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Belle Armoire

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January/February 2007 issue online now!
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January/February issue!
   
 

SPECIAL FEATURES

6 Cover Story: Ring Toss Necklace & Wild Waves of Color Chocker
by Marty Stevens-Heebner
Go freestyle with your jewelry design by incorporating orphan findings and beads into dynamic and truly personal necklaces.

10 Art Aprons that Break the Rules
by Jacqueline Myers-Cho
We all learned the correct techniques for sewing well-constructed garments and accessories. Become a fashion outlaw by breaking these rules to create an artistic apron.

14 Nature-Inspired PMC Pendants
by Sally Evans
The author finds endless opportunities for experimentation and creative expression in working with PMC, also known as Precious Metal Clay.

20 Let Me Call You Sweetheart Hats
by Kate Brown Pernia
The author heeds the call of romance in creating delightful cocktail hats that recall the glamorous days of sophisticated headwear.

38 Altered Vintage T-Shirts
by Patti Pasteur
Plain T-shirts take on vintage style with an application of tea dye and a collage of lace, buttons and stamped images printed onto fabric.

46 Purls of Wisdom: A Tribute to Estelle Carlson
by Colleen Davis
The author pays tribute to fiber artist and educator Estelle Carlson by completing construction of several of her garments, including a jacket created from knitted-in-the-round fabric.

56 Belted Chick
by Barbara Matthiessen
Belt one on! A hot fashion accessory, that is. Fabric and jewelry artist Barbara Matthiessen details every ways to create two fabulous belts.

60 Spirit Within Pendants
by Sarah e. Smith
A chance encounter while working on assemblage art leads the author to create jewelry capturing words and images under glass.

64 Sweet & Sassy Free-Form Shrugs
Artwork by Rita Sanders
Story by Michelle Flores
Rita Sanders grew up in a family of artists and artisans, so it's no wonder she is spreading her wings as a designer and maker of cutting-edge wearable art.

DEPARTMENTS

13 The Professional Artist: Writing Clear Instructions
by Sarajane Helm
At the heart of every kit is the explanation of a process in a way that nearly anyone can understand and complete the steps on his or her own.

18 Inspired by Design: The Return of the Sexy Silhouette
by Justine Limpus Parish
The author posits that the new "fashion model size" requirement at the 2006 Bernina Fashion Show demonstrates the pendulum of style trends swinging back to a body-consious fit.

January/February 2007
ON THE COVER

Marty Stevens-Heebner finds wonderful homes for orphan beads, earring hoops and mismatched findings in colorful and imaginative, yet delicate and feminine wire-and-beaded jewelry. To learn more, read her feature story on page 6.

 

26 Clay Arts: Postage Stamp Collage Pendants
by Lisa Pavelka
Having a postage stamp as the focal point of a small canvas takes the intimidation out of designing a collage.

29 Altered Couture
The wonderful imaginations of Janeen Walker, Cynthia Powell, Judy Jennings, Jeanine Redlinger, Barbara Matthieseen and Jeanne Lusignan are on display with beaded lingerie, embellished denim, stamped-and-dye T-shirts, and reconstructed crochet.

36 Artful Journey: The Continuing Influence of Fortuny
by Michelle Newman
Meet Mariano Fortuny, the "Magician of Venice" of the early 1900s who inspired legions of fashion designers and fabric artists with his amazing pleated silks and gorgeously dyed and printed fabrics.

42 On the Surface: Dolce Vita Scarves
by Mary Northrup
The Gutta serti method of dyeing silk offers an avenue to incorporate freehand drawing into fabric art.

48 Designer Collection: Shibori Master Carter Smith
by Ricë Freeman-Zachery
Achieving human connection and celebrating the human spirit drive Carter Smith in creating gorgeously colored hand-dyed silk used in the wonderfully flowing dresses, sweeping coats and layered wraps of his own design.

68 Salon
by Our Readers
Prepare to be inspired by this gallery of terrific art-to-wear garnments, stylish accessories and beautiful jewelry made by our readers.

96 Tapestry: The Gossip Hat
by Debra Calhoun
A theater play discussing hats and "hattitude" inspired the author to invent a chapeau that literally is the talk of the town.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

2 Letters to the Editor

3 Letter from the Editor

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

77 Necessities: Product Reviews
By Michelle Flores and Jenny Doh

78 Happenings
A calendar of conventions, workshops & tours.

82 Into the Wardrobe
Next issue offerings.

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

86 Advertiser Index
Find our advertisers with this handy index!

94 Submission Guidelines
You can be published!

95 Polymer Clay & Fabric Painting Basics
Tips for starting out in clay and textile decoration.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING

86 Online Connections

86 Destinations

PHOTO CREDITS

Sylvia Bissonnette: Cover and pages 6, 8, 11, 15, 21, 26, 38, 42, 46, 48, 52, 61, 64-65, 68, 70 and 72-74.
Lorin Backe: Pages 10, 12, 29-34, 40, 43-44, 57, 69, 71-72, 75 and 96.
Below are pages from Belle Armoire, January/February 2007.

Jacqueline Myers-Cho approaches her apron as art first and accessories second. No wonder she gets so many double takes from those who see her in her transcendent creations.

Sally Evans sees PMC in a new light: as canvasses for nature-inspired images that remind us to celebrate life and always take the creative path.

 

 

A vintage or foreign postage stamp makes a wonderful base for building a polymer clay collage pendant. Clay artist Lisa Pavelka reveals her easy-and-quick techniques.

Denim goes dynamic with different embellishment approaches by Cynthia Powell and Judy Jennings. Silk ribbon and cotton doilies become fabulous embellishments to denim under their sure artistic hands.

Mary Northrup skillfully navigates the gutta serti method of painting dyes on silk to reach the pinnacle of bold and colorful scarf designs.

Designer Collection profile subject Carter Smith is at the top of his game with exquisite shibori-dyed garments that joyfully celebrate all things feminine .

Jewelry artist Sarah e. Smith wondered about the spirits that lurked within her psyche. So, she gave them expression in soldered glass pendants that incorporate words, images, bits of dried flowers and even clothing.
 
 
     
submission guidelines
ed. departments