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

DIY custom size your nose ring hoop

Custom Sizing your hoop-

want a slightly smaller nose ring hoop? there's no need to exchange/buy another one if you are ok with having me lead you through how to size it down yourself.....

Supplies Needed:
Nail clippers
Nail file
Pencil

1)trim a small (1/8” or less at a time) piece off of the un-balled end of your nose ring (use nail clipper- it should be strong enough to cut this thinness of silver)

2)once you have the perfect size use your nail file to sand the clipped end smooth

3) slip onto pencil point and bend your hoop closed again ( this will keep your round shape for you)

That should do the trick- I also have a little video on how to properly open and insert your nose ring - it's on YouTube at; http://youtu.be/Wk-z4JqOlhU


If you want a new sterling Nose ring hoop, I do have them always in stock in 22g and 20 g thicknesses- please visit my Etsy shop at: http://cosmosmoonjewelry.etsy.com to see what's in stock!

and if you want to keep up with my newest designs: 
Cosmo’s Moon Jewelry on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cosmosmoon

Ciao- Maureen

December news from the BZ Homestead

this pic is from a few years ago- an oldie but a goodie!

Hi Everyone-

FYI: Maureen needs mending
I am going in to the hospital on Thursday Dec 8 to have surgery on my 2 ruptured discs in my neck. (an artifact from my many years of being a test pilot for ornery ponies)
This will put me out of commission for a few weeks. I am going to keep my etsy shop open but will have some delay in shipping after this Thursday (I don't know how I will be feeling about standing in lines at the post office, so I will be bribing my best friend and Husband to take packages there for me...at least until the chocolate runs out)


RE: My holiday schedule for shipping/shop closure schedule........
(for http://cosmosmoonjewelry.etsy.com )
I will be closing for the Christmas break starting on Monday Dec 19th.  
LAST DAY FOR SHIPPING before Christmas is December 20.
I will re-open the shop on Monday December 26.
Thank you for all of your support this year- I really appreciate it- Have a wonderful Holiday season- Merry Christmas,Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Buon Solstice, Auguri and Cheers to you all
 <3 Maureen

June's Box a Month

Here are a few images of the latest in my "Box a Month" series 2011. 

I have given myself a personal challenge to create a handmade metal box or container every month this year- It is a challenge I created for myself to stretch my metalsmithing and design skills to a different (larger than jewelry) scale. I also am keeping my pewtersmithing skills sharp by re-visiting my pewter bench on a monthly basis. I'm enjoying the challenge of working bigger, and am hoping to continue this project throughout the year. My wish would be to have a show that exhibits my box a month collection at the end of the year.

"Octo Krakken Portal Box" June 2011
It's hand fabricated in pewter with a domed and patinaed copper hinged lid. and resin coated pewter tentacles
This piece has a hidden compartment inside the box (a box within a box) to hold secret treasures/ valuables.
Measurements are 4 1/2"x 5 1/2" round

opening the portal

This container has a hidden "Box within a box" compartment, shown here- I always love to make a little surprise in these pieces- I feel that it adds a special-ness to the object (similar to how cool it was to find a hotwheels car with doors that open...you know that feeling, right?) here are a few images that show the hidden compartment...

Oh, and one more thing about this piece...I developed a latex allergy halfway through completing this box. I found out about it after spending 20 minutes with latex gloves on (while working with the resins on the box's tentacles). I worked those 20 minutes- closed my studio and went to bed- when I woke up the next morning my hands were bright res and blistered! I've heard of allergies "coming out of nowhere"- and now I believe it!

Anyhow- here's a pic of my hands (and the bottom of the box) one week after the initial reaction...Yikes!   I'm happy to say that my hands are now looking much better- 10 days after the fact. I've thrown out my latex gloves, bought some nitril gloves instead, and am looking into allergy websites to get information on what I should now avoid because of this new reaction.

I'm learning something new all the time! All's well that end's well-
ciao for now- Maureen

PS- yes, I will be listing these box a month pieces in my etsy shop soon- I will announce their posting in my Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/cosmosmoon
Come join Cosmo's Moon fans by clicking "like" on the Facebook page, where I reveal sales, open studios, Etsy discounts and coupon codes and introduce "sneak peeks" of my latest designs!

BZ BZ busy

I've had a few topics lately I wanted to blog about- The Japan disaster, the rising cost of metals, the digital submission process...among others...
so, I'm jotting this down now- that way , once I'm finished doing all of this extra work in my studio I'll actually get some time to sit down and really write.
It's all a balancing act these days...I'm getting work ready for a show in April (Seedboat gallery in Silver City NM- opening April 1st) an open studio (mid April) Tucson fashion week (end of April) and the SNAG conference in Seattle (end of May). Plus, I've picked up an unexpected teaching gig, and I'm working for a local Opal dealer by making bezels.

New castings March 2011

OH, and yesterday I got my new castings back from the casting house (not like I have any time to finish them....)
I've always thought my initials sounded like "am busy" MBZ....
I think there's a conspiracy here! LOL

OK- I'm off to make some money for travel this summer-

sept 27 lil country gal wedding ring3

sept 27 2010lil country gal wedding ring3
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

I love these old fashioned clothespins- they HAVE to be wooden- can't stand the plastic ones...

this piece is another of my free formed rings that I make for the ring a day project. The rings I am making for this project don't necessarily have to be wearable- they don't have to make much sense- they don't have to be anything! And that is what I find so intriguing...

when I go to my studio I have a bunch of things I want to complete for the day- on that list is a ring...can be anything it wants to be- made of anything that calls to me...and can be as fast or slow and detailed as it is.
a zen ring- it IS because I follow the creation- never really knowing if it is gone over the edge, never really sure where it will lead. The creation is in the moment, and it is sheer freedom.

Ring a day a journey that allows me to take risks, and one that has opened a spring of creativity! I know I can't have a winner every time, and giving myself the permission to fail is one of the best gifts an artist can give to themselves.
Keep it real, baby!
:=)

confection Sept 20 # 120

confection Sept 20 # 120
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

Here's a ring that's not a ring- it is, in fact a piece that I did in order to have a good photo representation of my work...and that's the complicated part...

Which work? the production steampunk granola goth work that I sell on Etsy? the whimsical found object stuff I show in galleries? the painted work? the formal jewelry? and let's not forget the pewter...

the story of my career- I am in many places at once- and sometimes it's hard to really pinpoint a category. Even back when I was a "painter" I was a "sculptor" as well- often building up forms in Styrofoam wood and cardboard as I painted..kind of like Frank Stella- but not as gigantic.

Anyhow- I see in this piece a correlation to many different angles of my work- some whimsy, a little goth, a touch of sculpture and painting as well. The piece is a brooch(horizontal and vertical) that can also be worn horizontally as a pendant. It's for an Ad in a magazine, so I'm going to bring it to a pro photographer for a glamor shot... No Hallmark filter please! LOL

It's as if my work has finally started to settle into a groove..and I'm excited to see where this integrated path leads!

Web site newly Launched!

One of my projects right now is to create a website for myself and my jewelry that is independent of Etsy. Don't get me wrong- I love Etsy, I simply want to have a gallery page, where I'm not only selling my work but also showcasing my designs.

I'm approaching this as if it was a piece of art- keeping my pages pretty fluid,
adjusting and honing the site as an evolving entity. Translation: This new site is a work in progress-
I'll be adding to it as time goes on- and when I publish new pages I'll be posting it here.
Here's the new site: Http://cosmosmoonjewelry.com right now it's very visual- many images, not much info, which is how I like my sites:-)
Let me know what you think!
thanks- Ciao- Maureen