Sherry Fotopoulos workshop

I spent the day yesterday in Oakland taking a workshop from Sherry Fotopoulos on making and using tiny screws in metal clay jewelry. Sherry came all the way from Texas to teach a number of workshops here. I enjoyed her teaching style so much that I signed up for a hinged box class tomorrow, which I wasn't originally planning on taking. My favorite part about these workshops is not so much the particular technique that is being taught, but all the little tips and tricks the very talented instructors so generously share.


I should have taken a photo before this was assembled with red locktite! This ring is made up of 4 separate components, there is a threaded sterling screw which goes through all 4 pieces (also my first metal clay ring!) Getting the threads in the screw started was a challenge (to say the least) but when I had Kelly take a look at it he felt the die was too small for the wire being threaded, so I tried the next size up and it was much easier. The advantage to this type of connection is that you can make a piece with changeable components or pieces with hard to finish areas could be made, finished and then get assembled. All in all an interesting new way of joining pieces.




How cute is my new tiny set of taps and dies?