Lots and lots of painted clothing - mostly shirts, but some pants/shirts outfits (years ago when this was popular)
Crochet
Tatting (too time-consumeing for me!)
Calligraphy (not compatible with arthritis!)
Tole painting (again years ago, when it was popular)
Wood carving
Woodworking
CorelDraw (a whole semester of college credit class - well worth it!)

All classes were some time ago. Seems like now we can find just about all we need to know right here in the Internet! But classes are fun, not only for the education and new ideas, but also for the interaction with other students and the knowledge and tips you get from them.

I've taken calligraphy, quilling, hardanger, tatting (Red Confetti is right about the time on that!) and various sewing classes.

I am taking a beginning knitting class Thurs (I'm self-taught and it's been a long while since I've knitted so--) and I am taking a rubber stamping class toward the end of September. I am waiting for my school district to have their brochure on adult ed classes--there's usually several craft classes I want to take. The library may also have some but I don't know yet.

I've taken:
Oil painting
Tole painting
Wreath making
Cake decorating
Calligraphy class on tv
I always wanted to take a bow making class.
I live in a small town and have to drive 30-60 miles for any classes.
My Mom was a great teacher and taught me when I was very young to sew and crochet.

A million years ago... when computers were a thing of the future... I was the one sitting on the library floor learning sign language, morse code, and dozens of other skills I'd never end up using. When crafts hit I was in heaven. My obsession with teaching myself obscure skills finally had a profitable outlet.

I learned cake decorating... then taught it to others. Then I did woodworking (doll cradles & home decor items, etc.) and again decided there was more money and less work in teaching than in selling. I wish I was the class taking type! I'd take a stained glass class and a glass bead making class if they were offered in my area (and I liked the teacher's work). I took a pottery class years ago and loved it. Everything else has just come out of books. I taught oil painting for years. And I've taught just about every crafty project that has come along.

Teaching crafts enabled me to go from one project to the next without feeling guilty for buying all the stuff... and then promptly losing interest :)

Now I'm retired. But I still have the intense desire to go from one project to the next... buying all the stuff... even though I no longer teach.... and I rarely actually make the darn things!

I SHOULD be on that wagon Kathy was talking about!!!

I have only taken a beginner's quilting class. My double Irish chain lap quilt didn't look anything like a double Irish! I had inadvertently used one material that was just stretchy enough to cause big problems. My instructor couldn't even help!

I may not have a lap quilt that looks like the cover of the Eleanor Burns booklet, but I DO have one that has materials I adore and looks like a patchwork of squares:) I love it anyway and my DH was SO proud he showed everyone in the neighborhood LOL. None of them knew what it was supposed to look like!

Heidi

Candy - I taught painting for years too ... the best perk was a discount on my supplies ! LOL

Heidi... that's the beauty of homemade things... nobody knows what it was supposed to look like :)

Teaching is awesome because you not only get a discount on the supplies... but the people who take your classes pay enough to cover all of your costs plus a hefty profit. I just loved teaching.

I am looking into taking a lampworking course to learn about
making glass beads. Anyone else here taken a class for this?
The only class that I've taken in the past year was a mosaic's
class. Would love to learn decorative painting too. Just got
to find the time somewhere to do all these things.

I taught decorative painting for many years .... it's really worth learning it . You can't believe the things that you can do with paint ! I still have students from 10 years ago coming up to me - telling me the progress that they made !

Making glass beads --- it is sooooooo interesting
( but yet again - expensive ) I hesitate to sign up for a class.

Maybe I'll win the lottery -- I'll spend a good portion of it on classes ! (And fly you all in to teach you !!) LOL

Hmmmm....

Calligraphy

Tole painting

Decorative painting

Sign Language

Hebrew

Massage

Reiki

Speed-reading

Sewing

Potpourri pies ----remember those? With my plaster of paris I could make a lethal weapon.

Auto Mechanics for women--I've used this the most.

A few more but work related and not as much fun.

Wing

lets see for fun, not work related
Wilton's cake decorating 1,2&3
belly dancing
Beginning Italian
Payote bag beading & beaded lampshade classes
A doll house landscaping class

Finally took my first decorative painting class. Here is the
first project I did.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/crafts/gal1009544821177.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorative Painting

Very nice trivet Evelyn. I'm going to guess you freehanded the design, well you did a great job. That first project can be a scary thing. I practiced and practiced the One Stroke Method and finally did a flower pot. Since then I've learned to be a bit more creative in painting and it's not so scary anymore. The good thing about paining on a trivet or a flower pot which has been basecoated and dried is, you can just wash it off and start over. Here is a pic of a Pumpkin Flower Pot I painted. Honestly, I wanted to see what it would look like and was being real sloppy painting it. Well darn it, I liked how it turned out and kept it that way. Not bad for being sloppy don't you think!!! LOL

Sal

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1479991}}

Thanks Sal!! The trivet was actually also made by myself. It
is just a square piece of wood that I routered the edges of,
sanded, painted, varnished and then glued little wooden clay
pots to the bottom for feet.
Nice pumpkin pot!!

Never had time to take any classes so am sorta
like Jack of all trades but master of none.

Had to learn what I could on my own
through trial and error

I did take 1 class at a college about
beginner computer use.
That was a big waste of my time...lol

I never took any classes for anything...taught myself how to draw and paint when I was about 10 or 11...worked hard on perfecting that over the years (I prefer realistic style)...and learned everything else (crafty stuff) from trips to the library...books are wonderful things!!!

Even in high school, I got put in advanced art classes where even there I outdistanced everybody else...my teachers had a "bad" habit of letting me do whatever I wanted instead of doing the projects that everyone else had to do as part of the curriculum...for example, coming to school in a pair of black jeans on which I had painted a Velociraptor that spilled across both legs and wrapped round to the back...that passed for my semester final with 110%...everybody else had to do an impressionistic style painting....TEEHEE...my project was by far more fun!

Too bad I have children now and can't do too much drawing and painting...I have been temporarily relegated to the world of crafts until they are in school (sigh...three more years)...then maybe I can get back into it....but as long as I am creating I am happy!

And right now I am decorating for Christmas!!!

Netta