Jewelry Making with Sabrina
Explore Milan, the center of Italian design and fashion, with jewelry designer Sabrina. Craft your personal jewelry collection from concept to finish using various techniques, while slowing down in a ceramic class or enjoying traditional Italian and Apulian cuisine. Outside the studio, you’ll find inspiration in the city’s celebrated architecture and artistic heritage.
- Snacks, Coffee, & Tea, Breakfast
Pricing
- One Guest
- USD $1855
Accommodation
- One Guest
- USD $415
- Additional guest(s)
- USD $215
Meet the Artist
Sabrina, born in the picturesque Italian town of Bari, is a multifaceted jewelry designer whose creative journey has gracefully woven through the realms of fashion, graphic design, and a deep fascination with the human psyche. Committed to sustainability, she exclusively uses recycled and ethically sourced materials.
Her creative practice is a tapestry of memories, personal feelings, and dedicated formal and expressive research, capturing the poetics and fragility of nature and the human essence. She often works with natural light, under the sun. Every detail is made with artisanal precision, from the gaze of the deer to the care taken in the small elements that capture the landscape in all its beauty. Sabrina particularly savors the slow gestures and tranquility found in 'Traforo' and lost-wax processes, viewing each creation as an opportunity to get lost, to slow down, or to heal the soul.
In Sabrina's words, she's not just a designer but a passionate sharer of her jewelry expertise and creative ethos—an invitation for learners to explore the delicate intersection of nature and humanity through her intricate and soulful creations.
Her creative practice is a tapestry of memories, personal feelings, and dedicated formal and expressive research, capturing the poetics and fragility of nature and the human essence. She often works with natural light, under the sun. Every detail is made with artisanal precision, from the gaze of the deer to the care taken in the small elements that capture the landscape in all its beauty. Sabrina particularly savors the slow gestures and tranquility found in 'Traforo' and lost-wax processes, viewing each creation as an opportunity to get lost, to slow down, or to heal the soul.
In Sabrina's words, she's not just a designer but a passionate sharer of her jewelry expertise and creative ethos—an invitation for learners to explore the delicate intersection of nature and humanity through her intricate and soulful creations.
VAWAA Includes:
- Design a personal jewelry collection—two rings, earrings, a stone pendant, and a bracelet—around a central inspiration, or “fil rouge”.
- Learn how to prepare a safe work table so you can easily practice at home.
- Explore techniques like hand-piercing, metal-folding, hammering, silver soldering. Wax carving is available for an additional fee.
- Discover how to add character with natural patinas. Hand painting and enameling techniques are possible for an additional fee.
- Walk around Milan for inspiration, and slow down for a typical Italian lunch.
- Enjoy an outing for “panzerotto”, a typical Apulian street food.
- If time permits, you can join a ceramics class in a shared studio with Sabrina’s colleague Ekaterina to explore the spiritual and relaxing Kurinuki pottery technique. Or, you can choose the cold porcelain class to explore a new technique and practice working with other materials.
- All tools and materials like brass, aluminum and wax are included. A jewelry making tool kit can be bought in the studio for an additional fee. If you prefer to use silver and stones, Sabrina can guide you to local suppliers.
Stay at Sabrina's
Stay in Sabrina’s guest room and studio space overlooking a private patio and garden. It has a sofa bed, worktable, wardrobe, and a bookshelf full of Sabrina’s favorite books. You can choose to work on your projects in your room or outside, weather permitting. Common spaces including the living room, kitchen, and bathroom with sauna and hydromassage are shared. If you're staying with her, she'll be happy to cook and share Apulian and Italian recipes for lunch and dinner, and you are welcome to use the kitchen as you wish. Sabrina lives with her partner, a biologist and teacher, and two friendly cats.
Sabrina’s home is surrounded by a public garden and is just a short walk away from the Parco Lambro and the charming Villa Carmen Emilia. There is a metro station 200m away, making it easy to reach the Central Station, Porta Venezia, and the iconic Duomo in 15-20 minutes.
Sabrina’s home is surrounded by a public garden and is just a short walk away from the Parco Lambro and the charming Villa Carmen Emilia. There is a metro station 200m away, making it easy to reach the Central Station, Porta Venezia, and the iconic Duomo in 15-20 minutes.
Explore Milan
Milan is a dynamic city where history harmoniously intertwines with modernity. Beyond its reputation as a bustling hub of business and fashion, Milan is a treasure trove of spectacular architectural sites such as the neoclassical La Scala theater, the iconic gothic Duomo, and the eclectic Casa Berri Melegalli. Wander through the charming Brera District and Navigli canals to engage with the city’s historic elegance, or explore Isola and the Tortona Design District, known for their artistic energy and innovation.
For those seeking the unconventional, Milan offers hidden gems like San Bernardino alle Ossa, a bone-adorned church, and the Villa Invernizzi gardens, where a colony of pink flamingos adds a touch of whimsy. Don’t miss a visit to the city’s Chinatown on Via Paolo Sarpi, a harmonious melting pot of flavors and cultures. Whether you’re an art lover, a history buff, or simply interested in exploring the city’s wide-ranging cultural offers, Milan is best savored with an authentic risotto, an innovative fusion cuisine, an espresso, or a classic aperitif.
For those seeking the unconventional, Milan offers hidden gems like San Bernardino alle Ossa, a bone-adorned church, and the Villa Invernizzi gardens, where a colony of pink flamingos adds a touch of whimsy. Don’t miss a visit to the city’s Chinatown on Via Paolo Sarpi, a harmonious melting pot of flavors and cultures. Whether you’re an art lover, a history buff, or simply interested in exploring the city’s wide-ranging cultural offers, Milan is best savored with an authentic risotto, an innovative fusion cuisine, an espresso, or a classic aperitif.
Additional Details
The best times to visit Milan are in the spring, from April to the end of June, and in the early fall, from September to October, or during the city’s most famous cultural events, such as Fashion Week, Design Week, Food Week, Salone del Mobile, Flowers and Flavors (Naviglio Grande), and the Milano Film Festival. The weather can be hot in the summer.
This VAWAA can be extended up to 15 days for an intensive 36-hour session. There's also an option to host this session in Bari, Puglia. Please add a note in your booking request.
The session can be adapted for elders and for kids 16 years and older. Unfortunately, the bathroom at Sabrina’s home studio is not wheelchair accessible.
Sabrina speaks Italian, English, and French.
This VAWAA can be extended up to 15 days for an intensive 36-hour session. There's also an option to host this session in Bari, Puglia. Please add a note in your booking request.
The session can be adapted for elders and for kids 16 years and older. Unfortunately, the bathroom at Sabrina’s home studio is not wheelchair accessible.
Sabrina speaks Italian, English, and French.
Guest Reviews
Ma I K., United States
Sabrina's hospitality was truly amazing! Her intricate jewelry designs were breathtaking and she graciously shared her knowledge with me. I was blown away by her kindness and warmth, as well as the delicious pasta her partner cooked for me. I feel so lucky to have learned so much about Italian food from them!
Aakanksha G., India
Day 1 and cold outside. I step through a big door into a courtyard where I am supposed to meet Sabrina. One glance at the yellow lights in the studio and I warm up instantly. Sabrina teaches me about the sawblade, the wooden jeweller’s bench and how to string a blade through the sawframe. (I do wonder how this thin little blade is going to cut through metal). Then quickly I am transferring shapes Read more
Andrea (Ashima) F., Australia
My cup is full and overflowing .... The 4 days/5 nights I spent with my host Sabrina and her partner Gianni were absolutely amazing. They were both extremely kind, generous and welcomed me wholeheartedly into their home 🥰 When I signed up with VAWAA for a homestay vacation in a foreign country with an artist I didn't know, I never imagined the amount of joy, happiness and pleasure it would bring Read more
Anja S., Italy
Sabrina is a super teacher with patience and extensive skills in different techniques. I had great moments learning how to weld evenly. The accommodation was close to metro and the hospitality was outstanding. I had a perfect time and learnt so much.
