CraftArtEdu.com

Friday the 13th, a very good day!

2012-01-13T07:13:00.001-08:00

Today we post the first two classes of 2012! Master metal clay artist and teacher, Gordon Uyehara's "Ever Expanding Heart Pendant" is an intermediate level class. This beautiful piece exhibits the precision and high design we have come to associate with this fine artist. Gordon's work is perfect and by following Gordon in this step by step broadcast, yours can be, too!

Note: this class also features instruction on the use of and fusing of Argentium jumprings.

Class Price: 20.00

Class Link: http://bit.ly/yaLobX

Polymer artist, Cathy Harm's work is all about color and pattern (and fun!) applied to the millefiori technique. In this intermediate level class, dedicated to Bees and Ladybugs, you will learn representational complex caning techniques. Let the buzzing begin!

Class Price: 20.00

Class Link: http://bit.ly/z4zKeb

2012

2012-01-10T11:03:00.000-08:00

It's only the 10th and I'm up to my eyeballs already, but, that's okay. It's a roller coaster with highs and lows but it is exciting and rewarding (although my hair is already turning grey faster, it seems, than would otherwise be. No worries, I want silver hair).

Daily, my computer hums and only occasionally gives off a little cough or sputter. Computers, what would we do without them? Information travels at the speed of light, we have access to friends across the globe - pen palling is now just a click away.

So, is our ability to share and teach and, consequently, to grow. My students learn from me but I've learned so much more from them. Students like Yetta and her brilliant hollow forms made using cutters! Now, she blew my mind. But it's even more than that. No people have been kinder to me than my students and it is humbling and gratifying to know them.

This year will be a red letter year, I feel it in my old bones. My goal remains the same - to help talented teachers share those talents with all of you. To promote creativity and what the act of creating "does" for us inside. We all need that.

So, I hope 2012 is a red letter year for you, too. Filled with joy, friendship, love, growth, challenge and fun. To quote Captain Picard, "Make it so". And, you know, we can.

Moving Forward

2011-12-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

In the months to come, you'll see changes to CraftEdu.com. It's been a lot of work, too much thinking (my head hurts!) but it will be worthwhile. We're focused on you - how to make navigation simpler, how to make it easier to find the classes you want and changes include a student dashboard (much easier for you to locate your classes!).

The first big change is our name. As of today, we're CraftArtEdu. I like the change, it better reflects who we are and our goals moving forward. We hope you agree.

We're adding new, exciting teachers who are working hard on their classes. Our goal is to spread our love of art and craft to you, to connect with you regardless of how far apart and distant we might physically be. The world is shrinking, computers make it possible to reach out and meet you anytime and in any place.

Thank you for your support. It's been a long road and we're moving along apace.

Have a great and glorious holiday season. May you be safe, secure, happy and content moving into 2012!

Reach Out!

2011-07-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

As a teacher, it's my goal to take my students and give them the tools to make a jump up in their work - that's the goal of my in person workshops. Working on CraftEdu, that goal remains. You see, the vacuum in instruction doesn't really occur in beginning instruction - that you can find all over the net, and we have beginning instruction ourselves - but in the type of instruction that challenges our students and delves into details that one really only gets in those in person workshops. I can't be everywhere, none of our instructors can be everywhere in person, but we can reach those students seeking upper level instruction via CraftEdu. We can replicate our in person workshops online but it's even better than that - our students get us at our best. They get the rested us. They get the organized us. They get exactly what we feel is important to convey through images and our voice. They get us on our best days standing before them in person. And, they get the best seat in the house.

After more than 1 year online, we're still the "new kids". There are still questions about the platform, the most common is how to access the pdf handout that accompanies each workshop. So, for the record, here's how! Login to your class then move the cursor to the bottom of the screen to reveal the navigation bar. Slide the cursor to the right to the white up arrow and a menu appears. The attachment is in that menu and all you have to do is click on it. A pop up window appears and you can print from there.

This email came as a response to a query about just that issue but Terry went on to make a comment about Maggie Meister's "Mosaic Chain Cuff Bracelet" that hits the heart of our goal. Terry totally gets it!

"Thank You Donna for the quick info. Just wanted to tell you that I started the bracelet last night. The instructions are impeccable and it is so nice to hear a Maggie's voice. This is a wonderful opportunity for all of us who are not able to attend those far away classes. I am an advanced beader and find this to be perfect."

There is a very old tv commercial that sings "reach out, reach out and touch someone" and that's exactly what Maggie did when she touched Terry.

Donna Kato is one of the founders of CraftEdu, has her own brand of polymer clay (Kato Polyclay by Van Aken, Int.), is an author and teacher - on the road and online at CraftEdu.com.

Biography
Workshops at CraftEdu
Upcoming Events

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Today, I am thinking of my Dad - he was the greatest! My very first memory is of dad. I was 2 years old in my crib - it was either very early in the morning or late (it was dark) when the door opened. I remember his silhouette in the doorway - daddy... He walked in the room, bent over my crib and said "Donna, you want to go fishing?"

I thought I had dreamt that for the longest time, until I told Mom, who told me, "yes, Daddy used to take you fishing all the time. He'd get you dressed, pack a lunch and leave a note on the fridge 'Mom, took Donna fishing'". And off we'd go.

Dad always loved fish and loved to fish. He subscribed to two publications that he read cover to cover - Field & Stream and National Geographic (he killed us in the geography category of Trivial Pursuit). My brother Mark was a "bonus baby" - a full 20 years younger than I. Mom, Dad and Mark must have circled the Great Lakes 3 times on their camping vacations. Always looking for the one that couldn't get away. Setting up the huge, blue and white striped circus tent in the woods. I don't know if dad knew it was blue and white - he was color blind - but I think it must have always been the only one in a campground, maybe the state.

Most of the time they got those fish but on one particular day, they got skunked. Mark, as luck would have it, was the only one who caught anything - his first fish - all 3" of it. He was a headstrong child and insisted that he keep his very first fish so dad relented - the only time I can remember he ever broke the law. When they returned to the dock, Mark insisted that dad clean his fish. Okay, let's teach the kid how it's done.

The way you clean a fish is simple but involves a few steps - after step one, Mark decided he didn't really want any part of it, promptly abandoned Dad (and his precious first fish) and ran off to make some new friends. Dad, never one to shirk a task, continued, alone, to clean that minnow. Scales off, head off, cut the belly, remove the guts, wash it and you're done. It just seemed wrong to toss the minnow in the trash as anyone else would have done but not my Dad - once he started something, he finished it.

People are so wonderful, so sympathetic, the "plight" of my family did not go unnoticed. How terrible that those people have only that minnow to eat! So, that night 3 people searched the campground for my folks - bringing fish for my family to eat! People can be so compassionate.

Dad was not only a fisherman, he was an artist. Not the conventional artist - no smock, no paint palette. His art was the restoration of crashed up cars - he was a body and fender man and he was a great one. He loved his work, he talked about the tolerance of metal, just how much you could stress it before it would give. He talked about what a really good paint job was. He appreciated art and craftsmanship and always supported our efforts.

Of all the gifts my dad gave me, perhaps the very best gift was the peace he left behind. No words unspoken, no turmoil between we children, no wondering if he loved us, no wondering if we'd disappointed him. He was an exceptional father, he was an exceptional man, he was gentle, loving and kind, he was our rock and our example and you know, he still is. We sure miss you, Pop.

Happy Father's Day! If you're lucky enough to have your Dad, give him a great big hug from me!

Donna Kato is one of the founders of CraftEdu, has her own brand of polymer clay (Kato Polyclay by Van Aken, Int.), is an author and teacher - on the road and online.

Biography
Workshops at CraftEdu
Upcoming Events

A Flag Cake - Create-Celebrate-Explore

2011-06-05T10:57:00.000-07:00

Click here and 10 cents will be donated to troops to call home program A Flag Cake - Create-Celebrate-Explore

Kinder Canes with Heather Campbell

2011-06-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Join artist/teacher Heather Campbell in her first class at CraftEdu! In this class, you'll learn how to make what she calls "Kinder Canes". If you've wanted to try your hand at caning, this beginner class is just what you've needed to give you a firm foundation in the popular technique.

We will Bazinga this class on Monday so mark your calendar so you don't miss out on the 25% discount for two days. This class will be Bazinga priced at 15.00 (will be 20.00)

To see the Preview of Kinder Canes with Heather Campbell, click on the thumbnail below.

Bazinga!

2011-06-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Bazinga!

Artist, Sylvie Peraud's wonderful 3 part class: "Different Techniques in Polymer Clay Mosaics" is posted in 2 languages (so be careful). The Bazinga price (25% discount) of both classes for the next 2 days is 27 (will be 36) so take advantage of this pricing and learn about polymer clay mosaics! The Bazinga ends on Friday at noon Mountain Time!

English: http://bit.ly/is1xXT
French: http://bit.ly/jR9UvY

3-D Mixed Media Art Card

2011-05-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun creating this mixed media art card. I used a dog stamp from Viva Las VegaStamps to create the 3-D angel dog.

click to enlarge

a close-up of the wings

To create this mixed media artwork card, I stamped the dog image on white watercolor paper and shaded it with Copic markers. I punched a 2" circle of white paper, cut it in half, folded it and used a corner stamp to punch the design. I combined the dog and wings on three layers of handmade paper.

I painted dots around the circle with gold metallic acrylic. Then I added beads and metallic threads along one side.

stamp -

Bichon With Bow 2 x 2 1/4 Item 11156 Plate 1165

Tiny White Chair

2011-05-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today, a technical lesson! This little chair is going to be part of a larger project - for that project, I covered it with clay. CraftEdu instructor Kent Perdue makes these wonderful little chair rings of wood (his specialty). For the project, I didn't have to cover it with clay, but I wanted to.

Wood is a tricky material to cover in polymer. It expands and contracts more than polymer and that can present problems after curing. For this reason, the polymer clay you choose must be strong enough not to crack when the wood expands.

Wood is also textured, it isn't stock smooth like glass and textures don't (in my experience) grab the clay like a smooth surface. For this reason, a wood piece should be sanded with fine grit paper - let's make it smoother. Dry sand it well, then brush off the dust - don't wet the piece or else you may have to wait a few days for it to dry out again.

There are so many woods - of so many qualities so if you can, choose a hardwood, with no knots (the sap will seep out - another resist agent - when you heat the piece). The seeping may well also lead to cracking in the wood itself and that may lead to problems with the clay covering it.

Before sheeting a piece with clay, apply a coat of PolyPaste and cure it. The PolyPaste will fill whatever remains of the texture and provide a nice, smooth, polymer surface on which to attach the sheet. When covering a chair like this - it's all angles (except for the round holes) sheet each plane of the chair, don't drape a sheet over. Draped sheets end up with rounder corners and that's not what I wanted!

Because of the issue of expansion, contraction, texture, make that sheet of at least a medium thickness. You may save clay with a thin sheet but it will be more difficult to manage and may even crack after curing. This medium sheet is stronger and offers the capability of sanding and sanding and not exposing the wood beneath it.

I used to cover really big wooden pieces with clay but the level of difficulty of covering larger forms increases with the size so begin with a small piece, then move on to larger items.

Donna Kato is one of the founders of CraftEdu, has her own brand of polymer clay (Kato Polyclay by Van Aken, Int.), is an author and teacher - on the road and online at CraftEdu.com.

Biography
Workshops at CraftEdu
Upcoming Events

Mother's Day

2011-05-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

Today's blog is dedicated to my Mother and Mothers the world over. Where would we be without them? I adore my mom.

I owe so much to my mom. The care and feeding, the comforting and scolding, teaching right from wrong - not an easy job. When I was small, my parents friends used to say of my brother and I "if they both survive", which says a lot about the chaos the two of us created in the house. Thankfully, we both did survive and are great friends today. But getting through those formative years placed a huge burden on Mom, Dad and baby sister, Tina, who used to hide when we started up. We were Hurricane Katrina roaring through our home in San Jose.

Somehow, with all of that to deal with (it was a lot), my mom managed to make our clothes, knit our sweaters, even provide Tina's beloved Barbie dolls with the best wardrobe on the block and make jam. Tiny brocade dresses with mink collars. Smashing! Watching her at the sewing machine or sitting with a ball of yarn and needles, clicking away, was magic to me. That little piece of fabric turned into that dress, that yarn turned into a sweater. Absolute magic.

So, when I was old enough (about 8) Mom taught me how to make magic of my own. She taught me to knit (my first sweater being a jaunty orange sailor collar sweater for Tina's Skipper doll - one ply on pick up sticks), crochet, embroider and then bought me all those issues of "1,000 Great Christmas Ideas" at the local grocery check out. I pored over those magazines. I made ornaments of ribbon, styrofoam snowmen and pipe cleaner anythings.

Through my Mother's instruction and support, I learned the most valuable lesson of my life. I can do, I can make, I am not totally dependent on a store or anyone else for what I need. If I set my mind to something, there's a good chance I can do it. That confidence allowed me to go further, to dare to try to make my life in the art and craft world. I rarely think "I can't do that", I always think of how I might do it myself.

When I began in polymer clay, Mom told my husband Vernon, "I'm scared, how is Donna going to make a living with clay???" Vernon replied, "I know, I'm scared, too". The important thing here is that I didn't know they were concerned - they didn't tell me until years after. If I had known they were so concerned, I might not have pursued this dream.

So, Mom, thank you for the many gifts you have given to me and to everyone who is lucky enough to know you. More than anyone else, you set me on this road, you opened the door, supported and encouraged and let me try what you at one time thought totally improbable.

Donna Kato is one of the founders of CraftEdu, has her own brand of polymer clay (Kato Polyclay by Van Aken, Int.), is an author and teacher - on the road and online.

Biography
Workshops at CraftEdu
Upcoming Events

The Open Door

2011-04-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks on the road I'm almost back in the swing of things. Emails, welcoming our new members, catching up on laundry and paying extra attention to Doc, Zoe and Dulce - who were quite certain I'd abandoned them. That alone is quite a job, but someone has to do it!

So, I posted some pix on facebook, of my wonderful trip and the kind and generous new friends I'd made. That's the best thing about traveling, I think, and my travels have led me to the conclusion that no matter where we live, what language we speak, we are more similar than we are different.

In the comments of one album came a surprise - gasp - the great craft museum in New York, The American Craft Museum - had been renamed. It's now the Museum of Art and Design which doesn't even make sense to me. The reason? Craft is now a dirty word. Really? It seems there are those who would very much like to erase the word from Webster's Dictionary.

Crafting is a room with its doors swung open wide. It's an invitation to everyone to find whatever degree of creativity that may reside within. It's about fulfilling the inside more than what others may think of what you have made. It's about encouraging people who think they have not an ounce of creativity in their bodies to discover that they do. It's democratic and it's not steeped in the judgement and criticism of others. I love it because it makes my world a better place to live and it enriches the lives of others.

I love "Craft" and crafting...I hope some folks figure out what it really means.

Donna Kato is one of the founders of CraftEdu, has her own brand of polymer clay (Kato Polyclay by Van Aken, Int.), is an author and teacher - on the road and online.

Biography
Workshops at CraftEdu
Upcoming Events

The image is from leadershipfreak.wordpress.com, which is a really wonderful blog!

Nathalie Kalbach

2011-03-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Nathalie Kalbach, and I live in Hamburg, Germany. Since February 2011 I am a full time self employed artist.
Wow- it feels so wonderful yet so weird to write this down for the first time in a bio. See...it has been a long journey until this.

My family is musical and some of my family members love to draw and paint. Lot’s of my ancestors had a real obsession with photography; we have a lot of wonderful heritage photos in our possession and photos fascinated me as long as I remember. It was always the question about the person behind the picture, the moment, the emotions.

I had art in school and had a wonderful time with a very young enthusiastic art teacher who let us just be very experimental and having fun doing art. We would paint eyes and eyes and eyes with acrylic paints, then looking for our favorite piece there, we would do chalk paintings of our projected profile Dias on packing paper and if there were parts to dark, we would just fill in the missing parts with trees or whatever we imagined made us strong to get out of the shadow. It was my favorite subject in school, until…he left. Until the new teacher let us draw what we saw with pencils- our pencil holder, the eraser, a table. I thought my drawing weren’t too bad…she told me I had absolutely no talent – I should better not think I’m creative – art is not my subject.

I believed her that I’m really not a creative person, have no talent for art. I did photo books- not knowing that there is something like Scrapbooking out there in the world, since this hobby was until a couple years ago not known in Germany. I liked visiting museums and look at art. I was interested in design. But I studied law, I became a paralegal, because I was a head-person…not an artsy person. Don’t get me wrong, I was very good in my job – I have been in the highest position in this field that you can concur, I managed at the end an office with five lawyers, doing accounting, taxes and working on my own files. But it wasn’t as if I had the dream job.

In 2004 I married my wonderful friend Jim. He has always been very creative and when I wasn’t sure of what to do with our wedding photos he told me, I should do something called Scrapbooking. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I figured it out and soon I was also drawn into Mixed Media Art and the techniques that are used there. It didn’t take much time for me to combine those two fields – lot’s of people thought that was bold and wrong back then. I didn’t care – I really like what I was doing, I poured my emotions and thoughts out in those techniques and the journaling, making the pieces meaningful for me- but also colorful and …well- that is something you can argue over – beautiful for the viewer. I held on to my style and a couple months later I had my first publication in an American Magazine called Simple Scrapbooking – which is kind of funny, cause my style is so not simple ;) . From there it just rolled over me – I got published as a featured artist in Somerset Memories, now writing a regular column in the Magazine called “Nathalie’s Studio”, since then I have been published in numerous magazine, idea books and eZines.
I had my own product line: papers and stamps and transparencies called eMOTions with a French Manufacturer.
I have been working with several manufacturers in a design team, right now with Tattered Angels who manufactures wonderful Spraypaints and other Paintmedia, also Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and Vintage Street Market – a gorgeous company that manufactures vintage themed Scrapbooking and gift wrapping papers, embellishments and tapes.

I soon realized that I love to teach. My first teaching gig was in Berlin in 2007 – and I remember how excited and stoked I was, but also scared. But I loved loved loved it so much. I loved showing the students what they could do, make a project that doesn’t look like mine, but is a piece of it’s own, to learn techniques and to just try to be creative and not being scared of trying things. Now that I write this down, I somehow see the connection to my experiences with my art teachers in school. I do not want to limit my students, I want them to have a good time and experience and enjoy the process- there is no right or wrong!

The last couple months I realized that I basically was doing two full jobs – one as a paralegal and one as an artist/workshop teacher and it started to be really exhausting and I had to ask myself what I really want. Doing the art/workshop part felt so right, so what I wanted, that I decided to take the risk and give up my well-paid full time job. If I wouldn’t do it, I would never know, right? I would always wonder if I could have been successful with something I am passionate about, something that makes me feel good, something that is releasing my creativity.

So here I am – Nathalie Kalbach, an artist and workshop teacher.

I have been teaching in several different countries like Germany, the U.S., Spain, The Netherlands, France, Norway, Greece, Denmark, Israel, Austria, Belgium and soon I will do a teaching road trip called the Creative Journey in Australia. I’m a member of the wonderful craftedu.com faculty and it makes me happy to be in the same group as a lot of teachers and artists that share the same passion of showing people how to create.

You can find my Layered Background Workshop on CraftEdu here….
A new class will be released in the next couple days ☺
Join my classroom
If you want to read more about me and see more of my work visit my blog: www.scrapbook-trends.com

We are proud to have the wonderful Nathalie Kalbach teaching here at CraftEdu! To watch the preview of her "Layered Backgrounds" workshop, simply click on the text.

Gordon Uyehara

2011-03-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Gordon is one of the most respected metal clay artists in the world. His work sets a new standard in the metal clay arts and he is a sought after instructor for both the depth of his technical expertise and his esthetic. If you know metal clay, then you know Gordon Uyehara.

But, really, how much do we know about anyone? I know Gordon, but I had no idea how he came to art and metal clay so I decided to find out. Now, you will also know a bit of his history and his journey to master artist.

Poor Gordon, he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii! All those brutal winters! But, I jest, none of us decide where we land and he was just lucky to land in paradise. He also hails from a family of artists – his sister is a fine artist doing small scale wood sculptures, after retiring, his Dad returned to the university and earned his Masters in sculpture. Art “runs in the family”.

Gordon’s journey began with pencil and paper. He says he liked to draw and even today, he sketches out his pieces before he makes them.

Gordon attended the University of Hawaii at Manoa where he received his Bachelor of Science in ICS. That’s Information and Computer Science so we know he knows his way around when it comes to what we sometimes call the “magic box”. Gordon actually understands the magic in the box. He worked for the university doing web support, but found the environment a bit staid, a bit restricting – as he says “another concession in a list of compromises of a yawn inducing life” (good words!) and he was badly in need of a change.

By late April of ’02, Gordon had his big wake up moment. Literally, it was 2 am and he woke up and wrote his resignation announcement. It was both liberating and disconcerting – he took the big first step on a path of uncertainty.

That summer, the next big turn came in the form of a little advertisement in the Honolulu Weekly about silver clay being taught at a local bead store. I think this is probably the best reason I’ve ever heard for protecting print newspapers! He called and signed up.

It was in that class taught by Sally Yoshida, that silver clay caught his interest – it was intriguing and it challenged him. Gordon invested a lot of time and money in his exploration of the medium and it paid off. He figured it out and now he’s an Art Clay Silver Senior Instructor.

Because we can do, does not automatically mean we can teach, When a local instructor at a bead store decided to take a break, Gordon was invited to try teaching. He stepped out again, met that challenge, discovered he is a teacher and he still teaches at this very same bead shop today.

Gordon is inspired by nature, science fiction, by other artists and smart, creative people, in general. I asked him where his art comes from and he said “Art comes from the need to express yourself”. It sure does.

We are honored and pleased to offer workshops by the one and only Gordon Uyehara at CraftEdu.

Teresa Sullivan

2011-02-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

As a shy, intense kid, I drew almost constantly, created cartoons, and listened to a lot of music. My Dad knew he could keep me happy with scratch paper and felt pens when I visited his office and my Mom knew she could keep getting me to go to church if I got to sing. Since grade school, art and music along with biking and hiking, was a life saver as my family life turned chaotic.

I was a late-blooming rebel, maintaing a grade A average while discovering punk rock and more diverse art. In college I started playing electric bass guitar, co-founding a band called Living Eyes which self-released a 45rpm single in 1989 and still plays live. Although my artwork mostly centered on the band’s show flyers for a time, around 1991 a combination of forces led me to re-embrace art through the medium of beads.

I lived walking distance from a bead store; after having my ears pierced I began making earrings to wear. Then our drummer gave me a box of beads a roommate left behind, and I received a bag of raw earthenware from the tile factory where I worked. I began making beads out of the clay, trading them at the local bead store, and joined the Portland (Oregon) Bead Society.

I fell in love with trade beads, their history, and the challenges of designing with them. Then Joyce Scott’s expressive artwork fired up my interest in seed bead weaving. I realized I could do a lot more than make pleasant things with beads. I began expressing my love of the surreal and the irreverent. The first seed-bead artwork I made is a three-dimensional eyeball with trailing optic nerve.

Inspired by Joyce’s example and that of renowned glass artist Paul Stankard, I slowly but surely transitioned from punching a time clock to a living derived from making and teaching.

I have held workshops since 1997 in Alaska, up and down the West Coast, and from Chicago to Dallas. Exhibiting since 1995, my artwork has been seen in Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and New York City. My first museum solo exhibit, “Station Identification”, debuted at Mesa Arts Center in 2010.

My work has been featured in Ornament, Beadwork and Fiberarts magazines; Lark Books’ 500 Beaded Objects, Kate McKinnon’s The Jewelry Architect, extremecraft.com author Garth Johnson’s 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse, and TV program AM Northwest. Visit www.teresasullivanstudio.com to see me create a 3-dimensional head, to see me on TV, and to view more artwork.

I have found that whether you want to create art for fun, for a living, or just to stay sane, it brings out your special magic.

Teresa Sullivan creates intricate and monumental sculpture and sculptural jewelry from humble materials using the ancient technique of beadweaving, revealing her love of the surreal and the irreverent.

Her work has been shown since 1995 across the US and abroad, including a Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art invitational in 2008, and a solo exhibit, “Station Identification”, at Mesa Arts Center in 2010. Her work was featured in Vol. 33, No. 3 (April 2010) issue of Ornament magazine.

Teresa Sullivan’s work is also found in 500 Beaded Objects, 1000 Ideas for Creative Reuse, The Jewelry Architect; and Beadwork, CRAFT, and Fiberarts magazines.

We are pleased and honored to have classes by Teresa Sullivan at CraftEdu.com.

Classes, why take them?

2011-02-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

When I began in polymer clay, there were very few opportunities in person and virtually none online available to me. I had Nan’s book The New Clay and a few little pamphlet type books but that was pretty much it. Craft sites were very few and far between and Vernon's Prairie Craft was the first online polymer clay selling resource in existence.

What I learned, came from hours of study in my studio. I don’t even think we had a guild in the Chicago area when I began – they started popping up after. Lindly and Nan had started the National guild but, remember, the only way to find out about this was through word of mouth, phone calls and letters, posted letters. There was no google, no facebook.

The polymer community took to the internet pretty fast. There is a connection between polymer clay and science and math and email caught on like wildfire. With email and the net, suddenly information could be shared and passed on quickly and efficiently.

Today, of course, information shoots around the globe at the speed of light (almost) and sometimes there is too much information – it can get confusing and one needs good internal filters to separate and file away all this new input.

So, with all that is available on the net, why would anyone take a class? Well, from my perspective, workshops take information and make sense of it. Workshops filter and prioritize information which can be most helpful when one is just starting in a medium.

Workshops can also push a student to the next level. We begin by crawling, then we walk, then we run. In my experience, the in person workshops I teach, help my students walk and run. This is what most of them need – they have obtained information by crawling around, you have to stand up to see what’s off the floor.

I’ve done videos and I’ve written books but none of those avenues made it as easy for me to take my students to the next level as CraftEdu. Videos are great – but we don’t use teleprompters and staring into the black hole that is the lens frequently turns the presenter into a mass if insecurity. Think – deer in the headlights. Turn the cameras off and it’s “I wish I had said this or that!”

Books are great – but there are space considerations and most of the time no space for information that will help students not paint themselves into a corner. We offer steps to an end, we try to give all the hints and tips but frequently, there is no physical space for them.

So, that’s why I love CraftEdu and the platform on which our classes are made. My goal is not just to teach you the steps to make the spinner rings or the hearts, it’s to make you think. It’s not only about the “how” but about the “why “ and the “what if”. It’s about the depth of information - not just what’s on the surface but what lies beneath. It’s about helping you solve problems and if I can do that, then I’ve succeeded for that is ultimately what I’m after – total understanding of the medium we work in. With the platform I have the ability to make absolutely certain that what I tell you is what I mean to, I know you’ll hear every word I mean to say. Of all the teaching formats I have used, it is most like my in person workshops.

Here, at CraftEdu, we present comprehensive workshops on your own time, with a pdf handout. Classes are easy to navigate and you can ask questions and get answers of your instructors. It feels like an online video workshop and some instructors will have video segments, but it ultimately isn’t video in the conventional sense.

There are many sites featuring instruction through pdf handouts and video and I wouldn’t say a bad word about any of them. We learn in different ways and some will find one preferable to another. Some, you check in to a specific time and that works for some students. Ultimately, it’s up to you as to whether you even take workshops and if you do, what format makes you the most comfortable.

In any case, workshops will push you further along your creative journey and that’s the goal of all of them.

Donna Kato is an artist, author (The Art of Polymer Clay - 1997, The Art of Polymer Clay - Surface Effects - 2008, The Art of Polymer Clay - Millefiori - 2009) and instructor teaching at Craft Edu and around the world.

So you want to publish a book

2011-02-11T08:47:00.000-08:00

Judith Bertoglio-Giffin’s excellent blog on self publishing answers many questions about self publishing and anyone interest in the same should be able to proceed. I have never self-published a book and I found it very enlightening. Having plugged myself into traditional publishing, my perspective is a bit different and so here is information for anyone who wishes to pursue this publishing avenue.

There are many publishers available to you. So, how do you know which publisher is a good fit for you. As a new author, you’ll have limited control over how your work will be presented.

The best way to determine a good fit in terms of presentation of your work is a simple process of examining your own art and craft books or sitting yourself down at Border’s or Barnes and Noble and spending time in the Art and Craft area of the store. What you see is, most likely what you will get. Is the color good, is the paper a high quality, is the basic layout pleasing to you?

Books by Watson-Guptill (my publisher) will share a look or sensibility and even organization of material (not that all titles will have the same look - much depends on the theme, books with fun and funky material should have a different look). If you look at Judy Belcher’s book, Lindly Haunani’s book and my books, you can see what they have in common. The design is “clean” and uncluttered. There is an overall consistency in the way they look. I have a book by another publisher that gives me a headache. Each project and its step outs has been shot on a different color background – primary colors, primarily –now, this was the decision of the author but my publisher would probably not have stood for this. Others might not be bothered by this but the experience of learning out of a book benefits from consistency – consistency of background of step outs, of the backgrounds in a gallery. The consistency of presentation isn’t something that most people will verbalize, but they will feel it and it eases or troubles the sub conscious mind.

A book, published many years ago, even referred to polymer clay as a material that could be heated or “air dried” to cure. Air Dry? Really? Polymer clay? This was not the author’s fault, That information did not come from her written text but from someone with the company who decided that that was the case and they didn’t send it to her before they printed it on 8,000 copies. So, publishers vary in terms of the level of their core understanding of what you do and how well they communicate with you.

Look at books you own - are they well written? Did you find typo after typo? Very rarely is a book perfect and everyone and every publisher may make an error or two but errors should be just that, rare. After my first book, I received many compliments on my writing. As I had written very little of the finished text, my reply to this was “I’ll thank my editor for you – she wrote it!” I write more of my own text these days but my editor is still the one who puts the final touches on, makes sure that the text is clear and the grammar is correct.

Once you have determined which publisher you’d like to work with, write an outline of what your book will contain. Publishers usually request a sample chapter, too.

Next, is the contact phase of the process. If you can attend a trade show (CHA or CHA Summer) this would be the best time to approach the publisher in person. Editors attend these shows and they are looking for potential authors. You aren’t bothering anyone, you represent an opportunity, for them. Be prepared with your outline and sample chapter, pictures of your work and wear something you’ve made that represents what you will do in the book.

When I began, it was taboo to contact more than one publisher at a time. In other words, don’t pass the same information to 10 publishers at the same time. Make the contact you want, wait for their answer and move to the next. If you are denied by one publisher, don’t take it personally because 99% of the time, it simply isn’t. There are frequently internal decisions that you aren’t a part of.

Contracts are pretty much the same but are not identical. You will always receive an advance on your book but that amount will be taken back after your book begins to sell. It’s an advance against your royalties, not a gift. So, that amount has never much mattered to me. These funds are for you to pay for photography or any expenses related to the book. Some publishers will offer an additional set photography fee and that is paid to the photographer

Some publishers may offer a one time payment, instead of, or as an alternative to royalty payments. I’ve never done this and I don’t even know if Watson Guptill (Random House) even offers this option. Many years ago, I attended a publisher roundtable. One publisher related that they don’t expect a book to sell more than 8,000 copies. 8,000 copies! I nearly fell out of my chair - had I even heard that, I might never have written a book. Most likely, your book will sell more than that but none of us can expect Tom Clancy sales figures.

New authors have little to no say about anything. Yes, it’s true, you won’t have much, if any, say about what appears on the cover. You also won’t have the freedom to put as many images in a book as you’d like so take it from me, you don’t want to shoot 800 images when the publisher limits you to 144. Yup, Vernon shot 800 images for my first book that allowed for 144. He still loves me, sometimes, I wonder why.

Finally, the issue of content should be discussed. There are so many books on the market today. Many of them are essentially the same information offered by different authors and if you have one of them, you don’t need all of them. This is why it is critical to you and your book’s success that the majority of the information is the result of your technical innovation. What you have created. Yes, you can certainly have information that you did not innovate but if that’s the case, you must also give credit to the originator. This is simply being honest.

It took me 10 years to feel I had enough new and unique information to fill a book – 10 years. My publisher did press me to write more books but stopped when they realized that the continual “book a year” didn’t serve them or me very well. It takes time to innovate and re hashing the same information over and over is a waste of energy, paper and ultimately results in too many books that don’t earn as well as one good book. I value my time more than that – it takes at least a year out of your life to write a book.

Make sure that you are happy with the content of your book because you simply cannot take it back and once it’s in print, it’s there for everyone to see and judge. If you’re lucky enough to have an “honest broker” in your life, ask them for their assessment – not for what they think you want to hear, but their honest opinion. If they and you believe you are ready for a publishing adventure, go full tilt boogie and get your creativity in print!

Donna Kato is a polymer clay artist, author (The Art of Polymer Clay, The Art of Polymer Clay - Surface Effects, The Art of Polymer Clay - Millefiori Techniques) and teacher. She teaches many online polymer clay art and craft classes at www.CraftEdu.com.

When not busy in studio, she happily resides in the mountains of Colorado with husband Vernon, 5 horses, 2 dogs and a new kitty, Dulce.

So You Want To...Self-publish a Book

2011-01-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Ten years ago I self-published my first book, Bead Crochet Ropes. I had to use a traditional printer and order 5,000 copies of it. This month I self-published my third book, Triangular Bead Crochet Ropes, and used an internet print-on-demand service. What a difference ten years makes in technology.

Anyone can be an author and have a published title for very little cost today. It's not the printing, but the content that makes an attractive book. You can provide great craft ideas, however it takes a good editor and layout stylist to put those ideas into a professional format. My layout stylist didn't know anything about bead crochet. She did have a good idea of how people processed information and rearranged my information to fit that model. She also made sure I had standard structure and left lots of margin space. My editor checked grammar, spelling and standard usage. If beads were called out as 11/0, then the text needed to be 11/0 throughout the book. I could have edited my own work, but I tend to see what I think is there and another pair of eyes sees what is really there on a page.

Starting at the very beginning, you will need clear, clean photos at 300 dpi. They need to be sized for the space they are to occupy. Photoshop, or other photo editing software, can fix small things, but the original photo has to be sharply in focus. Graphics and/or illustrations should be created in a software package that will also give you a 300 dpi result. You want smooth lines, not jagged, pixilated illustrations. I use CorelDRAW, but there are other layout programs that will give you good results. Just remember that the final product will only be as good as all of the small pieces.

The last part is Adobe Acrobat or native layout software that can transfer all of your pages into a 300 dpi PDF format. Print-on-demand services need standard files that they can print from. What you upload to the service is exactly what gets printed. The ones that I investigated did have additional services that you could purchase to help with cover layouts or content. I spent 20 years in the printing industry, had a working knowledge of what I was doing, and didn't feel the need to pay for extra help.

My research narrowed print-on-demand services to two; Amazon & Lulu. Both pay decent royalties and appear to be relatively easy to use. You can order one or any number of your own book(s) at cost. You could set up a discount code for a craft store to order copies at wholesale. They really do print only the copies that a customer buys. The only reason I chose Amazon was that I already had 2 books with them and could take advantage of their huge customer base.

Judith Bertoglio-Giffin, international author, artist, designer, and teacher has been beading for over 25 years. She teaches beading workshops nationwide and online workshops with CraftEdu that include advanced bead crochet techniques. She emphasizes many of the creative approaches to the craft. Judith’s other beading passions are free-form peyote and bead embroidery.

“The journey of creation is as important as the finished piece.”

Online Workshops by Judith Bertoglio Giffin

Discovering the Treasure in Failure

2011-01-17T07:27:00.000-08:00

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
-Scott Adams

As a creator, I’ve learned a lot about destroying. In order to create, we must destroy. It is a part of the creation process. Destroying makes the space for new creation.

We destroy a hank of beads so that we may order its pieces into a necklace. We destroy old ideas to make way for new. We destroy empty space to fill it with a new painting. We destroy a design that doesn’t work in order to create a new one that, hopefully, works.

I was faced with this last dilemma recently. Off and on, for the past 8 months I’ve been working on an intricate piece. I’d made prototypes out of rope that indicated that my idea would work and I was so excited. However, to see if it actually worked, I had to weave it together. After 60+ hours I realized that what I had created would not work like the vision I had in my mind’s eye. So I had to rip it apart. Did I mention it was 60+ hours of work over 8 months time?

I’ve come to realize that destroying is as much a part of creating as the act of creation. I used to resent having to destroy my failed beadwork, regarding those precious hours spent making it as squandered and meaningless because they lead to failure. I saw it as a waste of time. As I’ve matured, I realize that time is only wasted if I refuse to learn from the errors I filled it with.

When possible I save my beaded failures to refer back to what made them fail. In this case, I’d woven together a costly amount of beads that I needed to un-weave so I could use them. I spent hours pulling apart lovingly crafted rows of weaving.

For the first time in my 20+ years of beading, the destruction process fascinated rather than frustrated me. I felt I was watching portions of my life in rewind. As I unravelled, I relived the hours spent weaving while watching a Frank Zappa concert DVD with my husband. Then came memories of my trip to San Diego as I tore out loops made during the summer. Backwards I wove through the section of rows completed in July when we lost our Greyhound. Then the part I’d made during the last weeks of our Dalmatian’s life in March. I deconstructed the parts that I’d shared over lunch with two bead artist friends at a French restaurant. And finally, the very first rows I’d made (while my head spun with excitement) became shreds of thread and loose homeless beads.

As I ripped, cut, and pulled, I experienced–in the most tactile way–my methods of ensuring my work for posterity. I also cursed them. Overkill here and there, as I sawed apart six and seven passes of thread through one bead.

From this destruction emerged not only the space for my revised design, but also (and this came as a surprise) a more compassionate view of myself. Unwinding months of my life captured in thread and glass offered me a broader perspective of myself. As if watching a film, I saw a woman – in between the mundane and sublime moments of her life, the peaks and valleys, the joys and losses – quietly, methodically building something of beauty. Small and striking. Maybe not a masterpiece, but a creation that would mean something to her, and hopefully to others. I saw someone wanting, from the depth of her heart, to create beauty: beauty that will last and adorn and inspire others to create more beauty. Each fragment of thread and released bead illuminated that part of me that thrives on inspiring beauty, creativity, and excellence in the world.

It was an enlightening time of destruction. And at the end of it I felt wiser, more confident, and more excited about rebuilding my vision in a new way. Not a moment has been wasted.

Artist, designer, and color expert Margie Deeb is the author of several beading books, including the popular The Beader’s Guide to Color and The Beader’s Color Palette. Her color palette book was named the Best Craft How-To Book of 2009 by the prestigious Library Journal.

Her articles regularly appear in Bead & Button and Beadwork magazines, and she writes regular columns for websites and magazines. She has appeared on the PBS show “Beads, Baubles, and Jewels.” Visit Margie’s website for her books, jewelry, and more. She teaches color and design courses for artists, interior designers, and bead artists all over the U.S. Her color and beading classes are available online at CraftEdu.

About Margie Deeb

Margie Deeb's Online Workshops

Starting With Needle Felting

2011-01-10T13:46:00.000-08:00

Somewhere you may have seen some cute little needle felted figure and thought to yourself: “I can do that!” Yes, you can!! Needle felting is fun and it is easy for even a beginner to have very successful results!

Needle felting is the process of using the barbs on the needles to force fibers together so that they can felt. The more you poke the fibers with the needles the denser and more firmly felted the fibers will become. Easy!!

So where do you start and what do you need?
The basic tools and materials you will need are felting needles, fiber and a work surface

• Felting needles are a unique tool that comes in different sizes and with different numbers of barbs. For a beginner, the most useful of available needles would be the #38 star needle. While most felting needles have triangular tips with barbs on the three edges, star needles have four edges. The more edges and barbs the faster the felting!
The #38 star is not the perfect needle for all needle felting tasks, but it is by far one of the most useful and all you really need to begin needle felting.

• There are so many types of fiber available for felting that it really would take a long time to discuss them all. I’m sure you don’t wish to endure the confusion of all that information, so let’s stick to the basics and discuss the most commonly used fiber for felting: wool. Even with wool there is a great deal of variety. Every breed of sheep produces wool that has unique characteristics and I’m sure I could confuse you just detailing all those varieties, but that really is more than a beginner needs to know. The two most commonly used wool fibers used for needle felting are Merino and Corriedale. These are named for the sheep breeds. Merino is extremely fine and soft to the touch. It is my preferred fiber. Merino fiber when needle felted produces a very smooth surface. Merino requires more effort to needle felt than does Corriedale. Corriedale is not as fine as Merino, but it felts beautifully. For the beginning needle felter, Corriedale is a wonderful choice! Both Merino and Corriedale are available in a lot of colors!

• You must have a work surface, something that will allow you to thrust your needles through the fiber and not hit your table or, worse, your hand. Most beginning needle felters use a thick, dense foam pad for their first work surface. Such pads are readily available at fabric and craft stores and will certainly do the job needed. If you really enjoy needle felting and plan on doing more, it is worthwhile to invest in a Clover Brush Mat.

Other tools and materials that you may find useful are:
• Scissors – while you rarely actually cut the fiber that you needle felt, when finishing a piece, scissors can trim those flyaway fibers that just never seemed to felt down.
• Needle and thread – these can be used to define a mouth, secure beads for eyes, create divisions in paws to give the look of toes.
• Beads – to be used as eyes or embellishments.
• Chenille sticks can be used for beginning projects to make legs strong enough to support the weight of the figure. If you continue with needle felting and like using an armature, you should eventually switch from chenille sticks to stainless steel or aluminum wire.
• Long straight pins are useful for pinning portions of your felted creature together so that you can firmly felt the pieces together.

With these tools and materials you can create just about anything!! While beginning needle felting is not particularly difficult there is a lot to be learned about controlling the density of your fiber and using the needles to best results. I have numerous crafting classes available now for beginners, intermediates and advanced students and will be adding more! Every one of my craft tutorials will teach you skills that you will be able to use in whatever project you decide to make! Come join me and learn this exciting, versatile and fun craft! Watch my craft video on making basic shapes on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHuKwm-Z8Hk

Harlan is an artist, instructor and the author of “Needle Felting – to the Point”. She lives in the woods of Michigan with her husband Jack and son Jackson and their menagerie of cats and dogs.

A Polymer Clay Toolbox

2011-01-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

I’m frequently asked by beginners to supply a basic polymer clay toolbox! What do I need, just the basics, to begin working with polymer clay? It can be confusing – after all, it seems like we can use pretty much everything in our toolbox but before investing in every tool, let's go over the most basic toolbox.

A work surface – This protects your work surface and provides a good flat working surface. Ceramic tile, marble, tempered glass, formica – all of these are good surfaces. I prefer formica. It is very lightly textured so the clay will be easily lifted off of it without sticking and stretching. Some very soft clays will benefit from the coolness of marble. If you live in Arizona and it’s 90 degrees, marble is a very good choice!

Blades - A long, flat blade is a definite necessity. Not a craft knife or a wallpaper scraper blade, but a razor sharp blade for cutting is what you’ll need. Many manufacturers sell these blades now (we were the first to market them!) in the polymer clay section of most any craft and hobby store. My preferred blade is the Nublade – it’s rigid and sharp.

Acrylic rod – I pre flatten my clay with my acrylic rod. The clay I use is stiff and if I pre flatten clay from the package – before I run the clay through the pasta machine - conditioning is not only much faster but it also saves wear and tear on that pasta machine.

Pasta Machine – I consider the pasta machine to be a necessary tool in this basic toolbox. I cannot imagine working without one! Conditioning the clay, rolling flat sheets, it’s such a time saver, and makes so many tasks so much easier and faster. It lowers that frustration level! The best machines can be quite expensive so you may decide to make a small investment in a less expensive machine (use a coupon at Michaels or Hobby Lobby). This investment can be as low as 20$. If you catch the polymer clay bug, you’ll invest in a better machine.

Needle Tools – For drilling holes in beads or even cutting shapes, you will need a sharp needle tool. My preference is the Kemper Pro Tool. The needle comes straight out of the handle so you will drill straight through any mass of clay.

Scalpel or Craft knife – This is what you’ll use to cut out shapes from a flat sheet of clay and for fine trimming.

Curing – I have a dedicated oven but that’s not what you’ll want right off the bat. Buy an aluminum pan, fill it with baking soda or polyester batting and slide it into an oven roasting bag. This is a curing chamber that you will slide right into your home oven and will keep outgassing from collecting on the sides of your oven (it will collect in the bag!)

Polymer Clay – There are many brands of clay out there to choose from. I won’t say “don’t use this” absolutely because your choice depends on what you intend to do with the clay. Ideally, you will try them all! I would recommend a consistently durable clay – Kato Polyclay, Fimo, Fimo Soft. Certain Premo colors are very durable but others seem to be weak (white, translucent) so bear that in mind. Sculpey III is the most fragile of all polymer clays so, generally speaking, it's not one I recommend. Cernit is very strong but the colors are translucent, not opaque, and without adjustment may not yield the best canes. Whatever you choose, buy colors in the same brand to begin with. If you cane, you’ll want clays of the same texture and feel (as much as possible) and clays that cure at the same temperature. You don’t need to buy all the colors, remember that you can mix colors – Magenta and Blue make Violet (not red and blue!) Yellow and Blue make Green. Red and Yellow make orange. So, you could begin with as few as 3 colors, and black and white.

For just about any beginner project, this is all you should need - it’s a basic toolbox. So, if you’ve always wanted to know what you need to start that journey in polyclay, here’s a good start. All you need now is to put those tools to good use. Hope to see you in an online class soon.

Donna Kato is a polymer clay artist, instructor and author who has written 3 books – The Art of Polymer Clay, The Art of Polymer Clay, Surface Effects and The Art of Polymer Clay, Millefiori Techniques. With Van Aken, International, she has released a polymer clay that bears her name, Kato Polyclay. She is a founder of CraftEdu.

Donna lives in Florissant, Colorado with husband Vernon, a Border Collie (Zoe), an Aussie (Doc), Ditto the Cat, and 6 horses.

Pictured: Hollow Pendant

Online Art Classes: Drawing & Painting

2010-12-27T14:57:00.001-08:00

Do you want to learn the techniques that will make you a better crafter, no matter what type of work you do? Then you may want to consider taking online art classes in drawing and painting. Online classes make it easy to learn the basic techniques of color, composition, rendering, line and shading, without ever leaving your home. All of these techniques will help you improve the quality of your work and become a better artist overall.

One of the classes offered by CraftEdu.com is a two part series on watercolor painting by Mark Satchwill, a watercolorist for twenty years. It teaches artists the basics on learning to stretch watercolor paper, how to mix colors effectively, and the basic theories of color and watercolor technique. The end result is a beautiful still life painting of lemons.

Other online art classes in drawing and painting include a Beginning Shading course with Elizabeth Johnson, where students learn to draw a shaded rendering of a swan using a graphite pencil. Students who purchase this art instruction video will have the opportunity to watch it several times over the course of a year. The same instructor also teaches an Introduction to Colored Pencil class, where students complete a beautiful butterfly picture using specific colored pencil techniques.

Oil painting courses are offered for the beginner, who wants to learn the basics of this amazing medium. In this course, Harlan shares over 35 years of experience to show the various techniques used by professional oil painters.

CraftEdu.com offers a wide range of craft courses for everyone from the hobbyist to the professional, as well as several other online art classes in drawing and painting.

Reflections

2010-12-24T08:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends;

It's Christmas Eve, already! Where, oh, where did 2010 go? Summer is long gone and, to quote Bob Dylan, "winter's closing in".

Every year, at this time, most of us pause and reflect on the year past. We make our resolutions and we even mean them! I have many resolutions that are grandfathered into the next year automatically. I will learn to ride this year! (Again). I'm an optimist so it could happen.

We consider our accomplishments. This is so important - it gives us the gas to move our little vehicles forward. This year, we launched CraftEdu. After 2 years of planning and laying the groundwork, it happened. Anyone who has started a project or public enterprise knows that when that day finally comes, it's equal parts excitement and fear.

Our instructors worked and posted classes - they overcame their fear in doing so. They hurled themselves into the new, the different and they succeeded. I am so proud of them and proud of what they have accomplished. They're so talented, how could it be any different.

The site changed - improved - making it easier for students to navigate and understand. There were glitches but thanks to our tech partner and your input, those glitches were taken care of. We will always do our best to make CraftEdu the best - that will never change. Blessed with the best tech partner anyone could have, we continue our forward progress.

But, there would be no reason to go forward if not for you. Our students and friends who came and participated and patiently understood our foibles. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

So going forward, we will be adding to the site, because it's not complete now. We'll be inviting new instructors and we will get those classes up. I think 2011 is shaping up to be very special.

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful holiday season, filled with joy, laughter, love and tons of hugs.

Cheers,

Donna, Vernon and the CraftEdu Family

Use Your Computer Creatively with Digital Art Tutorials and Video Classes

2010-12-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

Attention digital artists and photographers: You may have heard horror stories about images being stolen by others and used inappropriately on other web sites or print advertising. Simply by posting pictures on the Internet, your work could be at risk. But there is something you can do about it. Protect your work from unauthorized use on the Internet using a technique called watermarking. You can download a free 30-day trial of Photoshop Elements 8 if you don’t use it already, and then simply log on to view the digital art tutorials and video classes at CraftEdu.com. Here you will find out more about why it is important to watermark your images and how to do it properly.

Another reason to look at the digital art tutorials and video classes at CraftEdu.com is to enroll in a class called Photo Draping in Photoshop. The ideal class for web designers and graphic artists, this three-part series shows you the ins and outs of how to “photo drape” a textile design into another image. By starting with a flat textile design image from your computer, you can learn how to place the pattern onto clothing or other fabrics within a scanned photograph. This is a great skill to have if you want to show shoppers on an ecommerce web site what an outfit would look like in a different fabric or pattern, without taking multiple photographs.

Whether you are an amateur hobbyist or a professional artist, the digital art tutorials and video classes offered at CraftEdu.com are an excellent way to master a new skill.

Art Dolls: Techniques and Classes for Doll Making

2010-12-14T08:32:00.001-08:00

Ever since the first wooden dolls were created in the 17th century on a manual lathe, craftspeople have been making exquisite collector art dolls, but today’s crafter has access to a many more techniques and classes for doll making. Instead of learning this craft by studying as an apprentice in a doll-making shop, it’s now possible to learn the latest skills by simply downloading an online craft video.

While some of the materials and techniques for doll making have changed over the years, most art dolls are still hand sewn from fine fabrics like silk, cotton and satin. Crafters still take the time to build armatures, and hand-sew piped trims for a doll’s clothing.

If you have always wanted to make art dolls, techniques and classes for doll making are available online at CraftEdu.com. Here, several well known doll makers offer video craft instruction using various media.

A few of my favorite online craft videos from the Art Dolls section of CraftEdu include:

Mixed Media Sculptured Dolls is a class taught by Ellie Hitchcock that is perfect for children and teachers. These art dolls are simple and inexpensive to make.

For a more experienced crafter, the Father Christmas Needle Felting Class teaches how to make an heirloom needle felted Father Christmas doll that is certain to be a family favorite.

Other felting classes are taught by Harlan, and include a Needle Felted Rabbit project and an Intermediate Needle Felting class that teaches the basics of this popular technique.

Online video classes are being added regularly at CraftEdu.com, and are the easiest way to become proficient at making art dolls. Check the website regularly for new techniques and classes in doll making.

Ideas for Mixed Media and Altered Art Projects

2010-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

As more craft instruction moves to the Internet, it is getting easier to find a wide range of ideas for mixed media and altered art projects. Mixed media and “altered art” are often considered buzzwords for craft techniques that bridge the gap between crafting and fine art. In fact, many craft artists regularly show their altered art pieces in galleries and fine art shows.

So what is altered art? Altered art is a combination of techniques that can include anything from collaging to stamping; enameling to embellishing. It is usually done on a household item or book to reflect a creative theme, or narrative.

On one crafting web site, CraftEdu.com, it is possible to learn the mixed media techniques that are most commonly used to create altered art. These include layering paper and other mediums to make a beautifully collaged mask, using polymer clay as a painting medium to create a Still Life Floral Clay Painting, and learning how to make your own Travel Altar.

If you are looking to expand your skill set to include collage, clay painting, and other textured effects, CraftEdu.com offers online art instruction classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced skill levels. Their range of offerings includes ideas for mixed media and altered art projects, as well as numerous crafting disciplines.

Experienced artists teach these techniques in easy to follow craft instruction videos, most of which can be viewed again and again for one price. Before you purchase, the site offers brief previews of each video so you can see what supplies are required, and each video also provides you with written instructions on a PDF document.

For the best ideas for mixed media and altered art projects, take a look at what CraftEdu.com has to offer.

Learn How to Make a Laser Transfer Pin with Video Craft Instruction

2010-12-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Do you want to learn polymer clay caning techniques? Well, it is no longer necessary to find a local craft instructor or go out and buy a book on clay jewelry-making. Video craft instruction makes it easy to learn the basics of making polymer clay beads and other jewelry online.

For craft artists, polymer clay was one of the best inventions. It is relatively inexpensive, easy to manipulate, and hardens in the oven. The latest trends using polymer clay for craft-quality jewelry involve caning or rolling the clay to achieve intricately patterned beads.

Another type of polymer clay jewelry utilizes a flat shape with an image transferred onto it. These shapes are often stamped with permanent inks and then covered with a transparent clay to protect the image. In her video craft instruction segment, craft artist Donna Kato shows how simple it is to make“laser transfer pins” using polymer clay and a laser printed image.

In the preview for this video, Donna uses a pasta machine to flatten a sheet of black and white clay, which are fused together and cut into shapes. After transferring a color image onto the clay, she stamps it with white and black inks and covers it with a special clear polymer that can be sanded and buffed later on.

This particular class is one of many video craft instruction workshops offered by CraftEdu to help crafters refine their skills. Other popular classes include bead art, painting, digital art, fabric arts and calligraphy.

Artists Can Learn Encaustic Collage Online with Video Art and Craft Courses

2010-11-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

“Craft courses” may be too broad a term to describe some of the techniques that are used today by fine artists. With high quality instruction like this video on Encaustic Collage, online art and craft courses are quickly becoming the best way for academically trained artists to refine their skills.

Most art school graduates shy away from “craft courses” in favor of “art courses” because they believe the fine arts and crafts to be distinctly separate. However, thanks to the rise of “fine arts craft shows” and high-end craft collectors, the lines between these two fields have been blurred.

The art of mixed media and collage is often glossed over in an art school setting, leaving many classically trained fine artists with limited experience in using non-traditional materials. Encaustic art, which adds the texture of melted beeswax to a painting surface for a heavily textured look, is a medium that is just as likely to be seen in a gallery painting as it is in a craft show. But where do you find art and craft courses on encaustic collage?

Finally, there is a way for all artists and crafters to learn how to use the technique of encaustic collage without going back to school. With a video taught Glenda Bailey entitled “Introduction to Encaustic Art including a beginning project”, CraftEdu.com offers an inexpensive and convenient way to learn encaustic collage on canvas by experimenting with a variety of tools, papers and other fun accents. Not only will this video take you through the process of using encaustic, it will also provide inspiration on how to make a collage that can be given as a gift.

CraftEdu.com offers this course for only $30, and the video can be viewed up to 12 times over the next 12 months. Other art and craft courses offered on this site include bead art, digital art, painting, fabric art, polymer clay jewelry and calligraphy, among others.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends;

It's my favorite holiday. Today is not about giving thanks for the gift we can touch. It's not about money. Not the "Thank you, Vernon for the ipad you got me for your birthday" gift but the mostly intangible, unseen gifts of love, friendship, support and kindness that carry us throughout the year. These gifts are our private safety net. They give us courage to do what we do every day of the year. I know I very much need them and I hope I can be found in many other invisible safety nets, too. This is the greatest gift of all.

I'm thankful for wise counsel. This isn't always so easy to give - everyone has a private agenda. It's the counsel that sets aside one's personal wants and needs in favor of another's. Mom, Judy, Les, Darlie, Alan, Gwen and more, I've been the lucky recipient of such selfless advice and it's something my friends and family have been called on to provide. It's easy to find those who will let you spin and act out - it's the true friend who helps you stop.

I'm thankful for generous and kind friends who have opened their hearts and homes to the weary traveler. I've been so fortunate to received this kindness. Helen Cox, Dani and Natalia, Sylvie and Gerard....they have made their homes, my own. I could not do what I do without this kindness, believe me.

I'm thankful for my furry kids. They make me laugh every single day and we should all, at minimum, chuckle ever day. Nothing warms a cold day like a ball of fur and it's hard to find anything that calms and warms the heart like burying the face in the thick ruff of a dog's fur or pressing a cold nose against the warm muzzle of a horse.

I'm thankful for movies. I love movies. They carry us away to parts unknown. I've seen the end of the world, many times. I've been to the far reaches of the universe and brought back whole. I've seen the triumph over adversity by the most unlikely characters - nothing is better than the real thing. Temple Grandin, Michael Oher, Dr, Nash - nothing could stop them from achieving their great ends. Triumph over adversity is the best inspiration of all.

I'm thankful for music, although it's also a humbling source of frustration. I want to sing like Eva Cassidy! I want to play guitar like Eric Clapton and pound the drums like Ringo. Music makes me appreciate the gifts of others, gifts I clearly don't have. We all need a dose of reality once in a while. I'm thankful for my friend Kathleen Dustin, who makes her own music through her art. I can't be Kathleen but her work has changed my own.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to travel - regardless of how difficult it is (and it is). We are all the same. People all over the world want the same thing - safety for their families, love of others, appreciation by those around them and respect. Everyone loves their country and feels the same sense of pride in its history and traditions. We are all the same.

I'm thankful for problems. Yup, problems. They're really opportunities wrapped in garbage. Solving problems is to grow. It's in finding solutions that we can understand ourselves because we have always played some part in the problem itself. Sometimes these are painful lessons but we're always better in the long run.

I'm thankful for polymer clay. I bounced around for a lot of years before this medium hooked me. It has largely dictated the course of my life. It's opened doors and created opportunities. I don't know where I'd be without it, but I do recognize what it has done for me. I'm really thankful for Kato Polyclay and the people who made it possible.

I'm thankful for my students who have come and taken the time to spend with me. You know, I think I've learned more from you than you have from me.

I'm thankful for the family of creative individuals who share and mentor others. In this day and age, it's easy to think only "me" and forget the "we". In our daily life, we're actually encouraged to make the world the 3 feet around us. Through creating and connecting with other like minds, we reach the more enlightened "we". So, I'm very thankful for you.

So, in 2010, that's my short list! I could go on but I won't. From my heart to yours, I wish everyone a blessed Thanksgiving.

Warmest regards,

Donna

These Beading Workshops Let You Learn From Top Crafters Online

2010-11-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been to an “art museum quality” craft show where the nation’s top craftspeople sell their work? Last week, I was lucky enough to visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and meet some of the most talented jewelry makers from around the world. What I saw at this show went far beyond what one would find in a boutique. Each one-of-a-kind piece was like a work of art, and was priced accordingly.

When I returned home from this show, I was determined to learn the techniques that would elevate my own beadwork to this level. After searching for “crafts online” and “craft courses”, I found a treasure trove of video instruction on beadwork at CraftEdu.com.

Here are three of the videos I’ve watched so far, each one teaching a different technique in bead art. To see a complete list of classes, check out the Bead Art Classes at CraftEdu.com.

Draped Loop Collar Necklace – This video is by Margie Deeb, author of the Beader’s Color Palette, and it instructs viewers how to make her famous Draped Loop Collar necklace, which uses faceted, checked beads by adding fringe loops to a foundation medallion. Even people like me, who are relatively new to seed bead weaving, will be able to follow Margie’s simple instructions.

Mosaic Chain Cuff – In three different sessions for varying skill levels, Margie Meister shows viewers how to make a unique mosaic-themed bracelet. Inspired by motifs found in mosaics, sculptures and textiles, this bracelet shows how to switch back and forth between brick stitch and peyote stitch while combining components and bezel stones with the beadwork. Instructions and supply lists are included on the video and in PDF form.

Peyote Buttons – In this well done video, Jean Campbell starts by showing viewers how to make a basic tubular peyote button, and then how to make several unique versions of this using your own designs. The design originates from the Native American peyote cactus plant. This spineless desert cactus is a very powerful symbol throughout many Native American cultures and its six-chambered motif is often seen in tribal artwork.

If you want to learn the skills of America’s top craftspeople online, then start by checking out the Bead Art Classes at CraftEdu.com.

Bazinga! with Frederick Chipkin!

2010-11-18T10:24:00.001-08:00

Learn the ins and outs of photo draping with expert textile designer and Adobe pro, Frederick Chipkin! Step by step you will learn the secrets from the best in the business. Who knew you could do this? Pattern, draping, shadows...amazing.

Learn the Latest Crafts Online with Expert Video Instruction

2010-11-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

Have you always dreamed of showing the world your talent for the visual arts? Maybe you are at a point in your life when you have more time to pursue a small business selling your fine arts crafts. One thing that can stop people from moving forward with these goals is the lack of professional instruction available, but it is now possible to learn crafts online.

As a former art student and crafts hobbyist, I have recently discovered a great resource for online craft projects. It’s called CraftEdu.com, and it has a surprising variety of professionally taught online craft videos for virtually every artistic discipline. Whether your interests lie in digital art, kids crafts, knitting, art jewelry or calligraphy, it is possible to learn new crafts online without ever leaving home.

One of my favorite videos is one that I found recently is one about making a ceramic looking pendant. In this video, I learned how to make hollow shapes out of polymer clay, with a particular focus on pendants. As someone who has been making and selling polymer clay jewelry for years, I appreciated this opportunity to learn ceramic effects using a Skinner blend. There are several other classes I plan to take in the Art Jewelry area, including Stained Glass Caning and Peyote Buttons.

With sites like CraftEdu.com, it is possible to learn the latest crafts online by purchasing online “how to craft” videos and watching them on your computer. Most of the classes include free downloadable PDF instructions for later reference. Every time I come back to this site I find more classes being added in every area, so it looks like I will be spending a lot more time on my computer this winter.

Let Free Online Art and Craft Lessons Bring out Your Creative Genius

2010-10-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

You may be familiar with the concept of online education, and perhaps you’ve even taken courses online at some point in your career; but have you ever considered taking online art and craft lessons?

No matter what your skill level, there are free online art lessons that will teach you any number of new skills and techniques. You don’t even have to be an accomplished artist or crafter to benefit from these “classes”. In fact, free online art lessons for kids are a very popular way for homeschoolers to teach their children the basics of color, painting and drawing.

Whether you are into jewelry making, calligraphy, fabric arts, photography or knitting, there is always someone out there who knows a new or different technique that you could learn. The Internet has made it possible for crafters to perfect their skills and share their knowledge with peers without ever leaving the house. Online art and craft lessons make it possible for everyone to get the skills they need, even people with very busy schedules.

Have you ever wanted to learn how to use oil paints? Why not take “Oil Painting – an introduction” at CraftEdu.com. Maybe your child wants to learn how to do loomed beadwork. If so, then there is even an introductory video where children can learn to make beaded bracelets. Perhaps you are planning a wedding and want to add the special touch of calligraphy to your invitations and place cards. Why not take a watch a few video art lessons and pick up some new techniques that will help you become an expert?

The best way to find all of these unique online art and craft lessons is to look for a site that offers courses in every discipline. CraftEdu.com offers video art lessons from talented professional artists and crafters from around the world, and they offer visitors the opportunity to take a free class or preview hundreds of online art lessons that are available for sale.

Looking for a Craft Website for Serious Crafters?

2010-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

Have you recently discovered the world of professional arts and crafts? If so, you may be looking for ways to improve your skills so you can begin making crafts that can be sold at a local crafts show. One of the biggest challenges to doing this is that most people don’t have the time or resources to take the necessary classes at local at a local arts center. Introducing the concept of a craft website that will allow you to learn the techniques you need at your own pace… this type of learning is becoming a most convenient and affordable way to become an “expert crafter”.

If you search out craft websites on the Internet search engines, you may be somewhat disappointed by what you find. Mixed in with a selection of serious crafting website choices will be several amateur “how-to” sites that may teach you “how to draw a racecar” or “how to make things out of pipe cleaners”, but finding a “real” craft website doesn’t need to be a challenge. Simply go to http://www.craftedu.com/ and you will find a complete selection of crafting instruction videos. Everything is covered here, from the basics of drawing and color to the most advanced techniques in polymer clay jewelry making, with a little bit of everything else in between.

Still wondering whether you can really learn from a craft web site? Think of it this way; when you need to have the instructor repeat something or you just want to see a technique demonstrated one more time, you will no longer need to ask or worry about looking stupid in front of your peers.. All you need to do is move the video arrow back a bit and watch that part of the video again.

Craftedu is one of those crafts websites that allows you to preview a video before you buy it, so you won’t be stuck learning something you already know. Plus, most of their videos come with downloadable PDF instructions for future reference.

Jump-Start your Crafts Business with an Art and Craft Tutorial

2010-10-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Learning a new skill is never easy, especially when it requires a lot of practice. When you are looking to start a crafts business and need to develop some new areas of expertise, there is nothing more valuable than an art and craft tutorial.

Art training may not seem like a natural “fit” for the online classroom, but the Internet can be one of the best places to get craft guidance. In a classroom setting, an instructor usually shows the class how to do a certain technique a few times, and then moves onto something else. However, when you are learning online, the same art and craft tutorial can be watched again and again. When you really need to master a new skill, this is the type of craft teaching that works best.

Whether you are looking to learn a new method of caning polymer clay, the best techniques for painting a realistic-looking landscape, or the basics of the color wheel, there are craft training videos available for you online. Craft training videos allow for a more comprehensive art and craft tutorial, with close ups and instructions that are easy to understand. Plus, most of these videos come with PDF instructions for additional craft guidance.

Another way to use an art and craft tutorial is in a teaching situation. If you run a craft teaching business in your home, you know it is often much easier to teach your students a new technique when they can watch a video about it first. This gives you the ability to provide a step-by-step art and craft tutorial before starting a new project. It also shows them what the end result can look like.

No matter how you use them, craft training videos can be an invaluable tool for your crafts business.

Learn the Techniques of the Masters with Online Art Lessons

2010-10-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

People who appreciate fine art are much more in tune with the beauty of their surroundings. The color of a sunset, the texture a seashell, and the spice-colored palette of an autumn landscape can provide daily inspiration to anyone, but artistic souls are so visually stimulated, they want to recreate the beauty that surrounds them.

Have you ever wished you had taken art lessons as a young adult? Or perhaps you are a homeschooler looking for art lessons for your children. Now, it is possible to take art lessons online with some of the most talented artists of our time without ever leaving your home.

Taking lessons in art can make the difference between a mild interest in painting and a lifelong passion for the arts. Art lessons for elementary school students can uncover talents that lie just beneath the surface in a child, and discovering these skills early in life can instill confidence and develop career options that might have otherwise been missed.

Art lessons can now be taken with an online video training course, such as The Value of Dark and Light course offered by CraftEdu.com, or the Color Wheel Magic 101 and 202. Taking both of these courses is highly recommended for people who want to make powerful and harmonious color while employing dark and light values. Understanding how to use color creatively along with dark and light shading can make a world of difference in a piece of artwork.

Other online art lessons include bead art, polymer clay courses, digital art, colored pencil techniques, art theory, composition and photography. Whether you are looking for primary art lessons for students or secondary art lessons for budding professionals, the easiest way to master new techniques is through online art lessons.

Jane's Flower Box and the Enchanted Weave Bracelet

2010-10-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

Jane Jetson's Flower Box workshop is up! You can see that picture in the post below. Check out the Preview here:

http://craftedu.com/jane-jetson39s-flower-box/play-MzA2ODMzMjA0Mw

This workshop has no Bazinga! Instead I'll be raffling off 2 pairs of my new earrings to students who enroll by November 1.

When I get home from the road, I'll pull the raffle winners.

Have a great Monday!

On Wednesday, we will Bazinga! a class. Margo C. Field's first CraftEdu class, the Enchanted Weave Bracelet so keep your eyes peeled for this great workshop by a great bead artist.

Jane Jetson's Flower Box Workshop

2010-10-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

This box has legs! Make this funky, outer space box in my "Jane Jetson's Flower Box" workshop. The workshop is 3 parts and is structured for intermediate and above clayers. The top flower and disc elements spin. Once you know the basic steps required to make this box, the world is your oyster and you give your boxes your own personal "spin".

I'm leaving town for 3 weeks to teach at the Spanish Clay Carnival and in Portugal so I've decided to follow Judy Belcher's lead. The class will be posted on Monday. On November 1st, all students who enroll by that date will be eligible to win a pair or earrings! I'll raffle two pairs of my newest ear fobs like the ones pictured.

Have a great October everyone! I'll try to keep in touch and maybe even post some pictures of the events.

Cheers, Donna Kato

Craft Web Site Invites the Best Craft Instructors into Your Home

2010-09-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Becoming an expert craft artist doesn’t happen overnight; it requires a long period of instruction and practice. Even then, learning the latest techniques can challenging because they are changing every day. But now that the Internet can bring the world to your laptop, it is not surprising that craft web sites have become a resource for techniques from today’s “masters”. Now, instead of just buying craft supplies online, it is possible to learn a new craft on the web too!

CraftEdu is a unique online craft university that helps a person nurture his or her passion for creativity, design, materials and technique. By introducing their visitors to the creative world of artists and craftspeople, the site collects and distributes independent craft instruction videos. By purchasing these videos online, visitors are able to learn a new skill at their own pace, and also save and print out PDF instructions for later use.

What is really nice about craft web education is the ability to get instruction from expert crafters around the world. In fact, many of the videos are available in multiple languages. While it may seem a little awkward at first to be learning a craft while on the computer, it makes perfect sense to do this online. Here, the technique can work with the imagination of the viewer, resulting in unlimited possibilities.

If you have ever wanted to learn a new technique, share your crafting techniques with others, or just get ideas for future projects, then why not stop by and check out the craft web instruction available at CraftEdu.com?

Crafts Internet Resources Can Help You Become an Expert Crafter

2010-09-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Becoming one of the best at your craft is a noble goal for a skilled craftsperson, but it can often take years of practice to really master certain techniques. Thankfully, there are a number of new resources available online, on the “Crafts Internet”, including the latest video instructions from expert crafters around the world.

Before you start searching for a crafts internet – it is really just a fancy way of saying that the instructions you need are available online. Never before has it been so easy to learn the skills you need to do beading. Most of the beading projects that are shown at craft shows involve very intricate techniques that cannot always be learned at a local craft store.

By watching people show you how to do crafts on the internet, it is possible to learn the proper way to make almost anything, from beading crafts to faux finishing and calligraphy. Each video is created and submitted by someone who has mastered a certain technique, and the videos are sold on web sites devoted to teaching crafts. Most of these sites offer a way to preview the video before buying it, so you can be sure it is teaching the technique you want to learn. Videos are also available in multiple languages, and most come with printable PDF instructions.

As the number of people interested in DIY crafts increases, people are finding it easier than ever to learn the latest techniques for these crafts on the internet. If you know a certain technique and would like to share it with a global audience, why not make your own video and start selling your expertise online?

Everything You always Wanted to Know about Lentils!

2010-09-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Love hollow lentils? This Wednesday we will be posting three workshops dedicated to these popular forms by Judy Belcher. Together, you'll know all about how to make them, how to suspend beads and pearls in them, how to make gold and silver glow under their tops and how half a lentil can turn into a fabulous pin.

Instead of the Bazinga! Judy has three pieces of her artwork that she will raffle to those who enroll in any of her classes in the first week so you will have one week to enroll and be eligible for her drawing. Wow, it's a win-win - you will take a class from one of the very best polymer artist/teachers around and 2 lucky students will also win a piece of Judy Belcher artwork. Pictures of these pieces will be posted asap.

Judy's 3 classes will be posted on Wednesday.

Bazinga! Friday

2010-09-16T11:02:00.001-07:00

As one who travels quite a bit, I find these Travel Altars by Anke Humpert, especially appealing. Mine would have pictures of Vernon and the animals! Anke covers a wide range of techniques to create these mixed media, altered art pieces - shrink plastic, decorative napkins, even natural materials like moss and shells. Join her for an exploration of materials and techniques and, what better way to make use of a matchbook or cigar box?

The Bazinga! goes up at noon (MT) on Friday and ends at noon (MT) on Saturday.

Create Your Own Online Craft Show With Online How To Craft Instructions

2010-09-14T19:49:00.000-07:00

Whether you are a crafter by trade or just learning a few crafts to pass the time, the Internet has made it so much easier to become an expert. In addition to learning a new skill with an online how-to-craft video, it is possible to view an online craft show or create your own online craft instruction.

What types of online craft instruction is available?

Unlike some of the workshops offered at your local art supply store, online how to craft videos are often done by professionals who sell their work for top dollar. In fact, if you see a technique at an online craft show, chances are there is a video available that will teach you how to do it yourself.

Some of the most popular online how to craft web sites offer dozens of unique online craft videos for purchase, so you can watch the video again and again at your leisure. However, just to be sure you are getting the instruction you need, make sure you can see a free video preview before you buy it. It also helps when a site offers free downloadable instructions with the purchase of a video.

Here are some recent online how-to-craft videos seen on CraftEdu.com

1) Learn to Mad Weave – a beginner level weaving technique class
2) Peyote Buttons – learn to make a tubular peyote button, which can be turned into a beautiful piece of jewelry
3) Beader’s Color Palette: Watch an expert bead artist create the necklace made popular in “The Beader’s Color Palette”
4) Creating a Child’s Bust: Learn how to sculpt the head and bust of a child as a standalone sculpture
5) Stained Glass Cane Techniques: Create beautiful stained glass cane patterns in polymer clay, which can be made into unique jewelry and crafts

Each of these skills requires the instruction of a professional, and is difficult to learn from a book. Most craftspeople find that video learning is a much faster way to master complicated techniques. Why not learn something new with an online how-to-craft video today?

Maggie's Bazinga! Wednesday

2010-09-14T07:29:00.001-07:00

This is Maggie Meister! In interpreting ancient motifs, in adapting them to beadwork techniques, she has created a unique and stunning body of work. This beautiful bracelet is a perfect example of her vision, her voice and her talent and you can now learn how to create, step by step, this ancient/contemporary beauty yourself. Mixing peyote and brick stitch (and a variation on brick) create the swirling braids to adorn.

This class is for intermediate and advanced beaders. Take what would be a weekend workshop with Maggie in your own home and on your own time schedule - Bazinga! it and take advantage of introductory pricing!

Maggie's Mosaic Braid bracelet class will be posted tomorrow (Wednesday). Bazinga! A 24 hour opportunity for you.

Purpose

2010-09-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's Monday, another week begins and it's packed! New instructors getting to know the ropes, getting their ducks in a row and it's exciting to see. We add new talented artists all the time - we're searching for them and they are finding us.

When I think of where we were 18 months ago, I can't quite believe where we are today. The platform continues to be improved to make it easier for both students and instructors to navigate and use. Our tech partner is amazing - forward thinking and we are so grateful for all the hours and all the weekends spent working on our behalf.

New people discover us daily - we've not done any marketing and promotion, other that our facebook page, this blog and the work of individual faculty members but we are growing - it's a steady uphill curve. We've got members from over 80 countries! I often wonder, how we were found. I'm grateful we have been.

When building an entity, any entity, it's a good idea to reach back occasionally and touch on original purpose. Double check, are we on the right track? If not, make a course correction, don't wander off into the tulies!

We all know there is a lot of beginner instruction out there on the net, in magazines and in books. CraftEdu also provides basic free tutorials for beginners. I've written 3 books, publishers like lots of projects and techniques - pack that book full. That's good and bad. Yes, there is a lot of variety, but sometimes that means that a sacrifice has been made in depth of instruction. Authors have to compromise with their publishers, it's understandable, it's about space - numbers of pages, numbers of images. These valuable resources can begin a student, provide the basis for further growth but where do you go to jump to the next level? This vacuum has been filled by in person workshops.

I travel and teach. I take as a maximum enrollment, 24 students. Most of the time I have 24 students. If I taught every weekend of the year (which would kill me) I could only reach a finite number of students. Some of my students fly to get to the workshop, check into hotels. I receive inquiries all the time - when are you coming to Russia? Someday, I certainly hope to but the chance that I'll get there very soon is remote.

So, our goal is to provide what someone like I would in person, online. To help our students jump to the next level, from their own homes. And, with this platform and the capability for our students to reach us with a click of the mouse, we've done that.

This week we offer another great workshop from a great artist/instructor, Maggie Meister. This particular class is another example of our original purpose - to provide that in class, jump to the next level workshop experience in the comfort of your own home and according to your own time schedule. The Mosaic Chain Bracelet would be a weekend workshop with Maggie. CraftEdu means you don't have to travel to get to her, perhaps pay for a hotel and take care of those expenses accrued when you're on the road. The added benefit? The cost of the workshop is also a fraction of what that in person workshop would set you back. And, with that click of your mouse, you get Maggie, if you need her!

As everyone becomes more experienced with the technical aspect of the platform, we will offer more and more classes of this intermediate and advanced level to fill the gap and elevate your art which is the ultimate purpose of CraftEdu.com and every artist/instructor teaching here.

Bazinga! Friday!

2010-09-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, everyone, it's my fault, I messed up this listing so badly, Margie and I agreed we'd do this again, this time, it'll be correct! This is a fabulous piece of wearable art and even a beginning beader will find it easy to make what looks to be very complicated. Once you understand the structure, you'll be customizing it like crazy. So, catch it at the introductory price beginning on Friday at noon (MT) through noon (MT) on Saturday!

Bazinga! Wednesday goes funky!

2010-09-07T15:30:00.001-07:00

Funky Rings with Eve Ehmeier, that is! I first saw these wonderful rings in Germany and I even own one myself. This polymer clay class is suitable for all levels. So, don't miss the chance to take advantage of the introductory pricing beginning tomorrow at noon (mt) and ending 24 hours later.

Improve Your Craft Skills with Craft Videos Online

2010-09-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t long ago that a person interested in learning crafts would need to sign up for a class at the local art supply store, or look for workshops being held at a community college. These classes may have been a fun way to learn a new skill, but without knowing the instructor or what the project entailed it was difficult to determine if the class was the right one for you. Fortunately, with the growth of online videos, today there are more options for crafts enthusiasts than ever. Instead of trekking to the nearest workshop, one can simply watch craft videos online.

What kind of online craft workshops are available?

While there are many “how-to” web sites that will teach you everything from children’s “rainy day crafts” to “how to stencil your kitchen”, most avid crafters want a more artistic approach than this; one where participants can learn to make the type of crafts that sell in craft shows for top dollar.

Some of the most popular craft videos online focus on wearable art and jewelry, whether it is made from polymer clay, beads or textiles. Other popular online craft videos include calligraphy, digital art and paper arts. But as online video becomes more widely used, expect to see even more people sharing their favorite craft techniques with a global audience.

If these are the crafts that you are looking to make, and you are looking for ways to learn them online, then some of the best craft videos online will be found at sites like Craftedu.com. Because the site is aimed at an audience that wants to learn crafts from an artist’s perspective, the videos they offer are aimed at serious crafters. In addition to offering a wide range of online craft demonstrations – in multiple languages – this site allows visitors to preview any course for free before purchasing it.

It is easy to see why so many top crafters have chosen to share their skills with the audience at Craftedu.

Bazinga! Friday

2010-09-02T09:46:00.000-07:00

Learn the basics of woodworking as you make your own Bluebird house with wood artist, Kent Perdue! Kent has included video clips in his broadcast, as well as, detailed cutting diagrams. It's a wonderful class that will make you comfortable with the tools and the strategies employed when working with wood. Kent has also provided a free tutorial that you'll want to make sure and watch. He's clear, concise and easy going, too. This is a basic class and one that parents could do with their children. Learn a new skill and get the little ones started on their own creative journey.

Margie Deeb's class Sparkling Draped Loop Collar is a luscious concoction of Czech fire polish beads. You'll feel like royalty wearing this - hey, in pearls, you'll feel like Audrey Hepburn. It's gorgeous and easy to do when you've got Margie teaching you step by step.

Miss Ellie Hitchcock's Loomed Beadwork is the first class in our category for Kids and for art teachers. Ellie is so clever and this class features tips for making your own tools and loom from ordinary inexpensive craft materials. This is a must for any art teacher looking for a great project to spur those creative juices in the young ones.

So, tune in between 12 noon MT tomorrow and 12 noon MT Saturday to take advantage of special introductory Bazinga! pricing of these great classes.

Today and Wednesday

2010-08-31T15:03:00.000-07:00

Today, we are posting Natalia Garcia de Leaniz Beads with a Window in German. As you know, we've been busy translating classes - the polymer ladies have been hard at work. This class has been translated by Bettina Welker.

My Manga! Bracelet goes up tomorrow in Spanish at the discount Bazinga! price. Thank you, Natalia, for translating this class for me. Natalia's class was never offered at the discount, so it will be the regular price - we don't want anyone to feel badly about never being offered the discount. This is our policy - we only Bazinga! classes that have been offered that way before.

So, for the Manga in Spanish, will have 24 hours to enroll at a discount, then the price goes back to its original price (25% higher!).

an international community

2010-08-31T10:34:00.001-07:00

When we began, it was my dream to create a site that would serve the world! Going global was one of our big goals and it seems, we have.

Thanks to our multi lingual faculty, we have posted classes in not only English, but in Spanish, German, and French. These classes can be accessed by clicking on the International Classes category - it then shows the language sub-categories.

To make it easier to sort the classes, we will be posting an International Classes Channel - English will be the first Channel listed, then the others will appear below that. We're working on this, it hasn't happened just yet, but, it will very soon.

So, for you multi-lingual artists, don't hesitate to contact us if you wish to teach. You must speak English for practical reasons - unfortunately, I only speak English and we must be able to correspond! We do have a jurying process but the chances are very good that the answer will be in the affirmative and, as my mom and dad always told me, you just never know until you try. Hope to hear from you!

The Bazinga is up!

2010-08-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

For the next 24 hours you can enroll in these four classes at a 25% discount - then they resume their normal pricing.

Isabelle Chatelain's polymer clay Coccinelle in both English and in French.
Elizabeth Johnson's Graphite Shading drawing class.
Donna Kato's polymer clay Manga Bracelet in German.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Bazinga! Friday

2010-08-26T08:15:00.001-07:00

Isabelle Chatelain's delightful little polymer clay bug will go up at noon MT at our introductory Bazinga! price in English and in French!

Remember, all our international language classes include the flag of that country on the first page. Vive le Coccinelle!

Bazinga! Friday

2010-08-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Gyles Johnson's Beginning Graphite Shading class will be up tomorrow at noon MT and offered at our introductory Bazinga! Price for 24 hours. This is the perfect class for any aspiring artist.

Also up on Friday will be the German version of Donna Kato's Manga Bracelet class! The Spanish version may go up, as well.

To access Bazinga! classes, simply click on the Bazinga! category that, at this time, only appears when there is a class in the category.

new international classes posted

2010-08-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

Bettina Welker's Interchangeable Rings in Spanish...

Bettina's Interchangeable Rings in French...

Sylvie Peraud's Denim Pendant in Spanish...

Sylvie's Denim Pendant in German...

And Natalia Garcia de Leaniz' Seeds in French!

To access these International language classes, simply click on the class title. We have added the flags to the first page of each class to minimize confusion. Enjoy!

International Language Bazinga!

2010-08-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

Spain...

Germany...

and France...

In these languages, we will be posting classes next Wednesday. Of course, we'll send out tweets and I will post information to this blog and on our facebook page.

Please don't think there is something amiss with your settings - yes, you are getting messages in different languages. We do this for a simple reason - only individuals who can understand the messages will enroll in these classes and there are some international members on the site who only understand their own language - like most Americans!

FYI, with the exception of one class, all the classes that we will post are already on the site in English!

Bazinga! Wednesday

2010-08-17T07:51:00.001-07:00

We actually have 5 classes going up on Wednesday! Yesterday, you saw Jana's and Inger's today, here is number 3 - Sherry Serafini! This is Sherry's first class on CraftEdu and these earrings are so representative of her amazing work. So, tomorrow you can sign up for her "funkypharoah earrings" at a special Bazinga! price.

Harlan's adorable squirrel - needle felted, of course, is number 4. Love him! I could see him perched next to Inger's Birdpod. Tomorrow, you can Bazinga! this little guy and make him you own.

Number 5 is Frederick Chipkin's latest class teaching you how to create plaids in Adobe Photoshop. Frederick is an expert on textile design and he'll help you become one, as well. And, tomorrow you can get this class at our Bazinga! rate, too.

Bazinga! Wednesday

2010-08-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

This Wednesday, we'll be posting and Bazinga-ing, 4 new classes!

The first is Jana Roberts Benzon's Stained Glass Cane (polymer clay). In this class, you'll learn how to design and then make these lovely canes.

The second is Inger Maiike's wonderful Felted Birdpod for your yard. The birds will love hatching and then raising their little ones in this organic birdhouse! I'd love to have these in my trees.

Tomorrow, we'll preview 2 more classes so come back and see what we've got in store for you.

drawing winners and what they won!

2010-08-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

This pair will go to Nancy Hepp, of Nipomo, California. I used to live in California, where's Nipomo?

This pair to Daniella Flakowicz from Raanana, Israel!

This pair to Melanie Miur from Scotland!

This pair to Jade from Hainaut, Belgium!

And, this pair to Priscilla Lane from Middletown, Ohio!

Congratulations everyone! When we officially launch I think I'll have more to raffle so there will be more chances to win.

Drawing Methodology

2010-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

Today is the day I raffle off 5 pairs of my new earrings! Now, here is how I will do it:

Drawing 1 My Class Students - 1 pair of earrings

Eligibility: Have taken a class from me! For every class, you have a chance. If you took 3 classes, you have 3 chances to win.

Every enrollment has been assigned a number.

To determine the winner, I will draw 2 numbers (0-9) from a bag. The first number, represents the first digit, the second number, the second digit. So, if you're number 9, to win, I will have to draw 0, then 9.

Drawing 2 My Classroom - 1 pair of earrings

Eligibility: Must be a member of My Classroom on the CraftEdu Community website.

To determine the winner, I will first draw a page number (I believe I have 5 pages) from the bag (1-5). The member list page itself contains 48 listed members. To determine which member (1 - 48) is the winner on the page, I will draw 2 numbers (0-9).

Drawing 3 Community - 3 pairs of earrings

Eligibility: Must be a member of the Community of CraftEdu.

There are about 68 pages of members. I will draw 2 numbers to determine the page number (0-6 and then 0-9). Between these two drawn numbers, I will arrive at the page number.

Each page features 3 columns. I will draw 1-3 to determine which column the winner is in.

Each column features 7 members. I will draw 1-7 to determine who is the actual winner

Winners can only win once and instructors are not eligible to win!

Good luck everyone!

Bazinga Friday with Bettina!

2010-08-12T06:47:00.000-07:00

Bettina's a graphic designer and it clearly shows in her newest class, Landscape Cane. This class will be posted on Friday at noon and will be available at introductory pricing for 24 hours. Here's the Preview of this great class. The opening screen of the Preview will explain how you navigate CraftEdu classes so take a look!

Bazinga! Friday with Diane Keeler

2010-08-11T08:12:00.001-07:00

Friday is a big Bazinga day! We will have several new classes up at noon mountain time. Today, artist Diane Keeler.

Join renown doll artist, Diane Keeler, in her 10 part class on Sculpting a Child's Bust. Diane is a NIADA member. In her comprehensive sculpture class, you will start with sculpting a child's skull and move through painting the features, making a wig and mounting the completed bust. This is a foundation class for her future classes on making full figure sculpts. This represents a weekend workshop with Diane - at a much reduced rate and on your own time!

Now, here is the preview for Diane Keeler's Sculpting a Child's Bust. Remember, registration opens for this class on Friday at Noon Mountain Time!

3,2,1 Bazinga!

2010-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Mark Satchwill's Introduction to Watercolor and Nathalie Kalbach's Layered Backgrounds have launched at fantastic introductory pricing! You have 24 hours to take advantage of this 25% reduction in their class fees - after that, they will go back to their regular pricing.

Introduction to Watercolor with Mark Satchwill

Layered Backgrounds with Nathalie Kalbach

Bazinga! monday's special introductions

2010-08-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Monday we will be posting 2 very fantastic classes by 2 wonderful and talented artists. They will both be offered for 24 hours at introductory prices!

The first is a class by noted altered art and mixed media artist, Nathalie Kalbach who will teach you about creating Layered Backgrounds on which you can create your art. Spray paint, acrylic paint, creating texture and layering - this comprehensive class comes to you in 3 parts (plus the preview broadcast). Nat will take you through 30 tutorials and includes video and stills.

The second class is by noted watercolorist, U.K. artist, Mark Satchwill. In this class, Introduction to Watercolor, you'll learn the basic tools and materials you'll need and then, in Part 2, you will learn how to stretch paper (who knew?) and continue to paint this still life of 2 lemons. Mark takes the fear out of watercolor painting as he takes the students through processes, step-by-step. His style is simple, sensible and elegant. I'm certainly ready to give this a go!

bazinga! harlan's oil painting classes tomorrow!

2010-08-03T08:08:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow we will offer 2 classes by Jeanne Harlan-Marriott. Her 3 part Introduction to Oil Painting is a foundation class that will get you started on your voyage to understanding the nature of the medium, the tools and materials you should have and how oil paint works! Her 4 part Trillium class will take you further as you complete your own painting. Learn about light, color, shadow, composition and mixing your own palette. These two classes are a must for anyone who has wanted to paint like the Old Masters. And remember, you now have 365 days to view the classes so this might be the winter time activity you've been needing!

So, sign up between the hours of 12 Noon MT tomorrow and 12 Noon MT Thursday and take advantage of special (25% reduced) introductory pricing.

Natalia Garcia de Leaniz has posted two free polymer clay tutorials "Textures Everywhere" and she means just that. This class has been posted in both English and Spanish language versions. You won't look at the most ordinary of objects quite the same way again.

bazinga! ¡Una oportunidad muy especial!

2010-07-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Aprende a hacer las preciosas Cuentas con Ventana a un precio de introducción muy especial! Mañana colgaremos esta clase y, durante las 24 horas desde su publicación, podrás recibir esta clase con un 25% de descuento.

Hora de publicación: Viernes a las 20:00 hs (horario central europeo)

Hora de finalización: Sábado a las 20:00 hs (horario central europeo, día siguiente).

¡Noticias de CraftEdu!

Ahora tendrás 365 días para ver tus clases. Si ya has comprado una clase, le añadiremos estos 365 días, así que tendrás para verla 365 días más el tiempo que te quedara de la misma.

kent's tute

2010-07-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

Kent has added a free tutorial on the ins and outs of the table saw! You'll need to see this for his future classes.

He's also received quite an honor as he has been invited to participate in The Emma International Collaboration in Canada.

"The Emma International Collaboration is a biennial event bringing together 100 artists from around the world to share talents and make collaborative art. Woodworkers, blacksmiths, painters, multi media artists, carvers and others share expertise and resources to make some wonderful art work that is sold at public auction at the end of the event."

The Emma Collaboration

Congratulations, Kent!

Woot blast off!

2010-07-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the links to the four classes up at 25% below their regular price for 24 hours a la woot.

Isabelle Chatelain - French Version Collier Craquele Antiqua
Cindy Chavez - Silk Freeform Beaded Spirit Guide
Iris Mishly - Making Fun Bugs
Donna Kato - French Version Bracelet Manga!

Check them out!

Tuesday, a BIG woot day and change in services

2010-07-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Collier craquele Antiqua

Isabelle CHATELAIN vous guide pas à pas dans l'apprentissage d'un craquelé tout polymère.

Silk Free Form Beaded Spirit Guide

Use freeform beadwork, trims, laces, fibers and embellishments to create a wonderful and unique pendant! Join Cindy Chavez for this class. A Pdf class handout is included with pattern.

Making Fun Bugs with Iris Mishly!

Join me to a fun class of making colorful polymer clay bugs using stamps, powders, beads, textures, rhinestones and anything you have in mind! This is a great class to do with the kids or if you're into bugs!

Bracelet Manga!

Manga! Dans cette classe de niveau intermédiaire et avancé, les élèves feront leur propre accessoire de mode en argile polymère. Ils doivent être familier avec le ponçage et les techniques de finition qui ne sont pas enseignées dans cette classe.

Résumé téléchargeable du cours inclus dans la 1ère Partie de cette classe.

Tomorrow, these 4 classes will be offered at their woot introductory pricing. For 24 hours, from 12 noon mountain time, to 12 noon on Wednesday, these classes will be offered at a 25% reduction.

Change in Services

You will now have 365 days to view your classes! One whole year. For those of your who have already purchased classes, we will add 365 days to your access time so you have 365 days plus what you already have. Thank you so much for your support, we do appreciate it.

isabelle goes woot! too!

2010-07-20T18:06:00.001-07:00

French artist, Isabelle Chatelain's first CraftEdu class is getting set to post and we will offer this class at an introductory 25% discount for, yup, you guessed it, 24 hours (beginning at 12 noon mountain time on Thursday and ending at 12 noon mountain time on Friday).

Get set to make her wonderful "Antiqua Rustique" necklace. Learn how Isa creates that fantastic crackly texture in her clay!

mad weave!

2010-07-19T08:37:00.001-07:00

What is a "Mad Weave"? In this just posted class beginner level technique class, Karen Woods will tell you how to make you own and how to make many variations on the theme. It seems very complicated but with her guidance, you'll be Mad Weaving like crazy!

Mad Weave Made Easy with Karen Woods

craftedu goes woot! the manga

2010-07-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Today, we are offering my Manga Class at a 24 hour discount - CraftEdu goes Woot! This class features my newest bracelet - never been taught or written up anywhere, it will only be offered on CraftEdu.

Step by step, you'll make your own Manga Bracelet. I've also included color formulas so you can make yours very much like mine, if you wish. FYI, this class does not cover finishing, per se and is at an Intermediate and Advanced Level.

So, for the next 24 hours (noon to noon, mountain time), the Manga Bracelet will be priced at $34.00. After that, the registration fee will go up 25% to $45.00 so, if you want to Manga, now is the best time to sign up for class!

The Manga Bracelet - Instructor: Donna Kato
Running Time: approx. 46 minutes

welcome mark satchwill

2010-07-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

We're pleased to announce the addition of this incredible talent from the U.K. to our team. Mark Satchwill specializes in watercolor and, he says he dabbles in gouache. Welcome, Mark!

Tomorrow we woot so rest today! From noon tomorrow (Mountain time) to noon the following day (also Mountain Time), I'll be offering my Manga bracelet class at a discount. After noon that following day, the discount will be removed soooo, if you want to learn how to Manga, tune in tomorrow!

harlan's intro to oil painting

2010-07-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

Jeanne Harlan-Marriott has posted an incredible new foundation class in her Introduction to Oil Painting. Basically, this "everything you wanted to know about oil painting" class will teach you about materials beginning with surfaces to paint on, how oil paint works ("fat over lean"), brushes to use, mediums, how she organizes herself and how to finish a canvas (plus much, much more). Even Vernon now thinks he might give oil painting a try! Me? I'm definitely in and looking forward to her soon to come classes on painting specific images (Trillium class to come soon!) This class is specially priced for the rest of the month of July so now is definitely the time to sign up and tell your aspiring painters to join in, as well.

Introduction to Oil Painting with Jeanne Harlan-Marriott

new classes

2010-07-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

Jana Roberts Benzon is known for her canes and the beautiful ways she uses them. Here, in her first CraftEdu class, learn how to make one of her signature canes - the Finely Veined Leaf Millefiori Cane.

Anke Humpert will show you ways to create metallic effects as you create backgrounds for your atc cards. Once the backgrounds are created, she'll lead you through the design process and how various ephemera are best composed for these miniature works of art. Metallic ATCs.

a great little gift

2010-07-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Inger has just posted a wonderful and easy little class. I think these are also perfect gifty items (I like to take lotions and soaps for my hosts) and with this class I could even make them myself. You'll be felting around a bar of soap! Add a leaf and it becomes quite a stylish way to scrub up. It's also a great parent and child project.

Felting Around a Bar of Soap

eva's first class!

2010-06-18T07:33:00.000-07:00

Eva Ehmeier has just posted her first class on CraftEdu! It's her beautiful shadow pattern technique on polymer clay. Shadow Pattern Necklace.

silk pouch with cindy chavez

2010-06-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Cindy Chavez has posted a fantastic new class, Silk Pouch Purse! Silk, pearls and beads make the perfect summer accessory - it's gorgeous.

learning to paint at craftedu

2010-06-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

So I said "you've been holding out on me!" And, she (Jeanne Harlan-Marriott) had. I happened to be cruising through the images posted on our community pages (you put images up on your personal page and it queues up in the slide show in the main page). I thought, "wow, Harlan's a photographer, too, cool!" I decided to examine the photographs more closely and, guess what, they're oil paintings! Yup, oil paintings - which led to "you've been holding out on me!"

So now, Harlan's working on her classes and someday, I may paint. I'll learn Trompe L'oeile and acrylics from Lauren (the incredible box from her Poker Box Class is pictured above - if there's any confusion about this, she teaches how to paint those cards and chips on that box, they're not glued on!) and I'll learn oils and nature themes from Harlan. I'm pretty excited about the whole thing. Excited? I guess it'd be more accurate to say I feel like my hair's on fire!

new classes from teresa sullivan and inger lutje maaike

2010-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Learn to needle felt and flat felt as you make this whimsical rock weighted mushroom. Inger's work is fanciful and fun!

Mushroom Class

Join Teresa Sullivan as she teaches you her lacy, but sturdy, single hexagon weave. She says it has a Goth flair and I think she's right but it's also elegant and versatile.

Single Hexagon Weave Necklace

Have a great weekend everyone!

necklace for toshiko

2010-06-10T06:53:00.001-07:00

Jeanne "Harlan" Marriott has posted her necklace designed for her friend, artist Toshiko Takaezu. In this class, you'll learn how to make felted 2 toned beads and the cord from which they hang. This is a beginner foundation class and once you know how you create these wonderful beads, you'll soon be embellishing and personalizing your own.

Toshiko Necklace

how to use the jeweler's saw

2010-06-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

For those of you interested in classic metal smithing techniques, Robin Cruz McGee is ready to lead you through processes and tools!

Basic Jeweler's Saw, Part 2

In this class, Robin Crux McGee teaches strategies for cutting metal with the jeweler's saw. Straight aways, curves, corners - you'll be cutting metal like a pro.

To learn about the Jeweler's Saw itself, how to change blades and tips for how not to break them, see Robin's class Basic Jeweler's Saw, Part 1.

stamp carving!

2010-06-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Altered art and stamping artist, Anke Humpert has just posted a fun class - Carving Your Own Stamps. This is something that has always looked like fun to me! If you'd like to learn how to create your own designs in stamps, this is the class for you.

a beehive cat

2010-06-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

How cute is this chub? Harlan calls him a Pratten - I think it's a fat cat. In any case, you'll have a chance to make him in Harlan's latest needle felting class the Beginner's Needle Felting Beehive Cat. You'll learn everything from density and surface patterning to make this little fellow.

New feature - Q & A from class!

2010-05-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Faculte has given us another great feature, you can now ask a question of your instructor right from your class. If you need to, you can contact us immediately. Look at the black navigation bar and then to the far right, the top listing is Q & A. Click on this, ask your question (either public or private) and we will receive it.

While you're in class, you can click on the Q & A and even look at the Q & A Board to see the public comments and questions posted by your fellow students.

Guarantee, we'll answer as soon as we can (remember a lot of us travel). More great improvements from our friends at Faculte - making your class experience even more like a live, in person workshop. How cool is that? Cool.

know your hardware

2010-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Join metal artist Robin Cruz McGee in this introduction to one of the most important and basic tools of metalsmithing, the jeweler's saw. I've never tried metal smithing of any sort - have wanted to - and have wondered, "what is that?" Now, I know and I know how to secure the blade and important ways not to break the blades. Next step? I'm going out to get one!

Basic Jeweler's Saw Part 1 with Robin Cruz McGee

Robin is now working on Part 2 that will explain and instruct how best to use this tool.

faux lampwork!

2010-05-27T07:26:00.001-07:00

If you love the look of lampwork beads, but lack the tools and skills needed to make them, you should consider this class. Eugena Topina will teach you how to create a similar look with a few simple tools, polymer clay, and resin. Faux Lampwork Beads - Polymer Clay and Resin.

understanding dark and light

2010-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Margie Deeb's new class "The Value of Dark and Light" clears up quite a bit of uncertainty and confusion some of you might experience as you seek those color schemes that "work" in your art. I've been lost and confused about color myself, and Margie's guidance and knowledge helped me understand the reasons why I've been pleased with some of my choices and why others have been, simply put, disappointing. This class is designed for anyone who works with color, in any medium.

polka dots!

2010-05-25T06:40:00.000-07:00

I love polka dots. The Classic Dot. Love 'em. So, I guess it was inevitable, I'd make polka dot bracelets. I love black and white, they go with everything (especially when everything in your closet is black or white). So, today I've posted a new class, the Polka Dot Bracelet. This class is geared for Advanced Beginners and above. Of course, you don't have to make yours black and white, in any colors, this is a nice little accessory.

make a Textured Pearl Pendant with Gordon Uyehara

2010-05-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

Gordon Uyehara's wonderful metal clay class - Textured Pearl Pendant - is up at CraftEdu. Let the master show you how he works with this versatile medium to achieve the clean and polished artwork that is the hallmark of a Gordon Uyehara piece.

Class Description: Create a silver clay textured pearl pendant! We'll cover creating and using stencils, using textures and drying forms, firing, finishing, and setting a half-drilled pearl on a wire post. Techniques you can use on all your metal clay creations! Class handout included.

steapunk't!

2010-05-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

Steampunk is hot and elegant? Well, Eugena Topina's butterfly certainly is both. Check out her new class at CraftEdu - Elegant Steampunk, Polymer Clay and Resin.

new mica magic class

2010-05-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Polymer and passementerie artist, Carol Blackburn has a new class - Mica Magic 2, Triangle Bangle. Join her as she instructs one color mica caning to produce this fantastic bangle with stripes on one side and spirals on the other. Mica Magic 2 - Triangle Bangle

new classes are up!

2010-05-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

Learn how to create your own wrap skirt of wool and silk! Inger Maaike will lead you through this Advanced felting class. Poppy Skirt Class

If you've wanted to try needle felting, here is a simple and fun beginner's project from Jeanne Harlan-Marriott! Heart Bracelet - Quick and Easy Beginner Needle Felting

Eugena Topina has two classes, How to Use Epoxy Resin with Polymer Clay (I learned a lot from this class!) and Faux Cloisonne - Polymer Clay and Resin. Taking How to Use Epoxy Resin with Polymer Clay is a pre-requisite for Eugena's series of faux cloisonne classes.

CraftEdu on YouTube...

2010-05-18T13:17:00.001-07:00

Here is a sampling of all the instructors who make up CraftEdu.....check it out..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mEkMC_f8E

new classes!

2010-05-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

From Cindy Chavez, this gorgeous pendant! You'll create your own template, select your focal pieces then bead, bead, bead around them to make a dramatic and one of a kind piece of wearable art. Freeform Multi Focal Point Pendant.

Join Harlan as she shows the advanced felter how to create a 3 dimensional and beautifully surface embellished dragon. From shaping the head to making all the elements of the body, how to join all of them, and then how to make wings. You'll understand complex felted sculptural forms and know how to make them. This is a 3 part class. Advanced Needle Felting - Dragon.

Sylvie Peraud will teach you how to create these fun and a bit funky striped earrings from Skinner Blends. Sylvie will teach you her method for invisible earwire attachments. Her sanding class is included in this workshop. As always, her work is perfectly finished and yours will be, too. This workshop is 2 parts. Green Striped Earrings.

Lilian Chen teaches her unique wire bending methods to create these wonderful earrings. The class is divided into 3 parts - first, how to make a single earring. Second, how to make a pair of the earrings, at once! And, finally, how to embellish with crystals. The Art of Wire - In Bloom.

We're adding classes all the time - I will post the new classes here with direct links to them! Enjoy!

Cheers, Donna

meet judith durant

2010-05-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Judith Durant is a knitter and beadworker as well as author and editor of several books on both subjects. Trained as a theatrical costume designer, she took a circuitous route through various costume shops in New York, to a New York theatrical book publishing house, and on to Interweave Press in Colorado where she was book editor and one of the founding editors of Interweave Knits. Judith is currently a freelance writer, editor, designer, and teacher based in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her newest book, Knit One, Bead Too, combines her passions for yarn and beads.

Aside from polymer, knitting is my passion. Love those cashmere bangles! Judith has a new class up on the site, "Knitting With Beads". You'll not only learn how to knit with beads, you'll also make s great little shoulder bag!

meet jeanne harlan-marriot

2010-05-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

Harlan was born in Michigan to a family that was deeply involved with the arts. Growing up in the shadow of Cranbrook Art Academy life was filled with art, and artists. It was a way of life. Harlan studied various art forms both in and out of school. She formally studied in Boston and Detroit but dropped out of college to pursue her own passion for painting.

Teaching herself both encaustic and oil painting, Harlan had several one woman shows in the Birmingham Michigan area. Her paintings have won numerous awards and won Honorable Mention in the Kennedy Best of Michigan Artists and Artisans.

More than three years ago, Harlan took up needle felting. As with any of her artistic pursuits, she put in great effort to master this young art form. Her “Prittens” (small needle felted sculptures of cats) are collected internationally. Her book “Needle Felting – to the Point” is soon to be published.

Check out Jeanne "Harlan's" class offerings at CraftEdu. Learn the art of needle felting!

meet cindy chavez

2010-05-07T07:44:00.000-07:00

With a background in pattern design, Cindy has always loved and appreciated the simple designs that could later be embellished to enhance their shape and color; giving pieces unique texture and interest.

Cindy has also designed and sculpted dolls over the years, dressing them in textural fabrics and embellishing them with some of her collected adornments.

Embellishing takes the ordinary to the next level. She considers herself an "embellisher" rather than simply a beader because she uses not only beads in her designs, but rich fabrics, natural fibers and anything else that can be applied to create something beautiful.

Cindy loves the never ending profusion of strong color that pops in a contemporary piece, and equally adores the classic soft vintage feel when enhancing a piece of antique kimono silk or when incorporating grandmother's cameo into a special creation.

There are no rules in freeform beadwork, and the possibilities are endless. She loves to inspire students to reach deep into their imaginations, and pull out ideas that make them light up. It's a pleasure to watch their excitement as they design and create something unique and beautiful that they are proud to show off!

website http://www.freeforminspirations.com

blog http://www.freeforminspirations.blogspot.com

other http://www.nmartists.com

Please look at Cindy's silk freeform bracelet class up now on CraftEdu!

2010-05-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Barb first experienced polymer clay 10 years ago, with a basic beginner class at a local community college. Since that day, she has continued working in the medium focusing on many different styles of beads and jewelry.

Currently, her Flora Art Jewelry line is sold in galleries across the country and at local art shows in the state. Since 2000, her beads have been sold to collectors all over the world. She has written online tutorials for Capped Swirl Lentils, Pillow Beads, Scrappy Swirls and Intro to Textured Flora Beads. Print articles include Kaleidoscope Tile Pendant for Polymer Cafe and Polymer Clay Tile Pendants for Bead and Button.

Barb also teaches private lessons from my home in the north valley of Albuquerque. She has won local and national awards for her jewelry. Her work can also be seen in the book Adapting Quilt Patterns to Polymer Clay and the catalogs Progress and Possibilities and the Synergy2 Exhibit, Exploring Connections. Barb is active in the International Polymer Guild chairing Progress and Possibilities and Acres of Opportunity.

Inspiration comes from her own surroundings in the high desert of New Mexico where she has lived since the age of 5, when her father, an artist himself left Kentucky for this state that he had heard so much about. The vibrant colors in the wide open sky and the sprawling landscape, as well as the changing shadows and rustic texture make this area an artist's paradise!

I first saw Barb's beautiful floral work a few years ago - beautiful and beautifully made. She hasn't posted any floral classes, yet, but we hope you'll take a look at her Swirled Lentils class - gorgeous!

2010-05-05T08:16:00.001-07:00

Judith Bertoglio-Giffin, is an internationally published author, artist, designer,and teacher who has been beading for over 25 years. She teaches bead crochet workshops nationwide that include basic and advanced techniques, emphasizing creative approaches to bead crochet. She enjoys working in just about every beading technique there is. As an antidote to the structure of bead crochet, she often indulges in freeform peyote. Quite frequently a pre-designed piece just will not cooperate and becomes something else again. That's the primary reason she works in bead embroidery and freeform techniques as they allow for freedom of expression, by design or otherwise.

Love those ropes! Love the way they look and the way they feel. Judith has classes up and ready for you, introduction to Bead Crochet and the Snazzy Chain necklace, cool.