These 3-5 day classes will take place next April and look very exciting. They include topics such as Stone & Metal, Hot and Cold Connections, Stone Carving and Mokume Gane among others.

Have a look at there website for a wide variety of jewelry making and goldsmithing classes.

In their two locations they hold many classes for all ages in Clay, Metal, Glass and Fiber.  This season hold in store very interesting classes and workshops in metal topics such as: Structural Bead Weaving, Fold Forming and Natural Forms in Metal, Colors on Metal, Handmade Felt and Metal in Jewelry and Alternative Materials in Jewelry to name a few, aside from more basics such as Beginning Metal Design and Enameling.

If you are interested contact Metalliferous ASAP as space is limited to 12 people.

The Well Done Experience teaches group or individual classes and can be hired to host beading parties and fundraisers as well as teaching many workshops and selling beading kits.

You can take classes in basic metal work skills, enamel, hollow wares, Judaica and much much more.  There are also workshops on recycled gold, resin, wire crochet, reactive metals etc.

I even saw mention of a tour of the jewelry world in India.  How exciting!   Plus, if you live in NYC you might find the course on the NY Jewelry World very helpful and interesting.

If beading is your thing, they are now offering beading classes at the new location in Tribeca.

The store is a treasure trove of jewelry making supplies from tool to materials.  Located in the Diamond District, I always feel especially in touch with the jewelry world when I go into the building and up the small stairs and emerge into this excellent store.

If you needed another reason to visit, tomorrow’s event provides it.  They are holding beading demonstrations from 2-7pm, where you can ask questions, get advice and of course shop.  Have fun!

The piece pictured here is made of recycled sterling silver, including bench scraps as well as repurposed rubber and counter tops.

The most exciting part about the classes are the instructors.  Tim McCreight himself is teaching the course in Savannah and Pittsburgh and Barbara Simon Becker, winner of the Saul Bell award, is teaching multiple classes as well.  Click here for the schedule.

If you need instructions rather than just a social event, try their classes.  They offer beading and wire jewelry classes in a variety of topics which seem to start at the reasonable price of $25.

Flux Studios offers a membership with access to fully equipped jewelry studios were one can work as well as offering jewelry courses, a gallery, blog and website for help in marketing the pieces you create there.

It seems like an excellent opportunity not just for those starting out in the business of jewelry making, but also for those who would like to learn about it and have somewhere to create without having to invest heaps of money in workspace and equipment.

It looks like there are some great workshops taking place.  The bracelet pictured here is from the description of the Antique Connections Cuff course taught by Melinda Barta.  This course focuses on combining antique brass findings with seed beads to make new and exciting pieces.  The course fee includes beads and brass finding to work with.  The piece pictured here looks quite interesting.

There are lots of other interesting course to choose from, but one in particular that caught my attention is the Resin Flower Pollanate course which will teach how to create flowers etc out of wire and mix and fill them with exciting colors of resin.

This class is intermediate and teaches the following:

In this intermediate class, you will learn to make and embellish fine silver rings and hollow forms. Torch firing, patinas, and stone setting techniques will also be covered. Prior experience with metal clay or art clay silver is required.

However,if you are new to metal clays, she is a friendly and interesting teacher and does offer beginning classes as well, so sign up for the mailing list.  I have taken one of her classes myself, and though I am a trained jeweler, I had never before used silver clay, and really learned a lot and enjoyed myself.

During the festival they are running what promises to be a fun series of classes and events:

The workshop is kicked off Friday evening with a “Learn to Saw” mini-workshop & cocktail party.The fun continues through the weekend with the Found Object Sandwich workshop in the day, and gallery hopping in the evening starting with our own gallery opening at Thomas Mann Gallery I/O.

Thomas is meant to be an enthusiastic and animated teacher and aside from learning to saw correctly being a VERY important skill to master, the Found Object Sandwich (FOS) workshop sounds quite interesting and a good way to turn your own treasures in to wearable art.

Here is a picture of the “Learn to Saw Bench” that Thomas Mann studioFLUX held at the Craft and Hobby Association Winter Trade Show.  Looks like people were having fun!

Thomas is involved with a number of projects, galleries and workshops.  Checkout his website here.

If you are in (or planning to be)Northern California next week, you may want to take a class with Ruth Rae at the ZNE Convenzione. Ruth is teaching  “Wind, Coil and Curl”  a wirework jewelrymaking class at the event.

For full details on how to register, see the ZNE website.   If you want to go to the ZNE  Convenzione but are having difficulty, there is a Pay What You Can  option. Click and learn more! 

Also part of the event is a spectacular vendor fair, on May 2nd & 3rd, from noon to 5pm.    Art, Paperie & Pleasantries is held indoors at the  Alameda County Fair Grounds in Dublin, CA. You can find more details here.  There will be lots of vendors, live music, book signings, make & take classes, coloring table for the kiddies and people selling jewelry supplies and crafts to buy!

Since polymer clay is such a versatile material, this retreat is great for bead & jewelry artists, fiber artists, bookmakers, collage artists and a combo of all those and more!  Workshops include: Silk beads, intro to PMC, polymer beads, and more.

Check out the website for full details, pricing and accomodations.