Silver-smithing, soldering Class, Sun., April 25, 2015, Sat.

This is a beginning soldering class, no experience needed, a material fee will be determined, (usually about $20-$25 )  Class fee is $125.00.  You will learn from Carmen Martinez, the basics of soldering different types of metals.  You will make and take home a silver bezeled stone of your choice from our collection or your own.  You will learn to use an oxygen and propane torch and hand-held torches.  grace@gracefulcutoms.com for more info! See our blog for pics! www.Gracefulstudios.blogspot.com, e-mail Carmen for more details: cram67@yahoo.com, www.visionsbyron.com is the website (her husband Ron is a gem carver and will also be here working on his stones, he loves to share his work!

Silversmithing Class this weekend!

Here are some of the projects completed! Thanks to Carmen, she managed to teach a basic silver-soldering class in one day with finished projets, silver rings and pendants with natural stones. The participants practiced on copper circles, then moved on to silver, making the bezel and soldering it to the flat silver sheet. It helped that Frank precut the metals circles, but Carmen also demonstrated how to use the saw and other cutting tools, and most everyone had a chance to use the propane/oxygen torches!

Serious Chain-ing Class this weekend!

Thank you all for your enthusiasm this past weekend, and for braving the rain! I think everyone had a good time learning about chain patterns! We all learned about different types of available metals, making and cutting rings, and even a little bit about silver soldering. Thank you Ed, and Eileen, for providing such great information and sharing of your tools and equipment, expertise, and patience too! Some of those patterns are challenging! We hope to schedule another class again, so if anyone is interested in future classes, e-mail me at grace@gracefulcustoms.com!

Chain Maille Open Studio Class On March 26, 2011

Ed Ferner has graciously offered to be here for another chain maille class on Saturday, March 26, 2011, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm! He would like to have participants choose their own designs to work on, and samples will be available from his collections. The cost of this class is only $10.00 for the day and cost of materials which you will choose, either silver or copper wire, that Ed will have available.

The range for materials would probably range between $7 (for using copper) to $40 (for using .925 sterling silver). We will have a maximum of 7 participants, so first come first served! Please plan on bringing your own lunch, we will break for lunch for one hour in case you need to go out. grace@gracefulcustoms.com



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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!