05.10.21 Ingenuity...and inspiration

Photo credit: NASA/JPL

Recently, I had a burst of creative thought, and allowed myself to start thinking more seriously about returning to the studio. 

A few weeks ago, when NASA shared the first photos of the Ingenuity helicopter's shadow on the surface of Mars, I was awestruck...and immediately saw a compass rose.  I can't help but think this was intentional - as it is a universal symbol for travel and navigation.

It's also one of my favorite cut outs to put on the back of a pendant...so much so that I made one for myself with an incredible rutilated quartz and gold prongs.

2019 was the year I built up my inventory, did three holiday shows, and I felt like I was ready to make the leap to jewelry.  I closed my consulting firm at the end of the year, and I was ready to take my work to the next level...and gold was going to be a big part of that...

2020 started off great, with multiple custom pieces, and I was signed up to take a three day class working exclusively with gold, but then Covid happened, so the class did not. 

Although I have sold a few pieces in the past year, and I'm grateful to everyone who has bought something, I've still got a lot of inventory in my Etsy shop. 

Metal prices are going to have a big impact on just how much I am willing to make for inventory...the price of silver is more than 50% higher than it was a year ago - $26/ounce versus $17/ounce. 

The cost of recycling scrap (which is how, at least in part, I paid for more metal) has gone up too, exacerbating the issue.  Prior to 2020, I could ship scrap metal back to Rio Grande and they would purchase and recycle it, and any amount, and I would receive an account credit.  There's now a $50 charge for recycling, so I have to consider both how much metal to buy, and reconsider how to reclaim the value of my scrap.

So, rather than jumping back in with both feet, I think I'm going to wade back in slowly. Rather than immediately renting bench space, I'll go back to open studio.  Instead of adding to my Etsy inventory, I'll focus on pieces that I want to make for myself, or as gifts, and custom pieces.

Before I start anything new, I'd like to finish this two stone pendant that has been languishing in my jewelry tote bag for over a year...I'm so glad I was able to finish MoJo Sez before he left us.

Maybe I'll return to the theme of space and travel...I have a beautiful piece of red rosarita that would be perfect for an Ingenuity cut out...since I've already done one to celebrate landing on the moon.

Whenever I return, and whatever I work on, I promise to share it - here and on Instagram - with all of you.

Until next time.