet to find my 1st painted rock, but I know I will. Thank you again for starting this wonderful adventure and for blessing me with this honor. I am truly blessed being a member of Northeast Ohio Rocks! God Bless, Betty Lou Kee
For the Week of April 15, 2018
For the week of April 15, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors member, Berna McNeal. Berna, you are appreciated by so many. YOU ROCK
My name is Bernadette McNeal. I am 54 years young!!! I am an RN and I work in Warren, Ohio. Love my job!!! I have 3 beautiful kids who are married. I love my Daughter in law and my 2 son in laws. I am blessed with the most beautiful Grandchildren. 7 in all. The hardest thing was losing one. Baby George was stillborn and we miss him very much. I became a member because seeing all the positive messages makes me smile!! My grandkids love to paint, but I think they like hiding them the best!!! I think we need more love in this world!!! My grandkids are ready to start painting and hiding again since spring is here!!! Thank you Nancy for this great group! It always makes me smile!! Rock on!!!!
For the Week of April 22, 2018
For the week of April 22, 2018 Northeast Ohio Rocks! honors member Carolyn Regal Johnston. Carolyn, you are truly an inspiration and support to so many in our group through your kinds words. YOU ROCK!
I’m 83 years young. My Husband and I have 3 Children, 5 Grandchildren and 5 Great-Grandchildren. They all help paint and hide rocks!! A rock painting Family smiles together. I found my first rock at Ashtabula County Medical Center in 2017 and I was so excited!! I read the back and followed the instructions on it!! This made me want to start painting rocks to share such a positive experience. Sharing posts with other rock painters is such a wonderful thing and it gives me so many fun ideas!! I have tremors so to free hand paint is difficult but I am able to do lots of other fun things!! Hope to bring love and smiles for a long time to come.
Have you found a rock? Are you wondering how to get started? Here are the most frequently asked questions to help you get started.
Where do you find rocks? Because of the growth of the rock movement across the United States it isn’t as easy as finding a rock on a walk and some areas don’t have access to rocks. So, what do you do? You can purchase rocks from Home Depot. You can order rocks site to store from Home Depot or Walmart. You can check with your local landscaping company. Also, try your local gravel pit. Many of these places will allow you to bring a 5 gallon bucket to fill for under $5.00. Favorite rocks are the Mexican River Rock, Caribbean Beach Pebbles and Dorado Beach River Rock
Do I have to wash my rocks? Yes, you do.It is important to have good rock preparation for the paint and sealer to adhere. Use a brush to clear away any dirt or flaking. You may use sandpaper to sand your flaking areas but be sure to finish up with a fine grit sand paper. I would avoid flaking rocks to save the trouble of sanding. Be sure to wash away all dirt and sand from your rock.
It is also important that your rock has had proper time to dry. Rocks are porous and the water inside your rock will want to escape. This can ruin you artwork. **Please do not wash your rocks in your sink or dishwasher. The dirt and rock particles are not good for your sink or dishwasher.
You can place your rocks in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
Line the rocks on a parchment covered cookie sheet in a single layer.
Turn the oven off after 10 minutes. More is not better. Water in rocks becomes steam. Steam can explode rocks.
The rocks are hot. Leave them in the oven to cool giving them more drying time. I have my rocks. They are washed and dry. Now what? Have fun! Paint your rocks with acrylic craft paint. Not an artist? Don’t be discouraged. Anyone can do this! Try stickers. Try paint pens.
Do I have to seal my rock? Yes. If you want your painted rock to last, you will need to seal your rock. It is easy. I recommend Rustoleum Clear Coat Spray Paint.
If you don’t have an outdoor space or shouldn’t be around the fumes try Duraclear. Duraclear is a non aerosol sealer that can be used indoors.
How do I track where my rock goes? Here at Northeast Ohio Rocks! we have labels that direct the finder to our group.
Labels are attached by a process called decoupage with mod podge.
It is really simple! Here is a how to video.
Hashtags are a great organizational tool and can be used to track your rock. However,
Many people don't know what they are.
Many people don't know how to use them.
Many people use them incorrectly.
Hashtags help "track" rocks. I use this term very lightly because tracking requires many factors.
1. That you made the hashtag correctly
2. That the finder knows what a hashtag is
3. That the finder has facebook or a camera phone
4. That the finder uses the hashtag correctly
Write your hashtag on the back of the rock with a sharpie.
Cover the sharpie with a light coat of mod podge to prevent bleeding and running during sealing.
You can read more about painted rocks and hashtags here
