It's Craft Day with Spellbinders Paper Arts and The Craft and Hobby Association

Hey there, this past week I had the amazing opportunity to visit with everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association  in Elmwood Park, New Jersey...we had Spellbinders' Craft Day for everyone at the office.  

We had a really fun crafty time.  The idea was simple...let's let everyone in the office have hands on crafting experience using Spellbinders and Spellbinders Media Mixage.  I was there to demonstrate and facilitate the creative process.  So, we set up a few cutting stations, provided lots of goodies to play with and then, we let the art begin!  

We had a blast.  It was awesome to see the creative wheels spinning in everyone's heads.  And since it was Easter break, some of the staffers brought their kids to join in the fun.  

Trade Show Producer Anthony Licata explains the finer points of creating bezels.  

We had so much fun creating handmade cards. 

It's really fun to watch how everyone puts their own creative spin on everything they create.  Beautiful spring colors and patterns on the card in progress.  

We learned all kinds of techniques together, diecutting, embossing, stenciling, inking, and discussed the finer points of layering die cuts to create beautiful cards.  

Glitter makes a perfect embellishment inside a heart bezel. 

Everybody got in on the action too.  

Craft and Hobby Association CEO Andrej Suskavcevic inspects the finely cut details of Spellbinders die cuts before creating his handmade card.  

The thing that really impressed me...

everybody loved what we were doing.  The card above, in progress, was created by the Information Technology Director at CHA.  He had never created a card before...but he was a natural!  And at the end of the day, he was formulating a process that the association could use to create handmade cards to use for their office correspondence.  

Anthony Licata created a French Country bezel. 

The more we created the messier it got, which is all good.  When it gets really messy, you know you are having fun.  

The handmade cards turned out beautifully. I got to teach bow tying methods.  

Susan Turchick, Vice President of Membership uses the Spellbinders Artisan X-Plorer to create die cut paper to fit perfectly inside a bezel.  

I got to hang out with my friend Laurie Pietruszka while we created...

Wow, we made a mess...you should have seen the paper chips all over the floor...

And each card was simply beautiful.  

Sue Turchick shows off her handmade card...it turned out so cute.  

And, Andrej, as it turns out is a blossom pro with Spellbinders die cuts.  

We came, we created, and we all left with beautiful projects at the end of the day...it was great!  

Thank you again Sue, Andrej, and everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association for letting Spellbinders host a craft day at your offices.  

I hope everybody had as much fun as I did..and judging from the comments at the end of the day, they did.

Ken   

Journaling from the Heart with Spellbinders Media Mixage: Textured Metals

Art journaling can take many forms, and lately I've been thinking of ways to tell stories and preserve memories that are unique and utilize materials and techniques that are not commonly used in scrapbooking or card making.  Today I created another heart journal with textured metal.    

I started this little exploration last week when I shared a heart journal that has textured metal covers and embossing powders. 

Today, I used the same materials,  Spellbinders Media Mixage Hearts Three Blanks, resin paper made from Spellbinders Media Mixage Ephemera Papers One

and Susan Lenart Kazmer ICE Resin but texturized the metal heart blanks with an embossing folder. 

The embossing folder added deep texture to the metal blanks.  I treated them with a patina solution, then sanded to emphasize the really cool viney texture.  

I added transparent vintage photos: I'd created them earlier by printing photos on transparency film.

The photos I chose today are of my grandparents on their wedding day. This little journal was simple and fast to make, and also preserves a memory in a way that is both meaningful and symbolic. When you create a little journal like this, try to tell the story with simple imagery and few words.  Images or pictographs are the vocabulary of art, we communicate through the images we choose.  The vocabulary here was simple, a heart tangled in vines and photographs of two people whose lives would be entwined for the next fifty or so years.  

I love how this little journal looks and feels.  Texturing the metal makes the journal feel like a little antique photo charm and it will make a great little gift or package tie on for someone in my family.  

When I started, I just wanted to practice some metal embossing techniques, but ultimately I shared a family memory and preserved it in a tiny heart journal.  I hope you'll be inspired to incorporate textured metals into your vocabulary of work...it's easier than you might think and the "pay off" is big...it looks great.

Thanks for stopping by today...go create something beautiful!

Ken

Personal Histories Class Projects: Spellbinders' Media Mixage

Hey friends, I think you'll love some of the works of art that came out of last week's Media Mixage Class, Personal Histories, at For Keeps Sake Paper Arts and Rubber Stamps in St. Louis...the student projects were amazing.

We provided the basics for creating the pieces, bezels from Spellbinders Media Mixage and ICE Resin from Susan Lenart Kazmer...each student was asked to bring personal photos, handwritten letters or personal ephemera to use for the projects.  I was looking back through photos of the class and thought the projects we so beautiful and needed to be shared.    

The bezels above were created with pieces of paper from a student's recent trip the the U.K.  I love how this turned out...simply beautiful and a wonderful way to share her personal history...a trip to London.  

Judy created a tribute to her father...I loved watching her work on this piece...she put a great deal of love into it as she worked and reflected on her personal history with her dad....her project is just another way to share a personal history that is very meaningful.  And she will wear this piece close to her heart...in creating this piece she really created a story-telling piece of art that is a lasting symbol of her relationship with her father.  

Even when students used only the pieces that we provided, charms, ephemera, beads and stones, the stories told were beautiful.  

The vintage Santa bezel in the photo above would make an amazing package tie on or sweet gift at the holidays...and it's an instant heirloom it's so beautiful.

Watch parts and flowers look great under resin. 

Each bezel is a little treasure. 

Vintage family photos and vintage buttons share a beautiful family heritage in this student project.

Valerie used a school portrait of herself to create this beautiful piece...it will become another instant heirloom for her family.  I loved it.  

These pieces were really cool too...a photo of a tee-pee looks great and preserves the memory of a family trip.  I love the self portrait shadow bezel too on the bottom right.  

We used chunky antique glass glitter...you can embed it in the resin or float it on top...looks amazing.  

Wedding portraits look amazing in bezels and resin...it's a great way to commemorate that special occasion and a great way to symbolize the couple's love when paired with a heart charm.  Wedding portraits would be great in heart bezels too.  

I love how Ann used a vintage photo with a vintage shoe charm... she also used a bird blank from Media Mixage to back her bezel.  She affixed the bird and the keys to the left with ICE Resin...awesome techniques.  

In the bezel on the right, the student used textured art board to add wonderful texture as her background.  

I was really blessed and inspired to work with the amazing artists who took our class...I love watching the creative process and it's different for each person. 

I was also fortunate enough to have some friends in the class...here with Carolyn...she is a hoot and a half and makes me smile almost every day...and below with Ann and Sue...all amazing, accomplished artisans and crafters...it was a real privilege to work with them again...always inspiring.  

Thank you for stopping by today...the projects from our class were so amazing that I had to share them and I hope you'll be inspired to tell your story.  

Make it a great day and go create something beautiful! 

Ken

Journaling from the Heart with Spellbinders Media Mixage: Embossing Powders on Metal

Art journaling can take many forms...it doesn't always have to be in a big book with loads of paint and technique.  Today, I created a little metal art journal...you can use this tiny little heart journal to tell your story or share your personal memories.  I think it's really cool. 

For the covers of this journal I used Spellbinders Media Mixage Hearts Three Blanks, they can be manipulated with inks and embossing powders. I textured them withSpellbinders Artisan X-plorer and   Spellbinders Media Mixage Texture Plate Crackle.

Then created resin paper with Spellbinders Media Mixage Ephemera Papers One

and Susan Lenart Kazmer ICE Resin, and die cut the paper with Spellbinders Dies that match the metal blanks.  

I punched holes in each page of the journal then threaded them together with a piece of antique sari fabric from Nepal.  

You can use each page of the journal to tell part of your story in a way that is artful and inspired.  You'll wear your heart journal or use it as an embellishment for a handmade card, layout, or mixed media project...there are lots of ways to share your story, each inspired and different.  

...get inspired with Spellbinders Media Mixage and discover new ways to Explore Beyond.  

I love this little heart journal and I honestly, I am inspired to make another...

thanks for stopping by today...go create something beautiful.

Ken

On the Road in St. Louis with For Keeps Sake Paper Arts and Rubber Stamps

Hey Friends, I'm just back from a quick weekend in St. Louis with For Keeps Sake Paper Arts and Rubber Stamps.

They hosted their spring retreat this past weekend, Girlfriends Get-a-Way, and I was invited to spend the weekend with them to teach Spellbinders card classes. 

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Our card class was an ongoing class that lasted throughout the weekend...it was really fun.  We focused on 4 of Spellbinders' newest releases 5x7 Card Creator Die Templates.  We mixed and matched those dies in lots of combinations to create beautiful cards.  The die templates we used are a perfect example of how Spellbinders let's you "build on the core." We used Enchanted Labels Twenty Eight, Detailed Scallops, Labels Twenty Eight, and 5x7 Matting Basics A Card Creators to create our cards.  "Building on the Core," is a cool feature of all Spellbinders' die templates, all the dies you have ever used coordinate with all the new releases.  For example, our base die for this class was Labels Twenty Eight...it's been in the line for a while.  That Nestability die coordinates with Enchanted Labels Twenty Eight, with Detailed Scallops, with 5x7 Matting Basics, with all your "rectangle" dies, with other Nestability dies, and with lots of Shapability dies.  You can use your basic dies, that you've had for years and your newest dies to create amazing results...it's part of the Value and Versatility that Spellbinders engineers into every die they create.  

We had a nice big selection of French Country Collection from Graphic 45 on hand to create these beautiful cards. 

We really had a great time...when we start creating, the ideas flow.

Each of the cards we created was beautiful and each one a little different from the next as each person got to build with the layers and combinations they chose.  

Everyone loves to share their creations...and rightfully so...they're gorgeous!  

A work in progress.  

The finished card embellished with a butterfly cut with Le Papillion Two...she used wax paper for one of the layers in the butterfly and it's awesome!  

One of my friends, loved the cards so much that she bought all the dies, and the papers we  used and created a basic all occasion card set that will be ready the next time she needs a card.  She can stamp the sentiment she wants to use and embellish with a Shapability and voila her card is done!  I thought it was a great idea and a great way to save time later.   

There was a special room with all the new Spellbinders releases...the room was mobbed...I couldn't even get in...I had to stick my camera in the door to get a pic.  

One thing I always do at a retreat...train an assistant...it gives me more time for important things like socializing and sampling the snacks that everyone brings to the crop. 

We had a packed house all weekend long...and we had a great time!  

I made lots of new friends and spread some crafts-spiration all around St. Louis.

Thanks again For Keeps Sake and thanks again Spellbinders for letting me bring an amazing product to our friends and craft buddies in St. Louis.

While I was in St. Louis, I also got to teach the first Media Mixage class in the US....we had an awesome group, our projects were amazing!  I plan to share more about that tomorrow...

Thanks for stopping by today...make sure you create something beautiful...it's National Craft Month!

Ken