Holiday Market

Mezze will be at the Plantronics Holiday Market in Santa Cruz from November 18-22!

Cambridge Market Update

The show was a success!! It was such a good time and I had really positive feedback from people who stopped by the booth. Luckily I had prepared a day ahead so I didn't forget anything. My booth babe, Rosette was a great help and the other vendors there were very nice and encouraging. This was the last day of the season and I was told the traffic was lighter than normal. All in all, it was an amazing first experience and I will be doing it again soon. Stay tuned for updates.

First Show

Will happen this Friday!!! Let's see how it goes...

Cambridge Open Market

Twitter

Giving it a try...

@mezzejewelry

Beta Testing

The new website is in it's beta version...take a look & let me know what you think...

Mezze Jewelry

www.mezzedesigns.com

Hello Cali

I've missed you!

New Wax Pieces

Making some more wax ring models:

Iota Earrings

A pair of earrings to match the rings

Arrowheads

I'm not sure where the idea for my latest wax project came from ...  maybe it was this copper ring that inspired it (I just love the look of the band). In any case, I present to you, Arrowheads...

Under Construction!

This applies both literally and figuratively to my work and personal life...major construction is happening in my neighborhood and it's a constant barrage of noise all day, every day. It's driving me crazy! Luckily, I have some respite at the studio and I suppose it's apropos because my site is also undergoing major renovation. If you go to mezzedesigns.com, you'll see that it is now nothing more than a pretty landing page. 

I've been working diligently on the admin side of this crazy aspiration of mine and hope to have enough product in a handful of weeks to re-launch with something eye-popping & spectacular. I've half-heartedly attempted this before, but this time around I actually have the time and energy to completely devote myself to it. I am going full force. Watch out :)

I'll leave you with a photo I took yesterday as I took a break from working. Periodically, the graffiti on this wall changes, but there is always a version of this phrase in one artistic form or another. I thought it was quite fitting.

The Story of Mezze

\'me-'zei\ to relish, to take pleasure in; enjoy

BACKGROUND

I have always loved jewelry; whether it is in the form of a bold necklace that acts a centerpiece to an outfit or a delicate pair of earrings that add a subtle glimmer, I am rarely without it.

After enrolling in a silversmithing course, I found that I had a desire to experiment with forming, cutting and coloring metal. The excitement at seeing something created out of  nothing and watching the evolution of my work take shape into wearable pieces of art led me to create Mezze.

DESIGNS

I am an avid traveler (certainly there's a better word that describes this than hodophile?!) and many of my designs have been galvanized from the places I've been and people who have touched my life. For me, they are physical reminders that evoke memories I will always cherish. I love all that is simple and elegant, but every now and then I get a little mischevious and will make something edgy or whimsical. Read the descriptions closely and you will have a glimpse into the personal significance behind many of my designs.

MEZZE, THE NAME

Often, I am asked about the name Mezze, what it means and how I came up with it. The simple story is that I owe the creation of the name to my aunt. She offered it as a suggestion one sunny afternoon when my family and I were sitting around her kitchen table relishing the after-effects of one of her fabulous meals. In Arabic, the most common meaning of mezze is that of an assortment of small food dishes. The true meaning goes much deeper than that.

Meals are traditionally a time when people come together as a unit, to participate in a community ritual that is as old as humankind. Because I now live far from my family and friends, these recollections are sacred and bring nostalgia for a time long ago. We all have memories of such occasions and these can often elicit powerful emotions and sentimentality for particular people, events and places. The memories are varied, assorted and different, just like the dishes in a mezze. Eliciting emotion is what I hope my jewelry will do for you. It has been created for you to relish, take pleasure in and enjoy.

Rose Thorns

These were made from thorns that were taken from a decades old rose bush planted by my great-grandmother. I then cast them into silver. Today, the clearing of overgrowth where her majestic flowers once stood has revealed a secret garden of long forgotten roses and other blooms which evoke a certain nostalgia...as well as some of my earliest childhood memories.

Feeling Productive

'Number Three'

'Number Three'

'Recoleta'

'Recoleta'

Custom Pieces

Pictures of two custom pieces I created this week in 14k gold:

Plait (left), Iota (right)

Update on stone wax project

Front View

As suspected, I wasn't able to finish the piece...but at least it's getting there. I can finish it off at home and then get the garnet set...that is, if I like the end product. I'm not sure about this yet, it may be too
chunky?

Side view

Back view

Top view after rounding the edges

With the garnet

Progress

Practice makes perfect, so I've been diligently working away on one ring design which I was asked to (re)create. The ring is an homage to a ring I saw in Argentina at Marcelo Toledo' s workshop. It's been purposefully altered, so as not to plagiarize. Time worked so far, 3.5 hours. I'll take this in to class on Monday to get finishing suggestions from the instructor.

Materials

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 2

Phase 3

Phase 3

I'll post the finished piece once it's been cast.

And two more

Since I missed two wax classes, I'm feeling like I need to make up and work at breakneck speed to produce more than one measly piece. I only have one more class left and I'm afraid I'm going to leave it brokenhearted if this happens. My alternative plan is to see if I can work one on one with the instructor to finish up the pieces once class is over.

These are two additional pieces I am currently in the midst of making:

Ring blank and design

Design transfer

Work in progress

Work in progress

One additional note: When I do this at home, I use a dremel. When at the studio, I use the appropriate tool, a foredom flexshaft. After an hour of carving at home today, I realized my hand was numb from holding the dremel (it's a little awkward and heavy). I decided that was my cue that it was time to take a break. If anyone feels generous and would like to donate a flexshaft and hanging stand my way, I'd happily accept. :)

Wax Ring

A bit of traveling took over for awhile and I've missed the last two wax classes, however I have pictures of what I will be working on next week...the idea is to carve two bands surrounding a stone in the center. Right now I'm not so convinced the route of a chunk of wax was the best to take. I may have had an easier time doing the bezel and rings separately...let's see what happens on Monday...

This stone will sit in the center
of the ring 

This chunk of wax will eventually
become two rings

Marking the center lines

Carving out the bezel

Wax 2: Stone Settings

Monday evening was the second installment of my wax carving course. This time around we are making settings for stones. The first project was to carve a pendant setting. Conveniently I'd forgotten a cabochon, but as luck would have it, I found a grey cabochon style bead buried in my toolbox that made a satisfactory substitute: