Schedule a class or workshop with me!

I currently teach a large selection of different classes on the Bead and Gem Show show circuit, at evening classes for my local adult school and for specific workshops at guilds, groups and craft schools on a regular basis. Please email me if you are interested in booking one for your event, club, guild or group. I usually schedule about 6-12 months in advance, and I am willing to travel. My class handouts feature step photos and comprehensive instructions -- a former career in publishing gives me the upper hand here -- plus, I can build kits for your students and ship them in advance if you need to get on with things quickly...
Interested? Contact me below or on the home page and we'll connect...

TOOL-CENTRIC WORKSHOPS

• Rotary Tool Intensive One: Dremels Only!
  Half to Full Day • Beginner
  A rotary tool, like the popular Dremel brand, is an important tool to master for making jewelry of all kinds with confidence. We will focus on safe and proper use of these tools, uncover the mystery of the collet, figure out how to use those mystery attachments and I will demonstrate how to grind, sand, cut, carve, texture, polish and buff all kinds of jewelry materials.

• Rotary Tool Intensive Two: Advanced Techniques
  Half Day • Intermediate
  Be it a hand-held Dremel/other rotary tool, or a traditional Flex shaft system, there is so much you can do with this class of tools. We will step it up a notch and explore polishing, drilling glass, stone and other jewelry materials, and learn about the hundreds of types of attachments for these tools.
  Note: This is a class for students who are familiar with their rotary equipment, basic safety practices, and can change their attachments and use their machine independently.

• Saw a little, Saw a lot!
  Half Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  Do you want to become a jeweler's saw Ninja? One of the most important jewelry making tools is the Jeweler's saw, yet many students express dislike for using this critically important tool. In this class, I will show you how to make your metal sawing experience more fun, more productive and much more interesting. We will practice sawing a variety of metal in a variety of gauges, and you will learn how to saw inside and outside curves, openings, spirals, zig zags and serpentine lines with ease. Choose to create a simple (or not so simple) paisley pendant in class, and leave with the confidence to use your saw like a pro. Who knows? You might even love that saw by the end of the class...

TECHNIQUE-FOCUSED WORKSHOPS

• Cold Connection Boot Camp
  Full or Multi Day • Beginner
  Yes! You can create professional connections from scratch and learn how to connect anything to anything without using a drop of glue. We will make rivets, tabs, staples and other connections, and explore the unlimited possibilities of uniting plastics, metals, wood, ceramics, papers and fibers with clean, sturdy, museum-quality connections that last. We will focus on jewelry pieces, however any type of artwork is welcome.

• Color on Metal
  Full or Multi-Day •Beginner and Up
  This technique class will introduce you to the fun and fabulous art of adding pigment to metal sheet using colored pencil, crayons, oil pastel or paint. We'll create a simple pair of earrings to get started, and then progress to other shapes and forms as time permits. If you love juicy color, this class is for you! And, don't worry if you "can't draw" -- I have templates and stencils for the timid. We'll start with prepping the surface to receive color, and I will show you methods of adding color in layers to create luminous work. We'll discuss color theory, tools, techniques and materials, and I will demo several ways to shape and mount your work to protect the color surface from wear and tear.

• A Fine Finish
  Half Day • Beginner
  Creating a flawless polish is one of the most sought-after skills many jewelry makers wish to add to their skill set. In this class we will learn how to properly file, sand, pre-polish and mirror polish a yellow brass pendant with a hand-hammered surface texture – one of the most difficult polishing challenges there is. We will create custom sanding sticks, learn how to properly file, scrape and burnish metal edges, and then use Tripoli and rouge polishing compounds to bring a golden shine to the metal.

• Hammer Formed Botanical Jewelry
  Multi-Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  This is a technique-intensive class on the rudiments of synclastic metal forming. First, you will learn how to saw out basic flat metal shapes in thin gauges of copper, yellow brass or NuGold and then how to use forming hammers, blocks of wood and simple stakes or punches to create luscious floral and leaf forms ready to rivet or join to pendants, sheet, wire, cuffs, earrings or otherwise. And, these forms are a great starting point for adding enamel, too. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can create sophisticated nature-inspired shapes and forms with just a few tools and no soldering required. If you've got some small-scale forming hammers on hand, you've already got what you need to make these fun and beautiful flower forms.

• Lapidary 101: Create Your First Cabochon
  Full or Multi-Day • Beginner
  Learn the fundamentals of the lapidary arts and how to trim a stone slab with a trim saw, use a grinding unit to preform, shape, refine and polish a cabochon. A wide variety of materials and techniques are demonstrated and discussed, and students are encouraged to bring stone materials they wish to develop independently using lapidary work. By the end of the workshop, you will have the confidence to create your own stone cabochons using a wide range of lapidary equipment, including a trim saw, flat lap and Diamond Pacific Genie. This is a class for the beginner, no experience is needed. Please email for equipment information and requirements well in advance of scheduling this workshop.

• Textures & Patinas Boot Camp
  Full or Multi-Day • Beginner to Advanced versions
  Students will learn how to create dozens of textures by direct or transferred techniques using their regular tools plus some handmade tools and uncommon objects. At the Beginner/Intermediate level, we will learn to prepare metal for successful patination on copper, brass and jeweler's bronze with commercial and home made solutions.
  In the Advanced level workshop, we will explore the rich and varied world of color patinas from Japan, including Niage, Su Tanpan, and Rokusho. Either class can be scheduled as a one day, or schedule both for a comprehensive multi-day patination experience.
  Potential students should have basic metalworking skills and be adept at sawing, creating hammer texture on sheet and clean finishing jewelry metal. Some drilling experience or riveting experience is helpful but not essential.

• Selective Stamping on Metal
  Full or Half Day • Beginner
  It’s easy to create a sophisticated surface texture on plain metal sheet of any kind using just a few hand tools. Once you get comfortable with this process, you can create decorative metal components, parts and elements for jewelry and for use with other mixed-media work. This technique requires very few hand tools, and is travel friendly, too.

• Solderless Setting with Tabs and Folds
  Full or Multi-Day • Beginner
  Yes! You can set a stone, cabochon, found or fabricated object without a torch! In this class, you will learn how to design and plan a sophisticated sheet metal setting for your favorite focal object. Tabs and folds are an ingenious way to capture and securely hold many types of objects in jewelry, and are even more interesting when they are integrated into the overall design of the piece. We will create a pendant using sheet metal and a stone cabochon. Several color and metal options are available to choose from, or students are encouraged bring a favored object of their own to set.

METALS OBJECT-MAKING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES

• Beachcomber's Bonanza
  Full Day • Intermediate
  Are you an incurable scavenger when you go to the beach, park, lake or other natural area? In this class we will learn how to mount natural objects like shells, pebbles, sticks, bark, driftwood, sea glass and other found objects using wire, cold connections and other non-glue techniques. Bring your own treasures and use what's in your kit to make a pendant featuring your favorite natural object. Learn to safely drill stone or sea glass, create flowing wire mountings, and how to plan and execute uncommon mountings like two-part, perimeter and integral tabs or multi-layer rivets.

• Domed and Layered Flowers Neckpiece
  Full Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  This movable pendant/neckpiece is both a sawing and wire forming challenge and features three different metal layers combined with a thick bronze wire mounting. A colorful matte surface focal bead joins the pendant together. Some sawing experience is suggested.

• Glamour Girl Earrings
  Full Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  These glamorous earrings provide everything any self-respecting fashionista wants in her ear gear: sparkle, color, movement and sophisticated style. Several color options, gemstone choices, shapes and lengths of earring are available to choose from. We will fabricate them from scratch, saw out the textured metal, form it, and wire on the stones – don’t let their fully-loaded bling scare you: they are surprisingly lightweight and easy to wear!

• Lap-Joined Lantern Pendants
  Full Day • Beginner
  Lap, or overlap, joins are a traditional cold connection and a great way of securely joining metal sheet edge-to-edge. With clever engineering and design, sophisticated 3D-hollow forms can easily be created without the use of a torch. Students will learn several ways to use lap joins, folds and rivets to fabricate one of several different forms inspired by antique paper lanterns.

• Multi-Metal Cold Connected Bracelet
  Full Day • Intermediate
  Learn how to texture metal by direct and transferred methods, saw, drill, use a disc cutter, and cold-connect mixed metal circles with rubber O-Rings, anodized aluminum tubing and micro hardware to create an unusual, adaptable bracelet. We'll discuss patination options and alternate connection methods, plus the importance of unit construction in jewelry design.

• Riveted Bead Rings
  Half to Full Day • Intermediate
  It’s easy to create a unique non-soldered ring using a flat-sided or large-holed bead. Once you have mastered the technique of riveting without breakage, any drilled object can be mounted in this style of ring band, and it’s fun to try making several versions of this ring by experimenting with different materials and metals, including commercially textured metal strips. 

• Rivet Me This!
  Full Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  If you are tired of using manufactured rivets on your work or if you have trouble sizing rivets correctly, take this class to learn how to fabricate your own rivets from any gauge wire of any metal and cut them to any length you need. We will learn how to successfully rivet in concave or convex forms and to create solid rivets for a wide variety of jewelry materials. You will learn how to match the right size wire, drill bits and metals to create your own rivets from scratch. We will create a sample antique slide frame pendant in class using solid rivets and an array of mixed materials.

• Trapeze-Mounted Pendants
  Full Day • Intermediate
  Learn how to create and design cold connections, basic metalwork, texturing, and jewelry fabrication using simple tools to create long rivets. We will make a unique, movable, and fun bead and metal pendant combined with fiber and other mixed media. Some riveting experience is suggested but not required.

• Urban Conchos
  Full Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  Let's reinvent the ubiquitous concho into something more urban; fashion forward and environmentally friendly. In this class, we'll explore upcycling combined with cold-connections and rethink a classic ornament icon. We'll use a wide variety of materials and creative problem solving in this urban approach to a classic motif. Design, fabricating with mixed materials, and cold connections will all be discussed and demonstrated, in addition to patinas and metal texture. This is a fun class and a feast of experimentation with a wide range of materials.

BEAD AND WIRE OBJECT-MAKING WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES

• Bead and Button Jewelry
  Half Day • Beginner to Intermediate
  Do you love colorful buttons? If so, break out the old button box—we’ll elevate ordinary buttons into wonderful, wearable center-stage focal elements for all types of jewelry. Learn how to modify old or new buttons using wire to create button bracelets, pendants or earrings with a modern twist. Discover safe ways to drill wood and plastics, techniques for wire weaving, jewelry design and color use, and how to assemble a unique work of art without using a drop of glue.

• Freeform Coiled Wire Pendants
  Full Day • Intermediate
  In this class we will explore an intuitive and spontaneous method for creating exciting coiled wire settings, links, mountings and focal elements. We will create a fun round pendant with your choice of a glass, ceramic or stone center bead, sparkling crystal or stone accent beads, and pretty anodized copper colored wire using African coiled basket weaving techniques.

• Oculus Stone Bead Pendant
  Half Day • Beginner
  This captivating pendant showcases a large, lentil-shaped stone bead framed by a thick forged wire that has been hammer textured. You will learn how to taper and form thick wire, coil a sturdu connection and use stone chip bead embellishments to accent the carefully tapered symmetrical framing wires.

• Wired Chevron Pendant
  Full Day • Intermediate
  Learn Cold Connections, Metalwork, Wirework, Drilling metal, Wire weaving and Design as you create your own unique, one-of-a-kind necklace that can be as sparkly or colorful as you are. Several bead and embellishment choices and colorways are available, but the construction methods are similar. Some experience with sanding and filing metal and wire wrangling is suggested but not required.

FOUNDATIONS CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

• Fundamentals of Fabrication
  Multi-Day • Beginner; with or without solder skills
  This technique-intensive class focuses on the basics of safe and proper hand tool use for metal jewelry fabrication. Tool-by-tool, we will work on building the basic skills needed for jewelry fabrication, including techniques like sawing, shallow metal forming and simple metal textures. I stress proper use of hand tools, how to troubleshoot, and how to design and create basic metal shapes and forms for fabrication.
  You will leave class knowing how to saw, file, form a ring on a mandrel, anvil vise and flex shaft use, how a bench pin and ring clamp are used, and you'll get hands-on experience many other shop tools used in jewelry making. If you have wanted to try metal jewelry making, but were unsure how to get started with jewelry-making tools, this class is just for you!
  For torch equipped shops, a soldering basics full-day add-on is also available, making this a weekend or three day class..

• Artisan Jewelry Making Levels One and Two
  Multi-Week or Session • Beginner to Intermediate
  Learn to make your own unique, handmade jewelry using a wide variety of materials including beads, sheet metal, manufactured findings, stones and other supplies. You will learn how to use tools and techniques jewelers have used for centuries to create your own one-of-a-kind work. Discover wire wrapping, metal hand texturing, shallow forming, stamping and decoration, plus assembly methods for earrings, bracelets and pendants. Classroom tools are available to share.

• Basics of Beaded Jewelry
  Multi-Week • Beginner
  Learn to create beautiful jewelry using beautiful beads of many shapes, sizes and materials. This is a class for absolute beginners, and you will learn how to use beading hand tools, how to string, connect components, attach clasps and basic bead weaving with seed beads to make bracelets, earrings and necklaces. Classroom tools are available to share.

• Wire Jewelry Making; Level One and Two
  Multi-Week or Session • Beginner to Intermediate
  Learn to create beautiful hand made jewelry with simple materials like stones, shells, beads and wire. Discover wire wrapping, combining beads and simple connections and use of manufactured jewelry components. Some experience with hand tools is suggested but not required. Classroom tools are available to share.