Friday 26th August 2005

Jewellery Wire Working for Beginners

Tutor : Kate Drew-Wilkinson (USA) web

This beginner's class covers learning to use wire working tools, understanding different gauges of wire and why they're used, studying different findings available on the market and how to make them work in jewellery making, relative to the size and weight of different beads. Students will learn to make simple earrings and bar pins, and to combine beads with chain to make professional level jewellery. The class is extremely interactive and Kate willingly shares her suppliers and contacts with her pupils.

You will be provided with four small jewellery tools to use in the class. These tools will be available for you to buy afterwards if you so wish.

There will be a special cloth provided so that the beads stay close and don’t roll away!

You will use practice wire at first, probably copper, and then you will move on to use silver wire. You will work with glass beads, all the same colour, Cobalt blue, so that you do not have to agonize over choices as you learn to twist the wire into earrings, pins, bracelets and necklaces.

The work will be classical and simple. I have learned that pieces made this way are the most wearable and, if you wish, easy to sell. You will be able to use the same techniques to design jewellery with your own lamp work beads,
but you will not be using your beads in my class & simply the cobalt glass bead kits provided.

Each of you will find Kates’ small book on wire working waiting at your work
station. These will be available for you to buy afterwards if you like.