Diabetes Art Day 2013

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Thanks to Diabetes Art Day 2012, I expanded my designs for a OneTouch Ultra cast resin ring, to a series of used test strip rings and then OneTouch Ultra bangle bracelets.   In December I discovered my health insurance covered the Verio IQ meter (and those gorgeous gold and silver test strips have jewelry-potential written all over them plus the meter lights up in the dark).  I’ve now completed one necklace, cast using the plastic insert that held my Animas Ping pump securely in it’s shipping container (One man’s trash is another woman’s treasure right?).

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Some photos of my test strip designs were used by OneTouch on their Facebook page for their coverage of Diabetes Art Day 2012 which was pretty cool.  There were people who commented the designs were ugly (I agreed, diabetes can be a really ugly disease) and people who actually thought I was wasting “good” test strips even though I pointed out that they were MY USED strips.  We all know the cost of test strips is daunting and we are also well aware of the amount of trash that comes with diabetes.  BG testing supplies, pump supplies, Dexcom inserters, and the packaging for all these items.

My goal with the jewelry (aside from challenging myself as a designer) is complex.  I read Diabetes Forecast’s article on Anatomy of A Test Strip and was intrigued.  I see beauty in test strips as not only a life saving device but also beauty as a product of technology, engineering and industrial design (my undergrad degree is in Industrial design and I launched a jewelry design business in 2009).

Back to my test strip jewelry goals… I have worn many of the pieces (especially the bangle bracelets on Blue Fridays).  I often find them to be a segue to conversations on diabetes much like my “blinged” Dexcom sensor was on my arm this summer.  If wearing some of my test strip designs gives me a chance to explain and educate and even bond with someone about diabetes, then great, bring it on.

I wore my Angled OneTouch Ultra ring to a T1 meet-up at my local JDRF chapter.  A woman came into the meeting, sat next to me and recognized the ring.  It was the first time someone said, “You’re Surfacefine”.  It was totally weird for me but this was the same woman who had asked about a foot issue months prior on Twitter.  I knew she lived in NYC and recommended my podiatrist (who I LOVE) and who also happens to be a fellow T1D.  We clicked immediately at the meeting and I was thrilled we got to chat in “real life”.  Way to go jewelry!

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As an artist, making one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces intrigues me.  The majority of my professional life involves working in mass production.  The combination of mass produced diabetes equipment (specifically all the disposable items that have a one-time use), made into one of a kind mold and a one of a kind layered resin design fascinates me.

Since my supplies are used, I am now collecting stuff like crazy (read: I’m a hoarder x10).  The finishing work on these pieces is time intensive (which I love).  I have 4 molds I am currently pouring and utilizing used pump supplies along with test strips.  My used diabetes supplies have become my jewels (please note I still like diamonds).

As very special shout to Lee Ann Thill who started Diabetes Art Day, The Diabetes Postcard Exchange and writes The Butter Compartment.  You can read more about Lee Ann and her latest projects at her About Me .

Photo Week in Review

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From Top Left: Another pump site, another bruise.  This was earlier in the week but I had a site change this morning and once again… another site, another bruise.  This is starting to become my norm.  Site worked great though.  At least the bruises are small and this isn’t bikini weather!

Blood glucose check where an old pricked spot bleeds along with the new one.  there’s a cartoonish like quality to that, as if I will drink a glass of water and my (bruised) pump sites will look like a sprinkler.

New diabetes themed-used-Verio IQ-test strip jewelry.  The reaction this from the non-D crowd has been kind of awesome.  love hearing what people “think” the material is.  My account (T2) took a minute and guessed it correctly.

I woke-up on Thursday to this view.  Remote control, Glucolift (Wildberry is my fave) container (empty), Dexcom G4 reciever, Froggie, and my pooch (with creeptastic looking eyes in this pic).  A strange Wednesday night snuggle-fest indeed.

 

Wear it Well

Today I am D hidden. 3 of my D “accessories” are under my dress.  My pump is tucked into the left hip of my tights, my pump is connected to a pink Inset on my tummy, and there’s a Dexcom G4 sensor with some rhinestones on the back of my right arm.

Two people have commented on my necklace which is on full display.  Both thought it was some type of stone or quartz.  Nope.  It’s my used Verio IQ bg test strips (made into a pendant necklace).

There’s beauty everywhere.

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A quote I read the other day made me smirk:

“I’m tired of all the nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want — an adorable pancreas?” -Jean Kerr

Moving Along

Look what I noticed while working on a new project tonight:

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That’s the bruise from the pump site I replaced yesterday at work.  It was hurting a little while at work.  I replaced it in a dimly lit conference room, wore 2 “sites” the rest of the day and removed the old one when I returned home.  Tonight I noticed the bruise.  My tummy was sticking out between my shirt and sweatpants.  I was sitting Indian style on my floor while working on a rather messy jewelry design project.  Rather messy is the nice way of saying “What-the-heck-happened-in-here?” and “This-will-never-truly-be-cleaned-up-will-it?”.  I wanted to pull down my sweatshirt but my hands were covered in stickiness (used a paper towel and a knuckle to take the pic).  I adjusted my shirt over my stomach and jumped right back into mess making 101.

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20 minutes later, I took a break.  Then I noticed it…. “NO!!!!!!!!!!”….Seriously, NO!

A pump bruise is nothing, but resin on my favorite, super cozy, softer than soft sweatpants???

NO!!!!!!!!

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Do Good, Feel Good

Do Good, Feel Good is a phrase I say a lot.  I probably tweet it even more often.  It’s one of those phrases that just sticks in my head and plays over and over (kind of like The Cranberries’ Zombie or recently Kris Kross’ Jump.  I’m sorry if you now have these songs sticking in your brain too).  I digress.  Oops.  Yes, Do Good, Feel Good.

When I researched getting a CGM, specifically my Dexcom 7+, I started reading diabetes blogs in a mildly obsessive way.  That was my introduction to Kim from Texting My Pancreas.  Her blog led me to other wonderful diabetes blogs.  When I decided to bite the bullet (well in this case, let my boyfriend attempt to insert the Dexcom into the back of my arm), we watched her video twice possibly without blinking.  When I put the Dexcom in my arm the first time solo (I’ll admit it, I was scared), I watched that video two more times (this is the part where I must mention she has better gravity where she lives).  Anyway, Kim was a big help to me and I frequently refer to her in my diabetes mentoring program when questions about CGMs arise.

Kim started an “event” for the month of December called Give All The Things (you really should click that to see what I’m talking about).  I was immediately more smitten with her than I already was.   I won second place at the very beginning of the month of giveaways.  I won a small plush pancreas.  Oh you don’t know what a plush pancreas is?  Well you can see it here.  It made me laugh but it got me thinking about Kim’s pay-it-forward idea, an idea I try to incorporate into my own life.  I contacted Kim and told her a little about my jewelry design business and it’s connection to my fundraising walk teams, Alecia’s Stem Cells.  I offered to give her a pair of earrings for her giveaway.  Although it is not totally diabetes related, the jewelry IS made by a T1D (me) and 10% of the proceeds go to JDRF.  Kim wrote the sweetest note back.  It put a big goofy grin on my face.

Today Kim is giving away the earrings at Texting My Pancreas.  I saw the tweet about it this morning.  I immediately smiled.  What started as an overwhelming day still is overwhelming, but her post lightened me. Twice I have checked the comments (which is how you enter her contests) and both times I smiled more and “may” have had some extra moisture escape my eyes (must be allergies, I certainly am not crying again, right?).

If you have some time, check out the comments of some of her other Give All The Things posts.  It will immediately remind you how fortunate you are to be part of the DOC.

Do Good, Feel Good.  Thanks Kim.

Wordless Wednesday a few minutes late!

This photo looks pretty cool (well I *may* be biased) but regrettably there were some issues with the resin setting.

“Boo hoo,” said this creative diabetic.

I’m experimenting with some patching and creating some negative space within the design, but I will need to create another (read: start over).

Test strip collecting resumes.

Bangle?

A few weeks ago I made two rings out of used OneTouch and OneTouch Ultra test strips (side note: I have been using a OneTouch Ultra meter with my Ping pump for YEARS and YEARS. Finding 2 old regular OneTouch strips (black ones) in the bottom of a drawer proves I need to do some serious house cleaning). This idea has been in my mind for awhile, years maybe, but it wasn’t until a DSMA chat about the upcoming Diabetes Art Day 2012, that I finally made some ring designs.

The response to the rings has been pretty incredible and encouraging (OK not totally true but to the lady who said they were “ugly”, I feel that diabetes isn’t pretty either so I couldn’t really take it as an insult, more poignant to what I’d designed actually). OneTouch contacted me for permission to use one of my images on their Facebook page for a post about Diabetes Art Day which was pretty cool. Anyway, since Sunday afternoon/evening is when I plan to clean-up but lately has been my messiest time of the week, I got my designer groove on today.

Here’s a preview of my next OneTouch Ultra Used Test Strip Jewelry experiment (It’s going to be a bangle bracelet… well if this actually works)

Phase 2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 3:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Phase 3+