Cuff Bracelets and Pendents by Betty Helen Longhi.

Level: Intermediate and above
Requirements: Jewelry I or Equivalent
Program: Fall
Status: Open
Length: 3 Days
Tuition: $ 450
Only $ 427.5 for registration before 19 August 2008
Materials: TBA
Date: September 19, 2008 - September 21, 2008
Time: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: Metalwerx

Jewelry with three-dimensional form is much more elegant and professional looking than flat pieces. In this workshop we will use hammers and simple wooden stakes that students can make to create interesting and functional jewelry. In working with the process, the students will also come to understand some of the techniques for shell forming such as synclasting and anticlasting which allows one to quickly and easily form sheet metal.

If you'd like to see more of Betty Helen's work, please visit her website www.fluidformsinmetal.com. You can also email her with questions related to the class at bhl@fluidformsinmetal.com.

Check out a video of Betty Helen demonstrating her forming techniques on an episode of the Carol Duvall Show at www.hgtv.com. Click on the video button under the two jewelry pictures.

Materials & Tools

There will be a materials kit available for purchase from the instructor at the workshop. These are estimated costs per item. Actual costs will be determined by the market at the time of the class.

Materials kit contents:

• Hardwood forming block ($20)
• Handouts -20 pp. ($4)
• Plastic mallets ($40), one per student (if you do not have one)
• Metal ($12), one 6” x 6” piece of 20 gauge, 22 gauge and 24 gauge nugold.

Students Should Bring:

• Basic hand tools: pencil, ruler, scissors, scribe, pliers, saw frame, saw blades, Pilot or Sharpie permanent marker - fine line, masking tape.
• Files: Half-round and crossing in 6” or 8” length of cut (if you have them)
• Aviation snips or equivalent shears (if you have them)
• Wood rasps and coarse files one half round; and one round. These are also available from hardware stores. Some will be available to share but it is preferable to have your own.
• Hammers, mallets, sinusoidal stakes if you have them (again, a selection of these will be available, but not enough for everyone to use at the same time).
• EAR PLUGS!
• Pair of soft leather gloves to protect hands while hammering.
• Large of stiff drawing paper for making patterns and roll printing.
• Vises: Some of these are available (at least 1 per two students) but it is nice to have your own vise. If anyone who is driving would like to bring their own that would be great. Just be sure it is a large vise (4”jaws or more) and bring some large C clamps to hook it to the table. (there are some available, but if you have them already, you can bring them too) It really helps to also have the vise bolted to a larger piece of wood. This way the C clamps can be put more out of the way.
• Nugold is the metal recommended for starting out with shell forming, but if students want to experiment with copper or other nonferrous metals, they should bring their own.
• A note from the instructor: An important part of the class is to gain an understanding of who we all are as craftsmen and artists. To that end I like to have a brief show and tell during the session so please bring a few slides photos and/or examples of your work to show at that time.