Jewelry design class to be offered at NMCC

    PRESQUE ISLE – “Jewelry Creation and Design,” a nine-hour, hands-on course that will teach participants how to make their own jewelry, will begin Saturday, Jan. 31 at Northern Maine Community College. The course will meet from 9 a.m.-noon on three Saturdays – Jan. 31, Feb. 7 and Feb. 14.     Teaching the techniques for selecting and using beads and wire to create beautiful pieces of art that you can wear will be NMCC instructor Laura McPherson, who is the co-owner of Sunrise Beads in Mapleton. Using glass and other materials, McPherson and her husband, Randy, make beads that they market to jewelry designers all over the world.
    “The demand for these glass beads has exploded overnight as more and more people are discovering the beautiful ways to make jewelry that looks like art,” said McPherson. “I love being able to take a few simple pieces of wire and some beads, and make them into something I can wear. People are always commenting on jewelry I wear, and some of the designs are so simple to make. I love showing others how easy and fun jewelry design can be.”
    While participants will each receive a bead kit, personalized based on their individual color choices, they are expected to provide some of their own tools for the course. A tool list will be provided upon registration.
    The cost of the Jewelry Creation and Design course is $65, plus the cost of supplies, which average around $15. The class is limited to 10 people.
    For more information or to register, contact the college’s continuing education division at 768-2845.