Pop Up Color Burst Galaxy Card Class at My Studio

I am so excited about my new studio space, I decided, that I'd open up the door and invite a few friends inside to make a few cards with Color Burst! It's the first time I've ever offered a "pop up" workshop.  



The "pop up" class I'll offer is a Galaxy Card class with Color Burst.  Galaxy backgrounds are so popular now and so easy to create with Color Burst.  I'll have everything needed to create 6, 5x7 cards!  And, I'll have plenty of sentiment dies, in case you'd like to make Christmas cards or cards for other occasions. 

If you're local or nearby and you see this...sign up now.  My studio space is small...I can only seat 6 at a time.  

I am really happy to be able to offer classes locally now!  Watch my blog and Facebook pages, because I'll most likely offer a few more "pop up" classes between now and the end of the year! 

You can sign up by clicking the button below: 

Color Burst Galaxy Card Class

Price$30.00

6 5x7 Cards and Envelopes

December 2, 2016

10:00am-12:00pm

Location: 7 State Street A, Newburgh, IN 47630

2 hours

Supplies Included: Color Burst, Stick It, Maya Road Dies, Ken Oliver Water Media Paper, Ken Oliver Spritz Bottle, Sharpie White Acrylic Paint Marker

***Registration is now closed***

 

I'm Growing and Opening a New Studio!

 I had no idea what to expect when I moved back to Indiana about 2 years ago...I knew I'd do something, I just wasn't exactly sure what it would be.  Having left the comfort of a corporate job...it would be a new chapter and a new beginning. 

 

When I moved back, I found the ideal location to live and work.  I live in a historic building in Newburgh, Indiana, on the banks of the Ohio River.  It's perfect...my town has quite a few antique stores, a few artists, a few galleries, great restaurants, friendly people and amazing water views every day of the year! It's really an incredible set up! I have loved every minute of it and not once regretted "ditching" my corporate job and moving back to "small town" America.   

Yet, at the same time, I am outgrowing my present space!  There are times when I need to have help kitting for classes...my current studio is on the 3rd floor, so it's not exactly conducive for moving boxes and boxes of art and craft supplies...and there's not a lot of room for additional people to help me do my business...and, routinely, I get requests to stop by my studio for a visit.  I've had guests from all over the USA, from New Zealand, and this year the Director of the Indiana Board of Tourism even paid a visit to my humble little studio.  

So, when the office space, on the first floor of my building became available...I jumped on it! And, I am so excited about what that's going to mean for me and my business...I'll be able to do a lot of things that I've only dreamed about until now.
 

It's my plan to develop a working studio where I can host gallery nights and pop up exhibits.  There are so many wonderful local artists whose work needs to be seen. I am planning to work with The SW Indiana Council of the Arts to make this happen!
My new space will also allow me to develop a space to create videos and more online content.  I could not be happier about everything my new space will allow me to do! It's not my intention to be a retail store, with regular hours...at all. I'm a hippy artist and keeping a regular schedule ain't my bag these days. Instead...it's my goal to create a maker space that will allow me to expand on the things I'm already doing...and I think it's gonna be pretty dang cool.

It's all really new, and happening really fast...I get the space around the first of November...and I can't wait to get started.     

 Make sure that you're following me on Facebook at Ken Oliver Crafts to see more of how the plans come together!

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. 

Hometown Paper Collection Pre-CHA Release

Last weekend, while we were at Art at the Edge, I had a little special gift for everyone who attended...everybody at the event received some samples of a brand new product line I've been working on for the past few months...

And, somehow, a few pics got posted and before we knew it, we had people from all over the country, and all over the world, asking where they could get this new product. 

It's called "Hometown." It's a collection of craft papers, designed using images from the small river-town where I live, Newburgh, Indiana.  The collection is reminiscent of life in a simpler time, with images of historic homes, vintage patterns, and local landmarks and is rooted in home, history and family. It's a beautiful collection of craft papers that will be perfect for home decor projects, mixed media projects, heritage scrapbook layouts, handmade cards, and especially masculine cards.

 

We hadn't planned to release the collection until January 2015 at the Craft and Hobby Association Show in Anaheim California, but because we've had so many folks asking, we decided to do a limited, Pre-CHA release.  A limited number of sets will be available in late November. I can't give out all the details yet, but I wanted to give you a little peek and a little heads up that the Hometown Collection will be available in late November. Keep an eye out at your local scrapbook stores and art supply stores...I think you're going to love the nostalgic feel of this collection. 

I can't wait for you to see it!  

Art at the Edge...Studio Open House and Tour

Art at the Edge was a really special time for me...It was the first time that I've ever organized an event independently and the first time that I've ever invited people from all over the world to come to my home in Newburgh, Indiana to make some crafts.  Although, our classes were held across the street from my home/loft/studio...it was the perfect opportunity to throw the doors wide open and let everyone come in to see where I live and work. 

 

And honestly, it gave me an excuse to sweep the floors and get the place spruced up a bit. My space is really unique in that it is an historic building with 12" thick brick walls, and some cool architectural details. A business of some kind has occupied the space since 1803...at first a livery stable, then later a theater, then a place called the Scuffletown Saloon.  Needless to say, there's a lot of local history within these walls.  

While I had people in the house, I took the opportunity to show some cool die cutting techniques with Stick It, embossing powders, micro glitters and dies.  

 

It was kind of cool to invite everyone into my workspace to play. 

 

And since I've only been in this new space for a few months...I loved getting to share it with my friends at the "Edge." 

 

What you don't see in any of these photos are the amazing water views I have from every window...the river right outside my windows is a never ending source of inspiration. 

 

I loved getting to show everyone how using Stick It can make gluing even the most intricate die cuts in place a breeze.  

 

And this was really cool...the Vice President of my local bank popped in for a visit...come to find out, she's a lifelong friend of one my best crafting buddies...it really is a small world.  

 

Naturally, I had a few Halloween decorations out...like a doll head under a cloche...creepy and elegant at the same time. 

 

I loved sharing my creative space and some diecutting techniques with my friends at the "Edge." It was one of the things that made Art at the Edge really fun for me. 

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! 

Art at the Edge and Sweet Emotions Soaptions & Potions...

 

I just spent a few minutes with Amber, the store owner at Sweet Emotions Soaptions & Potions, and wow is she excited about Art at the Edge in October! 

 

 

When you come to Newburgh, Indiana for Art at the Edge you are going to want to spend some time with her!

 

She just opened this summer and her shop is amazing!  She hand makes soaps, lotions, fizzy balls and all sorts of cool stuff...all right here in Newburgh at her shop!   

 

And during Art at the Edge, she'll have demo tables set up so you can experiment and learn how to create your own custom blended soaps and lotions...it's going to be fun. 

 

And she'll offer special discounts especially for anyone who is at the event. 

 

I love the fact that this really cool shop is 2 doors down the street from me...I can pop in at a moment's notice for a little fix! 

 

Her products are all natural...

 

 

pure...

 

and made by hand.

 

 

And she has some cool vintage pieces and antiques at the shop too...

 

 

So make sure this is on your "to do" list when you're in town for Art at the Edge...

 

 

 

It will be a real treat! 

 

For more information about Art at the Edge...click here or

 

 

visit the sidebar at the right of the page.  There's still time to sign up...but only a handful of seats still available.  I hope to see you there!

 

Ken