Bracelet made from hair curlers by Heather Skowood

Level: All Skill Levels
Requirements: Jewelry I or Equivalent
Program: Fall
Status: Closed
Tuition: $ 300
Materials: $ 30
Date: September 25, 2008 - October 30, 2008
Time: Every Thursday at 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Metalwerx

As environmental awareness grows into a more urgent concern for our society, we are examining our impact on the natural environment as well as the impact on our health and personal environment more and more. As a result we are beginning to rethink how we approach everything we do in our lives to make our impact less wasteful, more sustainable and healthy. Our jewelry making practices should not be excluded.

Join Heather in an exciting six-week exploration joining reclaimed/recycled materials to create jewelry that is surprising, insightful, inspiring to lessen our impact on the environment. Let your imagination run wild and create daring jewelry with materials found either at home, at work, from walks in the woods or by the sea. Anything goes: packaging material from wine corks to plastic, worn out toys, twigs, bones, gun shells, wire from used spiral bound notebooks, twist ties from trash bags or drinking straws. The materials at your fingertips are endless! The next time you throw something away just ask yourself, "Can this be made into jewelry?"

Though much emphasis will be placed upon using reclaimed/recycled materials, using metal will not be discouraged but using scraps from your scrap box should be considered. We will discuss using a variety of handmade joining techniques such as rivets and jump rings as well as making bezels to frame unique found objects.

And at the end of the class students will have a bold new piece of jewelery that will generate much discussion about the importance of creativity in a time when creative thinking is needed most to save the environment.

This class is six session long. Each session is 3 hours. If a make-up class is necessary, it will be held on November 6, 2008.

If you'd like to see more of Heather's work, please visit her website at www.heatherskowood.com or her blogspot at www.heatherskowoodjewelry.blogspot.com

Materials & Tools

Students Should Bring:

• Found objects
• Old jewelry components
• Scrap Metal
• Old Toys
• Recycled Materials