Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year from the Santos Ranch

It's difficult to believe that it has only been 3 months that we officially opened our home & studio! We have met so many nice people, artists who are lampworkers, rock carvers, wire-wrappers, stone shapers & polishers,silver-smithers, soap-makers, and gourd carvers also! Frank & I would just like to say "Thank You" for visiting our home and we hope all of you who have visited have enjoyed our company as much as we have enjoyed yours! We look forward to a New Year, and wish all of you a year full of love, good health & creativity!

We had a really nice Christmas Party at our Boutique, planned a little at the last minute, and of course we forgot the pictures until almost the end! Someone definitely has to take responsibility for remembering to take pics! Thank you to Jennifer & Jim, Ron & Carmen, Sioux, April, Natalie, and of course, my friend and creative partner, Jelveh (and Martin) and her beautiful mother (who I really think is her sister), Shahla, and of course, my husband, Frank, for helping out at our Boutique. We had a steady stream of visitors who were treated to homemade cookies, nuts, and chocolate nut clusters, made by Carmen & myself, as they shopped through my house and then the studio! Here are some pics of our Boutique.

Construction was finished in the studio, it looks twice as big! We still have to do the final painting, or at least someone has to do it... Frank will be running the gas lines and extending the exhaust and lighting to the 4 new stations soon in preparation for our next Lampwork class with Corina in Feb., and wait till you see our glass storage system he just put together today.

In the meantime, no time to kick-back and do nothing, it is time to do some wire-wrapping! Jennifer & Jim will be back on Sunday, Jan.17, 2010, to show us how to make a ring, details to follow......We want to work in a basic and more advanced class on the same day. Let me know of your interest! Also, I was reminded to include a telephone number to contact me, 408 848-5598!

2009 Christmas Boutique, Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Are you in the spirit yet? If you are looking for original and well-designed gift ideas, come to our Christmas Boutique to see the latest in lampwork beads & jewelry designs! Jelveh from Jelveh Designs will be on hand to demo new Lampwork designs! Ron Martinez, Master rock carver & his wife, will also be here to show us how beautiful a rough stone can become with a little knowledge of stone carving and polishing techniques; and Jennifer & her husband Jim will showcase polished cabachons wire-wrapped in silver wire. Maybe Jim will share some of his techniques for forming and polishing natural stones. We have other artists showcasing their jewelry and arts as well. Our studio may still be under a little bit of construction, so forgive us! We are getting prepared for the 2nd Wire-Wrapping Class with Jennifer on Jan.17 (I will post more info on this soon), monthly get-togethers with local artists, another Rock-carving class, another Lampwork Bead making class with Corina Tettinger, and other events. Keep in touch, sign up as a "Follower" on this blog to get an e-mail with new posts!

What a mess, more construction!

Torres Construction from Gilroy has started a remodeling project at our studios, again! Fernando & Frank are seen here mounting a long steel support beam to hold up the roof after opening up the wall that separated the front room and bedroom. The opening will give us more space to extend our working table, adding 4 more torch stations and space to do our other classes like wire-wrapping and stone carving. We will also have space for display cases. Today they will be re-locating the electrical wires, making sure we have enough juice for our large kiln, then comes the sheetrock patching and I guess Jelveh & I will be assigned to the painting...does anyone know how to paint a large glass bead on a wall?

Rock-carving class pics

We finished a 3-day intensive concentration class on rock carving this past weekend! Ron & Carmen Martinez from Arizona taught a 3 day class in San Francisco then traveled to Graceful Customs Studio to teach again! Students came from Sacramento, San Jose and locally. April kept us laughing and proved to carve the most intricate stone herself! They carry all their rock carving equipment with them, so all we had to do was clear the lampwork torches from the tables temporarily! We will host them again in April when they will teach more advanced techniques, check out the details on some of his own creations!

Pics from our Wire Wrapping Class this weekend!

Thank you Jennifer for coming to Graceful Customs Studio to teach our first wire-wrapping class! You (& Jim) were fantastic and generous with your polished stones and detailed instruction on wrapping any shape stone! Yes, it was difficult to talk over our excitable noise, (next time we won't let Garnet sit between Lu & Jelveh) we couldn't hardly wait for that "next step" instruction! Peg was the quiet one! We did have a great time and were so appreciate to take home a finished pendant. You were so patient and detailed! Now we need to practice, practice, practice!

The next class Jennifer will be teaching will be "Rings!"

"Passing the Flame" Book

Great News: I have purchased a few new, 3rd edition copies Corina Tettinger's book "Passing the Flame," It is a hard cover, spiral-bound book and is available for sale at my studio. Retail price is from $65-85.00, you may purchase one for $60, $55 if you attend one of our classes. This colorful book covers great information on understanding colors, including rubino oro, intense black, filigrana, opaque & transparent glass. The book takes you from the basic steps of holding the mandrel & glass rods to shaping beads, making dots, making stringers and cane, encasing florals, using frits, and a step-by-step guide on making that cute little frog sitting on a bead, as well as setting up your studio with necessary equipment!

Jelveh is Teaching Lampwork Classes Here! Here she is with our recent guest instructor, Corina Tettinger

Jelveh from Jelveh Designs is now teaching lampwork bead-making classes here! She says: "My current classes are scheduled on a one on one basis as the studio is booked with classes in Rock Carving & Wire Wrapping for the 2nd and 3rd weekends of Nov, Currently I teach classes in all areas of lampworking, beginner, intermediate & advanced with special classes designed for the individual students, for example, if you like to learn more about Blowing Shards or vessels at the torch, Hollow Beads, Cane making, Trees, Fish or Encased flowers or how to use the new Silver Glass to get the best results, you just let me know and I will design a class around your needs. I also teach many bead designs that can be added to your class, many of which you can see in the sold out section of my shop at www.jelvehdesigns.etsy.com " contact her at jelvehdesigns2@aol.com.

Corina Tettinger's Visit to Our Studio

Wow, what a week we had at our studio this past week! Lampwork artist Corina Tettinger taught 2 two-day sessions of intensive glass bead making techniques here. Here are a few pictures of our students. The classes started at 10:00 a.m. and ran to late night each day. Students left totally amazed at what they learned from Corina! Corina was truly amazing in her techniques, teaching style, so personable and patient. We were so excited she was able to join our local circle of glass artists. Glass beadmakers came from Phoenix, Redding, Sacramento, Redding, Fremont, and Central Valley and of course Santa Cruz & San Jose! Sign up for her newsletter to see her fabulous beads www.corinabeads.com She plans to return to our studio for another class in Feb., let me know of your interest!

Wire-Wrapping Class Here!

See Jennifer's wire-work designs below. We have a few openings left for her class, Sunday, Nov. 15.

We're officially open!

Well last weekend's open house was well-attended with many already well-known glass and jewelry artists and interested local neighbors! Jelveh from Jelveh Designs had a 5 hr basic lampwork class early morning, with 3 totally new students and one already established artist, Garnet, who told me she always learns something new and improved from Jelveh! The class was followed by an open house with snacks and jewelry sales by 5 artists. Jelveh continued to burn the torch, giving demos to visitors who never saw torchwork before (they all wore glasses). She made a small vessel, a fish, a pumpkin, and other beads!
We had many requests to list new classes and are in the process of developing a newsletter. Jelveh will be having a basic lampwork beginner's class about every 4-6 wks, a wirewrapping class to be taught by my friend Jennifer Le is being planned, I will post her jewelry soon. Torch time is also available in the studio.
And Corina Tettinger from Corina's Beads has agreed to conduct a 2nd session here. The first session of Sat & Sun, Oct 24 & 25 is sold out, the 2nd session, Wed & Thurs, Oct 28 & 29 still has a few openings. We are so excited to have her here and hope to show her South County's local sights!

Progress Report...

Here we go, getting closer every day. Jelveh & her friend Garnet were here today testing all the torches & kilns. We unpacked all kinds of glass & tools. Its coming along. Everything worked so well. Hubby is busy making mandrels & shop tools. He has done a good job so far, we will get him on a torch pretty soon.
Here is a photo of Jelveh & her friend at the torch.

Don't forget to mark your calenders, Jelveh will be teaching a 5 hour class on Sunday the 20th of September from 8am to 1pm. Then from 2:30pm to 6:30pm we have the grand opening party & torch demo. There will also be lots of food & refreshments for your enjoyment. Then on October 24th & 25th, don't forget Corina of Corina beads will be here to teach a 2 day class.

the address is 10730 Center Ave, Gilroy CA. 95020, let me know if you need direction help. Over night accommodations are available for an additional fee. See you at the studio.

Grace

My New Studio...

Hello, as you may have guessed by now, my name is Grace, I am in the middle of opening my brand new Lampworking, Silver & Stone Jewelry Studio. It is such an awesome creative space, there is also a guest bedroom for out of town students & instructors with full kitchen, bath & laundry facilities...I am hoping to have all kinds of fun talented teachers at my new studio in the months & years to come. Not only you will be able to take classes in all kinds of art forms from Lampworking (Glass Bead making) to Silversmithing at my studio, but you will also be able to come & rent the studio by the hour to work on what you have learned in our classes. The studio will also be available for private parties for special events such as Bridal Showers & Girls day out...

The opening date is September 20th from 2:30pm to 6:30pm, My friend & lampworker Jelveh Jaferian of Jelveh Designs will be teaching the first Lampworking class at my studio the same day from 8am to 1pm...this 5 hour beginner class is $125.00. Email me for more information.

Mark your calendars, I am also excited to announce that Corina Tettinger of Corina Beads will be teaching at my studio on October 24th & 25th, her class will start at 10am each day & is scheduled to finish at 6pm, however Corina likes to teach & play in the studio later than 6pm, so you can stay as long as she does. This class is $450.00. Email me for more information.

Here are some photos of the work in progress...

Hope to see you at the studio...

Grace