3-Hour Taster: Cuttle Fish Casting

3-Hour Tasters are a great way to explore a new art form without the deeper commitment of a full course. After a basic introduction to working with molten metals like copper, utilize the unique texture of a cuttle fish bone to cast a small metal pendant or keychain to take home. Take a Taster and meet new friends or give the gift of creativity to someone special.

3-Hour Taster: Jewelry

3-Hour Tasters are a great way to explore a new art form without the deeper commitment of a full course. After a basic introduction to annealing, texturing, stamping, filing, sanding, polishing, and design, create a small metal pendant or keychain to take home. Take a Taster and meet new friends or give the gift of creativity to someone special.

Advanced Sculpting in Metal Clay

Using silver metal clay, design and create sculptural art that has a strong narrative, focusing on pieces that provoke memory, emotion, or tell a story. Starting with a sketch or concept, students will break down the design into its essential components then build, refine, and embellish your designs. The pieces will be fired and finished, allowing students to leave with their new works of narrative jewelry.
PREREQUISITE: previous metal clay experience

Casting Organics and Found Objects

In this exciting course, you will expand your jewelry knowledge by making castings of unique items from organics, plastics, or styrofoam forms. Students will do two casting burnouts, pour molten metal, and file, polish and finish one-of-a-kind creations.

PREREQUISITE: Casting Wax to Silver

Casting Wax to Silver

Learn the ancient process of lost wax casting sculptural jewelry. Experimenting with different types of wax, you will carve, cast, and finish at least one small fetish, pendant, or ring in silver. Students are encouraged to bring in personal sketches and ideas. Bronze is also available.

Charm Bracelet: Copper and Silver Metal Clay

Chasing and Repousse

Learn two ancient metalworking techniques for creating dimension and endless detail, by hammering sheet metal into three-dimensional reliefs. Working with two-inch squares of copper and using simple motifs of your choice, you will learn to isolate and control the unique properties of sheet metal to form a realistic relief in your original piece. With chasing and repousse you can bring images to life that will accent your sculpture, clothing, furniture, or jewelry with fine detail, texture, and depth.

PREREQUISITE: Jewelry & Metals I

Decorative Copper Cuff

Using a six-inch by two-inch piece of copper, you will learn to anneal, hammer texture, stamp, and roll out texture. After the desired texture is achieved, you will use the Bonny Doon Press to form the shape of your cuff, then finish by adding more texture, polishing, or blackening.

Elegant Stacking Rings

Learn basic soldering and metalworking techniques to make a set of stackable rings from sterling silver, copper, brass, and gold fill. You will leave with several simple rings for yourself or to give as gifts.

Enameled Accessories

Learns basic metalsmithing techniques, including annealing, hammering texture, stamping, and using shears and disc cutters to create unique pins, ornaments, or keychains in copper. Then practice your enamel skills with counter enamel, using stencils, and sgraffito techniques to decorate your work.

Exploration in Chainmaking

This class covers the classical skills needed to make woven and Etruscan chains. You will learn to manipulate wire through the selected use of hand tools, making jump rings, splicing wires together, and fusing jump rings shut. Your finished one-of-a-kind silver chain can accommodate an original pendant or be worn alone.

Family Baubles and Bling

Join The Crucible for a morning of family fun while learning about jewelry making! In family groups, you will learn to make customized and engraved pendants by creating a collage pattern encased with plexiglass and copper. Then work together to create decorative polymer clay baubles that may be used as ornaments, window hangings, or accessories. This workshop is specially designed for children ages 5-7 years old with accompanying adult(s).

Jewelry and Metals I

Learn the basics of jewelry making. We will focus on sawing, filing, sanding, soldering, texturing, annealing, stamping, polishing, and design. Students will learn the properties of metals like copper, brass, and silver and make a sterling silver ring.

Jewelry and Metals II

Further develop your basic metalsmithing skills. We will teach disk cutting and doming, bezel setting, three types of rivets, and further design techniques. In addition to technical reference samples, you will create an original piece of jewelry of your own design using a cabochon stone.

PREREQUISITE: Jewelry & Metals I

Jewelry Lab

Taking a lab is a great way to practice and perfect the skills you learn in class. In labs, you can work on class assignments or your own projects. Lab time is supervised, but does not include instruction or materials.
PREREQUISITE: Students must be enrolled currently or have taken Jewelry and Metals I, Casting Wax to Silver, or a continuing level Jewelry class and have a Crucible membership to register.

Metal Clay Forms From Nature

Create beautiful fine silver jewelry such as pendants, earrings, or charms from real leaves using metal art clay and paste! Learn how to properly apply metal art clay to organic materials, as well as various finishing, filling, patina, and burnishing techniques that help bring outshine or dimension in your organic created jewelry.

Metal Clay IV: Hollow Forms

In this course, students expand on their skills with copper and silver metal clay by constructing hollow forms! Students experiment with advanced techniques, including using organic forms which burn out during kiln firing, removable armatures, and dry form connection. Using copper metal clay, students form and assemble one large focal bead and a handful of smaller accent beads, then create a pendant and a pair of filigree earrings with silver metal clay.
PREREQUISITE: metal clay experience

Metal Clay Pendants and Earrings

Create pendants, earrings, and wearable sculptures from copper and silver metal clay, practicing and perfecting a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire each piece, then finish and polish your beautiful fine metal creations to be the envy of all!

Metal Clay Rings

Create and design multiple rings from copper and silver metal clay, practicing a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire each piece, then finish and polish your newly fashioned fine metal rings!

Metal Clay Skulls

Using silver metal clay, create fine metal skulls using a variety of rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire your designs, then polish your ornate pieces in time for Halloween! This class is designed for all, with more complex techniques covered for advanced artists.

Raising and Forming

Learn the basics of forming flat sheet metal into a bowl using a hammer and stakes. This class will cover angle raising, planishing, and fold forming. Students will make a copper bowl and a fold-formed project of their choice.

Silver Soldering

Learn the basics of soldering with silver! We will cover different types of joints, solder, and flux, as well as how to overcome challenges when working with rings, jump rings, posts, bezels, and more. You are welcome to bring your own small projects and you will leave the class with multiple samples.

Stone Setting

Develop your stone setting skills by learning techniques for stones of all shapes and sizes! You will learn the prong, tube, and flush settings using sterling silver. Stones are supplied, but students are also welcome to bring their own.

PREREQUISITE: Jewelry & Metals I

Texture Techniques for Metal Clay Artists

This class is for Metal Clay artists interested in creating original textures which will be used for surface enhancement of your projects. During the first day of the workshop you will create a variety of textures with Cuttlebone, polymer clay (tear away technique), soft block carving and discuss the photopolymer process. The second day of the workshop you will discuss the best methods for using the textures you created as you create two to three pieces of jewelry.

Woven Wire Jewelry

Spend a weekend weaving wire into beautiful works of wearable art. When properly softened, wire can be used to emulate thread and then woven into jewelry, basketry, woven tapestries, clothing, and more! You will learn to manipulate copper and brass wire—changing the size, shape, and hardness to fit your needs. Then using basic weaving patterns, you will create a bracelet, pendant, or ring of your own design.

Youth Casting Wax to Silver (ages 12-18)

Learn the lost wax casting process, an age-old sculptural jewelry-casting process that involves creating a model out of wax, encasing that model in plaster, then casting the form in metal. You will experiment with different types of wax to create at least one pendant or ring in silver or bronze, relying on techniques and tools that date back to ancient times. Bring your sketches and ideas for jewelry.

Youth Chibi: Miniature Figurines (ages 8-11)

Learn the basics of preparing, shaping, sculpting, cane making, and baking polymer clay. Use brightly colored clay to make small sculptures known as chibis, incorporating them into wearable objects. You will leave this class with small memorable objects and unique self-made accessories with pride!

Youth Exploration in Chainmaking

This class covers the classical skills needed to make several chains. You will learn to manipulate wire through the selected use of hand tools, making jump rings, splicing wires together, and fusing jump rings shut. Your finished one-of-a-kind silver chain can accommodate an original pendant or be worn alone.

Youth Jewelry and Metals I (ages 12-18)

Make a fashion statement! Using copper, silver, and other nonferrous metals, you will learn jewelry and metal art skills to create trendy jewelry of your own design. In this hands-on class, you will be taught filing, sanding, texturing, and polishing techniques used in creating metal jewelry. You will leave this class skilled in jewelry making, wearing a project of your own design!

Youth Jewelry and Metals II (ages 12-18)

Further develop your basic metalsmithing skills. We will teach disk cutting and doming, bezel setting, three types of rivets, and further design techniques. In addition to technical reference samples, you will create an original piece of jewelry of your own design using a cabochon stone.

PREREQUISITE: Youth Jewelry and Metals I

Youth Jewelry Immersion Program (ages 12-18)

Dive deep in this beginning and continuing level youth workshop. Students take an immersive step into weeklong study, becoming young artisans along the way. Using copper, silver, and other nonferrous metals, you will learn jewelry and metal art skills to create trendy metalwork of your own design. We will cover filing, sanding, texturing, and polishing techniques used in creating metal jewelry. You will also be exposed to setting a cabochon stone, disk cutting and dapping, and riveting.

Youth Kandi Cuffs and Perlers (ages 8-11)

Learn a variety of beading techniques to create unique and personal accessories. Students will use Pony Beads to create jewelry and accessories known as Kandi Cuffs/Mask/Charms, then personalize their work with their Perler creations or small objects brought in from home.

Youth Metal Clay (ages 12-18)

Explore the fun and flare of fine silver and copper metal clay! Create pendants, earrings, and wearable sculptures using rolling, texture, applique, and carving techniques. Kiln fire each piece, then finish and polish your new bling.

Youth Woven Wire Jewelry (ages 14-18)

Take a class in the merging of textiles and jewelry with our woven jewelry course! Learn the basics of weaving, braiding, and looping for bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and other wearable items.