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Belle Armoire

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Novemer/December 2006 issue!
   
 

SPECIAL FEATURES

6 Miniature Wearables
Artwork by Margaret Crossland
Story by Michelle Flores
Minature artist Margaret Crossland crochets the tiniest teddy bears and sock monkeys to create delightfully whimsical earrings, pendants and brooches.

10 Sculpted Gold Wire Jewlery
by Joy Moody
The artist discusses how a few simple tools and some basic knowledge can get you started on the exciting path of making wire jewelry with 14K rolled gold and semiprecious gemstones.

18 A Jacket Safari
by Deborah Sims
Two perfectly plain linen jackets undergo the razzle-dazzle treatment, thanks to large bold fabric appliqués and coordinating bead embroidery.

22 Faux Enamel Shrink-Art Earrings
by Mary Tafoya
An accident during a creative session put the artist onto the path of creating colorful shrink-plasti jewelry that resembles embossed enamel.

38 Etched Velour Shawls
by Bronwyn Collier
A few plastic templates and some etching fluid create a little night magic by adding elegant motifs to a pair of lush velour shawls.

40 Macramé Tassel & Netted Scarf Necklace
by Jane Olson-Phillips
The art of "fine knotting," also known as macramé, sets off teh beauty of beads and the finesse of fibers like nobody's business. So, hitch up and learn the ropes of this classic artform.

44 Magnifique!: Bernina Fashion Show 2006
by Michelle Flores
Expect color, texture and fit to take the spotlight at the annual Bernina Fashion Show, where Justine Limpus Parish and other top fabric artists unveil their sumptuous creations.

56 The Asian Influence
Artwork by Cynthia Powell
Story by Michelle Flores
Mixed-media artist Cynthia Powell symbolically made her way back to Asia, where she lived years ago, by dyeing and altering fabric for a garment collection influenced by her sojourn.

DEPARTMENTS

9 The Professional Artist: Creating a Kit
by Sarajane Helm
Packaging supplies for a class requires an instructor to think the lesson through from beginning to end, and then plan for extras should something go wrong.

14 Threads: Freehand Felting Unleashed!
by Tammy L. Deck
Learn how to draw with fiber with a wet felting technique that is physically demanding but produces delicate and ethereal results.

November/December 2006
ON THE COVER

Linda Varela spun gold from straw when she altered a pair of plain Jane denim pants into a skirt, and then embellished it and its matching jacket with dyed vintage lace, metallic beads and ribbon.

28 Inspired by Design: Artwear in Motion
by Justine Limpus Parish
Designing for a specific type of venue is an important component to winning awards and having your work appreciated by an audience.

31 Cover Story: Altered Couture
Welcome to Altered Couture, a new regular department showing the amazing transformations of pedestrian garments into fabulous fashions. Helping launch the department are Sherrill Kahn, Linda Guerin, Jenny Doh, Diane Aguilar and Abby Feinknopf, who share their techniques and inspiration for this uniquely personal artform.

48 Designer Collection: Nancy Anderson: Finding the Sacred in the Ordinary
by Ricë Freeman-Zachery
No two pieces are ever alike for jewelry artist Nancy Anderson, who assembles humanity's castoffs into mythical ornaments for the body.

64 Salon
by Our Readers
Find your muse in this round-up of wonderful art-to-wear garments, amazing accessories and stunning jewelry handmade by our readers.

96 Tapestry: In Honor of New Orleans: Eye of the Storm
by Tracy Jennings
Everyone has that favorite pair of jeans that work for every occasion. Well, after it's given up its life for you, give it a new lease on life by converting it into a sassy "brand name" denim handbag.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

3 Letters to the Editor

59 Necessities: Product Reviews
by Michelle Flores

72 Happenings
A calendar of conventions, workshops & tours

74 Into the Wardrobe
Next issue offerings.

75 Salon Details
By Our Readers
Learn more about the techniques and materials for the items presented in Salon.

87 Advertiser Index
Find our advertisers with this handy index!

90 The Artist's Library: Book Reviews
By Michelle Flores

93 Submission Guidelines
You can be published!

94 Polymer Clay Basics
Tips & tricks for success with clay.

94 Fabric Painting Basics
Getting started in textile decoration.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

84 Online Connections

84 Bead Bazaar
84 Catalog Collection

PHOTO CREDITS

Sylvia Bissonnette: Cover and pages 11, 14, 17-18, 23, 29, 41, 48, 52, 56, 60-62, and 64-67.
Lorin Backe: Pages 6-7, 12, 31-36, 38, 63, 65, and 67.
Below are pages from Belle Armoire, November/December 2006.

Margaret Crossland takes a delightfully whimsical approach to jewelry by crocheting tiny teddy bear earrings from wire and creating two-inch cameos with teeny sock monkeys.

Unleash your inner felter with a Tammy L. Deck’s freehand technique using wool, wool fibers and yarns, but prepare for a hard workout!

 

Mary Tafoya doesn’t get a little accident in her way when making jewelry. Instead of crying over spilt embossing powder, she whipped up lovely faux enamel earrings.

Bits and pieces of fabric are all that Lisa Guerin needed to make cool pin-on patches, while Sherrill Kahn took paint, appliqué and stamping to add pizzazz to sweatshirts as part of Belle Armoire’s look at altered couture in a new, regular department.

Join the march on this season’s sumptuous fashions by trying Bronwyn Collier’s easy technique for etching a velour shawl.

Nancy Anderson talks about an artistic life spent spinning myths by creating found-object jewelry that elevates the ordinary into the sacred.

Cynthia Powell deconstructs sweatshirts and reconstructs them into gorgeous jackets that reveal her fascination with Asian culture since her days of living in Japan.
 
 
     
submission guidelines
ed. departments