Wire & Bead Jewellery Workshop

'Decorating Beads with Wire' by Sara Withers & 'Chain Mail' by Elise Mann

Free to members - 5 places still available

Sunday 10 April 2011: 10.30-4.30 at Cumnor Old School Hall, Cumnor, Oxfordshire OX2 9PE
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We have organised a one-day workshop in a village 5 miles from Oxford with two different types of wire and bead jewellery work, including chain mail techniques.

Sara Withers (author of the recent best-selling wire jewellery book Encyclopedia of Wire Jewellery Techniques) and Elise Mann (our own editor, author of The Bead Selector's Bible, and specialist in chain mail techniques) will each do a half-day session with 10 people each so that members can do one half- day, then swap and do the other. Sara will be happy to do basic wirework with beginners, but her part of the workshop will mainly concentrate on 'Decorating beads with wire' which brings in some basics too.

Beads decorated with wire

Elise will cover the basics of what is often called 'chain mail' or 'chain maille'. Members will learn about the relationships between ring diameter and thickness for different results in Byzantine chain, as well as the possibilities of colour changes, and will then try out this chain pattern and see and possibly try other related patterns such as Inca and Persian chains.

Some tools will be available to borrow on the day and some materials will be available for people to buy on the day, but the following is a suggested materials list for those who would like to bring their own supplies for Sara's workshop:

• 1 x reel/spool of 0.6mm silver-plated wire (22 gauge)
• 1 x reel/spool 0.8mm silver-plated wire ( 20 gauge)
• coloured wires in the above gauges
• Any beads to decorate - preferably at least 10mm/12mm in size or bigger, plus a few small beads.
• Tools - small round nose pliers, chain (snipe) nose pliers plus a pair of small wire cutters.

The following is a suggested materials list for those who would like to bring their own supplies for Elise's workshop:
Two pairs of flat or snipe nose pliers (one of each is fine)

Selection of jump rings, ideally several colours in one size and thickness and/or several different sizes and thicknesses to try out different effects. bring at least 100 of one size, preferably more - there are c. 14 rings in one repeat of a Byzantine pattern so fewer won't get you very far.

Packs of high quality chain mail jump rings will be available to buy on the day.

Refreshments will be available all day but please bring a packed lunch for the Wire day.

If you would like to book a place on the wire workshop day, please let Carole Morris know as soon as possible (post, telephone or e-mail).

	Versions of Byzantine Chain