1. society

Florida Society of Goldsmiths Winter 2015
SAVE THE
DATE
June 13-19
Wildacres
2015
FSG Newsletter Winter 2015 edition
inside this issue
Message from the President 2
Director’s Perspective 3
Northwest chapter 4
westcoast chapter 4
south chapter 5
southeast chapter 5
southwest chapter 7
Northeast chapter 8
Gemological institute of
america report 10
electroplating -is it really as
easy as some people say? 11
Modern Masters
October 5-11
2015
Florida Society of Goldsmiths
FSG4U.com | 719 CENTRAL AVENUE | ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33701 | (727) 822-7872 X2128
The Florida Society of Goldsmiths is a not-forprofit organization created by metalsmiths to
aid and support other metalsmiths through
meetings, publicity, workshops and exhibitions; to provide metalsmiths with opportunities
for education and exchange of information; to
broaden public knowledge, awareness, and
appreciation of fine quality hand-crafted metal
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work, including, but not limited to, jewelry.
The Florida Society of Goldsmiths is open to
all. We welcome artists that work in all metals
as well as other jewelry artists using other
mediums. We strive to offer a friendly environment where creativity is encouraged and supported through social and educational events
throughout the US.
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Message from the President
Molly Strader
The National Metalsmiths
Hall of Fame was the
brainchild of Phil London,
the first President of the
Florida Society of Goldsmiths. This top award was
created to honor metalsmiths with
exceptional careers, recognize others for their
significant achievements in related fields, and to
foster an appreciation for the metalsmithing field.
Nominees are selected from four categories:
studio metalsmiths/designers; metal arts educators; individuals or couples who have contributed
significantly to the advancement of contemporary
metalsmithing; and business patrons.
The sterling silver tessellated pine cone trophy
was designed and created by Julia Woodman,
who was the first American while working with
Faberge’ masters to be certified Master Silversmith in Finland.
A few of the distinguished members of the FSG
National Metalsmiths Hall of Fame Since the initiation of this award in 1999 include: Alan Revere,
May Ann Scherr, Heikki Seppä, John Cogswell,
Bob Ebendorf, Jean Stark, and Mary Lee Hu.
On January 15, 2015 we added a new name to
the list, Mary Schimpff-Webb.
Mary Schimpff-Webb began studying jewelry
making at a very early age. She, along with her
mother Frances Schimpff, an accomplished artist
and jewelry maker, worked privately with goldsmiths, jewelry makers, stone setters and enamel
artists. These experiences greatly influenced
her during her formative years and served as a
catalyst for her career in jewelry making.
a four-time winner of the De Beers Diamonds
International Award for Unusual Design, membership to the exclusive Diamonds International
Academy, and an invitation to participate in an
annual traveling exhibition featuring repeat De
Beers Diamonds International winners.
After her mother passed away in 1987, Mary
Schimpff-Webb continued the family tradition
along with husband Bruce Webb. In the early
1990’s together they founded the Northeast
Chapter of the Florida Society of Goldsmiths with
Ms Mary serving as the first President and later
organizing the first Winter Workshop in 1996.
Ms Schimpff-Webb has been plying her art form
for more than 40 years. She draws much of her
inspiration from nature, and is a perfectionist
whose modern designs are based on the integration of form and function. Her use of colorful
stones, that she has cut herself, are assembled
on opposing planes to create rings with incredible sculptural quality. During her prolific career,
Ms Schimpff-Webb has continued to challenge
herself with new styles and techniques to apply
to her work and has firmly established herself as
a fine craftsman of modernist jewelry.
I was pleased to announce for The Florida
Society of Goldsmiths the induction ofMary
Schimpff Webb into the National Metalsmiths Hall
of Fame.
The team of Mary Schimpff-Web and her mother
Frances Schimpff were at the forefront of the
American Modernist jewelry movement. They
began to experiment with mixing gold and
platinum, which was unheard of at the time. The
pair was frequently recognized for their exceptional talents, earning many prestigious awards
honors throughout their careers. Including being
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Director’s Perspective
Jean Marie DeSpiegler
Selling is so much
like going on a
first blind date with
someone.” I read this
great quote on Orchid but
I am sorry that I didn’t grab their name. After listening to Bruce Baker’s workshop on selling and
helping two different jewelers at art shows, I can
summarize some rules that will help.
First you have to read the body language. Then
you have to ‘perform’ accordingly. Some customers want to be entertained, others left to imagine
where and how they would wear your work. A
smile and a hello is a great ice-breaker; but
silence afterward can keep them focused.
Don’t stand with your arms crossed or looking
anything but happy. There is an actual term
called “Resting Bitchy Face” – shocking, but I
am shocked when those same faces smile back
at me how warm and inviting they look.
Stand up straight! Show confidence that your
work is great!
Treat each piece you handle as this is the most
precious object in the world. Others will do the
same. This may require a velvet cushion or a
simple elegant mannerism, but treat it like a oneof-a-kind. You may even gently wipe the piece
down after you show it.
If they have tried on one of your best sellers,
offer to get them a pristine one from inventory.
Don’t ask about the jewelry that they are already
wearing unless they mention looking for something to compliment it. The idea is to keep them
focused on your work.
Don’t look bored, reading a book, or playing on
your phone.
Don’t wear sunglasses. Trust requires eye
contact. But a great hat can start a conversation!
Dress like your customer will when they wear
your jewelry – then actually wear it! If you create
for the opposite sex, have a model/salesperson
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wearing it to show how it moves or lies on the
body.
Never assume the well dressed person is your
high-end customer. The wealthy don’t have to
show off and usually try to downplay what they
have.
Buy or listen again to Bruce Baker’s CDs on
selling. He has some wonderful phrases that will
help with most situations. http://bbakerinc
.com/ No affiliation or paid promotion, I just
love his work!
Have some prices showing at the very least.
This will make customers feel more at ease.
Does your work convey a feeling or have a
story? Share it! People love the story and want to
share that through your work.
Emphasize the craftsmanship that makes it
unique, even if you make hundreds of them.
You are selling an emotional experience like joy,
love, status, or exclusivity; gently remind your
customer why they are interested.
Don’t discount your price. This signals that you
don’t feel the work is worth what you are asking.
Artisan Jewelry is a luxury item; they are not
going to starve by paying full price. Emphasize
exclusivity as a response to a request for a
discount.
Explain everything that is extraordinary about
your work; this justifies your price.
If your prices are as low as you can make them,
you may be surprised that raising your price will
raise its perceived value and lead to more sales.
Do not offer your website as another shopping
opportunity. That encourages them to wait, and
think about it. Chances are won’t remember
by the time they get home. Imply this is their
chance to get it before it is gone.
Finally, never ever apologize for your prices. If
this were easy everyone would do it.
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
V
CHapter news
Northwest chapter
Happy New Year from the NorthWest Chapter!
2015 begins a new adventure for the FSG
Members located in the Panhandle. Last fall
we had the sad task of closing our working and
teaching studio after many years and a number
of locations around Tallahassee. It has and will
be a rough adjustment for many of our members,
the cost of keeping the studio open was not
possible at this time. We have placed almost all
our furniture, tools and equipment in storage for
the time being while we look at a number of possibilities to have a working studio again.
Down but not out, I think closing the studio
will give the Chapter other opportunities to get
together without the constant financial burden.
We will be meeting soon to look into perhaps
joining another group that has a large workshop,
holding weekend workshops or retreats at
various locations in town, meeting at members’
studios, etc. Hopefully by the next newsletter, I
will have all sorts of new and exciting news from
the NorthWest Chapter.
We had a number of Chapter Members participate in local arts shows over the holiday season.
Marcia Jensen, Cathy Corredor and myself were
part in Artist’s in the Garden two day Art show at
the Tallahassee Nurseries in November. Lou and
Catherine Schneider, were part of the LeMoyne
Center for the Visual Arts, annual Holiday Show.
Kristin Anderson will be showing her work at the
LeMoyne Center for Visual Arts from February
1 – 28, 2015.
West Coast Chapter
SAVE THE DATE!!
Wildacres 2015
June 13-19
Come join us up on the mountain!! More to
follow.
Have anything you would like to donate to our
Wildacres auction? Interested in volunteering?
Please contact the West Coast Chapter!
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
SOutheast Chapter
We just had a beautiful catered Holiday luncheon at Davie Women’s Club. There were grab bags
galore filled with jewelry tools, two cash prizes, a filigree demonstration and new member display of
unusual cabochon cut stones!
CLASSES FSGSE will be having:
Tom Muir Creative Mechanisms Feb 27-Mar 1
Cynthia Eid Hydraulic press-silhouette dies, corrugation, & micro forming
March 27-29
Julia Woodman Tesselations April 27-29
Classes will be held at Susan Lewis’ Studio in Ft. Lauderdale. Some housing can be provided by our
members. Go to www.fsgse.com for more details, prices and pictures
SOuth CHAPTER
Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the
thrill of creative effort,”
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
This year we acquired a degree of knowledge, skills and experience that surpassed our
expectations. The credit goes to excellent demos by our members and the exceptional
and inspiring workshops of Marilynn Nicholson, Ronda Coryell, Jean Marie DeSpiegler and
Sam Patania.
The final workshop of the year was that of Sam Patania, October 23rd through 26th, and
the vote was unanimous: It was “Outstanding”.
On December 12th, we gathered to celebrate the Holidays during
Happy Hour at the Devon Restaurant and enjoyed good company
by the lake.
We invite you to visit our website:
www.floridasocietyofgoldsmithssouth.com
Presently, we are planning 2015. We are looking forward to
continual growth in the New Year.
south chapter
upcoming classes
on next page
facebook.com/miamimetalclayartists
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
SOuth CHAPTER Continued
Kevin Odwyer
Anticlastic Raising - Bracelet
Thursday and Friday, March 26 & 27, 2015
$250 early bird registration
In this workshop you will learn the basics of anticlastic raising. This process allows
you to create exceptionally strong, flexible, lightweight, and organic-looking forms.
Kevin will focus on “open” or “monoshell” forms made from single pieces of thin sheet
metal, working to create striking 3- dimensional forms.
Kevin O’Dwyer
Keepsake Locket/Memory Box
Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29, 2015
During this workshop we will make a locket/memory box that incorporates
hinging and a clasp. This workshop will incorporate a variety of box making
skills including fabrication, forming, hinging and finishing.
Student Will Learn: Forming, fabrication, advanced soldering techniques,
hinging and precision fitting of parts.
Carol Webb
Bi-Metal Photo Etching Workshop
June 12-15, 2015
In this 3 day workshop, students will be taught how to make bi-clad metal sheets
out of copper and either Sterling or fine silver. Students will have the opportunity
to use PNP paper and a Teflon griddle to apply an image resist on to the metal
sheet. These will be etched through the copper to the silver leaving the design in
the copper. The bi-clad laminate can then be used to create future works of art.
Marne Ryan
Patterning & Fusing Bangles Sterling Silver Workshop
Thursday and Friday, September 24 & 25, 2015
Patterning & Fusing Pendant/Earring Sterling Silver
Workshop
Saturday and Sunday, September 26 & 27, 2015
$250.00 early bird
contact [email protected] for class information
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
SOuthwest
Chapter
The South West Chapter continues to have after meeting events and/or demos, such as
faceting, Crystal wire wrapping, Gold plating, and all sorts of hands-on demos.
We have open studio Saturdays on the 3rd Saturday of the month and in January we are
starting “ring of the month or two“ making different styles of rings. Or you can come and do
your own thing also. Cost is $10
Meetings are on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Cape Coral Arts Studio. Guests are always
welcome at our meetings 6-8 PM. Any questions please Call Bob at 239-292-1719
The Cape Coral Arts Studio is at 4533 Coronado Pkwy Cape Coral, FL 33904.
Our Christmas party was lots of fun; We exchanged gifts that were ornaments with a
theme of Christmas under the sea.
Bob Small, President SW
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
NOrtheast Chapter
The Northeast Chapter would like to thank all of our instructors, students, volunteers, and those who
donated to our auction for making our 18th annual Winter Workshop in New Symrna Beach a huge
success. It was a fun week and the student work looked fantastic. We had classes in Cloissone Enamel,
Wire Weaving, Line and Link, Pewter, and the Hydraulic Press. We’re looking forward to next year- if you’d
like to get involved with planning Winter Workshop 2016, contact [email protected]
In February and March, we are offering workshops in copper etching, sawing and piercing, glass fusion,
and a series on bezel making. Visit www.fsgne.com for class information.
March 15th 11-5pm is the DeLand Indie Market event right outside of our studio- members will be setting
up tables to exhibit their work and offering demonstrations. Everyone is invited to join in the fun.
Our members are awesome! Thank you over and over again to those who have volunteered their time
and talents to teach workshops and demos, donated work to sell for the benefit of the chapter, and
helped us pack, haul, and set up our tools and equipment for Winter Workshop. We couldn’t do it without
you.
facebook.com/fsgne
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
“A different ‘feel’ – in a
positive way – over Arrowmont,
Touchstone, Penland”
“Winter Workshop
is my favorite”
“I wait all
year for this
week”
“FSG Northeast did a
fantastic job – you were
outstanding”
Winter Workshop 2015
“Amazed at how
hard the volunteers
work”
You’re making us blush….
As we crunch the numbers and collapse in the afterglow of another Winter
Workshop, we carefully turn our gaze to what the student surveys say, and
wow — you’re making us blush with your compliments.
Of course we love getting the rave reviews, but we value your constructive
criticism, too. We learn with every comment and suggestion and will incorporate changes wherever possible. Your suggestions for future instructors are
invaluable as planning begins for Winter Workshop 2016 and classes at our
studio. If you haven’t yet returned your survey, please share your thoughts with
us any time.
All we can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. The generosity of our
students, faculty and volunteers made this one of our most financially successful events, too. Every auction donation —and every person who bids with enthusiasm— helps build
the foundation for the next event. Your spirited participation really matters and we truly appreciate
your support.
If you missed it, our Winter Workshop website is still active www.fsgwinterworkshop.weebly.com
so you can read about our classes and instructors to see what it’s all about. Be sure to catch the
smiling faces on the class photos, too!
Here’s what you’ve said about our instructors:
Linda Darty:Excellent teacher – gives 100%, dedicated to class, patient, encouraging
Joanne Hernandez:
TOTALLY prepared, great teaching style, willingness to share
Jeanie Pratt:Would take any class she’s willing to teach! Generous. Goes the extra step
Lisa Slovis Mandel:Very enthusiastic, excellent instructor, lots of individual attention
Paulette Werger:Highest marks! Best teacher experience to date! Got over my fear of Argentium
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Gemological Institute of America
Report
Kristina Weick
After so
many years
of making
and repairing jewelry,
I became
fascinated
with vintage
and antique
jewelry. Having a Certification
in Gemology is the only way I
could add this to my career. I
had the idea I was too old to go
to school, but that changed.
Last January I applied to Gemological Institute of America for
a scholarship. I had 4 people
write letters of recommendation
and was selected. I proceeded
to save my money and make
reservations for 3 Lab Classes
at the Carlsbad Campus in California. It was August 2014 for
Diamond Grading, Gem Identification, and Colored Stone
Grading. I was determined that
with the scholarship, I could
actually pull this off. I hustled to
make the goal reality.
The experience at Carlsbad
was unbelievable with it’s
museum of gem stones and
180 degree view of the Pacific
Ocean. The facility is beautiful
and the instructors could not
be more qualified and helpful.
Each Lab Class consisted of 24
students and 2 instructors.
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The first Lab Class was
Diamond Grading. The first
couple days I was a little
insecure, however, by the 3rd
day I felt an overwhelming
feeling that I had made the best
decision of my life. After three
weeks of classroom I passed
the Labs. I am currently taking
Colored Stone Essentials, an
online course. With 2 more
courses I pass, I will have a
Graduate Gemology Certification. Hopefully, I will finish this
year.
I want to take this opportunity to
thank Jean Marie for her continued encouragement. Also, FSG
members have been an inspiration to me as well.
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Electroplating - Is it Really
as Easy as Some People Say?
Karen Tweedie
Why I am even thinking of doing this:
I spent half a day with an FSG jeweler friend,
Deb Blazer, who plates about twice a week.
She generously walked me through her process
and I took detailed notes. After watching her, I
felt fairly confident I could do this; and decided
to give it a go. After all, she does this all the
time with beautiful results, so is there any
reason I can’t do this, too? I generally send my
pieces out to be plated, which is a full collection
of several hundred pieces at a time. I occasionally have the need to plate just a few pieces, so
learning to do this in my studio seemed logical
solution.
Day 1: Everything has arrived. I have all my
boxes unpacked. I do have to say that unpacking the bottle that was inside a bag, which was
inside the tin can that was inside the bag on
the inside of the box which was inside of the
other box with “HazMat” stickers plastered all
over the place, was more than a little bit disconcerting! Sheesh, at least nothing spilled as
I wasn’t wearing gloves. Should I have been
wearing gloves when I was unpacking? That
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thought never occurred to me. I ordered all my
equipment and supplies from the same vendor
and my friend thoughtfully provided me with
a detailed list of what I needed. I even double
checked with Tech Support before placing the
order and added in a few more beakers and
made some more notes. The tech support guy
said electroplating was very simple, and gave
me a few tips to avoid the bane of electroplaters’ existence: contamination. He said using
distilled water instead of tap water lessens the
chance of spotting. Note to self: get a lot of
distilled water! Knowing that contamination is
the enemy of plating, I made a plastic cover
to protect all of my plating supplies since my
studio isn’t exactly pristine 24/7.
I had thought I would jump right into my first
plating experiment as soon as I unpacked
everything, but maybe I should review the steps
before heading back into the studio…
I watched some videos online from the supplier
and compared those to my notes from watching
my friend, from reading the equipment info and
from the tech support guy. I thought there were
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Florida Society of Goldsmiths Winter 2015
6 steps, and now I’m counting
12? It looks like a few more
steps than I thought. My friend
made this look so easy… I
better bring a calculator to the
studio to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Honestly, I am
feeling quite nervous. ..
Let’s talk about the chemicals:
The nickel pre-plating solution
for preparing silver to be gold
plated comes already mixed.
Two other solutions come as
a powder in a bottle to which
you add distilled water, and
the gold plating solution (which
is in a cyanide solution), is a
pint of liquid that gets poured
into a large bottle with a pint of
distilled water. I have read the
warning sheets that accompanied the chemicals and I will
take all necessary precautions.
I think it is time for a trip to the
store for 2 gallons of distilled
water. Plus I need a digital
timer…
Beaker Madness: I think if any
of my jeweler friends saw my
“set up” they would laugh, but
I am all set with everything and
have labeled and color coded
all of my beakers. I am not sure
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how many people would do
this, but I am trying to make it
as easy as possible for myself.
The tech support guy said that
often people skip a step unintentionally, so I am hoping my
labels will keep me straight. I
have labeled one beaker “electroclean 150 degrees, 6 v, 1
min” so I know the temperature, voltage, and time in that
solution. I then labeled another
beaker “distilled water to follow
electroclean” and so forth. I
want to make sure that I have
separate distilled water beakers
to follow each chemical to cut
down on the contamination potential. I know that my labeling
is a bit of overkill probably to
most folks, but for me, it makes
it tons easier. Also, I think a lot
of people don’t use separately
beakers of distilled water for
each step but the tech guys
told me that it really helps keep
contamination at a minimum.
If you think about it, if you dip
something into an electrocleaning solution, then into distilled
water, some of that electrocleaning solution is now in your
water. If you then dip your piece
into nickle preplate solution,
then back into the same distilled water, you are now mixing
a bit of nickle solution and
electrocleaning solution in that
distilled water, which isn’t good.
It can contaminate your piece.
I have 5 different beakers set
up just for distilled water, which
looks like overkill, but I want
to do the electroplating once
and get it right, rather than do
it, have spots, have to repolish
the piece, reclean it, and redo. I
don’t have time or the patience
for that!!
Day 2: Truthfully, it has taken
me a few weeks to get to “Day
2”. I have had a real approachavoidance thing going on here.
I’m not sure if it is the cyanide,
hooking up the black and red
electrical wires, or what, but I
have really been nervous about
trying this. And I thought this
was going to be easy?? This
afternoon I just decided it was
time to face my fears (plus, I
have a minor fortune tied up
in all the supplies, so I better
figure out how to use them!).
I pulled out two sterling silver
charm castings that I made a
number of years ago to use as
my first experimental pieces.
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Florida Society of Goldsmiths Winter 2015
I cleaned them very well and
avoided getting any oil from
my hands on them by wearing
gloves. I decided that I would
try two different voltages with
the gold, as the voltage determines the color and I etched
the voltages on the backs of
the two pieces so later I’d know
which was which.
I started getting out all the
beakers and filling the appropriate ones with distilled water.
Heck, everyone says this is
really simple, so I was feeling
pretty sure I would be able to
do it. But when I pulled out
the stainless steel anode and
the nickel anode, they looked
suspiciously similar to me. I
quickly whipped out some
letter stamps and hammered
“NICKEL” and “STEEL” on them,
just to make sure I didn’t mix
them up. The third one, for the
gold, looks completely different,
so I won’t mix that one up.
Step one: Turn on the heating
element and fiddle around with
the temperature probe so that
it will be suspended into the
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solution but not touching the
bottom of the beaker. Done. Set
the temperature for the electroclean solution to heat it up (to
about 150 degrees F).
First problem: My heating
equipment is in Celsius. All
my instructions were in Fahrenheit! Dang, time to convert
the temp…. It all seemed to be
going well, but then the solution
temperature went up past the
set temp and kept going higher
and higher. An alarm went off
from the heating equipment
and according to the directions,
the machine was supposed to
cut off the heat so the solution
temperature would go down.
Nope, the temp kept climbing.
I pulled the beaker off the
ceramic table of the heating
element so it would cool down,
but once I put it back on, the
temperature continued to climb
and the alarm continued to
blare. (At this point, my dog left
the studio…) I tried everything I
could think of and in frustration
called Tech Support. It was a
different guy, but still terrific (I
have to mention he was at Rio)
and together we got it straightened out. It turns out that you
are supposed to set your temperature NOT to your desired
temperature, but 25 degrees
Fahrenheit lower, change to
Celsius, and set the temperature there. Who knew? That
info wasn’t in the instructions
that came with the equipment…
Solutions: Now that I had this
helpful guy on the phone, it
was time to get all my questions answered to get this ball
rolling! I put the stainless steel
anode (a flat piece of metal)
into the beaker, waited for it to
cool down to the right temp,
and then the guy walked me
through turning on the rectifier, setting the proper voltage
(6 volts) and told me to clip
the red wire to the anode, the
black wire to the stainless steel
binding wire hook I made that
held my little charm, push
the output button to start the
current flowing, and then put
the charm into the solution with
the current running. He said
to “always go in hot” for best
results, meaning, have the
current running before you dunk
your piece in. I pushed on my
timer and left it in for a minute.
The solution was bubbling up a
storm, which it was supposed
to do. I pulled it back out of the
solution, turned off the output
from the rectifier, and dunked
the charm (still on the stainless
steel hook) into the distilled
water beaker. Next, I dipped it
into the acid dip and then into a
second beaker of distilled water
that I labeled to use after the
acid dip.
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Florida Society of Goldsmiths Winter 2015
Next Steps: From there, it got pretty easy and
I think I started breathing again. I successfully
heated up the nickel pre-plate solution, put the
nickel anode in there, and when it was heated
up, I attached the wires, turned on the rectifier,
and “went hot” into that solution at 3 volts for a
minute. Then it was out of that solution, into a
third beaker of distilled water that only follows the
nickel pre-plate, into the acid dip, into the distilled water and I was ready for the real fun, the
gold plating.
I put a platinized titanium anode into the gold
solution and heated it up. Since I had decided to
try two different voltages, I started with 2.5 volts,
which should give a color like 18K gold. I “went
in hot” into the solution with the rectifier going,
and within a second I could see the gold plating
over the nickel. It was fascinating! I kept it in for
just 10 seconds, pulled it out and dunked it into
yet another beaker of distilled water reserved to
just follow the gold plating solution, then the acid
dip and the distilled water and it was a wrap!
I then changed the voltage on my rectifier to
3.2 volts, to get a 14K gold and did the second
charm: into the heated solution for 10 seconds,
distilled water, acid dip, distilled water. Beautiful!
I was so excited by my results, I started looking
for something more to plate. I remembered a
chain a friend had asked me to plate when she
saw the huge collection of bottles and beakers.
Part of my workshop looked like a beaker store!
Since my solutions were already heated, it went
really quickly and within less than 10 minutes the
chain was looking wonderful. I generally work in
silver and was so pleased with the gold plating
results, I ordered rhodium plating solution! I
will be able to rhodium plate some pieces I am
making now that will be set with lots of stones
and frankly would be a big pain for my customers to polish and keep looking nice.
water, et cetera, now, it is not hard at all. But
honestly, getting everything figured out and then
set up in a way to eliminate as much contamination as possible took some planning. I suppose
learning anything new is a challenge but well
worth the effort. I am very pleased that I can
now electroplate my jewelry and have added this
to my “bag of tricks”. And I am very grateful to
Deb Blazer who showed me the ropes. She was
my inspiration!
Karen Tweedie, Jewelry Designer, Owner of Evergreen www.asljewelry.com
www.karentweedie.com
Summary: Well, now that I have all my beakers
labeled and color coded, my heating element set
to the right temps, and know where to hook the
black and red wires and to “go in hot”, it really
isn’t too difficult. Is it easy? I think if someone
has it all set up and all you have to do is dip
in #1, dip in distilled water, dip in #2, distilled
14
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
Helen Howell –A lifetime devoted to art
On January 25th, friends and colleagues of Helen Howell gathered at the Museum of Art in DeLand
to celebrate her lifelong commitment to art and to share stories of how Helen touched their lives at a
memorial event organized by the Museum Guild. Helen’s dear friend, Cindy Reinertsen, arranged an
amazing retrospective of Helen’s work. Those who knew Helen only through FSG would have been
stunned to see the breadth of her work in the medium of fiber. Helen planned and developed the
first Wearable Art Show at the Museum and three of her own designer coats were on display as part
of the retrospective. The pieces showcased her exquisite craftsmanship as a clothing designer and
seamstress, using fabric that she hand painted, air brushed and screen printed.
In addition to her active role at the Museum, she was involved with Florida Craftsmen and in 2003
was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award.
Most of us know Helen as the driving force behind FSG Northeast Chapter where she served as
President for nine years. Her metalwork has appeared in numerous shows, exhibits and galleries
and is included in many private collections. She was a founding member of the Chapter and an
organizer of the first Winter Workshop. The event’s continued success might be attributed to the
example she set with a commitment to artistic excellence and world-class instructors – the pattern
we follow today.
As for her personal life – I’ve known her for nearly 20 years and she was still somewhat of an
enigma wrapped in mystery… I will keep her age a secret! She was a native of Northern Indiana
and received her BS in Art Education from Indiana University and her Master of Art Education from
the University of Florida. She had a long career of teaching art in public schools before FSG. Helen
was one of those people who was always in charge and in control…except when it came to her
beloved Yorkies … first Summer and then Bristol. Those girls knew they had a “softie” for a master
even if the rest of us didn’t often see that side.
Helen passed away on January 6, 2015. Her presence will be missed.
Chris Carlson
15
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
FSG Officers and board of directors
State Directors
North West Chapter
South Chapter
Molly Strader, President
Open,Vice President
Cindi Bateman, Treasurer
Bev Fox, Secretary
Jillian Logue, Newsletter Editor
Jean Marie DeSpiegler, Newsletter Editor
Open, Web Master
Alan Brown, Hall of Fame Chairperson
Molly Strader, Membership Chairperson
Jean Marie DeSpiegler, Exec. Director
Starr Payne, President
Open, V.P.
Starr Payne, Treasurer
Open, Secretary
Bernadette Denoux, President
Christinia Haney Dyke, VP
Marti Wakshlag, Treasurer
Martha Estes, Secretary
South West Chapter
Robert Small, President
Doug Shemenski, VP
Cindi Bateman, Treasurer
Dixie Dixon, Secretary
FSG Officers and Boards of Directors:
At Large (Out of State) Chapter Representative
Don Walker
North East Chapter
Sid Sharples, President
Jillian Logue, VP
Open, Treasurer
Dennis Fair, Secretary
South East Chapter
Andrea Schoen, President
Beth Katz, VP
Elizabeth Kleiman, Treasurer
Dion Flannery, Secretary
West Coast Chapter
Clare Leonard, Co-President
Stacy Perry, Co-President
Open, Treasurer
Modern Masters October 5-11 2015
CHris Darway
16
Ricky Frank
Victoria lansford
FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com
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17
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FLORIDA SOCIETY OF GOLDSMITHS | WINTER 2015 | www. fsg4u.com