IMPRESSIONS: A Thanksgiving Weekend Metal Embossing Workshop – with Laura Jiménez Diecks
Saturday, November 28 | 1 – 4 PM
Gather around the art table this Thanksgiving weekend for an afternoon of making, connection, and reflection. Using the simple and satisfying art of metal embossing, participants will create a one-of-a-kind piece inspired by the people, places, traditions, and stories we carry with us.
Working with soft tooling metal, we’ll explore how lines, patterns, words, and symbols can be transformed into beautiful dimensional designs. Create a family crest, a symbol of gratitude, a Christmas ornament, a keepsake for your home, or a handmade gift for someone you love.
No drawing or art experience is necessary. This workshop is about slowing down, working with our hands, and enjoying the pleasure of creating alongside one another.
Come on your own, bring a friend, or make it a family afternoon. Adults, teens, and families with older children are welcome. Children should be comfortable working independently with an accompanying adult.
All materials are provided.
PRICING:
Adults, teens, and families are welcome. Youth ages 12–17 are invited to participate with an accompanying adult
- Adults:$55 OHCA members / $65 non-members + $15 materials
- Ages 12–17:$30 + $15 materials
- Children under 18 participate with an accompanying adult
Materials fee to be paid to instructor at start of workshop.
Workshop Flow
1:00–1:20 — Welcome + inspiration. Introduce embossing and show a few finished examples. Talk briefly about symbols: family, home, ancestry, gratitude, nature, traditions, place. Invite participants to think about “What—or who—has left an impression on you?
1:20–1:40 — Design. Participants sketch their idea on paper first. Provide a sheet of simple visual motifs—botanicals, stars, sun/moon, hearts, houses, hands, birds, geometric borders, initials, etc.—for anyone intimidated by drawing. Tracing should absolutely be allowed.
1:40–2:00 — Embossing demonstration. Show tooling metal over foam, working front/back to create raised and recessed areas, line weight, repeated patterns and texture. Include the wonderful discovery that pressure creates dimension.
2:00–2:45 — First work session. Transfer designs and emboss. You circulate and help people troubleshoot.
2:45–2:55 — Break. Tea, coffee, perhaps something very simple and Thanksgiving-ish. This is also a natural time for people to wander around and see what others are making.
2:55–3:35 — Finish + embellish. Refine embossing and optionally add patina/color with permanent markers or acrylics. Mount pieces onto mat board, small wood panels, or turn smaller works into ornaments/hanging pieces.
3:35–3:55 — Make it a keepsake. Add a name, date, dedication, short message or handwritten note on the reverse. Anyone making a gift can package it simply in tissue/kraft paper.
3:55–4:00 — Gather the work. Put everything together briefly for an informal “family table” display and photograph it. No forced sharing or explaining—just enjoy what everyone made
Laura Jiménez Diecks is a visual artist working across photography, digital collage, and mixed media.
Her work embraces the interplay of materials, textures, and processes, from photographic transfers and collage to tactile explorations such as metal embossing. Whether working digitally or by hand, Laura approaches art as a way to uncover stories, invite curiosity, and celebrate our shared humanity.
Based in Mill Valley, she is an exhibiting artist and an active member of the Marin arts community.