Yes I had a pet duck

I was given a pet duckling when I was a little kid (my second grade teacher gave kids eggs in incubators or ducklings to raise as a class project.) 

Hey, it was suburban Ohio in the seventies... not many rules and even less supervision 

The kids who had permission to participate in project quack were given the little fuzzy hatchlings in nothing more than a brown paper lunch bag to take home (I certainly can’t imagine this happening today!) The ducks came with a bag of duck food (some sort of grain meal if I recall correctly)and a sheet of instructions.

 We bought our duck food from the teacher. After a few weeks I think my parents had enough of the quacking and occasional duckling oops surprise that I wouldn’t remember to clean up (I was only seven after all!j so they became less and less than enthusiastic about my new little buddy. They joked that the teacher was  making a huge profit on the food, (a joke that fell flat in my mind, as I knew my teacher to be a kind woman.)

We eventually got a little hutch like cage made for the duckling when it got older but for the first few weeks it lived in a cardboard box in my room. 

I was always happiest around animals, so I played with my duckling every day. We took walks around the yard as the duckling (I named it Dusty) imprinted on me like I was it’s mother...and it followed me everywhere.

There were several kids in my suburban neighborhood who had ducklings thanks to this teacher, and we would get together to swim them in kiddie pools/feed them worms etc. 

I remember being very proud of the fact that I was a girl that had no qualms with picking up worms and feeding them to my duckling...I think it was even more exciting when I figured out how much it freaked my mother out to see her littlest daughter happily searching for creepy crawlies in the garden. I guess you could say I was a proud tomboy. 

I only had Dusty for a few months, because we ended up moving many hours away- the teacher took it back to live on her little farm with her big flock. It was ages ago, and seems like a dream, but that was one odd facet of my Midwestern childhood. (Kettering Ohio)

Why I sell my work myself and not through galleries at this time

I thought I’d take a moment to answer a common question:
Where do I currently sell my work?

Find pieces like these Pandemic Dr brooches and pendants at my Etsy shop
http://cosmosmoon.etsy.com

I sell exclusively in person (at local shows in Tucson Arizona or my open studio events) or at Cosmo’s Moon Jewelry, on Etsy. I have been an independent working art jewelry designer and metalsmith since 1986, and this shop, Cosmo’s Moon, was established on Etsy in 2008.

My work was for years was sold in fine craft Galleries and high end boutiques. However, for a number of reasons, I made a decision years ago to become an exclusively independent artist, and sell my work online or in my booth at various art shows in my local area. This essentially takes the middle man out of the equation, and helps me keep my prices reasonable for people who want high quality original handmade artisan jewelry, without the gallery mark up. Also, this gives you the ability to communicate with the artist directly!

Want to know more about my Etsy shop? Click here to go there immediately  and scroll down to see my policies etc. Take a moment and  read my clear sales/custom order/ return/shipping etc policies and be sure to check out the comments in the overwhelmingly positive feedback that my customers have been leaving me since I opened my Etsy gallery in 2008.

If you still have questions about my work or my shop policies or even the origins of the shop name, please feel free to ask! I typically respond within 24 hours, and I try my best to be thorough and complete with my answers.
Thanks for your interest in my work!
Maureen BZ
AKA “Cosmo’s Moon Jewelry”

Poem about my experience with Chronic Pain

Sharing something I wrote a few years ago to express my experience with chronic pain
——-*

Description a failed prescription
A long ass poem about
Living with chronic pain
By: Maureen BZ
October 2016.

MBZ 2020

~
Hello...
I'm not glaring at you
Or staring . I'm just
Trying
To hold it together
And not crumble or shout.
Not always successful

But there's a reason
For this epic case
Of
Resting
Bitch
Face

You can't really see
I carry evil in me

And it's not a Goth phase.

(I had that LONG ago)

I'm
Not a witch
But Absolutely a Bitch...because
I live with
Ever present
Every day
Every moment

Chronic pain

how does it feel?
to be in
constant
Intractable
searing pain?

These days?
With the opioid witch hunt?

It's like ....
having someone constantly stabbing you with an electrified glass needleblade
while shrieking at a rancid pitch,

all the while

being pointed at by
lipsticksmear judgy- judges
(who don't know their fingertips from their kneecaps)
And in the center of this,
holding the KNOWLEDGE
Deep down in your pelvic floor

That one of these days
With no foreshadow
 (With much foreboding)

Those shitty chemicals that
Keep you from writhing
In agony (not ecstasy)

Could most certainly become
INSTANTLY FORBIDDEN
And your now habituated cells would screech
and howl
whilst hurling ITS
Angry CLAWS
Towards your shoulder

(at least That's
what you imagine...
On a good day...
When you can still
make your thoughts
like magic school bus cartoons
In your fog addled head)

And you stick THAT upon
The always already already there
Little
screaming
 needleblade stabbing electrified cunt that never
shuts the floop up...
Sitting on your shoulder
Stabbing and screeching
Screeching and stabbing

All night long raaaaaaaah
Stab stab stab
All day long rheeeeeeee
Stab stab stab
During Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Snacks
Brunch...
Stab stab stab

And the hissing!
Oh the hissing.

With friends family and strangers
Just trying to help
Truly, they try. I get it, it's hard watching suffering.
And honestly I'm grateful for
The support but if I have to
Explain
And list all of the things I've already tried
Again....
I may go stark maving rad.

I'm thinking of making postcards explaining what things I've already tried....
Maybe you just need to go to get
Accupuncture?
Pug leese!
That's Baby stuff

Or else it's
A massage
A glass of wine
One of those wonderbras
This new therapy
This old therapy
Aqua aerobics
Tungsten
This book of spells
That type of arnica
CBD
THC
LSD
LMNOP

An IV
of pond algae
A thousand bee stings
A shrink With Wings
Eat only blue things

Some new kind of kick
Smoking grass on a stick
Another blood prick
Did I mention I'm sick?

(Could not resist)
A wedge pillow
A back brace
Yeah that didn't work either

How about:
Some math?
Two dozen needles filled with
5mg glucose In
24 gauge needles puncturing
3.5 mm into my back
making
9 millimeter diameter
Beady glucose pellets
Spattered across my back
or was it three dozen?
Three times a week
Which added up to....
Zero. Niente
But OMFG was ex
Pen
Sive!

You'll feel better when you take
This supplement
When you do
This stretch
When you move into

A new house
(But not too new...
Off gassing, you know.)

New shoes will always help.
New shoes will always help.
New shoes it's my grandfathers ghost, selling me shoes from
The dead?
Ok, that must be my DNA
Cause I've had that tested too.
I already knew
That I am from shoe people
Beside the point

I digress...
It's a coping habit...
I'm talking myself off the ledge
No you don't want to crash
The car into a tree...
Can't imagine being that selfish
Could never hurt my family
My loves
because I'm feeling cowardly toward the pain.
(The tree thing is not an option)

Oh. I try not to claim it-
It's not mine, I don't want it.
It is THE
( muthafukkin) PAIN.

And yeah
I'm Sick
Sick of having episodes
Of panic
Fear that it will be harder than it
Already is
Because I'm not sure
I will be able to handle the pain unmasked.

But...
I feel like I have to face it
Head on.
Say, hello Pain. Howdy do.
I feel like I already know you
I do.
And let's just bet
That fucker pain
Will be an ugly piece of shiz

That I will have to learn to accept
I just hope to hell
It doesn't break me.
~~~~
MBZ


NOTE: this was originally written in 2016, just before I found a shoulder Dr who eventually agreed to do exploratory laparoscopic surgery to be certain that the multiple MRIs, exams and tests Had not missed anything that would cause pain.He was “98% certain “ that he would go into the shoulder and find nothing. THANKFULLY that 2% did the trick... my shoulder in fact was so severely shredded that it wasn’t showing up on anything- but in the end, I had a shredded bicep tendon with complex nerve entrapment. It took the surgeon TEN MINUTES to fix.after I had endured EIGHT YEARS of constant searing pain!
It has been almost three years since I had my shoulder surgery. While I’m still dealing with chronic pain, it has been greatly reduced. About a year and a half ago I even was able to return to the stable and start riding again! ( it’s been a Godsend!)
There is hope. Tomorrow is another start.
Best wishes - Maureen BZ

Eating the ring of fire

Food sensitivity is no joke! Since Saturday night I’ve been recovering from accidentally eating a spicy bite of food (after I explicitly told the waiter that I had an allergy and to not put that spice on my dish).

 Every now and then it happens, I make the mistake of eating something at a pot luck without asking for ingredients, a waiter doesn’t take me seriously and/or the restaurant simply removes the offending food from already cooked meal (which BTW can often be justas bad of a reaction if not worse because you don’t see the spice/offender). 

I  approach the reality that I can no longer trust new restaurants, or worse- potlucks with no recipes attached to the dish...

For me, it’s chili peppers/nightshade sensitivities. I can tell if it’s a problem within one tiny nibble: one bite, and my digestive system swells like a puffer fish and burns like fire. One bite, and it’s pain for a week or more (even with my rescue antihistamines and supplemental enzymes)

I live in Tucson, lauded for having some of the best Mexican restaurants around and I can no longer eat Mexican food at all. 

While I lost an entire week in bed, in pain...(better now with my antihistamines and almost no food for the past few days)I’m reminded of how horrible it can be (thankfully it doesn’t put me in the hospital with anaphylaxis)and how careful I have to be...no matter how delicious it smells. It’s a hard lesson to learn, because it’s something I’ve learned to avoid - so the episodes are infrequent but very painful. I’m writing this down now to further remind myself that politely eating anything that is offered is just not worth the risk

I’m no longer willing to risk losing any more time from a single bite.

Art/Horse finding balance

I must admit, my Art must share my passion. It’s ok. I’ve come to terms with the challenge of balancing passions...I had to.Having chronic health issues has forced me to take a good look at how I spend my time. It’s always been a tug of war between Art and Horses. ( I know I’m not alone in this... many riders are also artistic and vice versa)

I was #horsecrazy from the moment I first knew what a horse was, I cherish my horse time. I think my parents finally bought me my first pony just to have some peace and quiet and not always have me pleading to go to the stable, go on a trail ride. 

Who could resist this face?

In my opinion We needed a horse in our family in the most desperate way!

 I mean, I gave them plenty of opportunities too...( for one, I always “took a nap” on my BD to give them the time to sneak a horse into the yard while I wasn’t looking... etc) 

I had to take a break from riding and horses after having a life threatening medical emergency which almost killed me. Having a near death experience is a powerful thing which really puts life in perspective. You take stock. You know mortality. Taking stock of my life as I recovered, I knew I had to hang up my saddle for a while- I was spending so much time at the stable that I wasn’t able to even THINK about my artwork. 

In the end, my artwork won. I knew I would never have a chance at a horse career- I’m a good rider but not talented enough to be able to make it into a career, plus I didn’t have the funds to start a riding school. Art was another story. I do have “the right stuff” to make a career, and so that’s what I ultimately chose.

So, for 20 years, my art had my “full” attention. But not all of my heart. Something was always missing, and it wasn’t hard to figure out what it was. I had a horse shaped hole in my heart. 

Last November, when I found the new barn I’m riding at the hole started getting filled again. And with each week, I’m regaining my fitness and skills. I always have something to look forward to as well. 

My husband is preparing for the inevitable... and I’m trying to be practical and patient. I’m not sure if I want the responsibility of owning another horse, but a half lease may be in my future...

Just be prepared for more horse posts in the future 



 #horseloverforever #beggingfortreats #horsesofinstagram #sweethorse #hellosweetie #boop #velvetsoft #carrotlover #backinthesaddleagain

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream....

I’ve been having some interesting dreams this week...and I thought I’d write them down to remember.

3 nights ago I dreamt that I found a turtle in my front yard...I looked up turtle dream and it seems to most often refer to protection, fortification... I noted it because I don’t remember ever dreaming about turtles before. (Whales and horses I dream about all the time but turtles, no)

Honestly, I think the turtle was simply from a post I had read that day about a lost tortoise in my neighborhood... I’ve been surprised at how desert tortoises seem to be popular pets in my central Tucson neighborhood. (Years ago there was a guy who would take his tortoise out for a daily walk in downtown Tucson...it’s that kind of flavor that makes me love this hot and funky city

and last night I had a vivid dream of being in a new house in a 2nd floor room with two antique casement windows- (another protective fortification)

the window in front of me was open, and it looked out to a sunny lawn...there were pieces of my silver jewelry on the windowsill. (I interpreted that to mean that the work was open and available to the outside/ the world)

the window to the left was closed....I noticed that it was fortified with iron bars which framed the obviously antique glass panes (you know how old glass can be wavy and distorted, and 
have an extra fragile feel?) 

This closed window looked out over a lake, which was getting agitated with choppy whitecaps....as I watched, a series of large waves came towards the window, like tidal waves, rising up to the second floor and crashing into the closed window, which I was surprised didn’t break. 

The giant waves continued but I knew I was protected, so I watched the brown lake water wash over the glass with peaceful fascination.

And then I woke up. Another hot, sunny day in Tucson. No lake for many miles. My waking reality. 

But what about my dreaming reality? Is it less important? Or is it simply differently important? I choose the latter...

I’m fascinated by dreams- we spend approximately 1/3 of our lives asleep, so I think it’s a mistake to disregard that big chunk of our thoughts. 

The human brain is still such a mystery, and it’s something that my brain is interested in...which is kind of narcissistic if you think about it....and then when you think about that, is it you that’s thinking, or the brain? 

Oh, it’s a confoundingly humorous riddle....

The Goods on Tucson

I've been living in Tucson since 1993 (with a break from 1997-2000 when we lived in Florence Italy, my husband's hometown)

the center of Florentine life: the Duomo

I guess the biggest compliment I can give is to say that we moved back to Tucson, from Florence Italy willingly... seriously, we chose to move back to Tucson from Italy. WHY?

I'm not crazy....Tucson and Florence are vastly different for many things, but for ease of living, Tucson has the win. Florence is absolutely stunning and filled with life, it was really hard to live there, day to day ( without the typical big family support that many Italians live with- that not only help emotionally but also directly plugging one into the sea of social and economic possibilities) FIRENZE does NOT do convenient.

Tucson City Hall

Tucson is really easy to live in: the houses have big lots of land for gardening, we always have a parking space (a massive plus for any urban area) and with the internet and our small but mighty airport we have access to really, anything.

Tucson is artistic: so many great murals! The public art! The galleries! Open studios almost every weekend! Festivals! Workshops! I'm a Jeweler, so the giant collection of Gem Shows are incredibly enriching (as long as I can resist spending too much at the shows....believe me, it's tempting!) And of course, I can't forget the tremendous All Souls Procession ( the first weekend of November)

Politically, it fits me.
Tucson is BLUE and Funky.  It's comforting to me that we don't live in the BIG RED parts of this state. I appreciate not being surrounded in traffic by giant Luxury SUVs filled with blonde Barbies and Kens with their 2.4 giant athletic kids, pedigree dog and Tr@mp bumper stickers. They are alien to me.

Nope, in Tucson (aka the Olde Pueblo) I'm more likely to be driving by moms / dads on their customized bikes, heading to drop off at school (or the slightly ramshackle yet beloved Tucson racquet club). People who don't care that I choose to sport funky colored hair. Their kids with impressive personalities busy with unusual hobbies ... hybrid rescue dogs in the back seat of dusty, slightly dented Subarus with a lime green "Be Kind" bumper sticker from our Ben's Bells Kindness project.

I do believe we will probably move back to Italy to retire ( who wouldn't want to do that?!) but- at least until the kid graduates High school- Tucson will remain our beloved dusty desert home.
Pass the sunscreen 😜

what makes an ARTIST?

Recently I had a friend say they thought that they "Must not be an artist", because painting/drawing/doing art was often a struggle...

I have to say I disagree with this type of thinking...I don't think being an artist has much to do with your ability to draw (or sculpt/paint...etc)This idea is super common- when I disclose that I am an artist, often the response is "Oh I can't draw a straight line!". This way of thinking is stifling many people's creative flow. And it's a crying shame.

Because really, there’s a difference between Art and Technique. 
Many people (even those with little creativity) can master technique with enough practice and determination. 

In my opinion, an "Artist" is someone who has rich creative ideas and is able to translate their thoughts into something that communicates to others. 

Yes, in the past an artist's mastery of technical skills was essential to their success as an artist. The hand of a painter is immensely important- a Van Gough painted by anyone other than Vincent just isn't the same thing... 

However, I'd be remiss to ignore the fact that the artists of the Renaissance often had teams of assistants working with them on their large fresco commissions- often this was an apprenticeship position, where the young artists learned their craft) 

http://www.domenico-ghirlandaio.org

A 14-year old Michelangelo had been apprenticed to the great Italian painter Domenico Ghirlandaio

Contemporary Art is less about the execution, and more about the idea. Sometimes the Creatives (aka Artist) have those precious skills that are used to create a piece of art, sometimes the skills are lacking- so they send out the job.

Having great technique which you can use in your piece is a wonderful bonus, but not every artist is a great technician- and in today’s art /design world some artists even pay others with the skills to do the work for the artist. Sometimes the artist employs an apprenticeship/ artist assistant for their techniques/ability to carry out instructions. 

http://www.damienhirst.com/for-the-love-of-god

Occasionally, the artist is primarily the origin of the idea...and the artwork is produced by those who have the ability... (Believe me, Damien Hirst did not set those diamonds into the skull himself!)

I think my favorite description of what an artist is was from the novel "Skinny Legs and All" 1990 Tom Robbins (when the "non artist" boyfriend of the artist protagonist surpasses her artistic aspirations when he creates a turkey out of his travel trailer which makes him the new hot artist at a popular gallery) He explains that to him, ART is having an idea that you just HAVE TO see in reality. It's the IDEA that PULLS the art into reality. The artist is the one who is so obsessed with seeing the idea come to reality that they go to all lengths to see it completed. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinny_Legs_and_All_(novel)

I like that... It's how I operate. I become obsessed with seeing my ideas transformed into a tactile reality. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't...sometimes I wander into a rabbit hole...and sometimes I find a new door in the process. It's an exciting process and I wouldn't want to live any other way.
 
So please, don’t tell yourself that you aren’t artistic if you “can’t draw a straight line”...that’s what rulers are for😀

Embarassing Dancing and Detours to Die for

We all should have a few detours in our life- and it's even better if we have embarrassing footage to look at after it's over! (Well, This is one of mine....)

As we all do, I sometimes do google searches of things from my past. Often they are easy to find- an old boyfriend, a link to a music video, mostly things I've almost forgotten that I've just had seep back into my memory. 

This was a stumbled upon a memory of the summer when I almost died. 

Which led to the story of my one and only appearance on Italian TV.....

While watching the (excellent) TV series The Good Pope (HBO) my memory was jarred back twenty years ago, to the summer of 1998; that was when my appendix ruptured and I ended up very sick, in the hospital (coincidentally, the hospital where DaVinci did his anatomical studies) It was also the summer when I spent a month dancing with a Tuscan folk dance troupe...and we ended up on national television....

Tango, anyone?

(me in 1985)

"Una Rosa Per il 2000" (a rose for two thousand) was the name of the broadcast- it was (as they explained to me) a summer "special program" which was in celebration of the upcoming turn of the millennium. It was a typically Italian program- one which had me wonder if they just had time to fill and made up an excuse for the show. It didn't really matter- it was a little adventure and I can't believe that its actually on line! 

this is the link to the segment which has "my" dance troupe- https://vimeo.com/1328120

BLINK, and you'll miss me but I'm the shortie in the dancers that begin at 3:20. See if you can spot me! 

No, I'm not a folk dancer- I did it as a way to shake off my experience of being almost killed by a ruptured appendix and peritonitis...It's long story that I won't bore you with, the important point was I survived, but was very weak. I had lost a great deal of muscle tone, plus I was depressed from the experience. 

I needed a distraction, and a friend offered me to try her dance troupe, which needed a female dancer.

I figured, what the heck? I had just stared down the reaper...what's to be afraid of? A little light televised humiliation in a country where I had no real connections? Kid stuff, after having my recent dance with death. And so... I jumped in and danced! 

I stopped dancing with them once I decided to return to art school. It was a short chapter in my Italian life- a detour for certain, and certainly a lot of fun. I highly recommend taking detours! They spice things up and give you stories ( and embarrassing videos)

This "special" program was live broadcast in the late Summer 1998 , in the beautiful city of Viterbo Italy. it was absolutely an experience that I wouldn't have had if I didn't gather my courage and try something new. 

I tangoed with the reaper and came out dancing with a rose clenched firmly in my teeth. 
Totally goofy
Totally worth it.

Flash Flooding in the Southwest

I'm Horrified by the flash flood tragedy which took at least 9 lives this weekend near Payton Arizona, at Cold Springs. 

It hits so close to home too: I just realized that this accident happened at the exact same river and area where i went camping with friends a couple of years ago....and, as if in a horrific premonition, there was a violent flash flood during our time there, which we avoided, thanks to the warning of a local friend who knew the fickle nature of the river. 

Then, the news came in this afternoon...at least 9 people were swept away by that same little river- a "creek" by east coast standards. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/eight-dead-two-missing-after-flash-flood-arizona-swimming-hole-n783526

Thankfully, in our case, we had heard from the property caretaker where we were camping that there were storms coming, which she knew could change that darling babbling brook that we had padded around in so happily just hours before- It could turn Dr Jeckyl into Mr Hyde......

And so it was, merely hours after we moved our tents , that charming cool little creek transformed into a raging, angry torrent of runoff water from the storm that was still up higher in the mountains. It had been raining where we were- a cooling drizzle which we welcomed after the heat of the day- but nothing about that rain could have predicted such a violent transformation of that creek.  

As I I said, some of us in the group had been sleeping in tents near the river- and some were actually camping directly IN the creek....where charming little flat outcrops made seemingly perfect private islands. IN FACT, There was a pair of journalists: husband and wife friends of ours who were part of the camping group, and the husband- a well known op/ed columnist for our city newspaper- wrote an article that following week about the tragedy that we had avoided...the exact thing which horrifically happened yesterday. 

A terrible coincidence/premonition....

And so, with this experience and knowledge.....

Just yesterday morning I saw someone who posted a video on instagram which showed a young kid happily scampering about a wash (dry river bed) in Tucson , as a line of water began to flow into the frame: the beginning of outflow from a mountain storm....Yes, it is a charming and magical sight- but also potentially deadly! 

I hate to be the Debbie Downer, but I decided that this was an opportunity to warn people of the potential of flash flooding in the desert. So I left a carefully worded comment which warned of the dangers of flooding. And I fretted that I had possibly offended, but I knew it was important to say. 

Anyone who has lived here and paid attention can tell you that a dry wash can become filled with runoff in an alarming rate. One of the highest causes of death in the desert during the summer Monsoon season is DROWNING, yes, in the desert. I believe this was the first "weird fact" that I learned when I first moved to the desert southwest. That a WALL of WATER can rush down these dry river beds faster than a freight train, and with even greater terrifying power- sweeping away anything in it's path, without warning. 

How tragic that once again, we are reminded of this fact of life in the desert by the senseless deaths of those people- mostly young children- who were simply having a little splash in the creek, on a hot summer Sunday. 

A reminder to : Turn around, don't drown. 

Avoid low areas in the deserts during monsoon season.

And remember- a dry sky in your area does not mean that flooding is impossible- Always remember, flash flooding in the southwest usually starts uphill, in mountain runoff. 

You cannot see it coming, so...this time of year, it might be best to forego the creek and go to the pool instead.

Chronic Lyme and painful inflammation

the short intro: I'm trying to learn as much as I can about my latest (and I dare say most accurate) diagnosis: Chronic or Late stage Lyme disease.
I've been searching for 7 years to find the correct diagnosis for my painful shoulder/neck and hip. It's a long story, but one that I've heard many Lyme patients echo. Basically, you begin with "something wrong" and then another weird something wrong...and another....with every symptom sending you in a different direction.
Oh and yes, I was tested many many times for Lyme. ELISA test, Western Blot....again and again negative. BUT, those symptoms didn't LIE!

oh what a tangled web we weave....

The way my Naturopathic Dr (Stephanie Stark ND of Blue Oak Clinic In Tucson AZ) ​ figured out what was going on with me was by doing blood testing which showed that I had high levels of inflammation. I then was tested for HLA results (honestly don't understand what these are yet...so look for a post on HLA testing in the near future)


What I'm starting to understand is that not all inflammation is equal- the remedies used for say a swollen/twisted ankle simply don't work on a swollen/Lyme ankle. (or shoulder, in my case)>

This chronic inflammation causes horrible pain....(you know, the pain that has sent me thru surgery, and 5 MRI's, four acupuncturists, three Physical therapists, two cranial sacralists, and a partridge in a pear tree......

so I'm trying to learn what I can do to make it less intense. (Unfortunately, popping an ibuprofen won't do much other than eventually hurt my kidneys....)

My exhaustion and pain are keeping me from doing much work in my studio (other than filling orders) and I've not been thinking much about my creative process, so the tone of this blog is taking a turn. No longer about creativity and metalsmithing stuff....it's becoming a source point for healthcare information for chronic Lyme, CIRS (chronic Inflammatory response syndrome) and Mold Toxicity.
three things that my Drs are convinced that are the root of my problems.

At this point on I will be using this blog mostly to post links to information I am collecting for my understanding of this confusing and unfairly controversial diagnosis.

this is a link to today's reading... about Lyme and chronic inflammation:

http://www.tiredoflyme.com/inflammation.html

I hope this is helpful! Now I'm off to do more research...Maureen


November 2017:
Update on my shoulder pain!
I found a shoulder specialist who (after many tests and injections) agreed to try a laparoscopic exploratory surgery on my shoulder- just as a definitive diagnosis; to really see exactly what was going on. He was really skeptical that he'd find anything- but he knew I'd been in pain for years so it would at least give me the knowledge of what to expect: a lifetime of continued pain and medication or possible healing.
Well.... I'm thrilled to say that he found that my bicep tendon was severely torn ("to sheds") which he then fixed...so I'm now -FINALLY- on the mend.
YAY!!!!!
How this happened is another big story- stemming from my neck surgery eight years ago. I'm not going into this now for good reasons but it might be the prelude to a legal fight.
Yup.
But today I focus on good news.....the knowledge that my shoulder is FINALLY GOING TO HEAL!

Canadian Postal problems

Important news for my Canadian customers: I am not shipping to Canada at this time due to the Canadian postal worker's disputes.

How I was informed (by Etsy):
"Due to an ongoing labor dispute, Canada Post has informed us that it may halt acceptance of new shipments and delivery of mail and parcels beginning on July 2nd. At this time, all shipments to, within, and from Canada that are handled by Canada Post will be affected until the dispute is resolved. This includes shipments into Canada from other national carriers like USPS and Royal Mail" 

Sign up to receive Canada Post labor dispute updates in real time: www.canadapost.ca/web/en/comm/list.page?ecid=murl%7Cddn%7Clr%7C5. 

Visit the Canada Post press page for other news related to the strike: www.canadapost.ca/web/en/pages/aboutus/mediacentre/default.page

I'm hoping that the disputes are handled swiftly, and I can return to selling to my Canadian customers! Until then, I'm afraid I'll have to cancel all Canadian orders made during the strike.
thank you for reading this important info!
- Maureen BZ "Cosmo's Moon Jewelry"

My PCC Metalsmithing Classes are filling fast!

I'm so Excited to see that my Fall Semester Metalsmithing Class at Pima Community College is 2 students away from being FULL!!

If you ever thought about taking metals lessons from me, here is your chance!

click here to go to my Metalsmithing course description in the PCC Fall 2016 course catalogue

I run a fun class with lots of demonstrations and assistance; my students are from all walks of life with a variety of experience in the arts/metals. From "never worked in metal" to "I used to have a jewelry shop" and Art Majors to Hobbyists, with fresh out of High school to Retired wanting to play..

my metals classroom is a welcoming and exciting place to learn a lifelong love of metalsmithing!

One of my last demos for the beginning class is how to set up a simple home studio so students can continue playing with metals at home.

Over 55? Get a HUGE discount! A Lifelong Learner discount of 50% on the base in-state tuition for credit courses has been implemented. learn about the cost of taking classes at PCC here: https://www.pima.edu/paying-for-school/costs/index.html

To qualify for the Lifelong Learner discount, you must be 55 years old on or before the first day of classes in the semester for which you are registering. So there ARE advantages to my greying hair!

Classes are Held at Pima Community College's West campus, the Art building in the Metals studio is remarkably well stocked with metals tools and big benches. Students registered in the class can take advantage of the many Open Studio hours during non-class time.

As I said, Only 2 spots remaining! (and then you get put on the waiting list) This is really exciting, because if the administration sees that this class is filling (with wait list) the school will most likely add another class for the Spring 2017 semester! 

again, find the course description here: https://bannerweb.pima.edu/pls/pima/az_tw_subcrse_catalog.p_subjcrse_list?p_subject_code=ART

After years of uncertainty with a new teacher every semester, (due to their restrictive application requirements I never applied for the job) Pima Community College was in danger of losing it's Metalsmithing department forever! 
Thankfully, I have been given the chance to revive the class and return it to a thriving and exciting place for creative people to explore the art of small scale metal work.

 For the next two years my goal is to work on the re-building the metals department.
I'm creating new projects and demos this summer to share with my students next Fall- I hope that you are there to join the fun!

Studio news....Memorial piece for John H...

Hi There-
I admit, I've been neglecting my blog. I could offer excuses, summer vacation, too many responsibilities, not enough time...but really, I've just not felt like writing in my blog lately.
mea culpa.
In my studio....I'm starting to make a bunch of Day of the Dead/Dia de los Muertos pieces...when in Tucson, skull and memorial pieces are a must!

NEWS:
I DID get a "Dia de" memorial piece accepted in the Tohono Chul (Tucson botanical garden and gallery) show in October/November....here is a sneak peek...It's a piece I made in memorial for my dear friend John Henderson, who was killed while riding in the Tour de Tucson 2013...

a pic of John (seated) and his partner of 26 years(Bill) in my studio taken about 2010

RIP John- we miss you!

*sigh* every time my son goes on a bike ride (he is really into riding these days) I hold my breath... John was killed while riding in one of the biggest events in Tucson...under very controlled and "safe" environment. And yet, a driver (who had a diabetic event that blacked out behind the wheel) still found him, and that was that. You just never know.

OK, not wanting to put a bummer out there- just be safe while riding, and drivers...LOOK OUT FOR BIKES!
thanks- M

Going Postal

I like to draw on my envelopes- these are some old letters

You know by now that I have a shop on Etsy, called Cosmo's Moon. I sell Earthy edgy silver and mixed metals handmade jewelry. I've been metalsmithing for over 25 years and have had my online shop open since 2008. (http://cosmosmoon.etsy.com)
I love to be able to work from home, in my sweet garden studio- with my dogs happily ambling around the yard and wandering in to visit me at my workbench. I have had moderate success with my shop, and have within the past year increased my shipments due to an increase in orders!

So, when things don't go as well as I planned, I take note- and adjust. The most recent adjustment is on my mailing procedure- and is meant to make my shipping more efficient, though a bit more expensive.


Why did I make this shift? I tell the tale below:

"Tales of a Wayward Shipment"
A simple silver hoop was ordered March 3. It was then Sent out on March 4, the day call "Missing Mail day" the day a bunch of my orders I sent out went missing. (I suspect they were stolen from my mailbox-which I don't send out from anymore)

My customer contacted me on March 20, letting me know that she didn't get her order yet. We checked the address, and it was fine. I asked if she lived on campus (many University orders have taken up to 2 weeks to get processed through a U's post office- not sure why.) nope- the order and info looked like it should have gotten there by now.

Hmmmm. Looks like a lost in the mail case to me. I decided to send another- and asked the customer to tell me when it got there. Checking the address once again (correct again) I put another in the mail, asking her to send the first one back if / when she ever got it. (I can always re-process the metal)

I sent the second one out on March 23. Today is March 31, and she still hasn't seen either of the two mailings!

And, back here in Tucson, I haven't had anything sent back to me from either of the posts.... However, I did get another customer's order sent back to me a few days ago that was originally mailed out on Feb 25.  I'm seeing that the whole US Postal Service system is really really slow now.

Why?

My pretty studio in my garden- (now I have more trees)

BECAUSE THIS YEAR TUCSON LOST ITS MAIN POST OFFICE DUE TO BUDGET CUTS

Tucson
The US postal service recently had Tucson's primary sorting center closed down due to budget cuts.  Now everything is sent through Phoenix AZ (120 miles away)- Everything! Even if you are sending something within the city limits! so instead of 1-2 days it takes 3-5  days to get to it's destination. (UGH!). I was unhappy that they shut the Cherrybell station down - Many Tucsonans are mad about it - I never thought it would turn into such a cluster **** and be such an obvious problem. It is. But I live here, so I have to deal with it.


My solution?
I have invested in a different shipping protocol- where all shipments will be tracked and the padded envelope mailer is the packaging, (even for small flat things like the hoops). It ends up costing more than $3 each shipment. Plus I got a huge case of padded mailers, and have a (thermal printer)
postal label maker coming to me in ...oops..the mail (it Better get here!! lol)

 This ups my price a bit, but I'm going ahead and doing it anyways. (I am going to split the difference a bit and raise my shipping to 2.75 ) I'm hoping this small adjustment won't send away customers- I believe that the security of knowing your order will arrive will be worth it for my customers.

I just can't afford the stress of lost packages- and Hate when my customers have to wait because of shipping issues. I make every effort to send my work out as soon as possible - often within the day of order- so when USPS messes up an order by sending it on a round the world tour it really ticks me off.

Thankfully, Etsy has recently upgraded their shipping solutions too- and now I can download my postage directly from my Etsy account. They even have added ways to add extra mailing services to your order- so I can recommend shipping insurance and have a quick and easy way to let the customers add it when they wish!


As with all new things, it will take me a while to update all of my listings- until then.....
Here's to more manageable mailing!
SWAK! (remember what that means?)- MBZ

Polishing and storing Silver

Hi there-
Here are a couple tips about jewelry care that I hope you find helpful! feel free to pass it along...

Polishing Silver:
is something that anyone who was born after the 1970's isn't usually familiar with. (Before then, we all had to polish our mother's silver tableware when getting ready for holiday meals) The fact is, Silver tarnishes. It's because there is a small amount of copper in the alloy- once it is exposed to humidity and air it darkens ("oxidizes") so, unless it is kept in a special container with anti tarnish chemicals, it will tarnish.
(I've added a few tips on silver storage below)

To care for your silver all summer I recommend keeping it clean by either investing in a ($5) polishing cloth aka rouge cloth, or investing in a tube or jar of old fashioned silver polish. 
Silver can tarnish from sweat, so use a bit of silver polish when you see it darkening- you can buy it at any hardware store. There are many types of silver polish- the more gentle the better-
IMPORTANT: I usually recommend to stay away from liquid "dipping" polishes, which are very aggressive and actually strip a fine layer of metal from your piece. (this is especially disheartening when you lose darkened details of older pieces, or pieces that are meant to have black details, so be careful to avoid those stripping products)
However, if you have a piece that just needs to be brightened (and it doesn't have any dark details)
You can try the easy DIY silver brightening method I describe in another blog post Here: http://mbzmetalsmith.blogspot.com/2014/11/tarnish-be-gone.html

 Silver Storage:
*Never wrap your silver jewelry in newspapers or plastic as these will cause your jewelry to tarnish severely.
*Add rubber bands to the list of material that should not be used to pack silver jewelry.
*Wrap each jewel in anti-tarnish tissue (available at most jewelry stores) and then seal them in polyethylene bags. (This is one way in which tarnishing can be minimized.)
*Tarnish absorbing cloths are also available and can be used in the same way.
*Anti-tarnish strips work in a slightly different way. These strips absorb tarnish producing gases and are made from paper that contains activated charcoal. They do not emit fumes or vapours but absorb the gases that cause silver to tarnish.
*even putting a couple sticks of regular white chalk (from the chalkboard) in your jewelry storage will help regulate the humidity and keep your tarnish under control.
*Finally, Silica Gel granules are man made and absorb moisture from the air. High humidity is one of the causes of silver tarnish and these granules that contain numerous tiny crevices 'suck' excess moisture from the air. They are used in medicine containers too and have been around for many decades.

The important thing to note about these materials is that they have a life span during which they will prove effective. Read instructions when using them and ensure that they are changed as and when recommended. Silica Gel granules can be made to change color when they are fully 'soaked' with moisture and become inactive. 

******************************************************************************** a lot of info! But if you are still interested, here's another link about the care of silver: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_and_restoration_of_silver_objects

Tarnish be gone!

Aw, what happened to your jewelry box? you turn your head for one moment
and that bright shine is looking somewhat...blah...

Is your silver jewelry and silver ware looking drab/dull and tarnished?
It Happens to the best of us!
so, if you want to do something about it,
in a fast, fun and interesting way
Here's how to brighten up your silver jewelry:
it's easy to do, using simple easy to find ingredients that you already have at home!

you will need:

• water
• salt
• an aluminum plate (you can substitute aluminum foil)
• water softener powder (you can substitute baking soda).

Procedure

1. Take an aluminum plate (or a regular plate covered with a piece of foil).
2. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of water softener powder (or baking soda).
3. Then pour some hot (not boiling) water onto the plate.
4. Stir to dissolve
5. dunk your silver in the solution.

How long do you need to keep your silver in the solution?It really depends on the condition of your piece- The results may be immediate, or they may take a few minutes. On very tarnished items, this cleaning method will not make your jewelry perfectly clean and shiny.  (that's when you resort to polishing compound pastes and your polishing cloth)

Polishing cloths
You can do most maintenance polishing with a polishing cloth (found at many stores) Polishing cloths are an inexpensive part of your jewelry care- and they last forever! (well, it seems that way) They last a long long time (until the fabric wears down).*one note- NEVER wash a polishing cloth- it works well because it is impregnated with polishing compounds. Once the cloth is washed, the magic is lost.

Warning
We do not recommend this cleaning method for jewelry that has precious or semi-precious stones.
Also, Please be aware that this method is not good for antiqued (oxidized) silver, as cleaning will remove the antiqued finish on the silver along with the tarnish, which would really be a bummer.

OK- that's about it- I just wanted to give you a fun science experiment to play with- and help you get the best shine for your dime
:-)
ciao for now- M

Metal Quality: stampings and testing info

I've had a few questions from my customers about metal stamping and how to determine metal quality. It's a common issue that we deal with as jewelers, especially as allergies and sensitivities are becoming more and more common in our culture.
I thought it might help if I wrote on this subject- to help educate and reassure my customers about the quality of their jewelry- Maureen BZ
**************************************

a few of my stamps 

some info about Metals Testing for people who have had a reaction to their jewelry:


It’s true, some of us are more reactive to certain metals than others. Whether it is a genetic thing (mom and grandma both couldn’t wear silver) or a chemistry thing...

OR, Perhaps your favorite moisturizer mixed with silver makes your piercing sad, or your new love for lap swimming has made your sterling sour (as pool chemicals can do a number on metal and stone, you should remember to take your jewelry off before taking a dip. I need to remember to do this too....I often get half way though my workout and realize I still have on all my rings...oops)...

anyways, metals can be part of a skin reaction. And when you have a reaction, it’s best to know exactly what metal you are dealing with.

Unless you are certain of your metal (there should be a quality stamp on your piece- unless it is super tiny, then you need to rely on the trusted word of the maker-) 



Silver:
Quality stamps say if a piece is “sterling”(which can also be stamped “925”) 
Fine silver is sometimes stamped (it’s pretty rare to have a piece that is 100% fine silver. in the case of a piece that is part fine silver and part sterling (which is an alloy-mix- of fine silver and other metal) the piece will usually be only marked "sterling" or ".925"



Gold:
this is pretty straight forward, golds are marked by Karat so, 10k, 12k, 14k, 18k, 22k, Pure gold is 24k, and is rarely used in jewelry these days. (it was however used in ancient “primitive” tribal and religious jewelry)


Some countries have different standard for gold marking.
When I was living in Italy I noticed that the goldsmiths marked their 18k “750” (which stood for 75% of the metal was fine 24kgold)
Italians don’t normally sell 14k or less in Italy- the gold of choice is 18k or nothing. almost all of the 14k gold that is produced in Italy is exported to other countries, like the US and Australia)


Platinum is usually stamped Pt

Palladium (a metal that is gaining popularity in the jewelry world lately) is stamped Pd

other than that, it is pretty straightforward-
Pewter is marked “Pewter”, Copper (when marked) is “Copper” etc... (not that you really need to mark the base metals, but sometimes I do it as a service for my customers)



Some things to be aware of:

many jewelers have their own signature stamp. It can look like almost anything. (mine is a shortened version of my name “BZap” and I stamp it on anything that is large enough to handle a stamp without ruining the finish of the piece.



**If you see the letters “HGE” it is often code for “heavy Gold electroplate” (unless your jeweler has those initials...though you should ask just to be sure)***


also, one problem with relying on quality stamps is that anybody with a hammer and a $20 stamp (that’s about how much a stamp costs in the US) can stamp a piece of metal. In the US at least you don’t need any credentials to buy a metal quality stamp.(we have no guild system like in Italy)

In my 30 years of being in this business I have yet to meet anyone sleazy enough to mis-stamp their metals...but, there are some pretty bold criminals out there, looking to make a penny any way they can.... So, if you are suspicious of a metal there is one way to be sure you are getting what you paid for...

You need to get an acid test. (and not the kind that was done by the hippies in the 1960’s)


A properly done acid test can tell you if your metal is silver, gold, platinum or something else. It can tell you if the piece is solid or plated. You can bring the piece to your local jeweler to find out just what you have....

Just so you know, you can get metal quality tested at most commercial jewelers- they do an acid test- they file a tiny bit into the metal and drop a bit of acid and watch to see what color the reaction will be.

(here's an explanation how they do it www.stebgo.com/blog-0-PreciousMetals/bid/66961/Old-School-Straight-Nitri... ) 

If you ever have questions about the quality of your metal jewelry you can see if your local jewelry shop will do a test. (they may charge a fee, I'm not sure how much but it shouldn't be very much at all- you can see it is a quick and easy test)



look, I am not writing this to make anyone nervous or upset, nor am I pointing fingers at anyone. I am certain that all of my jeweler friends (and I have a LOT of jeweler friends) are thoroughly and obsessively honest about their wares. In fact, most of us are real “material snobs” and take great pride in bringing our customers the very best. 



Yes, there are many phenomenal perfectionists in my craft. But like everything, there are bad apples too. So, after reading my notes on stamps and metal testing you know a little bit more about how to spot a snake in the grass. (believe me, us honest jewelers love to see the snakes be brought to justice)

So, 

thanks for taking the time to read this article- I love to help my customers be well informed!

feel free to pass it along- give your friends a heads up on their jewelry knowledge, they will thank you for it!
Have a good one!

ciao- Maureen BZ- Metalsmith/jeweler and owner of Cosmo’s Moon Jewelry on Etsy.
http://cosmosmoon.etsy.com