Have you ever heard of this online company called Beaducation? It's a great place for learning jewelry techniques by video.
Here you go . . . Take a look around. Then you sign up with an account and a password and you can put classes into your cart for purchase. Many basic classes are free and great for people new to jewelry making and also for a quick refresher if you may have forgotten how to:
Use metal letter stamps to stamp on metal
Use a dapping block
Saw metal
Make jewelry with resin
Videos also cover many of the common metalworking tools that Beaducation also sells.
There are a good number of interesting video classes on more complicated techniques like torch firing enamels, wire wrapping projects, riveting projects, soldering rings and bezels (!!!), chainmail, fusing and chain making, viking knit, felting, seed bead work and an intro to PMC class . . . some of the more in depth classes have very fancy results. These classes all cost $24.95.
My friend Kate Richbourg is the Director of Education over there and she asked me to review a class on PMC for you all and show you what I made.
I did an intermediate class "Unbreakable Heart Pendant" taught by Emily Miller and I enjoyed it very much. The video ran in sections and I could work at my own pace. I get to keep the class forever in my "my classes" section of the site and I can view it as many times as I want. With the class I also got a detailed 5 page PDF. I always love those.
Here are my hearts made by following her instructions and adding my own quirky, asymmetrical flair.
I fired them in my little Ultralite kiln today
and then put them together with Emily's thorough instructions.
front and back - I think I did a pretty good job, don't you?
Beaducation hosts some of the premier jewelry making teachers on the scene today and I am really excited to take some more of their classes, especially because I am in a very stay-at-home phase right now and not planning to leave the house much at the moment, you know, I've got a lot of projects I'm working on.
Oh, teachers - they've got classes by:
Lisa Niven Kelly, who is also the creative founder,
Barb Switzer, Laura McCabe, Dallas Lovett, Kate Richbourg (who I've taken many classes from in person when she owned the amazing store called Beadissimo in San Francisco), Lisa Claxton (love her classes - taken most of them), Kriss Silva (SHE IS BRILLIANT!), Emily Miller, Mel McCabe, Colin Mahler, YES I THINK I DO HAVE TO LIST THEM ALL, Gail Crosman Moore (I've learned so much from her too), Iris Sandkuhler, Liz Jones, Janice Berkebile (!!!), Becky Nunn and Steven James. The ones I've taken classes from are in bold letters.
So Kate has empowered me to do a giveaway of one of Beaducation's classes to the winner of a drawing I'm going to have on Wednesday February 9th. The lucky winner will be able to pick any one class from the catalog of all the classes that aren't free. You can view all the free videos you want between now and when the contest ends to keep yourself busy and distracted. Just leave me a comment about how much you'd like to win and which class you want to do if the heavens opened up and granted you the wish of the day - POOF!
Also, there are always sales going on at the site. Right now it's "Beadily Dee Beads"
and "Wire Framed Beads" for 20% off. On sale from February 9th to the 18th will be "Fleur de Link" (I've always wanted to know how to do that), "Unbreakable Heart", the PMC class I just took and "Lilies and Leaves". I wish I could show all the pictures but well that's why you need to go over there and see for yourself.
INSTRUCTIONS (you must follow to be included in the drawing): Go see their classes and then come back here and leave me a comment telling me which one you'd like to win and I'll do the rest. The winner will be announced here on my blog on Wednesday night, February the 9th.
Ring a Week
Just an update of the next two rings I made for the challenge.
RAW 5/52 - a sterling silver piece I had cast from a precious metal clay original I made, soldered to a hammered ring band with liver of sulphur patina, resin and little fine silver balls in the bottom.
RAW 6/52 - brown plastic rose, sawed out sterling backing
and a stepped bezel (I mangled it a bit while trying to get it shaped and straight but oh well), sawed out the veins in the leaves after I soldered the bezel on, shaped the bezel at the top last to capture the flower.
The shank was made from and old sterling bangle I had from the 80's. It's still available as a stock strip over at Rio Grande. I used my disc cutter to cut out those little tags and then I stamped them with a very cool set of stamps I got from Beaducation a couple of years ago. They have more fonts than the usual ones you've seen around. I soldered the tags on there too. I LOVE SOLDERING THINGS TOGETHER! I'm obsessed and a whole new world has opened up for me and making things! It's really exciting for me.
I've been wearing these rings all over the place and I feel so good because I made them.
REMEMBER the Beaducation Class giveaway . . . remember the class giveaway . . . remember the giveaway . . .
