- Est. 2003 -
We buy used jewellery tools and supplies
and gratefully accept donations
[email protected]
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What's it going to be? One day? Or day one!
More 2026 in person and online workshops are being updated.
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ABSTRACTING THE LANDSCAPE
NATURE RE-IMAGINED
SELF-PACED ONLINE VIDEO WORKSHOP
- YOU WILL BE GUIDED THROUGH 4 COMPLETE PAINTINGS
-BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
-PAINT AT YOUR OWN PACE AND ON YOUR OWN SCHEDULE
-SAVE MONEY, USE MOSTLY INEXPENSIVE ACRYLIC STUDENT GRADE PAINTS
-ALMOST 5 HOURS OF CONTENT
-WORKS IN PROGRESS: EXAMPLES OF WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS
DON'T GO AS PLANNED
- A FUN AND ENTERTAINING WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE- ENCOURAGING YOU TO PLAY WITH PAINT!
NO REFERENCE IMAGES REQUIRED, WE MAKE IT ALL UP
-LOOSEN UP, USING NONTRADITONAL TOOLS
-LOTS OF TIPS AND TECHNIQUES THAT YOU CAN BRING INTO YOUR OWN WORK
-LIFETIME ACCESS
FREE BONUS-CONNECT WITH GREG AND STUDENTS IN OUR PRIVATE COMMUNITY SPACE
$399.00 CAD plus tax where applicable.
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Thumbnails are actual or approximate representations of video demonstrations
About Greg: As a successful commercial illustrator and fine art painter Greg has sold more than 1500 paintings to date! His beautiful abstract landscape paintings resonate with his collectors and painters alike. Greg taught part time at the Milwaukee Institute of Art And Design and later at Hawkeye Community College for almost five years all the while working as a professional Illustrator. And he recently taught two, week long workshops for us on Vancouver Island.
He paints with a humorous, lighthearted approach and refers to his painting style as just "Playing with Paint".
He has been represented by galleries in North and South Carolina, Iowa and Wisconsin but now prefers to sell to his collectors and world wide through his Etsy shop at HargreavesArt.
FALL 2026 SILVERSMITH JEWELRY WORKSHOPS
WITH KELLY ALLANSON
Four fabulous projects!
Register for one, two, three or preferably all 4 days!
And as always they are filling fast!
$149.00 plus GST of $7.45 per day= $156.45 for EACH day
Plus a $50.00 material fee per day
to be paid directly to Kelly upon commencement.
Dates:
Friday OCT 30,2026 / Fold Form Cuff -SORRY FULL
Saturday OCT 31, 2026 / Soft Square Pendant - 2 spaces open
Sunday NOV 1, 2026/ Orbit Ring - SORRY FULL
MONDAY, November 2, 2026 / Sandcast Stones In Place- 1 space open now as we have had a cancellation.
NEW! SECOND SANDCASTING WORKSHOP NOW ON TUESDAY NOV 3RD - 0NLY 1 SPACE LEFT
EMAIL ME TO SIGN UP: [email protected]
If there is enough demand we will repeat these workshops
Get on the waitlist. email [email protected]
Join us for our fun, skill building workshops and leave proudly wearing what you make!
Or make something for someone special as a treasured gift
If you know, you know. We sell out fast! This is our 11th year!
Or make something for someone special as a treasured gift
If you know, you know. We sell out fast! This is our 11th year!
GORGEOUS FOLDFORMED CUFFS Day 1 Friday, OCTOBER 30th
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Time to play!
You'll find this workshop fun and easy... And pretty! No two are ever the same! Spend the day exploring several key approaches to the element of foldforming. The techniques utilized in foldforming through the manipulation of a single sheet of metal truly bring your pieces to life just with simple folds and bends that are built on top of each other. We will step it up a notch by incorporating hammer textures and cut outs, which will bring a whole other dimension to your creations. |
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Not to mention when we stack torch fired patinas on-top of all your folds and textures, the cuffs continue to build in both design and beauty.
Flame patinas can create a varity of beautiful colours on your metal as seen in the photos. Kelly will share how to protect them and keep the colors from changing. Join us and make some really eye catching cuffs all while learning the art of fold forming. For an additional fee you can make your cuff in sterling silver! $85 for a 6"x 1" 26ga sheet ss $65 for 6" x 3/4" 26ga sheet ss $43 for 6" x 1/2" 26ga sheet ss |
HINGED SOFT SQUARE PENDANT Day 2 Saturday October, 31
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When fun meets function!
This soft square pendant is a great opportunity to learn how to work with soft-cornered bezel-set stones. By shifting our design focus from the pendant itself to the bail is what makes this pendant a little different from the usual. Sometimes, going with the unexpected can add quite an impacrt without actually having to add a lot of embellishments. We will create visual and tactile interest in our pieces just by playing with the bails. Through a few adjustments and with a bit of imagination, we will learn a few different ways to bring interest to those simple pieces we all love to wear, |
Front
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Back
Kelly will go over a couple of hinged bail options with you and you will each select one style to make for yourselves. One option is that the stone is able to twirl on its bail!
As always, there will be a nice selection of natural cabochons for you to choose from and everything will be fabricated in sterling silver.
As always, there will be a nice selection of natural cabochons for you to choose from and everything will be fabricated in sterling silver.
ORBIT RING Day 3 Sunday , November 1st
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Bring a little whimsy and a whole lotta wow into your ring creations!
With so many ring designs out there, we can always find a way to set stones a little differently that will bring attention to your design and steer away from the traditional. This project is all about that. You will get to explore using positive and negative space, which is always a favorite! You will create a "floating stone" that's suspended off the ring band using balls that will serve as function but also become part of the design. The balls will add decoration but also security. |
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First, you'll select your round or oval cabochon. (Kelly will have plenty to choose from.) Then, its time to melt some uniform balls to use as embellishments. These will also secure the stone onto the ring after which you will cut out a negative space to really make the gemstone pop! From here, you'll be adding wire and more balls to act as a counterbalance to the floating cabochon and the negative space. Balance isn't the main focus when it comes to jewelry, but it's definitely an underlying theme that jewellers use every day without even really thinking about it.
You may choose from either style! |
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SAND CASTING WITH STONES IN PLACE - Day 4 Monday, November 2
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Sorry full. Jump on our waitlist below and we will repeat it once a minimun enrollment is met.
Come play in a fiery way! Spend the day exploring casting stones in place. You will have the chance to create cute little pendants or charms with accent stones or sterling silver rings! Each student will receive 15 grams of sterling silver for one project (or tiny projects) but additional silver can be purchased if you have the time and or desire to make a ring or any additional pieces. You are welcome to bring your own scrap silver to melt if you like! Must be examined and okayed by instructor before use to avoid contamination, etc. |
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The first half of the day you will spend learning the the ins and outs of the sand casting process. See what shapes and forms work best. You will then learn how to include stones (cubic zirconias) and the best ways to get them to stay put during casting! You will also learn about the different types of stones that are suitable for high temperature casting.
Once your casting/s have been created, we will add bails or final touches and learn how to best polish and finish off your creations. Kelly will have lots of items you can use as forms in the sand but you are welcome to bring your own treasures to cast too. Think twigs, shells, game pieces, etc. Kelly will have 3D ring molds on hand to use too but this may require more than the supplied 15 grams of silver! |
DAY 1 FOLDFORM CUFF - FRIDAY October 30 / SORRY FULL
DAY 2 SOFT SQUARE PENDANT Saturday, October 31 / 2 spaces open
DAY 3 ORBIT RING Sunday, November 1 / Sorry full
DAY 4 SAND CASTING WITH STONES IN PLACE - Monday, November 2 / One space now: we had a cancellation
Day 5 NEW Just added. SECOND SANDCASTING WORKSHOP ON TUESDAY NOV 3RD - only 1 space open
$149.00 plus $7.45 GST = $156.45 for EACH day
(Plus $50.00 EACH day cash upon commencement paid to Kelly for kit materials and consumables.)
Payment is due in full.
E transfer to [email protected] And indicate which dates you signed up for.
or if you prefer to pay with credit card via Pay Pal there is an additonal 4% handling fee added. Please email me for the total. Prefer a payment plan? Email me here: [email protected]
Hours 10-5 daily
Nanaimo - 1520 Stewart Avenue
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SAVE THE DATES - 2027
OUR SPRING WEEK LONG SILVERSMITH INTENSIVE WORKSHOP DATES ARE:
2027 Session 1 MARCH 11- 15 THURSDAY - MONDAY OR 2027 Session 2 MARCH 18- 22 THURSDAY - MONDAY
DAY 2 SOFT SQUARE PENDANT Saturday, October 31 / 2 spaces open
DAY 3 ORBIT RING Sunday, November 1 / Sorry full
DAY 4 SAND CASTING WITH STONES IN PLACE - Monday, November 2 / One space now: we had a cancellation
Day 5 NEW Just added. SECOND SANDCASTING WORKSHOP ON TUESDAY NOV 3RD - only 1 space open
$149.00 plus $7.45 GST = $156.45 for EACH day
(Plus $50.00 EACH day cash upon commencement paid to Kelly for kit materials and consumables.)
Payment is due in full.
E transfer to [email protected] And indicate which dates you signed up for.
or if you prefer to pay with credit card via Pay Pal there is an additonal 4% handling fee added. Please email me for the total. Prefer a payment plan? Email me here: [email protected]
Hours 10-5 daily
Nanaimo - 1520 Stewart Avenue
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SAVE THE DATES - 2027
OUR SPRING WEEK LONG SILVERSMITH INTENSIVE WORKSHOP DATES ARE:
2027 Session 1 MARCH 11- 15 THURSDAY - MONDAY OR 2027 Session 2 MARCH 18- 22 THURSDAY - MONDAY
Introduction to Silver Metal Clay
Mary Stewart
Example of what you can make with 10 grams of silver metal clay
Join us for this fun and exciting beginners metal clay workshop!
No experience required.
No experience required.
Silver clay is made up of microscopic real silver clay particles, a nontoxic organic binder and water. Initially it is a soft moldable "clay" but once fired becomes solid pure .999 fine silver! Magic!
You will design, form, refine, fire and finish your pieces in this workshop. Learn to roll out your clay to the correct thickness, form balls, make jump rings, roll snakes, (not that kind) use templates, textures, layering, cutters, stamps, hand polish and more. Any of these techniques may be used in combination.
We will use a small butane torch to fire your pure fine silver pieces and you can wear them home. (If you prefer not use a torch we can fire your pieces for you.) Working with metal clay requires only a minimal amount of tools and supplies.
You will design, form, refine, fire and finish your pieces in this workshop. Learn to roll out your clay to the correct thickness, form balls, make jump rings, roll snakes, (not that kind) use templates, textures, layering, cutters, stamps, hand polish and more. Any of these techniques may be used in combination.
We will use a small butane torch to fire your pure fine silver pieces and you can wear them home. (If you prefer not use a torch we can fire your pieces for you.) Working with metal clay requires only a minimal amount of tools and supplies.
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Think charms, dog tags, key chain, earrings, pendant or embellishments. The photo of the finished pieces is for example only but all of the pieces were created out of one 10 gram package. The dime is for size reference.
***Your number of finished pieces may vary. Workshop fee includes 10 grams of silver metal clay. which can be hallmarked. |
You must sign a waiver upon commencement. 19 or older
October
Saturday October 17, 10 - 2
Sunday October 18, 10 - 2
Saturday October 24, 10 - 2
Sunday October 25, 10-2
More dates announced soon.
Email me with preferred date/s at [email protected] or text me at 250-714-8080
$285.00 + gst tax of $14.25 = $299.25 Includes a 10 gram pack of Art Clay Fine Silver.
Also available for private events.
1520 Stewart Avenue, Nanaimo
Saturday October 17, 10 - 2
Sunday October 18, 10 - 2
Saturday October 24, 10 - 2
Sunday October 25, 10-2
More dates announced soon.
Email me with preferred date/s at [email protected] or text me at 250-714-8080
$285.00 + gst tax of $14.25 = $299.25 Includes a 10 gram pack of Art Clay Fine Silver.
Also available for private events.
1520 Stewart Avenue, Nanaimo