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Oh hey! just me over here with my tote bag that is perfect for holding my feminist agenda!

Today's gift guide is all about getting the perfect nifty gifty for your feminist friend!  Scroll down past the picture to get links to all the top selling feminist goodies! 

Real Men Water Their Beards Greeting Card

Vote Tote Tote Bag

Vote Note Notepad

Let's Squash The Patriarchy Greeting Card

Time to smash the patriarchy, amiright?!?!

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Once we found out that we were having a second kiddo, I quickly realized that I was going to be evicted from my little painting office.  Trying to run a business out of your home seems to take up an extraordinary amount of room and between the kiddos and two very territorial dogs, we were running out of space.  Andy and I decided to take the plunge and get a backyard shed! 

Designing the shed of our (my) dreams has been a fun and somewhat tedious process.  As you can imagine, the shed company was totally slammed with folks needing a workspace during COVID-19, so we had to wait a bit for it to be our turn.  Once our turn arrived, we opted for the LARGEST POSSIBLE MODEL without having to get a permit.  I would have loved to have it larger, but alas! Initially, I had intended on having our inventory in the shed as well, but I am kind of glad we had to go with a smaller version because it means that the studio can be truly an artist’s oasis.  

My biggest priority when designing this shed was to get natural light.  My office where I had been working was just a light trap--nothing could get in except for a few mere moments in the afternoon.  This has been a game changer not only for filming and photography, but also just being able to see the colors fully...I had no idea how much I was missing! 

The second priority was to make it a functional space for filming.  We hope to really up our YouTube game in the coming year and eventually offer courses so this will be a big part of our bread and butter.  That being said, we need it to look cute (duh) and have enough room to set up cameras from multiple angles, lights, mics, and any other doodads that we might need. We got a great portable bar that runs over my desk that helps streamline this so I don’t need to hire a whole film crew!  

Storage was also super important.  We added cabinets along the back with some lovely shelf space above for displaying art.  I wanted to make sure that the decor could be evergreen so being able to swap out the images along the back wall will be super helpful with that.   I love the pop of green in the cabinets.  It may be my favorite part! We also ended up getting an AC/Heating unit put in since watercolor paper can be fairly susceptible to moisture and I am a temperature wimp.  I can’t paint if my fingers are chilly!!! Total first world problems, I know.

The true piece de resistance is the desk that Andy made to my specifications. I was so excited to have a HUGE ASS DESK to fit all the things and truly spread out! This fits the bill! It has storage that fits underneath and large storage that tucks right into the front in a secret door! It even nests into the back wall to make space if I need more space in the middle of the shed.  This table is everything that I’ve ever dreamed of. 

Last but not least is the comfy chair--a true necessity--sitting at a desk all day isn’t great for circulation so it’s nice to be able to get some work done and put my feet up at the same time! 

There are a lot of little pieces that I hope to add in - a brush holder, coffee machine, etc, but here are the bare bones of it.  I cannot wait to start to really settle into this dreamy space! 

OH AND WE CAN’T FORGET! I agonized over a name for this sweet baby and couldn’t come up with anything.  Finally I posed it to my trusty IG audience and Beth Symons came up with the Talcottage which is more perfect than I could ever imagine! She is an amazing artist btw, so go check her out! I hope you enjoy these little pics and this can serve as some dream studio inspiration! 

Calling all Dad joke fanatics!!!

Today's gift guide is for your puntastic pals! There is nothing I love more than a hardy guffaw from a great pun.

You're So Fly Card

You're Kaling It Card

Get It Done Once And Floral Notebook

Hang In There Card

And if that ain't enough, go ahead and grab yourself a pundle bundle with all our fruit and veggie puns! 

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In my education program back in my English Teacher days, I had a teacher who always reminded us to think about our lessons with a lens of “What’s In It for Me?” or WIIFM meaning any middle schooler could easily figure out how the lesson was going to benefit them.  While I’m no longer pandering to the middle school crowd, I find that WIIFM still holds! 

When planning content on various platforms, I always try to make sure that there is something that a reader/viewer/consumer can take away.  This may seem really daunting, especially as we keep adding on more and more platforms to get hip with, but once you start getting in the habit of thinking about WIIFM, it will start to come more naturally.  Just like everything, consistent practice can go a long way.

Here is a breakdown of some of the ways I add value to my content on various platforms.

Instagram Posts: 

• Posting pictures of what we have in the shop or things that are going to be in the shop lets people know where and how to find things!
• Posting information about behind the scenes gives people an opportunity to see the inner workings of the business
• Posting about myself, the business, or my family allows people to get to know us and trust the humans behind our brand.

Instagram Stories: 

• This is where I do most of my little tutorial tidbits or shop updates.  If people want to get really invested in the inner workings of KTA, this is where they get the inside scoop.

Instagram Reels: 

• I’ve found that the posts that do best are the ones where I show a little bit of my process, but also tell a bit about the business.  

IG Lives: 

• This is where I do my Makers Monday Live videoes which are packed filled with valuable content.  This is where I share all about the inner workings of my business to help other business owners.

IG TV: 

• Here I repost lives and create preview videos for our YouTube Channel so people can get a feel for what our tutorials are like. 

Pinterest:

• We have a digital marketing assistant and her goal in making pins is to connect people to the content that we’ve created.  These are often tutorials, checklists, informational guides etc.

Blog: 

• This is a mix of letting people know about personal updates and business tips.  I always try to include some sort of PDF take away that allows people to learn more or dig deeper if they so choose.

Newsletter:

• This is the best place to find out when new products are dropped, get discount codes, and be up to date on anything new happening at KTA.

YouTube:

• These videos are all about adding value.  We are working on creating a collection of watercolor basics and fun, easy, approachable watercolor tutorials that are accessible to folks of all levels.  We always include a supply list to recreate the image.

These are just a few of the examples of ways in which we add value.  Sometimes adding value can be as simple as showing a pretty picture to brighten up people’s feeds or an inspirational quote.  Since I am trying to work on further positioning myself as an educator and a knowledgeable authority in my field, a lot of my value is focused on teaching and sharing information.  This is in line with our company values.  KTA is all about building community so I also strive to host platforms that can allow folks to connect and learn together. 

If you’re struggling to figure out how to add value to your content, check out this handout with some quick tips!

Today's gift guide is for the floral fanatic in your life.  Nothing says I love you like fresh flowers, but those die in a few days.  Get that special someone something that will last far longer than a week! Check out the gift guide below and scroll down for direct links to all the items.

Floral Fanatic Bundle

Dahlia Tea Towels Set

Dahlia Sticker Set

Sue's Garden Card Set

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This week's gift guide is all about celebrating your favorite plant mom! I know several ladies in my life who have become pretty epic plant moms over the past year (a true shout out to those OGs who had plants before the Pandemic)

Peep these cuties and check out the links below to shop the nifty gifties! 

Potted Plant Card Set

Horticulture Style Wall Art Print

Hang In There Card

Potted Plant Sticker Set

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Today's gift guide is for the newly engaged!

From cards to congratulate the lucky couple, to gifts to help make wedding planning a little less stressful! Check out the guide below (scroll down to see links to all the featured items!)

Well This Calls For Some Bubbles Card 

Dahlia Thank You Notes Card Set

Champagne Cheers Sticker

Get It Done Once and Floral Notepad

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The Father's Day collection just launched and while I can't really pick favorites because I am deeply invested in all these little cuties, these have been the top hits so far this week! 

FYI, we also have options that don't specifically say "dad" so these work great to celebrate those in our life who mean a lot, regardless of biological ties.

Check out the collection with this link! 

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The bleed technique is achieved when two wet watercolor areas touch and the colors combine together.  This is one of those signature looks that is unique to watercolor.  I love using this technique for getting a beautiful organic blend of colors in flower petals and for loose watercolor.  

If you liked this video, head over to our YouTube Channel and like and subscribe to get a weekly dose of watercolor basics.  We'll cover all the basic techniques, a rundown on your staple supplies, and we'll move onto fun, easy, accessible art projects! 

Artists and dabblers welcome! No experience required.

Materials: 

Wash Brush

Round Brush Size 6

Arches 140lb Cold Press Block (or tape down piece of watercolor paper)

Any 4 paints will work. I used Scarlet Lake, Cadmium Orange, Opera Rose and Phthalo Turquoise

Water (tap is fine)

Paper Towel

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