Guerilla Gold: More Flash Less Cash

Taught by Guest Instructor Bette Barnett

Guerilla Gold: More Flash Less Cash | Instructor Bette Barnett2 day workshop | In Person or Virtual TicketsSchedule: 10 am - 5 pm, Monday 12/8, Tuesday 12/9 Prerequisite: Basic metalsmithing skills including experience with a jeweler's torch (acetylene/air or dual gas)____________Please note: This class has a required supply kit for both in-person and virtual students. In-person students can expect to pay the instructor on-site on the first day of the workshop. The instructor plans to contact virtual students via email to bill and arrange shipping prior to the start of the workshop. Details of the kit are available in the workshop description. Budget-wise hacks for Gold and Steel Forget tradition—this is gold on your terms. With the cost of gold at an all-time high, it’s time to ditch conventional approaches and instead opt for smart, cost-effective ways to get maximum metals impact with minimum investment. In this two-day workshop, you’ll learn how to incorporate gold into your work without putting yourself in the poorhouse. In fact, you’ll be able to add stunning gold accents to your work for as little as $20. We’ll start by exploring alternative forms of gold—placer gold flour, gold powder, gold foil flakes—that offer more mileage than traditional forms such as wire, sheet and casting grain. We’ll alloy various karats and colors of gold so you can use less of the precious stuff while preserving its beautiful glow. We’ll also explore gold fusion approaches tailored specifically for gold and steel using a variety of bonding and heat control strategies. You’ll experiment with layering, fusing, and burnishing to achieve rich textures, unexpected effects and bold contrasts between raw blackened steel and the glow of gold. We will also explore fusing bronze powder that mimics the look of gold. Design is an essential element of eye appeal. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to use design techniques that harness the power of gold to elevate your work. You’ll leave with a toolkit of golden tricks—and a few eye-catching samples to prove it. If you’re ready to rethink adding high- karat pizzazz to your creations, this workshop is the golden ticket.

Supply List:

Student-provided Tools and Supplies

For in-studio and online students:

·       1 charcoal block (new hard)

·       2 agate burnishers

·       Jeweler scale (accurate to .00grams)

·       ½ oz fine silver (sheet, wire or casting grain)

Online students should have the following tools and supplies available:

·       Torch (acetylene/air or dual gas). Smaller butane or MAPP gas torches are not sufficient.

·       Soldering set-up

·       Flux (any paste flux)

·       Pickle pot—separate pot for steel with PhDown (sodium bisulphate) or any similar acid

·       Pickle tongs—wood, plastic or stainless steel

·       Third hands (at least two)

·       Fire bricks (two)

·       Optional supplies: All are available from Allcraft and a limited supply will be available for in-studio students to purchase during class.

o  Powdered gold (1g packet)

o   Gold foil flakes (1g packet)

o   Gold foil (1/2 sheet, standard thickness)