Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant with Steven James...

Times like these, when I am away from home, make me glad that there's the Internet. It's almost like having a personal genii in a bottle. Do you want to take a jewelry-making class at 3 AM, wearing your pajamas with an instructor who will endlessly, if desired, repeat the steps over and over again? POOF! Beaducation delivers! They have a wide variety of instructional classes available from some of the top teachers in the field at your fingertips. Another perk is that these classes are all very affordable and reasonably priced! If you are worried about investing in an online video tutorial that appears only on your computer screen, do not fear! Each class comes augmented with downloadable and printable instructions to accompany the classes. If you're worried that you won't be able to track down the materials at your local bead or craft store, Beaducation carries quality tools and materials suited to each project. "Click. Play. Learn." That's their motto and it really is as easy as that to increase the depth of your jewelry-making knowledge!

I had the pleasure of taking "Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant" with Steven James recently on Beaducation. Let me just say that the self-proclaimed "alleged love child of Martha Stewart and Christopher Lowell" is an engaging instructor, who thoroughly and clearly explains everything. He tackles several bench techniques with a sense of humor and breaks it down into easy, simple, digestible segments. As a full-time elementary school teacher, he has tons of experience with making concepts and techniques easily understood.

What I like about this class and have discovered in other classes offered with him as an instructor, is that they empower you with a springboard to jump off from. He covers the basics, like stamping, annealing, and riveting, and allows you to take that knowledge to new levels. The "Sit and Spin Riveted Pendant" class is designed specifically for customization in mind. The project could easily be modified and personalized into countless variations.

Another thing that I've noticed in Steven James' classes is that he's conscious about recycling and repurposing materials. He does a great job of finding things around the house that might be thrown out and gives them a utilitarian craft purpose. I like that. Not only is that green and helps save the environment, but it saves money too.

So if you're interested in learning about adding movable parts to your metal components, I highly recommend swinging by Beaducation and taking the class taught by Steven James. CLICK HERE to sign up for his "Sit and Spin Pendant" class and CLICK HERE to learn more about the instructor.