Classes & Events

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pics of our 2nd Christmas Boutique Party!













Every year our circle of friends gets wider and wider! We had new visitors and artists with their goodies here and I honestly believe everyone had a good time! My family room was re-arranged with tables of jewelry and lampwork beads and the kitchen as usual had cookies, carmel corn (new recipe), apple cider, Mexican Hot choclate, and other drinks! And the studio was crowded as Jelveh demo-ed more techniques and displayed her jewelry and beads, as well as new visiting artists that brought their jewels to sell! Thank you all for participating and bringing cookies & friends. My jam was also pretty popular! I still have some Christmas scent soaps (glyercin base), as well as Lavender, Gardenia, Baby Rose, Jasmine (shea butter base), and Lavender sachets available, Let me know if you need inexpensive gifts! Have a happy and safe holiday!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Sept. 25, 2010, Open House & Up-coming Events



We are excited to invite our friends to an open house on September 25, a get-together at our place, starting at 1:00 pm, where we are hosting the monthly meeting of our Northern California Chapter of Society of Glass Bead Makers. It is a pot-luck with demos from very talented and accomplished lampworkers, open torch time (you can also show us your favorite technique), as well as other artist demonstrating their talent in rock-carving, silver-smithing, wire-wrapping. We also have invited any crafts/artsy persons to display their wares for sale or trade, so come to shop also!

AND Ed Ferner will be here to teach another 2 chain maille patterns on Oct. 9, 2 sessions, the morning, the Byzantine Weave Bracelet, in the afternoon, the Calypso Weave Bracelet. Hours 9-1 pm and 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Cost $60.00 for both sessions or $35.00 for one session. Light lunch and drinks provided! Small supply fee, you will take home finished bracelets!

AND Ed has also offered an Open Chain Maille Workshop (free) for those of you who attended the April's class and will be attending the Oct. 9 class, on Nov. 20, to make a necklace or a second bracelet from the weaves learned in those classes.

AT this Nov. 20 open workshop, you can (1) finish any work not completed on the two projects from those class sessions, or (2) make a necklace or a second bracelet from either of the two weaves.

Or, You may select any chain design Ed has a sample of and make either a bracelet or necklace from those weaves.

This is a great opportunity to learn from Ed not only the many patterns he has
learned but also gather the important information of using the various gauges of wire, jumpring making techniques, and see his new instructional video on jumprings!
The class will be limited to only 7 participants!

Monday, August 23, 2010

Blowing Glass & Making Implossions!





Wow, what a great weekend we had with Toni Lutman. The weather was perfect, cool for August, only a tiny warm with 9 torches going. But DeAnn is used to 110 in Arizona, so she was in heaven I think! Everyone learned to make huge balls of molten glass, blow the ball thinly then crack it! Using many colors and silver glass made the most beautiful colors that shimmered in the light. These pieces of shimmer were then applied to shaped beads. Then Toni demonstrated her Implossions and various patterns of flowers and how to apply the implossions onto a bead. Alot of techniques were learned and students made 4-6 beads each, pretty good for a one day class! Thank you all for your enthusiam and thank you Toni for sharing your talent as a lampwork artist and your enthusiam for the love of glass bead making and your teaching techniques, I know everyone appreciated all the personal attention you gave as you continuous walked around helping everyone! Hope you return soon!
See the rest of the pics by clicking on the Smilebox play button below!

Toni's class this weekend! Blowing Shards & Making Implossions

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Saturday, August 14, 2010

August MGT - Demos










We welcomed new guests this past weekend! And Thanks to Jim for setting up his lapidary equipment and Ed for running his new award-winning DVD on Jump Rings, and showing his new chain maille designs! He has offered to have another chain maille class on Oct. 9, Saturday. Jelveh tried out our new Frit Blend, "Monterey" with blues, and purples and we will be making new blends, come by to check them out. Jelveh & I made a few more glass fused cabachons and used the lapidary equipment to shape them and polish them, much faster than fire-polishing! There were 4 winners for the gift drawing, Sharon, you have your Mini-costmetic gift here, Jennifer always selects Jelveh's gift bag of beads, Amber won the bath set, and Antonitte picked the gardening set!

All Kittens have new homes!









BooHoo, they are all leaving, successfully adopted, who can resist their beauty and innocence? Say goodbye Natalie & Frank (and my Silver never knew they were here). Time to clean up the guest room and get ready for Toni's Implosions next weekend!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010

Wedding Bells





























No, Frank & I are not getting married again, once was it! Natalie's wedding is soon here, we are busy preparing and getting nails done, but here is Carmen Martinez busy at my torch today setting a freeformed Australian opal pendant that Natalie selected, and earrings, opal also! (I was a little relieved she didn't pick the most expensive opal from their collection). And Ron, master carver that he is, presented me as a gift this smoky quartz pendant that he has been carving and polishing for several weeks, to wear as Mother-of-the-Bride jewelry! They are a very talented and generous couple, and their creations will be treasured forever in this family!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Toni' class is now closed!

We are happy and sorry, Happy that Toni is coming to our Studio but sorry to say the class is now full as of this morning! But I'm sure Toni, (if she likes us), will be back for another 1 day class, let me know so I can add you to our wait list!

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Ron's New Etsy Site

Here is our friends' new Etsy store (ok Carmen, list more items, we know you have a treasure chest) www.visionsbyCRAM.etsy.com

Inside-Out Aquariums & Frogs & Lizards- Corina's class


















































Wow, it was warm with 90 deg weather and 10 torches going this past week when Corina came to teach again! But the Participants stuck it out and learned how to make all the elements of an aquarium bead and many little green critters!