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In Case you didn’t know…or…I am an Alien

If you haven’t seen me personally the last half-year, you do not know about my biggest “secret” ….but now finally after all paperwork being done and as of today my status is official, …I can tell you officially :

 

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We are moving to the States in September. More specific we are moving to the East Coast to New Jersey where lot’s of our family and friends are located. I am super-duper excited. It will be an interesting ride for sure- LOL- because even though I probably traveled about 30 times or more to the States in the last 20 years, it will be different to actually live there. My husband is also excited as this means for him going home. We are already preparing things for months now and the biggest parts are yet still to come. I will for sure share here and there some of this new adventure – and I hope you wish me luck and enjoy reading how the Kraut goes U.S. ;)

Huge hugs and have a wonderful day

Nat

Nat

Comments (83)

  • Yvonne

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    Das sind ja geniale News! Ich wünsche dir, dass alles perfekt klappt!
    LG Yvonne

    Reply

  • Fienchen

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    Na das sind ja Neuigkeiten, wow. Ich habe es leider gerade erst jetzt gelesen.
    Eigentlich hatte ich da irgendwie schon mit gerechnet ;o) Ich wünsche dir erst einmal einen reibungslosen Umzug und dann natürlich ganz viel Glück und Zufriedenheit in deiner neuen Heimat. Wow, da wirst du aber eine Lücke hier hinterlassen….schön, dass ich dich kennenlernen durfte. Nur schade, dass wir es in den letzten Jahren dann nicht mehr zu einem Wiedersehen gebracht haben. Aber zum Glück kann ich dich weiterhin verfolgen …dem Internet sei Dank !
    Ich wünsche dir das aller Beste !
    Dicken Drücker, Petra

    Reply

  • Michelle McCosh

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    That happened quickly Nat, so glad!! Don’t forget to bring that fabulous Printers Cabinet with you, I am bringing a truck to NJ to steal it, lol

    Reply

    • Nathalie Kalbach

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      LOL….I love you to visit- but I will definitely chain down the printer’s cabinet – hehehehe

      Reply

  • pearlmaple

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    Congrats Nat, that is an exciting step for you and the family
    Looking forward to visiting you in the NJ region in the future

    Reply

  • Finnabair

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    I’m so very happy for you girl~! Go for it!!!Woo hoo – finally!

    Reply

  • Cathy Shackelford

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    Welcome Natalie! I hope to cross paths with you someday, so if you have a chance to do a (some) workshops in the midwest, I’m there! Hope your move goes well!

    Reply

  • Sabine

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    Wow, what a great adventure. I wish you good luck and I am sure that you will make it there.

    Reply

  • Connie Florio Welton

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    Hi Nathalie I am sooooo delighted that you are moving to New Jersey. I live in Connecticut and have been unable to attend any of your workshops because of the distance involved. I can drive to most anywhere in New Jersey and can’t wait for one of you classes. Happy packing and safe traveling. Namaste Connie

    Reply

  • Monica Baker

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    Maybe my dream of taking one of your classes “in Person” may come true :) Safe travels and Welcome!!

    Reply

  • Jane Harrah

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    Welcome! I am a friend of Vicki and I live in Maryland. I am glad you are joining our party! I hope it is wonderful for you.

    Reply

  • Greisy Muñoz

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    Peace!

    Wow! Good luck with this amazing adventure. It´s strange, my family and I are also moving from Europe to the American Continent, specifically to Dominican Republic. I don´t know about you, but I´m a little nervous but excited :)
    Wishing you the best! Blessings!

    Reply

    • Nathalie Kalbach

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      Wow Greisy, I didn’t know! That is amazing. Am I seing you again at the Art Mesa event in Madrid before you leave? Yes I am nervous and excited – I know what you mean ;) I wish you all the best too – just keep up the mantra “Everything will work out perfectly! ” Huge hugs, Nat

      Reply

  • rosyred629

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    You must have lots of mixed emotions about the move but I can tell you for sure that the east coast crafters who read your blog are all smiling from ear to ear. I wish you good luck with the move and adjusting to our crazy country. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

    Reply

  • rosyred629

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    You must have so many mixed emotions, but the east coast crafters who follow your blog are all smiling from ear to ear now. Good luck with the move and adjusting to our crazy country. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

    Reply

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Workshops at Scrap N Crop in Malaysia – how about a tour?

Malaysia

Crazy cool :) I am totally excited and psyched that I was invited to teach in Malaysia next March at Scrap n Crop. We will have lot’s of fun with some awesome Mixed Media Workshop at their Art Retreat March 22-23,2014.

SnC Nathalie Kalbach

As this is quite a distance to travel for two days of teaching- I would love to combine this with a workshop tour in either Asia and/or Australia. I had an amazing time teaching in Australia in 2011 and I know already who to contact to come back as they already hinted they would love to have me back :)  and I know that usually us teachers are just silently setting everything up…and I do this too ;) but I thought hey-  why not ask out loud for help and tips from my readers that might come from Asia and Australia. Because who knows better than you !

So here is my shout out for Help :)))

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  • If you are a shop owner or an event organiser and you would love to have me there – please contact me and let’s check if we can make it possible :)
  • If you are a reader that knows a store that might be interested in having me – please let me know which one it is or if you know the storeowner, maybe tell them about my plans and ask them to contact me :)

Thank you so much !!!

huge hugs and have a wonderful day

Nat

Nat

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Whatevers #11 or Times Are Changing

Are you ready for the 9th Whatevers? If you missed what the Whatevers is all about…check it out here.

Click here to see what Cat made out of this photo and which story she tells

Click here to see what Vicki made out of this photo and which story she tells

This photo is actually indeed a family photo and I even know who those people are…but I do not know the story behind the photo …so..well…I gave it out to see what everyone comes up with as a story ;)

Times Are Changing

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Grandfather was always non approving. Him and grandma had just no patience for the young people. “Too young and full of nonsense”. But grandpa was loosing his fearful influence – Matthias and George didn’t care that he thought the new car was a useless purchase. Their business thrived. So clowning around with the bottle of wine at the family shoot was just their way showing grandpa that his say was over.

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Their names: Matthias and Georg – Wilhelms grandsons

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I played with my new Oldtimer Stencil :) and Spraypaints and Markers.

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And here is the photo of this month’s Whatever for you:

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Here is how it works if you want to play along:

  • Vicki, Cat and I have made a one-year commitment to each other and picked twelve photos with Whatevers whom we will give a story.
  • Every month – if possible always on the 15th –  each of us will do a post with an individual story that goes along for us with the same photo.
  • If you want you can play along and we will have the photo for you – just right-click on it to safe it to download and show us your version of The Whatevers.
  • There is no rules to the story itself- it can be funny, sad, uplifting, breathtaking WHATEVER
  • There is no rules on the length or the form of the story– it can be a short sentence, an essay, a poem or a soap opera – WHATEVER
  • There is no rules on the artwork you choose – it can be a scrapbook layout, an altered art project, an art journal page – WHATEVER
  • Here is a rule though: if you take the photo you have to link back to us andshow us your story.
  • These pictures are from our personal stash and are for personal use for you only! If you want to use them for a publication whether a book or magazine in print or digital form please ask for permission!
  • If you want to participate post in the comment section .
  • You can also join our The Whatevers -Facebook Page

You can grab the blinkie here if you want to add it to your sidebar

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have a wonderful day
Nat

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Zipper Moments with the Crackle Stencil

I created this layout using my new Crackle Stencil for Stencil Girl Products.

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I used Acrylic Paint with the Crackle Stencil – it such a quick and fast drying way to apply crackle to paper. Then I colored the background with Distress Inks.

Sometimes a blurry photo of a special event unfolds a variety of wonderful memories . NathalieKalbach_ZipperMoments02

I also used some Stampendous Fran*Tage Embossing Powder- I so love it!

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I used a zipper and threaded in the Prima Zipper Embellishment and also cut and divided part of the zipper and attached it on the layout.

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I distressed the photo even more by using the Prima Distressing Tool.

nSupplies

Have a wonderful day!
huge hugs
Nat

 

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Early Bird Reminder- Artfusion

NatKalbach_EarlyBird

Don’t forget to sign up for Birgit’s and my Artfusion Event in The Netherlands! The Early Bird Offer runs out on May 15, 2013 . We have only three more spaces available for the whole weekend and a couple more for the sunday workshops.  Here is the info again!

 

Artfusion Mixed Media Event in Utrecht in The Netherlands

SATURDAY, JUNE 15:

9.30 – 13.00 – Season Canvas Workshop by Nathalie Kalbach

In this Workshop with Nathalie Kalbach, you will create a stunning and unique canvas that will be a wonderful home décor item.

Learn how to create dimension and texture with tissue paper, items of daily life, acrylic paint, lace, burlap, and gesso.

Learn how to reveal the interesting and eye-catching texture with acrylic paints and acrylic inks and add some fun stamping techniques on top.

We will be adding lots of layers and dimension to make this a spring, summer, fall or winter canvas… just as you like. All the techniques can easily be applied to future projects.

14.00 – 17.30 Embossing and Beyond Mini Album Workshop by Birgit Koopsen

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SUNDAY, JUNE 16:

10.00 – 12.30 Mixed Media Meets Scrapbooking, a layout workshop by Birgit Koopsen

mixed media layout workshop banner

13.30 – 16.00 Chalk on The Wild Side Mini-Album Workshop by Nathalie Kalbach

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Artfusion – Early Bird Packages:

Sign up before May 15 -2013 and the packages will be as followed

Saturday Package: 2 Workshops including lunch, drinks and snacks – 85 EUR

(signing up after May 15 – 95 EUR)

Sunday Package: 2 Workshops including lunch, drinks and snacks – 85 EUR

(signing up after May 15 – 95 EUR)

Weekend Package: 4 Workshops (2 on Saturday/2 on Sunday) including lunch, drinks and snacks – 160 EUR

(signing up after May 15 – 190 EUR)

On Saturday evening we also have a room available for those of you who just can’t stop and want to crop for a couple of hours.

You can sign up by emailing Birgit to  info@birgitkoopsen.nl  She will sent you the information and the requirements. Until upon payment you are on a waiting list. Your space is secured once your payment was received.

We are very much looking forward to see you for some Artfusion :)

Birgit & Nat

 

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Baltic Sea / Ostsee Scrap Event – Photos

What a beautiful weekend teaching at the Ostsee Scrap Event (Baltic Sea Event). The location was awesome – just a 15 minute walk from the beach, wonderful room with our own private terrace, wonderful students, great organiser and co-teacher and filling yummie food. What more can you ask for?

Here are some pictures of my morning stroll to the beach – it was awesome -almost no one at the beach – sun shining already – calm and relaxing. I walked for two hours and it totally relaxed me – good way to start then off the workshops :)

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It was awesome to meet my sweet friend Andrea again and to meet Barbara for the first time. Here is Andrea in action teaching

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and here I am with  Dani, the organiser and Barbara

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We had lot’s of fun all together during a photo shooting session that Andrea had during her workshop – with some nice accessories- LOL

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After that we had to eat the biggest, yummiest home-made oven fresh cream puffs with a cherry sauce filling I have ever seen in my entire life…went right on the hips ;)

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It might have been the sugar high that made me pulls some pretty hilarious faces while teaching…I have no other excuse actually ;)

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We used lot’s of yummie Liquitex Products and thank you Liquitex for sending me some of the Liquitex Professional Spray Paints and Professional Markers – they found some happy winners :)

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and here are some canvases from my Season Texture Class

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and of the Be Awesome Be a Book Nut class. Of course I forgot to take pictures of my layout class (I will never learn-  LOL)

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And last but not least a picture of our wonderful group!

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Danke Mädels- es hat super großen Spaß mit Euch gemacht!!!!

There is nothing better when a great relaxed creative workshop weekend!

Huge hugs

Nat

 

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Follow Me on BlogLovin

Follow on Bloglovin

As always I am a bit slow with the news, partly because I need to understand first what is going on ;) – LOL- but nonetheless, as some of you might know Google Reader will close down in a couple weeks – and so I moved all my blogs over to bloglovin to read there from now on. And if you want …you can

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

or if you want to follow rather with other readers go here

n*Studio RSS Feed

or…if you want an email when I post (usually every second day) you can subscribe by signing up on the right in the sidebar “Get the n*Studio Blogposts via Email” That way you never miss a post at all.

Thank you for following my blog- I love to have you!!!

 

Huge hugs

Nat

 

Nat

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My new Crackle Stencil with Stencil Girl Products

Yeahhhh – my next two stencils are out with Stencil Girl Products. Let me show you the one I am the most excited about- it is my dream stencil- the one I always wanted to have – my Crackle Stencil

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Here is an art journal page using the stencil with light modeling paste

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It dries quick and it is a great way to apply the crackle effect to all kinds of surfaces and not just acrylic painted surfaces.

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The stencil is 9×12 inches and I love that you can use it the size as is or just parts as I did to add some texture and a layer here and there.

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I so hope you like it too :) Here is what I used to create the art journal spread:

nSupplies

Thank you for letting me share my crazy excitement. Huge hugs and a wonderful day – I cannot wait to show you more!

Nat

 

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Stroll Through the Hood

NathalieKalbach_Strollhood_Logo

A lot of times I get asked what inspires me. And one of my key answers is always “a stroll through the hood”. It might be street art, it might be thoughts or feelings connected with certain sights, it might be stuff I find to buy…in one way or the other you might find the photos, the thoughts, the feelings, the colors or anything from those strolls in my art journal, a mixed media project or a scrapbooking layout.

I would love to show you once a month what inspired me while strolling through my neighborhood. I hope you like the little insights into my daily life where I live (Hamburg, Germany). This is also a wonderful way for me to remind myself on the inspiring things in the hood. Maybe you get inspired by those posts and even invite ME to a stroll in YOUR hood – feel free to grab the logo and leave a comment for me on the post and share!

While walking to the grocery store I caught sight of this awesome graffiti car- how fun!

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This house is getting torn down right now. Very sad- I always loved this house. I used to live for many years right next to it.

 

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my subway stop…love the old water tower. I saw this when I came home from a trip in the train, passing fast by – made me happy to be home soon.

 

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Saturday Flea Market – love strolling there after grocery shopping – It is always inspiring and you find lot’s of stuff…like a letterpress cabinet ;)

 

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This made my friend Sandra and me laugh forever, we nearly wet our pants. Taken in clothing store here -in the changing area. On the right it says “Please do not hang anything on the lightbulbs, thanks”.

 

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I recognized the bird from a different place when I posted some street art photos from the hood a couple of weeks ago.

 

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Taken in the park around the corner. It is called “Planten un Bloomen” – which is the name in a regional language called Plattdeutsch (a kind of Low German not often spoken anymore – if someone here once in a while really starts talking in Plattdeutsch- I understand ZERO). English and Plattdeutsch have a lot of similarities since they come from the same language origin. So you can probably get the sense of the name “Planten un Bloomen” :)

 

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Wonderful treasure store …unbelievable what you can find there! I got some really cool old stamps there.

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Since we are not getting too much sun here …as soon as the sun is out and even if it is freezing cold- everyone sits outside for lunch or for coffee, to watch what is going on outside …in the hood.

 

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Hope you liked it- see you next month in the hood ;)

hugs

Nat

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