StencilGirl Friendzy

Greetings! Honoré here.

So, what happens when, one day you're on the job that you've had 18 years and counting, and you suddenly go crazy? Well, if your name is Mary Beth Shaw, you quit and create a business: Stencil Girl Products - quality artist designed stencils for mixed media artists by mixed media artists. Among the many  artists whose stencils are now available are: Sue Pelletier, Pam Carriker and Joanne Sharpe.

And guess what: they and Mary Beth Shaw are coming to the Queen's Ink, March 5th & 6th (Wed/Thurs), 2014.

The Queen's Ink is delighted to host the very first ever StencilGirl Friendzy at this royal mixed-media retreat. Over the two days, you will work with all four artists/teachers, learning techniques and tricks that will help you carry your stencil art to the very next level. ..and, drum roll please: You will receive four limited-edition stencils, created by each artist and a 58-page 9 x 12 bound journal.

Check out all the details here and call the Queen's Ink to register.

I was in the Queen's Ink Shop Monday and new product from CHA is beginning to arrive…like these luscious Faber Castell Double Scoop gelatos. Yummy!

And the shop is expecting new Graphic 45 pattern papers any day now… Be sure to check the Queen's Ink website for up-to-the-minute arrivals of all the new products.

Been cold enough for you? I am slowly "thawing out," hoping that our winter weather is soon to be over though I don't have much confidence, considering that all the groundhogs I know (about) saw their shadow three days ago. Not a good sign. But hey, nothing we can do but grin and bear it, pull out our art supplies and drown our sorrows in making great art -  in our journals, on canvases, tags, with new paints or a new box of crayons and perhaps a stencil or two.

Look forward to seeing you soon. Stay warm.

Cheers~

A bucket list of sorts...

Greetings and Happy 2013! Has the new year caught you off guard as it has me?  Whoa! Not so fast there...I've barely gotten  (actually, I'm not too sure I can even use the qualifier barely) started and I am absolutely astonished that January is practically over!

Though I don't make resolutions I do spend a lot of time contemplating and anticipating the coming year. I always have way too many thoughts and ideas on tap for any given month and the entire year. And I am often stymied by too many choices, so much so that I frequently  don't get started 'cause I can't make up my mind: where to begin!

Going through my mind as I write this post are the following possible 2013 projects:

• creating a  365 something: a daily art journal or a tag a day or a fabric post card or a heart-a-day (inspired by Joanne Sharpe's article in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. And that Joanne's coming to The Queen's Ink in March is just icing on the cake, me thinks...
• making a fabric art journal. I really love working with fabric, especially choosing bits-n-pieces as I create a palette. 
• decorating more cigar and other boxes...I find this to be an absolutely fulfilling and rewarding project, in addition to being fun! And The Queen has several classes planned in February that take the project to different levels. Can't decide which I'll do  tho' I think I'd better hurry 'cause for all I know, the classes may already be filled.

Jewelry Tray workshop - February 9th

• trying my hand at sketching/drawing and/or doodling. Last fall I ordered the cutest book: Doodling in French: How to Draw with Joie de Vivre by Anna Corba and I've been promising myself, today is the day...you know where that has gotten me...
• in that same vein: drawing. Earlier this week I discovered a digital art journaling app:  Paper.53 for the iPad. It is too cool! And the best part: it's portable and doesn't require tools, paints, papers, etc. And did I say: free? Tho' you do have to pay for some additional tools and paints if you want them. (I will share a photo of a page as soon as I figure out how to do it - I think a screen capture is it and I'm wondering if there is a print function. I think that would be just great 'cause you could then do a page or many, print them out and then adhere to a journal.)

The above list is just a sampling of the smorgasbord of ideas and inspirations bouncing around my brain... and I've not even touched on the PIPs - projects in progress - that call out to me every single day. That's a whole 'nother list.

What's on your bucket list for 2013? Would love to have you share in the comments. And speaking of such, the current issue of Cloth Paper Scissors has some ideas...including a really great article on Donna Downey, too!

BTW: I was at The Queen's Ink a week ago. It has totally been rearranged and reorganized. Get there quickly so you can see first hand how open and even more inviting the store space is!

(when you enter the store, you are greeted by this display. turn right or left for surprises)

Cheers~
Honoré

a creative smorgasbord...

Honoré  here: Greetings! I was just looking over class offerings at The Queen's Ink  for the next several months, May - July. What a selection! And, that's my dilemma, and perhaps yours, too: which one/s? My only regret is there aren't more of me; if so, I could sign up for them all.

Right now, art journals and journaling are enjoying a resurgence. I'm going to have to miss the May edition of Karen Bearse's Art Journal classes, but fortunately, she's offering two more, one in June, another in July. Great. I'll be on the roster...

The Queen's (Patti)  popular Decorative Cigar Box is being offered again this month and in June. Can't say how much you'll love this one...I'm also intrigued with the Queen's Paper Mosaics offering...

I'm sorry I had to miss Fred Mullett's classes, which are new to me. Unfortunately, I was on my way to Oregon and couldn't figure out how to be in two places at the same time. I was definitely intrigued not only by the class description, but also the examples in the shop.

Stab Binding with
Chrissie Hines

And have you taken a look at the Chrissie Hines offerings:  In May, she teaches the coptic binding technique , coupled with The Queen's fun intro to using the Gelli Art Plate to decorate the cover. In June, Chrissie does a  June Book Arts Workshop on Stab Bindings? I just heart me some Japanese washi papers ...

Steampunk Frame
with Sherry Cheever

Chunky Tag with
Sherry Cheever

Another artist, new to me, is Sherry Cheever. We get three chances in June to learn from her.  Sherry is known for her gorgeous paper flowers, so take the opportunity to learn from one of the best! Liking that look...

As you can see, these classes are just a sampling of the wonderful, creative offerings at The Queen's Ink! All I can say is try any one; based on my past experiences, I'm sure you'll like!

 PS. Any/all of these classes make a perfect Mother's Day gift - any time of the year!


Note from Lolly:
I'll be posting the class descriptions and photos of the T!m Holtz workshops next week. Please note that we are hosting Tim during the week (Wednesday & Thursday, August 22nd and 23rd), so start planning your "grunge flu" excuse accordingly :-) I'll send an email and post a note here to let you all know that the workshops are posted, and that's when you'll find out when we will start registration. Stay tuned...
LK

the über popular decorated cigar box

Honoré here. Hi there. 

I've decided I really need to be cloned: there are just so many creative things that I want to do and learn and I just can't seem to fit them all into my daily life. Yes, I know: make choices or schedules or, or, or...problem is, I am just no g-o-o-d at prioritizing. I want to do it all. And what is all you say? 

All is art journaling, altering books, making cigar boxes, knitting, quilting, regenerating my rusty embroidery skills ( I won't even begin to tell you how long ago I learned to embroider), blogging, reading, attending art classes, etc, etc, etc. 


Speaking of classes, at the end of March, I attended The Queen's  über  popular "decorated cigar box" class. Supposedly, that class was going to be the very last one for an undetermined amount of time...so, those of us in the class were thanking our lucky stars that we got into the last class. And then, during class, Patti announced that she'd had a change of heart and was going to continue offering the class. What prompted the change of heart? Well, she went to the  Craft and Hobby Association's semi-annual conference/exhibit and fell in love (that translates into ordered for the shop) with lots of really neat paper. Really neat. Some of it arrived a couple weeks ago and I can see why she was smitten. Quiet as it is kept: I have also been smitten.When I was last in the shop, I "managed" to buy just a few sheets...just a few. 


Anyway, a couple days ago, two new cigar box classes were announced for May and June. Sign up for one (or both). Don't delay. I can promise you, unequivocally, that you'll be so glad and you too, will be smitten. And if you haven't been to the shop recently and haven't seen the boxes on display, get thee there as soon as you can. Until then, here are a few photos of several that were made during the class I attended last month. And a few shots of some of that really neat paper The Queen ordered. I thoroughly enjoyed making the cigar box and have begun thinking about making more as gifts...if I can force myself to give them away. I think it'll be difficult....

a box made by a classmate for her husband's birthday... 

isn't this just the cutest? another creation by a classmate...

so bright and cheerful; begs to be opened...

this is the outside of my box...

...and this is the inside 

just a sampling of pretty new papers...

Hurry. Sign up today. Seats go quickly. Classes are limited to 10 students, so call the shop: 301-497-9449 to register. I promise you'll like it!


Cheers~

Postscript from Lolly....
I posted Sherry Cheever's fab June 9th-10th classes so check out the descriptions and photos, then call to reserve your spot!

Dyan Reaveley's altered books workshop

Honoré here: Hi. I can hardly believe that the month of March is only hours away ~ seems that February and Dyan Reaveley's three and a quarter days of workshops at The Queen's Ink were just about to happen. Where does the time go?

I attended the all-day Saturday (and Friday evening before) workshop on making altered books. We learned a lot of nifty techniques for creating niches and fun pages. But the best part was two-fold: one was listening to Dyan and laughing so much at her running dialogue and witty comments. She kept us in stitches. The other best part was the opportunity to try her new line of Dylusions products, made exclusively by Ranger. And of course, The Queen's Ink was/is privileged to have them first among the many shops in the country.

I had a great time, enjoyed every minute of this learning adventure and my only regret: I didn't sign up for all the workshops. Oh well, I'll know better next time. In the meantime, here are some photos from my session.

The Queen (Patti) introducing Dyan

Dyan demonstrating removing pages from the book. Just grip and rip!

One of my pages. Dyan shares her ghosting technique in this video 

She has lots of videos and other tutorials available; check them out from her blog

Tags made by Dyan featuring some of her whimsical characters. These are rubber stamps
that you can buy from The Queen's Ink.

Dyan's Dylusions line on is the wall just as you enter The Queen's Ink from inside the Mill. Lots of fun product here: her rubber stamps and stencils including samples of her tags. (Display also includes some Crafter's Workshops stencils). Watch the website for announcements about the arrival of Dyan's ink sprays.

I include this sample of part of a calendar page by Kate Crane, a member of Dyan's design team. I discovered Kate's  calendar pages in the Winter 2012  issue of  Art Journaling. Imagine my delight at seeing an actual, real-world calendar! You can learn more about Kate and her journal calendar here...and also join in the fun.

I am so glad that I had a chance to meet Dyan and partake in one of her workshops. I know that I'll definitely signup again next time she's here. Hope you'll be able to  do so, too!

Cheers~

gel printing fun...

Hi, it's Honoré here. If you remember, earlier in October, the Queen's Ink got a new product, a gel printing plate by Gelli Arts that makes it totally possible to monoprint without using gelatin! Clearly a 21st Century advancement. In my first/last post, I indicated that I had purchased a gel printing plate and that I'd share experiences and impressions. For starters, I had fun! Really super messy fun!

If you check out this post, you'll see a link to a video demonstration on how to use the gel plate. First, let me say it really is as easy as demonstrated, and clean up is a snap too. However, my workspace, hands and apron did not stay clean and neat as you'll see on the video. Or could it be that I'm just messy?!

I tried a variety of ways to make marks: rubber and foam stamps; stencils; and found items from the kitchen and various junk drawers. I used plastic forks, Q-tips, a meat tenderizer, a toothbrush, paintbrushes with different tips, my fingers and even a seashell I found. Stencils work least best as the paint always has a tendency to leak - it's better to dab paint on a stencil. I liked the impressions made by the rubber stamp better than those created with a foam stamp. The most fun were the "household found items." My suggestion: gather those items before you get started and just play. Here are a couple photos from my playtime:

The left, teal print was made with a stencil; the right, with stamps.

All the markings in this photo were made with the found household items; the yellow piece is also printed on muslin. I really like the texture and the clarity of the markings. Gonna have to try printing on fabrics, more.

Queen's Ink has both sizes of the gel plates: the 6 x 6 and the 8 x 10. I think if you like printing and want to try your hand at a simple, fun and creative way to print your art journal pages, tags and other mixed media pieces, you can't go wrong with this tool.
Let us know what you make.

Cheers~

PS. And it'll make a great gift too; even children,I'd say ages 8+, will take to it.