I’ve always been good at drawing and have studied art my whole life so far! I have a degree in graphic designs but I became a professional bookbinder and have been doing that at the highest level for almost 10 years. I have made items for many prestigious clients ranging from handmade boxes, portfolios, menus and wedding albums. I just quit my job at the bindery to form my own company Snapdragon Designs LTD. With the aid of my husband we also now make and design our own range of acrylic jewellery which is all self taught.
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Self taught knitting skills over 45 years, started designing knitwear just doing my own thing and posting pics on my Facebook page Kniterella Langdale. Enrolled on a 6 month Business Training course at my home town University, Business Link and ATL Enterprise centre a few years ago.
Cardmaking course for 7 years at College got my A Level, boy it was a real hard course to study. All the different popular card crafts real hand made cards not just sticking Decoupage peices on, 6year Embroidery course at College passed all my exams, stipudied all types of Embroidery, Hardanger, Blackwork, Crossstitch, Shadow work and many more. I made some amazing work for my folders.
I also studied Costume Jewellery for nearly a year, but sadly could not complete course dipue to arthritis flare ups. Continued to teach myself from books, YouTube and my own designs. Found Hewellery Maker on Sky very helpful for budding designers. The Late show has wonderful gemstone bargains. So now I have progressed to sterling silver and gemstone jewellery.
What with all these skills I have learned, just have to find the time and finish off the many WIP’s I started. My advise is finish each piece which you start that way you can get more finished item in your shops. Huh, I should start right now to finish off somof my friends items. That way if they lije my wirk I might get a few orders in.
Ho hum, sales? Wishful thinking for me.
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My Mother was a self taught Knitter, she showed me the basics and I taught myself to do knit Aran cables, fair isle colourwork and Lacework. Its been a long journey in the Land of Knitting but I found my home. I have other crafting skills see below. My Mother was a fab Dressmaker so am I studied Dressmaking for 12 years and designed my own clothes for a number of years which fitted my ample figure well.
Mum loved to do Ukrainian .embroidery she taught me her skills I have many of her pieces. I finished off her lovely tablecloth, took me 2years when I was younger. Can’t see 18 count anything.
Studied Creative Cards to A Level at College glad to say I enjoyed it so much I sold lots to my friends and customers. I was taght to design cards not just make them. I learned all about card weights, suitable glues, coliur theory,popular card crafts to put on cards, etc.
Jewellery semi self taught too, attended College for Costume Jewellery. Had to finish early due to Mum dying and my ill health. But got lots of Jewellery books and viewed vids, watched Jewellery Maker. So now I work with sterling silver and gemstones.
I am having 6 months off to compkete my many projects. Its hard having 3 shops, but the mire items in our shops then mire sales seem to come I find.
My shops are on hold just waiting to finish of lots of work.
I never have any views never mind sales. I would be so happy just to have views each week. I live in hope.
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My mum taught me basic knitting when I was 4 years old (36yrs ago!) different techniques are self taught as is crochet which I started doing 7 years ago. Besides knitting to sell on Folksy, I also knit for a knitwear company.
I am also a qualified dressmaker and was a supervisor in a dressmaking factory for 7 years. This was 14 years ago! We made garments for Aquascutum, Frank Usher, Oasis, Winsdmore, Country Casuals to name but a few. We had one skirt, can’t remember the customer but they sold for £500, Aquascutum trousers sold for £200 and they all had to be stitch perfect. 8 stitches to an inch, nothing more and nothing less. I can assure you we got paid nowhere near that money for making them!
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I’m an enameller. I taught myself. I started off interested in lapidary but the old ‘Gemcraft’ magazine used to carry articles about enamelling and it fascinated me. Then I visited some of the Gemcraft Expos in Harrogate - I go back a long way - and I saw the guys from ‘The Enamel Shop’ showing off the kit and the products. The family got me a kiln and starter kit to try to wean me of my workaholicism and get to see a bit of me on a weekend. It was everything I hoped it could be and I’ve now been doing it for about thirty years.
Hello, I first became interested in batik when I was at college. Since then I have practiced and experimented and have honed a few skills along the way. I am still totally obsessed with the technique. The results never fail to thrill me.
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Hi all!
I started ‘dabbling’ in jewellery making a couple of years ago when a friend of mine was selling her supplies and tools - I got a great deal and it enabled me to just have a go and see how I got on.
I really enjoyed it and found it a very therapeutic and calming hobby. I bought magazines, watched some online tutorials and branched out from simple bead threading to wirework and polymer clay. I consider myself to always be learning my craft and honing my skills - I’m really pleased with my progress from my first simple designs to now 
As time went on the stock pile of designs built up and I started giving them away as presents and gifts for friends and family.
A few people commented that I should start selling them, and as I had no way of wearing them all I started going to craft fairs and selling online, and here I am today! 
xSx
Shellcrafts Jewellery
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I started teaching myself jewellery making whilst living in rural France. I only had my hubby and dog on hand to offer feedback, so it was a slow, painful process. When I moved to the UK I became fascinated about silversmith techniques for making jewellery. So between attending master classes and self development I built up further skills. Although I always wanted to do a degree course, it wasn’t an option and I do feel that being mostly self taught offers a different dimension.
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I started sewing when I was about 7 or 8. I was given a sewing set as a present and I set too to make my Tressy doll the smartest doll out there. I lived in West London and in the 60’s my Mother and Nanny used to go to Brentford Nylons. They made bri-nylon fabric and bedding etc. I would always get a bag of bri-nylon off-cuts, usually neon colours, and it would keep me happily sewing for a few weeks! As I got older I became self taught and made many of my own clothes. The problem with being self taught, is that I didn’t think I could be ‘doing’ it correctly. It is only now, 40 yrs later, I realise I was!!
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hi there it is paul I have had trouble finding the right place to post
I hope thisis right but I am not sure but anyware I learned how to paint by waching art programs
but also by making mistakes well that’s how I started painting
I think everyone should paint it is a good hobby and a lot
of fun from paul
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Hi, I am Em from Pixie Doodles.
I started out making cards, then tried soap, then jewellery before find needle felting online. I totally fell in love with it! I am totally self taught from trial and error, even now 8 years on, I still mess up and make mistakes and still make things I am not happy with!
I am hoping to et back into my crafting again and start offering workshops and lessons. My big plan lol!
Lovely to read bout everyones ‘journeys’
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My mum taught me to knit when I was little but I never mastered more than the basics. I did a Fashion and Textile degree but became interested in knitwear design so I ve been doing it since. I now have a brilliant team of knitters and pattern writers who are loads better than me at the practical side so i stick to sdesigning which I think is the easy bit!
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I was always a creative child and always loved to sew. When I was 21 I asked for a hand sewing machine and a tailors dummy and taught myself to make clothes on the basis of one remembered needlework lesson about cutting out a pattern!..I then learned to cross stitch but it wasn’t until I was lucky enough to own a needlework shop that I met the people who helped and inspired me to learn embroidery. I was lucky enough to be taught a lot of the basics from a graduate of the Royal School of Needlework but the rest was a mix of self taught and an obsession with old needlework books!..My biggest pride was being asked to design a piece for the prestigious Inspirations Magazine, published by Country Bumpkin in Australia. It was published last July and has been my biggest achievement next to becoming home based from 2012…
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Hello all … I’m totally new to this so I hope I am on the write track.
I design unique table lamps at present but hope to do crazy out door lighting to for the garden, parks and even festivals.
I just graduated in july, studying a BA in Textiles for 3 years.
Your probably wondering how this has anything to do with textiles….? well I took my teacher literally in year one when he said “every thing is a textile, from that table you work from, from the lampshade in your bedroom to your wooden iPhone case”. He also said, “go 3D”, so thats what I did. I began with screen printing on to fabric, paper, plastic, acrylic and wood. I absolutely loved this. Then I began manipulating the materials into 3D buy cutting and adding other materials to one another.
2nd year, I used digital printed on to acetate, this gave amazing colours held up to the sun light, this is where, I began to experiment with LED lighting and plastic. long story cut short, I went into glass wax, acrylic and wood. My last 4 months in my final year took off, with no end of bad experiments but I had to stick with this as it was all coming to an end. It was the wasted space of materials, is what got me to my finished designs which you see now. I have a blog on my page if you wish to look into all my experiments. Thanks for reading.
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Hi Tina from Sew Diverse here. I’ve sewn for as long as I can remember. My Granddad was a tailor and my Uncle a pattern cutter/designer, so it’s in my blood. I did 4 years fashion design at Dyfed College of Art starting way back in 1977. All my jobs have been to do with sewing. I have been a dressmaker working from home since 1991. My business is divided between altering bridal wear, daywear and making clothes and my crafty side. I love my crafty side is much more creative and lots of fun.
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You have a wow for your lights, stunning work. I look forward to seeing more x
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MaggieGeeNeedleworkStudio, you have beautiful cross stitch kits for sale. Make at home your knitting designs are so much fun , we each have our strengths even though I studied fashion design my love is in the sewing of clothes but on my crafty side I do design and make everything on my page.
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i basically taught myself the art of jewellery making by wtching you tube videos.
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I’ve always been a bit of an artist, I’ve loved drawing and making since I was a child. I went to college for 4 years to study Art- although I clearly learnt a lot there, my style and skills developed more when I went my own way. The jewellery I make and the crafty side of my artwork has come from playing and experimenting, I picked up on techniques at college and in books and I’ve adapted and experimented with them to make them work for me.
The artwork I refer to is Twinkle & Gloom.
I am self-teaching myself papercutting, and I don’t think I will ever stop learning! I got interested after seeing so many beautiful and intricate papercuts on the internet, then my husband bought me the Crafters Guide to Papercutting by Emily Hogarth, and that got me started. I frequently look at tips and tutorials online. I am not aware of any papercutting classes in my neighbourhood.