Nancy Lee's ring

So... back a few months ago I posted on my Facebook status that I would do a bunch of my "ring a day" ringsInspired by my friends- I asked those interested to post their ring size- and I would try to make a ring using the things I thought I knew bout them as inspiration.

and then, School Vacation happened. LOL, not that there was anything wrong with that... But, it did mean that I would be taking time off from my studio to hang out with my kid and hubby. So I did.
NOW, I am re-entering the studio, brushing off the list of names, and peppering my ring a day stream of conciousness with a few "inspired by you" rings.

Ring #1 in the series is inspired by Nancy Lee. I only know her over the internet, and what I know is that she is a metalsmith, has a great smile and sense of humor, and recently opened a studio space in Indiana called "Flame Art Studio". I've been hanging on to this flame lego piece all summer long- when I saw it I knew it was perfect for her ring!

Locavore ring

We maintain a home garden on our 1/4 acre lot in midtown Tucson. (although I'll admit it looks pretty shaggy right now due to the heat and the monsoon season's storms...) This current garden is now 3 years old and we have got it to be tuned to producing some sort of food crop year round.

That's right- year round!We are still doing fine tuning- figuring out what crops to grow when and what we need to add to this sandy desert soil. (thanks to the winter rains the peaches were AMAZING this year)

There is always tons of gardening to do- mostly weeding and mending irrigation lines- but we all enjoy the work- and feel that it is important to note how much work it takes to produce a single tomato. that knowledge humbles us- makes us feel our solidarity with the land and those who make their living off the land.

We are moderate locavores- meaning we make a conscious effort to  choose locally grown foods when possible. Locally grown food is fresher, and it uses less fossil fuels to get from the earth to the market.
Plus, if you shop at the local farmer's markets you get to know the people who are growing your food (raising the chicken/beef). Some of the ranchers are quite handsome too...;-)

on that note- Here's another "Textie" ring-  

(the pic is of my hand, harvesting a few of our amazing artichokes this spring)

Celebrate your commitment to the Locavore movement with this 

cool handmade mixed metals text ring!
Sterling and copper ring custom made to your size specifications. (sizes 4-9)

Wind

Wind
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

Every April the winds shift in Tucson- signaling the start of our 6 months of summer. We have been fortunate this year to have had record rainfall and a very cool winter. The winds are exhilarating, but they also bring with them the knowledge that Tucson will soon become a gigantic frying pan.
Most of us "desert rats" spend this time of year frantically planning our escape from the summer sun. Meanwhile, we spend every possible second that we can outdoors, knowing full well that we will be holed up in swamp cooled, air conditioned darkened houses until late October.
It's basically the opposite schedule compared to most of the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. (except instead of skiing, we go swimming)
The winds of change are upon us....and soon we will have our Ice break (the first time the temperature gets to 100 degrees)
Just a warning to you Northern folks...you may have some leathery lizards begging for a respite from the desert sun. Any old shadow will do
:-)

BUGS

Speaking of nature and enamels......

the real thing...Mt Bigelow Blue Bug 
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

have I ever mentioned that we live next door to a couple who are entomologists? I adore the shapes and colors that nature brings us with the insect world..years ago I did a series of torch fired enamel bug pins that I think I may revisit..... 

My interpretations

"swarm 2006"

Well I'm the Human Fly 

and I don't know why

I go

Buzz Buzz Buzz

and it's just because........

human fly, The cramps

Tuareg Jewelry event

Last week I went to an event here in Tucson that was put together by Yvonne Foucher, owner of Cata Vino's wine shop, and member of Local First, Tucson. The featured artist/group Tuaregjewelry.com was represented by their US representative, AnnElston. I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous pair of silver earrings for my collection. It is rare for me to purchase jewelry; I usually wear my work only..(like a walking billboard)... But these pieces were truly remarkable, and I knew immediately that I wanted to have a sample of the amazing technique and "soft geometry" of the designs. 

here is an image of my sample pair- remarkably, they are Hollow, and not soldered.. the piece is cut and folded into it's box shape- I believe (based on their weight) that there must be a small piece of wood in the core, to keep the light gauge silver from collapsing. I'm going to do a little research to find out if this is a technique that the Tuareg metalsmiths employ 

(I'll let you know when I find out)

in any case, these are made with stamping and repousse techniques: (with hammers and broken screwdrivers and files, as told by their rep...sounds right to me!)

repoussé |rəˌpoōˈsā|

adjective(of metalwork) hammered into relief from the reverse side.nounornamental metalwork fashioned in this way.ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: French, literally ‘pushed back,’ past participle of repousser, from re- (expressing intensive force) + pousser ‘to push.’

As a bonus piece, I was given a fantastic deal on a gorgeous hand sewn leather piece, which is a smaller version of the Tuareg sleep mats (mine is the size of a pillow). The hand tooling and design of this piece astounded me. I feel fortunate to have it, and am very grateful to have had the opportunity to hold many more beautiful metalworks at the event.

You never know what opportunities arise, and I am so glad that I took time out of my busy day to be in the presence of such amazing craftsmanship.