Fashion Club with Tat met twice in February to continue working on their Recycled Runway Fashion Show design. Winter Break meant no school for students, but we enlisted them in fashion design lessons.
Boys Busted out the Work
Tat's sons roamed the library during our class, but we needed more hands to complete tasks. They wrangled friends and transformed a huge box of cardboard tabs in just ten minutes. A stopwatch timed their session. We strictly got ten free minutes, then had to pay them.... Sheesh!
Chop-Chop
Amelia was busy chopping up 3-D printing scraps into tiny mosaic sized pieces. I was her helper and believe we killed a few pairs of scissors.
A little Help from our Friends
We even secured a little help from our friends....ok, it's Amelia's brother.
Jina is a Glue Gun Master
Jina continued gluing cardboard tabs to our skirt base.
Nestrelda Put her Gluing skills to Use
Whatever would we do without hot glue?!
Colorful Mosaic
Those 3-D printing scraps are being formed into a colorful mosaic covering the bodice of our design. Progress was swift this month, but time is slipping away quickly.
A True "Insider" View
There are only 3 classes left for Fashion Club with Tat. We're having fun and forcing kids to work in unusual ways. Now it's time to choose a title for this ensemble.
Is she Booked for the Ball or a Younique Universe? Give us your vote!
Check back in March to find the results of our Title brainstorm.
Our Middle Mondaze events are providing space for mindfulness to anyone older than 13 years. This program is aimed towards Middle School students, but adults are loving it, too!
Dots all Around
Dictionary.com tells us that a mandala is"a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism." or "a symbol in a dream, representing the dreamer's search for completeness and self-unity." Using that definition and this visual tutorial to host the program, each student began their first ever mandala.
Personal Property
According to the tutorial, each rock needed a dark color base, with a border. Once that layer was down, we were instructed to place a dot in the center of that base. From there, concentric dots were formed around the original dot.
Taste the Rainbow
Some students painted a base color on their rock before coming to class. This one looked sweet, like a burst of Skittles candies.
Soul Burst
As each rock revealed personality traits of the artist. These dots are Flo's "Soul Burst."
Protection
We saw themes of protection. This rock revealed an Evil Eye talisman to it's designer.
We discovered a landscape and sunset on this rock.
Freedom from constraint was revealed in this rock.
Dedication to the process shined through this rock.
And this little rock is headed to New Zealand.
Each artist left with a piece of themselves painted brightly on a chunk of sediment.
Simple processes like these help us all see the light from within and find our HAPPY place!
Stop over here in April to see how our our BuJo efforts have progressed since January.
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 has flown by so quickly, it's hard to believe that Make & Bake Gifts has come and gone. Every December, we combine the two popular teen clubs, First Friday Art Club and Teen Cooking Club, into one special event called Make & Bake Gifts.
Googly Eyes and Glitter Glue
With special guests in tow, we had several stations to make a gift or bake a gift for the holiday season. The very colorful Filomena Jack brought her Sock Creature project for everyone to make a few creature treasures to share.
Snip, Stitch, Sew Cool!
Taking old socks of various shapes and colors, students learned how to sew with a needle and thread. Hand sewing is a skill that seems to be getting lost with the focus on technology in society. I strive to keep these skills relevant to all age groups. Filomena's patience and friendly approach to the project helped students make adorable stuffy friends for their human friends.
Creature Convention
Creatures for Christmas?
Craft Farm's mother hen, Allison Duncan, led a lip balm craft packed with essential oils and emollients. Whether you call it chap stick or lip balm, the average cost of the natural and organic ingredient products cost nearly $5 each. Such a simple gift can be too costly for a teen. Providing a lesson and literacy on essential oils, each student created four separate lip balms to bomb their friends chapped lips!
Pour the Balm
Craft a Label
There were two edible craft recipes that everyone took turns tackling. Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels were a sweet and simple recipe that can be made in bulk. With only 4 ingredients, this recipe is just too easy to pass.
Bulk up for the Season
I usually make batches of cookies for Christmas. My Kitchen Aid mixer takes a beating and my propane provider loves my gas usage in the month of December. After seeing just how much this recipe produces, I'm skipping the cookies and copying this pretzel treat!
Even Gluten Free Options
There are a few Gluten sensitive students in my charge, so we had Gluten Free products to accommodate that dietary restriction. Even the gluten free option of this recipe was quick and easy.
Stir! Fast!!!
The last edible craft for the Make & Bake Gifts event was Cornflake Candy Wreaths. This five ingredient recipe is similar to Rice Krispy Treats, but uses cornflake cereal and green food coloring.
Festive Fun
Students whipped up these edible wreaths in just about 15 minutes. The wreaths they made were larger than palm size, so a bit too big for a snack. I say they are perfect to share. Add some red candies to represent holly berries and you're good to go. This wraps up another fun year in Young Adult programming that I facilitate at the Southeast Steuben County Library. We welcome 2018 with a Photo Collage event for First Friday Art Club.
Get ready for 2018
Teen Cooking Club will learn how to Squash their Hunger in January.
We will also try to get organized with our schedules. Starting in January, we'll try to get some focus with Middle Mondaze. The first installation is Bite the Bullet Journal. This event is strictly for teen, 13 years and older, who need a break from the mundane Monday.
New addition for 2018!
Thanks for visiting. I hope this blog has inspired you to try some of the things we tested this year. Happy Holidays!
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!
