Metalsmithing parties

Did you know that I do Parties and mini Workshops?
Yes, as a fatter of mact I do!
I have two different types of parties that offer-



The Trunk show
Aka- "I come to your place with finished jewelry to show"
I can bring my show to you while you have a few friends over for a fun night of trying on beautifully handmade jewelry. Kind of like Tupperware but way way cooler! Chat, Visit and Oogle! Find that something special for your hard to shop for friend...Fall in love with a bracelet or start building your own personal compositions with the add-a-slide bead bracelets that I created! Find that perfect pair of earrings, and the compliments will start overflowing!

The Mini Workshop



 I can come to your place, this time with tools (and a few of my own works) For those who are interested in trying their hand on metal.  I  teach the basics of handmade metalsmithing in small groups (2-4 people). You supply the Table/chairs/space and nibblings while I supply the tools, supplies and expertise- we spend a few hours together, chatting and learning- in the end you have a small piece of jewelry that you have made by hand! How neat is that?!

Interested? Book me Before it gets Busy!You can contact me, Maureen at MBZmetals724@gmail.com for more details and to schedule your party

I look forward to hearing from you soon
Ciao- Maureen BZ

New BLOG Title and address!

Hi there everyone-
I have decided to change my blog's name and address-
My new name is MBZ Metalsmith

and the new Address is http://MBZmetalsmith.blogspot.com .

I just decided that since my work is becoming considerably less about my production line (aka: Cosmo's Moon) and more about my artistic choices, that I should change the name to reflect the point of view.

Nothing is really changing as blog fodder however- I will continue to write about a variety of things that are important to me as an artist, a mother, an Arizonan, an eccentric and liberal practicalist.
I hope you all enjoy my posts- I certainly enjoy reading your comments!

thanks- Maureen


ps- pain update? the spinal cord stimulator did not work. I'm at the crossroads again and am looking in a few different directions to see if we can find an explanation for the pain and hopefully an end to it as well.

Taking a break from jewelry

Hi there friends-
most of you know that I am currently dealing with nerve pain issues in my left arm/hand/neck. I have been fighting for 1 1/2 years with intense constant pain in my neck, left arm and hand and have been pursuing conventional treatments in western medicine as well as alternative methods for pain treatment.

After over a year of therapies and failures I had surgery on my neck in December, to fuse three vertebrae and remove ruptured discs. I have a titanium plate now that keeps that part of my neck stable. The Neurosurgeons told me that the surgery would resolve the pain issues and I would be back on my game within 5-6 weeks, tops.

Well, unfortunately the pain is still there, and in fact has become much more intense. There is no posture I can take to find relief, and the pain is constant, beginning in the morning 2 hours after I wake, continuing until I finally fall to sleep late into the night, if not at dawn.

I am literally having to drug and heat and ice myself to sleep.

(you can see the scar on my neck in this pic)

One thing I had never thought of before- It is almost impossible to fall asleep if you are in acute pain: Your brain feels the pain and signals a flight response from the body- You tense up, ready to flee- which of course you cannot do, as the pain is coming from the inside. I just had never encountered this before- never have had such a constant ache. At this point I figure I've not had a pain free moment for almost 4 months. It's nuts!
LOOK- I'm not writing  this to be dramatic or scare anyone- I'm just trying to capture what I'm living through, so that people can try to understand chronic pain. Oh, and yes, I know I'm a "Newbie" in the chronic pain community- I believe this gives me a way to write in the contrast living with/out pain; it's New to me, so sometimes fresh experiences are particularly focused.

One thing that I'm really struggling with is that I have a really strong desire to work- and I find that I cannot work in my studio for more than about 1/2 hour without having a flare up of intensity to the pain.
So Sadly, I am coming to the realization that I have to take a break. At least until I find some solution to this pain. I am slowing down my studio practice to a snails pace, and will only do minimal metalwork, if any for the next ?? period of time, until I can find a way to work pain free once again.

This decision is brutally difficult for me- I have cloaked myself in metalsmithing for 25+ years, creating in the studio on a daily basis. However, I can't continue at the same pace, and believe that I can find satisfaction in shifting directions in my creative life.

So- for now at least- "Working small" in traditional jewelry is slowly being put on hold, and I will be looking into other paths to satisfy my need to create. I have an open book ahead of me, and a bunch of crazy ideas and design explorations that are taking shape. I will be on walkabout in my wilderness.

And what is in stock in my etsy shop is pretty much going to be all of the traditional jewelry I will have for sale. I'm not saying it's over- I just need a break.

Thanks for reading- I'll keep posting!
ciao- Maureen

Artisan's Marketplace

I've been making a bunch of silver pieces to sell online - Augmenting my etsy shop with new designs like my Celtic Cross pendants and my new sugar skull designs... Preparing for the next big show, which happens this weekend!

I will be showing my work at the Tucson Museum of Art Spring Artisan's Market from 10-6 this weekend (Friday Saturday and Sunday) at the Museum of Art in downtown Tucson. I will be showing a wide assortment of beautifully made handmade jewelry, "with Artistic edge and Western Soul".

Come downtown this weekend (its supposed to be great weather!) and see me- I will be in booth #24, which is in the small courtyard off the side of the museum.

I hope to see you there!- Maureen

November December news!

Open studio and Holiday Sales

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Hi there- Now that the candy and costumes are behind us I thought I'd take the time to update you on the goings on here at Cosmo's Moon...

Cosmo's Moon studio has New designs for Fall/Winter 2011- This season I've added Sugar Skull designs (straight from the desert southwest) , Snails Lady bugs and Monster heads (for great kid's gifts) a beautiful Cuff bracelet featuring scenes from the Holidays in Florence Italy (available in Brass, White bronze, and Steriling Silver -by special order) and for our foodie friends a Bottle and Goblet design called "in Vino Veritas" (In wine, truth).

Plus, of course I also have a new collection of my classic strap bracelet, cuffs and chain bracelets, a variety of gear pendants, unique handmade rings and one of a kind designs.

In November I will have a few events that you may want to mark on your calender.

the first it the annual Tucson Open Studio Tour, which takes place Nov 12 + 13 from 11-5pm both days. I will be there in my garden studio (which will get it's annual cleaning for the occasion) and I'll have a large selection of work for sale - in fact, this is kind of the preview to my larger sale (at the Tucson Museum of Art ) the next weekend. I will have the largest inventory during Open Studios - If you have your eye on something, you may want to pounce Now or during the Open studio event- because after Open Studios, I'll be at the Tucson Museum of Art annual Artisan's Marketplace (the TMA sale) for three days of busy craft market!

The TMA sale will be held from

Nov 18, 2011 through Nov 20, 2011
10:00 am - 5:00 pm

New this year! Tucson Museum of Art's annual Holiday Artisans' Market is newly expanded featuring more artisans, food vendors, a kids play area, a live music stage, and more! Museum galleries featuring the highly anticipated exhibition: Who Shot Rock & Roll: A Photographic History, 1955 to the Present will be free and open to the public all weekend. Bring the whole family for a fun filled afternoon at the Museum!

The following weekend ( November 24-27th) is Thanksgiving weekend- I will be enjoying this with my friends and family in Tucson this year. I will have work available for sale by appointment only on "Black Friday" and throughout the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend. If you want to schedule an appointment to come and shop at my studio please contact me at MBZmetals724@gmail.com and we can set a time and date!

And my final sales event this season will happen on Saturday December 3rd at the Tucson Waldorf School's Holiday Craft fair. This event is near and dear to my heart- Our son Cosmo goes to this wonderful school, and I cannot say enough about how much we love it there. This fair will be a perfect outing for the family- there will be games and activities for children, handmade crafts and family friendly homespun entertainment. This event is also a great opportunity to learn about the school and to see the beautiful new buildings on the River road campus.

After all of those events, I will be taking a break, taking care of myself and family - and will have my work available only through my online shop at http://cosmosmoonjewelry.etsy.com through the Holiday season.

Dates to remember:
Nov 12-13....................Tucson Open Studio Tour
Nov  18-20...................Tucson Art Museum Artisan's Marketplace
Nov 24.........................Thanksgiving
Nov 25- Dec 2..............by appointment and online sales
Dec 3...........................Tucson Waldorf school Craft Fair
Dec 4- 20.....................online sales (mailed in time for Christmas)

Thank you for your interest in my Creations!
Edgy, earthy, handmade jewelry direct from the artist's studio.
Indie design meets old world craftsmanship and quality,
influenced by the beauty of Arizona's Sonoran desert and the cobblestone streets of Florence Italy...that's Cosmo's Moon.

ciao- Maureen Brusa Zappellini- owner, designer, metalsmith

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!

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!
:=)

New website!

Handcrafted Confections

Cosmo's moon jewelry.com is still active, but I have decided to have my main website be at http://mbzmetals.com instead.
After struggling with loading  (on the phone with my website midwife tech support for 1 1/2 hours last night) it magically decided to crown this morning  and it is now a newborn website on our vast internet cosmos.
(see, clever huh, beginning and ending with the word Cosmo....) :-)