Creating Background Papers with Color Burst.

It is so easy to make your own background papers using Color Burst !.  Creative Team member Yvonne Blair has done just that and more, she even made her own embellishments and sentiments, here's how......

Hi everyone, Yvonne here to share a layout I made using Color Burst to create my own decorative paper.  I haven't done a scrapbook layout in...well, forever! 

I used 2 sheets of 12 x 12 watercolor paper to create the base and the components for my handmade embellishments. I also used scrap pieces of watercolor paper to create my photo mat as well as what I stamped my sentiment on.  I just mopped up the extra Color Burst from my craft sheet with those pieces...this way I had so solid color to work with. 

First, Lay both pieces of watercolor paper on your work surface.  (not to close together)  I chose one of my Crafter's Workshop stencils and set it on top of one piece of watercolor paper.  I then sprinkled a bit of Color Burst all around the stencil.  The colors I used are Pthalo Green, Lemon Yellow and Ultramarine Blue.  

Once I had the Color Burst sprinkled around I Spritzed the paper with water.   You don't want to hold the spritzer to close when you spritz...let the spray fall on the surface.  

Once I had the color I wanted I picked the stencil up and used it to 'stamp' the other piece of watercolor paper. 

Once they dried I used the 'stamped' background paper as the base of my layout.  Then took the other stenciled watercolor paper and fussy cut some of the flowers. 

When I had enough flowers cut out, I stamped my sentiment on the solid Color Burst paper and cut it into separate pieces, stamped some butterflies and cut those out as well. 

Once all the components where cut out I was ready to put the layout together.  Using the positive and the negative of the stenciled paper helped me create a really vibrant layout! 

I think I might even put this one in a 12 x 12 frame so I can enjoy it for a while! 

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you were inspired to go do some creative play! 

New Creative Team Announced Ken Oliver Crafts

I am more than a little excited today to announce a new creative team!  It's been a really challenging proposition and I am about a month overdue in naming the team!  Why?  Over 500 crafters, artists and bloggers from around the world sent in submissions.  

I was overwhelmed at the task...and had to call in some support to help with the decision making process.  

You know, if it was up to me, I'd choose EVERYONE! If you submitted art, and weren't selected for the team this time, thank you so much for your submissions, I loved looking at every single one.  And, keep in touch as we're going to feature guest contributors regularly.

I am so very proud of the team we've assembled...CONGRATULATIONS to all!  We have a very talented, well-rounded, world class team.  We have members from Germany, Italy, Canada, Ireland and the USA.  And, the new team features mixed media artists, stampers, card makers scrapbookers, lifestyle crafters and painters!  We wanted to offer a wide variety of arts and crafts "disciplines" to make it really interesting every day!

The new team members are:

Sharon Callis, Ireland

Krista Riley, USA

Nikki Davis, USA

DAKRI Sinclair, USA

Buffy St. John, USA

Zoey Emanuella Scarpelli, Italy

Diana Hetherington, Canada

Tracy Pounds (Miss Tracy), USA

Dunja Dücker, Germany

Kimberly Jones, USA

Laurel Beard, USA

Jeanne Streiff, USA

Jessica Frost-Ballas, USA

Yvonne Blair, USA

Giovana Smith, USA

I have extremely high hopes for the team...each one is so talented and I am so grateful that they've chosen to work with my products.  And I know that you're going to love the works of art they create.  

I started to do a bio for each one of them on this post, but I decided that we should "spotlight" each one of them separately to introduce them and let you know a little more about each team member.  I'll start the "spotlight" blog posts next week, so make sure to check back.  I'll send out Facebook reminders too, so you'll make sure to catch every post.  

In the meantime, follow them on Facebook...follow them on Instagram and Pinterest!  You are gonna love what you see!

Please join me in wishing everyone CONGRATULATIONS!  

I am telling you...this team is gonna rock the house! 

til next time,

Ken

Scrapbook Layout, Water Color Memories Ken Oliver Crafts

Yesterday, I got to hang out with my niece to celebrate her birthday...it's something I do with the kids in our family on their birthdays.  We usually go to Starbucks...

...go to the mall for some birthday shopping, then go out to eat.  It's my mission in life to get all my nieces and nephews to try new foods.  I've made them eat calamari, lamb, hummus, bison, tabbouleh...I tell them that being an "adventurous eater" is one of the great joys in life.

And usually, if the weather is nice, we go for a walk by the river, it's right at my front door, so it's kind of a given that we'll spend some time by the river.

Last night, we had so much fun that I wanted to make one more little gift for my niece so she can remember the fun we had.  And it wasn't so much that we'd gone shopping and went crazy in Hollister, but more that we took a few minutes and just lived in the moment. 

The best part of the night, was sitting by the river and skipping rocks across the surface of the water...

This scrapbook layout isn't one that is overly complicated or fussy to make, it's simple and and tells our story with images.  To be sure, I am inspired by photo collage images that I see on instagram and social media every day...and I thought it was fitting to piece together a collage layout like this since my niece loves instagram.

I tried something a little different with the "journaling" pieces that I think you might like.  I used Color Burst.

I simply sprinkled a few grains of Color Burst powder on my craft mat and spritzed with water. 

Then, edged pieces of torn card stock to create a nice "watercolor" edge.

 the effect looks very "handmade",  very simple and it's easy to achieve. It looks almost like handmade washi tape.

We had a really fun time skipping rocks at the river and created an awesome memory for her birthday...and I can't wait to give this to her.  I am sure she will love it.

 
I used Water Color Memories 12x12 Paper and Color Burst Ultramarine Blue  for this simple collage layout. 

In making this layout, I realized that our time together isn't about all the presents and celebrations, but more about just enjoying the...simple times.

We sat by the river and skipped rocks til the sun went down... 

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!  

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! 

Scrapbook Generation: Celebrating 10 Years of Memory Making

Congratulations to Scrapbook Generation!  They're celebrating 10 years of making and preserving memories...and I got to go to the party!  It had been a few years since I'd been there...They've moved into a new...bigger location.  It was really fun to see everyone again and to learn more about what they've been up to since the last time I was there. 

 

Scrapbook Generation is really a family business...almost on a whim, sisters Karin Rush and Debbie Rush Sanders decided to leave their teaching careers behind and started living their dream of opening a scrapbook store together.  And soon, Debbie's daughters Allison Davis and Stacey Atchley were in on the action too.   

And, everything about Scrapbook Generation feels like home and family...it's warm, inviting, friendly and fun!  

Over the years, Scrapbook Generation has really turned into a publishing powerhouse!  In 2014 they launched a free monthly online magazine called Scrapbook Generation Create...as I recall, Debbie taught journalism and told me that it just made sense to apply her skills with writing, editing, and publishing to use...this publication is amazing!  Each issue is over 200 pages FULL of inspiration...there's lots of tips and tricks, challenges, and sketches that will inspire you to create beautiful layouts...like a pro!  It's online, it's free, click on the link below to download your free copy...Their circulation is growing by leaps and bounds, and most of the major paper companies support and sponsor their publication...it's unbelievably wonderful! 

Click Here for your Free Download

And, there's another amazing part of the business that you will want to learn about...Scrapbook Generation creates and ships the most amazing kits you'll ever see...kits, that follow beautiful layout sketches developed by each member of the SG team!  

Their kits are simply wonderful!  And, they ship all over the world.  

Find their amazing kit club here

And, they also publish the coolest sketch books of page layouts!  Honestly the layout sketches are so well laid out and so beautiful...you will be instantly inspired to create!  

Take the guesswork out of your layouts with Scrapbook Generation's amazing Sketch Books

I really loved getting to go back to Scrapbook Generation to see Karin, Debbie, Stacey and Allison...and loved getting to teach a couple classes while I was there...teaching in the store again was like a crafty reunion...

It's always so nice to reconnect with friends at SG!  Herewith Kristi Parker Van Doren. We had a few laughs.  

And really nice to see the pictures on the wall from the last time I got to visit...

Debbie, Karin, Stacey and Allison have developed and fostered a real creative community that stretches from Springfield Missouri to all corners of the world... 

They provide products and inspiration every day for crafters, cardmakers and scrapbookers around the world!  

Thank you again, Debbie, Karin, Allison and Stacey for a wonderful weekend at Scrapbook Generation...and congratulations on 10 wonderful years of helping us preserve our memories!

As I drove away the other day...I thought to myself...I can't wait to come back here...!