by Sandy McCauley | Jul 21, 2011 | Chipboard, Designing, KNK, KNK Samples, MAXX, Team KNK, Vinyl
Recently, the division of my time has been greatly altered… in a very good way, though!
I’m working now part-time as a project coordinator for Accugraphic Sales, the maker of the Klic-N-Kut machines that I so adore! I’ve been helping with the new Zing release as well as heading up a new team of KNK designers who are sharing some wonderful projects at our new blog site: Team KNK!
Here are the first few weeks of projects so that you can quickly catch up! : ) Note that there are links to free cutting files provided in some of these posts!
Fun Foam Doll – by Omayra
Vinyl Graduation Tile – by Nancy
Seashell Cupcake Wrappers – by Judy
Vinyl Lemonade Stand – by Lynn K
Pocket Card – by Elizabeth
Fall Leaves Layout – by Susan Mast
Happy Birthday USA (Iron-On plus Block Decorated with Vinyl) – by Barbie
Chip the Horse (layered chipboard) – by Michele
Fun Foam Storks – by Omarya
Chad’s Sale Tag – by Chad Younblut
Aye Matey… – by Deb Manus
Seashell Cards – by Judy Kay
Cowboy Caviar Recipe Layout – by Yours Truly!
by Sandy McCauley | Jul 15, 2011 | Auto-Tracing, KNK, Make The Cut, Print and Cut, Vectorizing, Zing
I just LOVE a new cutter! And this one is going to rock the cutting world! The price of $399 is just amaZING for a machine that has 750g of cutting force, along with a 14″ wide cutting range. Just like with our other KNK’s, you can insert 15″ wide rolled materials, such as vinyl, for cutting and there will be a cutting mat included for cutting 12″ x 12″ cardstock or other materials such as fabric, thin chipboard, craft plastic, rhinestone template material, felt, fun foam, mylar, duralar, posterboard, and most of the other materials you see in the photo gallery here:
30 Plus Materials To Cut on A KNK
The only materials I show in that photo album that the Zing probably won’t handle are styrene and mat board. But I’ll give a full report once I have a Zing prototype of my own to test… fingers crossed for that to happen in the second half of August.
As you can see from the link at the new Zing home page, the compact siZING is another great feature! This KNK will be far easier to transport and I look forward to that.
Make The Cut is proving to be a popular software for the existing KNK owners, as well. The Print and Cut function is so much faster and easier to use with the automatic movement of the laser light to within about 1/4″ of each printed mark, thus requiring just a tweaking of movement to align perfectly. I’m also looking forward to the improved auto-tracing function which has always allowed previews of the trace before accepting the results. A demo video of the upcoming new version shows additional functionality with separate tabs to use when choosing the best best vectoriZING method based on the imported raster image.
For those who already own and use KNK Studio, a copy/paste function will be added so that existing KNK files can easily be moved to MTC for cutting to the Zing.
All in all, a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months! So, keep checking for more information and I will be reporting the latest, as I receive it.
by Sandy McCauley | Jun 20, 2011 | Events and Retreats, Retreats
Come join us Labor Day weekend for the
Rockin’ in the Rockies KNK Retreat!”
Date: Friday, September 2, 2011- 4:00 pm – Sunday, September 4, 2011-Noon
Location: Hilton DoubleTree Hotel in Aurora, CO
Need to master your Klic-N-Kut?
Want to see more/do more with KNK Studio?
Want to try new applications and cut new materials?
This retreat is for you! Come to Denver for a weekend of classes, demo’s, challenges and fun!
The cost of the retreat, excluding hotel, is $395. For this price, you receive 3 excellent meals, refreshments, free goodies, 6 – 7 classes, 3 – 4 demos, class notes and files, dozens of free videos to take home, cutting materials and prizes! The room will open at 1:00 pm with the Meet and Greet starting at 4:00 pm. Dinner will be served at 6 pm, followed by a class, demo and workshop. Saturday the 3rd will be action-packed with classes, demos, challenges, games, and 2 full meals. On Sunday the 4th, we’ll have one more class followed by some final Q & A tie and then have our closing and parting prizes. Participation in all classes and demos is optional, so you can head out, at any time, to enjoy some local attractions. We also encourage you to bring your laptop and/or cutter, but it’s not a requirement to join us, as we will have extras available and will seat everyone for sharing, as needed.
Your hotel room and travel expenses are separate. We have a wonderful deal with the Double Tree Hotel of $79.00 per night plus tax, single or double occupancy. A hot breakfast at the hotel for up to two people is included in the $79.00 room rate. If you live locally, you are not required to stay at the hotel. If you want a roommate, please note it in the application that will be sent to you. We will help match up attendees. You must mention Klic n Kut when you call the DoubleTree directly at 303-337-2800. If your spouse would like to join us for one or more meals, let us know as soon as possible, and we’ll find out the cost for that. The deadline for room reservations is August 12, 2011.
This weekend retreat is available for up to 20 attendees and we’ll have a waiting list in case of cancellations. So reserve your spot by:
(1) Emailing me at smccauley45@cox.net to let me know you PLAN to attend. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, then please email again to sandy@iloveknk.com . Sometimes emails get lost! I’ll then send you an application form to complete.
(2) Sending a $100 deposit to our event organizers, Judy Keating and Cherrie McCray. I will provide you a mailing address after you let me know you plan to attend. If you prefer, we also accept Paypal payments.
The deadline for making your deposit is July 15th. The $295 balance will be due by August 25th.
Details on classes and demos will be provided after I have gathered information about all of you and what you want to learn! : )
Can’t wait to see you in Denver!
Sandy
by Sandy McCauley | May 31, 2011 | Copics, Events and Retreats, Retreats
I once heard that the best way to improve one’s teaching skills is to sign up for classes in a subject that is foreign to you. Well, being a technical person, I never studied any kind of art and I certainly had no clue how to color images like those who are into the Copics coloring. So, I decided to sign up and learn! One of my friends here in Arizona has developed a series of Copics classes called “Build-A-Book” and I signed up with both eagerness and a certain amount of fear! Lol But it’s turned out to be a very rewarding experience and I recommend it to every crafter who has any interest in learning to color with Copics.
In each class, you learn a set of new techniques to advance your knowledge and mastery of coloring with Copic pens. You also receive a set of pages in which the details of the techniques are presented and you have room to paste in the samples you color yourself and, in the end, you have an amazing Copics reference guide you’ll treasure AND use!
I’ve been taking her classes each month and I have two more to go. I LOVE what I’m learning, I LOVE how well I can now color, and I LOVE the reference guide I’m creating! Several of her students have told her they learned more in her very first class than they learned in an entire day-long Copics certification class! That’s because Jenn’s focus is on the coloring… and making sure each student gets the help they need to master each step.
Because Jenn has followers of her blog: http://www.just4funcrafts.blogspot.com/ who do not live locally, thus cannot come to once-a-month classes for 6 consecutive months, Jenn has decided to host a retreat here and attendees can complete the entire Build-A-Book series of classes in one weekend! : )
So, if you’ve been longing to learn about Copics or you’ve started coloring with Copics, but want to take your expertise to a new level, then check out the details below. It’s going to be a great learning experience and a lot of fun at the same time. : )
Event: “Copic Build-A-Book – Arizona Retreat!”
Date: Friday, October 21, 2011 4:00 pm – Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 Midnight
Location: Marriott Fairfield & Courtyard Chandler, Arizona
The cost of the retreat, excluding travel, hotel and 2 dinners, is $329.00 (first 30 day registration); $379.00 after the first 30 days. For this price, you receive:
18 plus hours of organized classes filled with the latest Copic techniques
Your very own 40 page workbook plus work sheets to color (completed by you) and placed into your technique book
Evening coloring crop times with personal assistance as well as bonus projects to add to your book
2 lunches, 2 breakfasts, 1 dinner
Gifts and Prizes!
These classes are perfect for the beginner as well as the experienced. There is always information to be gained, plus the experience of a fun, full weekend of wonderful people with whom to share your coloring passion! The teaching room will open at 1:00 pm on October 21st, with the Meet and Greet starting at 4:00 pm. Dinner will be served at 6 pm, followed by Copic Introduction class, and evening crop open until 11pm. Saturday the 22nd will be action-packed with technique classes, challenges, games, and breakfast and lunch included, (dinner will be on your own). The evening optional coloring crop will be open until midnight with instructors present. Sunday the 23rd, after breakfast, we’ll have another full day of classes and techniques, prizes and fun. We will break for lunch (provided) and dinner (on your own). After dinner we will have a class and then start the evening crop, and farewells until midnight (with instructors). The evening crops are optional, but available for whoever would like to color, relax and catch up on worksheets and get personal assistance. Participation in all classes is optional, so you can head out, at any time, to enjoy some local attractions.
What you will learn during these classes:
Copic Basics – differences in papers and stamp pads (what works and doesn’t). We will test multiple papers and inks and see how they react with Copics.
Playing with Various Copic refills for backgrounds
Over 5 blending and coloring techniques
Light source and shading
Hair, Eyes and Skin
Monochromatic
Fur and Feather
Wood and Metal
Sky and Water
Snow and Transparent (e.g. glass)
Blue Jeans, Pleats and Folds
Leaves and Grass
Pottery
Bonus Classes: Water coloring with Copics, using Glossy Cardstock, and playing with Airbrushing and more.
**Copic Refill Stations will be available on site as well as possibly one of our sponsors, Talkabout Images with their rubber stamp line.
Your hotel room and travel expenses are separate as well as 2 of the dinners. We have a wonderful deal with the newly built Marriott Fairfield ($89.00 per night plus tax, single or double occupancy) and Courtyard of Marriott ($99.00 per night plus tax, single or double occupancy). Marriott has a bistro, full bar, 24 hour Starbucks, Wii Fi, pool, exercise room and more for your convenience. If you live locally, you are not required to stay at the hotel. If you want a roommate, please note it in the application that will be sent to you. We will help match up attendees. You must mention Copic Build-A-Book Retreat when you call to make your reservations or use the link provided in the application mailed to you to book online. If your spouse would like to join us for one or more meals, let us know as soon as possible, and we’ll find out the cost for that.
This FULL weekend retreat is available for up to 30 attendees and we’ll have a waiting list in case of cancellations. So reserve your spot by:
(1) Emailing me at Jennifer@DoveartStudios.com to let me know you PLAN to attend. If you do not receive a response within 24 hours, then please email again to info@just4funcrafts.com sometimes emails get lost! I’ll then send you an application form to complete.
(2) Sending a $100 deposit. I will provide a mailing address after you let me know you plan to attend. If you prefer, we also accept Paypal payments for retreat payment. The deposit will reserve your place at the retreat.
**The deadline for making your deposit is September 1st, 2011. The balance will be due by October 1st, 2011. Hotel Reservations (booked separately directly to the Marriott, due by September 26th to guarantee the special Copic retreat price.)
I can’t wait to see you in Sunny Arizona!
Jennifer Dove
Copic Certified Standard/Intermediate Designer
Author of Copic Techniques Build-A-Book
by Sandy McCauley | May 10, 2011 | Bladeholder, Dongle, DOT, KNK, Make The Cut, MTC
The two new products have been added to my store in the past week!
Read more about DOT here: DOT
Also, I’m very pleased to announce that I’m now selling Make-The-Cut! A plug-in was released last week and MTC now cuts directly to a Klic-N-Kut (all models) and offers the following advantages over KNK Studio only:
Direct cutting of SVG files to your KNK
Precise, user-friendly print and cuts!
Automatic circle outlines/fills for rhinestone designing
Instant lattice fills of images
Preview of auto-tracing results before application
Further, you can now choose between Make the Cut and Klic-N-Kut Studio when ordering a new Groove-E! The Maxx models will continue to automatically be sold with KNK Studio, but for the low cost of MTC ($58.36), you may wish to add it on!
Note that owners of certain older KNK models may need to purchase serial plus serial/USB converter cables for communication from MTC to their cutters. Email me at smccauley45@cox.net and I can help you determine if that will be necessary prior to purchase.
