Teaching Schedule 2018

Hi Everybody, I wanted to make sure that my teaching calendar is posted for dates that I have for the remainder of 2018.  My classes are fun and very informative.  You'll learn lots of methods and techniques for creating art! 

Happy Crafters here...we just made Color Burst Galaxy Cards!

Serious creativity going on here...check out that photo-bomb!

My classes are great for all skill levels and for all ages...I love it when kids come to class too.

I hope to see you in a class sometime soon.  I still have some dates to fill for 2018. And, I am already booking dates for 2019. If you'd like to find out about having a class in your town, shoot an email to me at ken@kenolivercrafts.com or contact your local scrapbook, stamp, art supply shop and let them know. 

Thank you for stopping by today...make sure to spend some time on your creative pursuits today too, it will do you good! 

Watercolor Backgrounds: Tips and Techniques

No matter your crafting style, a great watercolor background is often the best foundation for cardmaking, art journals, bible journals, or scrapbook layouts.  Watercolor can be brilliant and bold, or subtle. 
All too often, I hear students say they're afraid to try their hand at watercolor washes and backgrounds.

I put together a live video today, with a few tips and techniques that will take some mystery out of watercolor backgrounds. 
You'll be surprised because I used some mediums that you typically would not think of using for watercolor backgrounds.  I used Color Burst, Color Burst Ink Pads, Liquid Watercolors and Color Burst Ink from a refill bottle.

You'll have to watch, the results are beautiful and easy to replicate over and over. 

Thank you for joining me today!  I hope you're inspired to create a few watercolor backgrounds for your next crafting project. 

Color Burst Technique: Weathered Wood

Hi everybody, I hope you're having a beautiful day...it's a beautiful, crisp, fall afternoon where I live, it couldn't be more perfect.
Recently, I posted a video on Facebook live and I wanted to follow up today with a few clearer photos of the technique that I showed in the video. The technique is "faux weathered wood" with Color Burst.  It's a great watercolor technique that instantly make you look like an accomplished water colorist.   

This technique lets you create texture with watercolor.

And, it could not be easier.

All you need is some watercolor paper, Color Burst ( I used Burnt Umber, Cerulean Blue, and Lamp Black) and a fan brush! 



A fan brush will let you create lines and streaky textures with Color Burst.




 If you'd like to see how I did it, watch this video, I give step-by-step instructions and show you how to paint woodgrain with Color Burst and a fan brush.
Watch here....


                             

The contest is over, and the winners have been chosen,  but I thought you might enjoy learning the technique.

To finish these cards, I added a tiny water colored die cut leaf to the envelope. It looks pretty cool.  



Here's a list of the products I used to create these cards:
Color Burst, Rich Moroccan Shades
Ken Oliver Crafts Water Media Stitched Cards
Maya Road Dies
Stick It Adhesive
Best Ever Craft Mat
Robert Simmons White Sable Fan Blender Brush



Thank you for visiting my blog today and for watching my video!  I hope you'll try this technique, once you master it...your friends will think you're a watercolor expert! I'm thinking that this background would look great with a die cut Christmas wreath on it too! 

Color a Card with Cut 'n Color Stamp and Die Sets, Tree of Life

Hey everybody, I hope you're having a great day! I am having an artful day in my workroom, creating shaped cards with my newest die and stamp sets...this set is called Tree of Life.  You can use the stamp and coordinating dies for lots of projects ranging from cards to mixed media art.

These sets are beautiful and intricately detailed.  I designed them especially for coloring.  You can color with Color Burst, watercolors, or your favorite markers.

To get started, I stamped the Tree of Life image on my Water Media Paper from Canvas Corp. with Archival Ink.  You'll want to use a permanent ink that it waterproof and won't run when you color over it.

 



 Then, I colored using my newest Color Burst colors, Rich Moroccan Shades.  The color palette is beautiful and includes Cadmium Scarlet, Cerulean Blue, Gamboge, Olive Green, Burnt Umber and Lamp Black.  And, I colored with a watercolor brush and water. 

 

When I'd finished coloring, I cut a shaped card from my Water Media Paper and cut out the colored image with the die set. Before I cut the die, I applied Stick It adhesive to the back side of the Water Media Paper...it really makes gluing intricate die cuts very easy. 

I made a couple examples for you to see...one with a background of Cerulean Blue, and one with a background of Gamboge.

If you'd like to see how I made these cards, please watch this Facebook Live broadcast from my Facebook page Ken Oliver Crafts. And, make sure to LIKE my page.  

The stamps and dies are brand new and will ship next week, so make sure to ask your local retailer to pre-order them for you.  You will love coloring and cutting these dies! 

 Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderfully crafty day! 

Ken

Color Challenge: Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber

Hi everybody,
This past week, our color challenge was to use the colors Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber on a project or work of art.

It's a great color palette to use and a little unexpected...

...but it works because it's an analogous color palette, or, the colors are beside each other on the color wheel.  (Burnt Umber is neutral). 

And, I've been amazed by the projects that everyone has submitted.  They're all just stunning.  At first, I thought I'd randomly pick a winner.  But, the works are all so beautiful, I couldn't choose one myself, so I would like to put it up for a vote.  Please vote for your favorite by commenting with the Number and Name of the project that you would like to vote for.

1. Milagros C. Rivera

 

2. Milagros C Rivera

3. Lauren Bergold

4. Lauren Bergold 

5. Kathy Davis

6. Emilee Grupp

7. Pam Miner

8. Lisa Smith 

9. Ayoti Mittra

The voting is now open and will remain open until noon, 12:00 pm, August 31, 2016, so you only have 1 day to vote.  Feel free to share this blog post with your friends to let them see the color palette we worked with and give them the chance to vote for their favorite.  Tomorrow, I'll count the votes and name the winner here and on my Facebook Page. The winner will receive a set of Color Burst Caribbean Brights. 

Thank you again to everyone who took my color challenge this week. I'm planning to have another color challenge really soon!

'til next time, 

Ken

Color Burst Florals

Artist and Creative Team member Dakri Sinclair brightens up our day with her vibrant floral art using Color Burst. You can see more of Dakri's work on her blog here.

Supplies

Ken Oliver Water Media Paper 8.5" x 11"

Ken Oliver Color Burst

Golden Fluid Liquids

Ken Oliver Crafts May Challenge Day 8

Welcome to day 8 of the May Challenge, we will be sharing projects by our Creative Team for their monthly challenge.  

The theme this month is 'May Flowers' and the to make it a 'light' challenge they could use any Ken Oliver Craft products alongside products from ANY other manufacturer

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun!
 Facebook or Instagram with the tag #kenolivermaychallenge or email your submissions to sharon@kenolivercrafts.com.  You could win some Color Burst for your stash.  

The deadline for submissions is June 3rd. Winners will be announced her on the blog and Facebook on June 6th.

Today we have a project from our team leader

Sharon Callis

Supplies

Ken Oliver Water Media Paper

Ken Oliver Liquid Metals

Ken Oliver Color Burst

Ken Oliver Cut'n'Color Butterfly Daisy Mandala and Daisy Stamps

Xyron Creative Station Lite

Ken Oliver Crafts May Challenge Day 6

Welcome to day 6 of the May Challenge, we will be sharing projects by our Creative Team for their monthly challenge.  

The theme this month is 'May Flowers' and the to make it a 'light' challenge they could use any Ken Oliver Craft products alongside products from ANY other manufacturer

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun!
 Facebook or Instagram with the tag #kenolivermaychallenge or email your submissions to sharon@kenolivercrafts.com.  You could win some Color Burst for your stash.  

The deadline for submissions is June 3rd. Winners will be announced her on the blog and Facebook on June 6th.

Today we have a project from

Jeanne Streiff

Supplies: 

Cut 'n Color - Poppy Flower Stamp

Cut 'n Color - Poppy Flower Die

Color Burst: Lemon Yellow, Aquamarine Blue, Lime, Terre Verte, Alizarin Crimson, Tangerine, Merlot

Stick-it

Best Ever Craft Mat

5 x 7” Ken Oliver Crafts/Canvas Corp Water Media paper

Ken Oliver Creative Team May Challenge Day 5

Welcome to day 5 of the May Challenge, we will be sharing projects by our Creative Team for their monthly challenge.  

The theme this month is 'May Flowers' and the to make it a 'light' challenge they could use any Ken Oliver Craft products alongside products from ANY other manufacturer

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun!
 Facebook or Instagram with the tag #kenolivermaychallenge or email your submissions to sharon@kenolivercrafts.com.  You could win some Color Burst for your stash.  

The deadline for submissions is June 3rd. Winners will be announced her on the blog and Facebook on June 6th.

Today we have not one but three projects from

Nikki Davis

Supplies:

Color Burst

Liquid Metals

Ken Oliver Water Media Paper

Mod Podge

Gesso

Acrylic Accents

Vintage newspapers and magazines (on Vase of Flowers Canvas)

Ken Oliver Craft May Challenge Day 4

Welcome to day 4 of the May Challenge, we will be sharing projects by our Creative Team for their monthly challenge.  

The theme this month is 'May Flowers' and the to make it a 'light' challenge they could use any Ken Oliver Craft products alongside products from ANY other manufacturer

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun!
 Facebook or Instagram with the tag #kenolivermaychallenge or email your submissions to sharon@kenolivercrafts.com.  You could win some Color Burst for your stash.  

The deadline for submissions is June 3rd. Winners will be announced her on the blog and Facebook on June 6th.

Today we have a project from

Dunja Ducker

Supplies:

Color Burst : Lime Green, Tangerine, Fuchsia, Alizarin Crimson, Indigo
Liquid Metals:  Platinum, Amethyst
Butterfly Daisy Mandala DieButterfly Daisy Mandala Stamps
Mixed Media Paper KN04502
Best Ever Craftmat

Ken Oliver Craft May Challenge Day 2

Welcome to day 2 of the May Challenge, we will be sharing projects by our Creative Team for their monthly challenge.  

The theme this month is 'May Flowers' and the to make it a 'light' challenge they could use any Ken Oliver Craft products alongside products from ANY other manufacturer

Now it's your turn to get in on the fun!
 Facebook or Instagram with the tag #kenolivermaychallenge or email your submissions to sharon@kenolivercrafts.com.  You could win some Color Burst for your stash.  

The deadline for submissions is June 3rd. Winners will be announced her on the blog and Facebook on June 6th.

Today we have a project from

Dakri Sinclair

Supplies:

 Ken Oliver Crafts 12"x12" mixed media board 

    Color Burst Powder Pigments (most colors)

Cut'n'Color Poppy Flowers Card

Giovana Smith has a great card and tutorial to share with us, recently the Creative Team got to create with the new range Ken Oliver range of Cut'n'Color dies and stamps.

 Here's Giovana to tell you more:

Hello friends!! Giovana here today showing you one of the new Cut' n Color Stamp and dies from Ken Oliver Crafts! The set I used today is Poppy Flower Stamp and Poppy Flower Die.

Working with them was super easy!! Here are the picture details:

Stamp the Poppy flower image on a piece of Water Media Paper, then die-cut the image.

Start coloring the image, starting with the flower in Color Burst Fuchsia, while this gets air dry, color the leaves with Lime Green and Terra Verte, then add Lemon Yellow to the flowers.

 Cover the edges of a Kraft Water Media card, using a stencil add Lemon Yellow Color Burst and spray water.

 After background is dried, stamp sentiment in Crimson Click It Ink pad.

 Add flower to card, add pearls and little drops of Yellow Gold Liquid Metals. Set aside to dry.

And this is the look of the finished card.