Last month I shared What is Craftsy? Now I want to expand on it a little more and share some more information about what makes Craftsy so neat!
What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.
Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class
Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.
Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting.
What IS the Craftsy experience?
Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right.
Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.
Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Craftsy Classes ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more! Get started now!
Craftsy – Fine Art!
This post may contain affiliate links which help support our family. Thank-you for your kindness!
Fine Art? Yes! With the launch of six art classes, Craftsy is proud to announce a new category – Fine Art! They have world-class art instructors to teach you professional techniques to elevate your art, regardless of your skill level or preferred media. From landscape drawing to portraiture, watercolors to acrylics, these classes allow you to learn on your own time, at your convenience from talented instructors. Check out the new art classes from Craftsy:
- Craftsy Narrative Portraiture: Painting in Acrylic
- Craftsy Acrylic Landscape Painting
- Craftsy Perspective in Landscape Drawing
- Craftsy Portraits in Watercolor
- Craftsy Drawn to Painting
- Craftsy Master Palettes: Exploring Color Mixing
How neat is that? I love that they are broadening their horizons! How about you? Will you be taking one of their Fine Art classes?
Did you know when you register on Craftsy you also get access to FREE patterns and recipes? And it’s free to register! Check out some of the free resources you can get access to with registration:
- Free Cake Decorating Recipes at Craftsy!
- Free Quilting Patterns at Craftsy
- Free Sewing Pattern at Craftsy
- Free Knitting Patterns at Craftsy!
- Free Embroidery Patterns at Craftsy!
So what are you waiting for? Head over to Craftsy and get started!
Take a Free Mini-Course
This post may contain affiliate links which help support our family. Thank-you for your kindness!
Have you had a chance to check out Craftsy yet? Why not start with a free mini-course?
Here are some of Craftsy’s Top Free Mini-Courses:
- Know Your Wool: Do you wonder where your yarn comes from? Learn about different types of wool and the individual characteristics of each.
- The Hand-Painted Cake: Elevate your cake with Erin Schaefgen’s freehand painting techniques. Create beautiful and edible works of art with Erin’s tips and tricks.
- Creative Quilt Backs: Make the back of your quilt just as interesting as the front! Oh, Fransson! blog author Elizabeth Hartman walks you through everything you need to know to make beautiful quilt backs.
- Modern Buttercream: Learn to use buttercream like a pro! Discover the tricks and tips to construct and create a beautifully finished buttercream cake.
- Micro Torch Basics: Go ahead, play with fire. Using a butane micro-torch, learn the basics of creating beautiful and unique metal jewelry in your own house.
Here are a couple of other FREE resources I, personally, will be checking out!
Free Sewing Pattern at Craftsy
Free Embroidery Patterns at Craftsy!
If you’re looking to start a full course check out the new courses that launched on June 12th!
Sweater Surgery with Carol Feller
Bead Stitching: Shaped Peyote with Nancy Cain
Cake Topper Techniques: Fondant Animals with Sharon Wee
Crazy Quilting with Allie Aller
Have fun with it, and be sure to share your experiences with me and/or creations you made from your experiences! 🙂
Country Woman Magazine Review and Giveaway
Country Woman Magazine is the magazine for women who live in or long for the country. If you’ve read a few of my personal posts you’ve probably figured out I live in Texas and seen plenty of our pictures from Fishing Fridays, so you know I also love the outdoors and love to fish. What you may not know is the places I’ve lived in Texas have been far more “city” than where I grew up! I grew up in a small town in Northwest Ohio. A one stoplight kind of town with less than 2000 people. I grew up fishing, playing outside, helping with the small garden in the backyard, and helping my dad and uncle train the Brittany Spaniels for hunting. I was in 4H and showed sheep at the county fair. So to say I’m a little bit country is fitting! So, Country Woman Magazine definitely appeals to me! Country Woman Magazine offers an amazing selection of country decorating ideas, fun crafts, tasty recipes, gardening tips and more! They also have some amazing resources on their website! I, personally, love the sewing section. I will definitely be taking advantage of the home and garden section more after we move and get settled into a new home. We’re really hoping it will have some great land for gardening!
Something particularly special about the June/July issue is it features softball superstar and busy mother-of-three Jennie Finch on the cover! I am also a huge softball fan and played softball myself starting when I was 8 years old and progressing into fast-pitch softball in high school. I even still played some co-ed slow-pitch when our older two kids were still really young before my husband enlisted in the military. So softball is definitely something I enjoy as well, so I was really excited to hear about the opportunity to share this issue with my readers!
Country Woman’s June/July issue shares another side of the two-time Olympian, deemed the “most famous softball player in history” by TIME Magazine. A Los Angeles, she traded in her glove to move to the hometown of her husband (former Major League Baseball player Casey Daigle) to raise their 3 children (ages 7, 2, and 5 months). She shares with Country Woman why she couldn’t be happier with her rural home.
“My family is extremely important to me, and while my heart will always be on the field with softball, living in the country has allowed me to pursue my other loves,” said Finch. “I enjoy the slow pace, privacy and opportunity to get in touch with nature. It’s a great place to raise the kids. In summer, we’re outside from practically the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep.”
A word from the editor:
“Jennie is a role model and a true inspiration. We chose to feature her on our latest cover because of her love for the country, but also because of her commitment to helping young people across America,” said Lori Lau Grzybowski, Editor, Country Woman. “We are eager to share Jennie’s story with women across the nation, which we hope will provide encouragement to our readers.”
Country Woman’s June/July issue also includes a varity of recipes, how-to’s for a rustic DIY wedding, storage secrets for a small kitchen, tips to plant your own hummingbird heaven and more. The latest edition is currently on newsstands and available for digital download on iTunes. For more information, please visit: www.countrywomanmagazine.com.
You can also connect with Country Woman Magazine on Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, and Raverly.
*Giveaway!!*
This is an AMAZING giveaway! Country Woman Magazine is offering one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of the June/July issue signed by the cover girl Jennie Finch PLUS a one-year subscription to Country Woman Magazine! This giveaway runs from 6/15 through 6/29 at 11:00pm (times are Central) and is open to US residents ages 18+. Please refer to the full terms and conditions in the Giveaway Tools.
To enter simply answer the question below by commenting on this post to get started! Then more entries will open up for more chances to win!
Jennie Finch loves the privacy, family values, nature and slower pace that comes with country life. What do you love about the country?