Jewelry-making class, Celina Record

Jewelry-making class set to begin at Celina Library Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Jan 28, 2016 There is plenty to be learned by visiting a public library, but not all of that knowledge must be gained by reading books. Case in point: For the first time, a four-week-long series of jewelry-making classes is being offered beginning Tuesday at the Celina library. Although the library may not appear to be a likely venue for such a class, Head Librarian Linda Shaw said the course is actually a perfect fit for the space. “What we do is connect people to knowledge,” she said. “Knowledge can be in a book, but it can also be in the mind and the hands of another person, so if we can get someone from the community to come in and share what they know with the community, we’re all the better for it.” As it turned out, Shaw didn’t have to search far to find that “someone”: Marylou Ditmore, a part-time Celina library employee, volunteered to lead the class. The subject matter proved so popular that the class quickly filled, and enrollment was capped at just six students. Plans are in the works to offer additional jewelry-making courses in coming months. Ditmore, a native of the Philippines, has lived in Celina with her family for less than a year. They previously lived in several exotic locales around the globe including Cairo, Egypt, which they called home for two decades. That’s where the mother of three first learned the art of jewelry making. She took classes at a community center there that were similarly formatted to those she will teach at the library. The lessons were a good start, but Ditmore said she wanted to learn even more about jewelry making, so she continued to educate herself by reading reference books and watching how-to videos online. “I enjoy it a lot,” she said. Each week, Ditmore plans to demonstrate to students at the library how to make a different piece of jewelry, such as a necklace, bracelet or earrings. For the first series of classes, which is being offered free of charge, she will provide students with all of the materials they’ll need, including beads, stones, string and wire, and allow them to use her personal jewelry-making tools during the instructional time. “I’m going to show them clearly how it’s done and have them work at home (on a project), and the next class, they’re going to show me” their finished piece, she explained. “Jewelry making is easy,” Ditmore said. The toughest part is properly finishing each piece to achieve a professional look. There’s no need to purchase pricy beads or precious stones, either. In fact, Ditmore said she prefers to dismantle old costume jewelry pieces that she picks up at thrift and resale stores and transform them into entirely new accessories. “I just recycle it and use it in a different way,” she said. “I don’t want something that was bought at the store. I want to make it on my own and (know) that not any other (person) has the same design.” Follow the Celina Record on Twitter @celinarecord.