Portland Art and Soul Workshops
Registration is now open

Robert Dancik
9-4:30
Friday

1238 - A Bead Like No Other

[back to quicklinks]
$ 135 Plus $20 materials fee  

In this fast paced, low tech workshop, you will explore making hollow form beads that are at once extremely durable, easy to make and utterly unique. Using materials as common as Plexiglas, as new as Faux Bone™ and as unexpected as bicycle reflectors and lighting lenses, you will learn how to form beads of varying sizes and shapes. After they are formed, you will learn how to include other materials such as epoxy resins, polymer clay, rock-like paper pulp, and PMC as part of the bead. You will also learn how to cut “windows” into the beads to reveal words, images or anything else you may want to place behind the window or inside the bead. The surfaces of the beads can be cut, carved, and textured--or they can be sanded to a smooth matte, or polished to a high shine. The making and use of shop-made dapping dies for forming the beads will also be covered. This is not a traditional beading class but rather an opportunity to make one of a kind artists beads that are just as useable in book arts, fiber arts, clothing and sculpture as they are in jewelry.

Supply List:
- -1 sheet each of 220, 320 400 and 600 silicon carbide (Wet or Dry) sandpaper
- - Jeweler’s saw
- - Bench pins or similar for sawing
- - Xacto or similar knife
- - files (medium and fine) about 6” – not needle files (wood files from a hardware store are fine)
- - paper and writing tools for drawing and notes
- - wire, jewelry findings, found objects, and any doo-dads you may want to include in your work.

Optional items:
--Dapping die (wood or metal) or any sort of concave form that is even, round, smooth, and rigid such as legs panty hose “egg” containers, ice cream scoops, inside of rubber balls, items with flat bottoms won’t work
--standard jeweler’s saw blades – #1 or #2 (2/0 can be useful for smaller work in the thinner material) 
-- images to collage inside of beads
--eyelets
--Drill bits of varying sizes
--Prismacolor pencils
--Embossing heat gun or similar
--Electric etcher (available at Sears and most hardware/home stores about $15)
--2-part clear epoxy resin (for widows in beads or inlays if desired)

Instructor will provide: saw blades for Plexiglas, solvent/glue for beads, some specialty files, some micro fasteners, lots of enthusiasm

Materials fee includes:  Plexiglas for at least 10-20 beads (to make in class and at home), special blades for Plexiglas, bag of micro fastener/cold connections