Stepping into the Story

with Nina Bagley

I can’t pack up my entire studio and bring it with me, but what I will do is bring most of the storytelling and cold connection techniques I’ve been using in my jewelry designs for twenty + years and share them with you for a full three days. Plan to bring some of the small, precious trinkets and findings you’ve gathered in your travels and day to day living with you to class, and we’ll explore different means to incorporate these talismans and treasures into meaningful and vocal connections in artwork that you’ll now be able to both wear and hang on the wall, rather than tucking away into a dusty corner or drawer, forgotten for years at a time. Afraid to drill into that little porcelain antique doll arm? Don’t know how to wrap some antique lace into a bead? Have an old locket of your grandmother’s, but don’t quite know how to initiate a story with it, after you’ve braved the decision to work with the piece? Want to make something natural like a bird’s nest out of wire and pearls? We’ll explore how to deal with these dilemmas, with grace and without fear.

A large part of the workshop will be learning how to trigger ideas by combining imagery with simple words to construct a work of art that is both emotional and evocative, at once. The first morning we will focus on resin work, where we will design small charms of imagery and words that will serve as thought "links" for our jewelry. After the resin has cured overnight, we will incorporate those pieces into the work that we’ve already begun, which will also include word hammering, wire wrapping, bead drawing from wire with torches, the "Nina knot", wire hook and clasp formation, ribbon clasp formation, a bird nest technique I learned from students and friends Beth Bricker and Shirley McCutcheon (thanks, guys!), my fabric wrapped "cocoon" beads, bead stringing/crimping/wrapping, earring wiring, and drilling into porcelain, glass, and stone. A very full three days, indeed!

There is no set "project" here – we will all make unique, beautiful pieces of jewelry that are of our own design and interpretation, whether you decide to make bracelets, necklaces, and/or earrings. And, we will all learn from one another as well! So, come. Step into the story with me, and see where it unfolds.

An Artful Journey has teamed up with an online vendor to make your artful shopping easier--order supplies at a generous discount AND have them waiting for you at the retreat, for no additional charge! Please visit http://store.scraplovers.com/artfuljourney.html for more information.

Supply List:

Click here to download a printable supply list

Bent needle-nosed pliers*, round needle-nosed pliers*, and wire snips* (smaller version for craft work
One 30 ft. roll of 19 strand “original bright” Beadalon stringing wire*
One package crimping beads*
Small hammer
Cutting pad to prevent marring table surface and to absorb hammering
Assorted junk chain; mismatched odd lengths are fine!
20 gauge wire; copper will be cheaper to experiment with. Volcano Arts sells this but it has a copper coating; Rio Grande sells a l# spool. I prefer round, dead soft sterling silver, and I purchase it from www.riogrande.com. Another source, without a minimum requirement, is www.firemountaingems.com. The amount is up to you, depending on how much $ you want to invest. Perhaps 10 feet would be a good place to start, but you might want more so you won’t feel limited.
22 gauge round, dead soft sterling wire, also from www.firemountaingems.com. Bring at least 10 feet.
26 gauge round, dead soft sterling wire, at least ten feet.
Metal ruler, utility knife (exacto), scissors, PVA* or matte medium for gluing
Paper ephemera, think small (for resin) – images, words
One or two pages of old book text (dictionary, etc)
vintage trinkets (beads, charms, findings such as small porcelain dolls, lockets, pins, keys, etc)
tiny rhinestones, if you have them

Optional

Dremel. I’ll bring mine, and I’ll provide use of diamond drill bits (stone and glass drilling); that being said, it would be beneficial for you to order your own, as they do break in class, and you won’t have to wait your turn. I order the 2mm twisted ones from www.riogrande.com. I fully advise getting yourself a universal chuck for your Dremel, so that you don’t have to change collets all the time for your different drill bits. These are available for about $7 at Lowe’s or Home Depot.
Fisker’s hand drill (can be found at Michael’s in the sewing section), as well as 2 small clamps (“quick grip” brand micro bar clamp, by American tool. Available at Home Depot or Lowe’s. I’ll bring mine as well, so not to worry)
Small benchblock*
Bead crimping pliers*
Vintage ribbon, no wider than 1” (enough to make into necklace length and to wrap beads)
Small butane torch* and fuel (if flying, the torch must be empty). I’ll have a couple of these as well.

*items marked with an asterisk can be easily ordered from volcanoarts.biz, via paypal. Cristine Cox is a wonderful gal, and will ship out everything to you priority mail. I get no kickbacks—I just happen to believe in her fine business, and like helping her out.

A $7.00 kit fee will include use of diamond drill bits, resin, my tools, and some vintage 20mm square brass bezels for the resin (payable directly to instructor on day of class)