Expanding My Skills at Belle Boutique

I have been taking classes with the wonderful wire artist, Joanna Sipos of Belle Boutique. She offers a 4 week class on making jewellery with a definite lean towards working with wire. I have known Joanna for about 4 years and have been a huge fan since I first laid eyes on her work. Her use of colour and texture is very inspiring. I remember I kept looking at this choker necklace that had amethyst coloured beads wrapped with copper wire. I found this colour combo very intriguing... and eventually I bought it. I have quite a few of her pieces, necklaces, earrings, and rings. When she told me she was going to start teaching classes, I knew I HAD to be there!

Joanna Sipos and Stephanie Dixon

The first class was learning how to create wrapped and unwrapped loops, working with jumprings, playing with wire and eventually creating a unqiue bracelet. I took this first class twice, as I couldn't finish the series before Christmas due to illness. So, I have two bracelets!! Two Wire Bracelets

The second class we learned how to create our own chandelier earring wires. This was a ton of fun and everyone's creativity just exploded! I created my earrings using copper wire and a variety of salmon coloured beads. These earrings now bless the ears of my friend Mary Lyn's daughter! She is a gorgeous girl with long curly red hair.

Salmon Chandelier Earrings

When I entered the store/studio for the third class, beautiful stones were set up down the centre of the worktable. We each chose a stone that spoke to us. My stone is a mixed shade agate and absolutely beautiful with shades of cream, turquoise, brown and a smidge of purple and yellow. Joanna turned down the lights, turned up the soft and mesmerizing music and lead us through a meditation based on the chakras. It was wonderfully relaxing. I created a fab necklace using the Agate as a jumping off point.

Agate and Vintage Beads

One side

The other side

Tonight is the last class and it is a free for all, incorporating everything we have learned. I hate for this series of classes to end. And to add to this sadness, I can't attend tonight because I have the flu. Luckily, I can make up this session again too.

So, as I have been at home with the flu, in and out of bed, schlepping my way to the couch, I can not just lie there and watch TV, my hands need to be busy. I have a bead tray on the coffee table at all times, much to Tim's chagrin. But I started fiddling. Some of my best results are achieved through the release of kinetic energy. Here are some pics of what I made in the last two days:
Jasper, Fire Opal and Red Topaz Swarovskis with Copper Wire

Beautiful piece with filigree copper balls, Erinite Swarovski Bicone and Copper Wire Large Piece of Turquoise with 20 gauge wire

Goldstone, Fire Agate and Pink Lustre Gold Beads

Joanna is offering this series again in March. If you are interested in learning more about her, her work and classes, please visit her website: http://www.belleboutique.ca/