Tori Joy's Smiles is an organization that sends fun, supportive, cheerful mail to kids who are going through difficult situations. We'll meet on a regular basis to share our crafting supplies and make cards together, as well as brainstorm more ways to help Tori Joy's Smiles grow and send smiles to more kids. You can also join us on Facebook!

Fun to just get together and make things out of paper... get caught up on scrapbooking... meet new friends... catch up with old friends... Do you love scrapbooking and card making like I do? Then join this fun group to make beautiful & lovely things out of paper: greeting cards, scrapbook pages, Project Life scrapbook pages, Home Decorating Things, holiday ornaments. Can you think of something else you'd like to try? Let me know. I can't wait to meet you! We discover and try to learn all kinds …

Don't let the word Artist scare you. If you do creative work, you are an artist. You don't have to be the BEST or a professional at it, just enjoy doing it. And enjoy showing others and maybe teaching or learning from others. I want us to have a place to meet with other local fiber artists, weavers and spinners like me, but also braiders, knitters, crocheters, rug hookers and what have you. We will take a  couple of hours a month out of our busy lives to spend time on our crafts, while chatting …

Interested in crafting? Particularly, the needle arts: knitting, crocheting, needlepoint and the like? StitchCraft was created to be a place where folks who love the needle arts can get together and share their love of the craft with having some social interaction with a group of nice folks. Friendships have formed in this group and we've done more than knit together - we've gone shopping and taken field trips (OK to yarn stores, but still...) If you're looking for a group that does crafts, …

This group is dedicated to putting on arts and crafts fairs for fantasy, dark, science-fiction, tribal, and other sub-culture art.

Come tinker on, prototype and share your interactive, wearable and environmental projects.

Let's enjoy cultural events together. we will go to concerts of classical music, world music, Jazz; modern dance; regional theaters; summer art fairs; gallery openings and out door concerts. I may also organize craft parties for pottery and fabric dyeing.

LIVE CHAT too!  Beer n BBQ (Chicagoland) We are BBQ Masters (if only in our own minds) and Tenders of grills - United in Smoke! We venture out to barbeque joints and rib shacks to search the best of barbecue. Briskets, links, shoulders, butts, ribs, sausage, hot links, ham, pulled pork, even smoked turkeys, sides...We smoke it all -- beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, cheese... We are Passionate--We will taste it all. All of this makes us very thirsty! We seek out lovely selections of beer and wi …

Elevating the craft of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) through a real, face-to-face community in Chicago.  Let's get together and talk about everything from HATEOAS and REST to OAuth, and HTTP Response Codes and have a great time while we're at it!

Are you an indie girl wandering the cold streets of Chicago? If so, you've come to the right place. We want together a group of music loving, bike riding, artistically inclined, pseudo weird girls to have fun! For me this group was born out of the desire to escape mainstream culture, how many times have I stood around in a group of women and felt like wow I just don't relate to you: no, I don't care if the Cubs won last night, not really interested in what sorority you were in, and NO I didn't …

We are a group of people of all ages and all levels of experiences, knowledge who are willing to share them with everyone. We meet of the first Wednesday of the month at Lutheran Church of the Ascension, Willow Road and Sunset Ridge in Northbrook, Illinois

Welcome to a place for rabid and avid fans of scrapbooking! -------------IMPORTANT!---------------------------------------------- Midwest Scrap-A-Holics of Chicagoland - Chicago Chapter! Monthly Meetups are on the 3rd Saturday of every month. (Currently we meet at ARCHIVERS in Orland Park, IL until we secure a free venue in Chicago) If you have further questions, you can email me through the "Contact Organizer" link on Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/Scrap-A-Holics-Downtown-Chicago-Cha... FEE: A …

Every woman is awesome! We're awesome in that 1950's housewife or girlfriend type of way. *Single women are also welcome to join! Who We Are: We’re smart, sexy, modern day 1950’s housewives & girlfriends! We respect our partners as the head-of-the house & support their decisions. Whether we are career women, housewives, or stay-at-home moms, we're all happy to wear an apron and live the idealistic, 1950's lifestyle of "Yes, Dear" and good housekeeping. What We Do: Our goal is to build close f …

Running for Brews Chicago - Cheaper Than Therapy A social running club that loves drinking craft brews! Who ever said that you can't mix fun (running) with pleasure (good beer)...no one! Running For Brews is for all of those who enjoy getting out and breaking a sweat amongst the company of other fellow runners and then topping it off with an awesome craft brew and some great conversation. We meet up at Emporium Arcade Bar and then proceed to run a beautiful 5k route in and around the Wicke …

First and foremost: We are not a critique group. We are not a workshop group. We are a group of writers who get together to...just write. This is a group that meets to WRITE, to socialize, and to offer encouragement and inspiration to others as we practice our craft. We're focused on the process, not the product.  Writing can be a solitary activity...but it doesn't have to be. This is a group where the focus is actually on DOING the work as opposed to critiquing already finished works. I found s …

Many changes are happening in the Wiccan and Pagan communities these days. Years ago, Covens were the main way to be involved with a few Solitary Practitioners to be found. As the Craft has "come out of the broom closet" more information is available than ever before. What does not seem to be there is the sense of Spiritual Community we had all those years ago. We have many wonderful social outlets these days. They serve a tremendous purpose and it is a blessing they exist. However, as times evo …

The Chicago Java User’s Group is here to help the Java Professional. We want to make Chicago the ‘best’ place to be a Java developer, by offering a support network that allows each individual Java developer to grow! Its only purpose it to serve its community by focusing in three areas: - Learning about the Java Craft - Making a Difference in the Java Community - Growing as a Java Professional AND please, this is for those who program Java, NOT for recruiters, NOR staffers, NOR head hunters, car …

Chicago's Ember.js group is committed to creating a robust community built around the philosophy of building beautifully crafted web applications with the help of ember.js.  Meetups should be fun and engaging to promote a wealth of knowledge among your peers, we will always keep this as a core concept.  Naturally we will also never let the coolers run low on beer.

This group is for women in their 20s and early 30s in Oak Park and its surrounding areas who want to get out of the house and have fun! I hope to create an awesome community of women for you to connect with, become friends with, and pretty much just have a good time. We plan many of our meetups in Oak Park and Forest Park such as dining out, movies, festivals, book discussions, wine tasting, hiking, arts and crafts, and many more. We also plan meetups in Chicago and other areas. All relationship …

A monthly gathering dedicated to the exploration of software as a craft. We engage in hands-on practice and technical discussions facilitated by software luminaries -- all in the spirit of continuous learning. If you're interested in product craftsmanship, please check out Chicago Product Craftsmanship.

International Game Developer's Association (IGDA) Chicago is a local chapter of a much larger, international, non-profit membership organization serving individuals who create video games. We bring together developers at conferences, in local chapters and in special interest groups to improve their lives and craft. Developers, aspiring developers, students, or people who just love games are welcome to attend our meetups, game jams, classes, panels, and everything else!

Do you reminisce of times spent with family during Indian festivals and yearn to share similar experiences with your kids? And as much as you enjoy the great  culture and people of the United States, does your heart still yearn for the fun and festivities of India? We are a couple of Indian mothers who feel that way and are looking forward to building a network of friends with similar cultural interests, for ourselves and our kids. So lets get together for play-dates, crafts and activities for …

Stroller Strides Chicago North Shore is a fitness group for moms.  It is a great way to get in shape, meet other moms, and have fun with your baby or toddler all at the same time. The classes are designed for all different fitness levels and are taught by certified instructors. Each class includes cardio and body toning intervals. The classes are an hour long, with the last 10 minutes used for abs and stretching. We welcome babies from 6 weeks to any age! FALL/WINTER SCHEDULE (November-April) M …

Do you like playing sports like Whiffle Ball, Kickball, Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, and other great outdoor sports? Then this is for you!!!! We invite all Men and Women to come on out to play and meet new people and have a great time. Usual start time will be Noon sharp every Saturday. The fields will vary throughout the Chicagoland suburbs from North Riverside, Countryside, Berwyn, Lyons, Brookfield, and more. All attendees that are 21+ will be invited to join for drinks at Brixies Pub in …

Many people have leadership experience. Some of these experience can be very valuable. But most people don't know how to tell their leadership stories. Come to this laid back and supportive meeting where members are genuinely interested in exploring leadership topics and crafting their own stories. Members are often planning to apply to graduate/ professional schools, new job/ careers, and need to develop their essays and resume. Meeting hostess, Esther Choy, is an experienced leadership coach a …

We are the Chicagoland chapter of The Transition Network.org, (www.thetransitionnetwork.org) a national group of active, intellectually curious women who meet for many reasons: exploring the changing terrain of life after 50, meeting in small groups for common interests like books, movies, travel, artisan crafts, and culture. Occasionally we have programs about technology, health, nutrition, finance—anything Chicago area senior women might want to know. Our events may be in the city, the Western …

Feeling stuck, in a rut? Has life become dull or purposeless? Need a boost to your creativity? Just want to unearth your creativity? Join me for The Artist's Way. Based on Julia Cameron's book of the same title, we will create a very safe, nurturing community in which to discover and/or rejuvenate your creative self.

Hello, fellow jewelry makers! We are a group who's goal it is to share the joy of beads and jewelry making. Come join a friendly and inspiring group that has been meeting for 3 years and is looking for more people to join in the fun! There is an instructor with 17 years of beading expertise on hand to help you with any questions you may have. Students at all skill levels are welcome. Hope to see you soon at the Brickton Art Center 306 Busse Hwy., in Park Ridge, IL.!