Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tiny Tarnished Tomes with Kari McKnight Holbrook (and a Giveaway!)

Saturday evening at the CREATE Mixed Media Art Retreat in Somerset, New Jersey, brought me to the workshop, "Tiny Tarnished Tomes," with Kari McKnight Holbrook, known on her blog as The Backporch Artessa.
Kari McKnight-Holbrook
First, we had an opportunity to make our own molds for polymer clay, using a product called Knead-a Mold.  Then, the majority of our time was spent in creating the front and back covers for our tiny books, using countertop samples from the hardware store (think:  little rectangles of formica) and Sculpey polymer clay.  Kari provided us with molds and stamps to make impressions and designs with our clay.
The front of my finished "tiny tarnished tome."
The back of my finished "tiny tarnished tome."
We gave our covers an aged effect by using metal coatings in our choice of bronze, copper, or iron.  (I chose the copper finish.)  We then spritzed on a product to create the patina-ed look.  The brand we used was called Sculpt Nouveau.
Once our covers were bound and in place, we had only a bit of workshop time left to sew our pages into place.  I was new to the bookbinding process, and would have liked a little more time to learn what I was doing, and find out some more options for adding buttons and beads to decorate my spine.  Kari graciously stayed late with us, so that we were all able to complete our projects.
Kari gave us a couple of priceless tips regarding bookbinding supplies.  She uses hockey tape from a sporting goods store as a binding tape; you can imagine how durable it must be considering its intended purpose.  And she uses floss threaders (like you use when flossing your teeth!) with her thread and beads when she is binding her books.  Brilliant!
This workshop exposed me to some interesting new products, and showed me a new use for polymer clay.  I thought it was very cool to use it in the creation of a book cover.

As a further bonus, Kari offered a drawing for door prizes!  And I won!  I came away with some of her own polymer artist stamps, which are based on drawings from her sketchbook.  They can be used easily as traditional rubber stamps, but are also constructed with polymer clay and encaustics in mind.
My door prize!
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Because I registered for three workshops at the retreat, I received an official CREATE tote bag, filled with several fabulous and artful goodies.  There were two bottles of high flow acrylics from Golden, an amazing PITT artist pen big brush, a bottle of acrylic glaze from the Silks line of LuminArte, a pair of multi-purpose titanium scissors from Fiskars, a molding mat by ColorBox, a collage pack put together by Art Camp For Women, and a copy of PAGES magazine by Cloth Paper Scissors.  I felt like I was at the Academy Awards, getting my goodie bag!

On Sunday morning, as I munched on my croissant, I saw a group of women standing over a nearby table, and my antennae went up.  When I walked over, I saw that there were goodie bag extras available for people to take for free!  I thought of you, my wonderful readers, and knew that I wanted to offer you a giveaway opportunity.
Giveaway loot!
If you would like to win a copy of PAGES magazine, a molding mat for use especially with polymer clay, and a collage pack from Art Camp for Women, please leave a comment on this post.  In order to be entered into the drawing, please tell me what kind of class you would most like to take if you were attending an art retreat next week.  Would it be a sketch class, watercolor, art journaling, bookbinding, jewelry-making, oil painting, acrylics, photography, fiber arts?  Something else?  I'd love to know what you are most interested in exploring right now in your creative life.

Please leave your comment by July 31, 2013, and I will publish the winner on August 1, 2013.  Good luck!
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If you did not see my first post about the CREATE Mixed-Media Art Retreat, click here to read about my drawing and watercolor workshop with Jane LaFazio!

And come back soon for my final post, telling you all about the Friday night Artists' Faire, and my Basic Bookbinding for Beginners class with Seth Apter!

23 comments:

ginigin said...

Great daydream question. I'd love to take a bookbinding class to learn some fancy stitches and how to do multiple signatures. I love your tiny book, so sweet! Would love to read Pages too. Thanks for chance to win.

ginigin said...

Great daydream question. I'd love to take a bookbinding class to learn some fancy stitches and how to do multiple signatures. I love your tiny book, so sweet! Would love to read Pages too. Thanks for chance to win.

Textile Recycler said...

mixed media and art journaling interest me these days. Learning new techniques and with interesting supplies too..Thanks for offering the goodies! textilerecycle@yahoo.com.

Caatje said...

Okay first: gimme gimme gimme! I wants that bag, I needs that bag! (But I don't know if you will ship abroad.)
If I were at a retreat I think the choices alone would drive me mad, but I think I would go for things that I normally don't do, like felting or working with metal. Unless of course Teesha Moore or DJ Pettitt are teaching something there, then all bets are off!
PS. Love your reports from the retreat!

Lelainia N. Lloyd said...

I think I would take a painting class with Jesse Reno. I think I would love playing with paint with his guidance.

Love the face on your cover-it has so much soul to it. Bookbinding is so much fun.

VivJM said...

I feel like I have completely lost my creative mojo, so I would like to do anything and everything in the hope of having it return!!
Looks like you had a terrific time at the retreat, you lucky girl.

Linda Gibbons said...

What a cool little book. I'm just beginning my journaling and bookmaking journey-a digitally created, printed and spiral bound journal for a class, a stapled paper journal, again with digitally designed pages, and a duct tape art journal with pages from the phone book, scrap book papers and recycled envelopes. It's fun, so far, but I still struggle to fill them.

froebelsternchen said...

what a fab tinny book!

Karen Isaacson said...

what a gorgeous tiny tome! I think the thing I'd most like to explore at a workshop or retreat is encaustic painting.

Adriann said...

Ooh nice book...love the aged patina effect! I'd be interested in book binding. I can't wait to see what you did in Seth Apter's class. Nice giveaway...so generous. Thanks for thinking about us. :O

Lori Kay said...

Thanks for sharing your good fortune and inspiration. I would love to take the same class you did with Jane Lafazio. I love her work.

Joyfulploys said...

Hi Andria...how wonderful that you got to go to that art retreat! Thanks for sharing! I love the little book you made in your class. And of course, I would like to win some art materials! Thank you!!
Mary

Cate Rose said...

Hi Andria ~ I'd love to take a mixed media painting class. Thanks for the cool giveaway!

Victoria said...

What a cute little book, looks like a fun class!
My dream art class would be with Tracy Verdugo.
I love her bright whimsical acrylics, it would get my Paint Mojo going for sure:)

Parabolic Muse said...

I've never seen one of those little books! I like the idea of being able to make your own molds. I haven't worked with clay lately, but I would definitely come up with my own molds if I could!

Your little book is so sweet. I bet the girls love it! A perfect size for them.

The class I'd take would probably be journaling. I love painting and creating backgroud pages, but I honestly don't think I've ever done a visual journal the way I'd love to, working with fonts and jotting down toughts in detail.

Thanks for being so generous!

iHanna said...

Oh how I would love ANY mixed media art retreat! Though right now I'm into sewing, so art quilts would be fun! Have a great weekend!

Jewels said...

Well I am in the wasteland here for getting to any kind of cool class like the ones you were able to take (just finished reading about the book binding - would have LOVED that one). I would also love a "show me how" crotchet or embroidery class only because I am self taught and never quite sure I have it right (yes i can look on You Tube but I would much rather have someone sitting with me :) Thanks for offering up goodies for a give away...

CWood-Wilson said...

It is so hard to decide! I would be one of those who would want to take everything, but most likely if I absolutely HAD TO choose, I would go after a fiber arts workshop. That is my passion and I am always keeping eyes peeled for new techniques.

Naomi said...

Oh what fun! I would probably continue learning about either acrylics or watercolors. :)

cheryl g said...

I enjoyed your posts about the retreat. Isn't Jane a great teacher. I took a class online from her.

I just couldn't choose so it would be a toss up between Lisa Engelbracht and Joanne Sharpe. I am using a lot of lettering in my art journals right now.

Malzone said...

Thanks for the vicariuos Create experience. Going to an art retreat is on my bucket list! I would have to say I would want a bookbinding/watercolor combination class, and it would last for two days!

Malzone said...

Thanks for the vicariuos Create experience. Going to an art retreat is on my bucket list! I would have to say I would want a bookbinding/watercolor combination class, and it would last for two days!

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