Ballardblog.com

 Step one foot inside 20 Twenty clothing and shoe shop and the faint mingling of Aqua Velva and shoe polish recoils your memories of: the male dorm room, grandpa’s closet, your first boyfriend’s bedroom. 20 Twenty is Ballard’s kitschy shop that has a clear vision, offering gently used men’s and women’s  wardrobe and accessories. Curiosity draws your attention to the little embellishments on some of their recycled clothing and trimmings-such as their vintage 1970′s ties in brown, cornflower blue and maize–black silk-screen stencils of old-timey bicycles, gramophones–each one applied as uniquely as the individual sporting it. Lines of men and women’s shoes stretch along the rim of the floor and in the window displays. Their quantity of gold shoes is noteworthy; more gold than Cleopatra’s headdresses that shone and sparkled in her prime!  They also have an abundance of T-shirts (including a New Kids on the Block tee!) in an array of colors and styles, running shorts that are coming back in style and a collection of old Polaroid cameras. Everything in the shop is conveniently priced at around $20, making it affordable to be dressed in style.

Adorning the walls are wonderful and reasonably priced pieces of art from local artists; this month are talented & contemporary artists Laura Kinney and Joey Bates.

 20 Twenty

5208 Ballard Ave NW

(between N 20th Ave & Vernon Pl)

Seattle, WA 98107

(206) 706-0969

Hours:
Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Downtown Ballard supplies us with many delights; we can acquire fluffy cupcakes, visit bookstores, coffee shops  and sip suds in bars all in a one-block radius. Yet, if one is craving artistic stimulation or a little creative inspiration, Venue Work Studios + Boutique, an urban loft-style work space for artists who create and display their work, is right around the corner.

Most recently on display from Augusts Art Walk was photographer Lynn Cameron, whose fine art work is sophisticated, elegant and captures a quite stillness like a mysterious trunk in the attic. Her Polaroid transfers displayed on panes of glass in shadow boxes allow light to shine through the wavering and delicate image, revealing luminescence and vibrancy and act as portals to far away lands. Some locations she has travelled to and documented are: Austria, England, Croatia, Portugal and the Netherlands. You can see her work at lynncameronphotography.com

Columbian artist Alison Mackey creates unique jewelry pieces using color photographs which are abstracted and placed under clear resin. At a glance, one might think the colors are from a mineral or stone, but they are actual scenes from nature captured with a camera. For example, a pair of earrings, circular in shape, has a photograph of a blue sky with clouds and a single power line that breaks up the serene. To view her work or to inquire how to purchase personalized jewelry, visit mackeysmark.com.

Other artists include but are not limited to, New Zealander Alex Bixby, whose tarnished copper jewelry and recycled silver pieces still reflect a beautiful purity although they have been through many rough life cycles, and jewelry artist Ashley Paulina, who uses only the most precious stones as a shopper in a market would choose fruit-plucking the ripest ruminated quartzes and green garnet clusters to create her masterpieces  to adorn your neck, ears and wrist.

A center piece for the Venue Work Studios + Boutique is its glorious  Art-O-Mat, a machine that dispenses original works of art, but only in miniature. For an alternative to smoking, now you can push a button and enjoy art, music, writings, concepts and unique ideas for only $5.00 + tax! Examples of the cellophane wrapped wonders are: Key West silks by Janet Whalen, 2×2 paintings (with little easels!) by Sarah Whittington, road warrior hand crafted soap (so you don’t smell like Mad Max), wearable bottle cap artwork, postage stamp earrings and the elusive favorite-the button with a red question mark. For more information about Art-O-Mat, call “Artists in Cellophane” at 1 + 336 774 0717.

 The Venue also offers a variety of classes each month:

9/14 Felted Soap and Rocks

9/17 Needle felting

9/20 Bookbinding: make a journal

Venue Work Studios + Boutique

5408 22nd Avenue NW

Ballard WA 98107

t: 206 789 3335

e: info@venueballard.com

w: www.venueballard.com

Now would you imagine that: a thrift store that donates all of its proceeds to a good cause? Well, I’ll be! Imagine That! is a quaint not-for-profit thrift store located on NW 24th in Ballard. Carol Faucette, owner, and business partner Dianne Riva, recently celebrated their 4th anniversary on July 30th. These two ladies are always excited to meet new people and  have fun while  contributing to the local charities and therefore, to the  supportive Ballard community. Like any thrift store, it is packed full of treasures and trinkets. They have an array of books (mostly paper-back), clothing, jewelry, kitchen ware (i.e. martini glasses, drinking glasses, and any other kind of glass  receptacle), and tons of other items that often times, no one really needs but desperately wants. Sometimes nostalgia tends to push its way through the door and before we know it we are ringing our debit card for a velvet painting of a frowning clown. Now that you are informed about Imagine That!, we have a good reason to pull out our wallets during these tough economic times. Whether we are searching for a new piece of art for our bare wall or a pair of Jordache jeans (yes, they are in style!) or perhaps a faux pearl necklace, there’s no better way to give back to our local community!

Carol’s mission is to reinstate the word GIVE as she spends her free time locating and selling newly acquired old goodies and proceeding that charity directly to others in need.

Imagine That! donates to the following:

The Antioch Bible Church Mission, Medical Relief International, World Vision & Mercy Corps.

Imagine That! Thrift Store

Hours:

M-Sa-10-6pm

Su-closed

Address: 7739 24th N.W.

Ballard, WA 98117

t: 206 783 0975

Homelessness to housing, parks and transit improvements are all on the agenda  for the Ballard District Council meeting next week.

AGENDA

Proposed Ballard Mixed Use Development by Seattle Compass Center, Greg
Elkerton – Common Ground and M.J. Kiser – Program Director, Compass
Center
Compass Center plans to construct an 80-unit residential facility at
1753 NW 56 Street which will provide affordable housing for persons
transiting from homelessness.

Update on 2008 Seattle Parks Green Space Levy & Opportunity to Develop
a New Park in Ballard, Lise Ward – Seattle Parks Dept Property
Management

Market/45th Street Transit Corridor Improvements, Bill Bryant, Seattle
DOT
This recently initiated effort will address east west transit
efficiency between Ballard and U District.

2009/2010 Ballard DC Election of Officers, Mary Hurley – Chair,
Nominating Committee
A slate of four candidates will be presented. The election of officers
will occur at the October 14 council meeting. DC member organization
reps are eligible to serve in one of the four officer positions.

Executive Committee
1. Application for Ballard DC membership by Ballard Rotary Club,
Catherine Weatbrook
2. Volunteers are needed to serve on a district level committee to
review work related to the Deep Bored Tunnel/SR 99 project, Steve Cohn
3. October 5th Candidates Forum, Andy MacDonald
BALLARD DISTRICT COUNCIL
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Ballard Library – 5614 22nd NW
(Free parking below building – accessed from NW 56th)
7:00 – 8:30 PM

If you live in Ballard (or have ever sat at the bar and enjoyed a conversation with an old-timer at the Sloop, the Lockspot, or any of the other great taverns in the area) you are aware of Ballard’s rich Nordic history.  But have you ever been to the Nordic Heritage Museum?  Located in the old Daniel Webster Elementary School building at the corner of 30th and 67th NW, it is a must see for any Ballardite.  Their current exhibition, “Nordics and Seattle’s First World’s Fair: Celebrating the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition” runs through Sunday, September 6th.

My daughter and I stopped into Me ‘N Moms this morning to look around and I saw a sign for Tuesdays in Ballard.  Throughout the summer I have noticed the posters in shop windows and restaurants but strangely the signs tell little of what the event is about.  After doing a bit of asking around I found that it is a promotion, sponsored by the In Ballard Merchants Association, that is intended to drive business into the neighborhood on an otherwise slow day.  Many shops and restaurants participate by offering discounts or other perks.  Me ‘N Moms was discounting summer merchandise by 20% for today only.  Today is the second to last Tuesday of the event.  If you’re looking for something to do on a drizzly afternoon in Ballard, check out the website and see if anything strikes your fancy.