They-Won't-Believe-You-Made-It Ring

I just have to make a plug for this class, offered this year at the Bead & Button Show in Milwaukee.

This ring is a real stunner, an 18k gold tube setting with a sparkly 3mm stone on a wide hammered sterling silver band. And it is so much easier to make (with my help, of course) than you would ever dream! It has two solder seams in it, and I will guide you through them, personally, one at a time. That's why the class is very limited in size.

Most of the students who have made this one with me wear their rings every day.

And if there is a special color of stone you want, I'll try to accommodate you. I already have a couple dozen tourmalines in shades of green, blue, pink and orange; some yellow sapphires; amethysts, and others. You choose!

And if you are planning to attend one of the other beading/wire/jewelry events I will be teaching at, and you wish YOU could make this fabulous ring, let the management know-- maybe we can get it arranged for next year!

Can't get to a class you want?

If you just can't get to a class you had your eye on, I offer kits for some of them. These include detailed, step-by-step instructions just like the articles I write for Art Jewelry Magazine, complete with close-up color photos, and all the materials you need, including copper practice wire and specialized tools. General tools such as hammers, ring mandrels and pliers are not included.

The kits available at this time are Etruscan Style Ring & Chain, $68; Sinuous Silver Bracelet (aka Flowing Hammered Wire Bracelet)$87; Knit Wire Bangle (aka Bead-filled Bangle, but the kit does NOT contain beads),$87; and Lively Loopy Ring,$50. This last one requires soldering; instructions give all the details, but it is always easiest to learn soldering directly from a human being.

Contact me at Noelyovo-aj@yahoo.com for more details.

Welcome, 2008 students

Greetings to anyone accessing this blog, and especially to my bead event students. Please feel free to email me with any concerns or questions-- noelyovo-aj@yahoo.com. Please be aware that I am teaching at 6 different events this year, so be sure to tell me where you will be taking my classes.

Once again this year, I am offering to take orders for my favorite hammer. You will need a hammer with a rounded, polished face for the Lively Loopy Ring, Sinuous Silver Bracelet and They-Won't-Believe-You-Made-It Ring. It does not have to be this one! I just like this one, and students find it convenient to have me bring a box of hammers to class for them. The details and a picture can be found by scrolling down to last year's entries. The difference is, not surprisingly, prices have gone up. I can bring you a hammer for $35. I also have some simple bench pins for $8, for those of you taking Magic Metal Menagerie.

If you are taking either Magic Metal Menagerie or the Charm of Color, it would be great if you can bring a handheld butane torch and a soldering surface or firebrick, and/or a Dremel tool with a 3/32" collet. Other collets may also be useful. A jeweler's saw and 2/0 or 3/0 blades will also come in handy. I will have tools there for you to use, but there will be much less waiting and resultant frustration if you can bring your own.

At events other than Bead & Button, an extension cord is a good idea. A task lamp can be a big help as well.

I hate to admit it, but there may be other needed tools I forgot to put on the official lists, so try to check back here for additional information as class draws nearer.