Bay Area jewelry designer and beading instructor Noriko Romanko comes to the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj) to teach a hands-on workshop featuring one of her elegant, right-angle weave designs. This beautiful necklace is made from a pattern where two sizes of Swarovski crystals dangle from a fleur de lis patterned chain created with  Swarovski crystal pearls .

The picture shows Fleur de lis necklace and earrings. Photo courtesy of instructor.

"My goal is to create jewelry that is suitable to wear with your special dress, yet can be worn with everyday clothing.  I want my jewelry to have classic elegance which never goes out of style.  Think of it as diamonds; I aim to design every piece with that kind of quality and timelessness." - Noriko Romanko
 
Romanko's jewelry projects are designed to be "Always Beautiful, Comfortable, Durable (and Easy to learn" (ABCDE). Step-by-step instructions, complete with diagrams and photos, are provided. They are easy to follow and allow for the creation of multiple pieces years after having made the first one. Matching earring instructions are also included.
This program will also include a trunk show featuring Romanko's original jewelry pieces (necklaces, bracelets, and earrings), as well as additional bead kits for the design taught in this workshop.

To see more of Noriko's designs, visit her website at  http://beadwithme.net.   You can also find an example of her work featured in the October 2006 issue of  Bead and Button magazine .

Noriko Romanko has been designing and teaching beading classes for more than ten years. Her designs have been published in Bead & Button magazine, as well as its sister publications. Romanko has taught in several locations across the San Francisco Bay area and is known for her elegant designs and easy-to-follow instructions. 
Intermediate project, but beginners with needle/thread experience are welcome.

This class is offered at a special discounted rate for JAMsj.

Cost: $30 class fee plus admission to the museum (non-members, $5; students and seniors over age 65, $3; JAMsj members and children under 12, free). An additional $32 materials fee (cash only) will be collected at the beginning of class. The materials fee includes all beads for this project, including genuine Swarovski crystals and crystal pearls, as well as jewelry findings, wire thread, and needles for right-angle weave beadwork. The class fee is reduced by $5.00 for members who are active volunteers at the museum.

Class is limited to 10 students; 5 student minimum. RSVP early. Please contactPublicPrograms@jamsj.org or call (408) 294-3138 to reserve a spot.