"Has the soaring cost of precious metals put a crimp in your jewelry making style? If so, no worries – why not seize the opportunity to break free from “silver snobdom” and reimagine jewelry making into something playful, experimental, unexpected, and best of all, inexpensive? In this workshop, you will learn how to use a variety of non-traditional, mixed-media materials and combine them in unexpected ways to learn how to create well-crafted, wearable jewelry objects. Experiment with paper, plastic, wood, recycled metals, glass, stone, fabrics, fibers, stitch, ceramic and whatever other materials suit your fancy — anything goes! If you love it, bring it. This is not a “duplicate my object” workshop! We will create several “exercise” pieces both mornings to warm up and learn essential joining/assemblage techniques, and then spend the afternoons boldly creating unique-to-you jewelry objects born from your ideas and brought to life with what you bring! Free play within structure is the daily concept, and you ll try out many ways and ideas for how best to use your favorite things to make with. “Alternative Jewelry Lab” succeeds when you come with an open mind and fun materials from home that you want to use – provided they’re compatible with a jewelry-scale format."
Small-scale found objects like shells, pebbles, rocks, buttons or hardware
Beads and/or stones if you want to use them
Favorite papers or fibers, vintage parts or ephemera
Small objects that excite you but you don’t know what to do with them"
A wide array of alternative materials will be provided for classroom use Metals-specific tools can be made available via sign-out for classroom sharing
"You must bring something (or several somethings) from this list: Small-scale found objects like shells, pebbles, rocks, buttons or hardware Beads and/or stones if you want to use them Favorite papers or fibers, vintage parts or ephemera Small objects that excite you but you don’t know what to do with them You must also bring: Jewelry making pliers A hammer and steel block A centerpunch A portable bench pin A jeweler;’s saw and/or sheet metal shears A tray, plate, bowl or cloth for your stuff A notebook and writing materials for your ideation and memory Light source and vision help for your eyes"