Do you know Touchstone Center for Crafts? Located just an hour and half outside Pittsburgh, tucked in the lovely rolling hills of south-western PA is a real gem. Touchstone has a 40 year craft history, offering ceramics, jewelry, enamel, textiles, glass blowing, blacksmithing, painting, and mixed media weekend and week long workshops.

I taught a four-day workshop on liquid enameling techniques this last weekend and had a blast. The class was small, giving me the chance to work one-on-one with the students and demoing a variety of techniques. Here, I'm demoing a VERY high over fire, which creates some really juicy surfaces as the enamel begins to breakdown on the steel.

Touchstone has so much great character, just look all of these sweet little cabins tucked in amongst the trees, and right next door to most of the workshop facilities. And if you prefer something a bit less rustic, you can stay in the brand new dorm-style housing with all of the creature comforts.

Over the last two years, with the guidance of their Director, Adam Kenney, Touchstone has undergone a series of major renovations including a new dining hall and dorms. They have also brought in a variety of nationally recognized instructors, Linda Darty, Robert Ebendorf, and Renee Zettle-Sterling just to name a few metalsmths. This hard work has brought Touchstone back from the brink of closing just a few years ago.

Only an afternoon's drive from D.C., Philadelphia, Columbus, OH, and Detroit, I encourage you to support Touchstone and go out and get your hands dirty for a week or weekend!