In May and June, I had the pleasure of spending time in the video studio with some very talented women--Jill Erickson and Addie Kidd from Art Jewelry magazine, Tea Benduhn and Anna Draeger from Bead&Button magazine, and Jane Konkel and Naomi Fujimoto from BeadStyle magazine. Each of them created a video for our latest endeavor—Jewelry Classes on Demand.

It was interesting working on the videos while in the throes of the Bead&Button Show. As I looked around and saw the enthusiasm of the people taking classes, my passion for this project became even stronger. While I was thrilled at the turnout we had for the show and happy for the folks taking classes, I also realized that there were so many more jewelry makers out there who couldn't attend. And even more, many jewelrymakers who can't just take a class at their local shop, because their local shop may be not at all local. I remember when I moved back to Illinois from Florida and I went on a hunt for a bead shop, the nearest one was 40 minutes away and it offered limited classes.

These are some of the reasons we created the Jewelry Classes on Demand lineup. The assortment of classes runs the gamut. Jill Erickson demonstrates her photo transfer method to polymer clay, in addition to tons of tips and a fabulous overview of tools and supplies and what to do with all that cool stuff. Tea Benduhn shows how to make a very versatile right-angle-weave necklace, and I really loved the segment where she shows how different choices of beads create very different looks. I'd love to have Jane Konkel's copper and bead necklace, bracelet, and earrings hanging on my accessory pegboard at home, but the part of her video I love the most was the process of how to add a blue patina to the copper chains and which parts of the project should and shouldn't be patinated and why! That's what I appreciate most--learning from someone else's experimentation rather than my own!

As for quick-to-make jewelry, check out Anna Draeger's three crystal bracelets—okay, two crystal bracelets and one watch. Each piece has a twist; these aren't your typical strung pieces, but they're easy enough for a beginner since Anna walks you through each of them, offering tips along the way. And Naomi Fujimoto's video walks you through the process of creating five different styles of earrings and shows two additional variations on each style for even more inspiration. And as a great finish, Addie Kidd creates five styles of clasps.

As for my own studio time, I demonstrated a little bit of everything. If you're curious, check out the two Venetian bead and chain necklaces, two chain mail pieces, and an easy-to-stitch crystal V-drop necklace.

In addition to the multi-chapter videos that download right to your computer, you also receive a PDF of the instructions for the project to give you a reference, a place to add notes, and a complete materials and tools list. I love the idea of jewelrymakers across the country curled up on the couch in their jammies watching the video and working through the project along with each instructor. So if you haven't checked out the classes yet, go over to Jewelry Classes on Demand and look around. And if you have downloaded a class, we'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave your comments below.

There are more classes to come, so if there's anything in particular you'd like to learn, let us know! And tell your friends who want to learn to make jewelry about us. That way, you'll have someone to create with AND you won't have to sacrifice your creative time to get their skills up to speed!