Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The Craftsy Experience

I spent the week in Denver filming a new Craftsy class.  Thought you might want a peek into my time with the Craftsy team.  
I walked into the studio and was greeted by this...pretty uptown, right?  This was a change from my first Craftsy experience and they even spelled my name correctly!

Yup, I got my own private dressing room.  Last time I changed clothes in the make-up room behind a screen.  Speaking of make-up, I didn't get a photo of the amazing Danica.  She's awesome.  The girl can, with the sweep of a brush make bags under your eyes disappear and she made me feel pretty.  Everyone should have their own Danica.
The dressing room was a colorful place to relax, though I didn't have a minute to sit in that chair!

My studio this year was much larger and decked out to be a great place to film.
There were some display ideas in the studio that I might have to steal.  It was hard not to help myself to that stash of solids and that rack of Aurifil thread.
JC was my producer.  She had a great way to keep me focused on the camera with a quick smile and a flick of her finger.  Because of JC, I was better at teaching to the camera this time.  That camera can be intimidating.


She also referred me to a restaurant in downtown Denver that had the best brussel sprouts I've ever eaten.  Craftsy folks take care of their talent!
Marshall was my shooter for my first class and for this class as well.  It's great to already know someone on your team.  I can't brag on Marshall enough.  He's of course a talented camera guy, but he's also inquisitive and has such great instincts.  His feedback and ideas make my classes better and he's such a nice person to boot.
Marshall is a make it work, MacGyver kinda guy.  For one segment he used quilting books, gaff tape and a piece of gum to get the camera at just the right angle to capture my work at the sewing machine.
My third team member, Lily, was my switcher.  Lily makes sure everything flows together in the class and that all my flubs get erased.  That smile says it all.  She was so much fun to work with and so artistic and talented, but the poor girl was stuck behind her monitors freezing to death.
Thank goodness I had a few quilts with me.  I may have to make Lily a quilt that she can keep.  
 It was hard to leave with the quilt and know that Lily might be an ice sculpture the next time I see her.
 I got to use some fancy technology too.  The is a Wacom Tablet.  My sons will be proud of me that with a couple of minutes of instruction I was on camera drawing away!
Filming at Craftsy is a lot of hard work, but so much fun too.  It's the people that make the experience enjoyable.  My team was so encouraging even when I took about 10 takes to say one sentence and turn my head the right way!
Thanks JC, Marshall and Lily.  You are AWESOME!

30 comments:

Michelle@factotum-of-arts.com said...

oooh so excited!! I loved your first class. I will definitely be there for this new one.

Cheryl Arkison said...

It is such a great experience! Looks like this one is even better. And Marshall is such an awesome guy.

Tina in Boston said...

Great pictures -- thanks for giving us an inside view! I was just wondering when your next class was and if it includes the serpentine quilting stitch!!

ChrisCurious said...

Where did you go for Brussels sprouts?

jacquie said...

I think it was called Panzanos.

MariQuilts said...

Thanks so much for sharing.........so very interesting!!!!

liz said...

Agreed. This was a fun peek behind the scenes. Looking forward to checking out this class. Do you know when it will be available?

Debra said...

cool tour! thanks for sharing ;-)

ChristaQuilts said...

Yay! This is so exciting! I'll be sure to watch it and do a review of the class as soon as it's out :-)

Thanks for the fun "behind the scenes" sneak peeks!

Judy said...

Did you ever think 10 years ago that you would be a Star? :)

Poppyprint said...

Thanks for sharing that - it looks like a really fun crew to work with and the behind the scenes is so great!

kitty said...

Thank you for sharing this "behind the scenes"! Looking forward for your new class to come out!!

Sequana said...

Oh gosh, I lust after that huge apple green safety pin on the wall!! I would have grabbed that and run once the taping was over.

Anonymous said...

Totally fascinating!! Thanks for the sneaky peak into the Craftsy world!!!

patty a. said...

What a great behind the scenes tour. The work that goes on before hand isn't something we think about.

Unknown said...

So fun to see behind the scenes! I live in the Denver area and I've always wondered what went on there...hee hee.

I'm a native Kansan, too!

As for Brussels sprouts, not sure if my nephew, who owns one (soon to be two) restaurants in Steamboat Springs, CO, got the idea for his at the restaurant you were at (he went to Johnson & Wales here and worked in several downtown places), but he makes his like this:

* Peel individual leaves from sprouts (I slice the ends off then in half)
* Deep fry (I like coconut oil)
* Toss with fresh parmesan cheese, sea salt, & freshly ground pepper

YUM!

Unknown said...

Oh, and I love seeing their IKEA stuff in the dressing room and set! That gives me ideas for when I make my own studio (versus taking up most of our master bedroom). I don't live far from IKEA. Woo Hoo!

Mama Spark said...

This looks like one class I need to sign up for! Thanks for the peek behind the scenes!!

Anonymous said...

HI there! I was lucky enough to have Marshall and Lily on my team as well. They were really wonderful! Your set looks totally different than mine did-it is nice they keep switching things around!Glad you had a good time- I look forward to your class! And where did you find the good brussel sprouts? I love them and live just north of Denver-

Di~ said...

So! fun!

Diane M said...

How fun seeing behind the scenes. Thanks for sharing! Can't wait for your new class to come out.

JellyBean Soup said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kate said...

I love Craftsy. It allows me the opportunity to access the variety of instructors, although I will say I still dream of being to attend some classes in person. One can dream and who knows? Love your obvious appreciation of the behind the scenes folks.

Pat said...

What a fun peek behind the scenes. Can hardly wait to see your new class. Thanks for sharing.

MalinisQuilts said...

Awesome! Can't wait!
Congratulations to you!

SusieDW said...

Thanks for sharing your studio experience. Good coverage! I liked the part about the "make-up". Craftsy is an educational forum I really appreciate!

Nadine said...

Oh I can't wait. When is it coming out? I am looking at my Craftsy every day to see if it has appeared or not. I love the first class and your book and am really looking forward to this one.

Karen J said...

Thanks for the insight. I really like the frames outlining groups of objects on the pegboard. Will definitely incorporate that idea into my new studio.

Svannah said...

Wait! Craftsy is based in Denver?! I had no clue. I live an hour away from all the awesomeness!!

Miriane said...

Can´t wait for your new course!!!