February 27, 2022 Shrinkets Open Studio at Blue Santa

February 27th Shrinkets Open Studio at Blue Santa 

Instead of our regular 4th Sunday open beading session on February 27th, Blue Santa and MLBS are co-sponsoring a Shrinkets open studio/class on February 27th from 1 to 4 PM. (Anyone who wants to come and bead as usual, is always welcome.)

What are Shrinkets? Remember Shrinky Dinks from years ago...those plastic sheets that you would draw on, color with colored pencils and then shrink in the oven to make charms for jewelry or key chains or any other creative item you wanted? Well that concept has grown up and Shrinkets, named and re-envisioned by artist Julie Haymaker, have become a hot new jewelry making medium. Blue Santa is having a Shrinkets open studio to give you the opportunity to learn to create your own Shrinkets jewelry or expand your knowledge if you're already hooked on it!

The Shrinkets open studio / class will be held from 1 to 4 PM on Sunday, February 27th. The kit/class fee is $15 and participants will get seven pre-cut Shrinkets shapes.  To create their Shrinkets designs, class participants won't need to bring their own supplies since included in the fee is access to Blue Santa's colored pencils, a variety of markers, a hole punch, and Blue Santa's heat gun. (Blue Santa's silicone molds will also be available if participants want to use them and make flowers or other things.) With these supplies, you can decorate your Shrinkets shapes however you want and then shrink them using the heat gun.  The finished Shrinkets shapes can be used to make earrings, a charm bracelet, or embellished with beads caps and beads to make a charm necklace.  Each participant can decide what the finished product will be.  Although assembling the pieces into jewelry or other items won't officially be part of Sunday's class, participants can buy chain, jump rings, bead caps, head pins or whatever you need and the instructor will help you with the assembly of your items.

Blue Santa also has a supply of Julie Haymaker, the Shrinkets artist, items for sale.  A supply of some of her other materials for participants to purchase has been ordered such as stencils, more colors of plastic shrink sheets, ink stampers, ink pads, etc. Hopefully they will arrive in time for the class.  If not, just be aware that they will be available in the near future.

Any MLBS member wishing to participate in the open studio needs to call the shop at (610) 892-2740 to register and reserve your space.  Blue Santa needs to know the number of people attending so they can make up the Shrinkets kits in advance of the open studio.

So plan ahead, and call Blue Santa NOW to reserve your spot! Blue Santa is going out of their way to offer fun, creative sessions with new and interesting techniques for us to explore.  Please reciprocate by calling and making your reservation and supporting the shop by purchasing your project supplies there.