We will have a number of 3D Printers, some home-built, and even capable of self-replication by printing parts for another printer, on display running and making items. Stop by and watch them run. Interested in 3D printing in general? Check out our 3D Printing Discussion panel Saturday at 10:30 in Hampton.

Workshop 88 is thrilled to be offering an introduction to the Arduino platform at Musecon this year. Class attendees will learn what the arduino is capable of doing, how to design simple circuits for interfacing with the arduino and how to write simple programs to control the arduino. What is Arduino, you ask? From their home page:

Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments.

Even if you have never touched a circuit board or done any programming, we will show you how you can start to learn to use an arduino for creating fun electronics projects. Come see why Workshop 88 is the best place in the Chicago suburbs to hack electronics!

Learn about balloon sculpting, make your own dog, and see demonstrations of a multitude of other objects and animals (such as dragons, ninja turtles, Mermaids, Aliens, Motorcycles, The Starship Enterprise, hats, giraffes, elephants, etc.). // Children too young to participate in the hands-on portion are invited to watch, learn, and request their own balloons.

How do we go from having beads, to actually being able to put on and wear a piece of jewelry? What are all these pliers and wires? Come to this class to find out the basics of stringing on wire and headpins, and create your own bracelet and earrings to take home.

A first step in the wonders of playing the harp. A hands-on workshop with the heavenly Jen Midkiff that lets your fingers dance with the joys of the strings.

We have all the parts needed to create a simple cedar birdhouse, and a workshop ready to go.

Although only about 85 of the hundreds of North American bird species nest in cavities, there is so much competition for natural holes, that man-made nest boxes are appreciated by many of them and are an important conservation tool.

All you folks out there with a little rhythm and no other perceptible musical talent need to come to this panel. You'll construct and learn how to play your very own weapon of mass distraction. Guaranteed to totally tick off any real musician in the room, this construct generates wonderful, booming notes (some of them even on key!), requires no tuning and can be constructed for peanuts. Bring your own galvanized tub, mop handle, and 1/4in bolt, or register to pick up a kit at MuseCon. // NOTE: Older children MUST have appropriate adult supervision (one kid, one responsible adult). Not suitable for children too young to deal with sharp edges and power tools.

Inspired to share your favorite form of creativity with others? We have a limited number of rooms available for on-site registration. Just stop by our Program Ops headquarters on the 2nd floor to reserve a slot, make some signs to advertise, and inspire your fellow attendees! Please see our programming team with questions.

Learn to create jewelry starting from just little rings. We will use the European 4-in-1 weave to make a basic bracelet using commercially available aluminum and rubber rings. Kits will be available in several different colors. Some sets of pliers will be available for loan during the class, but if you have your own smooth flat or chain nose pliers, bring 'em along.

Come join us for a fundamental lesson in running microphone sound on a wide range of instruments. From the harp, the fiddle, the hand drum and more, we show you how to address issues, what kinds of microphones work best in different situations, and how to get the most out of every performance.

Take control of your cooking, don't let it control you. Learn how to break the 'rules' and still make good food, by improvising around master recipe algorithms and modifying ideas from the cookbooks you already have. Allergies? Special diets? Picky eaters? No problem! Several basic filling nutritious dinner plans will be covered, along with explanations of lots of confusing jargon and the difference between sauteeing, sweating, frying, and broiling.

Crazy Quilt can be whatever you want it to be, from patches on your jeans to a sumptuous feast for eyes and fingers designed to cover your favorite guitar, a pillow, or a whole bed. Bring something you want to decorate or just come have fun. (If you want a new accessory to match a particular outfit, feel free to bring it along so we can try to match or complement the colors.)

Skill Level Required: Adequate hand-eye coordination. Really. If you can get a button to stay on, you’re good.

In this hands-on session, we will learn some basic crochet stitches and start a a simple project. Some materials will be provided, but if you have a favorite pattern, crochet hook and/or yarn, bring it along. Kids are welcome, but may get frustrated.

Come and learn to dabke! A line dance, it is widely performed at weddings and joyous occasions, it emphasizes unity and fun, playfulness and joy! This dance is done together, all ages and skills. Prepare to laugh and enjoy line dancing with an Arabic flavor!

So, you have some basic skills, from my earlier class or gleaned out in the wide wild world. And now you have a dream--you want your blinkie to shine through cut-outs in your velvet vest, or you want steampunk insignia for your con-com, or maybe you just want a steampunk hatband, bag, or filk-book cover. Bring something you want to decorate or just come have fun.

Skill level required: Some comfort with sewing or attendance at Friday's Crazy Quilt workshop.

Djembe, bodhran, maracas.... But what can it do? Come find out the different styles and voices of many different percussion instruments. Bring your own drum or borrow one of ours for technique help as well as tips and tricks.

We will try to demystify the working of the camera. Have you always been confused by all the settings on your camera? Are you frustrated by your images always being blurry, out of focus or too dark/light to see? Learn how f-stop and shutter speed effect the exposure and can also affect the sharpness of the image.

Please bring your camera with you so that you can get the hands on experience with your own equipment. Fresh film & batteries are reccommended.

Sewing machines! Fabric! Spinning and knitting and more! Come and play with us and let your creativity loose! Bring your current project, teach someone else, learn something new, just hang out with other creative people.

Welcome to the subgenre of science fiction and fantasy fandom known as filk. So what is Filk? You wish to know? That's a very good question. So set back and enjoy one of the stranger forms of music on this planet

Open crafting, costuming, and creativity, geared towards our younger members.

Not just a dance, a glow-in-the-dark dance! Jump, jive, and have a good time under the black lights!

A hackerspace or hackspace (also referred to as a hacklab, makerspace or creative space) is a venue where people with common interests, often in computers, technology, science, digital or electronic art, and also in many other realms, can meet, socialize and collaborate. Hackerspaces can be viewed as open community labs incorporating elements of machine shops, workshops and studios where hackers can come together to share resources and knowledge to build and make things. Learn about cool places like Sector67, Bucketworks, Workshop88, Pumping Station One, and i3Detroit. We will have representatives from a few on hand to tell us about themselves, their history, and what they offer.

In this 3-hour workshop you will make-and-take a hard-backed journal or blank book. You'll learn to make a book with inexpensive and easy-to-find materials and hand tools, so no special book presses or other binding equipment is needed. You'll also take home complete directions and a supply list.

Supplies are included in the workshop price, but please bring these things if you can or want: any special paper you want to cover the boards (bring 2 sheets 6X11 or larger; the weight of gift wrap is good); 2 large glue sticks; scissors; a bone folder/creaser; a rotary paper cutter (letter size is fine) or a razor blade knife and self-healing cutting mat; any special color book binding thread (embroidery floss works fine); and any small beads or other decorative charms, etc. Otherwise, I'll have plenty of decorative paper and hand tools. We'll need every minute, so don't be late!

This workshop is limited to 15 people and costs $20.

In these days of insanely high gas prices, why not consider the increasingly popular use of an electric bike for short to medium range personal travel? This is an outline tutorial on how to take a standard bike and upgrade it to an electrically-assisted bike that takes all the sweat out of riding up hills and into the wind. For the less technically inclined, there will also be some guidance on what to look for in a standard commercial electric bike.

Class will start with an explanation and demonstration of Spanish Dance and Castanets and then continue with basic instruction in Flamenco dance techniques and rhythms.

Wear loose-fitting clothing and shoes that fit securely.

This class will give a basic introduction to the 108 move set that was developed by Master Moy Lin-shin. This taoist art form had been developed to improve heath, balance and well being, not as a martial art. We suggest wearing lose fitting clothes and tennis shoes.

Learn the basics of hand-sewing leather by making your own key fob, or take on a larger project. We have four projects this year: two key fobs, a paperback book cover, and a small belt pouch. As various sharp and pointy tools will be used, participants should be age 10 and up. All four projects are suitable for beginners, but the book cover and belt pouch will likely require completion outside of class.

See the registration page for the different projects/prices.

Participants from Lyric Writing I read their lyrics aloud, receiving gentle guidance and techniques to edit and polish their work into a stronger song.

30 Minutes one-on-one with Jen Midkiff. All levels are welcome, from the barest beginner to the aspiring novice to the experienced scholar looking for tips and tricks.

Create your own miniature soft sculpture. This is a beginners class. WARNING: extremely sharp needles are used.

Note - students under age 8 must be accompanied by a parent/adult.

Music Improvisation for Everybody (even non-musicians!) This playshop introduces simple, game-like improvisation techniques to have you creating high-quality music immediately, even if you don't think you're a musician. Why should you learn to improvise? It's a great way to kick-start musical and other creativity, it helps get rid of performance anxiety, it helps you learn to play with other people, it encourages you to get outside your box, it's a great way to get the music inside of you out, it teaches you to listen like nothing else, and mostly it's a whole lot of fun. Come bring instruments if you have them (lots of hand percussion and Boomwhackers will be available), your bodies and voices, and your sense of playfulness; leave with techniques to immediately increase your creativity. All instruments, all experience levels, and all styles of music are welcome, even if you've never played music in your life, and you can't play any wrong notes! Visual artists, writers, dancers, and all creative folks will enjoy the cross-training! Sally is a certified Music for People guided music improvisation facilitator.

Weather-permitting we'll be headed outdoors for relay-races, bubbles, and more creative fun.

Create a fun frog face pop-up. Just bring your paper scissors.

If you have a favorite pop-up book feel free to bring it to share.

An introduction to the open source Processing digital creativity programming platform. Covered are the basic language concepts, the creative use of randomness, recursion techniques, art from sound, and more. Feel free to bring your computer with Processing installed (processing.org) so that you can create your own programs in real time.

Let's do the Time Warp Again! We're celebrating the unique fun a frolick with a sing-a-long to the music of this cult classic. Please note: we will NOT be showing the movie, and this is NOT an audience participation show. Please, no rice, no toast, no water guns. However costumes are encouraged!

Learn how to weave by creating a potholder without buying a loom. Bring one skein of washable yarn in the color(s) to coordinate in your own home. The potholder will not require the entire skein, but who needs only one?

Oooh - shiny and colorful! And, as a bonus, requires molten metal to build! You get a kit with the glass already cut for the pattern, copper foil, brass wire, and lead-free solder. A short class to get you going, and then as much (or as little) help as desired. There are two most excellent kits to choose from. There is a fee to defer the cost of materials.

Are you interested in learning how to use standard studio lights for your photography? Lear the answers to questions like: What do strobes give you that speedlights (flash) don't? Aren't they super expensive and hard to use? Learn camera techniques to control your exposure while using external lights.

With tools like Podcasting and Self-Publishing, it's never been easier to cut out the middleman and create your own quality finished product to bring to the marketplace. But how do you make it happen, and how do you make anyone notice it once you do? There is no single right way to do this, and anyone who says they have a magic formula is a fraud. But Gregg Taylor, creator of the "Decoder Ring Theatre" audio drama podcasts and author of the novels "Black Jack Justice" and the "Tales of the Red Panda" series can tell you a little bit about how things have worked for him, offer ideas and answer questions about how to make things happen for yourself.

We will teach you the basic three-ball juggling pattern, and a few tricks if we have time. The first half of the class will be making your own set of colorful juggling balls to take home with you! If you already juggle, drop in for some club passing or stealing patterns as well.

Note: Participants ages 8-2 who REALLY want to learn are welcome, but please bring your own adult with you.

Gregg Taylor, creator of the Decoder Ring Theatre, takes you on a rapid-fire guide to voice acting for beginners and assembles a cast ready to perform an adventure script live from the floor! All the embarassment of a regular audition with a whole bunch of other people laughing and pointing! What could be better? The session will end in the recording of a live episode of something or other (We've tried, but he won't tell us what. He's either being enigmatic or he hasn't written it yet. Or both.)

30 minutes one-on-one with Mark Bernstein. Focusing on inexperienced level one singers, come find your voice and your footing in the world of vocal music.

From the world of Tron to neon art, Electroluminescent wire can add a fun and futuristic look to many things. Although plug-n-play kits are available, building your own allows for much more flexibility and creativity. Join us as we walk you through the steps involved in working with this glowing, bendy, but sometimes tricky material. Fee includes inverter and wire as well as connective supplies; tools will be available for loan.

If you're new to yoga, come check out a Yoga Basics class taught by teacher trainee Ronni Selzer. Learn a few poses (asana), some breath work, and yoga fundamentals in a safe and non-competitive environment. Discover how yoga can open you physically, spiritually, and mentally. Dress comfortably, and prepare to laugh. Bring a mat if you have one. :)

Time to throw the kids in the pool! Big kids welcome, too.

No lifeguard on duty! You must provide supervision for your kids!

Learn surprisingly simple techniques to have beautiful art right at your fingertips.

Got a sweet tooth? How 'bout some Starburts? But wait! Don't throw away that wrapper - make a nifty bracelet instead! Learn how to create a great gift or snazzy personal accessory.

You will have two minutes on stage to show something you have made. Tell a little about the technique, the materials, the artistic choices, or whatever. Any medium is fair game -- sing a verse of a song you wrote, show off your fiber or metal or wood creation, display a painting, wear your costuming work, etc. If you wish, you may submit up to 5 photographs of your work to be projected behind you while you speak; email files (jpg, png, or gif; maximum 5Mb each) to Zelda.Stoa AT gmail DOT com ahead of time or bring a USB drive to the event.

Come one, come all, whether you sing, play an instrument, or just want to listen to the wonderful music. At times we'll be jamming, at times we'll all be listening to a wonderful number. A bit of filk, a bit of folk, a bit of rock...all are welcome here. Whether it's your first time, or you're an old hand, come and participate.

Come one, come all, whether you sing, play an instrument, or just want to listen to the wonderful music. At times we'll be jamming, at times we'll all be listening to a wonderful number. A bit of filk, a bit of folk, a bit of rock...all are welcome here. Whether it's your first time, or you're an old hand, come and participate.