We settled on a title for the ensemble from Friday Fashion Club with Tat. This recycled wearable art piece will be known to the world as "Starlight Wishes."
Roni is getting Ready for the Runway
This is the biggest sneak peek you will get before May 5, 2018. Have you purchased a ticket to the show? What are you waiting for?! Get your tickets today for the most excited Fashion Show in Corning, New York.
The Fashion Club crew finally determined a title for their work. The outfit will be called "Starlight Wishes." We felt the look of this design resembled a starry sky. Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight...
Celestial Cap
The cosmic theme of this design lead to the creation of this Celestial Cap. Using stringers from 3-D printing projects, this cap resembles shooting stars and asteroids. What was to be "Booked for the Ball" has transformed as the Queen of the Solar System.
With only 2 more design classes left, we have a LOT of work to accomplish before we call this piece complete. Check back at the end of April to see the continued progress.
Have you tried to BuJo? BuJo is the shortened tern for Bullet Journaling, an analog system of organizing your life. Ryder Carroll, the creator of this system has developed a website to further inform the novice Bullet Journaler. Check out the Bullet Journal website for a lesson.
The Gear
I sourced several blogs and Pinterest pages dedicated to all things BuJo. Many seemed overwhelming and complicated. Drawings, tons of color, debates upon which pens MUST be used are all details that had this project on a back burner for over a year.
Once I discovered the simplicity of this system and this starting video created by Ryder Carroll, I knew I hit the jackpot. Like this video states, start simply and simply start! The sooner you hit the book, the closer you are to organized. Get a notebook, anything will do. Get a pen or pencil, anyone will do. Avoid the complex blogs of women who agonize over the color pen they used for recording their water intake and just get started!
There are a few books in our library collection regarding journals and just one "Bullet Journal for Beginners," but this and the "Start Here" video gave enough inspiration and clarity to the program attendees that any preparation I did beyond that was unnecessary. This project becomes very personal, so less is more in beginning your system of organizing.
Aside from the books and video instructions, I found Amanda Rach Lee, BuJo Guru. You can follow her bullet journal journey on her website, Tiny Ray of Sunshine. With Amanda, discover how to organize areas in your life other than the day-to-day stuff. I made sure of getting good quality notebooks (the dotted kind) and Staedtler Triplus Fineliner pens to start our bullet journals as a group. After several hours of researching, putting these pens to use proved them to be my favorite! Try a few pens to know what's best for you.
We put the 3-D printers to work by printing stencils for every participant in the group. This made it easy for the less-than-artsy folks to create beautifully planned pages with a professional edge. These files can be found on Thingiverse and are free to use.
These Middle Mondaze are a chance for Middle Schoolers, ages 13+, to set aside some time for Mindfulness. Bullet Journals help get you organized. Mandala Painting will surely relax your mind and get you closer the core of your heart. Join us on Monday, February 19, from 2:30-3:30 for a colorful, calming experience.
If you missed the first round of bullet journaling, join us for Bite the Bullet Journal (take 2) on Monday, April 23. Your busy life will thank you.
The catwalk is calling our Fashion Club for the fourth year in a row. As you may recall, this Fashion Club designs an outfit made from recycled materials. Students collaborate on the design and work together to construct the entire ensemble. With the help of our master fashion designer, Tat Buchholz, our model always steals some hearts on the runway.
This art competition requires a design to be submitted for a juried decision for acceptance into the show. Anyone who wants to pursue a fashion or art career must become familiar with this process and learn steps involved in a successful effort.
Glitter Ghost, 2017
The work that is produced on our fashion club is similar to what you might see on Project Runway, but with young artists. Tat keeps everyone going with enthusiasm. Students love learning new folding techniques and processes of construction they might not learn in school or until much later in life.
The "Palette"
Our "palette" of materials consists of punched paper packing materials, which were donated by an enthusiastic patron. Scraps from the 3-D printing process will be used as colorful embellishments on the surface of the design.
Hot Glue
What would we do without hot glue?!? It seems to be the most versitile adhesive for this group. We love how quickly production goes when the hot glue does it's job correctly and is our hero. It's upsetting when we burn our fingers and see hot glue as the enemy!
Will we Wing it?
The structures created
in this first session have so much potential. Will they be a
corset? Will they be wings? Only time will tell, but I will keep
you guessing over the next few posts. The final design will be revealed
after the Fashion Show on May 5, 2018. Stay tuned!
Fashion Club with Tat
Our
next class meets during Wintet Break. Two afternoons in one week of
design and embellishment. Oh Joy!
This year marks the third annual installment of Theatre Camp with Centre Stage Community Theatre. Our local, talented crew of actors led the week-long program, guiding students to the end of summer and a new school year. Participants learn skills appropriate for the theater, but also valuable lessons to carry forward in life.
I said a-BOOM!
Kimberly Canale is the ring-leader of this silly circus of kids acting goofy all week. There are games and rhymes they practice daily. Boom Chicka Boom is a repeat-after-me style verse that gets used as practice, activity transition, and a closer to each afternoon session. Kids have to follow actions and voice style of the leader. Each person takes the opportunity to lead the group and every time it gets giggles.
I love watching how the teens and tweens are uncomfortable at first, but within a few Boom Chicka Booms, all shyness is pushed aside. Kimberly and Eddie, our talented actors, show no restraint in their silliness, which is contagious. The confidence building over the week is one superb life skill these kids need.
Public speaking should be a cinch for these students as they progress in their educational and working careers. Other skills achieved are respect for each other. Giving attention and applause to each actor shows respect, but learning to accept applause--actually wait for it--is an incredible opportunity to experience.
Reader Theatre
Performing plays by reading the script helps students remain confident that they know their lines and improves the ability to read aloud and keep track of the play's progress.
Team Huddle
Working in teams to decide upon themes, actions, etc. helps build cooperative skills working with peers. The copious group activities these kids experienced all week give them a lead in the new school year. Team work makes the dream work!
Team Eddie
Having multiple team leaders helped maintain momentum and gives each student different perspectives. While Kimberly loves drama, Eddie loves comedy and this was a perfect mix for our group of students.
Awaiting Applause
Parents are the BEST Audience 💜💜
Boys acting like HEAVY Luggage
Parents and patrons were invited to a free performance on the last day of class. I got many great responses from parents whose kids LOVED this program and can't wait to have it offered again. I see a puppet show looming in the near future...stay tuned 😉
Script reading= skill building
This wraps another fantastic week of young adult programming at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Thanks for visiting!
The show was on June 3, 2017. Being a Saturday, models and designers gave up their day of sunshine and outdoor adventures to be stowed away in the corners of the Corning Museum of Glass behind black curtains. Every design was a surprise to our guests and no one wanted to spoil the anticipation.
Wig Design Plan
Jacket Design Plan
After each design session, led by Tatyana Buchholz at the library, I would write a blog to tease readers about our progress, but now is your chance to see the final product. We had a vision to create a wig using that famed elementary school technique of folding paper in an accordion pattern. The jacket was built with the simple looping process used to make advent chains for Christmas. I remember making bracelets using these techniques on my bus rides home from school, but this class pulled it all together as a professional level design worthy of Project Runway--using only trash!
Final Hours of Design
As our group finalized this design during the last class, our model, Claire, got a good taste of how much attention she would receive on the day of the show. Every model who participated in Recycled Runway was treated like royalty for a day, from hair and makeup to treats to keep everyone happy.
Silver Lashes--A MUST!
Our wonderful photographer, Chris Walters, shot images during the entire day. There were 31 fashion looks to fit and fluff along with 34 models to glamorize. Bella Capelli Salon provided 7 stylists to sponsor the hair styles. The SSCL Fashion Club created a wig so hair was not an issue. Painted Love by Jennifer Sekella provided makeup and face painting for everyone. Being a ghost character, Claire only needed a white wash to her face and a little bit of lipstick to give her a sense of "life" as she haunted the catwalk.
Glitter Ghost about to Emerge
I had the joy of organizing the grand event, so the moment I got to give a hug to our Glitter Ghost, I stole this shot before she stole the hearts of the audience. Claire has been a dedicated library program attendee since 2010 and I have had the pleasure of watching her grow into a young lady.
Tiny Claire in 2012
Time brings change and watching kids grow and flourish into successful adults is a feature I appreciate in the library field. I help develop individual interests and it seems that Claire is dedicated to the same interests as my own.
Style and Swagger
There were 2 rehearsals for models and technicians to refine their performance before the audience arrived. We originally chose high heels to finish this outfit, but the boots gave a cow girl feel that everyone in the class preferred.
Glitter for Days
The moment our Fashion Club created their design proposal and named it "Glitter Ghost," the girls could not stop thinking of how to use glitter on stage. During the final session, two students devised a ring-like pouch that could be used to dip into and dazzle the crowd.
Haunting
The glitter effect was haunting and our photographer captured it wonderfully in this shot. After all 31 designs graced the catwalk, I was honored to lead the encore presentation. Being the Queen Bee of Organization, I held my trusty magic wand to take our bow. It is apparent that we were adored and got tons of approval for the best show ever!
Find our Glitter Ghost in the Light Beam
This production is a tremendous labor of love. There are 12 dedicated members of a planning committee who jury the proposals. The planning team spends months scheduling meetings, arranging details and editing everything in their path. This was my first year with the Queen Bee title and it was a fun ride! You are sure to see me sporting that magic wand again in 2018. The question is, will our SSC Library Fashion Club proposal be selected???
Talent Gala
Recycled Runway 2017 received so much talent and competitive designs, I worry our little Fashion Group will be against some tight competition next year. The bright side is all 8 students want to submit personal proposals! Best of luck to them.
Glitter Gone
That is a wrap for Fashion Club with Tat at the Southeast Steuben County Library. If you would like to see images from the gala, check out the ARTS Council's Facebook page. Prepare to be IMPRESSED!!!
Fun for All Ages!
Be sure to save Friday July 28, 6:30-9 pm. on your calendars. Construct your Steampunk Cosplay and entertain your friends and family at the 3rd Library Unmasked experience.
While our Fashion Club project is really top secret, it's essential to tease our followers with some progress photos. I know you're so intrigued by this process and cannot wait to attend the Recycled Runway Fashion show on June 3 at the Corning Museum of Glass.
Fashionista Assembly Line
In order to complete this project, we built an assembly line of teens to create the silver jacket for our "Glitter Ghost" look. If you have a Blue Apron subscription, you may recognize the packaging!
From Mess to Mesh
Ashti holds up the 2 hours worth of work to reveal the mesh from the mess.
Our model, Claire assembled the start of the accessories for this fashion.
Sandwiched Imagery
Sara, our model from 2016, prepared the pants legs by sandwiching images from tissue paper packaging with clear mylar and plastic bags found in the SSC Library offices.
Lydia shows a sample of the wig we are creating. The final look will be very textural and voluminous. Remember folding your gum wrappers this way and making bracelets?
The countdown is here with the show less than 60 days away. The pressure is on to get this fashion look complete and refined! Stay tuned for more sneak peeks at our progress and be sure to attend this annual fundraiser for The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes.
Recycled Runway Fashion Show is the key focus to Fashion Club with Tat. We've moved beyond the standard Fourth Friday meetings in order to keep up with a tight schedule and looming deadline. This is the portion of classes where everyone just follows what is instructed.
Today, we are sewing plastic and denim.
Tetyana Buchholz, Tat, is the mastermind behind this program series and has all of the ideas and techniques stored in her experience. Teens are quilting images between plastic and denim.
Life Skills, recycled
Learning to make chains with Blue Apron packaging keeps these teens very busy!
Hot Glue can be a crafter's best friend.
In creating "Glitter Ghost," our proposed design, we are striving for an ethereal look. Trying to mute the glitz of light-catching silver is difficult. The loops end up flattened in this first attempted method. Testing the materials so early in the game (we haven't even gotten the official word that our design is approved) is important, because what you intend the material to do versus what it actually does is a time hog.
Strips of Packaging
Strips of packaging are cut, then glued into loops. The strategic placement of these loops creates an interlocking system, or "fabric," which will be a main focal point of this design.
Loopy Fiasco
Although we're almost 5 hours into this design, the loops must keep going!
Like I mentioned, this task is a time hog.
Quilting with Trash
While one team worked in the Looping Station, another team quilted with trash. Taking denim, printed tissue paper, and clear plastic pouches, a new fabric has been developed.
Hazy Imagery
The plastic over the images give a hazy quality, lending to the ethereal feel. We'll be working on this portion of the design for a few more hours to perfect the technique. It's great to have gotten an extra work day in February, because of Winter Break. Our dedicated designers were willing to forego their school vacation and work towards the completion of this community project. They are excited to follow directions and keep the wheels turning, knowing the vision will come together and once it does, they will have important input to the final details of this design. Many hands make light work. Many teens make this fun!
