Hello fabulous people near and far!
It's Madame Mak coming to you from Madame Mak HQ - the leafy little shack that I turned into my jewellery studio on a whim to chase my dreams of becoming some kind of jeweller.
I'm back today with a bloggity blog (lol it has been a while).
I'm breaking down my wax carving class offerings for you in this blog below. Here goes!
I offer two types of wax carving workshops: workshops in my Melbourne studio (Eastern suburbs) and workshops online via live 1:1 Zoom video call. These workshops range from beginner/introductory classes, through to intermediate. There has never been a better time to make your own rings or try your hand at something new and different for you!
The wax carving techniques and topics I teach are:
- beginners ring carving (stacking rings etc)
-cast not set (also known as cast in place, or gem setting directly in wax)
-organic free flow buildup (for a cabochon gemstone in claws/statement ring)
-signet rings
-bezel cup settings
All of my Melbourne studio-based workshops entail two sessions.
Session one: wax carving (usually the long session)
Session two: metal finishing and polishing (a shorter session, but it gets messy!)
Your wax models are cast offsite, immediately after session one has finished (we have a short hiatus before session two commences).
All 1:1 live Zoom sessions are wax carving sessions only. Depending on the class selected, the duration varies between 1.5 to 3-ish hours. The Zoom classes are interactive and well paced, with lots of opportunity for questions and chats. Students have the option of carving in tandem with me if they have sourced all of the necessary tools for the class, or they can alternatively watch me if they prefer to soak it all up in this way!
I occasionally run bespoke wax carving classes in my Melbourne studio. It has proven darn difficult via Zoom (haha), so that is on pause for the time being. In order for us to align and work together on your own design in my studio, your idea and vision must fall within my skill set and capabilities. If your design is intended to have gemstones, it's BYO stones at your own risk. I refer you to a professional setter where necessary. Please note - if I politely decline your request or gemstone selection, it comes from a place of love and honesty. I would never attempt to teach something I was not comfortable or confident teaching, and would much prefer to send you to a more qualified host in my network.
At the moment, all of my classes (Zoom and Melbourne studio) are listed under one tab in my web shop under "JEWELLERY MAKING CLASSES". I plan on splitting the Zoom and Melbourne classes into two separate pages on my website for easier navigation, however I haven't had the chance to optimise my website. You may need to scroll to the bottom and click on "load more" to view all of the Zoom classes, as my Melbourne classes are listed at the very top of the page!
I have a working with children check, and children aged 15+ may enrol and attend my Melbourne classes (beginners or cast-not-set) with their parent/guardian present for the full duration of both sessions. I have a decently comfortable couch for parents to sit, as well as snacks and refreshments. I also kindly invite one accompanying parent to join in on the wax carving fun on my spare bench, which is directly across from their child. This is offered at no charge (except if a parent decides to send their wax item off for casting).
Please send enquiries to dahnamak@gmail.com
and reach out any time with your questions, or to check my calendar availability!
Alternatively, feel free to DM me via Instagram (I usually check my messages twice a day but do need to sleep somewhere in between too)!
The link to peruse my Melbourne and Zoom classes can be found at the following link on my website:
https://www.madamemakjewellery.com/jewelleryclasses
To view a small fraction of my class reviews, please head to my instagram @madame.mak_jewellery and view the "Workshop Feedback" post that is pinned on the top left of my profile!
I hope to have the opportunity to chat with you, meet you some time in the future or teach you something fun!
Much love,
Dahna (aka Mak, Madame, Madame Mak, Wax Mistress) - yes, people have made all sorts of names for me and I LOVE it!!!!!
