katkoe:

    Rediscovering Ravelry in the last few months has been odd. So much stuff has basically frozen in place in the last five or six years. I guess I've kinda of followed the same path, fiber arts use to be my eat/sleep/breathe. For me it was headaches and neck pain that started taking that away though and eventually all things yarn slipped past in a mash of mixed emotions and loses.    I know there are still a bunch of very active boards still going though. I'm surprised how it's changed but figure I'm just not looking in the right spot because I'm sure even though we are stuck at home, knitting and crocheting is still on going and somehow yarn shops are still yarn shopping. It's been a long, complicated bit. My project bags have been glaring at me when I shuffle around the office boxes. I've tempted fate once and while even bringing a bag to work in hopes of etching in a few rows here and there. I still fear the migraines, so it's slow going. It's a...

Hi Folks, Over the course of the summer I have been in the process of consolidating my projects into a more cohesive (and manageable) chunk. My older brain is getting to the point of not enjoying the 95-bazillion different venues of creativity. It's time to focus energy on a few key projects and let the rest, rest. Most of the current blog had already been archived in April when I came back to it after a year away.  I felt it was needed, both to freshen up the space and to move forward. When I started blogging haphazardly in 2008, I was obviously on a different career path and with different artistic outlets. So, with that said, I would love for you to join me at Craft Consignment . Have a day, - katkoe

        Thank you MIYA Arts for the opportunity to review your products.  #notsponsored  MIYA has just started selling in the US via Amazon.com (affiliate link) and I've been really impressed with the great value and quality of their paints. MIYA's customer service is also super fast, when I had a question about the light fast properties of their KIMI gouache they quickly responded to a DM on Instagram. So if there are any product questions follow the link to their Instagram account to reach out.  The paints themselves re-wet perfectly, have a creamy texture and are not chalky. MIYA Solid Water Color paint feature great dispursement in wet on wet and contain a solid assortment of vibrant traditional colors to choose from. Warm and cool tones of all colors are included for split primary palettes, a benefit for artist just starting out with the medium. The saturation of colors is excellent too.      ...

visit katkoeblogs on Instagram for more Weekly Spreads Systems thinking has been my best pal for years. It works because the focus is placed on how each step of a process is connected to the most important step; actually using the process in an efficient way. Overly complex or simply non-user friendly planning systems are why so many folks have a hard time with keeping a planner up-to-date. If part of a system to keep organized isn't working, the whole system isn't going to work in the long run. So having a road tested, and perfected, planning system is the end goal, not necessarily trying to follow the status quo. Spend time analyzing where your system slows you down at. If there are areas where the system breaks down, then modify or remove that break to allow for a much better chance of planning success.  Forming consistent routines around your own personalized organizational routine will help reduce stress too. Example: Vertical planning in a Horizo...

Oh boy, howdy... So once you get somewhere, it can be hard to figure out how to get going again with stuff that made more sense before you got where you were going to... (Translation) it's been too long old buddy . Let's just state the obvious and we'll move forward from the somewhere we are now in life: it has been a rough couple of years of adjustment. But. It is okay, even if it's not all okay right now, we're okay. It's been hard to find the first steps back to blogging again, especially not being sure how exactly to define my creative self since so much of my identity was wrapped up in the fiber arts community, being a maker, etc. So lets restart, again, with paper and ink. Of course, for now, not guaranteeing any consistency on posting, yet. My Instagram feed has been my mini-blog for a little while so follow there to see more frequent updates. There is such a back log of stuff from the last few years that I would love to share. Ideas and resources that...