DEMO DAY, a metallurgic evening of speed “dating,” was a lot of fun, and the variety of people who came out for it added depth and context. There were families, established jewelry making enthusiasts, middle, and high schoolers, metal shop professionals, and those who have never experienced pliers. Also, 2 of my 2025 BJMC (Basic Jewelry Metals Course) graduates were on hand to guide the participants at stations during the 10 minute tool/tech circuit bursts. everyone made a pendant, a cuff, and a silver ring, as well as several samples.

I finish each DEMO DAY with a demonstration. Those that hung around last night were treated to an attempted flush set stone that was a fail, I am very sorry to say.

When I had cleaned up the studio this morning, and sat back into a criminally comfortable studio chair, still glowing from all the things that went right the night before, all I wanted was to prove to myself that I could do a better job on the flush set demo.

So out came the ball and setting burs. I triple measured each bit and bur, and my 2.5mm stones. I created a thick silver band from the fail stock, and this was the result:

Thank you to everyone who participated in last week’s classes!

There are 12 stations for 8 metallurgic-curious speed daters to sample. 10 minutes per station: new metals and old metals, intriguing tools and magical mysteries of the periodic table—listen for the bell and move to your next awakening! There’s so much to discover and each station is just the tip of an iceberg.

This is a great place to discover the world of metalsmithing.

This class is currently listed with SFSD Community Education.

Sign up for JOE’S GARAGE DEMO DAY!

Here’s a favorite ring. It’s so satisfying to look at— it has a weighty presence, yet it’s hollow, so it’s surprisingly light.

It is built from two large discs lightly domed and soldered together, with the seam boldly presenting.

The design opportunities are vast! This one is all sterling, stamped, and the resulting recesses oxidized. Swapping one disc with copper, and using a texture plate over parts would be very dramatic!

I have to say, I like the 70’s vibe!

What would you do? Send me your ideas for a chance to make it!

Something new is happening at Joe’s Garage — DEMO DAY!

Think of this as relationship building, speed dating for the metal-curious. Each participant will take their place at the Meet-Your-Metal circuit. At 6:00 p.m. the bell will ring, setting in motion 12 rapid-fire Tech Tastings.

Sample cool tools and trendy techniques in jewelry metals! Melt metal! Use a texture plate on a rolling mill! Anneal! Dome! Bend a perfect ring!

The fast paced, info overload, is self-controlled. Do as much as you like at each station—knowing all JOE’S Garage students have unlimited access to OPEN STUDIO time to delve further into their new “relationship.”

Take home the copper, aluminum, and silver used at each “meet-up.”

The Community Ed catalog just arrived, REGISTRATION BEGINS AUG 27.

DEMO DAY
September 3, 6PM or September 5, 6PM

Hey, check out my calendar now. All my community ed classes for the next catalog are showing on my calendar. The catalogs will come out I believe on August 18th!

Camp SOMETHING WILD!
August 11–15, 2025
9AM-12 or 1PM-4PM
Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum

Call or text to claim your gig!
Natalie 605-376-9961

Consider the flowers, the tiny flowers underfoot. Little tiny flowers. Why? Who thought of that?

Don’t be distracted by a perfect garden that may draw you off your path, but be moved by the beauty right under your toes.

Everything has been done before. I remind myself it’s not about being first or biggest or best.

The job of clover and thistle isn’t to be the centerpiece in a bouquet. Some tiny buds are even too small to weed, but a walk across a field or the woods without them would be lacking.

Not all of us can do great things but we can do small things with Great love.

— Mother Theresa

I meet with a lovely group of women who first got together over the book Art and Faith: A Theology of Making, by Makoto Fujimura, and have continued to meet faithfully as creatives.

In the presence of productive creators, who are also supportive awesome people, I do have to remind myself to give my small flowers.

Here’s one now…

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to grow up and make the important choice to go to summer camp—so they can be a kid.

I’m enjoying that time of my life. I’ve been working at Camp WILD! at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum for my third season. I began as the ed coordinator and this year I became a volunteer. I love the kids so much, I love Camp WILD, and I do love summer campy crafts.

In my first go-round planning camp for the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, my heart went back to my kid days of summer camp in Northern Minnesota. Name tags, painted rocks, whistling through a blade of grass, and wishing on milk weed pod fairies… It’s been the joy of my life to re-create that mix of nature and magic for a new crop of kids. Building our Camp culture meant imagining myths and creating traditions.

Camp Wild, under the direction of Maggie Dow, is booming this summer, with every session this year bigger than last year. One could say she is enjoying a baptism by creek-stomping!

In August look for the launch of Something WILD!

Camp Something WILD! all day—9AM–4pm, Monday through Friday, August 11–15.

I believe there are still open spots. Register by visiting The Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum site:

Camp Something WILD!

I will be doing the crafts during this week and the kids can count on doing a variety of inside and outside traditional and heritage crafts.