Beaducation Instructor Janice Berkebile on LOVE

We love our Beaducation Faculty. LOVE THEM. Each one is super-creative, talented and really knows how to teach.

Pictured L to R are: Tracey Stanley (coming to Beaducation, soon), Jill Wiseman (also coming REALLY soon), Kate Richbourg, Dallas Lovett, Barb Switzer, Colin Mahler, 

Janice Berkebile and Lisa Claxton.

We asked instructor Janice Berkebile to write a guest blog post for us.

Disclaimer** There is a lot of LOVE thrown around in this post. Take caution as it may make you smile, or your day a bit brighter.

Janice, you're on!

This month's theme is LOVE, so I am going to tell you why I LOVE my job. I get to play with wire and metal for a living. That rocks!

Lilies and Leaves is the first class I designed after sheet metal came into the bead store I was working in. What I found is that metal seemingly so strong, is really quite malleable. Metal is the perfect place to add texture to a piece, by either hammering with texturing hammers or by stamping. Have you felt those Fretz Hammers? So beautiful and functional too! (Of course, I LOVE them.) The stamps that are being produced these days are phenomenal, in both design and structure. The dies have improved so much since I started stamping. (I LOVE to stamp on metal.)

Once metal is textured, then it is possible to form it. In this piece, I use my pliers to get the conical form. I wanted to lace this piece together after it was formed, so I punched holes using the hand held hole punches in both sides to accommodate the lacing before I began the forming. I lace this piece together using wire, my thread of choice. (I LOVE wire!)

Once I have the Lily made then I fill it with loads of pearls and semiprecious beads. I am wearing that piece by the afternoon. (I LOVE instant gratification.)

 

A good work day for me includes hammering. In my classes, I have not found one woman who doesn’t love hammering!  I get to texture and stamp and form metal, and then wrap it up with wire, my perfect day. What’s not to LOVE about that?

Indeed! Thanks Janice for your lovely thoughts! 

We think you will love shaping and hammering metal, too! To get started, Lilies and Leaves, is included in our February "Classes We Love" promotion. This class is just ONE of THREE classes that are 20% off this month. The special runs today through Friday, February 18 and includes Lilies and Leaves, Fleur de Link and Unbreakable Heart Pendant.