New Workshop with Leading British Textile Artist!

Just announced: Next month we’re proud to welcome Jamie Malden of Colouricious, the United Kingdom’s leading source of inspiration for textile arts and crafts. Jamie will be offering her comprehensive block printing workshop! She’s just one of the many talented artists we host for fiber (art quilting, felting, surface design, stitching), mixed media (collage, assemblage), jewelry and book arts classes. Please read below for complete information on these creative opportunities!

Catalyst — Tools that Move Paint!

Catalyst™, by the Princeton Artist Brush Co., is an innovative new line of creative tools: Artist Blades, Mini Blades, Contours and Wedges. Catalyst tools are ergonomically crafted from flexible silicone or durable nylon. Designed for use with heavy-bodied paints, they are at home with oils, acrylics, and water mixable oils. Because they are heat-resistant, they are ideal for use with encaustic paints and beeswax. Artists are using them to texturize plaster, clay, and even buttercream frosting! (FDA-approved silicone makes the blades and wedges ideal for food crafting.) Catalyst tools are easy to wipe clean and solvent resistant — any dried paint can be peeled right off the surface! Learn more and shop now »

New Book: Cutting-Edge Art Quilts

Cutting-Edge Art Quilts by Mary W. Kerr is about to be released — preorder your copy now! The quilt community has undergone a large expansion in both style and technique over the last 25 years, giving birth to a diverse and exciting new category of art quilts. Mary’s latest book presents a sampling of the considerable talent present in this community. The book features 270 color photographs, and 51 quilters — including Artistic Artifacts/Batik Tambal owner Judy Gula! — who share their love of the craft. These textile artists encourage by offering design and technique tips. Design processes detailed in Cutting-Edge Art Quilts include color play, alternative fiber, threadwork, and embellishments.

You’re Invited: Meet the Author Reception

Join us on Sunday, June 9 at Artistic Artifacts in Alexandria, VA as we welcome Mary Kerr and celebrate her beautiful new book! Enjoy this complimentary opportunity to mingle with your fellow quilt and fiber art enthusiasts, enjoy light refreshments, and have your copy of Cutting-Edge Art Quilts signed! The reception will take place 2:00 – 4:00 pm. — mark your calendar now!

Artistic Artifacts/Batik Tambal in North Carolina!

The 2013 North Carolina Quilt Symposium will take place May 23 - 26 at Methodist University in Fayetteville, NC, presented by the Tarheel Quilters Guild and North Carolina Quilt Symposium Board. Artistic Artifacts and Batik Tambal will be exhibiting in the Symposium’s Vendor Mall. If you are attending the Symposium or live in the area, please stop by to say hello to Judy and stock up on our exclusive fabrics! Learn more about the 2013 North Carolina Quilt Symposium »

Creative Classes at Artistic Artifacts

As noted at the top of this newsletter, we’ve just added a workshop with Block Printer Extraordinaire Jamie Malden to our class schedule. We frequently update our schedule, thus we encourage everyone to check our website on a regular basis to ensure they don’t miss anything! Review our full list or take a look at these upcoming workshops:

• Saturday, May 11: Personally Painted Fabrics with Linda Cooper — All Supplies Provided! Unleash your art-play side and explore several surface design techniques.
• Saturday, May 18: Modern Quilting with Lynda Poole Prioleau (2 session class, also on Saturday, May 25) — Suitable for all skill levels, this class explore the popular Modern Quilting craze as you create a beautiful, one of a kind wall hanging/lap quilt.
• Also on Saturday, May 18: Gelatin Mono Printing with Elizabeth Woodford — supplies provided, or bring optional items from your stash! Explore the use of this unique process on paper and textiles, using many common household items to create patterns and textures.
• Sunday, May 19: Scrap Your Vacation: Art Journal with Laura Hummel — Use paints, spray inks, decorative paper, and mementos to create a one of a kind art journal to highlight a vacation you’ve already experienced, or to plan ahead for a future trip.
• Saturday, June 8: Dye Day with Judy Gula — Ideal for those who loves color and the hand-dyed look but don’t want to worry about preparing (and cleaning up after) multiple dye solutions.
• Also on Saturday, June 8: Scrappy Little Book with Laura Hummel — most supplies provided! Use those little scraps of papers and small objects from your stash in a unique 4" x 4" book using a variety of papers, colorants, and embellishments. Many techniques covered; no experience necessary.
• Saturday, June 15: Making Memories Tag Book with Diane Herbort — Transform shipping tags into gorgeous collaged pages using paints, scraps of fabric and paper, journal on the back of each page, then connect the pages with colorful fibers to create a wonderful keepsake or gift.
• Sunday, June 16: Altered Art Assemblage: Recycled Robots with Leslie Brier — back by popular demand, recycle/upcycle familiar objects, such as alarm clocks and spice tins, and give them a creative new identity as you construct your own altered art robot.
• Friday, June 21 thru Sunday, June 23: Stitch Journeys with Liz Kettle — In this comprehensive 3-day workshop, suitable even for beginners, gain mastery of your sewing machine and develop the confidence to tackle any kind of specialty thread as you learn fabulous techniques.
• Friday, June 28: Block Printing with Jamie Malden of Colouricious — Join leading British textile artist Jamie Malden as she instructs you in the age-old techniques of using wooden printing blocks to print fabric and paper.
• June 29-30: Soy Wax Batik with Lynda Poole Prioleau — If you missed last month’s batik workshop, here’s another opportunity create your own gorgeous and one of a kind textiles: two days of fun and experimentation with soy batik: a cleaner, greener version of the traditional batik techniques.