Looking for Craft Classes and/or Clubs in Orange County CA

[staci]

Hello :)
I've been searching for crafting classes, clubs or organizations in
the coastal area of Orange County, California for a loooong time.
Hopefully Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Huntington or Laguna.
How can I find them? Do they exist? I can't possibly be the only
person interested in these things!?! I have a variety of interests
using a wiiiide array of media and at this point anything creative
would be wonderful and very much appreciated. If I can't find any,
would anyone be interested in seeing if we could get something
started? I certainly could use the inspiration, energy and comraderie
that come from a group of peeps with similar interests. I've been
crafting for years, but love learning and sharing new ideas and
techniques. How about someone who demonstrates, I could see about
getting a group together for something like this, too!
Staci :) stac...@hotmail.com

Looking for Craft Classes and/or Clubs in Orange County CA

[Sooz]

There's nothing offered by the Recreation Department there? I'm surprised.

>I've been searching for crafting classes, clubs or organizations in
>the coastal area of Orange County, California for a loooong time.
>Hopefully Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Huntington or Laguna.
>How can I find them? Do they exist? I can't possibly be the only
>person interested in these things!?! I have a variety of interests
>using a wiiiide array of media and at this point anything creative
>would be wonderful and very much appreciated. If I can't find any,
>would anyone be interested in seeing if we could get something
>started?

Sooz
Absence of stress means you're dead.

[Christina Foster Peterson]

Ask at local bead stores. Or places that sell local bead art. Also
community college or Rec Dept, as Sooz mentioned. Anything in the phone
book.

There are probably a lot more listings of local resources you have in a big
huge place like that, that I have never even heard of.

Maybe in on line chat groups you can enter "beads" and your location to find
someone who'd know.

Christina

"staci" <stac...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:a8772a74.0208...@posting.google.com...

[Kaytee]

>I've been searching for crafting classes, clubs or organizations in
>the coastal area of Orange County, California

The OC Bead Society is one of the largest in the country! They meet at the
Bowers Museum. www.beadsocietyoc.org
Kaytee
"Simplexities" on
www.eclecticbeadery.com

[Sooz]

I've been wondering....where have you looked? You should tell us, so we don't
create redundant suggestions for you.
Orange County Bead Society:
http://www.beadsocietyoc.org/home_cont.html

[staci]

I receive brochures/class schedules for the local colleges: Orange
Coast Community College, Irvine Valley College, Coastline Community
College, Goldenwest Community College and the university UCI, I check
their websites, Chambers of Commerce local to me, the Michael's Store
(yeah, good luck getting any help from their employees, even on their
products), the local recreation departments, the local senior centers,
our local bulleting boards, the newspaper... when I do find classes
they are 99% geared towards children, yes even the senior centers! Of
course that is not so with the colleges, but most of theirs are fine
art oriented. Waaah! What's a goil to do?

I'm certainly not a pro, but I do want to do more tehnically
challenging projects, and have a lot to learn and LOVE learning. I
have received a very nice email from someone with loads of info and
places to check, and a big thank you to Ketarah! She gave me some more
leads that I bet will do me MUCH better than where I've been looking.

I was thinking that maybe there was a list of creative organizations
somwhere or some websites...I just had no idea, that's why I was
asking for everyone's help. I didn't even know about these newsgroups
until the day I wrote!

I thank everyone for helping me, please don't stop!!!
~Staci :) don't hestitate to email me with info, either :)

____________________________________________________________
diva...@aol.comeatpeeps (Sooz) wrote in message news:<20020819232025...@mb-cd.aol.com>...

[staci]

Kaytee: You're awesome, thanks!!!!

bod...@aol.comnospam (Kaytee) wrote in message news:<20020819181859...@mb-fb.aol.com>...

[Sooz]

It sounds like you haven't tried your local bead stores. That's where I find
classes in my area -- classes bring in the most money for them, because you
need to buy materials for the class....

[Christina Foster Peterson]

After stumbling across a bunch of semi-professionals, just up the hill, I
realized I could easily have accessed them sooner and easily. They all do
at least some shopping at the expensive, but most complete bead store in
town. Most of them sell their work at that bead shop, or one of several art
gallery and tourist art type stores. Also, the local college/university has
art and artisan courses. I took silver smithing at the University (on
campus), and a weaving course at the down town extension. Across the hall,
a woman does glass blowing, and lampwork. I've also met plenty of bead and
glass workers at craft shows and bazaars.

As I know now, partly from my experience in this group, we crafters are an
extremely friendly and cooperative bunch. I could have asked for the name
of an artist whose work I liked at a gallery and called to ask about liking
her work, and where can I learn that technique. Exchanged phone numbers at
a craft show. Most people don't even compliment the work they like, much
less as about how things are made, so the artists aren't going to bring the
subject up for you. So just ask.

Also, living in a city, there should be bead shows around regularly that you
can go to. Probably at least once a month where you live. And there are
always people there who want to teach. And they probably can even tell you
about simpler classes (intermediate instead of advanced) and other teachers
in the area.

All it really takes is getting past being shy.

Christina

"Sooz" <diva...@aol.comeatpeeps> wrote in message
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