Meet out New Members! Spring edition

It's that time again: new member time!  I'm pleased to welcome our two new members to the Hudson Valley Etsy Team. They create some truly wonderful things and I hope you'll say hello to them.  Oh, and happy spring!

Glass Pumpkin in Matte Winter Ivory with Dark Amber Stem by LukeGilveyGlass

Luke Gilvey of LukeGilveyGlass works with hand-blown glass in Beacon, NY.  He has a variety of pumpkins and gourds in some really excellent colors, as well as bowls, glasses, ornaments, and even a lovely glass apple.  He even has a coupon code available to celebrate spring. Check out his shop for details.  Welcome to the team!

Deer Hoop Art, Embroidery art, Applique, Floral Animal Silhouette by KitschAndStitchNY

Sarah Grange from KitschAndStitchNY spends her time in Millbrook, NY.  Not only does her shop feature lovely stitching, generally in the form of hoops to hang on your wall, but the kitsch comes into play with her collection of vintage home goods, prints, and other odds and ends.    And to top it all off, she has a collection of cute greeting cards as well.  Glad to have you!

I hope you'll check out their shops and say hello.  Don't forget to shop local and help out your local artisans - they might just be your neighbor! 

Until next time,

Amber

Back To School!

Today we have a guest blogger - Virginia from Ceruleanblue is here to remind us that it's never too late to learn something new.

from Fabrication Beacon - Gwenno James

There are many opportunities for those who want to hone their skills, or even learn a new craft. They range from ongoing classes at local studios to online workshops and travel-study tours.  Here in Beacon, we have Hudson Beach Glass, which offers a wide range of glass-related classes, including glass blowing and lampworking.

Recently, a private studio near my home, owned by textile designer Gwenno James, has begun offering a range of classes and workshops in silkscreen and digital fabric design - Fabrication Beacon.

The Garrison Art Center, where I currently teach, offers a wide array of classes and workshops in a range of areas, including painting, sculpture, bookbinding, printmaking, and glass, as well as ceramics.
For total immersion-why not try a study/travel tour? Next spring, the 92nd ST. Y will be offering a jewelry tour of Japan!

Increasingly, more and more learning opportunities are offered online. This past spring, I enrolled in a class aimed at practicing potters and advanced students, which focused on surface design. The class was led by a potter in San Francisco, and 129 of us from around the world viewed an online tutorial each week, then posted images each week of our completed assignments on Flickr. We continue to share news and information through a Facebook group.

I recently became aware of creativebug.com, an online site which offers a wide array of classes. For a flat monthly fee, subscribers can access unlimited lessons! Of course, there are many more classes around including from suppliers-i.e. yarn and bead shops -offer instruction and/or workshops.

Virginia from Ceruleanblue