Craft Daily Goodness

Woot woot!

I'm just popping in quick to give you a code for 20% off of my video workshops on Craft Daily!    Simply visit Craftdaily.com and do a search for Kari McKnight Holbrook.   Type in BLOGLOVE    at checkoutfor a 20 percent discount!

My Background to Binding will show you how to make 4 different types of journals that would make wonderful Christmas Gifts!   Gellatin Primted Journals will not only teach you how to make journals, but also your own permanent gellatin printing plate!    Mixed Media Faces Made Easy video will teach you how to make customized portraits.  Polymer Clay Vessels would teach you how to make some rockin' gift boxes- just sayin'

Great time to stock up on a fun winter of arty goodness!

ZenDoodle Workshop

This summer really zapped me!  Dealing with influenza then pneumonia had me down so far I didn't even realize I missed posting that I had 2- yes TWO articles in the new magazine by Cloth Paper Scissors, called Zen Doodle Workshop.  It's such a fun magazine all about taking your doodles off canvas!

I love working with the wonderful team at Cloth Paper Scissors, and was thrilled to get to do it again!

I was excited to challenge myself to find ways to really push myself out of the sketchbook!   Both a jewelry project and an apron project were the end result.   More great news!  The magazine was such a hit that I just finished ANOTHER article for the next issue due out this winter-(coming sooner than any of us want to admit!)



Here is a peek of the apron in progress-

And here is a sneak peek at the necklaces in progress!

Inktober!

Do yall know about InkTober? t’s a 31 day challenge in October to inspire you to do one ink drawing a day and share it on social media.

 Inktober was started by Jake Parker in 2009 as a way to improve his own drawing skills and habits, and tons of artists now take on the challenge each year. Here’s a link to Jake’s site to learn more: http://mrjakeparker.com/inktober. 

Just thought I would show you my sketches so far... I have also been reading about the Tudors this month- so these are my interpretations of my own royals. 

Come Play!

Still a few spots left at Art Is You!  Don't Miss out on the best Art Retreat in the nation!
to see more info :   http://www.eatcakecreate.com/ 

Letter Palooza

Thursday September 17, 2015  in Minneapolis MN
Friday October 9, 2015 in Stamford CT

Feel your handwriting keeps you from art journaling? Never use your own writing in your art? No more worries! No drawing or calligraphy skills required! This stress free class is the perfect intro to creating your own unique and beautiful fonts and writing style to incorporate into your art pieces!

This class is really 2 in 1! It combines 2 of Kari McKnight Holbrook’s most popular classes into one delicious day! You will learn how to make your own tools to ease this process. Kari’s step by step demos and visual aids make it all so simple, and enjoyable! You will learn how to create multiple power word cards to be used and re-used in your art for years to come. Once you’ve created the masters, you can copy and resize and seamlessly incorporate into your future projects in a blink of an eye!


Discussions and samples printed on various papers will make you jump for joy at the possibilities! The bonus to this workshop are the sexy tips and tricks that enable you to use your writing on canvases and journals without risking beautiful backgrounds you’ve already made!

 Stamp Creation and Beautiful Papers

Friday September 18, 2015 in Minneapolis MN
Monday October 12, 2015 in Stamford CT


If you have ever wanted to put more of your own artistic voice into your projects, here is your perfect opportunity to realize that goal. Whether you prefer organic or precise, positive or negative, Kari McKnight Holbrook has a technique for you!

Once you learn the 7 wonderful ways of creating your own stamps, you can completely customize all your mixed media projects from here on out! Kari will teach you the safe and seductive art of carving PLUS introduce 6 other ways to use unusual products to make your mark makers! Part of the afternoon will be spent enjoying the paper printing bliss that comes from printing with handmade stamps.

Everyone will go home with their own stamps, a brain full of ideas, and beautifully printed original papers to be used in all manner of future projects! Kari will share many secrets for creating safe and successful stamps including fool proof image transfers to the carving surface. Kari shares all her sources in a printed list! Tips and examples of how to use the papers will be shared as well. Warning: this process is highly addictive….

Stamps, Stencils, Gellis and Thermofax

Saturday September 19, 2015 in Minneapolis MN
Thursday October 8, 2015 in Stamford CT



So we’ve all heard about Gelatin printing, but are maybe a little unsure of the process. Kari McKnight Holbrook will walk you through all the steps, unlock all the secrets about how to make your OWN printing plates, how to use them, how to incorporate stamps, stencils and thermofax screens into the mix, plus how to adhere and what to do with the wonderful stash of papers they create!
We will discuss the pros and cons of home-made gelatin plates vs manufactured plates, and how it changes your printing. Monoprints without a press!! This is a stress free, joyful class that will inspire your work for years to come. True to Kari’s nature, she will share new ways to use your stamps and stencils.
Gelatin printing is one of the keystone building blocks of mixed media- jump in now and join the fun! Everyone leaves with stacks and stacks of beautiful papers!

Sweet Salvage Stories 

Sunday September 20, 2015 in Minneapolis MN


In this class you will be rescuing a poor abandoned, dog-eared and scribbled-in children’s book. You will breathe life back into it and watch as it transforms itself under your loving touch. With dazzling textures and subtle, yet dimensional colors, a beautiful butterfly of a journal will emerge from the battered cocoon of neglect. With gesso, crackles and mediums, we will delve into the daring world of adding texture to our pages!

Kari McKnight Holbrook will guide you as you develop a personal alphabet, and become comfortable with the tips she’ll give you for the drawing and lettering techniques. Special emphasis will be given to lettering and developing your own visual voice as an artist. The process is so relaxing; you might find it hard to stop with just one! To add to your collection of these lively little books, you’ll find yourself haunting the thrift stores, library sales and rummage bazaars! No drawing or calligraphy skills necessary!





 To sign up for any of these exciting workshops, please visit  http://www.eatcakecreate.com/

Busy Bee

Hi gang!  I am so busy these days, but it's all good!  I've been working up new workshops, painting and creating and experimenting A LOT, and refinishing tons of furniture!  I don't even have time to turn around most days.  I apologize I've been a goon about taking pictures too.

So just to whet your whistle- I've been playing with new Premo! and Souffle' clays by Sculpey.  I've been enjoying the vast array of DecoArt's new Media line of paints and mediums. I have jumped head first into Roc-Lon's multipurpose cloth!   I have also been playing with Chameleon markers.  And I've been combining all of the above!

A tiny bit of eye candy for you- Below on the right is what the clay started out looking like.  With the addition of markers, varnishes and liquid glass.... they began to pop and explode with color!

So enjoy your summer chickens, I'll pop in now and again with updates!

Zen Doodle Workshop

It's HERE!

The newest magazine from Cloth Paper Scissors!

Zen Doodle Workshop

 

I'm happy to say I have 10 whole pages in this new publication!  2 articles! One article on how to make an apron out of recycled jeans and Roclon Multipurpose cloth, and one article on how to zen doodle on clay and make jewelry!  Since it is so new, it's been a hunt to find it on the shelves, but it is so worth it!  Besides my own happy self there are TONS of great tips and other articles on all sorts of ways to turn your doodles into fabulous and useful pieces of art!  If you want to skip the running, and just have them mail you one- you can visit the website here!

Heading to Petaluma!

Mikey is holding down the fort here while Jen Crossley and I wing our way toward Petaluma CA tomorrow for Art Is You.  It's been a flurry of activity cleaning the studio, getting ready for friends for Artiscape and doing a major booth overhaul for Harry & Annies'.  Now 3 solid days of packing kits, picking up last minute supplies, washing clothes, packing, printing tickets, booking shuttles and cars.  Last minute hotel arrangements for one night in a sold out city has been horrific fun....

But Jen and I are laughing and amusing ourselves if no-one else!  And we CAN'T WAIT to see our students!  We've had so much fun planning!  Only 3 spaces left- for a one time only shot at our Birds and Blooms class live!  Come join us!

Sweets for my Sweeties!

I am so very very appreciative of each and every one of you out there who has supported me in my art journey, reading my articles, buying my stamps or videos and taking my workshops.  Each of you has enriched my life, and re-energized my desire to create fun and meaningful ways of sharing my methods with you!

To celebrate all of you, and to say a big ol' THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!         I would love to be able to offer you a  special 20% off coupon on a very limited offer.

F&W is offering this fabulous kit of mine this month- (Only 100 available) and they are offering them at a fabulous price already- But use  KARIKIT20  at checkout for an ADDITIONAL 20% off!!!

               !!!Take a look at all the fabulous stuff you get!!!

Learn Kari McKnight Holbrook's techniques for gelatin printed journals in this exclusive collection! This is the perfect collection of resources to get started making your own gelatin print journals with Kari McKnight-Holbrook. Get Kari's brand new DVD, Gelatin Plate Printed Journal, along with her best-selling classic video download Backgrounds to Bindings. Order today and you'll also get three Catalyst wedges for creating texture with paints and mediums, deli paper great for printing techniques, two Deco Art stencils and two of Kari's custom ultra-durable stamps that she uses in her new DVD. Order your collection today and pay only $89.99-that's a savings of 24%! Reg. $117.90 Your Price: $89.99 Buy Now

	Gelatin Plate Printed Journal with Kari McKnight-Holbrook DVD Learn everything you need to know about gelatin plate printing from artist Kari McKnight-Holbrook-including how to make your own gelatin plate. Discover easy printing techniques using acrylic paint and a variety of tools and materials. Working with stencils, texture tools, and items found around the house, you'll learn how to print on a variety of papers. Then you'll bind those papers into a one-of-a-kind journal that comes together easily. In no time you'll be a master of gelatin plate printing!
	Backgrounds to Bindings: Beautifully easy handmade books and art journals VIDEO DOWNLOAD Create "juicy backgrounds" and a plethora of different no-sew bindings for your handmade books in this nearly 2-hour long workshop! Masterful artist and book-binding genius Kari McKnight-Holbrook takes you through each step, including creating your own stamps made from flip flops to use in your book, developing a color hue for your backgrounds, and using rubber bands, paintbrushes, ribbon, and more to bind it all together!
	Catalyst Silicone Wedges ART SUPPLIES Catalyst Wedges are ergonomically designed to fit in your hand allowing a direct interaction with your work. Designed for use with heavy-bodied paints, Catalyst is at home with oils, acrylics, and water-miscible oils. Clean-up is a breeze with Catalyst Blades and Wedges. The silicone is easy to wipe clean and is solvent resistant. This set includes Wedge Number 1, 4 & 5.
	Logan Wrap-Sized Interfolded Deli Wrap Wax Paper ART SUPPLIES With 500 sheets per box, this Logan brand deli paper is perfect for your gelli & deli printing needs! The sheets are interfolded, so the next piece pops right up-no need to reach into the box. Each sheet measures 6" x 10 ¾".
	Kari McKnight-Holbrook Stamps ART SUPPLIES These flexible polymer stamps are exceptionally strong and durable. No twisting or distorting like with other clear stamps. They are especially designed to hold up to use with inks, watercolors, gouaches, fabric paints, acrylic inks and acrylic paints. Your collection includes the Grid stamp, measuring 8" x 10", and the Small Alpha stamp, measuring 4" x 5".
	Andy Skinner Deco Art Stencils ART SUPPLIES Designed by Andy Skinner, renowned international mixed media artist, this new line of stencils was developed specifically with mixed media art in mind. These stencils are ideal for mono-printing, adding  texture and dimension, or layering designs for unique effects. Your collection includes the Whirlpool and Snake's Web stencils, each measuring 6" x 6".

Yup! It's lil' ol' me in Cloth Paper Scissors!

So I've been hit by some challenges already this year- like finding out the CREATE retreats where I teach were going away- ( a significant chunk of my income, ) some health issues, my maternal grandmother breaking her hip and femur and the long recovery involved, and the worst was the loss of my paternal Grandmother.  I would have a pretty dim view of what 2015 was going to hold for me, if I hadn't had some wonderful balancing FABULOUS things happening!

First, I've been able to see friends and family that I haven't seen for a long long time due to my schedule.  It's been lovely catching up.  Next, I've been able to just create and play.  For myself, with no end result demanded.  I can't tell you how important that time is to refresh my skills, my artistic soul.  I have been creating for so long for workshops, for articles, for commissions.  That's all lovely, but at times you feel as if it boxes you in rather than makes you feel creative.  What I'm doing now is making me so happy and refilling my well of creativity.  It is spawning new ideas faster than I can write them down in my journals.  And oh yes I am filling journals for the inevitable dry spell that will come. 


And some SUPER fantastic happiness coming to me from the good folks at F&W!  Way back in September last year I worked on an article for Cloth Paper Scissors, and woot woot! It's in the January February issue of Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine!  If you've never picked up a Cloth Paper Scissors magazine- you are really missing out!  It never fails to inspire me, and the only disappointment is that it's bi-monthly, and I would LOVE it if it was monthly!  Can't get too much of this goodness!  Here is the CPS link if you would like to grab your own copy- you can even digitally download if you like!  A super shout out of thanks to my beautiful niece Morgan for being my model!  A quick snappy on the cell phone became a beautiful painterly mixed media portrait!

Next, the Craft Daily Shows I filmed out in Ft. Collins last November have hit the airwaves!  And I am so pleased to say they are being given very kind and favorable reviews!  The first one out the gate coincides with the Cloth Paper Scissors article!  So if you liked the article, you can watch the workshop, digitally download it, or if you are like me and like to have a hard copy, you can purchase it here! Here's what F&W has to say- 

Mixed-Media Faces Made Easy

By Kari McKnight-Holbrook

Become a master in portraits with these simple and easy techniques to incorporate faces in your art journaling and collage art. Artist Kari McKnight Holbrook will show you how to turn black-and white photocopies into masterful portraits. You'll learn how to layer various mediums to create shadows, highlights, and depth on faces, and ways to incorporate soft, natural colors. Add your portrait to a painted canvas, add embellishments, and your artful faces will come alive.

So as you can see, 2015 is getting pretty exciting!