Yesterday, I treated myself to a ‘fun’ class - jewelry-making. This has been on my new ‘to do’ list for years.
The class was small, only five attendees, which I prefer since I get better one-on-one instruction (a main reason for taking a class) in a more informal setting.
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| Concentration... |
The hands-on class was very basic and very novice; perfect for my initial journey; and, so much better than teaching myself from a book. The instructor, a post-grad student, introduced us to the exact amount of material for such a first-time class and was willing to share her knowledge in a manner that revealed her love of jewelry-making.
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| Even more concentration... |
The class was held in a defunct teen center, smack dab in the middle of a city neighborhood, in Staunton; city of Becky’s short -term residence. As we listened to the instructor, as we lined up beads, as we strung beads; we could hear the neighbor’s yelling profanities, a dog barking sporadically, and a few miscellaneous emergency vehicles whizzing by in full siren mode. I had forgotten, since the days of my youth, what community life was really like and how noisy it can be. I hear racket on the farm; currently it is crickets chirping and Glenn grinding and pounding metal as he repairs his old livestock trailer. I guess my noise would be irritating to city dwellers.
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| After the pounding and grinding; then, came the welding. |
The five of us women worked diligently and chatted minimally. We had a mission; to produce at least one piece of unique jewelry during our class time.
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| I needed to finish the bracelet at home with a spot of glue on the knot...now, I am afraid to cut the loose ends of the elastic string off for fear the knot will not hold. |
After three hours, I was able to walk away with enough knowledge to continue this craft on my own along with a finished necklace, finished bracelet, and the materials to make a simple pair of pierced earrings.
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| What do you think? Not bad for my first try....huh? |
Jewelry-making was a success.
P.S. This morning I checked the Internet for supplies. There are thousands and thousands of beads (size, shape, color) from which to choose besides the unending choices of string/wire, clasps, and findings (a jewelry term signifying miscellaneous supply needs). This undertaking will be more difficult than I initially thought.
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