GALLERIA - Bridgette Raitz is a self-taught mixed media artist in east Cobb. Last May, she started a new project that has captured the attention of the craft world. She began making recycled sweaters.

"People kept asking me if I ever made the clothes that were in my pieces," said Raitz, 47. "So I just took a sweater of mine, cut it up and created something that everybody went wild over."

For the first time in its 21-year Atlanta history, the American Craft Council Show will feature 10 artists whose work illustrates the innovative techniques and materials of the new handmade craft movement. Their work - along with 240 established craft artists - will be exhibited and sold at the ACC's annual show at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Friday through Sunday.

The show will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Regular admission is $13 for one day or $20 for a two-day pass. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. Special Friday evening admission is $5 after 5 p.m.

It will be Raitz's first ACC show. She is part of the alternative craft category that is new this year. Raitz will be displaying and selling about 100 of her so-called "upcycled" sweaters, made from recycled cashmere, cotton, silk and other materials she gets from friends or at various stores. They each sell for around $50.

ACC spokeswoman Bernadette Boyle said the great thing about the show is visitors being able to interact with the artists.

"At our show, you can find one-of-a-kind jewelry, fashion, furniture and home decor items, ranging from under $100 to thousands of dollars," she said.

"We're amazed by the diversity and skill of our five participating Cobb-based artists."

Beth Tarkington of east Cobb is among them.

Born in Chicago, Tarkington spent most of her childhood in Atlanta. After graduating from the University of Georgia she taught art for a while before becoming a full-time ceramic artist. She and her husband, Bob, a Coca-Cola executive, live in the Atlanta Country Club subdivision, where she has a studio called Blue J Studios.

Tarkington, 55, will be showcasing her vessels, made from earthenware, at the ACC show. They typically range from $200 to $500 each. "My work is narrative. Everything tells a story," said Tarkington. "That's why my stuff is different."

Tarkington hand-builds, meaning she doesn't use a pottery wheel. She also paints her work before it is fired in a kiln, which she said gives her more control over the painted colors and makes them more vibrant.

"When people think of clay artists, most people think about sitting at the potter's wheel," she said. "I'm more like a sculptor, I suppose, because I work slowly and do fewer pieces. They're one of a kind."

The ACC has a buddy program that teams experienced artists with new ones. Tarkington was matched with newcomer Cynthia Richardson of Kennesaw.

"She was kind enough to give me pointers, everything from booth display, lighting, what I should or shouldn't be prepared for and stuff like that," said Richardson, 43.

Originally from Prince Edward Island, Canada, Richardson and her husband, Jason, moved to the U.S. 10 years ago. She didn't have a work visa, so she began taking pottery classes at a community center. Her passion for ceramics grew into a full-time career.

Richardson will be displaying her ocean inspired, hand-built vessels made from clay. They range from $40 up to $3,000 a piece and are mostly decorative.

"I grew up on the east coast of Canada on the ocean," said Richardson. "So if you look at my pieces you can see crustaceans flowing and waves."

Timothy Sullivan of east Cobb is another local artist whose work will be on display at the ACC show. A five-year veteran of the show, Sullivan's ceramics go for between $50 and $1,000 a piece. He uses the conventional glazing process for his decorative pottery and wall pieces in an unconventional way.

"I draw with glaze and then I air brush it and spray layers of glaze on top," he said. "A lot of my work is decorative enough and expensive enough that a lot of people choose not to use it."

Ricky Frank of east Cobb returns to the ACC show this year with new lines of less expensive silver cloisonne jewelry. It's priced from $200 to $700.

"This new work includes necklaces, bracelets, pins and pendants, and for the first time, a new collection of silver rings," said Frank, 55.

"I combine color, texture and depth to create interesting and unusual combinations. The new work also explores my search for balance in my life; miniature visual stories with themes of self-discovery, paths of growth and searching within for happiness."

Frank's wife, P.J. Floyd, will be part of the alternative craft section of the show. A former modern dancer, Floyd integrates textiles, color and objects to create stylized animals such as flying rabbits and sheep on stilts.

Founded in 1943, the American Craft Council is a national, nonprofit with a mission to champion craft.

ACC members and those who join the organization at the show ($25 annual membership fee) are admitted free all weekend. To preview the show and to purchase tickets online for a $2 discount, visit www.craftcouncil.org/atlanta.