Current
Sgraffito Torch Enameled Earrings Workshop - October
with Espie
Sgraffito Torch Enameled Earrings Workshop with Espie
Friday, October 9, 2026
10:00 AM to 2:30 PM (includes a half-hour lunch break)
Member Price $125, Non Members $140
All materials included
Class fee includes: two sets of copper blanks, 2 pairs of earwires, use of provided enamels, tools, torch, and fuel.
No experience necessary
Join us for a full day of creating two beautiful pairs of one-of-a-kind enamel earrings while discovering the colorful and transformative process of torch-fired enameling.
In this hands-on class, you will learn how powdered and liquid enamels are fused to copper through repeated heating, layering, and firing. Each step of the process brings new color, depth, and character to the metal, allowing you to create earrings that are completely your own.
Begin by preparing your copper pieces and applying counter enamel to the back. You will learn how to sift the enamel evenly and carefully fire each piece with a torch, creating a durable foundation for your work.
Next, you will apply liquid enamel to the front of your copper pieces and allow it to dry before exploring the Sgraffito technique. Using simple tools, you will scratch your own designs into the enamel surface, revealing the copper beneath before firing the pieces again to permanently fuse the design.
From there, you will add color and dimension using transparent enamels. You will learn a wet-packing technique to carefully place and layer the enamel, firing your pieces several times as the colors deepen and the designs begin to come alive.
Throughout the day, you will see how heat transforms each layer of enamel, creating subtle variations in color, texture, and depth. Because every piece responds a little differently to the firing process, each finished pair will have its own unique character.
By the end of the class, you will leave with two handcrafted pairs of enamel earrings made entirely by you, along with an introduction to techniques you can continue exploring in future jewelry and enameling projects.
Torch experience is helpful but not required.
Please bring a sack lunch.
Artists Biography
Despina “Espie” Buoncristiani is a lifelong artist. Her interest in jewelry emerged in her teens as she reimagined vintage pieces, and a college drawing class followed by a graphic design course led her to switch her major to Art. After working in several studios, she founded Espie Graphics in 1984, running it as a one-woman design practice. As graphic design shifted toward the digital, she longed for more tactile work, which led her to jewelry making, first with beaded designs and later with her own metal pendants in silver, copper, and brass. Continuing to expand her skills, she trained extensively in Metal Clay, earning two certifications and becoming a Senior Certified Art Clay Silver Instructor. Since 2015 she has taught more than 1,000 students across Metal Clay, Metalsmithing, Enameling, Etching, and other techniques, finding deep joy in helping others explore their creativity.