The Creative Connection

Friday Class Open-Saturday Class Registration Closed. In this class, we aim to erase many of your artistic fears while giving you the tools and confidence it takes to create a gorgeous multimedia portrait of a stylish retro gal. You'll be tracing, painting, cutting and pasting, collaging, and color washing, etc. We promise that no prior experience in drawing, painting, or collage is necessary. Aside from freeing yourself to create, what’s great about this workshop is that you’ll leave with a unique piece of portrait art for your home. In the end, you'll create a piece of artwork that uses all of the techniques taught during the class. Each student will leave with a read-to-hang canvas showcasing her new artistic skill set!

Making a living as an Artist - from teaching, creative partnerships to being published. You have been working hard on your creative business and are setup online. Now it’s time to find alternative ways to make a living doing what you LOVE. I’ll share my strategies and secrets on how to build your business and brand through teaching and creative partnerships. Plus, I'll give you an overview of my experiences writing two mixed media craft books and the components to writing a #1 best selling book. Here’s an overview of the workshop topics:

• Teaching - numerous strategies for Spreading the LOVE building your brand through teaching, demos and
• speaking engagements
• E-course creation - creating and promoting online courses and digital products
• writing a craft/art book - the process from research, initial concept to writing and promoting your book. I’ll talk about book tours, events
• creative partnerships - writing articles, working with publishers and product manufacturers. I’ll talk about the numerous ways to develop relationships for product sponsorships working with manufacturers, developing creative partnerships,
• creative marketing road map - plans, resources and strategies to encourage you to be successful in your creative endeavors. Ideas for your visual and written plan of action to market your art and build your creative business.

This is a course for art instructors who are ready to take their classes to a bigger platform - the Internet! Sure it's fun to travel and teach, but now there are plenty of options for offering, teaching and making income right form your office or studio. We're talking online workshops. Kathy Cano-Murillo, The Crafty Chica, will walk beginners through the process of brainstorming, planning, pitching and running online courses. Students can sign up, pay, and partake in the lessons from anywhere in the world as long as they have an Internet connection. This class will cover: - How to set up your own private online classroom. - How to come up with a seasonal curriculum that works for you and your fan base. - How to devise lessons plans, videos, run a discussion forum, offer live chats. - How to work with students on an individual basis. - How to promote your classes - Dos and don'ts  ..more »

Creator of the award-winning website, www.thetoymaker.com, Marilyn Scott-Waters will take simple paper and show how cutting, pasting, and folding create simply delightful toys. Join Marilyn as she teaches you how to make a koi kite, paper butterfly, miniature fairy book, cornucopia, and an accordion folder! She'll demonstrate tips, tricks, and more. Skill level: beginner. Materials supplied: paper. Printed instructions and tips will be given to each student. Skill level: beginner. Materials supplied: paper. Printed instructions and tips will be given to each student.  ..more »

Friday class, registration closed. Saturday class open. Based on the shoes of the Peeps in Lizzy House's smash hit fabric collection "Castle Peeps," Lizzy brings the boots to life in an unconventional Christmas stocking. They are medieval, they are precious, and they are awesome! Combine basic sewing and quilting skills with fun fabrics and favorite ribbon or trim to create Peep Boots for your very own Christmas Kingdom.

In the photo styling workshop, you will learn how to dominate your competitors with visual advertising and eye-catching photos. In this course you will:

• Determine how to select a photographer that's right for you.
• Discover ways to frame your subjects and products to maximize their natural beauty and appeal.
• Learn how to use angles to achieve captivating and flattering photos.
• Discuss principles of staging and prop usage.
• Learn to direct live models and poses that hit the mark.
• Find how to develop a clear professional looking concept that will propel your brand.
• Take home photo styling look book.

Learn to tell the story of your craft visually and make your images sing! Want to improve your photography? Join Gale Zucker for a hands-on digital photography workshop. This class will include technical instruction, tips for choosing situations/locations, working with light, the psychology of photographing people and how to make them comfortable while capturing images that keep the focus on your handwork. We’ll concentrate on making images of yarn, knitting, crafting, finished objects, as well as capturing the world around you. This class will include an illustrated talk, demonstration, and plenty of hands-on action--photographing inside and outdoors (weather permitting). Gale will also demonstrate how to optimize your images once they’re out of the camera and into a blog page or website, using a free web-based software--no PhotoShop knowledge required. If WIFI is available, students can practice along with the instructor. A DSLR isn’t necessary; point and shoot cameras are welcome. Students must know how to access the settings on their cameras.

The exploding world of digital photography can be overwhelming. Understanding the basic principles will help boost your confidence as a new photographer and encourage you to find your creative voice. Learn essential concepts of lighting, composition, and the basic equipment you will need to achieve the perfect photograph. We'll also be discussing online photo management and some elementary editing.  ..more »

In the professional image workshop, you will learn basic theories of personal style and how to apply them towards a distinct, polished persona. In this course you will:

• Discover your personal color typing - makeup, hair color, and wardrobe.
• Identify your body type.
• Categorize style types.
• Master your individual look - current and professional.
• Take home an exclusive style look book.

Let’s get a jump on the holidays with these beautiful record-sleeve tree displays. Miniature handmade sisal trees will fit into a 100-year-old record cylinder sleeve covered in beautiful typography and graphics and adorned with book page trim and glitter. Also included are wire holders to display collaged cards that we will create along with an embellished cylinder lid-turned-ornament. Materials Included:

• Antique record cylinder with lid--colors and graphics vary
• Florist foam
• Moss (or book paper grass fill may be substituted)
• Wire holders
• Handmade sisal tree, student to fluff and trim to shape
• Blank cards
• Vintage milk bottle lid disk (for ornament)
• Glitter
• Vintage and reproduction paper, trim, bits and bobbles