Embossed Copper Collage Classes

Last week, I had the opportunity to teach a couple classes in St. Louis Missouri and in Evansville Indiana...I am always amazed with the creativity my friends and students share when we're creating together.  

I feel extremely blessed to get to teach techniques that inspire others to make art.  

I wanted to share just a few of the photos from each class. I loved seeing the finished projects, and I think you will love them too.  

At the base of this project is embossed copper...we use embossing folders, copper sheets, and patina solution to create stunning backgrounds for our collage pieces.  

It's an easy technique that gives amazing results.  

Often, students bring family photos, my friend Ann commented that she had relatively few photos of her parents together in the same photo...she pieced a couple photos together to create this tribute to them.  

 I love how this project below has a family photograph incorporated into the collage.

  

Thank you again For Keeps Sake in St. Louis, Missouri, and Mary's Scrap Den in Evansville, Indiana for letting me share some art and some new techniques with everyone at your shops. 

'til next time,

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

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