Classes: Cabochon Pendant

 

Class 4: Stone Cabochon Pendant

In this fun three-hour class students will create a pendant using a freeform shaped stone cabochon of their choice. You may bring your own stone or purchase one from the great selection available at Nickaleena. I will help you design a unique setting for your pendant. Using either sterling silver or copper sheet metal, we will texture the background using stamps and hammers, as shown, or your own pattern. Techniques learned will be: Cutting with the jewelers saw, stamping, soldering, filing, sanding, drilling, measuring and making the silver bezel, setting the cabochon inside the bezel, making a bail, antique patina, and polishing. Some tools will be available in class. Students will be required to bring a butane torch (which can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot), butane, basic jewelry tools, metal ruler, chasing hammer and bench block. Some of these items can be purchased at the store if needed. Space is limited. Class fee must be paid to reserve a spot. It is an easy technique you can use to make many fine pieces of jewelry. Sign up today!

Register at Nickaleena or call Nicki Lundeen at the shop for more information: (423) 899-2868

Location: 

6134 Airways Blvd
Chattanooga, TN 37421

Class Dates: Choose one date, the class is one three-hour session.
Tue, Mar/22/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm
Wed, Mar/23/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm
Wed, April/13/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm
Thur, April/14/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm

Classes: "Sweetheart" Garnet Earrings

Class 3: "Sweetheart" Sterling Silver and Garnet Earrings
In this informative three-hour class students will create a pair of earrings from sterling silver sheet metal, wire, and garnets (other stone colors may be used by availability and slight price change). You will texture the silver using stamps and hammers, as shown, or your own pattern. Techniques learned will be: stamping, soldering, filing, sanding, drilling, selecting and wiring briolettes, setting small cabochons, making attached earwires, antique patina, and polishing. All materials included in fee and some tools will be available in class. Students will be required to bring a butane torch (which can be purchased at Lowes or Home Depot), butane, basic jewelry tools, metal ruler, chasing hammer and bench block. Some of these items can be purchased at the store if needed. Space is VERY limited so act fast if you want to attend. Class fee must be paid in advance to reserve a spot. Tons of great information to learn in this class!

Register at Nickaleena or call Nicki Lundeen at the shop: (423) 899-2868

Location: 

6134 Airways Blvd
Chattanooga, TN 37421

Class Dates: Choose one date, the class is one three-hour session.
Wed, Mar/16/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm
Thurs, Mar/17/11 - 6:00-9:00 pm

Painted Antique Light Fixtures

Usually, I shut down my metal studio in January to prepare for the upcoming season. This year however, I decided to upgrade the workspace. Which led to upgrading the living space, by replastering my walls. This took much longer than I had anticipated, but well worth the efforts as my home no longer looks like the Alamo. Along the way I found a few extra projects for myself. This is one of them. These original light sconces live in the foyer outside the kitchen. I also painted the canopy for the new ceiling light fixture to match since it came with a spray-paint job anyway.

Original Sconce

Crustyness / 100 year old wiring

Clean well. Paint black. I used acrylic Homefront Decorator color I bought at Ace Hardware.

Tip: Use Satin or Flat black as an undercoat when dry-brushing. See how it

dries Matte (sconce on the left)? You want that. Picks up the paint better than glossy.

Dry-brush acrylic red over black lightly. Two times. Leave black showing in recesses and blotchy on flat areas. You can use any color combinations. I like these red, really modernizes them. But I want to take them back to metallic.

Very sparingly brush metallic gold over highlights and swiftly over flat areas. Accentuate dings. Leave details of black and red. One coat is fine, it is easy to over-do it. Then it looks over done. So stop while you are ahead. I consider this a bronze finish with a red twist.

Detail

Clear-coat with Satin finish. I found these pretty capiz-shell shades at Shades of Light

Canopy installed.