Art at the Edge, Spring 2015 With Ken Oliver Crafts and For Keeps Sake Events

You may be in the doldrums of winter now, but it's time to start planning for spring and I could not be happier to let you know a little more about Art at the Edge in Spring of 2015.

There's no doubt that spring is one of the loveliest times of year in our little corner of southwest Indiana, in fact, it was last April that I decided to move back to Indiana after many years away...I'd visited with my family for spring break...and I was hooked.   

Spring in Newburgh brings saucer magnolias, tulips, daffodils, and dogwoods...southern Indiana is one of the lushest garden spots in the Midwest.

And Art at the Edge will be held April 24th-26th, right in the heart of Newburgh and, like last time, our local shops and merchants will offer some special deals for anyone who comes to Art at the Edge...you'll find antique shops, upscale clothing boutiques, gift shops, great restaurants and most of all a beautiful view of the Ohio River.

 

And I could not be more excited to teach workshops in Newburgh, with one of my new paper collections, Hometown, it's a collection of craft papers inspired by our historic little village.  It's going to be fun to see the places and sites that are the inspiration for Hometown.   

This time, we're offering 4 incredible classes featuring products from Graphic 45, Um Wow Studios, Ken Oliver Crafts and lots more...I like to create classes that pack lots of retail value and lots of value in the techniques you'll learn...this is going to be one heck of a creative weekend.

Here's what your weekend at Art at the Edge includes a lunch and dinner at Newburgh's famous Edgewater Grill with it's amazing river views, classes, Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, a Sunday morning workshop, a tour and some time with me in my studio, an onsite store with great prices and lots of brand spankin new products, a historic walking tour of historic Newburgh and lots of time to explore your creative side.  

For Art at the Edge Spring 2015 I've teamed up with For Keep Sakes Events to help me manage some of the administrative aspects of holding an art event of this size.  I've worked with For Keeps Sake for years...when it was a retail store in St. Louis and now as an event organizer...For Keeps Sake owners Nancy Wethington and Timmie Taylor have been in the craft industry for years and I am really happy that we're planning this event together.  

  

There's a certain kind of "joy of living" around Newburgh and I can't wait to share it with you...whether it's a stroll by the river, pausing for a moment to enjoy our river views or shopping in our shops and boutiques...you will love spending time with us in Newburgh. 

 

And one of the things that we're known for is our amazing sunsets...there's something about the way the river meanders past our town as it flows westward that makes a sunset here spectacular...most evenings the sky is ablaze with color.

Signing up for Art at the Edge is easy, simple follow the link to the For Keeps Sake catalog of events complete the "sign up" sheet and send your deposit to Nancy or Timmie to reserve your spot...it's that easy and I guarantee you'll love the time you spend with us down on the river in Newburgh...I hope to see you here. 

It's Less Than 2 Weeks Until Art at the Edge...

With less than 2 weeks until the first Art at the Edge, preparations for the event are in full swing at Ken Oliver Crafts LLC!  (that is code for "panic mode").

Last night, I started preparing class kits...and I just stepped back for a minute and thought, WOW! This event is gonna rock!

The supplies and materials have been ordered, paid for, shipped and received and have been sitting in my living room and studio for a few weeks...and seemed more to me like a pile of boxes that I've had to step around and move a few times...

But last night, when I started opening the shipping cartons...it all started to seem real.  Art at the Edge is going to be a really unique event...I didn't set out to produce a "grand" event...I simply wanted to invite a few friends over, to experience the quaint river-town where I live and to craft for a couple days...

and was I ever surprised...people are coming from 12 states and traveling some great distances just to attend!  Art at the Edge is turning into a world class, boutique style art event that is going to blow the minds of everyone who comes...

Realizing that money is tight for everyone...I wanted Art at the Edge to represent a great value...so I did my best to keep the cost to attend really low...but at the same time provide an excellent "retreat" experience....here's an example of the value packed in to Art at the Edge, 

This class kit is just amazing...it's loaded with lots of stuff...it represents a retail value of about $100!  

It has scrapbook paper, a paper pad, a BIG scrapbook album, flowers, ephemera, stick pins, a full bolt of lace...all from Prima Marketing's Forever Green product line.  

When I saw all this stuff laid out together...I was excited about the class!  

 In addition to all the amazing supplies, the class also has some cool paper crafting techniques like paper sculpture and incorporating paints into scrapbook layouts...again, another great value.

This is only one of the classes at Art at the Edge...there's another Altered Frame class that's just about at cool as this.

So, I spent my Friday night, with my mom and dad, packing class kits...it was a big job,

But, we got a system going, a production line, and really made a fun family night of prepping for Art at the Edge...and really the fun we had and the memories we made the work really fun.  I like working with my parents...they like to take breaks to update their Facebook statuses...

So if you're coming to Art at the Edge, here's a little list of some tools and stuff to bring:

Supplies:

Small Bottle of Aleen’s Tacky Glue

Glue Sticks

Tape Runner

Tools:

Scissors

Small Scissors for Fussy Cutting

Bone Folder

Heat Tool

Small Glue Gun

Paper Trimmer

And, bring anything else you like to have on hand when every you craft and scrapbook....if for some reason, you forget something, I'll have extra stuff on hand, no worries!

As Art at the Edge approaches, I am getting more excited every day...I'll be spending the next few days, assembling kits for the other class and prepping for ICE at the Edge...and hopefully everything will get done...I am meeting with the event planner at The Edgewater Grill later today to finalize the meal selections...this is gonna be fun!  

  

And, if I am lucky, between now and October 24th-25th...I'll find a little time to relax and clean up my house...I'm planning to have an "open house" at my studio and home during the event...

It's gonna be fun!