Upcoming Arts Council classes in Potsdam: sewing, image manipulation, poetry

POTSDAM – Learn something new this summer at the St. Lawrence County Arts Council.

All classes are held at Downtown Snell Hall in Potsdam. Contact the council to register and pre-pay for classes at 265-6860 or www.slcartscouncil.org.

• Basic Hand Sewing: Hand Sewn Jewelry Case with Mary Holland - Thursdays, Aug. 11 & 18, 7-9 p.m. This class will cover basic hand sewing technique and stitches. Participants will sew a small jewelry case. Skills covered include: Understanding fabric grain, pinning and cutting with a pattern, preparing needle and thread to sew, basting, running, overcast, and back stitch, turned seams and corners, and more. $40, plus $5 materials fee; call for list of materials to bring.

• Digital Photo Manipulation for Beginners with Susan McDermott - Saturday, Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Photoshop and GIMP are incredibly powerful digital design tools - and they can be very intimidating for beginners. Susan McDermott will introduce students to Picasa - a free, simple, but very effective photo manipulation program - to help them improve their digital photos. Other photo manipulation programs will be briefly discussed at the end of class. There will be a one-hour break for lunch at 12:30 p.m. $30 and bring a notebook & pen and your digital camera with its USB cable.

• Creating Life Healing & Change Through Poetry with Becky Harblin - Saturday, Aug. 13, 9 a.m.-noon. For adults (ages 18 and up). Poetry is a life-cherishing force. In this class we will use words from poems to inspire the change or healing you may be seeking regarding your health, habits or dreams. This class is designed for people facing health or other life challenges. The class will be lead by Becky Harblin, a shamanic practitioner and reflexologist, artist, and poet. $22 for 3 hours and students should bring: favorite poem, or favorite line from a poem or book and a journal, writing paper, or iPad or notebook computer.