Skillshare: Classes in Fashion and Design!!

Something new to me in the crafting world recently is a website called Skillshare. This is a website that offers classes from professionals in many different fields for very affordable prices. There are fashion and style classes, photography, business... any thing you can imagine!


I found a great course in Embroidered accessories from P.S I Made This. It's a shop that is owned by Erica Domesek, a design guru whose been on shows like The Today Show, Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray to name a few.  On Skillshare she is offering a basic jewelry making class with a focus on Embroidery. I am a beginner when it come to jewelry, and to embroidery, so it was lucky that Erica gave very detailed step by step instructions in written and video format, often including outside resources for those of us that would like any further instructions.

In this part of the three step video, she is showing how to seal off the threads by using clear nail polish. You can get a sense of what the necklace is going to look like by seeing one of the five tassels we will be making:

I'm so excited to finish the project. It's going to be beautiful... and, better than that, it will be unique. Here is here finished necklace, along with some of the few supplies she needs to make her projects:

Gotta love the use of turquoise!

I'm not finished with the class yet. But, as soon as I am, I will show you what I created! I am really interested in the idea of embroidered jewelry. It has the feeling of something out of western Native American style decorations, but there is so much else that it could be. Something that Erica mentions in her instructional video is that creating a mood board and doing a lot of research beforehand in a great way to prepare for the project. I agree with that, in fact I use Pinterest in that way when I am working on ideas for a holiday. Erica encourages not just a virtual mood board, but even one in your space as well. 

Something else about Skillshare that I think is fantastic is that if you are a creator of products, whether they are crafts, designs, apps... you can become a teacher on Skillshare and earn up to 85% of the the profits from your course. To begin with, a teacher submits a proposal with direction videos, an outline of the course and the resources needed. This is then reviewed by the site. Once your class is going, they give you all kinds of ideas on how to market your class to reach it's full potential! This isn't a type of class environment where you are removed from your students either; you can interact with them, give feedback, start discussions... it is a great format. I know that as a crafting blogger, there are plenty of tutorials that I give out on an almost weekly basis that I could use as an alternative way of making some extra money. I can picture Holiday craft tutorials being a success. 

I definitely recommend giving Skillshare a try, whether it is as a teacher, as a student, or both. There is a such a great variety of topics to learn... with teachers who are professionals in their fields. Who knows? That could be you!