Skirts, Scarves, and Shoes...Oh My!

5/16/2019

If you've never seen art teacher Cassie Stephens' clothing creations, you are missing out! Inspired by famous artists, Cassie is the Ms. Frizzle of the art classroom. You can check out her cool creations on her blog here:

Cassie Stephens

An elementary art teacher blog with art projects and lessons, DIY projects and outfit photos as well as clothing I have made myself.

Well, I'm no seamstress and certainly no artist. In fact, I'm more at home with a hot glue gun and some Velcro. But I do enjoy fun clothes and accessories. So what are some of my favorite things?

I wore these space-themed Mary Jane flats by Hot Chocolate Design to the National Week of Making in Washington, D.C. in June 2016. This composition notebook inspired tote was the perfect way to carry my belongings while touring the national monuments. They made everyone I met smile!

I have to admit that I'm a bit of a hack. How did I make this pair of fancy footwear for Flipgrid Live in 2018? By gluing stickers and adding green shoelaces. There's no place like Flipgrid!

I've just discovered a new online clothing line called Svaha, that is based in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. With an upcoming presentation at the Beth Yeshurn Day School Young Authors Celebration in Houston, Texas and a full day workshop with librarians through the Alberta School Learning Commons I was searching for library-themed clothes that were fun, comfortable, and easy to pack. This book print skirt and typewriter key skirt fit the bill. And for a bonus, both included deep pockets...perfect for carrying a pair of scissors and a roll of duct tape for my maker activities! Use my referral link to receive 20% off an order of $50 or more:
http://i.refs.cc/d5pfWKhd?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoyNzg5ODQwNTZ9

How could I attend the National Week of Making Kickoff Celebration at the White House without making my own pocketBOOK?

One of my favorite hacks is inspired by a librarian I saw at a conference years ago. She had the brilliant idea of collecting author signatures on a tote bag that resembled a library card. This library card scarf by Out of Print has been traveling with me for about a year and a half and is embellished by the signatures of authors I meet. It's lightweight, easy to pack, and always sparks a conversation

What do you collect when you are on vacation? Do you bring home postcards, ornaments, Starbucks mugs, magnets, or t-shirts? I collect pressed pennies that you make from those crank or automated machines. The problem is that there really wasn't a way for me to display my collection until I realized that I could make jewelry with them. If you are really talented and have patience you can create your own jewelry from scratch using copper wire and findings. I cheated and purchased a few copper-colored necklaces, hole-punched my pennies, and attached them with jump rings. You can do it too, with these hole punch pliers:
https://www.beaducation.com/p/293-jewelry-making-tools-metal-hole-punch-plier-1-8mm-hole

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PRAISE FOR HACKING SCHOOL LIBRARIES

"Hacking School Libraries is the practical book that I have been waiting for a teacher-librarian to publish! This is the book I will be recommending to school librarians who want constructive and attainable suggestions on how to not only transform their library space, but also their library practices and in turn, their school. The stories and ideas from Stony, Kristina, and other respected colleagues in the school library world spotlight tried-and-true practices that have transformed school library programs across the nation."
- Sherry Gick, Director of Innovative Learning--Five Star Technology Solutions, Teacher-Librarian, 2015 Library Journal Mover & Shaker

"I really like the quick reading style and the focus banners for each hack. This is a very useful guide for new school library professionals or those thirsting for easy, practical, and inexpensive ideas to revitalize their school libraries. My highest praise is that it's written by practitioners FOR practitioners."
- Dr. Bea Baaden, Director of the School Library Program, Palmer School of Library and Information Science, Long Island University

PRAISE FOR KRISTINA'S WORK

"I am super excited to learn about both high tech and low tech ways to promote literature.
I feel that over the years, I lost myself and my students with the primary focus always being on research. I want to go back to book talks and making library enjoyable (again).
Thank you for your inspiration!"
- Cara Lauber, library media specialist

"Kristina is a librarian's librarian!"
- Ali Schilpp, 2018 SLJ School Librarian of the Year

"Kristina is an engaging guest speaker who offers rich and varied approaches for participants to take part in and contribute. My graduate students leave the classroom feeling motivated, excited and ready to put their learning into practice in their own classrooms."
Dr. Karen Megay-Nespoli, Director of the Literacy and Cognition Graduate Program,
St. Joseph’s College, Patchogue