What Are You Working on Now? Show Us Your Stuff AND Enter Our March Contest!

Well folks, it's that time again! Each month we ask the question, "What Are You Working on Now?" and we eagerly await a peek at your jewelry bench! We love seeing inside your studios and hearing about how your work is evolving. Each month we also feature the work of a random winner—who, in addition to getting a moment in the spotlight, wins a $20 Rio credit!

This month's winner is Megan Moss of Portland, Oregon.

Hello! My name is Megan Moss. I am a native Oregonian, living and working in Portland. I work part time at a local bead shop where I also teach basic wire techniques to eager students. I love working with natural stone, metal, and found objects. I’ve recently started doing more fabrication and "hot work", since my husband and I bought a house last year… setting up my first proper studio to work in safely has been a blessing!

My most recent piece is a pendant that I created after watching a Rio Grande video that Mark Nelson did on fold forming. I knew before the ten minute video was over, that it was a process I wanted to tackle! Instead of simply hammering along the fold, I began by stamping and hammering along one of the outside edges. This caused the metal to ripple slightly, and the rippling increased as I continued to make my passes along the fold with my cross peen hammer. I thought about scrapping it… but my love of the challenge egged me on to see it through. And the repetitive process of hammering, pickling, and annealing is like a form of meditation for me—I had nothing to lose by moving forward! Once I was satisfied with the form and texture, I decided to increase the challenge yet again, by setting pearls inside. I am overjoyed with the end result!

I opened a modest Etsy shop a few years ago, called Adornativity. There you will find my handmade, one of a kind jewelry, as well as the occasional smattering of antique tribal jewelry. On my Adornativity Facebook page you can find examples of my past custom commissions and sold pieces.

And here's another treasure from Megan's Etsy Store, Adornativity:

Thanks for sharing your striking work with us, Megan!

Now it's your turn to show us what you're working on. What inspires you these days? What materials are you dying to work with? Add a comment to this post with photos of something that's on your bench right now. This next part is REALLY important, so take notes!

To enter this contest, leave your comment RIGHT HERE in the comments on THIS BLOG POST. 

WE NEED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN ORDER FOR YOUR ENTRY TO BE CONSIDERED. 

1. Your full name (and a link to your website/Etsy store, if you like).
2. A photo of your chosen project. Include a few photos if you like!
3. A description of the project you're featuring. If you can include a little about your approach or technique, even better! Your fellow jewelers LOVE to read this stuff and so do we.
4. After you add your comment, be sure to check back and make sure your photo has uploaded as it should. We don't want to miss your pic!

Enter and you might be spending an extra 10 bucks at Rio Grande this time next month. Our next winner will be in the spotlight in March—Amy, over at Rio's facebook page will keep you posted on the deadline, so stay tuned!

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