Still here

It has been a long time since we have updated this blog.  . . .  we have just ran out of time in the last few months.

So many deliveries, new classes and guest teachers had to be unpacked and organized and of course we are working on many surprises behind the scenes all at the same time.  (apparently I haven't needed as much sleep as I thought. . . although if you see me walking around kinda in a zombie state, it is not a zombie apocalypse coming it is just me after a long night of planning)

I just looked for an image to place here showing me in a zombie state and they were pretty scary so just use your imagination.

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We just had Julie Nutting here teaching three wonderful classes using her doll stamps.

Fun times and lots of creativity over the weekend.

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Here are some special classes and teachers coming in the next few weeks:

First up we have Jill Haglund better known as Tweety Jill.

Jill wears a lot of hats... artist, designer, author, manufacturer and business owner! But most of all she is an "Inspiration-ologist"~ as she loves sharing her enthusiasm about ART through teaching classes in person, online videos and through tutorials.  

She is teaching a Mixed Media Canvas Class  on Saturday April 11th
you can find out the details here:  Tweety Jill Class

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then on Sunday April 12th we have Raquel Mason teaching two fun Pop it Up Cards using Karen Burniston's dies.  Raquel is on the elizabeth Crafts and Karen Burniston's design teams and is a great person to learn from all about Pop it Up Cards

Look at the face on Grumy Dog, lol

More details about Raquel's class here:  April 12th Pop It Up Class

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Sharyn Sowell is coming to visit us on May 9th

Sharyn Sowell has two studios: One is a rose covered cottage in the garden, chock full of rainbow-hued stacks of paper, pots of ink, scissors by the dozen, clattering old printing presses and far too many tubes of paint. The other is a suitcase crammed full of art supplies, ready to go at a moment's notice.  She designs everything from rubber stamps, fabric, greeting cards and giftware. 

Sharyn's art is a blend of calligraphy, watercolor, letterpress printing, and cut paper, all done meticulously by hand and merged digitally.Sharyn designs for companies like Hallmark, Creative Converting, and York Wallcoverings. Her original art can be seen in the British National Portrait Gallery, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Orlando Waldorf Astoria. Her calligraphic Kindle covers have sold over 2.25 million units and she has won multiple Louie Awards, the Oscar of the greeting card industry. 

Sharyn has a line of dies coming out with Sizzix that are perfect for us Florida Beach peeps!

Sharyn is teaching two classes:

the first one is a banner that is amazing: . . . and just think of all the themes you can do, perfect for weddings, July 4th street parties, halloween, Christmas decorations and so much more. (I am so excited to get my hands on these dies)

 Here are the details for this Class:  Nautical Lights Banner

and then a Piano Hinge album in the afternoon:  By The Sea Mini Book

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and then we have our good friend Wendy Vecchi coming back to teach two all day fantastic workshops.  If you have ever taken a class with Wendy then you know how many fun techniques she puts into each class.

Wendy is a full time artist/designer and owner of studio 490. She is a signature designer for Ranger & Stampers Anonymous.  Her Ranger product line includes Archival inks & coordinating embossing powders. She design stamps, art parts, stencils & clearly for art for Stampers Anonymous and has a studio 490 signature line of embossing pastes in 6 flavors.

Wendy loves to travel around the country & teach technique/stamping/altered art classes and we LOVE when she is here with us at ESS

Wendy is here May 23rd and 24th

May 24th details here

May 23rd Workshop details here

will write more soon,

Have a creative week, Michelle

Nathalie Kalback is coming back to ESS

we are so excited for our friend Nathalie Kalbach, she was just named Brand Ambassador for Liquitex

Nathalie is a self-taught mixed media artist. She was born in Germany and lived most of her adult life in Hamburg before moving to the United States in September 2013. She now lives in Jersey City, NJ.

Nathalie describes herself:

"My early love of paint was squelched by an art teacher who told me I had no talent. I worked as a paralegal for seventeen years and might have remained in the wrong profession had I not discovered mixed media painting in 2004.

I regained confidence in my creativity and have spent the last decade exploring the possibilities of creating dimension and texture by layering different materials and paint media. I have worked in art journals, on canvases and scrapbook layouts, incorporating collage and found objects. My projects have been published in several craft and hobby magazines as well as mixed media books. I have taught at many retail events and art retreats, as well as at trade shows, and by 2011 I was able to give up working as a paralegal to become a full-time artist.

For me, creating art is a dialogue between my skills and the supplies I use. It is not so much a battle as an ongoing attempt to work out the connections between ideas and techniques.

In my mixed media canvases I emphasize urban subject matter, especially gentrification. I depict the vibrancy as well as the decay that I see in the cities around me from multiple viewpoints, represented by layering and tactile dimension.

I believe that everyone can be creative. Since 2006 I have taught workshops in Europe, Canada, the U.S., Australia, Israel, Malaysia and online. I share what I know about tools, supplies and techniques, with the goal of helping each student unlock his/her personal creativity.

My artwork is licensed through StencilGirl Products (stencils) and Stampendous (rubber stamp and template sets). My work has been featured on the packaging for Liquitex Acrylic Painting Sets sold at Michaels art and craft stores. Since September 2014 I am a sponsored artist/brand ambassador for Liquitex. I am also a product development consultant to several art and craft supply manufacturers."

Nathalie is teaching three fantastic workshops on November 14th, 15th and 16th

Check our calendar for her mixed media classes .  Descriptions, times and supplies needed are listed there.

Don't delay in signing up as we are at a "Wait List Only" for the Sunday class

ESS is excited to announce the return of Cheryl Mezzetti

yes, you read correctly Cheryl Mezzetti is coming back to ESS to teach two amazing classes in August.

The first class  

 

Happy Days

Sunday August 11th 1:00-4:00pm $45

Mini Book perfect for Summer Memories

Cheryl starts with plain and simple 7gypsies chipboard covers, chipboard, canvas mat boards and turns it into a work of art!  She takes you through a journey with all the latest and greatest mixed media products to hit the market as she educates you with all you need to know with using Luminarte H20's, Radiant Rain Sprayers and the new Primary Elements and Silks!  Cheryl shares her knowledge from her education and training trip to Germany at the main headquarters of Viva Decor Germany!   

The next class is a 5 hour technique based class

Mixed Media Techniques

Saturday August 10th 12:00-5:00pm $55

Mixed Media Technique Workshop

You will learn how to use a variety of mixed media products including all Luminarte h20s, silks, primary elements, Viva colour products such as modeling cream, ferro, precious metals, etc.   

This class is very informative as Cheryl will be sharing how each of them work both independently and with other products.   Each student will receive a unique kit and a 9 page follow up email with links to various sites and videos to help you further your knowledge! 

You will be working in an old discarded book (old, recycled or even new) and will be  will be adding pockets, vintage trims including some one-of-a-kind finds, ephemera, recycled products, and three-dimensional objects  totally transforming the book into a creative work of art!


   

The Celebs are Circling the Building....

Exciting news to share - we've got many of our special guest teachers booked set for the year!!

First up - Holy Bangers and Mash!!!!  The highly anticipated return of Dyan Reaveley will be on May 11th and 12th - not soon enough for us!

These are the classes she'll be teaching:

Using Imagery in Your Journaling: 5/11/2013 10am-2pm

In my art journal I use a lot of imagery from magazines, books, old journal pages etc. Where do you start and how do you alter them to make them your own? You will be working with images that I will provide and also selecting your own from my many magazine sources. Cutting and sticking has never been so much fun!

Journaling with Silhouettes: 5/11/2013 3:30pm-7:30pm

Silhouette imagery is big in journaling at the moment, but where do you start?? You start with the Dylusions silhouette stencils and masks. We will be writing, spraying, inking, painting and stamping in them, on them and through them. You will also learn how to create your own silhouettes to give your pages that unique look.

Sorry for the inconvenience but the requested event could not be found on May 11, 2013.

Couture Journaling: 5/12/2013 10am-2pm

This workshop is everything you need to know about the Dylusions range of Couture clear stamps. Bring a touch of glamour to your pages with the fashion images. Learn how to make each stamp look totally different by adding patterns to the material. We will be stamping, masking, painting, doodling, adding other imagery and elements to create fabulous pages.

Anatomy of a Page: 5/12/13 3:30pm-7:30pm

Are you intrigued by the art journaling phenonoma but unsure where to start?

Do the pages look too complicated for you to even contemplate where to begin?

This is the class for you. We will break down the journal page into easy bite size steps. Starting with a background, stamping borders and journal lines, adding collage elements and doodling.

And then we will do it again and again, each time adding a new twist or element until you feel totally at ease and raring to go.

I've already decided which ones I want to take... All of them!  They sound SO fun, I can hardly wait till May!

Also Coming Up:

Wendi Vecchi

All of our Art Part fans will be thrilled to learn that Wendi Vecchi is returning September 7th and 8th!  Woot woot!!!  Wendy Vecchi is a full time artist/designer, Certified Ranger Educator, and a proud design team member for Maya Road. Wendy loves to demo and teach at stores and events across the country. Wendy also has her own signature line of stamps from Stampers Anonymous titled Studio 490 which capture her passion for art with a touch of whimsy. Her style is unique and eclectic with an exceptional attention to detail and a fresh approach to the creative spirit. She shares her love of techniques on her blog and reminds you that whatever you do each day just – "Make Art!"

Dina Wakely

Also confirmed (just today!!), Dina Wakely will be here October 4th and 5th!  We are currently awaiting a restock of her recently published book, Art Journal Freedom...

Dina teaches online and in-person classes all over the world. She started papercrafting in 1995, and has dabbled in scrapbooking, stamping, mixed-media art, encaustic art, and art journaling. Dina has a line of rubber stamps by Stampington, and a line of stencils by The Crafter's Workshop. You can visit Dina at her website, http://www.dinawakley.com.


And be sure not to forget our next special guest teacher this month...

Sorry for the inconvenience but the requested event could not be found on May 12, 2013.

Nathalie Metevier

Nathalie visited us last year and everyone just loved her classes, so we just had to have her back! Nathalie has been wowing stampers for years with her innovative and fun techniques - in fact, she is the stamper that first inspired Michelle to learn to stamp!

Nathalie will be here Friday March 29th and Saturday March 30th - just around the corner!  Her card samples are in the store and the techniques look awesome!  Check out all the details here. 
So much to plan for, so little time!  These events will be on us before you know it, so make sure to pen these ladies into your calendar as they are simply not to be missed!!!

Michelle's Cruise Recap PLUS a NEW ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

I'm sure many of our faithful customers have been wondering about Michelle's cruise experience.  By all accounts she had a FANTASTIC time meeting new people and spending time with some of our favorite peeps from our store.  I can personally attest to the fact that she came back looking more relaxed and rested than she has in quite some time - yay!!  (We all know she works too hard - apparently the only way we can get her to relax is to force her to cruise!!!)

Michelle taught some amazing mixed media classes - here's a little peak:

This was a 12x12 shadowbox.  Students altered the box, created the background, and built the display.  Super fun!

Students got to handcraft this cute little cruise journal - it is so awesome! SO many different mediums and techniques were used - it was truly a unique and exciting project for our mixed media lovers!

This is one of Cheryl Mezzetti's classes:

An Amazing Altered Book

The ladies really had a blast working on their projects:

Here's a few more photos to make you jealous (tee hee hee - I am SO evil...):

Madeline (on the left) was kind enough to send us these pictures - she said, "The cruise was amazing!  My favorite part was getting to see Michelle just PLAY!"  She's looking forward to the next one!

And now for an exciting update -



Michelle has been invited to teach on ANOTHER fabulous Caribbean cruise!! The cruise will depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on May 5th, 2013 on the Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas.

Here's a little ditty the cruise promoter wrote about the experience:

Just like Christopher Columbus started on a journey of mystery all those

years ago, now you have the opportunity to explore the world of mixed

media. As you cruise onboard the

Allure of the Seas toward the magical

Caribbean Islands, you’ll have the opportunity to investigate and create

some wonderful mixed media art. Unlock the mystery of inks, wax, gesso,

found objects and more as Cheryl Mezzetti and Michelle McCosh guide

you through the uncharted waters of your artistic journey. The workshops

are jam-packed with ideas, techniques and inspiration to guide you through

a wide variety of media, images, words, paints and surfaces! We will

incorporate stamping, painting, inking, layering collage elements and more!

Even if you have never painted or taken a mixed media class before you will

quickly discover your own artistic path!

 

SAILING ITINERARY

Day Port Arrive Depart Activity

5-May Fort Lauderdale, Florida 5:00 PM

6-May Cruising

7-May Labadee, Haiti 8:00 AM 5:00 PM Docked

8-May Falmouth, Jamaica 10:00 AM 7:00 PM Docked

9-May Cruising

10-May Cozumel, Mexico 8:00 AM 7:00 PM Docked

11-May Cruising

12-May Fort Lauderdale, Florida 6:15 AM

Prices start at just $924 p.p. double occupancy plus taxes.• Retreat fee is $250 per person

Learn more or register today at www.visitcroptopiagetaways.com



New Goodies for Mixed Media

We got in two great new lines for our Mixed Media girls.

First, just in from Germany, Viva has teamed up with Creative Imaginations to bring us an exciting new line of metal effects paints, modeling pastes, crackle paints, and inka golds:

Look at some of the amazing effects you can achieve with these new products!



So Perfect Nancy was over in the mixed media department the other day making a giant mess - nothing unusual about that.  Well, I guess for once all's well that ends well, because she made room for an artist favorite - Golden acrylic paints!  These are great for mixed media work, and we have the full range of colors to choose from.  

Mixed Media Girls Drool...

I know, you thought that title was going to say "Mixed Media Girls Rule", right? Well, yes, that may be true... but it's also true that they'll be drooling when they see the fun new products Michelle got in from US Art Quest!!!

For those of you looking for something a little different, check out these Dicro Fusible Fibers:

The pictures here really don't do these fibers any justice at all - they are both light reflective and light refractive - giving you an end result of super shimmery fiber wonder. To use them, place them between two pieces of parchment and iron them on a medium high setting. They'll create a brilliantly iridescent sheet that can be used just like paper or fabric on any card, scrapbook page, or altered art piece. You can cut them, punch them, die cut them, emboss them, stamp on them, or write on them, like this:

Next up: all natural Prills, small, round pearl-like beauties that can be used for all kinds of textural and dimensional effects. They can be quickly applied with clear drying glue or double sided tape.

For those who like project kits, this new European Napkin Collection kit will provide hours and hours of crafty fun:



The kit contains everything you seen in the picture on the left, and a sample card is shown in the picture on the right. This kit can be used for cardmaking and layouts in addition to working like decoupage on altered items of all kinds. There's even a little glitter in the kit to kick up the bling.

I think the next products are destined to be some new favorites of mine - the fine liner calligraphy drawing pen can be filled with Duo glue (which we have), and can then be used to write with:

When you're done writing, you can rub some of our new Gildenglitz gilding leaf over the writing for a magical effect - check out this little scribble Michelle made:

See how awesome her name and the border look - all done with the fine line calligraphy drawing pen.

We also got in some new Mica sheets in brown and Mica flakes in different colors. Mica has a brilliant natural luster that will really bring new shine and dimension to your projects:

We also received great new options for adding texture to your mixed media projects:

The appliQates kit is filled with applicators in different textures and sizes - they can be used on detail work or for applying color washes. We got in some great new alligator clip tools to use with them. They can also be washed and reused. The texture sponge, below, can be used with all kinds of watercolors, paints, glazes, and inks to create beautiful depth to your work:

Last but certainly not least, we got a great new product in for Rosemary and all of her followers! We know that Rosemary literally can not STAND it when people get all inky in their art work - the Paticake creates a naturally protective barrier that makes it easier to wash your hands after you work without adding a layer of grease!

Come on in and see us before we sell out of all the coolness. OK, well, that can't happen - we'll always be cool. Just come get this stuff before it's gone (and do the drooling at home please - no new tools to clean that up!)

Calling all mixed media girls...

This month we're trying something a little different. Mixed media art dolls are popping up everywhere and we'd like to bring them to you at ESS. Let Tamara show you how to create a background that evolves layer by layer, and then use Stampavie stamps to create your doll. Here is this month's canvas project:

You don't have to be an "artist" to complete this project - it's made completely from stencils, stamps, and paper piecing and detailed with paints and pens. If you've been enjoying the art journaling workshops, mixed canvas is a natural progression to enhance your skills. The Glory Girl canvas class will be Saturday, July 23rd from 11am-2pm - we hope to see you there!