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Art and Soul Portland Retreat 2026

Once again I will have some soldering classes available at the Art and Soul Portland Retreat next year in March 2026. I have five class offerings, three soldered jewelry classes and two soldered art classes. My week there always starts off with Soldering 101 so that those that have never soldered before can “dip into” the art of soldering with all the basic tips and tricks to the art. Click on the class name below photo/image to lead you to the class descriptions and costs. SOLDERING 101 SOLDERED BOOK NECKLACE …

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Fallbrook, California Classes

I will be heading south to Fallbrook, California in November 2025 to teach some soldering classes for Vintage Retail Therapy by Mara Lafay.  They are fun classes. One day we will be soldering bottles and crystals together and the next day will be soldered crowns. The soldered crown class project can be a piece that is a reflection of you and your creativity.  If you have personal photos or images you would like to use, they can be added inside the glass before being soldered. These are just a couple …

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Upland, California Classes in September 2025

This coming September 19, 20, & 21, 2025, I will once again be teaching at the Frank Garcia Studio in Upland, CA. I have two classes offered.  One is a soldered pumpkin with a diorama scene inside and the other is a Halloween themed soldered wall art project. The Halloween Dreams soldered pumpkin begins Friday, September 19th at 4pm – 7pm where we will prepare our pumpkins for creating our dioramas on Saturday, September 20th at 10am – 4pm.  You will be able to create your pumpkin the way you …

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My Studio Space

My studio has evolved over the past 10 years.  Once an aqua color, then a small sunroom space, and now a two-room area.  When we moved into our (new to us) log home 3 years ago, we built our master bedroom on the main floor, thus I was able to claim the original master bedroom on the second floor.  This room also has a small sunroom off of the glass slider door that overlooks the whole valley.  I am lucky to sit at a desk that offers beautiful views of …

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Classes Offered in 2024

I am looking forward to my teaching schedule for 2024 as it will be a busy one filled with lots of new workshops, both soldered art and soldered jewelry ones.  All of them are taking place in the U.S.A. with the first one in Portland, Oregon. Art and Soul Portland I have four classes I am teaching at Art and Soul Retreats in April. The classes being offered are: Soldering 101, Soldered Relic Box, Soldered Jewelry Box (2-day class), and Soldered Circle Necklace w/Queen Anne’s lace. My Creative Nest Studio …

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Art & Soul Portland Workshops 2023

This coming spring and fall 2023 I have several classes available to choose from at the Art and Soul Portland Retreats.  There is a spring one (April 11 – 19) and a fall one (October 8 – 15).  I am offering both soldered jewelry and soldered art workshops at both. One of the classes I recommend taking if you are a first timer to soldering, is the Soldering 101 workshop. In this class you will learn the basics of soldering which will give you the foundation for continuing in the …

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Faux Tin Type Art

While antiquing I am always on the hunt for vintage tin type photos. These precious little tin photos have always inspired my jewelry and art pieces with the stories they tell. Finding these gems is beginning to be more of a process than before as there aren’t that many around. Using a technique I learned years ago and am now finally putting into practice, I am able to recreate the appearance of a tin type photo using photos from my vintage stash. Because these are created on tin, it is …

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Mixed Metals

In my pieces I love to mix different metals. Copper, brass, and silver are among my favorites to work with.  When I find inspiration from an object or from a photo, I make a mental note of it for using in a future piece of jewelry. Take for instance these cuffs.  I purchased some blank brass cuffs in different widths a while back. I also purchased a lot of different size chains in different metals and they have been sitting around just waiting to be made into something. I knew …

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Summer Collection

Every summer I scour the highways and side roads for wildflowers to use in the jewelry I make. Queen Anne’s Lace grows prolific here in my area, so it is not hard to find. Last year I picked a bounty of it and now I am in the process of creating some pieces with them. I love these wildflowers because of their natural color palette and how organic they look once soldered inside glass pendants. They are a favorite of many of my customers, me included. This new summer collection …

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Keepsake Box

Coming soon to the shop will be these keepsake boxes. Expanding on my creating keepsakes line, these are perfect for those who would like a home decor item instead of a jewelry piece. These sweet boxes are personalized with your keepsake photo set in resin inside of a resin frame affixed on top of a book box. These boxes can hold special items like old letters, photos, jewelry, or your tv remote! They make the perfect coffee table decor. What special photo would you use? Does it hold a special …