Craftsy

When I was a kid, I used to sign up for classes through Tucson Parks and Recreation.  I did ballet, tap dance, acting, piano, magic, painting, baton twirling, babysitting, pottery, self defense, gymnastics… you name it, and I probably took a class in it.  As I became an adult, I found less and less time to pursue those types of leisure activities.  Now, with two young kids, its almost impossible to leave the house.  Having young children is rough and neither my husband nor I like to have two kids by ourselves during the bedtime hour.  Very difficult.

However, I miss learning the fun skills that let me pursue new artistic ventures.  Those classes gave me an outlet to express myself as well as accumulate a ton of random interesting hobbies and skills (I actually switched to private baton lessons for a little while). Since my schedule is pretty tight for the time being, I’ve found my creative inspiration in Craftsy.

If you haven’t checked out Craftsy.com and are arts-and-crafts inclined, I suggest you take a look.   The site has a wide variety of video lessons to choose from.  Everything from sewing and drawing to cooking and… jewelry!  I’m refining my jewelry skills through a class on Craftsy right now by learning how to work with wire.

So far, my teacher on Craftsy has taught me how to wire-wrap top-drilled stones which is how I made these lovely earrings:

And used the same elements in the design of this necklace:

Also, I learned how to create the nifty wire circles that appear in these earrings.

Look for a Whimsicle necklace that uses that wire circle soon.  All of these items are available for sale as well 🙂

Classes range anywhere from $15 to $50.  The class includes materials lists, step-by-step beautifully produced videos and access to the instructor and other students.  The online class hosts its very own online community where students can post pictures of their work and ask questions.  Best of all, the video lessons are available to you forever.  If you need to re-watch something to remind yourself of how its done, you can.

If you are looking for a new hobby but can’t find the time to take a class, I definitely recommend Craftsy.  If you end up enrolling in a class, let me know!  Especially let me know if its good so I can add it to my wish list.  I’m a little addicted.