1 Saturday             8:30 am-3 pm         $49
Course #827          June 28

6 Tuesdays           7-9 pm                    $85
Course #823          June 17 thru July 22

This fun and exciting class is designed for students who have taken the beginning bridge class or have some playing experience. Continue to develop strategies and refine your playing skills. Note:  This class held off campus in Mar Vista, near Santa Monica Airport. Directions provided upon registration.  *$7 material fee payable in class to instructor.

Candace Scott, certified bridge teacher and Director of the American Contract Bridge League, has been teaching for 25 years.

6 Thursdays          7-9 pm                    $85
Course #823.5       June 19 thru July 24

We weren’t sure about the merits of handwriting analysis until Marjorie took a look at our director’s handwriting and started describing him to a T. It wasn’t the general sort of description you see in magazine horoscopes either—it was quite specific! In this class, you’ll analyze a few sentences of your own writing to learn what personality traits are revealed through the slant, spacing, shape and formation of letters. You won’t believe what your capital I says about you! This kind of knowledge is a great advantage to attorneys, those who hire, and anyone else who is interested in people’s personalities. Bring reading glasses if you wear them.

Marjorie Satren has been a certified graphologist since 1987 and is a member of the American Handwriting Analysis Foundation.

2 Wednesdays      6:30-9 pm             $39
Course #846          June 18 & 25

Braiding and weaves are all the rage now, but depending on type of braid, length and materials chosen, a single style can cost hundreds of dollars and take four to eight hours. Save money and get it done at your convenience by learning to braid hair yourself. It’s creative and you can have lots of fun braiding hair for family and friends. It’s also a great way to make extra money! In this hands-on class, you’ll learn some basic braids like the cornrow and fishtail, and practice doing them on a full-sized mannequin head in your kit. Also learn about weaving in extensions, the different kinds of hair you use and their limitations. So come join the “Braidy Bunch!”  *$50 material fee payable to instructor first class meeting for complete hair braiding kit.

Barbara Spicer has owned and managed her own salon since 1998. She is a licensed cosmetology instructor and also teaches at L.A. City College.

5 Tuesdays           7-9 pm    $79*
Course #583          July 8 thru Aug. 5

If you want to work as a bartender right away without investing lots of time or money, this lecture and demonstration class is for you. With 25 years’ experience in over 60 food and drink establishments nationwide, Kellie can give you a thorough understanding of the bartending business—including insight into the different types of jobs, bartending etiquette, and dealing with difficult and intoxicated customers. Demonstrations include pouring the perfect shot and the art of the martini. You’ll also get drink recipes, plus a certificate when you finish class. So come pass the bar!  *$25 material fee payable to instructor.

Kellie Nicholson’s company, Elite Staff Training, consults with bars and restaurants.

2 Wednesdays          7-10 pm                  $50*
Course #617              April 23 & 30

If you knew sushi . . . you’d make your own! You’d have fun and do it for about one-fifth of what it costs to eat at a sushi bar. Kenji will explain how to make sushi rice and talk about the principal ingredients (where and what to buy) and food safety. Next he’ll demonstrate, and then you’ll make, three types of rolls:  hossomaki, a thin, spicy tuna roll; chumaki, a medium-sized roll with shrimp or salmon skin; and uramaki, with the rice outside as in a California roll. Nigiri sushi will be discussed, but not prepared. Bring a towel, a sharp, non-serrated, thin-bladed kitchen knife, two mixing bowls, a cutting board and your appetite!  *$15 material fee payable to instructor. Register early for this popular class that always fills up.

Kenji Ishida is the marketing manager for Asakuma Sushi Delivery. He caterer  for the entertainment industry, he is an HACCP and seafood certified food handler who loves teaching the art of making sushi.

1 Thursday            7-10 pm  $29*
Course #491          June 26

Decorating a cake isn’t hard—in fact, it’s a piece of cake! Come and learn how easy it is to create beautiful cakes for many occasions. Learn about tools and techniques like leveling and filling, how to make your own special frosting, and level and decorate with different kinds of borders and embellishments. Each night you’ll decorate a basic, single-tiered cake. Also find out how you can make money as a professional decorator or in your spare time. Your creations will be so beautiful, everyone will want to have your cake and eat it too!” *$7 material fee payable in class.

Connie Vasquez is a decorator for the famous Porto’s Bakery. She has been decorating cakes since 1996 and is a certified baking and cake decorating instructor.

4 Thursdays          6:30-9:30 pm          $59*
Course #495          Aug. 7 thru Aug. 28

If you are an experienced motorcycle rider (3,000 miles or more on your bike) who would like to improve your bike-handling skills at slow speeds and increase your safety, you need to learn how to ride like a pro. Learn the techniques used by motorcycle police officers by performing exercises on your bike at slow speeds, including riding in the friction zone, using the rear brake, and proper head and eye placement. After this course, you’ll no longer drag your feet when riding slow or fear dropping your bike or making a slow U-turn. *Optional DVD may be purchased in class for $30. Riders must provide a valid drivers license with California M1 endorsement, a motorcycle in proper working condition. Bring proof of registration and insurance and wear appropriate clothing and safety gear (see receipt). Enrollment limited.

Mark Paz, BA, certified motorcycle instructor

1 Sunday               10 am-2 pm            $150
Course #848          Aug. 17

Additional Saturday and Sunday dates off-campus are available. Call (310) 287-4475 for information.

Voice over actors are those unseen individuals who breathe personality into TV and radio ads, movie trailers, animated characters, and lots more. Some of the best ones are very recognizable, but they didn’t get their jobs by accident. They got them by knowing the voice over process. In this seminar, voice over actor Aaron Meza will cover the basics of voice over and tell you how to establish a practice routine at home. Find out about the process of reading copy and get tips on etiquette and lingo in the studio. You’ll also learn about making a demo reel, when to seek out an agent or join the union and how to market yourself. Discover the many possibilities of using your voice to make money. Note: this is not a voice workshop.

Aaron Meza is a voice over actor whose voice is heard on numerous commercials, including those for Taco Bell, Lexus, ABC, Subway, Mercury and FedEx. He is a member of SAG and AFTRA and won a 2004 Telly Award for narration.

1 Saturday             9 am-Noon             $29
Course #780          June 21

Hit or stand? Double down? Press your bet? These are choices that blackjack players face all the time. Yet how often does the casino come out ahead? Scott says you can win at blackjack if you have the proper knowledge. Basic strategies will be reviewed, counting and non-counting techniques demonstrated, and the latest exciting new strategies revealed. So don’t stand pat—take a hit on this sure-fire winner. Bring a deck of cards and a sack lunch.

Scott Spooner was once a professional blackjack and craps player, and has been teaching his blackjack and craps strategies for 13 years.

1 Saturday                        9 am-3 pm                              $39
Course #821                     July 26

From putting together creative invitations to designing dazzling favors that will make guests remember your event forever, here's a blueprint for planning and hosting special events. This seminar is perfect for those who want to start an exciting and lucrative career in special event planning, or for those who just want to throw a sensational party. Event-planning pro Farla Binder will reveal her valuable tools, techniques and trade secrets for coordinating weddings, corporate and social events, galas, fund raisers, and small private gatherings. Topics include menus, unique locations, music and entertainment, party themes, budgets and lots more. Your event will be a rousing success because you've thought of everything.  *$20 material fee payable to instructor for workbook.

1 Monday            6:30-9:30 pm          $29*
Course #834        July 21

Thinking about hiring a private investigator but prefer to do it yourself? Well, as long as you are investigating for yourself, under California law, you don’t need a license. Jim will show you how and where private investigators obtain their information. Find out where public records are held and how to search them. Learn how to use databases and do asset searches, background investigations and skiptracing. *$25 optional material fee for book, payable to instructor.

Jim Harriger is a licensed private investigator and owner of Harriger investigations. He is a retired LAPD detective and is currently a fraud investigator for an insurance company.

1 Thursday            6:30-9:30 pm          $29*
Course #674          July 24

Digital scrapbooking is the hottest new hobby and anyone with digital photos can do it. Hands-on classes haven’t been available anywhere . . . until now! With the skills learned in this class, you will be able to make scrapbook pages, cards, announcements, various craft projects, and work projects like brochures easily and inexpensively. Learn how to:

• Unzip files of digital art and organize them.
• Make scrapbook pages from a quick page, a template, and from scratch using several Photoshop Elements tools.
• Recolor your digital scrapbook supplies so you can re-use them on other projects.
• Use edge templates, text paths, and other tricks to make page titles and backgrounds.
• Save your project in different file formats.
• Find the best places to get free digital scrapbooking supplies and trial software.

Bring 10 digital photos, a sack lunch and a flash drive. *Optional $39 material fee payable in class for comprehensive book and DVD full of digi-scrapping supplies.

Patty Debowski founded the scrapbooking website theDigitalScrapbookTeacher.com. She is an author, teacher and scrapper with more than 30 years of experience.

1 Sunday               9 am-4 pm              $89*
Course #379          June 22

Build upon the skills you learned in the Beginning Digital Scrapbooking class in this hands-on intermediate class. The focus will be on creating great scrapbook pages and other projects by combining photos and digital scrapbooking elements with new techniques using brushes, blending modes, and textures. Learn how to make a double page layout at one time and save it for printing at a photo lab. Patty will also demonstrate free programs that help unzip multiple files at the same time and help you manage your fonts and brushes. Bring 10 digital photos, a sack lunch and a flash drive. *Optional $39 material fee payable in class for comprehensive book and DVD.

Patty Debowski founded the scrapbooking website theDigitalScrapbookTeacher.com. She is an author, teacher and scrapper with more than 30 years of experience.

1 Saturday               9 am-4 pm           $89*
Course #380            Aug. 23