Drinking Ironic Tonic

Well, the universe has a sense of humor. You may know that I've been struggling with chronic pain in my left shoulder and neck for the past year and a half, and how I've recently decided to try taking a break from the studio in order to really search for a cure and give my shoulder a break...

Now, I will admit, keeping me from the studio has proven to be almost impossible- One of my great joys in life is the hours of studio time I fit into my day. (In fact you could say I fit my days into my studio time..) I have come to realize that in order to keep from getting too depressed about my condition I really NEED to be in the Satori mind- the creative process and creative spirit support me: they are as vital to my health as breathing.

So- I've been puttering around my studio, but only doing no impact (no hammers) work....I was starting to think, "I can just make things that my body will let me make" and have been putting together a group of 8 pieces, which are almost finished..(image shows one of the pieces) I made them with almost no handtools, because my shoulder won't let me do much with my left hand.

Then, very unexpectedly, I won the Orchid Raffle!

What is Orchid?
Orchid is the social media (email q+a and discussions about metalsmithing) of one of the original metalsmithing websites, " Ganoksin.com "- I have been using this site since '98, when I first discovered it (I looked up how to make granules for granulation, an ancient metalsmithing technique)
Ganoksin is an incredible resource for the metalsmithing and jewelry community- It must have close to a million pages by now.... If you have never spent a few hours looking through Ganoksin I encourage you to try it- It's packed with information and eye candy.
"Orchid" is the name of the email forum in Ganoksin. 

Every year they raise funds by having a raffle- and every year I buy one or two tickets. I really love the metalsmithing community and believe in supporting our core services. This year I bought a ticket "early", in November, when flooding was at it's worst in Bangkok, Ganoksin's base. And this year...I won!

I ended up winning the grand prize, a very generous gift certificate for Rio Grande - one of the largest sellers of tools and supplies for the metalsmithing world!

And I still am in pain, and I still cannot do hardly anything- Whatever tools I get with the winnings are going to have to take me to a no impact studio. I'm thinking electro forming and torch- No stakes for me- I cannot use them now- (not even to kill vampires)

All the tools you want and no ability to use them now?
Karma is feeding me a little Ironic Tonic.
In any case, I am truly thankful for my incredible luck. The raffle winnings are a dream of any metalsmith- I am filled with Gratitude. Thank you Ganoksin! Thank You Rio Grande!!
and Thanks to my friends and family who have been so supportive
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

Tucson, we have a problem

well, I have a problem. This past year I've been struggling with pain issues due to a couple of ruptured discs in my neck. It has forced me to rein in my activities some, and I've dropped a few projects (Box a Month was one casualty).
At this point I've done everything non surgical to try to get relief from the pain that is coming from a pinched nerve(s) on my left side. It has made my left arm numb and increasingly painful. After exhausting all other therapies it is evident that I either live with constant nauseating pain or I go under the knife for a discectomy.

my "good side"

I have an appointment with a pain specialist this week, and surgery scheduled for early December (which may get moved up if they can't find a way to make me somewhat comfortable between now and then)
I just wanted to let you know what was going on- I know I haven't been posting much on my blogs lately, and this is the reason why.
I'll be fine I'm sure- but until then- I've got to rest and take care of myself so I can be a good mom for my sweet kiddo.
ciao- Maureen the ruptured disc queen

Put a Skull on it!

click on image to go to listing for this Skull pendant

It's the end of summer, and around Tucson the creative community begins to conjure up their creations for the annual All Souls procession for Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead, a Mexican holiday honoring loved ones who have passed away) It's a big deal in Tucson- and it also marks the time of year when we are finally able to enjoy cooler weather- essentially, Late October is our "Spring is sprung" time- when everyone rejoices in being able to spend some time outside after a very long scalding hot summer.

While NYC is the "Big Apple", Boston has chowder, and Portlandia creates "put a bird on it!", Tucson is a Skull town, with a rich Mexican traditions that permeate the hardened dusty soil..... Put a Skull on it Tucson! :-)

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!

red hook

red hook , a photo by cosmosmoonjewelry on Flickr.

Here I am Modeling my embossed and spray-painted aluminum "hook" earrings- They are a new style that I'm really loving to make (and wear) I love big earrings, but don't like the feeling of being dragged down by heavy earrings. I can recall some very sore earlobes in the '80's when I wore a pair of big blue glass and brass earrings that were amazing, but super super heavy. That was 20+ years ago and I STILL remember it!
These earrings are also versatile - they can be worn hooked front (like here) or back- and because they are aluminum they are big but LIGHT! (sterling silver ear wires)
I'm listing a few of these tonight (in red and green (they glow in the dark too!)
I mean, come on....who doesn't like Glow in the dark? :-)
I hope you are having a great summer- We are facing 111* here in Tucson tomorrow... I am setting up the pool tonight!

Confession and regrets

OK- it's been about a week since the SNAG conference in Seattle- last week at this time I was dining with a group of fabulous people from the conference in a great restaurant- trying to figure out what exactly a "dunkle" was..(lol, I still don't quite know, but I think it's like a turkey duck chicken thing)

Anyways- I'm writing this because I have a regret and confession- While I did go to the SNAG conference I feel like I really didn't even see half of the speakers- and I don't know why! Well, one thing was that I was kind of at the end of a longer trip- I went up early to teach a class...by the end of the week I was missing my family and dog really acutely. so, there's homesickness... And then my !!*^)^?***&(* neck started acting up again. (disc issues, long boring store- suffice to say OUCH!)

I'm really baffled how I could have gone to the conference- and not have seen so many things! I don't know- I think I kind of "checked out" when I saw how many people were there (over 900 attended).
I don't like crowds- but I've never been really phobic (I don't think) but maybe that had something to do with it- feeling a little displaced, hurting and kind of tired....OY VEY I'm kind of angry with myself for missing out on so many tidbits!

well- I did have a really good time- Maybe the trick will be to actually stay IN THE SAME HOTEL as the conference- even though I was only about 5 blocks away it was a disconnect- perhaps I could have left my heavy laptop in my room and returned every once in a while if I needed.

Le so< I guess what I want to say is- I'm sorry I didn't get to see/do everything I wanted- and I know there were more than a few people I really wanted to connect with but for some reason didn't. 

OK- now that this is off of my brain I'm going to stop beating myself up about it and move ahead- Next year is the Phoenix conference- and I'm working on getting a few things together for that one- I will stay at the hotel- will most likely have my hubby and son with me and if we can- I'm bringing my Daisy dog too- she's my rock.

If I missed you at the conference- sorry- I hope you had a delightful time! And I'll look forward to seeing you online , at the Yuma Symposium, and/or in Phoenix next May!
ciao ciao for now- Maureen
PS- have you heard the Whaley studios interviews from the conference?
Jay did a great job chatting with a bunch of interesting SNAGsters-
I even got a shot at the mike- My interview is about 3/4 of the way through the DAY2 interviews (right after Rachel Timmins and before Andrea and Les from NC Black) check out all the interviews Here

Metal Prices and the effect on Craft

The number says it all- today Silver prices shot up over $45 dollars an ounce. I've never seen it so high- well, never have been really tuned in when it was high before...

In late 1979 I was in 8th grade, in Durham New Hampshire. We had just moved there from Newark Delaware a few months before. One of my memories of that time was a discussion that happened in one of my classes about the rising cost of silver- This was the time when "the Hunt brothers" (Nelson and William Hunt) attempted to corner the world market in silver. Prices from Sept 1979 to January 1980 silver prices rose from $11.00 and ounce to $50 an ounce.

I recall one of my classmates very excited by this because he and his brothers had been given silver stock as a confirmation gift earlier that year. At the time- the rise in prices didn't mean much to me- it only left me with a pang of "missed opportunity" and a renewed interest in my mother's jewelry box.

(don't worry, I never took anything- I just would dream of each piece of silver making me "rich" like Richie Rich, the comic book character) 

However- this price increase that we are going through now is making me think very differently- I am now in my 25th year of working as a silversmith- I use silver every day, and it's price makes a huge difference to me and my business. I have a couple of shops online where I sell my silver and mixed metals designs- I chose to work in silver because it was an affordable way to start a career in jewelry. I also love silver's color and workability- It's one of my favorite materials- and it keeps getting more and more expensive to buy! which, in turn forces me to increase my prices in my shop...

whimsical abstraction necklace for sale in my Etsy Shop, "Cosmo's Moon"

Why? because I have to think about replacement cost of my work- if one piece sells, I need to replace it- even if that piece originally cost me $20 to make, with the increase in metals prices on the market, my replacement cost increases as well. In essence, if I sell a piece for the material cost when the silver prices were in their $20's, I would take a loss- because the piece couldn't be replaced for that price anymore...it would be replaced at the current price of metals (plus manufacturing cost)

Wait....what? Manufacturing cost? That's right!- Manufacturing cost is added to metal when we go to the silver supply store and buy silver. You see, the metal has to be alloyed (alloying is when you take a pure metal and you add another metal to give a certain characteristic to the metal- for instance sterling is 92.5% pure silver mixed with 7.5% copper), Then the manufacturer makes the alloyed metals into forms, like sheet or wire. We metalsmiths in the US usually buy our sterling in these manufactured forms. (there is an argument also for making your own alloys, but that's a different subject all together, which I will leave for another time)-So, if metal prices are at 40$ an ounce- we are paying $40 plus manufacturing cost (which is variable, depending on the manufactured form) for our supplies...that's a great deal different than a few years ago when we thought $10 an ounce was outrageously expensive! 

So- as each trip to the silver store gets more and more expensive, I find myself faced with a dilemma- do I buy more silver? will it go up even more? can I afford to invest in more supplies right now, or do I have to re-consider my materials?

Well, I'm doing a little of everything- I'm not swearing off of silver completely- It is really a necessity for certain items like rings and earrings- But I'm not "stocking up" either.

It's a game that many 'smiths are engaged in right now, whether we want to be or not- the silver lining (no pun intended, but it's a good pun, huh) is that the rise of metals prices will have an effect on the value of skilled work. Hobbyists who have been flooding the silver jewelry market will be looking at their hobby supplies differently- due to the high "start up" cost of silver.

I believe that in the coming months there will be a further separation of professionals vs hobbyists, similar to the separation between those who work exclusively in gold vs those who work in silver. Effectively raising the perceived value of silver as a metal, and the idea that it is a metal mostly used by professionals.
I could be wrong, but that is where I see the trend heading.

That being said- I don't believe that this augmentation of silver prices will make "silver smithing as a hobby" become a thing of the past- it's just becoming more expensive to "start"- and therefore less new (inexperienced) craftspeople working in silver on the market.

My hope is that those of us who continue our silversmithing will raise the level of silverwork to a new level of craftsmanship- Therefore giving "new polish" to one of humankind's oldest crafts.

and, with that off my chest- I'm heading out to my studio to make some beautifully crafted pieces... in silver!
ciao- Maureen BZ

deadlines, good bad and ugly.

 Well, not really bad..

There are still a couple of days left for a few important deadlines-

one, we in the US know is that *taxes* thing (which is actually due on the 18th this year)

another thing you may know about is the deadline for VIDEO submissions to the SNAG Seattle (click here for more info)...which has had a DEADLINE EXTENSION until April 29th (Yay!) 

and finally-...--
the deadline which I know you are all working on (right?) is for Exhibitions proposals for the SNAG Phoenix 2012 Conference....."the Heat is On"
and that one is the most pressing, due on APRIL 15th!  Friday! 

****find out more about submitting proposals at the PDF link found HERE, under Phoenix conference**** please submit proposals! I'd love to have Metalsmiths Unite represent in Phoenix- my home state!!

(**ps, full disclosure, I'm on the exhibitions committee for the Phoenix conference)

check out the fabulous brand spanking new logo for SNAG Phoenix!

isn't that a super cool logo? or, is it Hot?

:-) ciao- Maureen

Open Studios

It's time for the Spring Open Studio tour here in Tucson!

to find a comprehensive list of participating studios please go to Zocalo Magazine online- where you will find maps and info about the studios that will be open to tour.

I will have my space open on SATURDAY ONLY-
I'm tidying up my studio today, so that it will be spiffy clean - believe me, you don't want to see it in it's normal unruly state!

 If you are in Tucson, come on by next Saturday (the 16th) from 11-5 to see where all the magic and metalsmithing happens :-) I'd love to see you!
ciAO- Maureen

patina-palooza

It's patina week here on Mabel street- I brought in a bunch of samples and did a little demo in my class Wednesday morning- then today, I had a client ask about putting a patina on a pair of gauged grommets.

in short, it's the vapors that do the reaction on the metal- makes it grow a surface of blue crud aka "patina"

I thought it might be interesting for my readers to see as well- give a peek "inside the studio" for non-metalsmiths as well.....so- without further ado...... Here's a quick look at putting a beautifully textured blue patina on copper-

Here's a fun project- if you have a piece of copper (you can get a plumbing part from the hardware store) take a handful of sawdust, put it in a ziplock bag- add a bit of non-sudsing ammonia (to get the sawdust damp-(not too wet) add about a 1/4 teaspoon table salt....then mix it up (shake the bag around)

put your clean copper in the bag, cover it with the sawdust solution and SEAL the bag shut to keep the ammonia vapors inside, doing their magic...every hour or so go and check on it...

take it out of the bag- and lightly rinse- being careful to not rub the surface- pat dry, put it under a light bulb to warm up and dry completely.. the piece will appear that it hadn't changed much at first, but with drying you will see some patina/changes in color.

continue to bury the piece in sawdust mixture and check every hour or so to check the color development.
stop when you are happy with the colors-----be careful not to build too heavy of a patina surface, because it will tend to chip off. (the sawdust will get pretty grungy looking after a while.. that's ok, as long as it continues to have a strong ammonia odor)

Some NOTES:
Once I'm happy with the patina color I like to seal my patinas with either clear butcher's wax , renaissance wax, or a light application of clear spraypaint/fixitive (very light application only)

it's best to experiment with patinas on small sample pieces before you dive in and try to patina an important piece-

remember to use good ventilation, the fumes are really strong!

This is just one way to develop color on metal- there are many tutorials online and in books- There are many patina recipes and techniques- and many opinions... :-) it's up to you to decide which works for you, and how you want to use it.


Patinas are surface color only- they don't go "into" the metal, they cling to the surface- When you design a piece for patina make sure you don't use them for anything that will get lots of wear and tear (like a ring) or, if you do put it on an exposed area, you need to put a protective structure on top of it to avoid abrasion...

take lots of notes, do some variations (use distilled water/add more/less salt/ammonia, change sawdust type to different coarseness/wood type) and enjoy watching your metals morph into something beautifully colorful!

top right piece is unpatinaed copper- then clockwise, blue patinaed copper with liver of sulfur base, the three samples on the left are all copper with an ammonia, salt and sawdust patina.

Have fun-
may the flux be with you- ciao- Maureen

finding my balance

So...I'm on ring #50 in my ring a day practice, and I've learned a few things....
I enjoy having this continuous practice- though I find I need a break during the weekends.
At first I was strict about making something every day- but I find that the weekends, for me at least
I never have enough energy to do much more than some throw away piece- (so hastily made that it bothers me)...
I've been a typical mom on the weekends- running here and there, catching up with housework, bringing my sweet kiddo to his activities and parties....when I'm home, I need to be with my family, so I've made the "executive decision" to give myself a break and only do Ring a Day on weekdays.
Just having those couple of days to take a broader look at the world seems to really help me-
I guess it's just what happens, when incorporating new things in our lives...sometimes it is a struggle before you settle on a pace that suits you.
ok- and saying that- it just happens that it is a busy studio weekend for me- lol...
(I'm on the Tucson Open Studio tour both Saturday and Sunday...)
Perhaps I'll see you there!

ciao- Maureen

Connect with your Muse

This month's Etsy Metal team blog Carnival topic is ......

"20 things to do to kick start Creativity"

I thought that it would be fun to try to list some tricks of the creative process....here's my list- randomly...off the cuff...

#1- Do an assignment in a random, off the cuff way....LOL

#2- make ridiculous limitations to your process, like drawing with your feet or writing when you're really tired (like I am now)
#3- make something intentionally ugly.
#4- try using a new material
#5- take a "walk" or go skipping around the block (it's impossible for me to skip without laughing)
#6- read a random part of a reference book
#7- stretch and drink a glass of water (we are often dehydrated here in Arizona)
#8- set a time limit on your current work (get it done and out of your way...there are so many creative ideas just dying to come forward!)
#9- write a poem
#10- do a bit of gardening- be tactile- smell the soil
#11- watch a favorite movie- notice why you love it
#12- Road trip! Go see something you've never seen before in your area- even if it just means driving/ walking/ biking etc down a new street.
#13- go to the library
#14- make random stuff with your scrap materials-
#15- realize that you might not be making a masterpiece, and get over it
#16- take a nap
#17- go to the hardware store and pick a few materials that you think might be fun to play with.
#18- Try to make a list, and put it on your blog
#19- don't erase/ delete your "mistakes" -sometimes the irregular is more interesting!
#20- when all else fails....Chocolate. (maybe that should be the first one!)

well, that's my list for tonight- I'm sure I'll think of more- (including the exact perfect one that I'll be kicking myself for forgetting) Here are the other Etsy Metals team members who have created a list...

  (There are 15 other Etsymetal metalsmiths blogging on the same topic today. Please go and check out their articles, they will all be sure to get your creative ideas flowing!!)

http://www.chris-parry.blogspot.com/ - Chris Parry

http:
//www.sarawestermark.blogspot.com/ - Sara Westermark

http://www.kmjewelrystudio.blogspot.com/ -Katie Miess Kohlhagen

http://www.amandaconley.blogspot.com/ - Amanda Conley

http://wildflowerdesigns.blogspot.com - stacey

http://www.evemmetalsmith.blogspot.com - Esther Eve

http://www.jewelrytutorial.blogspot.com/- 2Roses

http://www.fluxplay.blogspot.com - Maria W

http://cosmosmoonjewelry.blogspot.com

http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/ - Victoria Takahashi/Experimetal

http://lunatic-art.blogspot.com [Berenice Schaltegger]

http://brookemedlin.com/blog (Brooke Arin Medlin)

http://metalriot.blogspot.com (Thomasin Durgin/Metalriot)

http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com - Beth Cyr

http://catherinechandler.blogspot.com/ - Catherine Chandler

Enjoy!- Maureen BZ

Pin Swap

finished pin groups3
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

Well, I'm done for this year at least!
Here is a pic of my pins I made for this year's pin swap at the Yuma Symposium- They were really fun to make- a great way to free up some of my design ideas...I know some of the things I discovered while working on these will influence my future works- I actually would love to have these pieces done in a more permanent (less epoxied) manner-
stay tuned! :-)
I will be taking notes about the symposium and posting pics and blog next week, when I get home. I've made the decision to leave my computer home...and give my hands a break!
ciao for now- Maureen

gift horse

Here's an artifact from my past
and the time I spent in Italy-
a horse tooth. I found this horse tooth in the pasture where my polish warmblood mare Schilla spent her summers.

I've always cherished this find and look back on that time in my life with mixed emotions. Bittersweet - as it was the last period of time when I was able to spend hours at the stable every day.

My daily riding came to an end 
In 1998, after a dramatic bout with a burst appendix (and a close touch by my mortality)
With a week long stay in an Italian hospital (one where Da Vinci did his anatomy explorations) and many weeks of recovery at home I had time to take a constructive look at my life. I had to decide which direction I wanted to take it. I had to make a decision between art and horses.

After much drama, (including a shouting match with a fascist farmer).. I chose art.

I drove away from the barn that day with all of my tack and horse gear. I still remember in vivid detail the day when I settled my saddles on the saddle rack in our storage area -in a loft storage space at our Florence home...  they remain still- waiting for me to come back and re-claim their use. Last month, my husband came back from a short trip in Italy (for business) and he brought back one of my bridles. It hangs in my studio today. I didn't clean it before I packed it up all those years ago- so if I look real hard, I can still see some remainders of my sweet mare on the leather.

this is a picture I took of Schilla one warm summer day,

lolling around in the pasture of olive trees and wildflowers

I look forward to the day when I will be able to welcome horses back into my life and find the balance between my two passions. I think it is going to be soon.
ciao- MBZ

Finishing those odds and ends

#21 /365 rad "castle" ring mosaic
Originally uploaded by cosmosmoonjewelry

Here's an example of one of my new rings I've made for the ring a day project- Made of oxidized sterling silver and 18k yellow gold.

Yes, it is a complex piece- something that I really love to do, work in a dense manner- I made it in stages........

the tubes I rolled and put together as a collection a few years ago-(I went on a big tube making kick) and the ring I finished in a day-

This is the story with many of my ring a day pieces....I am simply "Finishing" work that I have set aside...you know, those pieces that you just can't seem to make work, and you don't want to send them to refining....

So I guess you could say this ring a day project has me re-purposing some of my work- I must admit, it's pretty satisfying to find homes for these odds and ends!

nuff said- I'm off to the studio now for a FULL DAY of studio work- Yippee! ciao- Maureen

Blog Carnival- Ring a Day

My favorite ring from the ring a day project is the ring that has yet to be made.

It is the ring of possibility. The one that exists in the moment of creation- 

I love this ring because it is ever changing- it holds many forms and ideas, and is executed

in a multitude of techniques and designs by talented artists in a variety of studios.

The ring that has yet to be made is one of possibility and promise: it can make you laugh, cry...it can hold a beautiful stone, a rock, a piece of plastic, or simply an idea. 

There is no overlying concept inherent in the ring of possibility, but it is a concept in itself.

It can be utilitarian, can spice up your life, can make you sneeze...it slices, it dices, it makes a great gift. it is a giant question mark, an exclamation point, asterisk, and comma.  There are an infinite amount of them, and there are none at all. 

The ring that has yet to be made hugs the future- it is in the hands of those who risk to create it.

it is beautiful, because it is possible. And I can't wait to get to my studio to see it today!

 

here are a few of my rings (posted on my Flickr photostream) from the past week... I encourage you to go and see the incredible variety and possibilities that are being created every day by this inspiring group of artists- 

here's the link to the official ring a day group - ring a day flickr group (constantly developing)

this is a blog carnival post- that means that several other artists are taking up this same subject (favorite ring) and blogging about their response- it's a great way to be introduced to the ring a day project and the artists who are participating- 

below you will find a list of the other etsymetals artist blogs in today's blog carnival

Enjoy!

Alisa Miller http://alisamiller.blogspot.com
Colleen Baran http://seeseebe.blogspot.com/
Danielle Miller http://daniellemillerjewelry.blogspot.com/
stacey hansen http://wildflowerdesigns.blogspot.com
Chris Parry http://chris-parry.blogspot.com
kerin rose http://kerinrose.blogspot.com
Sara Westermark http://sarawestermark.blogspot.com/
Victoria Takahashi http://vtakahashi.blogspot.com/
Su Trindle http://quercussilver.blogspot.com/
Nina Dinoff http://ninadinoff.blogspot.com/
Maureen "Cosmo's Moon" BZ http://cosmosmoonjewelry.blogspot.com
Thomasin Durgin http://metalriot.blogspot.com/
Beth Cyr http://bcyrjewelry.blogspot.com/
Caitlyn Davey/discomedusa http://discomedusa.typepad.com
Catherine Chandler http://catherinechandler.blogspot.com/
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Thank you to Nina Dinoff for creating this project and to all of the other artists in this group who inspire me every day!

ciao- Maureen BZ

(aka "Cosmo's Moon" and "Mbzap")

Project Runway - etsy metals challenge

I'm a member of the Etsymetals team- it is a group of talented metalsmiths who have outstanding work in metal (mostly jewelry) on the popular Handmade (and vintage and suppies) Craft commerce site, "Etsy" (pronounced like "Betsy" without the B) 

 One of the aspects of the team is group challenges- a way of stirring the creative pot a little and relating to each other in a visual manner- Being highly creative people, most of us are big fans of Project Runway(PR)- (if you don't know what PR is, click the link...and welcome to earth.....lol)

Each week on PR the designers are given a challenge, and they work to create a piece that is runway ready- usually in very little time, with very little money. Etsy metals team members have taken it on as a challenge- and each week we are invited to create a piece that represents the subject matter/challenge on the "real" show. And the results are usually pretty interesting!

Well, this week I decided to give it a shot- My kid is back in school, I am full time in my studio, and to top it off, I had a big supply of this week's featured material- Burlap.

Well- I must say....as much as I love the smell of burlap, and the color....that texture was not working for me this time! I made a huge mess in my kitchen , working until midnight one night just trying to get the material to work for me...then scrapped the entire night's work, only to start over agin the next day....and scrap the work again....here's a pic of the mess I created while trying to dye my material with greens from my garden.....

The next day, I worked with it again- folding, wrapping, stitching...all to nogood end..My burlap was really funky- it was the screen that I put up on my studio porch last summer to help shade me from the AZ sun. I think that's where I went so wrong...the material was so stressed already that all I had to do was look at it and it would crackle and puff all over my clothes!(of course I didn't notice I was covered in burlap fibers until I went to pick Cosmo up at school.....)

 

this is (sadly) the most successful thing I did with the burlap...

I guess I'm not really cut out to work in fabric

(TGFM- thank God for Metal)

oh well- I would be kicked off the runway from this week's challenge...but luckily we don't have Heidi giving us the "you're out!" ...so as Tim would say- the next time I take on a PR etsymetals challenge I will "make it work"

 :D  ciao _ maureen

click here to see more successful results of the burlap week from my talented teammates from Etsymetal (it's a link to the Etsymetals blog)

Ring a day 2010

This week I started participating in the Ring a Day group that was started by my friend and Etsy Metals team mate Nina Dinoff. I was initally hesitant to take on a challenge like this one- I thought- OH MY...a ring a day EVERY day for a whole YEAR?? pretty daunting challenge, I thought initially...... however....

I pondered the reason behind my hesitation- thinking about a Year- what a Year means....it's a measure of time- that's all. and we have ways of measuring time in smaller increments too....A month, a week, a day, an hour, a minute, a second, a moment.....

It's not that we don't have time- it's that we get overwhelmed by the apparent size of the task (365 rings)  and we think about the size of a year (365 days) and we all roll our brains around this and think...... well, that's just too much! you mean every day- we make something- and it will take how long??

 hmmm.... let's see the equation would go something like this...

365D+365R=1Y x life = time /work + play = OMG

AH, wait- there's the problem- we can use our measurements of time and amount in a different scale- break it down into bite sized chunks- and have a better view of the possibilities. so instead of "OMG a ring a day every day for a whole year!!" you can say "Today I'm going to make a ring. I know how much time I have to play today, so for __________ amount of time I will make a ring that reflects what I am doing- or what I feel like. I will give myself permission to listen to my muse and play today.

 so.... 1D+1R=life+play=possibilities

And tomorrow is another day, when I can make a choice to play or not. No penalties. No grades. No judgements. Only possibilities. And what could be better than that?

ps- here are a couple of my rings from the project