Hauntingly Good

October 26, 2021October 26, 2021 Erica UntermanLeave a comment

Gearing up for Halloween can be a flurry of activity. Making decorations for this season has me feeling like an elf far before we speak of Santa’s Workshop. The growing excitement to see Trick-or-Treaters march down the streets once again inspired some ghostly goodness to pop up on our 3D printers. Using glow-in-the-dark filament, this ghostly creation haunts our hall of books, but you can request on of your own or a fleet to frighten your friends.

Ghostly Goodness

To promote our 3D printing finesse, there is a promotion underway. Pumpkin Giveaway Alert!

Enter for a chance to win a 3D printed Pumpkin candy dispenser for Halloween. Comment on this post with the word “Chocolate” or “Fruit” depending upon the flavor you prefer. Comment both words separately for 2 entries. Share this contest for a little extra Library Love. Two winners will be selected at random. Contest ends Friday, October 29 at noon. Winners will be announced at 4pm the same day. Find the contest on the Southeast Steuben County Library Facebook Page.

As I decorate my home for the season, I veered from the Crafting with Kimberly Tabletop Birdhouses tutorial and created a Tim Burton-esque model, perfect for any Beetlejuice movie fanatic. This mild goth-girl has no room for pinks and florals, but black and white stripes speak strange and unusual, because “I myself am strange and unusual.” (Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice)

This haunted house stack sits upon my front entry, which also adorns a skeleton and loads of dried flowers. I have been building an ofrenda to honor my loved ones who have passed this year using flowers and gourds harvested from my gardens. This practice has become a daily meditation that equals artistic expression, but is as transient as the lives we lead. Each moment is precious, each minute a gift. Visit the children’s department at the Southeast Steuben County Library this week to view an ofrenda created by community members in honor of dearly departed Mary Lu Walker. We greatly miss Mary Lu and her songs that fill our memories. There is an item representation of her many beloved songs, like Peanut Butter and Mittens. It’s sure to bring a Cheshire Grin to many storytime guests.

Find this flower and leaf skull mandala that I made as part of the memorial for Mary Lu. Perhaps you will become inspired to create an ofrenda of your own. If you do, please share an image in the comments. This unique form of expression is healing and honors the end of the season of growth as we enter the season of death and the dark hours of winter. Don’t get Scared! Keep and eye on our calendar of events to keep your spirits bright and entertained!

That’s a wrap for this Stationary moment. I’ll catch you on the flip side!

We’re Crafty!

October 7, 2021October 7, 2021 Erica UntermanLeave a comment

We’re Crafty at the Southeast Steuben County Library. Aside from our humble Creation Station Makerspace, we offer several crafting classes each season. Crafting with Kimberly has been engaging patrons each month with a themed craft. We transitioned back to virtual programs via Zoom during the height of this seasonal transition. End of summer, back to school, harvest time hustle causes all sorts of havoc for schedules. I have found that offering virtual classes welcomes many more late-working professionals to participate, as well as parents whose children can craft or play in the sidelines. That type of flexibility is what makes the Southeast Steuben County Library so accessible. Check out our most recent class to decorate your entrance with a Spider Web Wreath.

Spider Web Wreath Tutorial

Limited supply stock made it tough to create the kits for this class. There are no leftover supplies to offer Take and Make kits, but if you loved this craft, visit our library building and you will find the new home for Take and Make kits. Deeper inside the hall of books, across from the Reference desk, you will find the Creation Station Makerspace. At the entrance to the “Station,” there is a collection of crafting freebies. Take and Make kits can be found there, if they are in stock. This feels like the best Trick or Treat offering ever! When you are there, find the sewing machine, serger, 3D printers, and Cricut precision cutter.

Cricut has myriad uses for the crafty individual. With a little knowledge and experimentation with the design software, you can be creating your own apparel decals, custom cards, gifts, and personalized goodies. If you want to know more about Cricut and Cricut Design Space, follow along with the tutorial above. There is also time to register for Maker Monday where we will be creating Halloween Party Decorations. It should be a Spooky Good Time!

Tabletop Birdhouse Tutorial

You should pick up a Tabletop Birdhouse kit when you visit the Creation Station. The tutorial premieres on Friday, October 8 at 7pm. Grab your glue guns and get ready to craft a cute birdhouse, or give it a Haunted House vibe. A little black paint and a set of fairy lights will surely make these sweet houses look more Herman Munster than Donna Reed. I noted that harvest season is in full swing and the holidays are literally weeks away. I generally get into Donna Reed mode once the days are shorter and cooler. Join me for if you have an interest in a Paper-Free Kitchen and Dining experience. Sign up for the Sewn Napkins tutorial in November. We will be sewing along together to cut out paper waste and be more ecologically conscious.

“It’s Fall and that’s apple picking season.” Fans of Saturday Night Live might recall this hilarious scene of the Chickham’s Apple Farm. If you live Upsate, you know the deal. We pick apples! This sketch comedy mocks the way some farms truly market what nature gives us for free. Just look around your neighborhood or country sides. Johnny planted his Apple seeds everywhere. We’re pretty lucky that way! As a homestead crafter, I love to prepare apples as butter and sauce, but I’ve grown a wild love for fresh-pressed apple cider. Apples from my tree fell too quickly and “got the deers drunk.” Instead of heading up to “Chickham’s” I used the Art of Asking to accomplish my craft (thank you, Amanda Palmer) and picked a bushel for free from my neighbors’ yard. The satisfaction of pressing apples picked by your own hand is tremendous. All the vitamins and minerals, with a bit more elbow grease, make the product even sweeter. Just like any craft, success is all about finding the Joy in the Making.

That’s a wrap for this Stationary moment. I’ll catch you on the flip side!

Summer to September

August 30, 2021August 30, 2021 Erica Unterman1 Comment

As the final days of August approach and those Yellow School Buses begin to grace our streets again, we find there are plenty of activities to steer us past September. If you have not tuned into the Southeast Steuben County Library Calendar of Events recently, you might miss out on some great opportunities to engage with your community. Most recently, the library and Corning Garden Club took the initiative to spruce up some neglected raised garden beds that reside between the library building and Nasser Civic Center Ice Rink. What once housed invasive weeds, untamed shrubs, and actual trash now has new presence just in time to present the public with an arts gathering, Free and Open to the Public.

Imagine a new approach to Nasser Civic Center

Imagine!- Public Art in the Plaza will take over the library’s backyard, Nasser Civic Center Plaza, starting Thursday, September 2 and runs through Sunday, September 5, 2021. The event kicks off at 6:30pm with a ribbon cutting ceremony, which reveals a public art installation of kites. “Art Lifts us Up” is an overall theme of this event, which is an effort to gather community and work through the challenges of this on-going pandemic.

The library has arranged for the installation of a giant Sunflower Sculpture to be on view during this event. The sunflower is a symbol of positivity and strength, qualities that make up our unique community. We want you to ensure you get down to the plaza! The creators of the sculpture, the Crows Nest Artists, will be on site on Friday from 5 to 7pm to host a Birdhouse Making Workshop. Create fun, funky bird houses and feeders out of recycled, found and natural materials with the expertise of Gwen Quigley and Tony Moretti. Your creations can be used to decorate the plaza and can be picked up on Sunday evening or take them home right away for your feathered friends. This activity is made possible in part by the QuickARTS grant program administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes and funded by the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc.

For those who have plans for Labor Day weekend, check out the next Crafting with Kimberly on Tuesday, September 14 from 5:30 to 7:30pm where we will learn a simple Sunflower Painting method. As the season changes, we try to hold a pop of color, positivity and strength as we head into the dark and cold months of winter. Kimberly’s August Birdhouse workshop is postponed until further notice, but keep an eye on the Facebook Page for news and other notifications. We will begin to transition back to virtual workshops via Zoom starting in October. This will give us ample time to craft together, while staying cozy at home.

We practiced yoga outdoors in the hidden gem of Margaret Smyers Park in Caton on August 21. It was a hot and humid morning in the Civic Center Plaza while we gardened, but the rain nearly ruined our plans for asana practice. Luckily there are plenty of pavilions to rearrange in the park and we made the best of a wet situation. Of course, the rain halted once we moved the tables and created shelter, but the practice was priceless. Click here for a recording of the session and find a few other Creation Station made videos while your perusing. Join us again next Saturday, September 11 at 11am in Kinsella Park, Painted Post. Families and Friends welcome. No rain allowed!

Our latest Maker Monday was lead by Megan Walsh who is well-known for these blue-toned creations. This type of photographic printing process creates imagery using sunlight and provides incredible details. Despite a rainy afternoon, there were peeks of sunshine that allowed us to test this method. Using botany samples from her property, Megan described the process and gave us a few chances to battle the weather for a quality print. It is recommended to have a UV rating of 5 or higher for this process to be effective. Luckily we had kits to practice on a bright day. Our next Maker Monday will be hosted by Yours Truly. We will make Wooden Wind Chimes using driftwood, beads, and other found materials. Sign up today for your lesson on September 20 from 4:40 to 6pm.

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!

IMAGINE!

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 Erica UntermanLeave a comment

A FREE 3 Day public arts event is coming round the bend this Labor Day weekend. Mark your calendars and head down to Nasser Civic Center Plaza to see the transformation that occurs when Community Comes Together. Imagine! Public Art in the Plaza is “a multidisciplinary arts event as an opportunity to envision the Corning Civic Center Plaza as a future Public Arts Park. IMAGINE! will be held at the Corning Civic Center Plaza on Thursday, September 2 through Sunday, September 5, 2021. Free and open to the public. Bring a picnic and a chair to this family friendly event!” This event is hosted by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, but the Southeast Steuben Library will be a participant. The best part about this event is the location is our backyard! You can grab your library materials, then find the entertainment just outside our doors.

You will find the Civic Center Plaza transform beyond what we could imagine in the coming weeks. The Library will host this Sunflower Sculpture created by Crows Nest Artists, Gwen Quigley and Tony Moretti. Thanks to the generosity of Tanglewood Nature Center, the Southeast Steuben County Library is renting this sculpture to exhibit in our community. This activity is made possible in part by the QuickARTS grant program administered by The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes and funded by the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc.

Funky Birdhouses with Crows nest Artists

Join us on Friday, September 3 for a Funky Birdshouses Workshop with the Crows Nest Artists. Create fun, funky bird houses and feeders out of recycled, found and natural materials with the expertise of Gwen Quigley and Tony Moretti. Decorate the Civic Center Plaza for the Imagine, Public Art in the Plaza event during Labor Day weekend. Take your project home after the workshop, or leave it installed until September 6. This is a multi-generational workshop, fun for families or simply for kids of all ages, plus the results are great for the birds and world. Use this opportunity to be creative, use tools, build and decorate. This activity is made possible with donated funds received in memory of E. Jacqueline Welles.

Help us spruce up the Civic Center raised beds as we prepare for this epic event in the public plaza. There are two dates to volunteer your gardening skills, muscle power, hand tools, and pick up trucks. Sign up to help this Saturday, August 14 for either of 2 shifts starting at 8am or 10am. You are encouraged to also particpate next Saturday, August 21 for Mulch Day. If you love to garden, be part of community, and need some volunteer time in your life, join the **Corning Garden Club** for all of the transformation of this plaza.

Outdoor Yoga

If you missed our last Outdoor Yoga session with Elizabeth Moses, view the recording of the full class posted above. We visited Lindley-Presho-Caton Little League ball field for a refreshing session of movement. The next class will be at Margaret Smyers Park in Caton on Saturday, August 21 at 11am (if the weather allows). The class will be presented on Facebook Live if weather indicates heavy rain, so stay tuned to our page! Mark your calendars for the last live yoga session on Saturday, September 11 at 11am at Kinsella Park in Erwin.

Moon Mirrors

The latest Crafting with Kimberly class showed us how to make Moon Mirrors. We had a bunch of fun with this inexpensive and easy project. The few items needed to make a moon mirror are a round shaped mirror, flat sided glass baubles and a tube of caulk. We sourced all of these materials at the Dollar Tree and created them in Civic Center Plaza. The weather held up for us this time versus my Hypertufa class on Midsummer Day. We offered some Take and Make kits, but they quickly disappeared before this article could be published. I look forward to seeing YOU at one of our upcoming programs. Always keep tuned to our calendar of events for programs offered for any age!

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!

Midsummer Day

June 24, 2021June 24, 2021 Erica Unterman1 Comment

How can we have approached midsummer when Solstice was just three days ago?! Leave it to the Almanac to give us the factual description and global traditions, while I fill you in on fun library details.

The last days for the Friends of the Library book sale have arrived. Enjoy 50% off all items in the sale today and tomorrow. Fill your bags for $5 on Saturday, June 26. If you are not aware, our Friends provide the programming funds for the classes we host with the income they receive during these book sales. If you love our classes and want to give back, visit the sale and fill a bag or 3! We get by with a little help from our Friends.

Crafting Fairy Gardens

Crafting with Kimberly is our monthly crafting program for adults that uses Dollar Tree supplies to create kitschy decorations and gifts. This month we made Fairy Gardens and had the fun of hosting this class in person in the Civic Center Coutryard behind the library. Offering classes in-person is just what our patrons were waiting for, because we filled that class with 15 happy crafters, but also offered a hybrid option with a Zoom room for those who cannot get to the library for various reasons. This model allows us to record the class, which I then edit and share to the Southeast Steuben County Library YouTube Channel. I offer Take and Make kits from the class that can be used to craft along with the online tutorial. We have discovered adults truly love this creative freedom we offer.

Book of the Sea

Maker Monday in May was hosted by local artist Wynn Yarrow. We have made many paper crafts with Wynn this year, but this time we went to the Sea. The theme of the sea fits so well with summer and the New York Summer Reading theme of Tails and Tales that this edited version of the class is apropos. Summer Reading kicks off on June 28 at Fallbrook Park. Families, children, teens, and especially adults are encouraged to register and participate in this annual program focused on boosting a love of reading to all age groups. We have lots of prize incentives to build the excitement. But let’s ease into the water slowly with a Take and Make kit to compliment this class video of the Book of the Sea. Kits will be available to pick up tomorrow and the video tutorial will premiere at 7pm on June 25. Get your glue sticks ready! (Note: the video will expire on July 25, 2021.)

We hosted the Kickoff event to Elmira’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 18 in the parking lot of Steele Memorial Library. A movie showing of Buffalo Soldiers with Danny Glover was on deck for the evening. Unfortunately, thunderstorms scared most of the crowd to keep cover and stay home. Fortunately, everyone piled onto the streets near Ernie Davis Park on June 19, actual Juneteenth Day to celebrate community, peace, and unity. The smiles on every face make all the difference for a successful event. Rain washed out the afternoon, but the main event had already rocked the streets and most folks had headed home with full hearts.

The most recent Maker Monday event was hosted this week. Those threatening thunderstorms stuck around all weekend and finally struck our class at the very end. We gathered again in the courtyard to make Hypertufa Flower pots using recycled objects. Several students skipped class with the pending weather to which I was oblivious. Living in Upstate New York gives you a different awareness of the weather. I often feel it’s silly to cancel an event due to thunderstorms that will likely pass in a few minutes. With that thinking, I neglected to watch the radar to see the indications of the storm running right over the library in the window of time class was held. (Lessons learned.) We had a near Wet T-Shirt Contest, first of it’s kind at our library! Funny thing is the class was over, we just needed to clean up supplies. My wonderful students risked being soaked by the rain rather than run away and leave me to deal with the mess alone. That’s how we maintain that mantra- we get by with a little help from our friends. Sometimes we make those friends in the midst of a major midsummer downpour.

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!

Shift and Pivot

May 13, 2021May 14, 2021 Erica UntermanLeave a comment

We are always striving to keep library services as bright and vibrant as spring azaleas in full bloom. Throughout this COVID-19 pandemic, our library has proven we can shift and pivot to maneuver and conquer any situation. While other organizations are still just talking about reopening their offices, the Southeast Steuben County Library has returned to the chartered 55 hour week that New York libraries are required to maintain. WE’RE BACK and better than ever! Running with a New Hours of Operation lineup, there are many more options for you to visit this beloved hall of books. Monday through Friday, 9am-7pm and Saturday, 9am-2pm should allow all your browsing and borrowing needs to be fulfilled. Welcome back!

Papier Mache the Quick and Easy Way with Wynn Yarrow

Let’s catch up on a few weeks of what’s been happening in the Creation Station Makerspace at the library. Papier Mache the Quick and Easy Way with Wynn Yarrow was the April Maker Monday. Local artist Wynn Yarrow led this class with her personal approach to the technique. Since most of our programming is virtual, there were a few students from far reaches of the nation, like Florida and Oregon. It’s fun to see borders and boundaries disappear with virtual learning opportunities. Kits for this class are still available as Take and Make-able, so you can follow along with the tutorial from the comfort of home. This specific video will expire on June 12, 2021, so don’t hesitate.

Yoga with Elizabeth Moses

May Day brought us a succulent Yoga Session with the ever-fabulous Elizabeth Moses of Crystal Heart Yoga in Corning, NY. If you missed the Live event, follow the link above to unite your body and breath. Our next live class with Elizabeth is scheduled for Saturday, May 29 at 11am on Facebook Live. Start your Memorial Day Weekend with mindful movement before digging your gardens and planting those flower beds!

Apron Sew Along with Jesse Junko Beardslee

For Fashion Revolution Week, Jesse Junko Beardslee of Themis and Thread brought her fashion design history and mastery to our live stream. We learned the historic reasons for knowing who makes our clothes and how to condense new purchases into quality garments that are meant to last. Quick fashion is part of myriad reasons Mother Earth’s climate is struggling. Every purchase and decision to spend our money matters. When we make what we need, the product is exponential. We can share the knowledge, sell the products locally or maintain our own fashion without a toss-away mentality. This beckons to the Chinese proverb; Lao Tsu said that if you give a hungry man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. It’s time to learn to fish!

Nature Gnomes with Kimberly

Kimberly Canale has returned with more of her creative adventures in Crafting with Kimberly. On Star Wars Day, we learned how to make Nature Gnomes. These are adorable little friends that whip up quickly with some materials from the Dollar Store or around the house and a few sticks of hot glue. Lucky patrons swooped in to snag our prepared Take and Make kits after the class. Check the video description for a list of materials to prepare in order to craft your own Gnome. If you missed this class, be sure to register for the June 1 class. We will be making Fairy Gardens. If the weather allows, this class will meet in person in the Civic Center Plaza behind the library. We will record the class to add to our YouTube channel, so anyone who prefers to join us Live, but virtually is welcome to do so. Register today to add your name to the list and secure a supply kit before it’s too late.

As summer approaches, we are planning new adventures in the community. Tales and Tails is the summer reading theme. I plan on cooking up some tales with you together, in person, outside in the glory of nature. If you have a program you wish to see hosted at this library, send your requests now. We love to have input from our adoring fans.

That’s a wrap for this stationary moment. I’ll check you on the flip side!