We are getting geared up for the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore (open to the public February 27th to March 1st) and wanted to introduce you to just a few of the new artists who will be featured in the AltCraft section. The AltCraft program was established to recognize makers who exemplify the burgeoning new handmade movement by using innovative materials and techniques. These sixteen artists were juried in by votes casted by Grace Bonney, editor of Design*Sponge, Rena Tom, co-owner of the Rare Device shop in San Francisco, and Patty Benson, a former Searchlight artist and the felter extraordinaire behind Papaver Vert. They will be grouped together in a market-style setting on the show floor, so if you’re in the area, come on by and say hi!

Your Secret Admiral (aka Julie S. Schneider) is a Brooklyn-based artist, who specializes in handmade books, drawings, and paper goods. She turns a keen eye towards nostalgic and environmentally friendly materials. Most of her goods incorporate recycled, reused, re-purposed, rescued, salvaged and pre-loved materials. She’s fond of the Coptic stitch, waxen linen thread and discarded envelopes.

Ryan Takaba is currently an instructor and the ceramic studio manager and instructor at the Southwest School of Art and Craft. His “budvases” are forms that beg for specific floral elements to complete the sculptural composition. Simple flowers with strong linear forms are dialogue with the viscous glaze material as well as quiet colorful shapes. Each shape is a separate unit allowing for the owner to remove the water reservoir in the refilling process and are hand-built using the coil forming technique through paddling and rib shaping.

Ping Wu uses traditional hand-knitting techniques to create innovative modern pieces that have multiple transformable functionalities. Her versatile designs offer unique options that are both stylish and functional, providing comfort, individuality, and inspirational energy. Ping draws her inspiration from her unique cultural and professional background as a native Chinese woman, an American-trained physical therapist, and an Italian/Parisian-trained fashion designer.

A few years ago, Josh and Margaret Smith joined their tools and talent in printmaking and ceramics to create a line of bold, distinctive dishes for everyday use. They named their venture Dovetail, to reflect the spirit of collaboration between the two, as well as the desire to collaborate with those who use the dishes. Their pieces are hand-made from high-quality porcelain and are handled numerous times during the process of creating, glazing and adding their screen-printed images to the surface.

Deborah Cracchiolo crafts fireside slipper moccasins, handbags and belts for her Tee-Pee-Toes fashion line. They are made of the highest quality leathers-lamb, buck skins, and other exotic leathers, depending on the design different gages of leather are used. They are all hand cut, punched one hole at a time, and laced with waxed linen and leather lacing. Many have genuine antique tribal glass, clays, vegetable ivory beads, and semi precious stones incorporated in their design. Some are painted with ancient symbols and petroglifs.

Elizabeth Rubidge is self-taught felt artist with a background in design and textiles, who employs the wet felting method of 100% merino fiber infused with hot soapy water. A series of heat and friction cause the fibers to expand, contract and fuse together to form a non-woven cloth. Color and elements from the natural world are the chief inspirations for her cozy scarves, throws and wraps.

Textile artist Amber Coppings’ art-to-wear line consists of hand-dyed shibori silk organza accessories. Her signature creations are “Bubble Wraps,” 3-D textile wraps with permanent fabric bubbles embedded in the design. Vintage buttons, marbles, thread spools and other items are used to create the shapes in the cloth. All extra scraps and cut threads are incorporated into Bubble Necklaces and other fiber art jewelry, recycled fabric scarves, collages, or gift wrap.