Joujou Charm Keeper Necklace
Deryn Mentock

Class Description

Oui! Let’s play! A juju is a charm or amulet with “magical” powers. The word “juju” is derived from the French word Joujou meaning “toy” or “plaything.” In this class, we’ll spend a fun day playing with charms. We’ll assemble all sorts of joujou charms and create a beautiful charm keeper pendant designed to hold them. I’ll show how to create a mica and paper charms, a glass vial charm, and my special wire bird’s nest charm published by Stampington in Belle Armoire Jewelry. I’ll also demonstrate a transfer to glass technique using a chandelier crystal that we’ll turn into a charm. Students will learn jewelry making basics such as how to make perfect jump rings but they’ll also learn how to make twisted wire jump rings, s-links, rosary style links and wire wrapped dangles. We’ll finish the necklace by incorporating a beautiful piece of silk using wrapped ends and learn how to make a strong hook and eye clasp to finish the piece.

Students Should Bring:

• 6" needle nose pliers (hardware store)
• Chain nose jewelry pliers
• Extra-long round nose pliers (riogrande.com)
• Small round nose jewelry pliers
• Diagonal cutters for wire (craft store type)
• Mazbot bailing pliers, small and large sizes (Ameritool)
• Small hammer-ball pien on one side (hardware store)
• Rubber dead blow hammer or rawhide mallet
• Bench block
• Bench pillow (or hand towel) for use under bench block
• Metal snips
• Needle files for metal
• Metal hole punch (Dick Blick)
• Measuring tape or ruler
• Fine grit foam sanding block
• Sheet metal, copper or brass
• Mica
• Matte gel medium
• Diamond Glaze
• Omni gel
• Small paint brush
• Black Galaxy pen
• Tweezers
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Awl
• 1/16th size eyelets, eyelet setter and hand drill with appropriate size drill bit
• Beads or pearls for necklace (see photos)
• Silk; approximately 1” by 12”, preferably Dupioni
• For charms: Bring your vintage jewelry parts, beads, pearls, watch faces and gears, buttons, game pieces, keys, glass vials and any tiny personal mementos
• For filling glass vial charm:Tiny buttons, glitter, sequins, tiny beads, watch gears, pearls, crystals, sand, shells, fibers, tiny charms, etc. text and tiny collage images
• Optional:Metal letter punches, ring mandrel, small bench vise

Included in class kits:

• Wire
• Small chandelier crystal
• Christmas light bulb
• Small amount of text and images
• Pearls for nest charm
• Foam sanding blocks

Artist Bio

Deryn Mentock has been creating art all her life and currently enjoys working in collage and mixed media with a passion for jewelry design. She’s typically drawn to vintage, unusual and found objects and intuitively melds these elements into her work. Color, texture and composition are integral to each piece and much of her artwork reflects her passion for faith and spiritual matters.

Her work has been featured in numerous articles and publications including "A Charming Exchange" (Northlight), "Mixed Emulsions" (Quarry), "Artist Trading Cards" (Stampington), Pasticcio, Somerset Studio, Belle Armoire, Belle Armoire Jewelry, Art Doll Quarterly, Stampington’s Gallery, and Correspondence Art. Her work will also be featured in several additional upcoming books.

You can contact her at mocknet@sbcglobal.net and see more of her work at http://somethingsublime.typepad.com