• $147 or 2 monthly payments of $80

Anthem Necklace

  • Closed
  • Course
  • 56 Lessons

REGISTRATION OPENS 10/28! Silversmithing skills and ancient aesthetics. This new course is all about expanding foundations, extracting forms, and embracing imperfection.

ALL Project-Based Courses Open for Registration Oct. 28th - 30th

Ring the bells that still can ring...

Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything.
That's how the light gets in.

- Leonard Cohen's "Anthem"

About this Design

The words above have been some of my personal favorites for years.  This  project was born out of an appreciation for the weathered, imperfect aspects of things enduring and enjoyed, an inspiration drawn from far off places, and the desire to create something customizable- a cohesive whole built of compelling parts.

OVERVIEW

what you can EXPECT

  • Ample, high quality content including written and visual instructions.

  • Access.  Once purchased, this course is yours (for as long as I offer online courses.)

  • An optional Facebook student community where you can share, troubleshoot, and find inspiration.

  • Resources!  Templates, raw material and tool shopping links, exclusive student discount codes to popular vendors, and more!

what you will LEARN

  • working with templates

  • centering and stamping

  • piercing

  • texturing 

  • filing and refining

  • dapping & forming

  • disc cutting

  • working with tubing

  • soldering

  • embellishing

  • finishing

  • alternatives & considerations

  • proficiency & confidence

what you will CREATE

An individualized necklace comprised of four basic parts:

  • a handmade bell

  • spool-style beads

  • spacer beads

  • a custom toggle


    Use these components together to create a project just as I do in this course, or take the individual elements and incorporate them into your own aesthetic and style of work.

Skill Level + Tool FYI:

  • This course is recommended for experienced beginner to intermediate students.  Familiarity with a saw and experience soldering will be highly beneficial.  

  • I will be using an acetylene-air torch for this project.  Torches similar to a Blazer Big Shot or a butane canister affixed to a Sterno-style torch head (as is commonly used in classrooms) will also work just fine.

Student Feedback

It is obvious that Jessica had a specific vision when she decided to establish a site for online teaching.   She thought of every detail.  Her classroom set up is nothing less than one step away from an in person workshop, only that you feel you have her full attention.   The classroom is well organized, the filming is professionally produced, and each segment is broken down into steps that are well explained and demonstrated.   She also provides printable  instructions for reference, which are also very concise.  She has a forum to ask questions and interact with other classmates which I much prefer as you are not directed to another site.  It is truly a classroom experience.   In addition, once you sign up, you have unlimited access to her classes and videos which is a huge benefit.  I can’t say enough about Jessica’s online class experience, only that once you experience it, you will want to continue as her student! 

Lorraine George (@lgeorge2)

Well, my Rio order arrives today, but the class is already paying dividends... :-) After watching the soldering videos, I picked up some nuggets of Rosy Wisdom that made a big difference in my own soldering... had several pieces to solder last night and it was easy peasy instead of nerve wracking as usual.... thanks Jess!

Rob Scott (@camanchemesa)

Contents

Course Resources + Links

Helpful Tips & Quick Links:
    DISCOUNT CODES:
      Recommended Tool List (with shopping links):
      • 220 KB
      Preview
      Raw Materials List (with shopping links):
      • 352 KB
      Preview
      Verbal Overview of Raw Materials
      • 3 mins
      • 269 MB
      Facebook Community for Anthem Necklace Students

        Before You Begin

        Hi and Welcome!
        • 1 min
        • 85.2 MB
        Preview
        Benchside Reference Cover Page
        • 1.76 MB

        Crafting the Bell

        Crafting the Bell (Benchside Reference)
        • 619 KB
        BELL TEMPLATE.pdf
        • 374 KB
        Applying the Template
        • 4 mins
        • 302 MB
        Marking + Stamping
        • 4 mins
        • 324 MB
        Piercing the Bell
        • 4 mins
        • 304 MB
        Filing the Edges
        • 3 mins
        • 201 MB
        Annealing the Bell
        • 3 mins
        • 185 MB
        Dapping + Forming
        • 16 mins
        • 1.35 GB
        Drilling + Refining
        • 3 mins
        • 261 MB
        Making the Bail
        • 3 mins
        • 204 MB
        Soldering the Bail Closed
        • 3 mins
        • 250 MB
        Soldering Bail to Bell
        • 3 mins
        • 252 MB
        Adding the Jingle
        • 3 mins
        • 209 MB

        Constructing the Spool Beads

        Constructing the Spool Beads (Benchside Reference)
        • 467 KB
        BEAD CAP TEMPLATE.pdf
        • 703 KB
        Measuring for Spool Beads
        • 2 mins
        • 102 MB
        Patterning + Cutting
        • 5 mins
        • 376 MB
        Tube Detail
        • 5.69 MB
        Adding Texture
        • 3 mins
        • 218 MB
        Your Bead Cap Template
        • 2 mins
        • 94.4 MB
        Cutting the End Caps
        • 4 mins
        • 332 MB
        Disc Cutter (Bird's Eye View)
        • 5.37 MB
        Dapping the Caps
        • 4 mins
        • 336 MB
        Dapping + Cracking the Tubes
        • 5 mins
        • 373 MB
        Soldering Info + Prep
        • 3 mins
        • 268 MB
        Soldering Bead Caps + Jump Rings
        • 6 mins
        • 453 MB
        Tube-to-Cap Soldering Setup
        • 5 mins
        • 442 MB
        Soldering First Cap to Tubing
        • 4 mins
        • 318 MB
        Second Tube-to-Cap Soldering Setup
        • 2 mins
        • 154 MB
        Soldering Second Cap to Tubing
        • 3 mins
        • 224 MB
        Adding Texture
        • 6 mins
        • 492 MB

        Creating the Spacer Beads

        Creating the Spacer Beads (Benchside Reference)
        • 229 KB
        Measuring + Filing
        • 5 mins
        • 406 MB
        Forming the Beads
        • 4 mins
        • 297 MB
        Setting up to Solder
        • 6 mins
        • 501 MB
        Soldering the Spacer Beads
        • 3 mins
        • 203 MB
        Stretching the Beads
        • 3 mins
        • 205 MB
        Tapping + Refining
        • 4 mins
        • 336 MB
        Making Embellishments
        • 3 mins
        • 234 MB
        Soldering the Embellishments
        • 10 mins
        • 898 MB

        Creating the Toggle

        Creating the Toggle (Benchside Reference)
        • 377 KB
        Measuring, Filing + Forming
        • 7 mins
        • 615 MB
        Soldering the Toggle
        • 6 mins
        • 530 MB
        Texturing + Refining
        • 4 mins
        • 340 MB

        Finishing + Polishing

        Finishing & Polishing (Benchside Reference)
        • 442 KB
        Finishing + Examples
        • 13 mins
        • 1.11 GB

        Extras

        Bloopers!
        • 3 mins
        • 189 MB
        Preview
        Video Credit and Contact Info
        • 1 min
        • 79.8 MB
        Preview

        Silversmith || Storyteller || Creative Performance Coach

        If it matters, I hold a Bachelor of Art & Design from NCSU's College of Design, am a trained Creative Performance Coach through an ICF-accredited program, have taught thousands of students over the span of thirteen years, and have been a full-time, self-employed metalsmith since 2007.

        More importantly, I don't subscribe to the idea of the starving artist. I believe we design our lives and ourselves as much as we do our work. In addition to project-based technique courses, I create immersive coaching programs and provide 1:1 containers for highly motivated, action-oriented creatives who want nothing less than intentional design, authentic expression, smart structures and studio systems, and full alignment between who they are and what they do. You build durable, valuable, expressive art. You ARE durable, valuable, expressive art. To speak with me about coaching and learn more about how I can support you, schedule free a Connection Call below.

        POLICIES:

        1. Due to the immediate access to written instructions, video demos, templates and other resources, I do not provide refunds for online courses under any circumstances.  Please make your course selections carefully.
        2. Online courses are a privilege to teach and take.  Ethical behavior is non-negotiable.  Sharing passwords, downloads and other materials with anyone who has not paid for this course will result in your immediate removal from the course, nor will you be permitted to register for a future course of mine.  Please note that this website tracks login geography- if you log in to your account from North Carolina in the morning and log in from California an hour later, the system will notify me of potential user abuse.
        3. I reserve the right to dismiss any student at any time from this course if the above ethical guidelines are in question or not met.  Other reasons for dismissal from this course and/or future courses include rudeness/disrespect to fellow students, to me, and teaching this course or any part of it as your own.