The Skillery

Guest blog post: "iPhones and Apps" by Elizabeth Olmstead

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 08:56:00 -0500

Elizabeth Olmstead worked at Apple for two years, primarily teaching and repairing Apple products. She took Apple certification classes to teach the following: iLife, iWork, Logic, Aperture, iPad and iPhone (iOS 4 and 5), and Microsoft Products (Excel, Word and PowerPoint). In addition, Elizabeth is proficient in the following Apple computer operating systems: Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, and upon public release, Mountain Lion. She teaches private seminars to local businesses in Nashville, which she has done for a number of years, and she is teaching an iPhone Basics class at The Skillery on Monday July 16.

Whether you’ve had an iPhone for years, or you are planning on purchasing one sometime soon, I think you will enjoy reading about the following apps that, in my opinion, are a must have. These are apps that I find myself using daily, and they enhance my experience on the iPhone.

VSCO CAM - This is a seamless photography App that produces amazing results. The design is simple and the functionality is flawless. You can snap multiple pictures quickly, apply filters, and export them to the social network of your choice. More info here.

EVERNOTE - This is the best utilitarian app available, and probably will be for the next few years. Evernote is your answer to organization, list making, photo keeping, voice memo storage, idea documenting and more. You can literally store anything with Evernote, and the best news is that you can access your Evernote account on any device - be it a computer, phone, or tablet. It syncs wirelessly, and it is free. You can even share your lists and notebooks with others. More info here.

SQUARE - For all you entrepreneurs, independent consultants, and traveling musicians out there, this is one app you need to download immediately. Square allows you to accept credit card payments through your phone. You plug in your (free!) Square card reader through your phone’s headphone jack to swipe credit cards, and the payment deposits directly into your bank account. Most importantly, this app lets you customize what you are charging. If you are charging for a product, you can take pictures, add in line-item notes, etc. It can be as detailed as you want, or simple, clean, and quick. One of the benefits of this app is that the developers update the software often. Sometimes we as customers can view that as annoying or inconvenient, but developers who do this are constantly refining the product, fixing problems before they affect the majority of users, and listening to what customers want out of the app. More info here.

ATARI - If you were born in the 80’s, you will love what I am about to show you. Atari has recently released an app that features iPhone-adapted atari games. I’m not just talking about one or two Atari games - I’m talking about access to every game Atari has ever made. Everything from the graphics to the directions on how to play the games, feels like you are a kid again, rediscovering them for the first time. Definitely worth the purchase. More info here.

I would also suggest checking out the Editor’s Choice section of the App Store on iTunes. That page is constantly updated with apps that are topping the charts, and it generally features apps with lots of customer reviews. I hope this aids you in your search for apps that will make your phone even more enjoyable than it already is!

Join Elizabeth Omstead for her iPhone Basics class on Monday July 16!

100 Days for Us, 100 SkilleryBucks for You.

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 14:56:00 -0500

Today is our 100th birthday! Well, sort of.

Though we started offering classes in the fall, we launched our current website on April 3, exactly 100 days ago. To celebrate and say thanks, we’re giving away 100 SkilleryBucks!

Here’s how to enter:

Sign up for a free account on our website by clicking here. (Already have an account? Great! Just skip this step.)
Tell your friends about The Skillery on Facebook and/or Twitter, and include a link to this blog post. Be sure to tag us, so we can see it! Here’s an option for Twitter than you are welcome to cut and paste…

I just entered to win 100 SkilleryBucks from @theskillery! Find out more here: http://bit.ly/PTlDjo

That’s it! On Wednesday July 18, we’ll choose a winner at random! SkilleryBucks never expire, so the lucky winner can use them now, or in the future. Good luck!

The Skillery loves Porter Flea.

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 08:24:21 -0500

We’re super excited for Porter Flea, this Saturday from 11-6 at Marathon Music Works! Porter Flea is an independent craft market with music, food trucks, and a room full of talented artisans and designers slingin’ their wares. You don’t want to miss it.

We’ve worked with a number of Porter Flea vendors, including linenlaid&felt, Steric Design, The Green Wagon and others, because we believe in the value of helping local artisans share their knowledge and passion with the community.

If you’re a Porter Flea vendor, consider teaching a class with us! It’s a great way to promote your business, and stay connected to the community. Sign up this week, and your first class is on us.

Questions? Peep our page for teachers, our FAQ, or just shoot us an email [hello@theskillery.com] and we’ll help get you off the ground.

See you on Saturday!

Combining teaching into my business model is a good way to reach a wider audience. It also keeps things exciting and fresh for me because I have the chance to get out of my studio, come up with new projects, and meet new people.

- Katie Gonzalez - owner, linenlaid&felt (and Porter Flea vendor)

Buy a ticket, score extra SkilleryBucks for the future!

Tue, 22 May 2012 12:50:27 -0500

Today only!

Buy any ticket, to any class, and we’ll give you 10 extra SkilleryBucks, valid towards any future class!

This sweetness expires at midnight. Find a class here: http://www.theskillery.com/classes

We're giving everyone up to 20 SkilleryBucks.

Tue, 15 May 2012 15:45:22 -0500

This week only! We’re rewarding our friends and fans who spread the word about The Skillery by giving away SkilleryBucks - valid towards any class on our site!

Here’s how it works:

Click the button below to send an email to your friends and family in Nashville, telling them about The Skillery.
Be sure to leave us (hello@theskillery.com) in the CC field, so we can see your email.
For every friend that signs up for an account on our site by Friday May 18, we’ll reward you with a SkilleryBuck! You can earn up to 20 SkilleryBucks - the more friends you recruit, the closer you’ll get to a free class.

And, we’ll reward your friends with five SkilleryBucks each, just for signing up!

That’s it! Ready? Click this button and let’s do it.

Button not working for you? No worries. Just shoot your friends an email, and be sure to put us (hello@theskillery.com) in the CC field, so we can see it!

Your next class might be free.

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:13:00 -0500

Today ~~and tomorrow~~, we’re giving away SkilleryBucks to anyone and everyone who wants them.

SkilleryBucks are just like cash - they’re valid towards any class on our site, they never expire, and we’re giving them away for free. Yup, that’s right.

Here’s all you have to do:

Sign up for an account on The Skillery: http://www.theskillery.com/users/sign_up
Spread the good word about The Skillery on Facebook or Twitter, and be sure to mention us or tag us so we know you’ve shared.

That’s it! Once you’ve done those two things, we’ll put five SkilleryBucks in your account within 48 hours. Apply them towards any class on our site, at any time. It’s that simple.

Questions? Contact us. Or you can learn more about SkilleryBucks here.

Forget flowers. Send mom to a class.

Tue, 08 May 2012 14:39:00 -0500

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 13! Not sure what to get? Give your mom a gift certificate to The Skillery!

We’ll send your mom a gift certificate on Mother’s Day along with a personalized note from you. You choose the amount, and your mom chooses a class or workshop to attend.

Simple, thoughtful & fun. It’s the perfect gift.

Your mom’s gift certificate never expires, and is valid towards any class on our site. Here are just a few of the classes and workshops she may choose to take:

Get Crafty! Hair Fascinators 101 (May 21)
Summer Watercolor Card Workshop (May 26)
Learn Bookmaking Using Local Thistle Farms Paper (May 26)
Encaustics: The Ancient Art of Hot Wax Painting (May 26 & 27)
Wine Basics 101 (June 3)
Build a Wall-Mounted Herb Garden (June 14)
Vintage Men’s Tie Pin Workshop (June 16)

And, we’re adding more classes every week! Check out our website for the latest!

Announcing SkilleryBucks: rewards for learning

Thu, 03 May 2012 07:53:00 -0500

As if learning wasn’t rewarding enough….

Starting today, every dollar you spend on The Skillery - for classes or gift certificates - earns you 5% back in SkilleryBucks. We’ll automatically add them to your account, and keep track of them for you. SkilleryBucks can be redeemed like cash for any class on the site.

Here’s how it works.

Let’s say you register for a $100 photography workshop. Or you buy a $100 gift certificate for your friend Alice.
After your purchase, we’ll reward you with 5% of that amount in your SkilleryBucks account. It happens automatically, and you can view your balance at any time from within your account.
When you’re ready to purchase a ticket to that juggling class you’ve been eyeing, just choose to apply your SkilleryBucks balance during checkout. Your SkilleryBucks are valid towards any class we offer.

So, the more you learn, the more you earn. It’s our way of saying thanks.

Learn more about SkilleryBucks, or go find a class!

"The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education."

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:16:29 -0500

“The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.”

- Albert Einstein

What is Max 6? It’s a graphical programming environment...

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:51:00 -0500

What is Max 6? It’s a graphical programming environment for music, audio and multimedia. Check out this video demo… and then learn to build your own Max 6 application at our two-part Max 6 workshop with Josh Gumiela! It starts Thursday April 19!

CLASS SPOTLIGHT: Five-Session Tango Crash Course

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 10:46:16 -0500

In celebration of our beta launch, we’re going to be highlighting a number of our classes and workshops over the coming days.

Today’s spotlight:
Take a Crash Course on Tango!
with Anna Kovalkova of Nashville Tango Club
April 14 - May 19 (five sessions)

Come learn the fundamentals of Argentine tango with Nashville Tango Club!

This five-session course is designed to get beginners ready to tango on the social dance floor. No partner or experience needed. You’ll learn tango embrace, walking, rock steps, the cross, ochos, 8-count basic and musicality.

In addition, you’ll receive a free pass to one of Nashville Tango Club’s milongas - monthly tango dance parties in which newbies can flutter across the floor, displaying their blossoming tango talents in a lively, sociable atmosphere.

This course is being led by Nashville Tango Club instructor and performer Anna Kovalkova. Anna has a broad dance background, having danced many styles, from ballet to ballroom. She fell in love with Argentine Tango when she took her first lessons in 2004 and has been dancing Tango ever since.

This five-session course begins next week — Saturday April 14 — and space is limited. Tickets are $60, and include admission to all five classes. Click the button below and register now!

CLASS SPOTLIGHT: Composting 101 - Build Your Own Backyard Composter

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:21:06 -0500

In celebration of our beta launch, we’re going to be highlighting a number of our classes and workshops over the coming days.

Today’s spotlight:
Composting 101 - Build Your Own Backyard Composter
with Emily Sue Laird and Brick Factory Nashville
Saturday, April 14 @ 10AM

The talented folks at Brick Factory Nashville are offering up our first workshop, and it’s a winner. In Composting 101: Build Your Own Backyard Composter, you’ll learn to build - and then take home! - your own rolling barrel composter. Get the knowledge you need to build, own and operate your composter, and learn to turn your food scraps into gardening gold.

This workshop is being taught by Emily Sue Laird, an expert urban gardener with a background in sculptural installation. She holds a BFA in Fine Arts from Watkins College of Art, Design, & Film, and she is currently CEO of Craftville, Inc., a Nashville based non-profit arts organization.

This class is right around the corner — Saturday April 14 — and space is limited. Tickets are $45, and all materials are included. Click the button below and register now!

Welcome to The Skillery 2.0

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 23:20:26 -0500

When we launched The Skillery 145 days ago, we did so with a very simple purpose: to see if Nashville was interested in a resource for local classes and workshops. The answer was “yes”, and now we’ve taken a big step forward with a new website, and new features such as:

More classes. We’ve lifted the limit on the number of classes and workshops we’ll be offering.
More teachers. Anyone can be a teacher. Just sign up, enter your class details, and you’re off and running.
Account management. Create your own account, and self-manage the classes you’re teaching and attending.
Teacher reviews. Leave feedback for the classes you take, and read the reviews of others.

And lots, lots more.

Of course, we’re kicking off with a handful of really great classes and workshops, including a juggling class, a photography workshop, an opportunity to build your own backyard composter, and more.

So come on over, have a look, and join our community of teachers and learners. We hope you’ll enjoy the beta version of The Skillery. We look forward to the next 145 days, and beyond.