We are thrilled to announce that we've sailed past our Guadalupe Home Jewelry Team goal! Captained by the talented Sky Paxton, we now have works from 10 different artists on their way to the annual fundraiser auction for Guadalupe Home - a transitional shelter for pregnant and parenting mothers who find themselves homeless. Here are some of their beautiful pieces ... more coming soon! Click images to view larger.

Sky Paxton. Pendant cast in Sterling, dark patina, synthetic (responsibly sourced) Ruby with 18” sterling chain and a hand crafted bail. 35 mm diameter, 30 grams of silver.
See more of Sky's work at (link coming soon).

Anne Wolf: Chisel patterned copper/silver/kuroshibuichi mokume gane pendant patinated with rokusho (a Japanese patina).
See more of her work at  annevillestudio.com.

Teri Brudnak: Sterling silver earrings with 23.5kt gold Keum Boo.
Sterling ear wires. teribrudnak.com.

Helene Daniels: Lava rock and silver necklace.
See more of her work at  helenedanielsdesigns.com.

Kay Yee: Earrings with pink pearls set in sterling with dangles enameled with graphite & overglaze paints. Learn more at massconline.com/showcase/kay-yee.

Marcela McClean: (photo coming soon).
See more of her work at instagram.com/hechosdemimano.

Ed White: Nasturtiums Ring
Fine silver and 14ct. gold from an old watch chain. It has been hand carved after soldering. Size 6.5. See more of his work at instagram.com/ed_white.

Karla Knutson: Reversible Puffed Square Silver Necklace With 24k Gold Keum Boo & 18” Stainless Neck Cable.
This necklace is made from sterling silver sheet that I roller printed and brush textured and is fully reversible. 24k gold foil was added using the Keum Boo technique to both sides. The asymmetrical pattern of gold can be turned 4 ways on each side according to your preference. Finally a blue/black patina was applied with liver of sulfur and the piece was waxed to help preserve the patina, although that may change slightly with time and is susceptible to scratching. The hollow form is approximately 1 3/4 " square and 3/8" deep at the center of the squares. The 18" stainless steel neck cable has a lobster claw clasp. See more of her work at  etsy.com/market/karla_knutson.

Yoko Rover: Obsidian Sterling Silver Pendant
See more of her work at  instagram.com/yokorover/.

Marianne Pickett: Spring Spirit Necklace
Spring Spirit Necklace marries the beauty of a traditional Chinese porcelain shard with triple strands of beads. Turquoise, flourite, and strawberry quartz are highlighted with sterling silver beads and findings.

Come with us to Japan to meet master mokume gane metalsmith and designated National Treasure  Norio Tamagawa! We tour his home, work a bit in his studio and even enjoy tea hosted by his wife, who is a master in the art of the traditional Japanese tea ceremony. Afterwards we take a spectacular hike up Mt. Yahiko to commune with the gods of mokume (well, most of the trip is by tram...) plus, we hear stories and see some great photos from Yoko and Karen, metalsmiths who also recently visited Tsubame-Sanjo area and made their own cool metalsmithing discoveries. News alert! We are also excited to announce that we're now accepting entries for Emerge, our brand new juried online show. Continue on for photos.

From host Garage Kathe: We had about 18 people attend our March 9th Sawing Circle. One of the resources mentioned was Eva Sherman. She's a metal artist from Cleveland who teaches and has done some demos on the FB group “Friday Freebies for Metalsmiths” and anyone can join. We also discussed Metals week at  Idyllwild Arts in June - Ann R. and Karen R. spoke of the fun of live classes in past years. This year all metal classes are on Zoom - 2 or 3 day formats so you sign up for multiple classes, registration is open now.  Monica Cardone is teaching Bad Ass Bezels with the Hammer Hand Piece, but her class is full. You can get a discount on Hammer hand pieces from Pepe Tools with a code from Monica.

Oh my gosh, we had so much fun at tonight's Sawing Circle. We had 16 attendees on hand talking tricky soldering jobs, patinas, gold alloying and other metalsmithing particulars at our first March Sawing Circle. Isla joined us from London, Julia joined from Michigan, Ann was on deck from Alabama with the rest Zooming in from the U.S. west coast. As always there were some really valuable links shared.

We still have spots available for Anne's Stamped Mokume Gane Pendant live online workshop in March but March 5th is the deadline to order your kit for U.S. shipping (March 12th for local pick ups). This is a great opportunity to create - from start to finish - a beautiful mokume gane pendant to wear or give as a special gift. It's also a rare chance to get your hands on one of Anne's exclusive mokume blanks in a color combo she usually reserves for her own works - silver/copper/brass. These photos are from her previous class last year. Keep in mind that you also get a handsome Certificate of Completion and a ticket for our famous end-of-class raffle where we give away gift certificates and sometimes...mokume goodies! All details and registration at annevillestudio.com/classes-and-workshops.html.

The past two days have been great fun hosting a group of 15 students learning mokume gane chisel patterning. Jewelry metals instructor Anne Wolf totally updated this class with new techniques and high-res video and the quality really showed. Plus it was just so much fun with students in attendance from California to Alaska to Washington DC and points in between. We even had the fabulous Francesca Urciuoli Zooming in from Berlin. The students shared a lot of great info (like using old hex keys for chisel stock) and fun photos (MKaye bundled up for a snowy outdoor lunch), but mostly we all enjoyed learning about patterning mokume from Anne...and each other. The work speaks for itself, here are just a few of the pieces created.  

Guided by award-winning jewelry designer Ileana Rojas-Bennett, our virtual trip to meet the Maleku people of Costa Rica was great fun. We learned about their village system and ingenious home construction techniques and then viewed hand-painted seed jewelry, colorful masks and intricately-carved gourds. We even learned a few words in the Maleku language - capi capi means Hello! Next, Anne showed us a great approach for making brooch backs (including two special tricks) and we announced the details of our brand new call for art...Emerge. While we weren't able to record the live episode, we do have a video of Anne's brooch back/pin demo. Read on for photos, resource links and the video demo.  ​​

One of our Metal Arts Adventures presenters has brought us a really cool opportunity. Metalsmith and lapidarist Sky Paxton donates jewelry to Guadelupe Home, a transitional shelter for pregnant and parenting mothers who find themselves homeless. This year, he's inviting us to join him in providing pieces to their fundraiser auction. Finished, boxed pieces valued between $150-$500 need to be mailed to Sky by April 25th and he will submit them to the auction folks. So far we have two spots filled - Sky and Anne Wolf - so we're looking for just 6 more people.

If you would like to join in just let us know in the comments  below and we will follow up. Thank you!!

Over twenty metalsmiths gathered on Tuesday evening and we had a great time seeing new works, oogling a gigantic ruby, meeting new people and catching up with old friends (a few who were seeing each other for the first time in 20 years!). In between we talked more about brooch pins, learned lapidary terms, heard about a tool making project, checked out some new home studios and compared notes on current online class offerings - all while working away on our own projects. Read on for more photos and resource links.

Resource links:

• Anne's current mokume gane classes.
• Brand new book recommended by Jose Quiet Elegance by famed metal arts instructor Eleanor Moty .
• Interesting site for info on gems shared by Patty Rare Gem Collection.
• Some nifty free videos by instructor Leslie Villareal (including a handy one on setting up an oxygen concentrator).
  

Thursday, February 21st from 5-6pm Pacific Time
Meet & Greet starts at 4:45pm.
Online via Zoom
Take a virtual trek deep into the heart of the Costa Rican rainforest to visit the Maleku people, see how they create their hand-painted seed jewelry and learn about their unique language and culture with award-winning jewelry designer Ileana Rojas-Bennett. Next, Anne's will show us a great approach to making brooch backs (there's a trick to it!) and we'll announce the details about our brand new call for art. Stick around till the end for our lively Q&A discussion of all things metal arts from torch tips to patina particulars. 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! ​

Next Sawing Circle is Tuesday, February 9th, 5-7pm
Thursdays were just too packed with cool metal arts stuff so we've moved our Sawing Circle to Tuesdays starting this month. 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 during quarantine 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 nice snack, settle down at your bench and click the link to join in via Zoom. We're also looking for volunteers to fill in one night a month to help take our Sawing Circle weekly. Interested? Fill out our Volunteer Form.

Journey with us into the colorful, 500 year old labyrinth of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar guided by San Diego jewelry student & artist Karen Savel. We'll marvel at the ancient arches, see local jewelers at work in their tiny shop, walk in the footsteps of Rick Steve's and visit a gold smelter, stop to watch a street lapidarist at work and finish off with some classic Turkish delights. Next, we sit back and enjoy an informative how-to by enamelist Kay Yee as she shows us her method for creating blackboard brooches. Kay also shares a great list of resources including an inexpensive starter kit and online classes. Read more for resource links.

We are looking for a few friendly people to help as Zoom facilitators in hosting our free online Sawing Circle. Duties include:

• Log in to our company Zoom account (we’ll provide you with a login).
• Start the Sawing Circle at the appointed time from your own computer. 
• Admit students as they arrive, greet them and make sure they’re in the right place. 
• Facilitate discussions of jewelry and metal arts related topics.
• Monitor participant activity and gently steer users away from discussing topics outside of the jewelry metal arts field. Our goal is to give people a small respite from their daily woes and an opportunity to focus on their creativity.
• Remove any inappropriate users who might wander in.

How it works:

• Our goal is to have four reliable volunteers who can each cover one 2.25 hour Zoom session and serve as occasional alternates if the person who signed up has an emergency and can't make it.
• Volunteers will share contact info to make scheduling and communicating simple.
• Ame will act as the trainer, coordinator and back up relief person.
• The objective of the Sawing Circle is to connect participants to each other, highlight their work and foster meaningful and inspiring connections. We may also have short guest presentattions now and then too!

Requirements:

• Stable internet connection, a reliable computer and basic computer skills. 
• Basic familiarity with using Zoom to attend meetings (we’ll train you as a facilitator).
• You are not expected to teach or demo anything - jewelry metal arts beginners welcome!

Interested? Fill out our Volunteer Form and we'll get back to you.

We are looking for a few friendly people to help as Zoom facilitators in hosting our free online Sawing Circle. Duties include:

• Log in to our company Zoom account (we’ll provide you with a login).
• Start the Sawing Circle at the appointed time from your own computer. 
• Admit students as they arrive, greet them and make sure they’re in the right place. 
• Facilitate discussions of jewelry and metal arts related topics.
• Monitor participant activity and gently steer users away from discussing topics outside of the jewelry metal arts field. Our goal is to give people a small respite from their daily woes and an opportunity to focus on their creativity.
• Remove any inappropriate users who might wander in.

How it works:

• Our goal is to have four reliable volunteers who can each cover one 2.25 hour Zoom session and serve as occasional alternates if the person who signed up has an emergency and can't make it.
• Volunteers will share contact info to make scheduling and communicating simple.
• Ame will act as the trainer, coordinator and back up relief person.
• The objective of the Sawing Circle is to connect participants to each other, highlight their work and foster meaningful and inspiring connections. We may also have short guest presentattions now and then too!

Requirements:

• Stable internet connection, a reliable computer and basic computer skills. 
• Basic familiarity with using Zoom to attend meetings (we’ll train you as a facilitator).
• You are not expected to teach or demo anything - jewelry metal arts beginners welcome!

Interested? Fill out our Volunteer Form and we'll get back to you.

Guest instructor Anne Wolf shared a guide (from the forum on Ganoksin.com) for making a scoring tool to create intricate patterns like the one on her tsuba. After that we delved into diagnosing torch troubles, pondering ways to extract silver from etching solution, shared ideas for bumping up the contrast on etched brass pieces (try burnishing) and  discussed the merits of dental wire as a brooch pin (hint: don't try to cut it, you'll just break your saw. Simply bend it with pliers back and forth to work harden it until it snaps).  In fact, Anne gave away 14" pieces of dental wire to everyone who wanted to try it (I'll pop them in the mail tomorrow). We also had a grand time admiring recent works by Cynthia, Alex Gage, Yoko Rover, Jan Piazza, Sky Paxton, Julia and Marianne Pickett. Oh and there were some great recommendations for classes too - including the hopeful scheduling of spring dates for Metalsmiths in Florence.

Click read more for resource links.

Thursday, January 14th 5-7pm PST
​Meet & Greet starts at 4:45pm
This week, guest instructor Anne Wolf shares a guide (from the forum on Ganoksin.com) for making a scoring tool. Scoring tools are useful for all sorts of things, from box making to adding texture to sheet. We'll discuss how to go about making the tool. Anne will also show how to create texture using a scorer she made while taking an online class from Ford Hallam.
Our monthly 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 some support for moving forward on your projects during quarantine then this is the place. 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 nice snack, settle down at your bench and click the link to join in via Zoom.

Hello and Happy New Year! I am excited to announce that I'll be providing online class hosting for Bette's upcoming online workshop Making Magic with Steel and Silver online January 11th through 15th. As Bette describes on her website: "We are excited to offer an online workshop packed with information, hands-on skills and fun. A big focus is on the design aspect of silver and steel jewelry, learning to use silver elements to guide design. You’ll have time to create a mixed metals steel and reticulated silver cuff plus at least one other piece of your own design. You’ll learn to work with mild steel sheet and wire, fuse silver to steel, reticulate silver to create flowing ridges and valleys and much more. Who knew that silver foil could be bonded beautifully to steel producing an amazing contrast between the two metals?" Get the full class description and registration info at StudioMigoto.com.

From November 2018 to March 2020, San Diego Jewelry Lab was known as Anneville Jewelry Lab because it was a brick & mortar jewelry metal arts school and co-work space located next to Anne Wolf's studio in Liberty Station - a part of the NTC Arts District. We offered multi-week classes, independent study and 1-5 day workshops. Topics covered a wide range of the jewelry/metals field, from absolute beginner basics taught by Jessica Andersen and Julie Monroe to advanced specialty techniques such as Japanese metalsmithing taught by Ford Hallam, stone setting by Alexandra Hart, keum boo taught by Bette Barnett and mokume gane taught by Anne Wolf. Many of our students took classes multiple times to perfect their techniques and gain inspiration from each other. Our workshops drew students from around the U.S. and internationally. In addition to classes we had Open Lab time where jewelry metal arts makers worked together, enjoyed our little "Broken Sawblade Cafe" (which became the Peg and Pickle Pub after hours) and shopped for tools and supplies in our small General Store. We also hosted a monthly First Friday Open Studio where makers and the public nibbled tasty snacks, watched live demos and shopped our Gallery Case featuring work by our teachers and students. All of that changed on March 19th, 2020.

As we ended the year and the news of the new and more contagious covid variant came out, we really started to feel like we were in a crazy video game so, here we share with you our 2020 Game Recap.

Congratulations, it looks like you’ve made it with us to Level 12 of this awful Game of 2020. We’d give it no stars if possible; at this point all we can do is hold on to a sense of humor and keep going. Level 1 began well, we had a year of trips planned and classes scheduled for our Jewelry Lab business. The worst demon in our land, Orange Windbag, was slashed with the Sword of Impeachment and things were looking good! But then the Land of Koalas caught fire and rumors surfaced of a mysterious new foe in a distant land. Nevertheless, by Level 2 Ame had saved up enough Coin for a trip to visit her father, Vance of La Playa, in the Land of Mariachis and Anne made a foray to the nearby Land of Saguaro to learn patina alchemy. 

At our online Holiday Party we looked back at some 2020 highlights (we did find some!) and shared our plans for 2021. The recipe exchange was a hoot with concoctions for tasty treats as well as Mokume Goo from Earl, DIY Solder from Sky and Niello from Anne (note: don't eat!). We also had fun enjoying everyone's home decor and festive apparel. The winners of our holiday cheer prize drawing were Patty (congrats on the agate burnisher!) and Joanne (edible gemstones!). After that we heard from several people about their own 2020 - good and bad - along with hopes and dreams for 2021. We capped it all off with our Holiday Raffle. Many thanks to everyone who decorated, dressed up and shared goodies. Read on to download the recipes and get some cool free coloring pages and a handy circle divider tool. 

​Thursday, December 17th 5-6pm PDT
Meet & Greet starts at 4:45pm
Join us online for an hour of glad tidings and merriment. We'll enjoy a holiday metal arts slideshow, a few surprises and raffle off some goodies. Plus, we'll host a recipe exchange so send in your favorite recipes for brownies, cookies, patinas - whatever you want to share. Totally free, just tune in by clicking the link right here on our home page. Be sure to decorate your computer or tablet, don some gay apparel and send in your recipe. 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? Care to recommend a tool or instructor? Get free feedback from professional metal arts instructors! Submit a question or segment idea any time and we'll follow up. And for our December online party, remember to share your favorite recipe too! Send it in! 

Anne Wolf is our guide this month for a fascinating photo journey into the gorgeous niello work of southeastern Turkey. This time she'll discuss several striking pieces from  her collection, all purchased during her trip to the region in 2005. After that, we take a deep dive into a topic many of you have burning questions about... working with torches in your home studio - specifically working with gas. Which type is best? Where do you buy tanks? How do you safely store them? What about insurance? What about oxygen concentrators?!? Read more for resource links and photos!