Author: JNA

Coming from a background in design, graphics, metal arts, and leather work, Jenifer Nakatsu Arntson makes quality hand-built vinyl goods such as hand bags, wallets, checkbooks, and accessories. Her materials are animal-friendly and her finished products are stylish and modern. After working in leather for many years, Jen has switched to working entirely in vinyl but approaches design and construction with the same attention to detail, quality and function she learned when apprenticing to master-level leather craftsmen and metalsmiths. She is now an Austin-based artisan but has lived in Kyoto, St. Paul/Minneapolis, and Tokyo. Jen's work is also available in Austin, San Francisco and New York boutiques. Her website is www.nakatsudesign.com. Jen is also an active member of the Austin Craft Mafia, and Babes in Business Bonanza. When she is not at the studio, she is on her way there.
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Yum! Green Beans in Sesame Dressing (Ingen no goma-ae)

My fave! My mom used to make this for us growing up, we grew a lot of green beans in our veggie garden. (I used konbu dashi packets, so my version is veggie.)

From Bento.com:
Green Beans in Sesame Dressing (Ingen no goma-ae)

Ingredients:

  • 175g (6 oz.) frozen whole green beans*
  • a pinch of salt

For the dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar **
  • 2/3 tablespoon dashi stock ***
  • 1/2 tablespoon miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions

1. Boil the beans in a pan of water for 5 minutes or until tender.

2. Finely grind the sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder. Add the sugar, dashi, miso paste and soy sauce and mix together well.

3. Toss the green beans in the sesame dressing and serve as a side dish.

* I really prefer using fresh green beans, and I parboil (submerge in boiling water) for a few minutes, drain and then “shock” them with cold water and ice to stop the cooking. Recipe is yummier when the beans still have a bit of crispness.

** Caster sugar is superfine granulated sugar.

*** See the recipe for dashi (Japanese fish stock); you can also make instant dashi from freeze-dried granules, available in many Asian grocery stores. Dashi is used in so many Japanese recipes, it’s good always have the granules on hand or konbu dashi granules or packets if you prefer those.

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Handmade Austin Women: Art in the Garden

Handmade Austin Women present:

Art in the Garden Spring Show 2008

May 3rd-4th

Saturday 10am-6pm

Sunday 11am-4pm

We present outstanding innovation produced by local studios.

Handmade Austin Women presents the third annual “Art in the Garden” on
May 3rd and 4th, the weekend before Mother’s Day.

Handmade Austin Women are dedicated to unique design, and the highest quality in
handcrafted work. Art in the Garden 2008 offers a beautiful array of
fine art that includes painting, sculpture, ceramics, stunning jewelry
and fashion. This year we’ve grown to ten studio artists with four
musical acts. We’re local, and we’re looking forward to meeting you!

Handmade Austin Women Spring Show 2008 will be held in the gracious East-Austin gardens of Ginko Studios. Our lineup features ten Austin
originals and four musical matinees:

  • Jenifer Nakatsu Arntson cuts and sews vinyl, vintage fabrics, and
    repurposed leather into the looks of a modern lifestyle. Her wallet,
    handbags, traveling baby station, and other accessories seem at once
    both necessary and fashion forward.
  • Jo Bridges paints nature’s
    portrait. She celebrates details of our Texas landscape within her
    exploration of vibrant color and rich texture.
  • Sunyong Chung produces
    porcelain art at Ginko Studios. She builds images in colored clay by
    layering and mixing traditional techniques. Her intricate work
    includes tableware, tiles for kitchen or bath, and sculptural
    presentation pieces.
  • Jamie Jo Fisher combines silversmithing and
    impeccable skill in her one-of –a kind jewelry. She forms glass,
    metals, and stone with a unique collection of found materials
    guaranteed to give the wearer a stunning conversation piece.
  • Chia
    Guillory    ‘s clothing designs shout spring fashion! Vintage fabrics
    preserve the whimsy in her practical and bright sunhats and dresses.
    Her reversible bags are practically an Austin secret society. Her
    specialty is quality. Inspect the craftsmanship and be assured…this
    is not a passing fancy.
  • Stephanie Lindsey collects antique linen
    postcards for her silvery, scenic jewelry. Necklaces, belt buckles,
    and rings depict favorite attractions and destinations across America.
    Her Baby Jane jewelry, named in honor of her mother’s childhood
    nickname, is nostalgic, classic, and refined.
  • Bonnie Lynch has been
    hand building large ceramic vessels for 25 years. With surfaces of
    smoked, organic finishes, her pieces range from large and quiet to
    deeper and smaller. Bonnie’s spheres, ovoids, orbs, cocoons, and pod
    shapes reflect the simple, elegant forms of nature.
  • Beverly Mangham searches for objects with a storyteller’s sensibility. Her voice is
    poetic and lyrical, and can connect all types of material. She
    salvages parts that speak of history or material issues, and tells
    their tale in the conversation of assemblage.
  • Melanie Schopper makes
    dynamic, colorful and functional ceramics for everyday use. Her
    ceramic shapes are slip cast to present the viewer and user a modern,
    clean line.
  • Cherie Weaver paints sweet and cranky creatures. Her palette of pink, gold, brown and cream draws the eye to a tiny
    storyline populated by saucy, simpering deer, greedy monkeys, and a
    host of fiercely charming characters! Luxury and delicacy balanced
    by the occasional bear.

Saturday and Sunday mornings start with a complimentary tea and coffee bar.

  • Saturday afternoon from 2 to 6, DJ Mahealani plays soothing sets
    of old-time jazz mixed with smooth R&B.
  • Twice on Sunday at 1 and 2,
    Lisa Shawley plays accordion and accompanies Heather Jarry in a
    marionette matinee.
  • Laura Freeman (aka Luna Tart) sings and performs
    original songs with her ukulele on Saturday at 11 and again on Sunday
    at 12. The Austin Chronicle says, “With every brilliant song she
    plucked on her tiny ukulele, she invoked entire worlds. Luna Tart
    drags a vast and curious history behind herself, like the train of a
    stained, sequined dress. Laura Freeman’s work was gorgeous.” The
    songs, music, and marionettes are family friendly.

Handmade Austin Women believes in the profound benefits of keeping
women sustained at work at home here in Austin. We support cottage
industry and the growing character of local economy. You can preview
our show and find directions to Ginko Studios online at www.handmadeaustinwomen.com.

Please step out and join us on the
weekend before Mother’s Day for our annual Handmade Austin Women
Spring Show.

This event is supported in part by Women and Their Work.

View the HAW site

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JoAnne's scones

K’s mom used to serve these with traditional new year’s meal. We tried them, maybe recipe (from memory) needs a bit of adjusting, or we mixed them a little too much, they were close to what he remembered but not spot-on.. we’ll try these again.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • /4 c butter at room temperature
  • 1 c buttermilk
  • 1 tsp milk to brush on top

Directions

Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter, add 1 c buttermilk. Knead it ten times on board, flour slightly if sticky.
put in pan ( we used 9″ circular cake pan) and brush top with milk. Cut into eighths.
400º 15-20 minutes
makes 8 pieces

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Quickies in Vegas

It’s already December, and it is high busy season (Blue Genie Bazaar) but I’ve been trying to get some gifts made as well. Plus I need the knitting to relax me.

Anyway here are some quickie gifts I made using some of Vickie’s Vegas yarn (love love love this stuff!) that didn’t take me too long — about an hour for the cozy, and the blue scarf knit up pretty quickly as well.


coffee cozy… or wrist cuff?

As I said, these took me about an hour to make (hope this post is helpful if need something fast!), I knitted them up using size 7-8 needles:
cast on 41 stitches
1st row: k4 p2,then *k3 p2 (repeat from * to end, 7 times)
2nd row: k2, then *p3 k2 (repeat from * to end, 7 times), p4 to end.
Continue in this pattern until desired length (mine are about 3 1/4″) then bind off loosely. Sew together into a tube, then turn rightside out.
I love that this yarn is so soft and just a bit glittery.

I imagine you could use this pattern to make a longer wristwarmer if you continued knitting (I slipped mine onto my wrist after finishing my coffee before I trekked back to the office & put the cozy back into my purse pocket) , even leaving a hole for the thumb when seaming into a tube?
My mom has been making a bunch of these using different worsted weight yarns she has as well since I sent her one of these along with my notes.

Also, I made some pretty drop stitch scarves, one on jumbo needles, see closeup of stitches… love the thick and thin of this yarn!


The second scarf is much longer and less lacy in the pattern due to the needles being much smaller, size 10 I think they were.
Purple scarf was two skeins of yarn, the teal was maybe one and a half?