Tracy Moore

Hand Forged Books & Jewelry

We will spend three days exploring how to make books, jewelry, and boxes out of metal, wood, leather and found objects. During this class you will handforge at least one metal necklace journal and one metal 3" X 4" journal. Depending on your pace and complexity of your work, you will be able to explore other creations and projects freely.

I'm excited about this three day format, as we will be able to include a lot more intricate details to your work and explore more techniques than we usually have time for in my other workshops. I will cover all of the following techniques:

• Book binding (both the long stitch and coptic stitch.)
• Making unique book closures and latches.
• Using cold joint construction (rivets) to make sturdy book covers and jewelry pieces out of almost anything. (no glueing!)
• Becoming comfortable with hand tools, dremels, and drills.
• Using resin to enhance your pieces. (make old papers sturdy enough to be incorporated).
• Working with leather and wood as well as the metal.
• Stamping words and letters into metal.
• Working with wire
• Metal texturing

Jewelry Making techniques Because of the extended workshop environment, we will be able to complete specific projects, as well as work with "free-form" creation. (Just like when we doodle in our journals, "free-form" creation is to quickly create something using the parts and pieces that we have in front of us at any given moment.) I find that my favorite pieces have come to life during this "free-form" play time.

Supply List:

• Various found objects: These can be anything you might want to incorporate into your work: old rulers, interesting pieces of metal, old buttons, pins, found wood, old signs, etc. Even if pieces are somewhat bigger than what you might think will work on your piece, we will most likely be able to cut them down to fit.
• Some beads and charms.
• Paper: Any paper will work for the small necklace journals. I like using 140# hot press Fabriano Artistico paper for almost all of my journals. However, brown grocery sacks, graph paper, old envelopes, etc., can also make very interesting and fun to use paper for pages.
• One tube of black "Rub & Buff." (Feel free to bring other colors too if you have them. We will use them to color in stamped letters and other metal distressing.
• Awl.
• Scissors.
• Ruler.
  
  Optional:
• I will have plenty of everything on this optional list, so DO NOT feel like you need to bring any of this stuff.
• Dremel tool with various bits.
• Small ball peen hammer.
• Metal Alphabet Marking Tools (typically 1/8" and / or 1/4")
• Metal Stamping Block
• Smooth File
• Sandpaper (around 400 grit)
• Various Jewelry pliers, wire cutters, and tin snips.
• 1/8" and 1/4" wide flat brass strips. Try and get it in .22 gauge thickness if you can.
• 1/16" drill bit.
• 5/64" drill bit.
• 3/8" drill bit.
• Pieces of leather. This can be old coats, gloves, sample pieces, really any kind of leather. Small pieces are fine.