2014 New Trends Show

Midnight Aspen by Courtney Khail

As you may have seen on Instagram, my painting, Midnight Aspen, is in this year's New Trends Juried Show! The opening reception/artist meet and greet is this Friday (First Friday in the Santa Fe Arts District of Denver) from 6-8p at the Point Gallery. If you're in town, I'd love for you to stop by and say hello! While everything is created using mainly watercolors and other water based media, from what a saw when I dropped off my piece this past weekend, there is an amazing mix of different styles so there should be something for just about everyone. (Personally, that's what is most exciting to me. I love seeing watercolors used in uncommon ways!)

For those of you interested- here are the details:

2014 New Trends Juried Show at the Point Gallery (765 Santa Fe Drive, Denver)

Opening Reception is Friday, December 5th from 6-8p

Hope to see you there!

(And if you want to see the show, but can't make it on Friday, no worries! It runs from the 2nd until the 20th.)

September 11th

I had a whole post written, but in the end it was just too personal to share. I don't think I need to tell you to remember what this day means. If you were old enough to know what was going on, I know you'll never forget. But definitely take a moment to remember everyone who lost their lives, those who didn't but loved those who did, and the military that still stands to protect us and our freedoms.

Alt Summit: All about the business cards

The business cards of ALT Summit

One of these days I'll get to my recap of Alt. Maybe. Alt is kind of a whirlwind of people, conversations, information, and colors. An amazing whirlwind, but a whirlwind nonetheless. And in the end-after you get home and the laundry is finished and the suitcase it put back up- you find yourself wondering how to put the experience into words. Well that and the realization that you are now surrounded by hundreds of business cards and gifts that you somehow managed to squeeze into your carry on. (Or maybe you're smart and checked your bag. Personally, I like the challenge of getting everything home in one bag and just treat it like an interesting game of Tetris. One that involves a lot of shoes, vintage skirts, and business cards.) Anyhoo. Back to the business cards. Alt loves it's business cards. From "Hello my name is" stickers to full on swag bags (seriously. I was given a scarf, the softest pair of leggings ever, and a necklace all as business cards. Way to knock it out of the park, people.) you can pretty much find every example of business cards at the conference. (Even invisible ones if you're like one of my roommates, Conni , who accidentally left hers at home. Whoops.) So once the dust in my mind settled (and I'd taken no less than 3 naps) I slowly went through them all while we watched House of Cards. Such beautiful cards (and even more amazing people.) And since I normally do a round up of them anyhow, I thought I'd mix it up a little and share a few trends that seemed to emerge from the pile.

alt summit graphic business cards via courtney khail.jpg

Cards featured: j. sorelle, Hilary Rose, Dear Miss Modern, izzy hudgins photography, Meg Conley, agnes & dora, french knot studios

#1 The graphic business card. Clean, crisp, normally all in black and white. Definitely not a new concept, but always a winner in my book.

alt summit handwritten business cards via courtney khail.jpg

Cards Featured: the nectar collective, emily mcdowell, melissa esplin, tammy petro

#2 The handwritten card. Loved by stationery designers, artists, calligraphers, and pretty much any one else who works with paper- this card feels intimate with it's use of brushstrokes and/or hand lettering. (My business cards actually combine this style with the graphic card style above.)

alt summit letterpress business cards via courtney khail.jpg

Cards Featured: finder not keeper, 1000 threads, zelma rose, annie reeves, noteworthy paper, handmade charlotte

#3 The letterpress card. Oh letterpress, you are so very pretty with your thick paper and your indentions left from the press. One of the most chameleon-like cards, this type can fit with pretty much any occupation thanks to it's ability to be both traditional and modern (depending on the type, colors, etc.)

alt summit photo business cards via courtney khail.jpg

Cards Featured: let's play dear, marion green, our style stories, sarah deragon, cyndie spiegel, anne hellman,thrift me pretty

#4 The photo card. Pretty self explanatory, this card features a photo of either the people handing it out or their work. Loved by photographers (it's like a mini portfolio!) it can be used by anyone who wants to make sure you remember who they are long after the conference. And with a conference as large and jam packed as Alt, these are incredibly smart to have.

alt summit present business cards via courtney khail

Cards Featured: one little minute, christina williams, the bannerie, oh what love studios, the banner shoppe

#5 And lastly, the present card. A fan favorite at Alt, these all come with a  "surprise." Think of them like the kids meal of business cards. Mini paper banners, confetti, pencils, ornaments, sewing kits, temporary tattoos- this is where the DIY/craft/party blogger really gets to shine. While maybe not practical for the everyday, these are huge hits at creative conferences and definitely make an impression on receivers. (I'm still finding confetti in my purse 4 days later and it always makes me smile.)

What's your favorite? I tend to gravitate towards the graphic and handwritten ones (hence my own card) but there is just something so fun about a mini package!

courtney khail watercolors on Oh So Beautiful Paper!

courtney khail watercolors stationery on Oh So Beautiful Paper

This morning I woke up to a tweet letting me know that Nole of Oh So Beautiful Paper had mentioned my work. When I clicked over I was greeted with an amazing post talking all about my new stationery line as well as my watercolor paintings. Thank you so much for the kind words, Nole! I'm so thrilled you love my work and shared it with your readers. Consider my week made!

If you'd like to see what Nole had to say, pop on over and take a look. I'd love if you left a comment as well and took a moment to browse her whole site- it's an amazing place full of beautiful paper goods!

jessica + will wedding invitations

Pink Spring Wedding Invitations: jessica + will

Now that my sister and brother in law have been married almost three months, I figured it was about time to share their invitations with you all! My sisters favorite color is pink (she's the super girly daughter) so it was no surprise that when asked "what her colors were" she replied "blush and bashful." (If you have not watched Steel Magnolias that reference was probably lost on you. Then again, if you haven't seen Steel Magnolias you are seriously missing out. And not the new one- the original one with Julia Roberts. Go ahead and pull it up on Netflix. You can thank me later.)

Anyhow, back to my sister. I was honored when she asked me to do her invitations, but also knew it was a tall order simply because it was my sister. That's a lot of pressure because I wanted them to be just right. (And because I am a perfectionist that likes everything to match, I knew it also meant I'd be doing her menus, signage, escort cards, programs, etc.)

jessica_and_will_invitation detail via courtney khail

I knew she wanted a mix of styles- two parts English Garden tea party, one part the Great Gatsby, and a dash of Southern vintage- which creates a unique set of challenges. In the end, I combined my signature handwritten names with a sans serif font to mesh the modern with the vintage/intimate feelings of their hand inked names. Then I created a painting that combined the wildflower feeling she wanted with the bouquets of the 20's (with their long cascading leaves and petals) all while using the color palette of antique floral china patterns that would be found during an English tea party. (Well, I mostly stuck to that- I amped up the pinks since that's her favorite color.)

jessica_and_will_table cards2 via courtney khail

I love how it all turned out, but most importantly, she loved it which was really all I was concerned about!

And because I mentioned them above- here are a few photos of the other elements I did as well. (The programs mimicked the invitations, the escort cards were tied to small keys since the first time her husband said "I love you" he gave her a key necklace symbolizing that she had the key to his heart, the menus were kept simple but still combined the handwritten aspects from the invitation, and lastly- each table had a love quote that I inked and my sister attached to a gold backing.)

jessica_and_will_table cards via courtney khail

Everything came together so well and looked beautiful, but in the end (as always) all that mattered was the love between my sister and her new husband. No amount of beautiful details could outshine that!

Happy Easter Weekend (and some news about my stationery line!)

It has been a crazy few months around here!

courtney khail at the stationery company

The (super cute) Stationery Co.

First, and probably most exciting, is that my stationery is now for sale at The Stationery Company here in Denver, Colorado! They've been open for over 30 years in Denver so I was so honored they wanted to include my work on their shelves. Speaking of, I'm so excited to finally get my stationery into stores and have been in a constant state of promoting since January. It's been crazy busy (good busy) but is actually why I haven't been here as much as I'd like.

courtney khail at wordshop

some of my work at wordshop.

Our neighborhood- the West Highlands- just started holding First Fridays in March, and I was so honored to be asked to be the featured stationery designer for Wordshop. this past month! The ladies are absolutely amazing there and I had such a great time meeting people from the 'hood (and all around Denver) as well as getting to hang out with them for the night.

And while we're on the topic of my new note card line, I have to say a huge thank you to my amazing friends and family for all of their support. From coming to my events, buying my work, writing about me on their blogs/sites, sends letters of encouragement... the amount of love has been absolutely overwhelming and humbling. I don't think I can ever say thank you enough (though I'll definitely keep trying.)

courtney khail JRF wedding

Getting my sister to the wedding!

Life wise, the days have been pretty full as well! My sister got married (!!) and I now have another amazing brother in law- who we absolutely love. The wedding was beautiful, my sister (and Will) both looked amazing, and I only cried once during my speech so I put the whole day into the win column. And in addition to be so so happy for my big sis, now that it's all said and done,  I can now finally share their invitations and such! That should be coming soon. Well soon-ish haha

Florida_courtneykhail

Goofing around on the boat

Last week, J. and I went to Florida to see his parents (and brother who came down from Georgia for a short visit) which was wonderful. The biggest decisions we had to make were which beach to go to, where we wanted to dock the boat, and what we wanted for dinner. With how hectic life has been these past few months, it was exactly what we needed.

There are some other things in the works, some projects I want to show you, and an online event I'm part of in adjust a couple of weeks, but I'll tell you all about those next time. Hope you have a wonderful Easter weekend!

My (printed) Watercolor Note Card Line Launches Today!

watercolor note cards now available at courtneykhail.com!

You can buy these over in my shop!

Well hello again! I can't believe it's been two months already. Okay, that's technically a lie. I can believe it because SO much has been going on these past two months. Before we get to the big news (spoiler alert, the title gives it away) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I kept meaning to stop in and wish you those when they were a little more relevant, but then... well to be honest, I forgot. Between making cookies with friends, hosting our first annual Christmas Costume Pub Crawl (J dressed as Ralphie from A Christmas Story- pink bunny footsie pajamas and all), and traveling back east to visit friends and family for Christmas (which was so wonderful! in addition to getting to spend quality time with family and see some of our very best friends, my dad picked up our favorite desserts from this one special bakery so I pretty much ate my weight in fritters, doughnuts, and danishes. It was glorious.) well, between all that I just didn't really remember to stop by here. I did get some reading done though, so now I don't feel so bad when I think about how long it's been since I've read a real (well kindle, but thats going to have to count) book. What about you? Get to do anything fun? Hoping so! Even if that "something fun" meant getting some time off of work and lounging in pajamas all day. Lounging in pajamas is one of my favorite activities.

Now that we're all caught up... time for the big news! Remember how I kept alluding to "something big in the works" and posting photos on Instagram with sneak peeks? Well now I can finally tell you!

Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 12.05.45 AM

photo via my instagram feed

Over the past few months (well more like last 6 months) I've been really busy trying to make a dream become a reality. From narrowing down my designs, painting, inking, painting again, meeting with printers, cursing printers, meeting with more printers, finally finding a printer who understood my vision and was willing to take a chance on my vision, to researching paper, sourcing paper, running press stops to check colors, tweaking the illustrations, designing a catalog, shooting the finished products, and updating all of my branding stuff (did you see my new logo over on Facebook, etc? I love it. It'll be on the site soon!) it's been a crazy ride. But it's been SO worth it.

Now, five years after launching my company, I am finally offering printed note card sets!!

And I am so stoked/excited/amped. (And a little shocked five years has passed so quickly!)

Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 12.05.32 AM

photo via my instagram feed

So if you're thinking "but Courtney, I thought you already had a stationery line?" Well you're right. I did. Well, I do. But before, I hand painted EACH and EVERY card. And while I loved them (and y'all seemed to love them which made my day every single day) I realized they cost more than I wanted them to (but I couldn't lower it due to the time and materials necessary) and you all kept telling me how "you save them and only send them to very very special people."

Which was awesome. Kind of. I loved that you all cherished them, but my whole mission is to provide a touch of beauty and luxury to your lives, while nurturing connections and memories through letter writing.

And, well, if you never SENT them, I was actually providing you pretty art that stayed wrapped up beautifully in your drawer. Which is not exactly the same thing.

So I started asking and realized that as long as I kept painting them, you'd keep squirreling them away. So that's when I shared my thought of printing them with the hubs. (I find it helps keep me on track if I tell people my goals. Mostly because then they ask how it's going and I feel like I better have something to say haha) He encouraged me to go for it and soon after I started trying to find a printer.

Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 12.05.10 AM

photo via my instagram feed

The problem? I had very high expectations. If I was going to do this, I wanted them to be amazing.

The best paper (a luxurious, super thick, 100% cotton paper to be exact) and I wanted the printing to look JUST like my painted ones. Which wasn't easy. But I was determined, and that paid off. Eventually I came up with a two stage printing process that would not only capture the subtle variations in the watercolor, but also capture the bold, raised (this was key) line work of my illustrations. So yea, each card is actually printed TWICE. It's definitely more work, and a little pricier, but it is so worth it. I kid you not, they look JUST like my hand painted ones.

Screen Shot 2014-01-13 at 12.03.04 AM

photo via my instagram feed

Which of course, is exactly what I wanted.

So there is my big news! (Yay!) My note cards are officially available in printed versions, and you can buy them from my shop (and if all goes well, from brick and mortar stores in the near future.)

I'd love to hear what you think about them (and would really really love if you could help spread the word about the line!) And on that note, I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who has encouraged me and believed in me- that includes you. I wouldn't have been able to do this without your love and support. So again, thank you. Thank you so so much.

Now let's go write some letters.

Learn to Paint Your Own Holiday Cards! (plus the bloopers)

Paint Your Own Watercolor Holiday Cards (Bloopers)

Watercolor Greetings -the bloopers from Courtney Khail on Vimeo.

Good morning everybody!!I hope your past two days of the week have gone wonderfully and that you've adjusted to daylight savings. I've heard a lot of griping about it lately, but personally, I enjoyed the extra hour of sleep. Now the whole it getting dark super early thing? Well that's a little bit of a bummer I guess.

So the big news for today is that my holiday card class is now live! It launched today and when you sign up you'll learn how to make six different cards as well as get tips and techniques to use throughout the season. The classes are available for a full year when you order the class, so in case you are like me and sometimes get really behind on sending out Christmas cards (I just add in Happy New Year! and call it a day) then you can always just get a head start on next years. And then you can pat yourself on the back for being so on top of everything!

And of course, for your enjoyment, I've included my bloopers. Or some of them. It's amazing how many takes I have to do sometimes!

I hope to see you all there! 

Watercolor Holiday Cards... my new class!

 

filming for the class

I feel like there has been so much going on and yet, I haven't shared any of it with you. Every time I thought I'd have a second to write, another something would come up and I'd end up running out of time. Well I could have given up sleep, but if you know me at all you should know I love my sleep. So please forgive me and let me catch you all up.

Most of our days have been consumed with house projects. Winter's coming and we wanted to get everything possible done! We landscaped the front yard- it looks beautiful if I might say so myself- and hung up cafe lights in the backyard (well technically hung them up again. Our first method proved unstable and they came crashing down one random day. Fun times, fun times.) We've also been doing a lot of work to the roof since it's finicky and likes to leak. It really loved leaking on J's laptop which is now sitting on the kitchen table drying out while we hope for the best. Luckily we think we figured out the problem and hopefully the leaks are a thing of the past. Silver lining? I can now add roof repair to my resume so that's neat. Or random. Or both.

And then on top of that, I've been working on a secret side project (oh the suspense,) painting up a storm, and the biggest news... filming my newest watercolor class!!

That's right, guys. I am teaching another watercolor class on Jeanne Oliver's network! Since everyone seemed to have a great time with my other course (thank you again for all of your kind words. I was so touched that you all enjoyed it so much!) we decided to keep the fun going and offer another watercolor class.

register here!

This time, you get to learn to paint holiday cards!

Christmas time has always been my most favorite time of the year (so much so that J. and I got married 5 days before Christmas) so I am super pumped about this one. By the end of the course, you will have created six (6) different holiday cards and learned new techniques that you can use throughout the season (think gift tags, seating cards, etc.) And while the class has a Christmas overtone because that's what I personally celebrate, I'll make sure to show you how you can easily adapt everything I teach for Hanukkah, New Years, or whichever holiday you'd like!

The class begins on November 5th (just in time for the holidays) and I'd LOVE to have to all join me so make sure to register and save your spot today! (If the link doesn't work, simply go to www.jeanneoliver.ning and click on "Watercolor Greetings")

I can't wait to share this class with y'all! It's going to be so much fun.

But until then, have a great weekend! The temp dropped from 85 and beautiful yesterday to rainy and cold today so we're thinking it's a good movie day. And of course, tomorrow we'll be cheering on the Dawgs to beat LSU! Any big plans for your weekend?

From The Studio: Tomatoes (watercolors from the garden)

Happy Friday everyone! After a whirlwind morning of forgotten appointments, phone calls, and errands, I'm finally able to sit down and get this published (and eat lunch.) So how is your Friday going? Hopefully a little less chaotic!

But enough rambling. Let's get to the art.

When I first planted a garden out back I had very (very) low expectations. The kind of expectations that can only come after you've killed more plants that you can remember. Pretty much, plants come to die in our house. Succulents, bushes, trees... I've somehow killed them all. So while I was wandering around Home Depot's garden center picking out tomato plants and herbs, I tried to convince myself I didn't care if they lived or not. I mean, let's be honest, it's not like we wouldn't have food if my garden died. But I couldn't completely squash the little voice in my head that said "but how cool would it be to have a garden like Papa's or Uncle Steve's?" (My papa had the best garden growing up that was tucked all along their backyard. As for my uncle- well he can pretty much grow anything. Corn stalks taller than me, tomatoes and squash plants that overflowed with vegetables... it's kind of amazing. Even more amazing- I didn't inherit ANY of those skills.)  And in addition to not having those skills- I was trying to figure out how to garden in a desert.

I felt like the deck was stacked against me, but lo' and behold I didn't kill the garden. Quite the opposite actually! Our tomato plants are overflowing with the sweetest, sun warmed treats ever. Our rosemary is thriving, our mint fills the air with a beautiful aroma- it's really amazing to see how well everything is doing. (It's also nice knowing I don't have to keep them alive forever. As soon as summer is over and the temps drop, I'll let them die slowly and watch as the snow eventually covers them which is kind of poetic on it's own.)

But back to the tomatoes. They are so colorful and vibrant so of course, I couldn't help but paint them. (And then paint them some more...)  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do! (And don't forget the sale in the shop! Just type in "JORDANS29" for 29% off your order.)

A birthday discount for you

Today is my lovely husband's 29th birthday so in celebration of that, I decided to offer a discount to the shop. Starting today and running through next Monday at midnight, just type in "Jordans29" as the coupon code and you'll get 29% off anything in the store (the coupon doesn't apply to custom paintings, though feel free to ask politely and maybe I'll just have to through in free shipping on custom pieces.) So pretty much, if you were thinking of gifting a painting to yourself or maybe someone else for Christmas (or just because) now's the time to lock it down because I rarely offer anything about 20% off. (And by rarely, I mean pretty much never. Maybe our 30th anniversary I'll offer 30% off or something. We'll see in 25 years!)

Speaking of my husband though... he is officially in his last year of his twenties and I can honestly say each year has been even better than the last. I couldn't have picked a better best friend and husband if I tried. I could go on and on about how great he is, but honestly there just aren't enough words to describe how wonderful I think he is. So that said, Happy Birthday, sweetheart! Let's go celebrate with ice cream cake.*

*as if there is any better cake to celebrate with