GRIP STONE officially came to be in the summer of 2025, but its story really began with a simple worry stone my daughter, Macey, brought home from school. We always meant to make some together, but as it does, life gets in the way. Over a year later, I finally pulled out some modeling clay my brother had given me and we set out for some daddy daughter art time. Macey and I didn't just recreate that original design; we ended up coloring outside of the lines and crafting some truly unique pieces. I gave some of those initial experiments as gifts to friends and family. It was one of those moments where my artistic gears started spinning, and I knew I couldn't just leave it at that.
After a few more batches, I eventually created the Founder's Cube. To this day, it's in my pocket everywhere I go. As someone who tends to slap their leg or hum when restless, I discovered this little sculpture offered a quiet secret: a way to reel in and focus excess energy. If it worked on a subconscious, unintrusive level for me, I figured I couldn't be the only one who would appreciate a small, portable sculpture to carry around.
GRIP STONE evolved into the idea of exploring a budding love for sculpting, creating without an end goal, and making something strange, aesthetically interesting, and tactile.
Just a month later, I made a test batch of 20 unique designs—not all of which I was proud of—and launched a pop-up sale at our garage sale. We sold all but one from that initial test batch! Today, from my kitchen table, I'm chasing a dream: to craft unique, hand-held, minimal art designed to help you wrangle your excess energy and find your focus.
- Connor Jones, Founder
