Hey Skillshare,

Below is an email from our friends at Garden Posse who are continuing in the spirit of Skillshare. We thought you might want to be involved.

Totally Awesome.

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Hey posse pals,

We have two exciting events coming up in July! We thought we'd give you the heads up so you can plan to be there.

On Thursday, July 8, our friend McAllen is hosting a cooking skillshare and potluck, inspired by his experience at Skillshare Weekend. You can expect to learn how to make roasted garlic, ornamental hot pepper wreaths, and soup stock from scratch, and more! It's from 7-10 pm at McAllen's house, at 1184 Ridgeway Dr (near 12th & Airport). Bring a dish to share!

On the morning of Saturday, July 10, we need volunteers to help us with a city-funded planting, right next to the New Movement Theater! This effort is spearheaded by landscape architect Ilse Frank, and sponsored by the Organization of Central East Austin Neighborhoods. We will be planting over 100 plants! It will be fancy!

For more information on both of these events, visit our blog at gardenposse.blogspot.com.

Hope to see you this summer!

your friends,
The Garden Posse

The biggest thank you to everyone who made it to our 3rd Annual Skillshare Austin Weekend!!

Space 12 was yet again oh so welcoming and friendly to all of us skillsharers. I urge you to check out their website and support them in anyway you can. http://www.space12.org/
Thanks also go to Chris Trew and the New Movement for not only teaching an improv class at skillshare again this year, but opening their theater doors to skillshare participants for a night of improv after Saturday's classes. They have free, on going improv classes, Wednesdays at 7 (1819 rosewood ave.) as well as advanced comedy classes throughout the year! Check them out http://newmovementtheater.com/
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to all of the people who volunteered their time and taught this year!! If you would like more information on any of the workshops presented, we will certainly be the conduit to the right person.

So... Were you, perhaps, inspired to teach a skill of your own? Or have you taught a class with us, but would like to teach something more advanced? We are working on this year's calendar and would love to add your skill! hit reply and lets talk.

If you were unable to fill out a feedback form before you left, please consider typing out a few thoughts and criticisms and send them our way. Your feedback is what helps future events run the way they should. See below for the feedback form.

Check out our facebook page for pictures from this weekend, and go ahead and "like" us while you are at it!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Skillshare-Austin/116550125025621?ref=ts

Much love, sauerkraut, liqueur, farmer cheese, messenger bags, home roasted coffee, mud stencils, and resin casted ephemera!,
Charity and the rest of your Skillshare Austin darlings!

:::::FEEDBACK FORM ::::::
How did you find out about Skillshare Austin?

What workshops did you attend this year?

Was there a workshop that you were unable to attend but wish you could have?

If you attended more than one workshop, which was your favorite?

Was there a workshop that you would have liked to see this year that wasn't offered? What skill?

Would you like to facilitate a workshop in the future? for what skill?

Other comments, Questions, concerns?

We are so excited about our 3rd year putting together a full weekend of skillshares! Just as a reminder, there is no need to bring a skill to get one and though we appreciate a buck or more to go towards next year, it is essentially a free event.
Come on out to Space 12 (3121 e. 12th st.)! Come early (12:30) and learn about skillshare austin as well as some things straight from the organizers hands. Workshops are from 1:30-7 June 5th and 6th ((this weekend!)).

Also, The after party, free for those who attend worskshops, will include comedy about skillshare by The New Movement plus general hijinks and rug cutting! (1819 rosewood ave)

The schedule is as follows but scroll down for the descriptions!
See you this weekend!
love,
charity and your darling skillsharers~

Saturday June 5th
1:30 - 3:00 Kombucha! How does that work, Radiant Child Yoga, Intro to Indian Music, Recycled Messenger Bags!
3:15 - 4:45 Making Liqueurs and Raw Nutrition, Beginner Bike Maintenance, Belly Dancing, Texas Hold'em, How to make Rain Barrel Collection
5:15 - 6:45 Vegetable Fermentation, Intermediate Bike Maintenance, Kitchen Circus (kid crafts), Combatting Gentrification, Casting things in Resin

Sunday June 6th
1:30 - 3:00 This is how you make Sauerkraut, Screen Printing, Consensus Training, How-To: Simple Non-toxic Household Cleaners, Mud Stencils, Finger knitting for kids
3:15 - 4:45 Creating a Horizontal Workplace, Urban Food Foraging, Sew your Own Bicycle Tool Kit, Making Play-doh, Video Editin, Home Roasted Coffee
5:15 - 6:45 Making Farmer Cheese, Improv Comedy from The New Movement, Carve Stamps and Stamp Stuff, Public Speaking, Oil Change
Saturday 1:30 - 3:00

Kombucha! How does that work?
Bree
I will show the process I go through when changing out my kombucha tea. I will also show how to keep your mother healthy and bottle the tea with carbonation.

Recycled messenger bags!
Lindsey Verrill
A functional and cool messenger bag that would cost $40-50 at the store is really just a few stitches away if you have some old clothing scraps and about an hour. In this workshop we are going to make really rad messenger bags out of recycled old clothes and sheets.

Radiant Child Yoga
Megan Salinas & Aleth Cates
Radiant Child Yoga is a kundalini yoga practice for children developed by Shakta Kaur Khalsa in 2000.
Within the scope of the program she developed I will be teaching ways for children to stretch and move their bodies in a fun and interactive way accompanied with music.

Introduction to Indian Music
Sucharit Katyal
The workshop will be a brief introduction to how the Indian music system works. It will begin with a demonstration of the melodic and rhythmic component. This will be followed by participants learning a qawwali song, a style of sufi music played in North India and Pakistan.

Saturday 3:15 - 4:45

making your own liqueurs & infusions
colin pedin
homebrewing and home winemaking have exploded in popularity in the last twenty years, but making one’s own liqueurs is also easier, faster and much cheaper than, say, buying kahlua at the liquor store. It might actually be the best way to begin for someone who is interested in making their own alcoholic drinks from scratch. In this workshop we will discuss the basics of making liqueurs and infusions at home from simple recipe ideas, and we will make three recipes: coconut cream, rosemary, and mint.

Raw It Up!

Did you know that when we eat a diet that’s more than 50% cooked, we have to utilize our immune system to help us digest? Summer is prime time for eating in the raw and incorporating more raw foods into your diet is easier than you know! Learn about optimal nutrition and digestion along with a hands-on tutorial of two incredibly delicious, easy raw meals to add to your daily regime. Your body and tastebuds will thank you for the rest of your life, guaranteed! Taught by Sarah Dwyer, an Austin-based Certified Health & Nutrition Counselor, Educator, Researcher and Patient Advocate.

Belly Dance
Sandra Campos
This skill share is for any body of any age to have the chance to learn basic belly dance techniques. An excellent low-impact, high-cardio workout for everyone!

Beginner Bike Maintenance
Chris Roncal
This workshop will teach how to change and seat a tire correctly, to patch a tube, to change brake pads, change/clean a chain, and wrap handle bars.

Texas Hold 'Em
Michael
Learn to play poker in a fun and friendly environment. It's easy and you don't need any special tools or previous knowledge. And if you play your cards right, you might be able to make a buck with what you learn.

Rain Barrel Construction
simon
Participants will learn the simple but ancient art of metal rain barrel construction.

Saturday 5:15 - 6:45

Vegetable Fermentation
Laura Larsell
The workshop will cover the basics of vegetable fermentation including: best practices, supplies, and resources. I will cover/show the process for kimchi in depth and discuss my experiences with other "sour veggies": kraut, brined garlic...

Kitchen Circus
Anita Lewis
Make your own face paints, flubber, and huge bubbles....

Intermediate Bike Building/Maintenance
Damian Vasquez
Workshop will teach how to run a brake and gear cable, set limits of derailleurs, and proper chain tension/length. Open to questions and direction.

Combatting gentrification

resin casting: you’re pretty, i think i’ll keep you.
virginia
i have a shelf in my house reserved for treasures: old photogeaphs, rocks, leaves, bones, dead bugs and other found objects i find special in some way. Some i like to leave just as they are and others are better off preserved one way or another. Casting things in resin, whether it is a flat image or a small multi-dimensional object, can give your treasures a nice,finished look, as well as a variety of new uses. in this workshop we will go through the details of casting various images and small objects in resin.

Sunday 1:30 - 3:00

This is how you make sauerkraut.
alejandro and ann
we will make a simple cabbage sauerkraut and discuss making bigger and fancier batches. Everyone will take home a small batch.

Screen Printing Silk Screening Serigraphy Basics
Doug Morehead
Learn how to screen print using photo emulsion and screen filler.

How-To: Simple, Non-toxic Household Cleaners
Katy Hamill
Do away with pricey, chemical-laden spray cleaners in favor of these DIY non-toxic alternatives. Utilizing a small collection of materials, I'll show you how to combine them to create enough of the following to go longer than any $3+ bottle ever will: All-Purpose Spray Cleaner, Streak-Free Glass Cleaner, Gentle Face Wash, Toothpaste

Consensus

Handknitting for kids (and grown ups too)
Finn
Handknitting (also known as finger weaving) is a simple form of knitting that is quick to learn and requires nothing but a ball of yarn. Finn, age 6, learned how to knot 2 years ago and is ready to pass his skills on to kids and adults alike.

Mud Stencils
The Garden Posse, Austin guerrilla gardeners -
will be teaching how to make and use mud stencils. Mud stencils are an environmentally conscious, inherently impermanent, and washable way to create public art. Workshop participants will make their own stencils and use them on parking lots and sidewalks.

Sunday 3:15 - 4:45

how to make play-dough
emily summerfield
make your own playdough with stuff you probably already have at home right now!

Sew your own bicycle tool kit
charity
You have a flat on the side of the road. Its hot and you are late for whatever adventure you're sure to be on. You can't find your patch kit or that second tire lever amidst all of the ephemera and daily necessities you have tinkering around in your bag? oh no! Its time for a tool kit so what's needed is never lost! You can design it to fit for your needs and sew it yourself!

Urban Food Foraging
Jen Weiss & Shelley O'Grady
An introduction to foraging in Austin: how to identify, eat, and preserve various fruits, nuts, and other edibles found in the city. We'll talk about many of the most common edible plants that grow here, and where to find them in public spaces. Loquats, persimmons, mulberries, pomegranates, pecans, agarita, mustang grapes, and some lesser known stuff.

video edit
matt
learn how to edit videos quickly!

Getting Your Home Roast On
Kevin Chen
I roast my own coffee using a popcorn popper and it has revolutionized my morning cup of joe. Utilizing normal household utensils, coffee no longer means lining up for an overpriced drink, but fresh delicious coffee for pennies.

sunday 5:15 - 6:45

How to Make Farmer Cheese
Emily Summerfield
Farmer cheese is a soft white cheese that can easily be made from home using raw or pasteurized milk. It's an easy way to use up milk, and tastes great mixed with herbs or when used as a filling for blintzes.

carve stamps & stamp stuff
Niku
learn to carve stamps from soft erasers and artcarve blocks. We'll demonstrate how print on paper or textiles, personalize your mail art, patches, and take a stamp home with you.

Learn Comedy
Chris Trew
We'll ease participants into the art of improv comedy through a series of exercises and lectures. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in improv scenes and get notes. Come learn how to play again! Come learn how to communicate better!

Public Speaking
Tane
I will give tips on public speaking with a socially conscious analysis and a fun interactive atmosphere. I will incorporate techniques for dealing with nervousness, breath control, voice projection, confidence and presence. No one will be required to participate beyond their comfort level. All welcome.

Oil change
You can totally learn how to do it yourself!

The schedule is ready! Come on out to Space 12 (3121 e. 12th st.) this weekend and leave with a handful of these skills.

Saturday June 5th
1:30 - 3:00 Kombucha! How does that work, Radiant Child Yoga, Intro to Indian Music, Recycled Messenger Bags!
3:15 - 4:45 Making Liqueurs and Raw Nutrition, Beginner Bike Maintenance, Belly Dancing, Texas Hold'em, How to make Rain Barrel Collection
5:15 - 6:45 Vegetable Fermentation, Intermediate Bike Maintenance, Kitchen Circus (kid crafts), Combatting Gentrification, Casting things in Resin

Sunday June 6th
1:30 - 3:00 This is how you make Sauerkraut, Consensus Training, How-To: Simple Non-toxic Household Cleaners, Mud Stencils, Finger knitting for kids
3:15 - 4:45 Creating a Horizontal Workplace, Urban Food Foraging, Sew your Own Bicycle Tool Kit, Making Play-doh, Video Editin, Home Roasted Coffee
5:15 - 6:45 Making Farmer Cheese, Improv Comedy from The New Movement, Carve Stamps and Stamp Stuff, Public Speaking, Oil Change

Also, if you want to brave the rain tonight, Virginia and I will be at the New Movement Theater (1819 Rosewood avenue) telling personal stories to be used as material for comedy.. What we will we not do for skillshare?! There will be blushing cheeks, and stuttering stammering words. We would love your support, plus its free! Chris Trew of The New Movement will host an improv class this weekend and is also putting together an after party saturday night, Skillshare Live! details can be found at newmovementtheater.com

Thanks and lots of love!
Charity Ridpath
and the rest of your skillshare austin crew~

Our 3rd Annual weekend Skillshare is fast approaching (June 5th and 6th @ Space 12) and we are more ready this year than ever! To help us in all that we do to organize this lovely event, Stem and Leaf is throwing us a benefit show this weekend!! What sweethearts they are.

If our skillshares are free, someone has to pay for the materials and we don't want the workshop teachers to carry this. So, we do what we can to use repurposed refuse and get things donated but eventually someone's pocket gets rifled through for money that isn't already promised to a roof, a glass of water, or a tasty avocado.

This is why we have benefit parties and here is what you can expect from this year's benefit.

Skillshare Austin will have a few tables of quick skills and offer information about us and our upcoming event. We will also have workshop sign-up forms for any last minute workshop teachers. There is always room for one more!

The Stem and Leaf Collective will be there promoting creative expression through music, art and community involvement.

And the gems of the evening will be all of the bands that have donated the fruits their skill and passion made!

Darling New Neighbor, Elizabeth Jackson (solo set) - 2:30

Dark Water Hymnal - 3:00

Polar Optimist - 4:00

Searching for Signal - 5:00

Honey & Salt - 6:00

This is an all ages show. No chunky X on your hand that somehow makes its way to your cheek in the morning and no need to get a sitter!

If you are of that drinking age there are $2 lonestar pints and $3 for all other pints!

In other news, we are looking for help in getting the word out about not just our benefit, but the weekend skillshare. Can you help us out? Invite your friends to our benefit via facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=121754637845128&ref=mf

if facebook isn't your thing, send me an email if you want press kit for your blog, zine or just to send to your friends. You can also pick up fliers to post up around town. And as always, we are looking for volunteers to help out at the event and beforehand. Let me know!
charibird@gmail.com

Its not to late to sign up to teach, but June 5th and 6th will be here before you know it. Email Chris at chris.roncal@gmail.com if you have ideas or questions!

With so much love,
Charity Ridpath
one of your darling skillsharers.

Our summer weekend of workshops is now in the works, and we are looking for people who want to teach a workshop!

June 6 12-7pm and June 7th 1-7pm,
Skillshare Weekend at Space 12.

If you have skills in urban homesteading, transportation, arts and media, fun and games, parenting and childcare, horizontal organizing, cooking, health and self care or anything else, please fill out our workshop sign-up form at skillshareaustin.org. Remember that your description will show up on our website and in the program. Contact Chris at chris.roncal@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Are you interested in volunteering at or before the event, we have plenty of ways that you can help. Contact Charity at charibird@gmail.com and let her know!

We also have a benefit day show May 22, Cherrywood Coffeehouse with a splendid list of bands and a handful of quick skills. So mark your calendars!

See you soon!
Love,
your darling skillsharers.

Thats right, Skillshare will be part of SXSW hijinks getting revved up and sharing skills. The press release is below, but here are a few highlights: the show is free, the beer is free, and the skills are free! Happy birthday Stem and Leaf!!
Saturday March 20th
Rainey Manor (90 I-35 South)
12-8pm
In other news, the weekend event of summer workshops is brewing. We are aiming for a weekend in May and need your help!! send me an email at charibird@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering or facilitating a workshop.

Stem and Leaf 2010

For the past 5 years Stem and Leaf has hosted a party during SXSW featuring our friends who are part of the artist collective, and their friends they have made along the way. Every SXSW we pay homage to those who made the events and shows a great time, as well as create lasting friendships for the years to come.

This year it's bigger than ever with two stages and SIXTEEN bands total!

Free Beer and snacks all day, compliments of all of us at Stem and Leaf !!!

Skillshare Austin and The Garden Posse will be helping out with tables of hands on craft making and screen printing.

Austin's Treasure City Thrift will be there with a rack of cute clothes and TCT t-shirts for boys and girls.

Also, a Vintage Clothing Sale will be happening across the alley courtesy of Baltimore House Studio and Friends (next door to Lustre Pearl).

We're holding the party this year at Rainey Manor (90 I-35 South) which is catty corner to Lustre Pearl (Official SXSW Venue). Also directly located off of the I-35 Frontage road just past Cesar Chavez.

SHOW SCHEDULE:

outside:

12:10 - 12:40, Darling New Neighbors
1:00 - 1:30, The Distant Seconds
1:55 - 2:25, Stephanie's ID (Asheville, NC)
2:50 - 3:20, Squalor Victoria
3:20 - 3:50, Mount Righteous (Grapevine, TX)
3:50 - 4:20, News on the March (Houston, TX)
4:45 - 5:15, The Great Nostalgic
5:40 - 6:10, One Hundred Flowers
6:35 - 7:05, Dignan (McAllen, TX)
7:30 - 8:00, Cartographers (San Antonio, TX)

inside:

1:30 - 1:55, Writer (Denton, TX)
2:25 - 2:50, OK Sweetheart
4:20 - 4:45, Polar Optimist
5:15 - 5:40, Monarchs
6:10 - 6:35, Peter and the Wolf
7:05 - 7:30, The Loom (Brooklyn, NY)

Stem and Leaf is a completely DIY upstart of Austin artists. We buy our own beer for our parties. We run our own sound. We make our own snacks with our own hands (don't worry, we wash). We make our signs. We build our own stages.

We are completely DIY, free of any corporate sponsorship or funding.

Your support is always appreciated. You are always loved.

Looking forward to another year, Austin!

Love,
Stem and Leaf - ATX

This Sunday September 27th, Skillshare will be at the Art Authority helping raise money for the Garden Posse. For those who came to our summer Skillshare Weekend, you may remember the Garden Posse putting together a guerrilla garden with skillsharers.
Skillshare will have a booth with information and, most importantly, a skillswap! Feel free to bring your own quick skills and share them with us. Its an all day thing, so drop on by, 1-8.

I hope to see you all there!
-Charity

P.s. Here is the official press release along with the line up of bands!:

On Sunday, September 27, Stem & Leaf Showcases is happy to be hosting The Garden Posse of Austin Benefit Show at The United States Art Authority from 1:00 - 8:00PM.

The Garden Posse of Austin is a guerrilla gardening group in Austin, TX whose mission is to transform neglected urban space into lush and productive gardens with the help of their young, like-minded volunteers who share a love of gardening, fun, local food networks, and sustainable land use.

Garden Posse founder Lindsay Patterson worked on community gardens in Austin’s East Side. While researching how to establish and run a community garden, she started running into information about guerrilla gardening. The idea of starting a series of small gardens all over the city appealed to her, both as a way to bring people together within their community, and to make urban spaces more beautiful. Their first dig was at the end of August, 2008 and since then the Posse has gone on to establish gardens all over Austin, host seed bomb and gardening workshops, and organize Austin’s International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening Day, amongst other community outreach.

The group hopes that through guerrilla gardening they will encourage others to be inspired to help a garden in their area grow as it transforms formerly neglected urban space into a place rich with healthy food and community togetherness. They are happy to have had their group grow with new members over the past year and welcome all who wish to become involved and share their gardening tips over social gatherings and potlucks.

Showing our appreciation for what they do, Stem & Leaf Showcases and all the musicians involved, hope to raise funds and spread the good that the Posse has done for our community.

Included with the $5.00 suggested donation, attendees will receive a raffle ticket. The winner of the raffle will receive their very own garden; project management, planning, labor and supplies provided by The Garden Posse of Austin.

Also involved will be Skillshare Austin, raffling off their handmade Chicken Tractor and Quilombo, a community garden on the East Side, will be selling vegetable transplants for cheap!

Please see the stage schedule listed on the event to see the full line up of bands playing on both stages.

We hope you will make it out for this tremendous community event and help show your support for a group of people that have Austins best interest in mind.
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OUTSIDE STAGE

1:30 - 2:00 Boone Graham

2:45 - 3:15 Stephen's Island Wren

4:00 - 4:30 Lady Maybe & The Sometimes Friends

5:15 - 5:45 Dana Falconberry

6:30 - 6:45 Raffle Winner Drawing

6:45 - 7:15 Danny Malone

INSIDE STAGE

2:00 - 2:45 Marcus Rubio & Gospel Choir of Pillows

3:15 - 4:00 The Great Nostalgic

4:30 - 5:15 Cartographers

5:45 - 6:30 One Hundred Flowers

7:15 - 8:00 The Lovely Sparrows

Skillshare Austin Skill Swap
Barton Springs
2101 Barton Springs Rd.
Saturday, June 13th, 2009
2 to 4pm

Well folks, it looks as though summer is officially upon us! In
efforts to beat the heat we are moving our monthly skill swap to the
springs this Saturday. Come out and swap some skills in the sunshine
(made a bit more bearable by the shade of a few friendly trees and
immediate access to a refreshing spring fed pool). We’ll be bringing
out some simple skills that should be a lot of fun for everyone. Make
felt buttons, practice some easy embroidery techniques, learn a few
new magic tricks perhaps. If you feel up to bringing along your own
skill for the sharing, that’s great! If not, just come and learn cool
stuff anyway!

If all of this wasn’t enough, you can also enjoy the Qawwali music of
Austin’s own Riyazz. They’ll be playing at Barton Springs from 2 to 5
pm on Saturday. All in all, it looks to be a lovely way to spend an
afternoon.

As always, this Skillshare Austin event is free; however, Barton
Springs Pool does charge 3 dollars for admission into the pool area.
If you can swing it, we think it’ll be worth your while. We hope to
see you all out there!

And to all of those who were able to make it out to the Skillshare
Austin weekend at the beginning of the month, our unending love and
gratitude. We hope you enjoyed yourselves, we certainly did!

I've gotten quite a few emails asking where the schedule is for this weekend. It's up on the website now at www.skillshareaustin.org and it's 99% finalized...just scroll down on the front page and you'll see it.

See you tomorrow!
Cory
Skillshare Austin