J102 Cold Connections - Now with FREE pdf tutorial!

For the second project ('But Rachel', you ask, 'where's project 1?' Fear not, gentle readers...post coming soon - posted here!) in J102 students will learn various cold connections (more info below) to create an amulet bracelet.

I have several examples of bracelets made with cold connections but my favorite one is the one I just completed - my 'Lucky Penny' bracelet. I was thinking of old penny loafers with the slot and the 'find a penny, pick it up' rhyme.

I'm hoping that by wearing it I will attract all sorts of good luck. I'll post the J102 students' pieces when we finish them.

Cold connections include such things as wire rivets, flush rivets, tube rivets and more. You can find the J102 Cold Connections Exercise document I created* for free HERE. You're welcome ;)

*Why, yes, all of those little black and white icons were painstakingly created from scratch in Photoshop (over many many many hours). I am happy to have you share this tutorial or use it in your classroom but please give me credit for its creation. Thank you.

Steampunk-ish at the Des Moines Art Center

This evening concluded a short but intense bracelet workshop I was teaching at the Des Moines Art Center. Luckily we had a very small class and even though everyone was a beginner with no previous metalsmithing experience they were able to learn quickly, be adaptable, hustle and almost finish in the allotted time ;)

Students learned how to add textures to several kinds of metal using stamps, hammers and the rolling mill. They also learned how to use cold connections to finish their neo-rustic steampunk style bracelet.

This basis for this project was found in the Dec. 2007 edition of the Lapidary Journal/Jewelry Artist magazine and is the property of Helen Driggs. A tutorial on how to make the bracelet can be found here.

Here are a few of the finished bracelets. It's interesting to see how one own's aesthetic taste and method of working changes the final piece despite everyone beginning with the same materials and instruction. I think they did a great job and look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

J101 Fall 2010 edition

And so ends another session of J101. Our happy little group was 4 members strong and what a group. We had every experience level from total novice on up and everyone was very enthusiastic. It was a great time and they did some fantastic work. See their finished projects below....

You can see more students' previous pieces here.

AutumnsAnticsStore ♥s fuzzishü

Big thanks to AutumnsAnticsStore on Etsy for including the 9 element a go go necklace in her rainbow treasure. Check out some of the other great work featured here. Mmmm taste the rainbow!

Boathouse Bracelet

One of the benefits of being in a warehouse full of studios is being surrounded by other creative individuals. Rebecca Eckstrand created the amazing mosaic seen above for the University of Iowa boathouse. She is also one of my fellow Fitch Studio artists and asked me to help create a bracelet to commemorate the experience using one of the glass tiles from the mosaic.

The original design for the piece is Becky's and 3D interpretation/format is mine. We both were pleased with the outcome and I look forward to future collaborations with my fellow artists.

JewelrybyTamar ♥s fuzzishü

Check out this fantastic treasury on etsy by JewelrybyTamar. Tamar thanks all of us for being beautiful and I thank Tamar for seeing the beauty in the simple geometric design of the squaring.

C is for Charms...

New to the Iowa State Fair for 2010! You've made a ring, now create your own sterling silver charm or pendant to match.


They make excellent gifts for new mothers, teens, grandmothers, mothers and more. You'll start with a small silver blank and learn how to file, stamp, solder and finish these small pieces of jewelry all in about half an hour. Hope you'll join us!

J101 Final Project

This session of Jewelry 101 ends with both pleasure and sadness. We had a fantastic, creative hardworking group of students that made some stunning pieces of jewelry. I look foward to seeing them all again (I hope!) in J102 this Fall.

Here are some photos of their final project, a wire bracelet. You may notice I was a bit more...hmmm...flexible with the parameters of the 'wire' part of the bracelet this go around.


Teri blended her handmade glass beads and funky floral aesthetics in this fun summer-y bracelet. The back is just as decorative as the front and a textured leaf clasp completes the piece.


Amber's final piece incorporated dark lusterous pearls paired with natural patina'd and dapped copper. Her bracelet is finished off with a retro looking clasp.

[kristin's bracelet goes here]

I forgot to get a picture of Kristin's piece but will make sure to get one soon.

Hannah just returned from her European Jaunt and is working hard to catch up! Bracelet photo to be added soon.

Profession Rings

My current J101 class did a fantastic job on their second project - soldered rings. Some of the designs morphed and changed as we worked on them but I think everyone was pretty happy with the final results. They had a chance to show them off at ArtFest Midwest while assisting me last weekend. I think they impressed many prospective students. :D

Teri chose to commemorate the textile industry by weaving silver strands to decorate her ring

Amber created a fun and funky retro vibe ring based on the idea of skee-ball

And Kristin's ring is an abstract representation of a fountain in a zen garden

All in all, great rings that anyone would be proud to wear. I am really looking forward to our final wire bracelet assignment and seeing what these creative chickies come up with.

dm art center teen class

This summer I taught a beginning metalsmithing techniques at the Des Moines Art Center to a class full of 13 to 17 year olds. For a week they sawed, filed, riveted and finished reversible pendants as well as a stamped ring. Lots of work but well worth the effort!