I've been in such a FAUX mode!

(Faux) Gold and turquoise Aztec necklace.
Materials used: wood joinery 'biscuits', cut-up and circle punched paint chip samples, Liquid Pearl, gold spray paint, jump rings, acrylic paint, Mod Podge.
(Faux) Silver and turquoise Aztec necklace.
Materials used: wood joinery 'biscuits', Liquid Pearl, acrylic paint, silver spray paint, Sculpey III.
(Faux) NorthWest Native-American birch bark basket.
Materials used: tag board, small scraps of crackle look scrapbooking paper, Super Tape, Mod Podge, paper twist, calligraphy ink (to color paper twist brown), acrylic paint, twine to sew paper twist to basket.
(Faux) Southwest Native-American Pottery.
Materials used: gourd (top section cut off with Dremel cutting tool), spray paint in three colors (5 layers of spray needed to achieve desired buff color & texture, as well as to cover up a painted design that was already on the gourd), black sharpie pen (quelle toxique!) to draw design on pot.

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm currently enrolled in a 'Hands-On Art History' class. This semester, we're studying the art/craft of indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Class meets once a week and is 3 hours long. Class time is devoted to lecture, discussion, leafing through books and watching videos pertaining to the subject, technique demos and show n' tell of artifacts. Occasionally a guest speaker will illuminate the class on a particular aspect of our study.

The 'hands-on' part of the course takes the form of homework assignments: create an artsy-crafty something inspired by the week's topic.

Homework is brought to the next class meeting for critique and further discussion.

Project parameters aren't stringent. Students are urged to approach the assignment with an open mind. Thinking outside the box is encouraged.
Consequently, a variety of fascinating perspectives are offered up during the weekly project review.

Knowledge is shared in a casual (no grades) and fun (lotsa laffs) classroom atmosphere.

Great formula for learning = Open Mind + Education + Creativity + Fun