INSTRUCTOR: Diane Almeyda, Artisan
COURSE: Metal/Glass Enameling
PROJECT: Window Jewel: Stained Glass Sun Catcher
This class is FULL.
Every miniature house has a window or two that could benefit from a beautiful stained glass accent. Give this incredible technique a try and learn to make miniature stained glass using real glass and metal in this 12-hour “mini” class. Students will learn all the skills necessary to continue on with the technique and make real miniature stained glass windows. Skills taught will include using the jeweler’s saw, metal files, and flex shaft, preparation of enamels (ground glass), and the special skill of applying enamels for the enameling technique known as plique-a-jour.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: flex shaft
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. This class is rated “E” for Everyone! The ability to see (with magnification is fine), use both hands, and sit for a period of time will ensure success.
MATERIALS FEE: $60 to be collected in advance of school. If a student works very quickly, they may want to make an additional piece for an additional fee of $35.
INSTRUCTOR: Pia Becker, Fellow
COURSE: Flower Making
PROJECT: Agapanthus
In this class students will learn how to make an agapanthus. They will learn how to cut punches into the required shape to make beautiful blossoms as well as hand-cutting all leaves and coloring them by hand. These techniques are transferable to many other plants and flowers and, of course, tips and tricks are given by the instructor. In the end, students will arrange the agapanthus in a provided pot.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely if students work overtime on their own outside of the classroom (homework); and depending on their skill level and experience.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate and advanced. As many very small parts will be cut, good eyesight and steady hands are required.
MATERIALS FEE: $40 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pia Becker, Fellow
COURSE: Flower Making
PROJECT: Dracaena Marginata
This class is FULL.
In this class students will learn how to make a Dracaena marginata. They can choose the size of their marginata, going from very small to really big. Everything will be cut by hand in this class, no punches are used. The techniques are transferable to many other plants and flowers and, of course, tips and tricks are given by the instructor. In the end, students will plant the marginata in a provided pot.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate and advanced. Good eyesight and steady hands are required.
MATERIALS FEE: $35 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pia Becker, Fellow
COURSE: Flower Making
PROJECT: Forsythia
This class is FULL.
In this class students will learn how to make a forsythia tree. They will learn how to make a wire tree from scratch and make it look like a real one. Size and shape is totally up to the student. Additionally, students will be customizing punched parts to make the flowers and leaves. These techniques are transferable to many other plants and flowers and, of course, tips and tricks are given by the instructor.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is unlikely. However, students will have the necessary information and materials to complete the project on their own.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate and advanced, As many very small parts will be cut, good eyesight and steady hands are required.
MATERIALS FEE: $40 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pia Becker, Fellow
COURSE: Flower Making
PROJECT: Pansies
In this class students will learn how to make pansies by hand-cutting all the parts for assembling the detailed flowers. Painting is very important and detailed in this class. Of course, students can choose their own colors. The techniques taught are transferable to many other plants and flowers and, of course, tips and tricks are given by the instructor. In the end, students will arrange their pansies in a provided pot or vase.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate and advanced. As many very small parts will be cut, good eyesight and steady hands are required.
MATERIALS FEE: $30 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pete & Pam Boorum, Artisans
COURSE: Wood and Metal Working
PROJECT: More Kitchen Utensils
Students will make a collection of at least 10 kitchen utensils in wood and metal. The pizza peel and cutting boards are from flat lumber. The rolling pin, wooden spoons, tiny scoop and handles are turned on the duplicator lathe, while the corkscrew, cleaver, potato masher, copper bowl, pizza cutter and pizza pan are formed from metal. Techniques include jeweler’s sawing, duplicate turning, metal forming, metal stamping and soldering.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: table saw, lathe, moto tool, drill press
SKILL LEVEL: Beginning and intermediate
MATERIALS FEE: $40 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Pat Hartman, Fellow
COURSE: Needlework
PROJECT: Floral French Knot “Hooked” Rug
This class is FULL.
The project is an adaptation of a hooked rug seen on the internet. It was listed as a “Fantastic Early Floral Hooked Rug, Maine, Mid to late 19th Century.” The information indicated that it came from an estate, but unfortunately there was no information as to the identity of the maker. The class rug is made by using a French knot that gives a very good scale “hooked rug” look. The focus of the class will be to learn and/or perfect the French knot stitch so they are uniform in size. There will also be discussions about design, color, resources and materials. All class materials will be provided.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is unlikely, but a demo and written instructions will be provided in order to finish the project at home.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. Some needlework experience would be helpful, but not necessary.
MATERIALS FEE: $20 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Daniela Kiefhaber, Artisan
COURSE: Textiles
PROJECT: Stumpwork Casket
The 3:15pm class is FULL. Also offered at 10am.
Stumpwork embroidery is a raised embroidery form, which was very popular in the 1700s. Some of the embroidered elements are padded for a 3D effect and numerous stitches and different techniques of needle lace are used. The stumpwork casket was the “crowning glory” and marked the end of the education in needlework for young girls in the 1700s. The little boxes are covered with embroidery showing off all the techniques they learned—the same for our miniature version! All the basic embroidery techniques will be combined plus new ones—new stitches, ways to mimic trims and gimps and needle lace. The casket will contain a little secret garden as well, so there will be trees, flowers and greenery made in different techniques and materials. After working on a sampler to learn the different and new techniques (the basic embroidery techniques will be described and tested, too), students will work on their individual design, which can be based on an historic example or could be an interpretation with historic elements.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is unlikely, but students will have all materials and techniques to finish it at home.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels
MATERIALS FEE: $70 to be collected at school, includes the casket made Alvaro Rodriguez from Spain.
INSTRUCTOR: Daniela Kiefhaber, Artisan
COURSE: Textiles
PROJECT: Stumpwork Mirror
Stumpwork embroidery is a raised embroidery form, which was very popular in the 1700s. Some of the embroidered elements are padded for a 3D effect and numerous stitches and different techniques of needle lace are used. After working on a sampler to learn the different techniques for embroidery and needle lace, students will work on their individual design, which can be based on an historic example or could be an interpretation with historic elements. It is a very different and interesting embroidery technique, which is still very popular today. And the result is a very unique piece and surely an eye catcher in every collection. (This is a repeat course taught in 2022, brought back by popular demand.)
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is unlikely, but students will have all materials and techniques to finish it at home.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels
MATERIALS FEE: $25 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Tine Krijnen, Fellow
COURSE: Micro Book Making
PROJECT: Library in a Miniature Book
A nice project, a library book with micro booklets. No sewn books, but the micro booklets have leather covers decorated with embossed golden lines. Different sizes and thicknesses and colors of leather make the contents of this library interesting. Even a library staircase so that the books can also be packed on the top shelf.
The library itself is made of thin wood covered with super thin leather. The spine has ribs and the title shield of leather in a contrasting color is embossed with the title Library. The challenge of this class is not to lose these micro books that are the size of a flea. They tend to jump away if you hold them with tweezers to place them on the bookshelves.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels. A steady hand and good eyesight.
MATERIALS FEE: $35 to be collected at school of school
INSTRUCTOR: Hillary Lee, Artisan
COURSE: Metal Work
PROJECT: Ornate Brass Easel
Out of wall space to hang your latest masterpiece? Display it anywhere on this ornate brass easel. Choose the more complex floral design or the more basic owl design, and construct a hinged tripod easel with brass tube, rod, wire, strip, and ornaments. Construction begins with the hinge mechanism. First students will use a drill press to drill tiny holes through the front tripod rods (requires care and focus). Then they’ll sand down the ends of the hinge cross rod. They’ll use a rotary tool disc to cut the end of the rear tripod leg, and then braze it onto a section of tube to form the hinge. With the hinge complete, students can begin brazing their crown design together. Flame annealing, tapering, and bending the rod ends, then cutting and shaping pieces into their design, will culminate in a stylish object d’art that doubles as a useful display piece. Finish with a choice of paint or patina.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: flex shaft, belt sander, drill press
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate
MATERIALS FEE: $50 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Iulia Chin Lee, Artisan
COURSE: Wood Turning
PROJECT: Japanese Style Tea Cups
This class is FULL.
This course is a comprehensive introduction to basic techniques of spindle-turning in wood and is ideal for beginners. Two basic techniques will be focused on in this class, spindle-turning and hollowing. Students will learn how to properly use the individual tools to make certain cut for the project. They will also learn how to sand and finish the turning on the lathe. After the above is achieved, the method and preparation of applying decorative elements on the cups will also be taught. The application of decoration on the cups is optional. The students can choose to put on any design they like or to leave them in their natural state.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: lathe
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner. As usual, the instructor will coach students individually to ensure that they get their best learning interests. In this class students are expected to make a pair of tea cups while the more advanced students will be able to make as many as they like within the time frame.
MATERIALS FEE: $35 to be collected at school. Turning tools are necessary for the class. Turning tools are not all alike. For those who do not have turning tools, the instructor recommends Sorby Micro Turning Tool Set HS45. These tools are superb and their blades remain sharp for a long time. The instructor will purchase them for the students on request. The Sorby Micro Turning Tool Set HS45 is $150.
INSTRUCTOR: Deb Mackie, Artisan
COURSE: Leather Crafting
PROJECT: Three Tooled Leather Bags
This class is FULL.
Handbags and Purses and Satchels…Oh MY! Which will YOU choose? A fringed western-style shoulder bag? A sassy urban satchel? A tiny elegant evening bag covered in bling? How about a rugged man-bag? The possibilities are endless! This is a fun and flexible class for all skill levels.
Students will complete three 1:12 scale leather bags in class. They will explore leather crafting techniques such as tooling, simulated stitching, skiving (thinning the leather), and stamping. Learn how to cut tiny, fine leather fringe and finish it with a twist! Dyeing, coloring and finishing techniques will also be explored. Bags will be fitted with tiny buckles and an assortment of other decorative pieces to finish them in style.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
MATERIALS FEE: $40 to be collected at school. Specialized leather tools will be offered for use in class and available for purchase if students want to keep them. The optional fee varies by tool.
INSTRUCTOR: Chris Malcomson, Artisan
COURSE: Furniture Construction/Marquetry
PROJECT: Floral Marquetry Workbox
This class is FULL.
Students will first construct the dovetailed box using traditional techniques before moving onto the floral marquetry panel and veneering. This includes techniques making up a floral marquetry panel as well as the decorative inlaid bands. Students will be making the bronze rope handles and the feet will be supplied.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: sanding machine
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate. Need to pay attention to fine detail.
MATERIALS FEE: $50 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Marcia McClain, Artisan
COURSE: Upholstery
PROJECT: Making a Skirted Wing Chair
This class is FULL.
Skirted wing chairs that look realistic are very difficult to find in miniature. The instructor will share her expertise to make one that can be taken for a real chair when photographed in a well-planned setting. She has a huge selection of fabrics that students may choose from to create a chair that will fit into their collection. Their chair may be themed as the rooster fabric shown or it may be very traditional or fit into a calm reading corner depending on the fabric used. Students will be contacted by the instructor prior to Guild School for fabric selection through email and photos.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
MATERIALS FEE: $35 to be collected at school.
INSTRUCTOR: Mary Grady O’Brien, Fellow
COURSE: Folk Art Painting
PROJECT: School Girl Keepsake Box
This class is FULL.
This uniquely designed box will be decorated with delicate botanical images and topped with a peaceful pastoral scene on the lid. Students will have the option of decorating a panel with their own creation or adapting the provided printed version. Either choice will be historically correct and the instructor encourages students to follow their own comfort level. The delicate flowers decorating the side panels promise to be an enjoyable painting experience with lots of choice of variety and color. The size is approximately 1 ½”. Exploring these projects is a study in the education of young ladies in the upper levels of early American heritage. Students will see many similarities with pattern found in needle work and theorem design.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels
MATERIALS FEE: $95 to be collected at school, includes the box constructed by Pam Boorum, IGMA Artisan.
INSTRUCTOR: Pat Richards, Fellow
COURSE: Woodworking/Accessories
PROJECT: The Secret Shadowbox
This class is FULL.
A little surprise waits inside for the unsuspecting reader. A book, that may or may not have any relationship to the surprise inside, has a hollowed out niche that can be filled with a display of your choice. The display could be a tiny toy shop or a secret library, it is completely up to the student.
The class will teach students the skills necessary to hollow out the cavity and place a framework inside for the display. As each could be unique, the instructor will not be providing plans for all possible configurations, but will provide diagrams for this, or a similar shelf unit which can be customized as desired. Supplies will be provided to begin working on a shelf unit for a cavity approximately 3/4" deep in a book about 1 1/8" deep, including covers. This is a good working size for a first experience with this type of project.
TIME: 12 hours. Projects will not be completed in class, but students should return home with it well advanced and with the knowledge to complete it at home.
POWER TOOLS: table saw
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner and beyond
MATERIALS FEE: $25 to be collected at school. This does not include the book.
INSTRUCTOR: Lidi Stroud, Artisan
COURSE: Miniature Basketry
PROJECT: Weaving with Texture and Color— Tribal Style Basket
This class is FULL.
These baskets are made on an Australian gum nut (seed pod) base using wire for stakes and two-ply or three-ply waxed linen thread and various miniature canes as the weavers. Students will be taught several weaving techniques, for example Japanese Diamond Weave, Spirals, Arrow Weave and Tri-twining to create designs in their weaving using a combination of fine cane, both round and flat, and linen thread. Students will use the bound border technique to finish off the basket. This is a fun and creative class so bring along your artistic side.
TIME: 12 hour. Completion is likely. Students will likely end up with two completed baskets at the end of the week.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner and intermediate
MATERIALS FEE: $30 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Fern Vasi, Artisan
COURSE: Dressing and Wigging a Doll
PROJECT: Santa and Mrs. Claus
These charming 1" scale hand-sculpted porcelain dolls will be carved just for you. Perfect for your holiday setting. Their fingers are individually sculpted to hold their accessories. Students will learn to dress them in rich, red silk velvet, satin, faux fur and lace. Then they will learn how to curl, braid and work with silk viscose for their hair and Santa’s beard. Students will be adding many tiny details to make them very special. Very little sewing is involved—so, this class is based on beginning techniques.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner
MATERIALS FEE: $140 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Sue Veeder, Fellow
COURSE: Genesis Heat Set Oil Panting
PROJECT: Painting “Lumber Schooners at Evening on Penobscot Bay”
This class is FULL.
The instructor came across this beautiful painting from the 1800s by Fitz Henry Lane, an American artist whose style predated Impressionism and was referred to as Luminism because of the way it focuses on soft light. Students will paint this in about 2 1/2" by 3 1/2", so it will fit in a variety of rooms. It is a little bit of Castine history, too.
Class will cover making and priming the painting surface, selecting the right colors, using the color wheel and charts to create their color mixes. Gridding, extensive study of brush strokes, blending techniques and ways to blend paints to create a luminous sky and water will be covered. The painting is deceptively simple!
Students will use Genesis Heat Set Oils paints, which dry fairly quickly and blend like a dream. They dry with a heat gun, which the instructor will bring to class. There will be plenty of time for discussion, and students may have time to start a second painting of their choice (bring photos). Paints, brushes, other materials will be included.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely. .
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: All levels
MATERIALS FEE: $85 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Mariella Vitale, Fellow
COURSE: Needlework/Crochet
PROJECT: Baby Blanket
Granny squares are one of the most loved crochet designs. If students are new to crocheting in miniature, the granny square pattern can be a good place to start. The crocheted granny square is worked from the center out to the edges, so students can make a granny square as small or as large as they like just by altering the number of times they repeat the pattern stitches. To make this granny blanket, students will need to know how to double crochet. The double crochet stitch is one of the basic beginner crochet stitches that are learned when a new crocheter is first starting out. In this particular baby blanket, students will be making a double crochet three times into one chain space to make a cluster, which creates the classic granny look that you see in granny squares. Students will learn how to invisibly change the color and how to avoid the distortion of the pattern.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner. Students must know how to crochet in real size.
MATERIALS FEE: $25 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Mariella Vitale, Fellow
COURSE: Needlework/Crochet
PROJECT: Crochet Tea Cozy
The first documented tea cozy dates from 1867, although they probably existed before then, when in 1840, Anna Maria, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, made taking afternoon tea fashionable. Afternoon tea was the time for networking and keeping up to date with aristocracy gossip and topical news. With all the chatter at teatime, the teapot would get cold, which would have at times cut short some tea parties. Therefore, the tea cozy came about. Tea cozies then flourished during the late 19th Century, where they appeared in many households across Britain, motivated by the obsession of decorating and covering objects characteristic of the Victorian era. During the Second World War, British soldiers recuperating in military hospitals in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) knitted and embroidered tea cozies both to avoid boredom and as a reminder of life at home—a life of tea, family and the warmth of your own kitchen. In this class, students will be given a teapot and will learn how to crochet a basic tea cozy embellished with flowers and leaves. To make this tea cozy, students will need to know how to single crochet and double crochet. The tea cozy is worked all around the tea pot and the pattern adjusted to fit the handle and spout.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Beginner. Students must know how to crochet in real size.
MATERIALS FEE: $25 to be collected at school
INSTRUCTOR: Mariella Vitale, Fellow
COURSE: Needlework/Crochet
PROJECT: The Mischief Mandrake
“Mandrake, or Mandragora, is a powerful restorative. It is used to return people who have been transfigured or cursed to their original state.” “Excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor.” A Mandrake was a magical and sentient plant, which had a root that looked like a human (like a baby when the plant is young, but maturing as the plant grows). When matured, its cry could be fatal to any person who heard it.
This mischief Mandrake is made with cold porcelain and crochet and is fully jointed and poseable. Very funny to make! In this class, students will learn how to crochet the body and leaves and how to put it all together by string jointing with beads. Students will be given ready-made limbs and head but also cold porcelain and clear instructions in case they want to challenge themselves.
TIME: 12 hours. Completion is likely.
POWER TOOLS: None
SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate. Students must know how to crochet in real size.
MATERIALS FEE: $30 to be collected at school