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Artisan Jewelry by Michaela Batstone

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Archives for December 2019

A Winter Solstice Collab with Maia Toll

December 6, 2019 ·

This collection is in celebration of Maia Toll’s beautiful book “The Illustrated Bestiary,” which explores animal totems and the guidance that may be obtained through observation and ritual. Maia has an uncanny ability to draw meaning from the world, to observe every corner of life and integrate the wisdom therein. It is incredibly easy to drift along, to passively observe, to distract oneself out of self-awareness. This book is a beautiful reminder to learn from the world.  

I first discovered Maia through her (now ended) podcast “The Lunar Lab” a few years ago, and I relished every episode. I started metalsmithing about seven years ago, and had a rocky transition into approaching it as a “business.” The dream was to spend my days making art without having to punch a clock in a profession that didn’t bring me joy. But the path forward was murky and unfamiliar. Early in the business, I was terrified of getting too deeply into debt, because unlike some other mediums, the cost of materials for metalsmithing is shocking. Precious metals, ethically sourced gemstones, a gajillion tools, one can easily go into substantial debt. In addition to that early apprehension, I also was disheartened by typical philosophies surrounding business. There was information thrown at me from all directions on how to do it “right.” Smart business and all that. Production strategies, tax payment plans, marketing campaigns, profit margins, and so forth. And in the face of these things, I felt the soul of my work recoiling. 

And that was precisely when I discovered Maia’s podcast, which was dedicated to exploring conscious business practices and all the beautiful ways in which people can carve out their own path forward. Through the podcast, I began to be more aware of my personal seasons, work cycles, the rhythms of my mind and hands. Maia’s words became one of the pillars in my approach to the business side of my art. Her friendly cadence moving with me through budget spreadsheets and calendar planning.  I found my way back to measuring success by different metrics, such as “How does this piece make me feel?” rather than “Did the piece sell, and if not, what was my profit loss?” I learned to not be scared of the financial side of things, because as long as I was being wise, the most important aspect is always to create honest work that moves the soul. I ditched much of the early business advice I was given, and moved along the path of art as business with Maia in my earbuds. And I cannot tell you what a balm that was.

There is a quote in the introduction to “The Illustrated Bestiary” that strummed my core: “The deep knowledge that I was woven-in and integral cured some nameless longing that had haunted me since childhood. Something in me calmed and became still.” This resonated to the very tips of my toes, because it spoke to my approach to metalsmithing. What gives my work meaning to me is the communing. Whether it is an ode to November ravens or a beloved book about a unicorn in a lilac wood, making collections that tether me more tangibly to that which has meaning to me is the soul of this work. Considering how honeybees navigate with internal compasses as I sail around their silhouettes with a coping saw. Sketching entire collections around my very favorite passages, characters, and notions from “The Silmarillion.” Picking up twigs and flowers while on a mountain in the Adirondacks with the intention of bedecking my metalsmithing bench. All of these things are my way of reestablishing my connection with that which I love. This work weaves me in even more closely with literature, the earth, my experience of life, the dear souls who connect with my work. It is one of the most soul-enriching ways in which I tuck myself into the tapestry. 

It took me nearly a month to decide which stone to use for this collection. I hemmed; I hawed; I turned stones over in my hands; I opened and reopened my gemstone cabinet countless times. And then, I happened upon my collection of silver sheen obsidian. These stones are incredibly special, with a beautiful silver schiller that plays across the tops. They look as though they are made of liquid glitter, mercurial in the way the light seems to drip across the slopes of the stones. Some of the stones have a very swirled pattern, like they were undulated into solidification. 
In the beginning of “The Illustrated Bestiary,” Maia includes a quote about the relationship between ourselves and animals: “Every creature of the world is a book or a picture, and also a mirror for ourselves.” – Alain de Lille, 12th Century 

This quote encapsulates my approach to the pieces I designed in celebration of Maia’s book. For hundreds of years, mirrors have served as symbols of self-realization and wisdom. In literature, there are numerous instances of liquid mirrors used for either portent or self-revelation: the mirror of Galadriel which showed past and possible futures, Merlin’s use of bowls of water in scrying in order to keep the young king safe, Narcissus’s revelation of self in a forest pool. And it is with these notions in mind that I designed this collection.

When held in the palm, one could almost imagine movement in the schiller of silver sheen obsidian, like a scene taking shape in a magic mirror. It is a volcanic glass, so this comparison to a mirror feels all the more apt. At the bottom of each pendant, I have included a swath of leaves curved over the stone, which harkens to Maia’s work as an herbalist. The leaves partially obscure the stone, like beech leaves strewn about a dark forest pool. And as animal totems are inherently a personal, inner journey, I have sawn the silhouettes of a few of the animals included in “The Illustrated Bestiary” out of the backs of the pendants to reveal the stone, a secret animal form to rest against the heart. The backs are like the silver sheen obsidian swirled into the animal form, as though you were looking into a magic mirror. A flash of illumination in an otherwise dark surface, like the flash of intuition in the self. 

This is a very limited run featuring representatives of “The Illustrated Bestiary.” There will be fourteen necklaces, with only one necklace per animal chosen. They will debut in the shop one at a time with one per day at 10:00 a.m. EST each morning from December 6th -19th. Each listing includes a signed copy of “The Illustrated Bestiary” to be mailed separately. The necklaces and books will be shipped on the same days as purchase to ensure swift delivery. And then, on the day of the winter solstice, we will conjure a bit of sunshine.

Filed In: Uncategorized / Tagged: Animal Totems, Artisan Jewelry, Jewelry, Maia Toll, moonspinner, moonspinner jewelry, Special Collaboration, The Illustrated Bestiary

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You know when it gets quiet around here, I am usua You know when it gets quiet around here, I am usually swimming through a sea of gemstones and bending silver like a titan. I have so much goodness in the works for you. 

I am also nearly finished with all the commissioned orders, yay! By this afternoon, about 3/4 of all the custom pieces are in the mail. 

All I have left are the Winter Berry Tea Rings (because the garnets took a bit longer to get cut than I was anticipating), and a few of the more intricate designs that involve more steps than the others. But I am hoping to have everything all buttoned up and flying through the mail by this weekend, if all goes well!

Thank you for your patience, sweet friends!
Today is definitely a book and giant dinosaur mug Today is definitely a book and giant dinosaur mug kinda day. πŸ“šπŸ¦–β˜•οΈ
I am plucking dozens of rosebuds out of sterling s I am plucking dozens of rosebuds out of sterling silver for you! 
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✨ Hessonite Garnet Rings, Earrings, and Necklaces: Release Date TBD ✨
When working on a new collection, I often like to When working on a new collection, I often like to pair the work with books or media that embody the imagery, sentiments, and inspirations. 

(Which is how my Mossflower Collection morphed into a love letter to J.R.R. Tolkien's works.)

And so with these romantic Hessonite garnets, inverted heart bezels, and furtive rosebuds, I have begun dipping into Shakespeare's sonnets and "Cyrano de Bergerac." 

And now my mind begins to match my bench! All rose petal testaments and secret garden bowers. 
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
✨ Hessonite Garnet Rings, Earrings, and Necklaces: Release Date TBD ✨

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#artisanjewelry #birthstonejewelry #birthstonering #bookishjewelry #garnet #garnetring #gemstonejewelry #handmadejewelry #handmadering #instajewelry #januarybirthstone #januaryring #jewelrydesign #jewelrydesigner #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #madewithlove #mainemade #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #rhodolitegarnet #supportlocal #valentinesday #valentinesjewelry #valentinering
Favorite break is book break. πŸ“šπŸ’š What have y Favorite break is book break. πŸ“šπŸ’š What have you been reading lately? 

I am positively devouring books lately, recommend me something! I always write down your suggestions and keep an eye out for them at my library. 
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#bookstagram #igreads #reading #booktube #reader #booksandbeans #flashesofdelight #nothingisordinary #thatsdarling #livethelittlethings #thehappynow #ardentfinds #theartofslowliving #pursuepretty #darlingweekend #livesimple #beautifulthings
This was a few weeks ago, an evening stroll by the This was a few weeks ago, an evening stroll by the river. The evening sky really does have the very best color palette. 

And when the sky looks just like the stones on my bench, well, that is even better. πŸŽ¨πŸŒ™ πŸ’Ž

(If you sent me a message and I haven't responded yet, just know I am on my way!)

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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
Friends, what can I say, but my endless thanks! Ev Friends, what can I say, but my endless thanks! Every tanzanite ring was claimed last night, and I cannot WAIT for you to see them. I might be biased, but I believe they are even more beautiful in person. 

I was so nervous for the collection release, and it was such a relief to know that it wen't relatively well for everyone. 

The most important thing to me was that all the pieces showed up at the same time for everyone, and I believe they did. The rings landed in the shop for me at the same time (7:01) as some of you all the way in Antarctica! (Hi Rebecca!) 

It did seem that a lot of people trying to pay with Paypal got errors, but the odd part is that there were a few people that it worked for, which means it wasn't a totally universal problem. My plan today is to troubleshoot with Paypal and Shopify customer service. Thank you to those who sent me screenshots, those will be so helpful while I try to fix it. My hope is that once this gets ironed out, it wont be a problem again. 

Thank you for all your feedback, it is invaluable. There are a few things I would still like to add/tweak. I am determined to get a search bar so that you can quickly search for particular sizes or design names, which will be sooo useful for the larger collections.

This was something I had tried to add a few days ago, but I fudged up the coding and broke the shop entirely, resulting in my having to restart with a blank theme and a sulk-watch of "The Hobbit." 

Anyways, I am so excited for future releases, I have so much planned for you! But next, some gorgeous, glowy garnets accompanied by some dainty secret rosebuds.

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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
Tonight, tonight, friends! (Link to the shop in my Tonight, tonight, friends! (Link to the shop in my profile.)
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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
✨ A quick tip for if you are trying to catch som ✨ A quick tip for if you are trying to catch something quickly ✨

The β€œShop All Available” tab on the home menu takes you to everything that isn’t sold out. 

The β€œShop by Collection” option will show you everything from the collection, including what has sold. 

I thought I would leave the sold items on the collection pages for a little bit on each release night, so that if you are looking for a certain piece, you can actually see whether it has been sold on the collection page. 

Whereas if you just want to see what’s currently available in order to catch a piece more quickly, you have that option too.
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✨ TONIGHT at 7:00 p.m. EST in the new Shopify Shop! (Direct link inmy profile) ✨
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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
The full preview is up on the blog, sweet friends! The full preview is up on the blog, sweet friends!
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✨ Tanzanite Rings Release: TOMORROW, February 26th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the new Shopify Shop! (Direct links soon!) ✨
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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
Not going to lie, looking at these tanzanites as I Not going to lie, looking at these tanzanites as I size them on the mandrel and sort through photos has been such a balm to my tech anxiety. They are soothing and calming and just what my frayed nerves need.

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✨ Tanzanite Rings Release: Sunday, February 26th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the new Shopify Shop! (Direct links soon!) ✨
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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
I have a gemstone cabinet, which is really a very I have a gemstone cabinet, which is really a very old printmakers cabinet that a friend of mine found for me at an antique shop. It has dozens of little shelves and rows that I lined with felt and put dividers in. That is where most of my larger stones and bigger collections live.

But sometimes, I pull stones from the cabinet with plans to make something for you, and then the bowl of selected stones gets a little lost in the shuffle of my overcrowded studio. 

And that is what happened to about ten fancy cut tanzanites. I think I pulled them several years ago for something and never used them. And then a few weeks ago as I was pulling stones and checking stock for a few commissions, I found a little glass salt dip with these stones in it. Just in time for this tanzanite offering! 

They must be meant for very particular people, because the timing was uncanny. 
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✨ Tanzanite Rings Release: Sunday, February 26th at 7:00 p.m. EST in the new Shopify Shop! (Direct links soon!) ✨
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#artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #crystaljewelry #etsyjewelry #femalemade #gemstonejewelry #girlsthatmakestuff #handmadejewelry #heytheremaker #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #justmyart #ladysmith #madewithlove #mainemade #makersvillage #modernmaker #moonspinner #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #prettylittlethings #purplering #supportlocal #uniquejewelry #womenwhocreate #tanzanitering #tanzanitejewelry
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