• $147 or 2 monthly payments of $80

S T A C K E D: Bangle Techniques

  • Closed

For beginners and beyond, this in-depth online course is designed to foster creativity and explore the endless possibilities of a simple circle.  Create a custom stack of wearable art fit for traditionalists or the most brazen of trendsetters.

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

Dynamic Learning:

This course, like the bangles themselves, has been designed to be highly customizable.  Come ready to play, to experiment, to have your creative muscles and inspiration galvanized as you push the potential of this simple form.

How will you frame your hands?

Understanding + Utilizing the Circle as a Stepping Stone

The basic circle is one of the most ancient and fundamental shapes of our world.  In personal adornment, it's the foundation of many decorative structures: bracelets, rings, hoops, bezels, collars, crowns, etc.  The skills you learn to craft a solid, sturdy, beautifully executed bangle will serve you well in the creation of these other arenas.  You'll be able to apply many of the techniques you learn here to other avenues of your jewelry designing journey.  

Expect to master proper sizing techniques and tools, as well as how to adjust and account for alterations in sizing.  Forge stocks and wire, refine and perfect edges and seams, solder shapes closed and embellishments in place, form with respect to function, texture, refine.  Employ specialty hammers, shot plates, die forms, files, a saw and a torch.  Execute a silvery stack of curated bangles that reflect your personal aesthetics while encompassing a vast array of fundamental and more advanced skills.

FAQs

What torch do I need?

Nothing fancy!  A butane torch will work just fine (I recommend THIS torch head and THIS style of disposable canister-- smaller models of culinary torches with refillable canisters will likely not produce enough heat to be efficient).  A Smith Silver Smith torch or Smith Little Torch (or comparable brands) using either propane or acetylene will also work.

What other tools are required?

See the complete list of recommended tools HERE

What raw materials do I need?

To make the exact projects that I do in the course, you can shop this raw materials list HERE.  This course is designed so that you can customize the projects, however, so feel free to experiment with materials outside of or in addition to the ones I cover in class.

I'm a beginner and am just starting to solder- is this course for me?

If you've never soldered before, this course may be a challenge for you- but you can do it!  I, along with a supportive community of fellow students, will be there via the private student community to help you through.  In addition to the torch and other tools listed above, you'll need a basic soldering station. This should include:
  • flux and applicator
  • Hard & Medium solders
  • stainless steel tweezers
  • small crock pot
  • pickle
  • solder pick
  • annealing pan with pumice
  • honeycomb board
  • charcoal block
  • glass or ceramic dish for quenching
Details and links for all these tools may be found on my Kit page for Soldering Station Essentials, located HERE.

What all is included with my course purchase?

  • over three hours and thirty videos of professionally filmed demonstrations
  • printable instructions for bench-side reference
  • private student community with access to the instructor, other students, and supplemental videos and resources
  • lifetime access
  • complete tool and raw material resource guides WITH LINKS for easy shopping 
  • downloadable PDFs with templates, formulas, diagrams or any other visual aids you may need to complete the course

I'm having trouble logging in!

Sometimes the system gets presumptuous and takes long periods of inactivity to mean that you no longer care to access your course.  If you find you can't log back in after an extended time away, shoot me a note- I can easily reset your account on my end.  Simply forget your password?  No problem.  Just shoot me an email and I'll take care of it.

What do you mean by "lifetime access" to a course?

There are no deadlines to watch or complete any part of this course.  All benchside references are yours to download and keep.  Videos will remain accessible to you for as long as I continue to teach online courses (there is no end currently in sight).  Facebook groups will remain in place indefinitely as well, though please understand that FB is out of my control and I cannot be held responsible for modifications to their policies and platform.  You will be contacted well ahead of time if anything changes or is moved to another location.

Testimonials

I first took a class with Jess at Art Unraveled in Phoenix a couple of years ago.  I was so impressed with her knowledge of metalworking, her way of explaining processes, and her patience with students.  Jess encourages you without stifling your learning curve.  I have learned so much from her-she is very thorough in her online classes - her videos are well done, with close ups of more complex methods, and her downloadable handouts are detailed.  She is always available online to answer any questions or problems that arise.  I have signed up for all of her online classes and have not yet been disappointed!

M. Brannen, Repeat Student

Jessica began assisting me in teaching workshops all around the country at some of the most demanding venues such as Beadfest, Bead & Button, Art Is You and Vivi Magoo Presents just to name a few. From the very beginning it became apparent to me that Jessica was not only a skilled silversmith but a gifted communicator. She has a disarming presence that puts students at ease and makes her very approachable. Students appreciate her knowledge and the thorough way she explains and demonstrates even the most complex procedure or skill. I've watched her grow into a competent instructor over the years as she went from assistant, to collaborator and now a nationally recognized instructor.  As a proud mentor and friend,  I can recommend her online courses without hesitation. You will not be disappointed with the content and will enjoy the professionalism and thoughtfulness she puts into the classes.

Richard Salley, Silvermith + Instructor

Jessica Cote is hands-down one of the best instructors I've ever encountered - in fact, she's a large part of the reason I became a metalsmith. Her soulful artistic voice is stunning, but she also has the rare ability to connect deeply and genuinely with her students, and to communicate techniques and processes clearly and simply. I highly recommend taking classes with Jess - students will come away encouraged and with foundational skills that will serve them well in their jewelry-making journey..

Francesca Watson, Owner/Instructor, The Makery and Makery University.

A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.

- Louis Nizer -

Contents

Hi + Welcome!

Welcome!
Helpful Tips & Quick Links:
Join the Private Student Community!

Before You Begin

Notes on Safety.pdf
DISCOUNT CODES:
Let's Talk Raw Materials
Sizing + Measuring
Raw Materials List (with shopping links):
Preview
Raw Material Considerations and Measuring (Benchside Reference)
Preview
Bangle Math.pdf
Alternative Sizing.pdf
Recommended Tool List (with shopping links):
Preview
Torch Station - Quick Reference
Preview

Part One: The Basic Bangle

This section will largely be review for those students who are not new to metalsmithing, or who have made similar forms before (rings, bezels, etc.) 

I'm including all this material as a solid review for those of you who may opt to use it, and as fundamental information for those of you just starting out in this craft.  Take what you need and leave the rest. 
Benchside Reference Cover Page
Cutting + Filing
Filing and Cutting (Benchside Reference)
Aligning the Ends
Aligning the Ends (Benchside Reference)
Soldering
Soldering (Benchside Reference)
Cleaning the Seams
Rounding the Form
Cleaning the Seams & Rounding the Form (Benchside Reference)
Textures
Textures (Benchside Reference)
Flattening the Form
Flattening the Form (Benchside Reference)

The Embellished Bangle

Discussion of Possibilities
The Ball Bangle
The Ball Bangle (Benchside Reference)
The Charm Bangle
Adding Charms (Benchside Reference)
Polar Graph Template: 2-7
Polar Graph Template: 8-13
Polar Graph Template: 14-19
Polar Graph Template: 20-25
Want to make your own Polar Graph?

The Bound Bangle Set

Options + Considerations
Cutting + Stringing
Soldering the Forms
Retouching
The Bound Bangle Set (Benchside Reference)

More Variations

Examples + Layouts
Soldering Studs
Soldering Jump Rings
Forming the Bangles
Soldering the Forms Closed
Shaping + Flattening
Adding Charms
More Variations (Benchside Reference)

Forming Dies

Tool Outline + Examples
The Forming Die: Tool Outline (Benchside Reference)
Pushing Further: Prepping
Pushing Further: Soldering Stacks
Pushing Further: Filing
Pushing Further: Making Shot Embellishments
Pushing Further: Soldering Embellishments
Pushing Further (Benchside Reference)

Finishing + Final Thoughts

Summary + Thank You!

Examples

This section contains examples of bangles that can be made using the techniques in this course.  Keep in mine that customizations such as charms, stones, and specific wires and stocks are all up to you!  
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EVERY ARTIST WAS ONCE AN AMATEUR.

-
 Ralph Waldo Emerson -

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 as your own.