Though my birth year lands me shy of the macramé generation, I learned to love hand-made jewelry, ceramics and textiles through the Southwest School of Art. From there it dawned on me that objects made by hand in clay, copper, paper pulp, yarn, iron, etc., can possess the same heft as an oil painting in a museum. Guests at the Fiber Artists of San Antonio's 2012 luncheon and presentation, May 12 at Oak Hills Country Club, must have undergone a similar shift in values (some for the umpteenth time) upon viewing 100-plus hand-woven, stitched, dyed or otherwise embellished capes, skirts, jackets and shawls. Adding to the intrigue of handmade fashions, participating fiber artists used worldwide cultures as inspiration for a show called Fashion Extravaganza Around the World. Midway through the silent auction, a bag of yarn was up to $75. The emotional temperature of the room rose noticeably when Express-News fashion writer (Or maybe it was his lime green shoes and tie, complemented by a purple scarf from the silent auction, that got the ladies tittering.) Enjoying the show front and center was Jesse Garza's Acoustic Dream mirrored the styles of fashions with names such as “Dancing Sunset” and “Blue Wave.” Coming full circle, proceeds from the luncheon will be used for scholarships to schools including the Southwest School of Art. In an innovative take on another ancient medium, printmaking, StoneMetal Press is hosting an extravaganza to which the public is invited at 9 a.m. Saturday. David Blanca will create large-format, 3-by-4-foot prints using any of 17 million colors except black. “All of this makes for a cutting-edge experience,” said board member In retail as in real estate, location is as important as product. Matthew Parker and other Alamo Heights Middle School members of the Alpha Charity League learned from selling lemonade on Lemonade Day, May 6. Nancy Cook-Monroe's “Social Studies” column appears Thursdays and Sundays in S.A. Life.