Ceramic Jewelry Making (Session 3)

Service Description

Tuesdays 6:30-9pm starting March 31st - May 5th This is a project focused class with designated weekly assignments to help students learn the full range of possibilities and troubleshooting of making handmade jewelry. While the ceramic portion of the course is the bulk of the curriculum, students will also learn to work with outside materials like sterling silver, leather cording, beading wire in the realm of wire wrapping/bending, beading construction, and custom jewelry closures to complete the whole arc of the jewelry making process. The set assignments are as follows but not limited to: Statement Necklace #1 Necklace #2 Earrings Charms/Pendants + Glass Inlay Rings Week 1 Review syllabus and overall intention/timeline of the course. Demo: Beadmaking with clay! Discuss in depth the topics of thinking ahead in construction. Importance of clay body, hole size and shrinkage, bead rack options, how pieces would lay on when strung, quantity. Assignment: Statement Necklace, constructing a larger beaded statement necklace with a grouping of cohesive beads. Week 2: Structure and design of Jewelry, challenge students to create a set of wearable art. Encourage heavily sketching designs out and creating a plan. Show examples of different designs, chokers, stacked necklaces, wrap necklaces, earrings, cuffs, bangles, abstracted ideas around jewelry. Demo: Further Surface Design techniques of beads, carving, burnishing, texture and contrasting slip, underglazing, slab beads etc. Week 3: Last week for green ware bead making!! By the end of this week students should have made enough beads to have covered their 2 Necklaces, Earrings, Pendant/Charms, Ring Band or Bead. Week 4: Glazing + Firing Systems Explain the glazing process and more importantly its limitations when working with small intricate forms like beads. Discuss why some glaze options cannot work with small beads and the most optimal glazing styles for optimal success and kiln space. Students will learn about all stilt and racking materials to then be able to set their own beads up for firing. Week 5 Sterling Silver and Beading Materials. Tools given will include Chain Nose Pliers, Round Nose Pliers, Flush Cutters, Crimp Pliers. Other Materials: Sterling Silver Wire Bead Crimps Beading Wire Leather Cording Loop Guards Begin with demos on bending sterling silver into earring wires, necklace closures and wire wrapped rings. Week 6 Final Construction of pieces, review and help students finish off beading a