Her Majesty Margo Duke

February 24th, 2010

We are pleased to have Margo Duke join us at Artistic Artifacts Annex for a workshop on Saturday, March 20th 2010.  We, yes I am taking the workshop also!!. We will enjoy creating flowers with our embellishing machines and luscious fibers.

Margo has forwarded some project photos for us to day dream about – bring your own garden photos for inspiration!

( I am finally getting the hang of posting these photos…. ) On with Margo.

Margo Duke is the author of Needle Felting Magic and the more recent Making More Needle Felting Magic.   Sign up now to spend the day with Margo, your embellisher and sewing machine, and other inspired fiber artists.

Register on line now : Embellisher Fun!

Order Margo’s new Book: Making More Needle Felting Magic

Other great fibers to use with your embellisher machine: Frazzles!!
Packages of cut silks mixture of colors and patterns.

Green

Red

Brown

Blue

Pink

New Golds and Purples Coming soon.

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Posted in Fiber, The Annex | 4 Comments »

February Newsletter

February 23rd, 2010
 
 
Artistic Artifacts Annex – February 2010 UpdateHappy New Year! A little late, but Janaury was a hectic month. We’ve just had our fifth snow of the winter here in Northern Virginia with more on the way as I type, and I was able to enjoy my first white Christmas in many a year as we had 20″ dumped on us just before the Holidays.The new year started quickly with a trip down to Sanford, NC to exhibit at The Quilting and Fiber Art Marketplace. My longtime friend Cathy, co-owner of Fashion Fabrics in Mt. Pleasant, SC drove up for the weekend and together we manned the booth for two days. I demonstrated many techniques in the booth during the show, which also landed me on the front page of the Sanford Herald.

I am excited to let you know that 6 of my quilts will be published in a book, A Quilt Block Challenge: Vintage Revisited by Mary Kerr, Foreword by Pepper Cory. In celebration of this event, we will hold a book signing and reception at Artistic Artifacts Annex, Sunday April 11th between 2:00-5:00pm. We will display quilts from the book and hope to have many of the artists attend with the author. Please RSVP if you plan to attend so we have a reasonable headcount. You can pre-order a copy of the book by clicking this

link: A Quilt Block Challenge: Vintage Revisited

————————- Workshops————————-

We have a busy workshop schedule lined up into the Spring and will jump right to it:

February 27th: Claudine Hellmuth teaches “Waxing Poetic – The Art of Beeswax Collage”. Only 5 seats left! About the teacher.

May: Lynda Poole Prioleau teaches “Oh Boy It’s Soy”. Choose your own Valentine’s gift! Join Lynda for 2 days of soy wax batik, and still be ready for dinner on the 14th. I am the first one to sign up for this; come join me! About the teacher.

February 28th, March 7th, 21st: Lynda Poole Prioleau teaches “Beginning Sewing for Pre-Teens and Teens”. Get the kids started down the right path with this 3-session basic skills class. About the teacher.

March 6th: Judy Gula teaches “Making Fabric Postcards”. Learn fabric collage and free motion sewing on a small scale as we create mailable art postcards.

March 13th: Judy Gula teaches “Jazzy Jean Skirt”. Bring a pair of jeans and we’ll turn them into the most comfortable skirt you’ve ever worn!

March 20th: Margo Duke teaches “Embellisher Fun”. Come enjoy Her Majesty Margo’s trunk show and be inspired to create your own fabulous fabric suitable for fashion, quilting or a myriad of other projects. About the teacher.

April 22nd: Judy Gula teaches “Dye Day”. Bring your doilies, hankies, trims, etc. to use with our prepared dye solutions and learn the technique.

April 24th: Judy Gula teaches “Fabric Collage Book Cover”. Create fabric collages to use as custom book covers.

May 6th: Linda Cooper teaches “Kinetic Quilts”. Learn the secrets of making Linda’s unique two-sided, mobile-like art quilts.

June: Liz Kettle comes from Colorado for a week of workshops; more info to follow. About the teacher.

————————- Arti Parti ————————-

“Arti Parti” – did you know these are a great, quick 2-hour workshop covering techniques, bits and kits. There are two options, Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings. Please check them out.

March 16th & 13th: “Mixed Media Bamboo Bracelet” – Tuesday the 16th; Saturday the 13th

April 13th & 17th: “Foiling, not Grandma’s Reynolds Wrap!” – Tuesday the 13th; Saturday the 17th

Artistic Artifacts Annex
A workshop where artists gather……

Located in the Electrodyne office building at:

4750 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 703-823-0202 ext 213
Fax: 703-823-0842
email: judy@ArtisticArtifacts.com

Directions to Artistic Artifacts Annex: Washington Beltway to exit 174, Eisenhower Avenue Connector. After exiting onto the ramp and merging onto the Connector, you will come to the intersection, and take a left onto Eisenhower Avenue. 4750 Eisenhower Avenue is a red brick building about 1/4 mile on the left after the Fedex sign and before the condos; look for the Electrodyne sign. Store entrance is at the front of the Electrodyne building.

 

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50th Wedding Anniversary

January 23rd, 2010

 My parents 50th Wedding Anniversary was in late November.  I am very close with my parents both geographically and emotionally. Many of you have met my Mom while vending at shows,  but might  not know that I worked with my father for over 20 years.  I have great love, respect and admiration that they successfully stayed married, started and grew a business while raising 3 kids. 

50th Wedding Anniversary Gift

50th Wedding Anniversary Gift

And I think they still love each other! 

So they deserved a special anniversary gift. I had a vision a couple of years before their anniversary and began gathering stuff, some with emotional meaning and others that worked with my vision. 

We have only 4 photos of my parent’s reception from an old pocket camera, they are collaged to the back of the clock case and one stepped out. My Mom’s birthday is June = the pearls, we vacationed at the beach each and every year in August = the shells. My father raced Porsches professionally for many years = the monopoly race cars. My parents now spend the month of February in Florida = pink sea shells.  Later we added the draw to hold anniversary cards, photos and documents.

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Sanford North Carolina

January 8th, 2010

The first show of the New Year! Welcome 2010 in with a quilt show!! Wonderful friendly show in Sanford, NC

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December Newsletter: ArtisticArtifacts.com

December 16th, 2009
Artistic Artifacts Annex – December 2009 Update

Visit my Blog : www.ArtisticArtifacts.com/blog

Happy Holidays! I think it’s time to write a newsletter, but first I must add a couple more items to the website… just a few more… a few more… and then the newsletter doesn’t get written. Let’s just say that I am not a creature of habit, much to the frustration of my husband. LOL! But after much procrastination, here it is! Remember to let you friends and family know what is on your wish list. And if someone is purchasing a gift, let me know in the memo field and I will gift wrap for you!! Also, Artistic Artifacts offers Gift Certificates, a perfect gift for those creative talents in your family.

Artistic Artifacts was a vendor at Houston Quilt Festival in October this year; you can find more about Houston and MIU on my blog. We had a wonderful time and met artists from all over the world.

Please remember we love to see photos of your work with our products; I would love to post your photos on my blog! Send me an email with your photos along with any information you wish to share about your work.

There is a new look on my website – we have added new navigation to the left side; you can either click on the category and it will link to a landing page or you can continue to pull down the category for a menu link. In addition, all of the various product categories can be accessed from the photo links in the center of the home page. We hope these changes will make shopping and browsing easier, and comments are always welcome.
————————- New Products ————————-

Artistic Artifacts Hand-dyed Silk Packages, custom packaged for silk paper and needle felting, two of the ways I use this product.

Sunburst      Marine Life       Berries     Caribbean Sea

Tahitian Sunset     Aegean Sea

Sunburst

Sunburst

 

 

 

 

Black and Whites

Black and White

Black and White

————————- New Books ————————-
Fabric Embellishing: The Basics and Beyond by Liz Kettle, Heather Thomas, Ruth Chandler, and Lauren Vlcek

Art Making & Studio Spaces Unleash Your Inner Artist: An Intimate Look at 31 Creative Workspaces by Lynne Perrella

Layered, Tattered & Stitched by Ruth Rae 

 Fibreart Montage: Combining Quilting, Embroidery & Photography with Embellishments by Judith Baker Montano

————————- New Paints ————————-

Stewart Gill Paints continue to be one of our top selling products, but as an addition for our customers we have added Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints and supplies.

————————- Beads Update ————————-

All the bead mixes have been switched from the tin containers to a clear acrylic container with screw top!! And we sneak a few more beads in the container while keeping the same low price of $8.00 each. The bead mixes include very small seed beads up to size 11, and what I call novelty beads- tear drops, leaves, lentils or other shapes. The empty containers, 3/4″ and 2″ heights, are also available if you would like to convert your storage system to this one – clear, visable, portable.

————————- Special Pricing ————————-

Vintage Optical Lens – Sold 1-per package. Each optical lens is different in thickness, glass and tab. Wonderful to incorporate into jewelry and altered art.

Vintage-optical-lens

Vintage-optical-lens

————————- 2010 Shows————————-

January: the first show we will exhibit at in the New Year will be The Quilting and Fiber Art Marketplace in Sanford, NC Friday-Saturday January 8-9th from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Dennis A Wicker Civic Center.

Thank you for your continued support. May peace and joy be yours during this wonderful season and the coming New Year.

Artistic Artifacts Annex
A workshop where artists gather……

Located in the Electrodyne office building at:

4750 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 703-823-0202 ext 213
Fax: 703-823-0842
email: judy@ArtisticArtifacts.com

Directions to Artistic Artifacts Annex: Washington Beltway to exit 174, Eisenhower Avenue Connector. After exiting onto the ramp and merging onto the Connector, you will come to the intersection, and take a left onto Eisenhower Avenue. 4750 Eisenhower Avenue is a red brick building about 1/4 mile on the left after the Fedex sign and before the condos; look for the Electrodyne sign. Store entrance is at the front of the Electrodyne building.

MapQuest

 

 

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Silk Paper

December 10th, 2009

I am hooked on creating silk paper- so crazy am I that I had pounds of silk hand dyed to support my habit and yours!!LOL. What you don’t have the silk paper habit …. yet!

While in Houston Festival Liz Kettle did a silk paper demo during her Open Studio in the Cloth Paper Scissors section of the vendor floor- We had several converts who ran down to purchase a silk pack, stencil brush and textile medium. And for those of you who already purchased your supplies in Texas – SHOW ME YOUR SILK PAPER!! Please email me photos and I will post on the blog- what did you make with your silk paper?

I was asked to post a tutorial on how to make silk paper- here is the way I was taught. I am sure there are other options, comments, and recommendations- please add them via comments.

Step One: The materials

A pan that has a lip on it, you will use liquid and want to contain it. For demo purposes I have used an alumium cake pan. Also, silk, stencil brush ( any brush will work, but I like the stencil brush), textile medium, 2 small jars, netting/tulle.

making-silk-paper-textile-medium-stencil-brush

making-silk-paper-textile-medium-stencil-brush

Cut a piece of netting that is the length of the pan and twice the width of the pan. Lay the netting on the bottom of the pan.

making-silk-paper-pan-netting-step-one

making-silk-paper-pan-netting-step-one

Place the silk roving and or hankie thinly on the netting.
dry fibers on netting

dry fibers on netting

At this time you can trap some sequins, threads etc in the silk,  just make sure that you have covered top and bottom the extras. Fold the netting over the top. This will keep the brush from pulling the silk up and out of the pan!

In one of the jars mix a drop of liquid dish detergent and mostly water.  The 2nd jar will be a mixture of textile medium and water. The more textile medium the stiffer the silk will be- more water the softer the paper will be- but remember to not go less than 50/50 textile medium/water or it won’t stay together.

making-silk-paper-with-textile-medium

making-silk-paper-with-textile-medium

First use the liquid soap and water to wet the fibers using the brush to work it in- be rough not dainty.  Then work in the textile medium. I have been known to flip the silk over and work both sides.  Work the materials for 5 minutes and then hang the piece (with the netting still on) so air circulates top and bottom in order to dry quicker. Use a drip pan or paper underneath so the floor doesn’t get wet- this stuff doesn’t come up with soap and water… ask me how I know!
When the silk paper is dry the netting will peel right off.
silk paper- completed and dried

silk paper- completed and dried

And here are the new Artistic Artifacts silk packages used in our silk paper making arti parti
making-silk-paper-kits

making-silk-paper-kits

To purchase all the supplies for silk paper making flip over to ArtisticArtifacts.com

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Fibreart Montage by Judith Baker Montano

December 5th, 2009
Fibreart Montage by Judith Baker Montano

Fibreart Montage by Judith Baker Montano

We have a new book at Artistic Artifacts Annex and ArtisticArtifacts.com:

 FIBREART MONTAGE by  Judith Baker Montano.

Judith Baker Montano gives the following definition of her title at the beginning of her book:

She explains that FIBREART is the creation of beautiful or thought provoking fibre works. MONTAGE is a picture composed by assembling, overlaying and overlapping of many different materials.

I am a lover of books. Not only books to read a story but books that show you beauty. This book is a story on how to produce fibre art and it is done beautifully.

I have looked extensively through this book and I am sure I could follow her directions and suggestions and produce a piece of fibre art.

Chapter 4 is on photography, Judith’s photography and how she uses it in setting up a montage.

The overall photography in the book is fantastic and sets the book apart from many of the others we have in the Annex.

The book is bound to lay flat, which is a new idea we are seeing from the publishers. Very easy to deal with.

Buy your copy on line: http://www.artisticartifacts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=A&Product_Code=886015&Category_Code=bok

For Annex hours check our calendar on the website: http://www.artisticartifacts.com/calendar.htm

or call: 703-823-0202 ext 213 (the phone will answer Electrodyne, just enter ext 213- you are in the right place!)

Book Review by Pat Vincentz, Virginia

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Fabric Embellishing The basics & beyond

November 19th, 2009

 

Fabric Embellishing the basics and beyond

Fabric Embellishing the basics and beyond

This book is the team work of Ruth Chandler, Liz Kettle, Heather Thomas and Lauren Vlcek.  Lots of color photos, embellished gallary quilts and a spiral bound cover! Gotta love it! Instructions are easy to follow, inspiration right next door and even better is if you experiment with all the techniques they explain how to create a resource book. Our Altered Art group will start our books according to Liz- (one of our favorite Annex teachers) in January!!

The book is organized in layers, yes like a quilt sandwich. They begin with the first layer of the quilt sandwich including printing, images, discharge and rusting along with crazy quilt foundations and my favorite ” Fashion a Frame”. 

The next layer up from the foundation fabric is “soft embellishments” with instructions for hand and machine embroidery, needle felting, angelina, foiling and applique.

Then the final layer is Hard embellishments, beads (my all time favorite!)metal, paper, foam and plastics. Also included are Liz’s silk cocoon flowers which she taught at MIU in Houston.

This is a wonderful book. It provides a unique and creative way to use embellishment materials which is the focus of Artistic Artifacts.

Buy your copy  now, Fabric Embellishing The basics and beyond

Oh and the most important detail, Artistic Artifacts website is listed as a supplier of materials and products used in the book!!

Posted in Book/DVD reviews, Fiber, Judy's Altered Minds, The Annex | No Comments »

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery

November 17th, 2009

The Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery is located in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, Studio 18. This is a destination not to be missed if you are in the Northern Virginia, Washington DC area.  I have been a member for over 15 years. We have approximately 70 member artists who are required to work 13 days per year, pay a commission and membership fee.  Each show, (we have 10 per year) requires that every single item passes the approval of 2 judges. So we submit work that is juried- and it is not a cake walk. Each show the entire gallery is emptied, artwork picked up by the artist, the new work is reviewed by judges, and then is give to the 2 display managers who create a gallery of handcrafted items for you purchasing pleasure. The entire process is amazing!! This is a wonderful place to purchase unique gifts for friends, family or ourselves!LOL

Yesterday was the jury and installation of our Holiday show. The gallery is full to over flowing- If you need a unique and personal gift this is the place to go.  I will be working the Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery on Wednesday (tomorrow) 10:00am – 6:00pm. Please come and visit.  The Torpedo Factory is also open Thursday evenings till 9:00 allowing you to have a nice dinner in Old Town and shop later into the evening.

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Fabric Sale

November 10th, 2009

Anyone who has visited my booth, shop, or meets me for all of 5 minutes knows that I am a gatherer. My idea of a wonderful day is going to estate sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. It is torture when I can’t go gathering. So what that means is that I will be marking down some items in order to make them more affordable for you to purchase, thus giving me space and money to go buy MORE!!

Here is the start:

African Fabric, Sale Fabric,

These fabrics are 1 yard cuts for $7.00 each. I might have some doubles – but most are single pieces.  Also at the annex are select African fabric fat quarters for $2.00 each.

african fabrics, sale fabrics

from left to right:

1 yard cotton $6.00/ woven cotton 3/4ths of a yard x 3 pieces each $3.50/last piece 1-1/2 yard x 36″ $3.50.

 This is just the beginning, email if you would like me to fill a priority mail box with fabric or check my website for calendar of open hours.

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