Want to try out weaving on a floor loom? This class starts with a loom all set up and ready to go - no prior weaving experience is needed! Gather round the table with family, food, and a lovely woven (by you!) table runner. Each class will include an introduction to the loom and instructions on how to operate it. Several color choices will be available. You'll be weaving away in no time!
Would you like to try blacksmithing, and get a taste of the craft? Join instructor Steve Gurzler for 3 weekday evenings to learn how to operate a coal forge to bring metal to incandescent heat and shape it with hammer in hand. This class will use the Artist Blacksmiths Association of North America (ABANA) curriculum to teach the basics of blacksmithing. Students can expect to create 2 or more projects during the 3 evenings. Class size is limited to ensure all can advance at their own pace.
Barn quilts are all the rage these days! Come and create your own wooden "quilt" to adorn your house, barn or cottage. In this one and a half day class you will choose a pattern and paint a stunning "quilt" to hang outdoors. No quilting experience necessary.
This 4-hour class is ideal for the beginner blacksmith with little to no experience. We will start with the basics, and within the first hour students will be forging their own nails. From there, students will forge hooks with a decorative twist.
Nature has been a source of artistic inspiration for thousands of years. Leaves have been a part of decorative blacksmithing for a long time, and there are many different types of leaves one can make. This class is intended for students who have taken a basic/beginner class and who understand the basic techniques and concepts. We will start by making leaves with just the hammer and anvil, and then begin using tools like chisels and decorative punches.
This course will introduce students to the traditional craft of chip carving - a type of woodcarving in which a small knife is used to incise decorative floral and geometric designs into basswood or butternut. The design is created by the removal of small pieces (chips) of the wood. Chip carving is an ancient, traditional craft. Chip carved plates, jewelry and keepsake boxes, trays, breadboards, furniture and other items can make wonderful gifts and also decorate the home with traditional motifs. Some previous carving experience is helpful, but not necessary. Students will learn to carve a variety of practice designs already drawn on a board and may complete a round ornament as well.
Needle felting is a fun and addictive craft. The wool is very forgiving as it can be continually reshaped, similar to sculpting with clay. In this introductory class, we will discuss the variety of wools, tools, and techniques used to form desired shapes in creating three-dimensional objects. Students will sculpt two medium sized pumpkins or gourds, with techniques that can be transferred to unlimited ideas. Each student's work will be different as we work with a number of choices of type of fleece and colors used. Additional kits and tools will be available for purchase.
In this class, students will learn to turn a cylindrical box and then turn a lid for the box, all from the same piece of wood. Students will learn tricks to making a good lid and will leave the class with a nice box for all sorts of collections!
Barn quilts are all the rage these days! Come and create your own wooden "quilt" to adorn your house, barn or cottage. In this one and a half day class you will choose a pattern and paint a stunning "quilt" to hang outdoors. No quilting experience necessary.
Copper is a very different material from iron and is capable of being finished in beautiful ways. This class will cover the basics of non-ferrous forging, including annealing and work hardening, as well as finishes and patinas. Students will start with a bar of copper that will be worked hot and cold to form a maple leaf. Then the instructor will share an ancient and closely guarded secret technique, which gives the leaves a red and gold finish.
This course will introduce students to the traditional craft of chip carving - a type of woodcarving in which a small knife is used to incise decorative floral and geometric designs into basswood or butternut. The design is created by the removal of small pieces (chips) of the wood. Chip carving is an ancient, traditional craft. Chip carved plates, jewelry and keepsake boxes, trays, breadboards, furniture and other items can make wonderful gifts and also decorate the home with traditional motifs. Some previous carving experience is helpful, but not necessary. Students will learn to carve a variety of practice designs already drawn on a board and may complete a round ornament as well.
This final intro to blacksmithing class uses all of the forging techniques taught in the previous classes to create a small coat or pot rack, with hand forged hooks riveted to the base. This is also an introduction o joinery, as students will learn how to rivet pieces together. Other techniques including pass-throughs and mortise and tenon will be demonstrated and discussed.
