There was a time when we drank from tea cups on special occasions or if visiting a tea room with friends. I have collected a few cups in my cupboard and occasionally use one to make myself a hot tea. Many more teacups are destined for the reuse centers or trash. They make interesting mosaic pieces. I have seen saucers and half cups stucco’d into walls with plaster.
For me, I adore the patterns that I find and think a few could make delicate, pretty charms. In this workshop, we are going to bring our pieces, whether sentimental or just fun, to make one of a kind charm bracelets. Everyone will learn basic soldering techniques onto porcelain, with no-lead solder. We will learn placement, foiling, corner creasing, soldering, and jump ring placement. We will learn how to use a special jig to allow soldering of more than one charm at a time. All the soldering tools will be available to share.
Everyone will complete a charm bracelet to include 8-10 porcelain pieces, some stained glass pieces, and varied buttons.
*For this workshop, we ask that you wear your hair back and wear long pants.
Materials Fee $45 paid at beginning of class includes:
use of a glass grinder, snips, soldering set ups and solder, bracelet chains, jump rings, stained glass assortment and buttons to solder.
Supplies Needed to bring for Class:
1. beads or pearls so we can make a few dangles.
2. Broken porcelain pieces the size of the charms you would like. You can file sharp edges or we can do in class. Wear eye protection when breaking porcelain
3. buttons.
4. cloth tape measure to use for determining wrist size.
5. dirty or beat up small pliers to use during the actual solder process. You will need it to manipulate your pieces during the process. Flux will ruin the metal of new pliers.
6. Old toothbrush.
7. rubbing alcohol, found at Walmart or drug store.
8. Sharpie Brand marker, any size tip, and a pencil
9. Small paper cutting scissors.
10. solder fume mask, found online or at a hardware store, if you have lung conditions, or are sensitive to scents or smells. I will bring the 3M Particulate Respirator 8577 and will sell them at 5.00 a piece. (The decision to where a mask while soldering is up to you.) There will be a couple table top carbon fume extractor fans for the room for circulation.
11. Two nice jewelry pliers and one round nose pliers, to open and close jump rings for attaching charms to the bracelet and making dangles
*Please do not bring other glass or charm memorabilia to foil, so that the workshop can proceed with time allotted. Your creativity comes with the porcelain pieces you choose to bring.