Tag Archives: lisa zimmerman

New Work, Studio News and Notes, The Muse

Making Amunet Amethyst Goddess Earrings

Posted on by Nancy Lee

My friend, Lisa Zimmerman of Soul Level Solutions, is calling this month “Rocktober” due to all of the planetary influences she feels will come to bear. I wonder what this month has in store for all of us, planetarily and otherwise. That remains to be seen!
What I do know is that I’ve been under the creative influence. Following these urges feels like playing hooky, since I have custom orders for which my lovely peeps are patiently awaiting. Yet at times I get in the grip and nothing else will come from my hands. This is how Amunet came to be.

When the creative influence takes over, it is often sparked by the materials sitting on my bench.

Then the assembly begins – these earrings, simple though they seem, had seven separate soldering operations.

Soldering complete, these earrings are ready for oxidization and gemstone setting. And, of course, some handmade earwires.

My works often name themselves, and as I was in the process of making these earrings, the name “Amun” came to me out of nowhere. Or, maybe it’s because I’m learning to speak Egyptian Arabic. Anyway, after doing a bit of research, I discovered the female counterpart to the Egyptian god Amun is Amunet, “the female hidden one”. Although at 2 1/4″ inches long, you won’t stay that way while wearing these!

According to gem lore, the amethysts gracing the earrings possess a spiritual quality and enhance dreams, purification, healing, love and peace. That’s a lot to enjoy! Please do.

The Muse

Full Moon in Leo

Posted on by Nancy Lee

The eve of a full moon (in Leo, my astrological friend, Lisa Zimmerman, says) is a powerful event. Most of the time, a full moon has a bit of an impact on me. Typically, it’s a notice a day or two after the event has passed. “Oh, THAT’S what was going on, that’s why I felt a little agitated.” Or, “That’s where all of that excess energy came from!” At least for me.
My sister, Janet, supports my theory of agitation, too. For her, the evidence is obvious from her days working  in an emergency room. She reported that everyone in the ER knew to be at the ready during a full moon, which would surely bring in more shootings and injuries of all kinds. Now, that’s some agitation. At least I was armed only with my trusty Pilot G2 ballpoint ink pen.
Tonight is the actual full moon. All of that pent up energy was swirling around me last night, though, in unsettling ways. Not get-my-gun ways. More like cry-to-love-song-ways. Falling into bed later, exhausted, did not bring peace. Eventually, I gave it up, got up, and grabbed my G2 (the ink pen) and wrote a poem. About the stupid full moon that wasn’t even full yet.  My fave part was that I found a lovely photo of a full moon over Wyoming by Walter Hawn,  of  The Daily Photograph (TM).

The Moon Is High, (c) 2010, Walter Hawn

Full Moon

Do your magic
cast your spell
shiver my psyche
unhinge my pin.


Shine like day
into my room
in my bed
crazy my head.


Spiral out
dissolve into dawn
release me soon
please, full moon.

(c) 2013, Nancy Lee. All rights reserved.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After that, I slept, knowing I was going to be able to go to the studio today and hammer it out, literally. What do you do when agitation strikes? Do you have any tried-and-true full moon remedies? I’ll post them here if you’d like to share.
Metalsmithing Classroom, Studio News and Notes, The Muse

Happy, Creative 2013!

Posted on by Nancy Lee

A heartfelt Happy New Year to you! I hope you manifest your wildest dreams this year. I hear the planets are willing! My astrological friend, Lisa Zimmerman, says it’s a time for great beginnings, creativity, starting something new.  How about taking a little chance on your own intuition, and create something from inspiration, rather than what you think you should do? Feel it, rather than think it?
Just last night, I taught a mother-daugther duo how to make their own silver rings, in their own styles. How inspiring was this pair? Let me count the ways! No fear, no worries, no competition, no regrets. They just did it, and left with lovely new rings. Rings that adapted to the situations they were in, and came out perfect!

I forgot to take pictures, and so I was pleasantly surprised with I received a text from Janet, the mom-student, that contained a picture of her ring. It’s pretty! It fits! It came out perfect!
I’m reminded that I love to teach a willing student whatever they wish to learn. And, at the same time, I am still a student of the world. I love the give and take, the offering and receiving, that this sets up in me. A pretty sweet existence, and a great kickoff to 2013.
While it’s great to reflect on accomplishments of 2012 – and I will – I’m much more passionate about possibilities. And I feel it’s going to be a great year to create them. In order to grease those skids, I’m getting my intentions and plans in line with that. All with a generous amount of wiggle room thrown in so I can take advantage of unexpected opportunities, happy accidents, and windfalls of good along the way. That’s where creativity comes into play.
Creativity happens when we take the ability to prepare for many eventualities, get ready, get set, then let go! I hope that appeals to you in 2013, and that you’re able to take advantage of some creative opportunities in your life. And let me know about them – I’d love to hear from you!