Introduction to Jewellery Making A Week of Jewellery Making Breaks in South Western France Beading Workshops and Wireworking

Jewellery Making Workshop Holidays in the Beautiful Aveyron in South Western France
£700 (including accommodation)
Featured in the Sunday Times Best 100 Summer Holidays 2011

A wonderful week of learning how to design and make your own jewellery using sterling silver, semi-precious beads, Swarovski crystal and freshwater pearls. These are ideal breaks for anyone interested learning the techniques to make their own jewellery, whether you are a complete beginner (in which case we will take you through all the basics) or a little more experienced, you will spend the week learning to make beautiful jewellery and take many wonderful pieces home with you. Workshops are kept small (1-4 people) to make sure you get lots of attention and you will have your own room in a cosy renovated cottage.

Students Work Photos - These are just some of the projects that students have made during our Week of Jewellery Workshops, please click here to visit our FaceBook page and see other examples of students work.

We generally meet at about 10am after breakfast and the workshops go on until about 5pm with a break for lunch (if it's sunny, outside in the garden overlooking a wonderful valley). Each day we will cover a number of projects, there will be lots of choice whilst making sure that we cover the basics and lots more.

Please remember that the itinerary below is just to give you an idea of the sort of projects covered, we are very flexible and projects can be swapped in and out according to your preferences.

Day 1
You will be met at the airport and (depending upon your arrival time) taken for a leisurely sightseeing drive on the way to La Vidalerie where you can settle into your room.

Day 2 - Earring workshop - Making your own Earrings, Findings (Ear Wires & Clasps), Dangles and Wire Bangles

After breakfast we will start by making a pair of wonderfully sparkly silver & bead 15 minute

earrings ! We will then spend the day making lots of earrings, learning how to make your own findings (various styles of ear wires and clasps out of silver wires) and generally getting used to using the tools. You will learn how to make fine silver headpins using a torch and the basics of wire wrapping to make dangles. Sterling silver & fine silver wire will be used along with your choice of semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals. Ideal opportunity to make earrings for friends, presents or to sell (we will be discussing various ways of selling during the week). In addition to the above there will be a project using silver plated wire where we make a couple of sparkly bangles.

Day 3 - Wire Wrapped Loop Bracelet

A chance to get to grips with this very useful technique - you will have lots of choice in beads from freshwater pearls to semi-precious or Swarovski and make a pretty pair of co-ordinating earrings.

Day 4 - Wire Rings & A Strung Bracelet or Necklace
Wire Rings - There are so many different designs with and without beadsand you will be able to tr

y many of them using silver plated wire, copper wire and semi-precious stones The afternoon will be spend designing and making a Strung Bracelet - we will look at the different types of beading wire, how to use gimp (french wire) and standard and tornado crimps and using crimp covers.

Day 5 - Free day for relaxing

Day 6 Charm/Dangle Bracelet, Necklace or Earrings
Lots of design choices are involved in this project, whether you make a bracelet, necklace, pendant or earrings we will be re-visiting making fine silver headpins with a torch (this will give you chance to build your confidence up using a torch). We will use sterling silver chain as the base and add pretty semi-precious stones, freshwater pearls or Swarovski crystal - You will design this yourself and make a pretty silver s clasp.

Day 7 - Copper Byzantine Bracelet and earrings

A lovely project which will introduce you to chain mail. Byzantine chain is a beautiful chain to make and wear. You will have the choice of making a heavier weight bracelet or a lighter one with semi-precious beads along with a pair of earrings (with silver and copper handmade earwires). Once you start making this chain it will be your favourite ! The rest of the day will be free to finish any projects or have a look around the local sites or just relax or work on other projects.

Day 8 - Departure
Depending upon your flight times we will have breakfast then a leisurely drive to Rodez Airport in good time for your flight.

What is Included:
Project materials (additional materials will be available for purchase)
Tuition
Loan of tools
Accommodation (own room)
Breakfasts & Lunches at La Vidalerie (meals, drinks etc taken whilst out and about are not included)
Transfers from and to Rodez airport

Not Included
Flights - Cheap flights via RyanAir to Rodez (http://www.ryanair.co.uk).
Dinner

Workshop Size
2 to 3 people (we prefer to keep the workshops small to make sure you get individual attention but larger groups or additional places can be easily arranged.)

How To Book
You can reserve a place on this workshop by paying a deposit of £40 via PayPal (please click the button below) or cheque

Aveyron is the fifth largest department in France but is 78th in terms of population - it really is a land of open spaces (a nature reserve covers one third of the department).

Stunning valley and breath taking scenery along with having 10 of the official “les plus beaux villages de France” (more than any other department) Aveyron is a photographers dream

There are many websites you could visit but here is a starting point:
http://www.cdt-aveyron.fr/uk/index.php.