Crystal Marie: Alchemy Cloth
Working with textiles in Mixed Media and Collage
Instructor: Crystal Marie
Date: Fri, June 5 – Sun, June 7, 2026
Time: 9:30-4:00
Location: Studio Joy, 608 E 30th St, Kansas City MO
Pay in full: $570 OR
Deposit: $320 (remainder due April 1)
*$20 supply fee due at the workshop, details below
Maximum: 14 students
al·che·my \ˈal-kə-mē\ noun
a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination.
- any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.
- any seemingly magical process of transforming or combining elements into something new.
Alchemy Cloth is an exploration of transformation through fiber—where the familiar, the worn, and the overlooked are gathered and reimagined. Cloth holds memory in quiet ways: through repetition, mending, softness, and wear. In this workshop, textile becomes both material and metaphor, a place where intuition, touch, and time come together to transform the ordinary into something rooted and alive.
We’ll utilize tools crafted from found and natural materials gathered on location, work with new and salvaged fabric as surface and structure, creating hand-altered textile elements through cutting, tearing, staining, stitching, layering, mark-making, and embellishing with found objects and organic elements.
As we build a personal collection of cloth and cloth-like paper fragments, we’ll explore how texture, transparency, weight, and edge create visual language and emotional pull. Rather than forcing meaning, we’ll allow it to emerge—listening to the materials speak to relationship, rhythm, and repair through both happenstance and intention.
The workshop will culminate in the creation of a textile collage banner—an intimate yet powerful form that allows the work to move, hang, and exist in space. Along the way, you’ll create small samplers to explore ideas and techniques. You’ll leave with a finished cloth piece, a collection of handmade elements, and a deeper connection to alchemy as a living, tactile process—one shaped by memory, presence, and the quiet magic of making by hand.
Techniques Covered in this workshop include:
→ Creating Mark-making tools from scavenged materials
→ Developing meaningful designs and symbolism with mark-making techniques
→ The art of happenstance in mark-making and painting textiles
→ Using rust techniques with textiles
→ Altering salvaged textiles and creating textile-like surfaces from paper
→ Simple stitching for connecting and embellishing textile elements
→ Incorporating found objects and organic materials
→ Composing textile elements into a satisfying work of art
→ Finishing works with stable hanging options
→ Alternative methods for attaching the work to a panel or canvas
Supply List and Notes
* A Supply fee of $20 will be collected on the first day. This will cover a large canvas, large papers, needles, and other materials provided by the instructor.
Student Supply List:
- Scissors suitable for textiles (your best fabric scissors are not recommended for this workshop)
- Craft Knife
- Sturdy Ruler (L-square, quilters grid, or triangle rulers are helpful, but not required)
- Apron
- 4-5 medium disposable type food containers with lids (suggested 16oz or larger)
- Pencil and variety of drawing mediums in color and type of choice
- Chinese Calligraphy Brushes with medium or large brush tip size
- 2-3 Hake style brushes (suggested 2.5—3” wide)
- 3-4 bottles of acrylic paint or latex interior house paint in colors of choice
- Small bottle of waterproof India Ink
- Selection of textiles in patterns and colors of choice–new, thrifted, or salvaged from clothing, household linens, pillow covers, hankies, lace and other trims, etc.
- Sashiko or embroidery threads in colors of choice (1-3 colors is sufficient)
Optional to Bring:
- Small collection of personal and vintage ephemera, decorative or handmade papers and
- Lock of hair about the size of a small calligraphy brush tip
- One box of unbleached pre-folded coffee filters (such as Chemex pour over style)
- Small found objects, beads, and other potential embellishments.
- Canvas or panel for alternative or additional final project. (Maximum of 30″ on any side)
Lunch: 12:30-1:30
Fabulous restaurants are within walking distance or bring a sack lunch. A refrigerator and microwave are available.
Notice: Janus, the studio cat, frequents Studio Joy and while she will not be joining our workshop, please bring any allergy medication if you may need it.
About Crystal
Crystal Marie considers herself to be “a material girl” when it comes to her art practice, which is rooted in collage. Evolving to include three-dimensional sculptures and assemblages, Crystal’s work speaks to both physical location and identity. Her process begins with an experimental approach, allowing what she’s brought to the table to inform her decisions as she builds layers of texture and meaning.
A Chicago based mid-career artist, Crystal Marie has one book published on the art of collage and is writing a second book about overcoming the blocks commonly encountered in the studio. Crystal has exhibited her work in many fine art exhibitions and solo shows, earning her gallery representation and the coveted 2018 Racine Art Museum Artist Fellowship.
Studio Joy Policies
Accessibility:
Studio Joy strives to be accessible and accommodate the needs of its students. The old building does not allow for ability to accommodate all physical needs YET, but accommodations can be made for table height, type of seating, and most sensory issues. Please communicate your requested accommodations when you register. This is a fragrance free space. Please refrain from wearing perfumes or scents.
Travel:
Do not book travel until confirmation is received that the workshop has reached its minimum required enrollment. Minimum required for this workshop is 6 students. All who register will be notified by Amanda when the minimum is met.
Amanda will also share a list of suggested accommodations upon request. Email amanda@amandajolley.com for the list.
Refund Requests:
Students will receive a full refund of tuition less related transaction fees if a request to withdraw is received by Amanda Jolley, Studio Joy no later than 30 days prior to the first day of the workshop. At 15 days prior to the workshop, 50% tuition less related transaction fees will be refunded. Request to withdraw from a course less than 15 days prior to the first class session will not be eligible for refunds.
Cancellation:
Students will receive a full refund of tuition if at 30 days prior to the workshop, the minimum required enrollment is not met. Minimum required for this workshop is 6 students.