The Queen’s Ink

Join us at the North Pole for this special holiday themed Fairy Elf Door! Even the fairies enjoy celebrating the holidays and creating one of these special doors is sure to bring in some holiday spirit and be a fun addition to your holiday decorations. We have all kinds of great seasonal items to help make these fairy elf doors festive. Several years ago, I read an article about the Fairy Doors of Ann Arbor Michigan.  Urban Fairy Doors are located throughout downtown Ann Arbor, tiny doors found on the front of select businesses open to reveal "fairy homes." In our old space we had a fairy door and most of the time it was a small child who would find it.  Some even wrote letters to the fairies.  This workshop will bring a little bit of magic into your life as you build your very own fairy door for your home.  You can place your door inside your home in any room just above the baseboard.  Other places you can place your door include a shelf, a bench or a cupboard.  You can even create it to look like the door on the front of your house. In this workshop we will […]

Anna will be periodically holding drawing sessions geared towards students who have previously taken her drawing classes. Each class will be designed to continue the lessons learned and allow for further growth. Those who have not taken drawing with Anna in the past but have some previous drawing class experience are welcome. If you have questions, feel free to call.

This is an incredibly extensive and exciting workshop that will take papermaking to whole new levels, showing how making paper can truly be a form of art! Paper making is incredibly versatile, and the possibilities are endless. In fact, the pictures in this listing just represent a few of the things that we will be exploring! Though we will start at the beginning, we will expand quickly to creating different types of pulp, creating color, texture, incorporating inclusions, design, layering, and landscapes. You will make paper suitable for writing, backgrounds, and that can be presented in their own right as finished pieces of art. The class will be limited to just six slots per day which will ensure that each student receives a lot of individual attention. As part of this all-day class, you will receive an extensive kit to take home that will allow you to continue your paper making journey on your own. All materials are included. I recommend bringing an apron and two or more hand towels. Your kit will include: 2 Pull deckles 2 Paper making screens 2 Cover screens 2 Screen support grids Sponge Press bar 30 couch sheets (reusable) A variety of inclusions Pulps and […]

Anna will be periodically holding drawing sessions geared towards students who have previously taken her drawing classes. Each class will be designed to continue the lessons learned and allow for further growth. Those who have not taken drawing with Anna in the past but have some previous drawing class experience are welcome. If you have questions, feel free to call.

This class will teach you how to translate a photograph into a beautiful graphic style painting. We will be working with just two colors and white to create a monochromatic or a contiguous chromatic painting. I will teach you how to balance color and use value to simplify images. The techniques and knowledge you learn in this class can be carried over into many other applications within your art. We will be working on a 9" x 12" canvas board. I will have images for you to work from or you can bring your own. If you bring your own, I recommend printing it out full size on an 8 1/2" x 11" computer paper. Your canvas and acrylic paints will be provided, but if you have any favorite colors, feel free to bring them. Students should bring: Flat paint brush (1" is a nice size) Soft graphite pencil Small flat and round brushes needed for detail and small areas. Apron (optional) Note: Using quality brushes can make a big difference in your work. We sell excellent SilverBrush and Princeton brushes at The Queen's Ink and I will give a discount on any brushes purchased the day of the class.

This Bigger Bolder version of Gilded Mosaics is designed with more tiles and a decorative shadowbox frame.  Gilded Mosaics is the glitziest edition in our Paper Mosaic series of workshops.  We are kicking it up a notch by “Gilding” our paper tiles with gold leafing. (Silver and Copper leaf can be used as well.) Spend the day creating vibrant layers of color using applications of alcohol ink on a Gelli Plate. The gold leaf will give your tiles a beautiful warm golden glow and you will achieve some stunning results with the techniques shared in this class.  I found it totally addicting!  Bet you can’t make just one! This workshop is designed for beginning students as well as experienced artists.  You will leave class with a beautiful rectangle shadowbox frame showcasing your tiles. All materials to create this project will be provided. Students must bring their “basic kits” in addition to the few must have items listed below. Student Supply list: Scissors Craft Mat for your work surface X-acto Knife and self-healing cutting mat Black Sharpie Marker

?Are you ready for a mystery? ATC’s are a most artful addiction, don’t you think? And who doesn’t like a mystery? So, if you feel lucky, come take a chance on a fun and creativity and maybe just a little mysterious morning making several ATC’s to add to your collection.  Bring your basic kit, including your paper trimmer.  All other supplies to make your ATC Cards will be provided. Artist trading cards have been around since the late 1990’s as a way for artists to meet in person and trade their small works of art.  Initially there were only two rules: the size 2.5 x 3.5, the same format as baseball trading cards, and secondly, they must be traded and never sold. ATCs are self-made unique works or small series, signed and dated on the reverse by the artist/producer, exchanged and collected by the people who participate in the collaborative performance.  Since the inception of this art form the rules have evolved and changed. The size is still 2.5x 3.5.  However, many artists have found that there is a demand for their miniature artworks, and these are called ACEOs (Artist Cards Editions & Originals). If you are new to this art form […]

The Cigar Box workshop continues to be a fan favorite. Stamperia’s Cosmos Infinity collection is out of this world and as beautiful as ever.  This box was designed and created by Anna White and Patti is delighted to be teaching it.  The ball feet on this box are designed to look like the planets. So very creative!  Spend an afternoon with us and show us your spin on this box.  You will learn paper engineering techniques that result in a beautifully embellished cigar box, taking into account the foil decorations already on the box, and the accurate cutting and placement of paper required to achieve stunning results. A full collection of the paper, a set of wooden ball feet, cigar box, adhesives, and embellishments, are all included with this class. Students MUST bring the following: Self-healing cutting mat, x-acto knife and sharp scissors. A nonstick craft sheet, a paper trimmer that will accommodate at least 12" paper, a ruler with a metal edge and an ink blending tool with foam. We carry the supplies and tools for this workshop should you need any and we do have a few to share.

This is the "last call" for this class due to a limited number of birds, so act fast. This dynamic treasure box is created from a set of smaller boxes and features a lovely bird perched on top. You will choose a color palette to paint your box and we will use decorative papers to cover and embellish them. The knobs are designed by creating “button stacks”. We will be using paper from one of Stamperia's collections, just perfect for a project like this. You will add wooden elements for feet and the crowning adornment will be a perching bird. All materials for the box are provided. Students should bring the following: Self-healing cutting mat, x-acto knife, and sharp scissors. A nonstick craft sheet, a paper trimmer that will accommodate at least 12" paper, a ruler with a metal edge, and an ink blending tool with foam. A large glue stick. And any embellishments to decorate and personalize your artwork. We carry the supplies and tools for this workshop should you need to purchase anything. We do have a few trimmers to share. Let us know if you need one to use. Contact us if you have any questions www.queens@queensink.com or 301-497-9449.

The inspiration for this project came about when I was looking for something creative to do with dominos that had a more substantial design. It needed to have “Good Bones” An interesting tidbit is that Dominos are also called tiles, stones, and bones, and the word "Domino" is French for a black and white hood worn by Christian priests in winter which is probably where the name of the game derives from. Domino games are played all over the world, but in true Queen’s Ink style, instead of playing a game with them we chose to alter them and create a unique piece of art. We will use a variety of stamps to create a mosaic of collage images and we will be creating this in black and white.  Patti will also show you a technique for adding color to your images should you want to do this project again. Sue Norwood and her brother Steve designed and constructed the frame and the crown scroll work we will be adding to our piece. Truly a custom work of art.  We will also have a fleur de lis design in case you don’t want a crown! The frame, scrollwork, and dominos will […]