Future Craft Collective Mission:




The future craft collective is about inspiring children to get crafty, to create beauty, while simultaneously teaching them ways of minimizing our impact on this earth.  It's about understanding ways of recycling, reducing, reusing, and at the same time, making some really cool stuff.  
Throughout the craft sessions, kids will discover ways to create a world in which the belief in handmade looms larger than the messages of the marketing machine.  In this era of relentless advertising and planned obsolescence, the time has come to infuse our children with our own messages of creative living and sustainability.  This message too can save a kid from a lifetime of seeking contentment through consumption.
The future craft collective wants kids to understand the thrill of making it themselves.  We want them to look at the used goods all around them not as trash, or as items to be tossed in the recycling bin, but rather as raw materials in their crafty creative pursuits, thereby allowing them to experience the innovative feeling of instilling new life into old objects.  
From the idea, to the completion of a project, to showing it off in public, we can teach children to recognize the value and pride and indeed the thrill in saying "Thanks, I made it myself."  And the even greater thrill of utilizing old-fashioned ideals of resourcefulness and ingenuity and of finding the hidden life in abandoned materials.
in addition to making some really cool things we'll cover:
-why is there so much?  understanding that less is more.
-what are retailers doing to the value of handmade?
-the pride of making it yourself.
-the joys of creating personal style.
-the value in knowing the ability to create is within his/her realm.
-tapping into a kids' inherent desire to create.
-recognizing the marketing machine of a consumer culture.
-spreading the love and celebrating the thrill of handmade.

Each session stands alone with a lesson in sustainability and a hands-on project, which will lead to a greater understanding of the thrill of consciously crafting.  A follow-up discussion of each project will lead to greater understanding of the thrill of handmade, the need to minimize the impact and the necessity of creating rather than consuming.

Friday, May 9, 2008

new workshops for grown ups!!!!

Crafting Family Goodness

By Kathie Sever and Bernadette Noll
email us to enroll

From the minds that brought you Ramonsterwear clothing, Creating Family Goodness, Homeschool Designs and The Future Craft Collective comes this innovative and inspirational sewing and family ritual class.
Crafting Family Goodness is about inspiring mamas to handcraft family tradition and connection that will last for generations to come. It's about understanding ways of establishing family rhythms and rituals and at the same time, spending time together with other mamas and making some really cool stuff. Because it’s a Future Craft Collective endeavor, be assured will be reusing, recycling, and reclaiming materials helping us keep out of the consumption loop.

Classes are held in the backyard-sewing studio of Kathie Sever located near the corner of S. Lamar and Bluebonnet.

Class Number One: What you Appreciate, Appreciates

May 17th 2:30-6:00 p.m. $55.00 each class (or sign up for both for $100.00)

In this class we’ll make Family Appreciation Banners that will keep gratitude on the forefront of every family member’s brain. Each banner will have a pocket for each member of the family, friends and a pocket for Universal thanks as well. There’ll be space for materials too so you can say “thanks” whenever the spirit moves you. We’ll discuss just why appreciations are so helpful in family life and ways we can encourage our children and partners to recognize and indeed appreciate all that is around them.

Class Number Two: Happy Birthday to You! (and you and you and you) May 24th 1:30-5:00. $55.00 (or sign up for both for $100.00)

In this class we’ll choose from three different birthday projects that you will be able to use year after year and child after child.

1. Birthday Wish Flags

These little flags are drawn from the idea of Tibetan Prayer Flags and can be hung up for each family birthday. Each flag holds a special birthday wish for your children for the coming year. Some folks have also added lessons learned in year’s past as reminders of where we’ve been and thoughts about where we’re going. Flags can be added for each birthday until the family string can be stretched across the whole house sending wishes far and wide.




2. Birthday crowns

Okay, we may find those little cardboard cone hats to be a link to our own childhood, but why not build a whole new birthday hat tradition that will be used year after year. We’ll make a special adjustable crown that can be worn with sentimental pride by each child for every birthday.

3. Anticipation Calendar

Think of this as a way of extending a birthday into a weeklong celebration of fun and anticipation. These little banners hold seven pockets each one holding a tiny treasure and a secret message for the honoree. Your child will be able to see for themselves just how many more days until their birthday (leaving the constant questioning of it at bay) and you’ll both have an entire week of count-down fun.

No comments: