THE QUEST FOR ADVENTURE.
I was ready for another adventure – not too adventurous this time (no more ziplining for me!) Maybe an art project? Keep in mind that I am not that artistic; my granddaughter even suggested I start a blog entitled “Pinterest Fails”. Nevertheless I felt my creative juices stirring. First I checked the Verlocal site and I saw Jewelry Making for Beginners advertised. That sounded good to me – surely it wasn’t dangerous or strenuous, and which woman doesn’t love jewelry?
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS.
I enrolled for the earring making class and made sure I was prepared (closed toed shoes and everything). I arrived to find a friendly instructor, other eager students, and a neatly laid out workbench.
When I looked around the studio I found out that the instructor had laid out examples of the earrings I would be able to make during the class, and I was inspired! Five styles of earrings glistened before me, and I was confident they would be relatively simple to recreate.
So far so good! Looking around I searched for the components we would attach together – oops! All I saw was coils of wires and lots of tools. In advertising jewelry making for beginners, I guess they were really speaking of making jewelry from the beginning.
Not to worry, I cut a few pieces of wire and begin to curl, pound, and plead them into a circle. Then the part I was waiting for – FIRE! You might guess there might be problems at this stage. First, there was the distinctive odor of gas. Of course, it was coming from my station. The instructor had told us to make sure the valves weren’t turned too tightly (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). Second, I was to cut “flea sized” pieces of solder without scattering them all over the studio floor – really? The instructor had some practical tips on how to manage each step, and finally, I was ready to solder. She said I did an excellent job (did I mention that she was really nice and encouraging?).
After some cleanup to remove the extra solder (not my favorite part, but then cleanup rarely is), I was ready to pickle my earrings. Who knew that pickling makes metals stronger? Sorry, I didn’t take more pictures of the process- it was all my mind and hands could do to keep up with the class.
ADVENTURE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED.
At the end of the evening, I came out with a pair of earrings that I can actually wear. Although other participants ended with a couple of pairs, I was still happy. Hey- I was older, and wiser, and have more arthritic hands. Needless to say, I have a new appreciation for the jewelry I wear!
Header Photo Credit: Creative Side Jewerly Academy
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