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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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?

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Happy Holidays Everyone!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

The Blue Genie Bazaar has just started in it’s NEW location! The Blue Genie folks have made this space look spectacular.

Featuring over 80 artists, and running 20 days this year: from December 5th-24th at the Monarch Events Center.

The show is open daily (weekdays from 10am-10pm; until midnight on
Fri-Sat) every day until X-mas eve Dec. 24th!

This is a FREE event. Go have a beer and check out the really cool stuff there! There will be DJ’s, a bar and lots of amazing goodies to choose from.

Map to the Monarch Events Center:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=monarch+events+center+austin&
ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&om=1&ll=30.317766,-97.742958&
spn=0.20568,0.321007&z=12&iwloc=A

or
http://tinyurl.com/328qmo

(The Monarch used to be the old Lincoln Village Movie Theatre at the s. end of Lincoln Village, a couple of doors down from Radijazz — between Highland Mall and I35, near Little Jerry’s Artarama ).

More info: http://www.bluegenieart.com/art_bazaar_2007.html

Thanks so much for your continued support, and feel free to pass on this info to friends you think might enjoy the event.

Please have a safe and joyful holiday season,
xoxoxo
JNA

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cranberry sauce, yummm!

putting my notes here because I had trouble finding them from last year…

*Whole Cranberry Sauce with Orange

In a sauce pan, combined 6 cups of fresh cranberries with 2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 2 1/2 cup sugar, about 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger, and the zest from 2 oranges.
Bring to a boil while you stir. Adjust flame and continue stirring until berries “pop” and “sauce” thickens (back of the spoon is clear when you swipe your finger across). Made the day before and chilled

*CANDIED YAMS

2 40 oz (2#, 8 oz) cans yams

butter

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

Drained yams, discarded liquid. Arranged in baking dish. Pour orange juice over yams. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar. Dot with butter pats. Sprinkle with marshmallows, if desired (I am not a fan of marshmallows in my yams, but some folks like ’em). Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees or in any oven temperature (i.e., right along with the turkey) until marshmallows melt and liquid is bubbly.

Cooked night before and reheated!

http://www.culinarycafe.com/Vegetarian/Vegetarian_Dressing.html

Vegetarian Dressing
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

* 1 loaf day-old bread, torn into small pieces
* 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 (10.5 ounce) can vegetable broth
* 2 tablespoons water
* 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
* salt to taste
* ground black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup wild rice, cooked
* 1/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 1/4 cup cubed apples

Mix together the bread, cream of mushroom soup, vegetable broth, water, poultry seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Add rice, cranberrys, mushrooms, pecans, and apples as desired. It will be sticky. Shape into a loaf and wrap in (nonstick, sprayed) foil to bake. Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). You can slice it like a meatloaf and serve.

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Stitch is Saturday, November 10th!


This Saturday Nov 10th I will be sharing a booth at Stitch with my pal Jessica (her business is changing name from BunBun Babythreads to Rose & Duke, stay updated via her blog).

Here’s a list of other people who will be participating: Who’s Going to be at Stitch 2007!

I have restocked Pink, Sparks, and Moxie; and have been putting more stuff together every free moment I have! It’s been crazy over here.

See you there, Stitch is a fun event with great vendors, and an awesome fashion show. Note that this year it will be at the Austin Convention Center, the Austin Music Hall is still under major remodel/reconstruction.
xoxo
jna

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Swap-O-Rama-Rama at Maker Faire

Passing on some info for an event I will be doing this weekend with the Austin Craft Mafia:

Austin’s First SWAP-O-RAMA-RAMA is Here!
http://www.swaporamarama.org
@ Maker Faire
http://www.makerfaire.com

Saturday October 20th 11am to 5pm & Sunday October 20th 11 to 4pm
And A Recycled Fashion Show Saturday Eve from 5pm to 6pm

At the Travis County Expo Center, Austin TX

A ticket to Maker Faire plus any size bag of your unwanted clothes required to enter,
leave with all the clothes you can carry plus learn to modify and make new from old.
Save $ with Advance Tix: http://tinyurl.com/yolpga

“There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.” Gandhi

Join in the communal process of reuse and celebrate our collective creativity! You are invited to Swap-O-Rama-Rama, a giant clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores reuse and creativity through the recycling of used clothing. And while your there explore the massive creativity of Maker Faire celebrating art, engineering, science and the spirit of DIY.

It’s easy to make the move from consumer to creator – and it’s fun. At this Swap-O-Rama-Rama you’ll find a host of talent brought together to teach you how to transform your new/used duds into works of your own.

Check out the extraordinary crew of artists and designers & the workshops being offered, which include local groups: Craft O Rama, Craft Mafia, Sublime Stitching, Goodwill, First Samples and Studio 3 as well as artists Zimka, Mary Keene, Andee Knutson and Gretchen Elsner. You’ll find T shirt mods, conductive textiles workshops, silk screening, wool re-spinning and a whole lot more!

Together the creative reuse community of Austin bring you: DIY Stations where you can learn many wonderful ways to create out of textile reuse, Sewing Stations where local designers will teach you fresh clothing mod tricks, on site Silk Screeners with a host of original designs to refresh old duds and extraordinary local designers who’ll show off their work in the Swap-O-Rama-Rama reuse fashion show MC’d by Jennifer Nordstrum.

Of course the core of the swap is the gigantic piles of free clothing (several thousand pounds!) sorted into categories: pants, shirts, skirts, sweaters etc. These piles are the collective total of each guest’s contribution of any size bag of unwanted clothes so clean out those closets and let go of what’s no longer inspiring. Take home as much clothing as you can carry. Remainders go to Austin’s Goodwill.

Wondering what to bring?
Sewing machines are generously supplied by Janome
Austin’s Goodwill will be on site teaching DIY mods and offering their generous support.

See you there…