 To make the most of our time together we've decided to focus on three areas for our gatherings; instructional demos, maker challenges and open-discussion Q & A sessions. Demos: Throughout the year we will be presenting brief (10-20 min.) talks focused on sharing techniques. These might include photos and even video but don't have to. So far, we have the following demo ideas in the works, we'll add dates as soon as they're firmed up:
Challenges: a big part of what we do is provide support and accountability for creating work in the same way that a book club fosters reading. Every month we have some kind of challenge and you're invited to participate! No sign up required, just join in and pick any challenge that appeals to you. Here are some of the fun challenges we have in mind:
None of these are set in stone so if you have an idea for a fun challenge, tell Ame so she can add it to the list. Q & A: our Sawing Circle is a great place to ask questions about tools and materials, solicit help for tricky design or fabrication jobs, share info about classes and instructors and much more. We do this ever session in our Q & A segment, feel free to pipe up and ask anything you like.
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 Avast me hearties it’s a Pirate’s Sawing Circle in honor of Talk like a Pirate Day! Our motley crew of about 12 scallywags and sea dogs settled in with grog and mutton to swap tales. Here lies their harrowing banter.
Pricing discussion - getting those dubloons:
 We started by admiring Cynthia’s adorable pups, Abby and Sammy (I’m sorry I couldn’t save my screenshot—thanks for stepping in, Ame!). Then we chatted a bit about the MASSC challenge. Kathe’s piece is almost finished. The one Annette and I are working on is getting there! Cynthia told us about a class she had with Nash Quinn through Metalwerx on points of movement, specifically complex hinges. She’s also been working on a clasp she learned how to make in Suzanne Williams’ class. Then she showed us a great soldering tool.
 We didn’t have many participants in our June pirate/ocean challenge—everyone is very busy with summer. Karen S. is making tons (well, lots) of jam! But Dale shared his pirate chest and the treasures within!
If you are doing the Dessert Meets Ocean Challenge, remember that you only have to use one of the three pieces of sea glass that we sent you. We aren’t meeting next Tuesday, the Fourth of July. Our Sawing Circle challenge for our next meeting on July 18th: share one or more pieces of art that you own that inspire, amaze or delight you. They can be metal--or not. Have a safe 4th, everyone. See you on the 18 ! ~ Dusky Download the full Recap PDF with photos.  We started by catching up and sharing news. Miranda is going to teach a beginning cloisonné class and also assist with a class in the techniques of enamelist Fred Uhl Ball; see his work here. Marianne is repairing a Taxco bracelet that’s been in her family--learn a little about the history of Taxco silver here. Kathe has turned in her pieces for the San Diego County Fair. Chapin will be teaching several classes in Colorado and is selling his work on Instagram.
Marianne has also been experimenting with powder coating and showed us her work. Cool Tools sells powder coating and posted a video about it. Ryan Gardner uses a light application of clear powder coating on his metals. We talked a little about the current MASSC challenge, which several of us are participating in. David Huang also came up—he uses microcrystalline sculpting wax inside his vessels to be able to chase them. He documents his entire process here—fascinating! Chapin told us about David Huang’s upcoming workshop at the Colorado Metalsmithing Associations July conference—where Anne will also be presenting! December 20th, 2022 - Grab a hot cup of something yummy, get comfy in front of the warm glow of your computer and join us for a festive Zoom holiday party! We'll open our Gift Exchange packages together, talk upcoming classes and news and generally have a fun time to close out our year of Sawing Circle camaraderie. Special prizes go out to everyone who decorates their Zoom background, with a grand prize going out to the Most Festive. All are also welcome to simply attend for inspiration and general discussion.
When: Monthly on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays from 5:30pm-7pm Pacific Time.
Where: Online via Zoom Cost: FREE Our Sawing Circle is like a book club but instead of reading, we work on cool stuff, help each other with problems, share ideas and provide accountability for ongoing work. If you've been looking for support for moving forward on your projects then this is the online gathering for you. Join us from your studio to work in the good conversation and company of like-minded friends. Totally free, no need to RSVP, simply make yourself a snack, settle at your bench and click the button to join in. For more details see our Sawing Circle page. After we all caught up and chatted, Anne started us out by showing us the deluxe mokume ingots she has been making for an upcoming class, let us know that her Telluride class has been delayed, and that she may add an online class this fall. We also talked about using texture plates in a rolling mill, Dale mentioned Kevin Potter’s rolling mill videos and we discussed common pitfalls of using a shears and rolling mills. Annette reported that she had a blast in Anne’s recent mokume class at Cupertino Art Center and shared the special gift she got from a fellow student. Then it was time for our August Challenge show & tell. For all of the photos and details, download the August Recap PDF . 
Thanks to everyone for another great gathering! It was wonderful to see and meet some people who
have not attended lately. Miranda started us out with a great presentation on Argentium Silver, a malleable, fusible, tarnish-resistant silver alloy.
Click any image to view larger.
We went on to talk about lots more and checked in on our August Maker Challenge. Download the full recap (pdf). Click images to view larger. At this meeting of the Sawing Circle we reviewed the San Diego County Fair with the two folks who entered pieces - Kathe Dunn and Anne Wolf. Kathe entered two (really three) of her fabulous face pendants and won 2nd place with each (You Go Girl). Anne also brought home a passel of prizes for her 5 mokume pieces - including Best Metal Piece. Both insisted that it was easy to win when there were so few entries but we know they won 'cause they actually rock. The second part of the evening was all about Gettin' Edgy - creating interesting edge treatments for pendants, boxes and other creations. From Charlotte's hammered edge to the cool castellation tools showed by Dale, we really enjoyed seeing some cool new ideas. In the midst of that, Miranda (find her on Insta at @m_sen_maker) showed us to terrific pieces (see photos) featuring granulation and fusing that she made while studying in Italy and we all decided we want to know more so mark your calendar for August 16 when we'll delve into those techniques. In the meantime, we decided on our Shared Challenge Project for August - La Mer! Your assignment is to create a beach/ocean/sea-themed piece that incorporates a cool edge treatment and (for bonus extra credit) a relevant found object such as a piece of sea glass, driftwood, animal bone, etc. Feel free to start any time and bring your finished piece to our 8/16 Sawing Circle to show off! Good luck everyone! Links and resources:
Here's how to convert a color photo to black & white and then invert it for etching - all using free online software.
For more graphic design tips and tricks check out my free online video 1-minute series.
 Our January 4th Sawing Circle was a fun gathering. We shared recommendations for online and in-person classes, checked out some works-in-progress, talked studio fire safety, viewed recently finished ornaments and talked bandsaws and other tools. Read on for more photos and the resource links.
When we started in March of 2020, Metal Arts Adventures with Anne and Ame (MAA) was just a way to stay connected as the pandemic pushed us into isolation. We thought we'd do the show a few times, never imagining it would take on a life of its own for over a year. Together we've virtually traveled the world, learned tips & tricks, celebrated holidays, found solace and shared inspiration. As the world reopens, it's time to pursue exciting new endeavors. In this show, master metalsmith Earl Bushey shares top-notch mokume gane tips and Bette Barnett introduces us to the fascinating world of powdered metals. For links to resources and classes mentioned by Bette, visit her at studiomigoto.com.
As for us, watch for future updates from here on sandiegojewelrylab.com and on annevillestudio.com as well our social media channels and if you haven't done so already, do sign up for our mailing list. Be well and keep in touch!  The discussion topic for tonight's Sawing Circle was "What is your favorite tool, what do you use it for and where can we get it?" and boy did we have fun with that. For Annette it was her Genie, Charlotte said it's emery boards for sanding, Carmen lovingly praised her Micromark mini bandsaw, Ame mentioned (rather irrelevantly) her computer tablet and stylus, Kathe showed us her new favorite Grobet hand file and Anne shared her fancy digital calipers. Jan got a new rolling mill and we discussed rolling mill care and feeding a bit and then Dale gave us an update on his sick rolling mill. We also had a grand time seeing recent works by Annette and Jan and a spirited talk about step bezels. Read on for links and more photos.
 When we started in March of 2020, MAA was just a way to stay connected as the pandemic pushed us into isolation. We thought we'd do the show a few times, never imagining it would take on a life of its own for over a year. Together we've virtually traveled the world, learned tips & tricks, celebrated holidays, found solace and shared inspiration. As the world reopens, it's time to pursue exciting new endeavors. In July’s show, master metalsmith Earl Bushey will share top-notch mokume gane tips and Bette Barnett will introduce us to the fascinating world of powdered metals. As always, Metal Arts Adventures is all about you so please join us for our Grand Finale episode on July 15th.
Jewelry Metals Artists Emerge into the Sunshine at San Diego Jewelry Lab's Juried Exhibition6/14/2021
Metal Arts Adventures #27: Emerge Online Opening
Put on a swanky outfit, pour yourself a glass of something sophisticated and imagine yourself making a grand entrance into an artsy gallery space populated with interesting people and jazz .... it's our online opening reception for "Emerge" our juried exhibition! Wander around nibbling cheese (make yourself a small plate of cheese beforehand to get the full effect) and see the jewelry metal art works while listening to celebrity judges Anne Wolf of Anneville Studio and Bette Barnett of Studio Migoto discuss the technical prowess and design merits of each piece. Guess the winners and stick around til the end to see if you're right as we unveil the Best of Show, Best Mokume, Best Steel Piece and Most Creative Piece and award each artist their fabulous prizes. We want to hear from you - leave a comment below. Do you know of a jewelry metal arts work space reopening? Have you heard about a fair that's going to be live again this year? Do you know what's up with Idyllwild Arts, the San Diego Gem & Mineral Society or a cool place in your area? We're looking for signs of things getting back to normal and we'd love to hear from you so jot down a few notes and raise your hand or type them into the chat window during the show. Step into the gallery to view the online show "Emerge" and see who won!  Put on a swanky outfit, pour yourself a glass of something sophisticated and imagine yourself making a grand entrance into an artsy gallery space populated with interesting people and music .... it's our online opening reception for "Emerge" our juried exhibition! Wander around nibbling cheese (make yourself a small plate of cheese beforehand to get the full effect) and see the jewelry metal art works while listening to celebrity judges Anne Wolf of Anneville Studio and Bette Barnett of Studio Migoto discuss the technical prowess and design merits of each piece. Guess the winners and stick around til the end to see if you're right as we unveil the Best of Show, Best Mokume, Best Steel Piece and Most Creative Piece and award each artist their fabulous prizes. Hope to see you there!
 Nine artists participated by donating jewelry pieces to the Fandango Under the Stars Online Auction with funds going to support Guadalupe Home, an organization that helps women and families experiencing homelessness. This year, due to COVID, the event went virtual so bids were submitted online. Here's the update from Sky:
"Greetings everyone, I'm happy to see [our] donations being looked at and bid upon. The pictures do not do the pieces justice but you can see them at the Online auction: one.bidpal.net/fandango2021/browse/all, on Facebook: facebook.com/CatholicCharitiesSA/, or on Instagram: instagram.com/catholiccharitiessanantonio/. Thank you all for the great support for this event. ~ Sky". Let's give a big hand to Sky for providing such a great community opportunity and a round of applause to our participating artists! For photos and descriptions of each piece see our previous post: Guadalupe Home Jewelry Team Update.  From sharing new creations and tips & tricks to chit chatting about jewelry metal arts topics, our live Tuesday night Sawing Circle has continued to be an online creative oasis for metal arts geeks throughout April and May. June's hosts include Dale in Anchorage (AK), Carmen in Laguna Nigel (CA), Jan in San Jose (CA) and Garage Kathe, Ame and Anne here in sunny San Diego. We sometimes have interesting surprise guests too! So feel free to join us any Tuesday from 5-7pm Pacific Time. No RSVP or emails needed, simply click the link on our Home page and bring your questions or latest creations for show & tell. Click any photo for a larger view.
Enjoy an exploration of Qing Dynasty jewelry lead by San Diego metal artist Marianne Pickett as she shares items from her collection along with interesting stories about them. Dating from 1644 to 1912, the Qing period was China's last imperial dynasty and from the mythical Qilin to good luck bats, the symbolism and craftsmanship is amazing! Then watch as Anne Wolf demonstrates the use of a clever Japanese scoring tool and tells you how you can make one yourself. Read on for photos.
Due to popular demand and a lot of whining and silly excuses like "I have to work" and "I've been homeschooling my children" we've extended the Emerge deadline! Yay, more time! Here are just a few of the cool prizes up for grabs: Click images to view larger.
All jewelry/metals arts artists to enter their work in Emerge - San Diego Jewelry Lab’s Juried Spring Exhibition. Pieces will be juried by Anne, Bette Barnett and Ame on craftsmanship, creativity and use of the theme and our panel of instructor judges will award prizes for the best submissions. Exhibition is open to metalsmiths worldwide. Work can be any size; wearable, functional, or sculptural; made within the last year. Get details and enter. Click images to view larger. Our Sawing Circles have been filled with great info this month. On any given night you might find a jewelry metal arts presentation, see a useful tool tip, hear a great story, learn a new technique or just enjoy the good company of metal arts geeks like yourself. No RSVP is needed and you're always welcome to join us Tuesdays from 5-7pm Pacific time. See who's hosting each week and find the link on our Sawing Circle page.
 May 20th from 5-6pm Pacific Daylight Time
Meet & Greet starts at 4:45pm. Online via Zoom Join us for an exploration of Qing Dynasty jewelry lead by San Diego metal artist Marianne Pickett. She'll share items from her collection along with interesting stories about them. Dating from 1644 to 1912, the Qing period was China's last imperial dynasty. We will also be sharing some work that wowed us from recent classes and a few best-of-the-best student tips & tricks. As always, stick around till the end for our lively Q&A discussion of all things metal arts. MAAA is a FREE weekly online metal arts live show. In this fun, interactive gathering we offer demos, share tips & tricks, feature work by artists and students from around the world, go on virtual studio tours, discuss historical metal arts traditions and share resources. You're invited to join in! Need help with a tricky soldering job? Wondering if a tip you saw really works? Want to give us a tour of your studio or recommend an instructor? Submit a question or segment idea and we'll follow up. Send it in!
Do some virtual shopping and hang out with Tevel! Tevel is the long-time owner of Allcraft, the renowned jewelry/metals supply shop in midtown Manhattan. He joined us along with Jeanette Craig, author of "Soldering Demystified" to share new and intriguing jewelry tools. First Anne demonstrated using some of the tools on her mokume gane rings - really cool tiny sanding discs, an innovative ring holder and more. Then Tevel and Jeanette answered everyone's questions about these tools and many others. Earl showed off some very interesting delrin-lined pliers from a guitar-making company. We heard from viewers it was one of our best ever, at least for tool geeks (and who isn't??). Read on for resource links.
As the sun warms the earth, green things emerge, slowly unfolding their leaves. As the cold winds depart, wild animals emerge, leaving their winter dens. As the vaccines arrive, we too emerge, hugging friends and revisiting normalcy. In this time and place, like none we've ever known, what does it mean to emerge?  San Diego Jewelry Lab invites all jewelry/metals arts artists to enter their work in our upcoming online exhibit "Emerge". Pieces will be juried by San Diego Jewelry Lab co-owners Anne Wolf and Ame Stanko on craftsmanship, creativity and use of the theme and our panel of instructor judges will award prizes for the best submissions. Exhibition is open to metalsmiths worldwide. Work can be any size; wearable, functional, or sculptural; made within the last year. Get details on our Emerge event page.
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