Workshops + Classes at nanopod
The work created at nanopod speaks for itself. Check out some past Student's work HERE
Have a question relating to one of the workshops or courses?
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Over the phone, or at the studio.
Contact Tosca with any further questions concerning the classes or to register at nanotopia@me.com
Work with Metal + Glass!
Learn to hand fabricate & cast your own
jewelry, sculptures out of Sterling Silver, copper, brass, or gold!
Make a ring band, learn one of the oldest casting techniques,
set stones, Flamework & Fuse glass, and more...
4 week Metal + Glass (February's course has filled. 2 spaces available for March 2/2/12)
Form • Fabricate • Flamework • Fuse
Learn basic Goldsmithing + Flameworking techniques
6:30-9:30pm, 4 weeks, 2 evenings per week • Monday & Wednesday
Learn a new technique every evening
$260.00 per person, 5 people per course. $100 deposit to hold space.
evening #1: First evening: working with copper-safety, drilling, sawing,
fold-forming.
evening #2: Making a band ring out of silver (stamp, hammer finish, roller
print, etc.)
evening #3: working with wax create pieces w/the lost wax technique- to be cast in Sterling, Brass or Gold.
evening #4: Finishing wax projects, cleaning up castings> cuttlebone
casting (finish up models)
evening #5: bezel settings and/or tube settings, alternative settings for found
objects, clean-up castings
evening #6: Flameworking- intro to mandrel wound molten glass- make icicle ornaments!
evening #7: Enameling copper projects, forming, how to make your own findings.
evening #8: finish up projects
No experience necessary!
Copper, wax, glass, and some sterling silver are supplied. A list of local suppliers is included. Questions concerning this course? Please see our FAQ's
Fire + Gravity Work with molten glass! FULL
This process dates back thousands of years. (approx. 30,000)
Start creating your own glass beads, and sculptures that will last centuries!
8wks, 1 evening per week! January 31st
6:30-9:30pm, 4 student max.
$340pp Materials included*
The fluidity, depth, and optical qualities of glass, along with its ability to transmit light make it an incredible medium for artists and crafts people.
Focus on sculpting, fusing and beginning mandrel wound glass beads. Working with beautiful hand-pulled glass students create beads, and rings. History is discussed, glass formulas, annealing cycles, glass suppliers/makers, and more!
Continuing where you left off the 1st evening, learn how to sculpt different forms, rake, encase, make 'twisties', simple murrini.
Start working off-mandrel. Warning: Off-Mandrel flameworking is addictive!!
Start working with 'hard' glass through sculpting small forms, creating decorative elements, pendants, working up to to larger pieces. Work with borosilicate glass!
Work Large! Create beautiful focal pieces, sculptural elements, and pendants.
*Included: Moretti/Effetre glass rod kit, Glass Alchemists kit, Bullseye glass kit, metal foils, frits- everything necessary to explore and experiment with class projects & demos!
3 evenings focus on mandrel wound beads
1 evening focus on cold working your glass through etching, grinding, polishing, working with various adhesives.
2 evenings focus on off-mandrel sculpting
2 evenings- free for all torch work!
Absolutely NO experience is necessary!
Practice makes perfect! Come into nanopod Saturday afternons to hone those new skills! Open Studio time is $30 per 3 hour session for nano-glass-students*
Ring Band Workshops! Looking for Wedding ring/Engagement ring specific, workshops? Clicking the tab below will close it.
Wedding band workshops vary dependant upon approach, materials used, etc.
Generally the wedding band workshops are private bookings.
So, there are 3 options: Sterling ring band workshop, Wedding band workshop (wax), Wedding band workshop (fabricate).
If you and your fiance are looking to create non-traditional rings generally I recommend the lost wax process for couples with no experience.
With wax you carve, sculpt, and file wax ring blanks (or form ring blanks from soft wax using your fingers), these models are then cast in either Gold, Sterling or Brass.
Before they are cast we weigh the wax and determine cost, if the waxes need to be adjusted to fit budget, etc., we adjust the rings at this stage.
Wax is also more forgiving and should you make a mistake, etc., you can easily start over or fix the model without any extra cost.
Working straight from gold stock is not the same, can be considerably more expensive, and there isn't a lot of room for error plus solder needs to be purchased as well, see www.imperialproducts.com for quotes. They are located in Markham, ON.
White gold comes in 10k, 14k, 18k, 19k the higher the karat the more gold, lower means more alloy to make it appear 'white', same applies with red gold, or green gold.
-Wedding band workshops using wax run two sessions 1st session involves working with your designs and creating them out of wax.
I show you different approaches to working with wax, various jeweller's wax, tools and equipment used, carving using hand tools, and rotary tools, etc.
2nd session - you receive your rings cast in metal of choice, we then go over various finishing techniques, filing, sanding, polishing.
The Wedding band (wax) workshop runs= $200 per couple + metal for 6hrs does not include stone setting, etc.
Metal costs are based upon the spot price of the day- I do not charge any extra for this, or add on extra fees, etc. Basically, you are paying less than wholesale for your custom rings.
Gold rings in past wax carving workshops have run $250 to $650 per ring for 14k. $400 to $850 per ring for 18-19k 19k is more steel-like in colour. Lost wax cast Sterling silver rings are considerably less, $30 to $110 depending on size.
How much metal would you need (gram wise) is completely dependant on size of ring. A rough idea: approximate gram weight for an 8.5 to size 9 ring would weigh 9 to 10 grams and cost (if purchased through a metal supplier) around $460 to $500 (for 18k rectangular wire same dimensions as Sterling mentioned above) plus solder (18k medium grade) which could run $85 to $100+ for a coupon.
Wedding band workshop-fabricate (melt your own gold, work w/alternative materials, etc)
$150pp BYOM 6hrs. Please email me to book your private workshop, or for further details.
Ring band workshop
noon - 3pm $85pp
6
student max per workshop/session
Next workshop is Saturday, TBA
This is perfect for newly engaged folks. Take the class together and learn to make your own custom wedding bands! In this class you'll be introduced to simple goldsmithing skills of sawing, filing, sanding, soldering, texturing, annealing, stamping, polishing, safety, and design. By the end of class you will have a beautiful handmade Sterling silver ring!
Learn how to properly size your finger, calculate the length of metal
necessary, add texture to metal using different hammers, stamping tools, or add the texture of a leaf, feather or paper. How to anneal Sterling silver, form, solder, and finishing techniques from hyper shiny bling to a brushed, matte finish.
All materials included! {Sterling silver for 1 ring band} NO experience necessary.
