Top 10 Reasons to take classes at Michaels

TOP TEN REASONS TO TAKE CLASSES AT MICHAELS 

1. There are four components to paper craft classes at Michaels - lots to choose from: Spotted Canary School (includes 4 2hr sessions for $25), Martha Stewart Crafts Studio™ Classes, Michaels $5 Crop, and paper-ED™ classes. 
2. paper-ED™ is a series of exclusive paper craft classes at Michaels that you can’t find anywhere else. 
3. No matter which class you take, you leave with completed projects and new skills and techniques to apply on all your other paper crafting projects. 
4. Every customer who registers gets a class syllabus with a 10% off ERPP coupon! 
5. paper-ED™ class projects include page layouts, cards, paper parties and home décor items. 
6. It’s easy to sign up for a class! Registration forms and the syllabus are located at the cash register in our Scrapbooking Binder; just tell the cashier what class you want to take and she/he will do the rest!
7. Students are not required to purchase the exact papers or embellishments featured in the syllabus - we want them to express their style. You are not required to purchase anything at all – feel free to bring your tools and supplies from home! 
8. Our instructors are all Certified Scrapbook Instructors (CSIs). 
9. Associates can take classes for free as long as someone signs up! Just bring or buy your own supplies, invite and tell people about the classes. 
10. It’s FUN!

CLASSES WE OFFER

• Altered Canvas
• Card Tricks
• Card Tricks in a Flash
• Classic Holiday Card Tricks  (New for September 2012)
• Card Tricks Punched
• Countdown to the Holidays
• Cricut Card Tricks: A Quilted Christmas (New for September 2012)
• Cricut Card Tricks: Sophisticated
• Cricut E2 Test Drive
• Cricut Expression Test Drive
• Cricut Expression Test Drive Handout
• Cricut Off the Page: A Quilted Christmas  (New for September 2012)
• Martha Stewart – Crafter's Clay Techniques
• Martha Stewart – Glittering Techniques
• Martha Stewart – Punch around the Page
• Flower WOW!
• Paper Bag Mini Album
• Paper Crafted Gift Frame
• Paper Crowns
• Paper Party: Happy Birthday America
• Pink Party
• Sketched Out
• Sketched Out 2
• Sizzix Test Drive
• Smashed: A Class for SMASH
• Texture WOW
• tINKer Time: Distress and Shimmer
• Very Merry Card Tricks  (New for September 2012)
• Vintage Holiday Card Tricks  (New for September 2012)

If you don't see one of these classes on our current schedule, feel free to request a class. We are always happy to try to meet your needs.

A Dose of Inspiration

This morning my husband woke me up early so we could take our daughter's cat to the vet to get neutered. The cat was scared to death in the vet - first time he had gone anywhere outside of our house since we first got him as a small kitten. I remember feeling that way when I first started making scrapbook pages and cards... I was afraid to cut my paper for fear that I would make something not so great. When I got home, I read a post on the paper-ED Instructor Resource Group on Facebook that really inspired me and I wanted to share it with you. The post was made by a fellow Michael's instructor - Denise S. Kavakli. She wrote:

This is a quote by Ira Glass that was posted on a blog that I follow. He's talking about writing but it really applies to crafting too. It's an idea I'm going to be sharing with my students when they are disappointed with their craft (it's a long one but I think it's worth it):
“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me . . . is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not.

But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story.
It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

This makes so much sense. It’s normal to be afraid to take a step forward…just don’t give up. Looking at the cards I made when I first started crafting versus where I am now makes such a huge difference for me. I really think one should keep a journal of work so they can look back and see where they came from. That was part of the reason for starting my blog. It really helps to encourage me to look back at my beginnings and then look at where I am at. Keeping track of what I have learned along the way helps to keep me motivated…

My advice to you, as a new crafter, track your progress through a card journal, or even a scrapbook of progress.

I have today off and have plans to get my craft space cleaned up some so I can work on my Michael's samples for our September Open House which by the way is September 8th from 11 am to 3pm. We have several new Holiday Card Classes that will be available in September.  I am also keeping an ear out for info on our Christmas Card collection for the troops. Last year we had a crop dedicated to collecting the cards - I haven't heard if we will be doing that this year. Once I know I will let my readers know.

This open house, I am bringing a scrapbook of all the classes I will be offering...stop by and take a look!