More Info
Classes are held in my Decatur studio. There is a maximum of 5 students per class.
The fee for a six week session is $270.
50% nonrefundable deposit required to register, remainder due at the first class.
Students are allowed one make up class per session. You can make up a missed class during open studio, or at another class time if the space is available. You can carry over unused open studio credits and make up credits to the next session. After that unused credits expire.
Open studio time is $15 per hour.
Basic hand tools are provided for the class to share. However, students are encouraged to acquire
and use their own hand tools including sawframe /blades, snips, pliers, files, and flex shaft accessories.
Supplementary hand tools are available as needed.
Students supply their own solder. Paste solder cannot be used without permission.
Judy Parady
404-377-3695
Jewelry Making Classes
Winter 1, Winter 2
2010
Winter 2010
nights 6:30 - 9:30pm
Monday or Wednesday Night- metal design, fabrication, gem setting
days 10am – 1pm
Wednesday or Thursday Day-
metals and lost wax casting combo
Open Studio, usually, but not always, Saturdays 9am -1pm
Winter 1: Week of January 11 – February 15
Winter 2: Week of February 22 - March 29
About My Class
It is to your advantage to TAKE NOTES during the demos. This helps you get the most from the class, and gives a personalized record you can refer to forever more as you add skills and techniques to your metalsmithing repertoire. I strongly recommend that you keep a record of your projects, especially dimensions: gauges of metals used, sizes of jumprings, length of materials used to produce rings, bezels, or bangles of a certain size.
Each session I demo way more techniques than you can use in 6 weeks. The sessions are structured in pairs with the same theme used in two sequential six-week sessions. This gives you the opportunity have several projects going at once, and complete at least one of them each session.
Choose a couple of the demonstrated techniques to incorporate in your primary project each session. Then design a second personal project to work on concurrently. Often it is helpful to take a break from an intense project and just chill with something you are at ease doing. Sometimes, in class you have to wait to use a work station, or ask me a question. If you have alternate projects going you can still be productive.
Class size is small, no more than 5 students. Dedicated students progress quickly. That said, this is your class time, and you should do things that make you happy. Let me know how I can be of service.
Beginning students have their own set of projects intended to introduce them to the basic metal skills: sawing /piercing, forming, soldering, bezel setting, finishing.
1. Woven Chain Bracelet with Cone Ends and Hook and Eye Clasp
Cone making was promised for Fall, but we never got to it. This time I will concentrate on cones as a design element, and as the terminus for multistrand necklaces, and chains.
The woven chain needs end caps, we will use cones for this.
The hook and eye lesson is a basic that can be altered in many ways to suit your design.
Woven Chain is an easy technique that requires few tools and can be worked on between classes. Only a scribe or other pointy tool, needle nose pliers, and snips are needed. (Oh, and a bit of patience.)
The demo is for a bracelet, average 7.5 inches long. There are lots of ways to vary the size of this chain. Get the hang of it with this short bracelet, if you like the results; continue with your own design.
The cones can be embellished with surface texture – roller print, etch, stamping, gem stones, etc.
Materials:
6-7 feet of 24 gauge round silver wire, dead soft if available, for the chain
24 gauge silver sheet, at least 1 x 3 inches (can also use copper here.) for the cones
4 inches of 14 gauge round silver wire for the clasp
extra feature: for those interested, I will show how to use a cone to make a crown setting for round faceted stones.
2. Hinged Cuff with Tube Clasp
The technical lesson is “Making a Hinge”; the cuff area is a canvas on which to express your creativity. We make two hinges for this cuff, one hinge pivots and joins the two cuff halves, and the other is part of the clasp mechanism.
You can use any of your favorite surface embellishment methods – piercing, roller print, etching, forging, stamping, etc., to create the cuff area.
Materials:
16 gauge copper sheet, about 2 x 8 inches (or whatever is needed to create your cuff design)
4 - 5 inches of heavy walled silver tubing, 3mm O.D. – you can buy from me if you do not want to buy a 12 inch length, which is how tubing is supplied. Other sizes of tubing can work for this, be sure to match the inside diameter (I.D.) snuggly to a wire size for the hinge pin.
3 inches 12 gauge wire for the hinge pin.
4- 5inches of 18 gauge round silver wire for the clasp pin.
skills and techniques covered this Winter:
woven chain
cone making/ using
hook and eye clasps
crown setting for round facted gem
hinge making
simple fold forming- line fold
tube clasp
Wax Model Making for Lost Wax Casting, and Metal Technique
Wednesday and Thursday Day classes are now a combo class with instruction in
both lost wax casting, and metals. We can determine specific projects at the first class.
If you are interested in casting, this is the class for you.
Learn all aspects of wax model making using a variety of techniques.
No metal working experience is necessary, and all skill levels are welcome.
Though I warn you, you might get hooked into the wonderful world of metalsmithing.
Waxes are cast offsite, and returned to students for finishing.
Additional casting fees are required;
Projects for returning students include cold molding, mirror opposites, and gem settings:
back mounted stones, hammered bezels, gypsy setting.
Sessions in my Studio Jewelry Program
run for 6 weeks; classes are 3 hours long.
Each session includes a 3 hour Open Studio credit. This gives you 21 hours of studio time for $270.
HInged box by Kim Comstock, 4th year student
Hinges have many uses in jewelry, this winter we will use them to make a cuff and clasp.
This Winter I have two projects to demonstrate,
one easy,
the other more challenging.
*
Cast ring, silver, quartz
Judy Parady 2009