Reticulation in Silver - Earring class Sept 19, 2015

Join us for a one day workshop working with silver and make a pair of earrings that involves:  reticulation, silver soldering, metal sawing, drilling, rivoting, sanding and polishing.  Carmen Martinez will share with us techniques that are applicable to other projects and metals.  Basic soldering skills needed, however, the majority of the time will be spent on the other techniques.  email me at Grace@GracefulCustoms.com;
Fee is $135 plus $25.00 material fee.  Overnight accommodations available. 

silver-solder and metal workshop Sunday, May 25, 2014

Open house, 3 to 6:00 pm, come see demos in silver-soldering and metal working. Gem carving also happening today!  grace@gracefulcustoms.com

Silver-smith/metal working Techniques-June/July at Graceful Customs Studio

Wow, look at the talent of our new instructor coming to our Studio!  Joy Raskin is an accomplished metal worker who loves different types of media to work with!  Look at her talent!  She will be here to share some of that talent with us, starting with low-tech techniques and moving on to silver-soldering, cold connections, hinges, clasps, tube setting, & box-making!  Check our calendar for specific dates and class descriptions, starting June 27 through July 4, 2012!  You can see her work and bio at www.joyraskin.com E-mail me if you are interested, all classes are one-day classes, 15% discount if you sign up for 2 or more class!  Class size is limited.  Classes range from $80 to $125.

Chain Maille Class March 3, 2012

The March 3rd chain maille is now full, please let me know if you would like to be notified of the next class when scheduled: grace@gracefulcustoms.com

2011 Christmas Boutique

Visit us during our Christmas Boutique on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, 1:00 pm to 6:00 p.m., lampworking glass bead making demonstrations, open torch time (make a bead yourself), finished jewelry, soaps, quilts, lapidary stones, and other handmade crafts by various artists available for sale! Hourly raffle of gifts. Snacks and drinks served! 10730 Center Ave., Gilroy, CA 95020, grace@gracefulcustoms.com

CHAIN MAILLE CLASS Sat., July 16, 2011!

Ed & Eileen Ferner will spend the day with us making chain maille jewelry. This workshop is open to all skill levels as there will be over thirty different projects to select from to match your skill level. Bracelets are a good one day project, but more advanced chain maillers may want to create a beautiful necklace. Various metal wire will be available to purchase for your project (gold filled, sterling silver, silver filled, colored copper and some aluminum) but if you have your own wire you may use that.

If you have an optivisor or something like it please bring it along as it will make jump ring assembly much easier to accomplish. All other required tools will be provided.
Cost of class is $10.00, bring your own lunch! e-mail grace@gracefulcustoms.com for sign-up!

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!

April's Get-Together & Chain Maille-ing

April has begun with a flurry of rumbles in our humble Studio! It must be the earthquate weather! We got together Friday and welcomed new guests as well as our faithful supporters (and Jaime drove 4 hours to get here)! Visitors joined us from the Carmel Gem & Mineral Society (we are members of the Santa Clara Valley chapter)! Our friend April brought her new necklace designs and silver rings, and Ed, our new instructor, demonstrated chain maille designs.

Our first chain maille class on Saturday covered 2 designs, (I am still trying to figure out the Snake) but everyone else picked it up quickly. We learned how to measure and cut our own silver jump rings on Ed's equipment, he had several cutters on hand, then we polished our silver bracelets on his vibrator that cleans silver with stainless steel shot. Thank you Ed for being so generous with your time and your knowledge of working with silver. Your handouts were very much appreciated also! Congratulations to Jim & Marily for winning the drawing, you won both gifts!

Rain nor Sleet Stopped THIS Get-together!

We were hoping for no-rain, but alas, it rained on our parade, (no sleet) but once everyone arrived, (Welcome newcomers came from Watsonville and Half-Moon Bay and Philadelphia!) we were comfy, warm, and had plenty of food to nibble on. April brought her already-made jewelry and loose faceted gems and necklaces to sell (I restrained myself from buying one more ring), Jelveh demo-ed beads and one vessel, (Frank now has to cut some more tubing as Misty wants to try blowing glass at home real soon); one brave newie got on the torch with Jelveh's help, and I demo-ed an idea I had, making silver links. I wanted to show how simple links can be made using a hand torch and silver wire, and it takes less tools then lampworking (oops I forgot to show how to simple it is to make a headpin with the torch)! We thoroughly enjoyed seeing new designs, sharing ideas, and meeting new friends! Thank you all for braving the elements and we hope to see you again next month! Frank, Jelveh & Grace

Feb. Monthly Open House, "Green" theme

This Friday, Feb. 12, 2010, 2:00 pm to 7:00 p.m. will be our monthly get-together at GracefulCustoms Studio. Come see our newly remodeled area! We have been busy improving the seating and lighting areas and adding a splash of color, hope you like the cheerful yellow paint! Jelveh will be demoing her latest designs in lampwork glass beads. Open torch time! I will be happy to show anyone the Viking weave to make a silver bracelet! We've added more glass rods to our inventory and some very "happy" colors in anticipation of Spring and our "Floral" class later this month with Corina Tettinger! Refreshments served, bring any jewelry/bead related to "green" and a drawing will be held for $25.00 worth of glass or tools. Congratulations Garnet for being last month's winner!

First "Get-Together" Friday, Jan. 8, 2010 2-6:00 pm

This is will be our first monthly get together, "show, tell & sell." The goal is to bring together a group of artists that share similar interests & addictions, making beads and jewelry, for instance. Have a few fun hours of sharing and learning from each other! Open torch time! Please bring a "heart" related bead or art or jewelry to share for this month's meeting. Refreshments will be served. Names of participants will be entered for a drawing of $25.00 towards glass, studio jewelry, or tools at 6:00 p.m. And bring suggestions for naming our monthly get-togethers! contact me at grace@gracefulcustoms.com, or 408 848-5598