I’m so pleased to announce Alyson Stanfield, author of ‘I’d Rather be in the Studio‘ is presenting a seminar with the Pennsylvania Guild on May 11 & 12 at Millersville University.

If you wish you reached more customers and sold more of your crafts, this two-day inspiration-heavy workshop is perfect for you.  Plus if you have a part or full-time job, this gives you the perfect reason to take two days off work.  Members pay $144, everyone else pays $157.  Here’s the details…

You’ll learn:

Join Ken Mueller for this three-hour seminar on social media on Wed, March 10 from 12:30 to 3:30 in Harrisburg.

Artists are by nature short on time.  Sometimes every waking moment needs to be spent in the studio to keep up with orders.  But time must be spent getting your name out to new customers or keeping in touch with longtime collectors.  Use of social media and social networking provides free and easy self-marketing of your craft business.

Social Media is opening up a whole new world for us as individuals and businesses. A host of “free” and inexpensive Social Media platforms give us new opportunities and avenues for marketing ourselves to larger, yet more focused audiences. In this class we explore the possibilities, particularly in relation to Facebook, Twitter, and blogging. Make your craft business visible and accessible without a huge strain on your time.

Linda Billet is teaching a Beginner Glass Fusing workshop (only $80) on March 13 in Hummelstown.  You won’t be making the below project, but it’s a really cool video of her process.  Enjoy.

Brian Cunfer, of Kirkwood, is the current President of the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen.  He is also the instructor for our popular ‘Women-Only! Stool-making’ workshop.

We’ve officially scheduled our 2010 session for May 15 & 16.  It’s a very enjoyable two-day class for women to explore and discover the processes behind wood-working and furniture-making.  For details visit www.pacrafts.org/workshops.

That's my mom on the left.

We all make resolutions for the new year.  Whether they’re stated out loud or not.  Here’s a suggestion, if you’re still thinking about your possibilities for the new year:  Learn a new skill in 2010.  We can help.

• Photoshop for Artists on January 16
• Pendant (Jewelry Basics) on January 30 & 31
• Glassblowing on January 30
• Precious Metal Clay on January 30
• Clay Mono-printing on March 13 & 14
• Beginner Glass Fusing on March 13
• Blogging your Passion for Craft on March 20

If you’re interested in taking any of these classes, call us at 717-431-8706 or visit our Workshop page.

I’m sure you know by now that we have a fall craft festival coming up this weekend at Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell.  We’ve only been saying it every chance we get since it’s a great way to celebrate fall outside!

But there’s a lot more happening in the coming weeks, here’s a quick preview…

Also this weekend, in Lancaster, we have a Juried Member Showcase during Fall ArtWalk at our 252 N. Prince St gallery.  David Lunin and Jay Brubaker are showing their furniture for two days in what they’re calling ‘Divergince’.  These showcases are an opportunity for our juried members to rent our gallery.

October 31 is the final day to see ‘from Raw to Refined‘ at the Reading Public Museum.   If you have not made it, it is worth the drive.  Plus there’s a really cool printmaking exhibition on display with works from Cezanne, Millet and Whistler.

October 31 is also the date of our ‘Anatomy of a Pattern‘ workshop with Debby Spence at Millersville University.  There are a number of spaces remaining.  If you’re interested in making your own patterns for clothing, don’t miss this one.  It’s gonna be great.

We open our Prince St gallery doors for ‘Handmade Holiday‘ on Friday, November 6.  This store setting runs until January 2.  We’ve extended our regular hours for the month of December so you can get in and buy some handmade crafts for gifts.  For those of you from out of town, it’s worth the drive: come down to see our gallery on a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday and you can also catch Central Market, the country’s oldest continuously operating farmer’s market.

Saturday, November 7 is the ‘FELT: Hat, Bag or Vessel’ class with Jeri Robinson.  It’s also the start of Lebanon Valley Studio Tour, which has a number of Guild members involved.

The following weekend is our return to Manheim Township High School for our Holiday Fine Craft Fair on November 14 & 15.  We love this show and we know you will too.  It’s a short (10 minutes) drive outside of downtown Lancaster.  And if you’re planning to come to this craft show, you should make it a point to then drive into our gallery downtown.

I can’t believe how much is going on in the next few weeks!  Leave comments below about other events I may have missed.

I’m in the beginning stages of scheduling workshops for the winter and spring of 2010, and I’ve always found that I find the most interesting class ideas by asking people if they teach.

Would you be interested in teaching a workshop with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen? Do you currently teach classes?  Or is there a topic you’ve always wished to teach but have yet to have the opportunity?

I’m open to discussing class topics with anyone who is interested in teaching, so drop me a line at nick@pacrafts.org.  Sometimes those discussions turn into a great class, and sometimes they don’t.  But the only way to figure out if your idea would work in our program is to talk it through.

Generally (but not always) our class formats are the following:

• one or two day
• five to eight hour days
• 8 to 12 students
• held on weekends
• directed towards novice, emerging or established artists
• project-oriented (student leaves with finished piece)

We have partnerships with organizations, art centers and universities all over the state and would pair certain classes with certain locations that work well.  For example, we run a number of jewelry classes at Millersville University’s jewelry department.  We have access to a wood shop with four lathes at Goggleworks Center for the Arts in Reading.  The Gallery School of Pottstown has clay facilities.

Some of the locations we’ve held classes in the past:

• Lancaster
• Millersville
• Reading
• Pottstown
• Doylestown
• Richboro
• Harrisburg
• York
• Saint Peters
• Chambersburg
• Waynesboro

If you’re interested in teaching a workshop with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen, drop me a line and I’ll gladly discuss my thoughts on your topic.  All ideas are welcome.  Every class is different and circumstances vary, but don’t hesitate in contacting me.

Hope to hear from you soon!

This class is one of our most popular.  Held in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts woodshop, where there are four lathes.  What a setting.  In a small class like this, you’ll get much personal attention from the teacher.  The next class is September 5&6, which is currently full.  However, call us to get your name on the wait list because we are planning on scheduling a date in early 2010.

photo by George Geissler

With an emphasis on safety and wood turning principles, Ed Youtz teaches wood turning through demonstration and individual attention.  On Saturday, you will use a spindle-roughing gauge, parting tool, skew, and spindle gauge. After practice you’ll design and turn a dry flower arrangement holder, an end-grain cup, and a lidded box.  On Sunday, you will use a bowl gauge and scrapers to design and make plates and bowls. 

For additional information regarding this class visit www.pacrafts.org.

This class is open to all skill levels and it’s a great skill for both beginners and established jewelers.

Tricia Harding leads this two-day workshop at Millersville University outside of Lancaster city.

Enameling is the art of fusing glass to metal.  Learn the basics in this hands-on class – no kiln required!  We will instead practice using a torch to adhere glass to copper, creating colorful works of art.  Demonstrated techniques will include preparation of base metal, sifting, layering, scraffito, stencils, and wet packing of powdered enamel.  Students can expect to make several sample tiles as well as a beautiful enameled pendant in this weekend workshop.  Prior metals experience not necessary.  Class is open to students of all skill levels.

The class is $278 for non-members and $250 for Guild members.  To register contact us at 717-431-8706 or print out a registration form at www.pacrafts.org/workshops.

Wendy Schuster has been teaching for us the last couple years and one thing is for sure, students love her classes!

And this beginner-level class on August 29 is certainly no exception.  This is where you start if you’re interested in Precious Metal Clay (PMC).   The class is way affordable at $125 and Wendy’s expert instruction will guide you through your first experience with the innovative material.

Class Description:

Do you have a desire to make jewelry, but are intimidated because you think you need extensive training? Come learn how to make beautiful fine silver jewelry using a truly amazing material called Precious Metal Clay (PMC). PMC is exactly what it’s name describes – metal, but in the form of clay! The clay body of PMC is made up of microscopic particles of metal -in this case fine silver- held together by an organic binder and water. Like other types of clay, PMC can easily be sculpted, molded and impressed with textures or stamps. The truly unique difference between other types of clay and PMC is that during firing, PMC’s binders and water burn off allowing the silver particles to fuse into SOLID metal!!

During this FUN full day workshop students will be taught a variety of basic techniques that will enable them to create their own one of a kind silver creations. Techniques covered:stamping and texture, creating bails, setting heat safe stones. Torch firing will be discussed.

Sign-up today by calling us at 717-431-8706 or download a registration form at www.pacrafts.org/workshops.