Silver Fabrication
I started taking a silver fabrication class at Amalgam Arts Atlanta this September. The first day was spent getting to know studio, where to find certain tools, what you were allowed to use, and what you shouldn't touch. Naturally, the torches were on all the wrong lists - at least for the first day. Our first "project" was to take a length of wire and fashion it into our names. Mine was relatively easy, except for the "t" and that just forced me to add a little flare. It is red brass, not silver, but this was just to get used to bending and shaping the wire.
The second or first "real" project was to create an Egyptian coil bracelet. This project took several weeks (one class of 2-3 hours per week) to finish. We started with sterling silver wire, cut it into lengths, filed them, twisted them, soldered them, pickled them, hammered them, annealed them, and wove them into a bracelet. The bracelet was adjusted for consistency, burnished, antiqued, tumbled, and polished. Some of the work was redundant, much of it simply experimental, and all of it educational and fun. We were given enough silver to make about 18-19 links and the clasp, which was barely enough to fit my Mom's very small wrist, but it fit her perfectly! Of course she loves it, she has to, but she claims to have gotten a few compliments that just swell me up with pride.
Our next project is supposed to involve bezel setting a stone and we've been given the freedom (and responsibility) for finding our own stones and inspiration. Taking a jewelry making course as someone who does not wear jewelry can make that a little tricky, but fortunately I happen to know a couple women. One apparently dreamed that the spider pendant I gave her came to life. This is interesting because I never gave her a spider pendant and because it is a fantastic idea! As soon as she said it, I had visions of a tiger's eye abdomen, an onyx thorax, and silver legs. I might alter that to use a stone that goes better with silver or use a brass setting, but it IS a silver class. Tiger's eye would make for a wonderful wolf spider, but silver would work well with star sapphire. You can bet I'll be researching stones this coming week for ideas. I'd like to make at least one, if not several, in time for Halloween!