Zero waste collage tags

Firstly: I’m delighted to report that the biodegradable nitrile gloves have completely solved the problem. I’d expected to lose some dexterity with gloves on, but if you get the correct size they fit really well and you hardly notice them.

So hurrah for that.

If you’ve ever ordered any tangible items from my Big Cartel shop, you’ll probably have received one of my hand-painted thank you tags.

very simple watercolour tags

Stocks of these are running a bit low, as you can see. Instead of cutting into new sheets of watercolour paper I thought I’d use up a collection of cartridge paper/card offcuts that weren’t suitable for taking paint but were fine for collage.

Using the painted paper offcuts from last week’s sketchbook collage fest, plus a few more colourful tiny scraps, I’ve used almost every last bit of everything. It’s very satisfying to create something out of what we might call nothing – though everything is something – and hardly anything going in the bin or recycling.

Collage on this scale is very easy, and a simple process. Mini-landscapes at their most basic are just horizontal strips of colour, and they can look very effective with some straightforward mark-making or stamping. I used a corner rounder punch to shape the tops.

hand-painted/collaged thank you tags

I haven’t counted them but there’s possibly a couple of hundred here, enough to keep us all in thank you tags for a while yet.

And finally, while I had all the collage supplies out on the table: I’m taking part again in the annual Postcard Art Exhibit, held this year in the Netherlands in June and raising money for people affected by Alzheimer’s. There’s still plenty of time if you want to contribute a 5″ x 7″ artwork to be sold for this year’s charity. Go to https://www.postcardartexhibit.com before mid-March to register.

‘When you were there’ – 5″ x 7″ mixed media collage with found poetry

Winter: studio time

So far my plans for smarter working this year are going well, and I’ve found a little time here and there for some creative play. I’m not entirely comfortable calling it ‘studio time’ because I don’t have a studio and also I’m not ‘an artist’ in the establishment sense of the word. Middle-aged woman tearing up paper in the spare bedroom doesn’t really sound all that engaging though.

I guess we are all artists, in our own way.

I’ve been working on (playing with) collaging the pages of an old 6″ x 8″ notebook, using my own painted papers. You learn how to do this in my Painted Collage Paper and Mark-Making course, by the way. A little self-promotion there from my Marketing Manager (that’s me).

painted/printed collage papers

I’m intending a celebration of winter in this sketchbook. If you’ve been with me a while, you’ll know it’s my favourite season, and January is my favourite month. It’s cold, it’s still dark, it’s grey, it’s quiet, and nothing much happens, and all of that suits me perfectly. And we’re half way through it already. It’s ok, I like spring too.

inside front cover

For now all I’ve done is cover the pages with printed/painted papers. I’ll go back in to each page with either more paint, mark-making, more collage, or some text.

winter sketchbook, collaged pages

I’m really enjoying the muted colour palette.

collaged printed/painted papers
sketchbook pages

There is, however, a slightly perplexing problem. I appear to have developed contact dermatitis, but only this week, and only on my right hand. Since I’ve been handling paper with both hands, my prime suspect is the acrylic medium I’ve used to stick the papers down. It seems odd to suddenly develop an allergy to something you’ve been using for years, but I can’t think what else it could be. I’ll try some (biodegradable) gloves and see if that solves the problem.

sketchbook page

Wearing gloves is probably sensible in any case when working with paints and inks.

sketchbook page with coordinating tags

It’s been a good few months since I made time for activities like this, and I realise how important and restorative it is. I’m being very strict about my working hours (no social media at weekends, no working beyond 5pm, and a weekly half-day for creative exploring).

So far so good. Wish me luck with the gloves!

And back again

After a few days in lovely Rosedale, North Yorkshire, I’m about ready to get back to work. We walked many miles in clean air, had lots of good food, and stayed in a quiet B & B with a garden shared with a barn owl, tawny owl and pipistrelle bats.

Of course there was time for a little on-location sketching and painting too.

Chimney Bank, Rosedale
Heather and fields beyond

The colour palette at this time of year is beautiful.

Rosedale, summer colours

I do like a dry stone wall.

dry stone wall, North Yorkshire

We came across a stone cross on the moors, originally marking a barrow, I think. It had some really interesting marks carved into it:

marks carved into a stone cross

It had to be done in collage and stitch when we got home:

sketchbook page, collaged stone cross
stitched sample, black cotton thread on eco-printed cotton
mark making with stitch

I have more images and colours to explore from the photos I took, and I’m looking forward to getting on with that this week.

sketchbook page, image size 2″ x 3″
acrylic ink sketch, heather moorland
sketchbook page, ink, pencil and pastel

It’s amazing how refreshing a few days away from it all can be. A bit of time and space to find yourself again.

The shop is open for fabrics, threads, daily stitching templates and collage papers, and you can find my online courses here for daily stitching, hand stitching, and mixed media sketchbook classes.

Still achromatic

Probably a better descriptor than ‘monochromatic’, since the latter could feasibly be any single colour. You can probably see how much I’m still enjoying my achromatic sketchbook – basically all just black and white, exploring compositions through painting, drawing and collage.

murmuration, pen and watercolour on cotton paper

I’m using two shades of black (ivory black and mars black), white, and buff titanium. I’m also allowing myself a little Payne’s grey and Goethite (a subtle warm sandy colour) here and there – probably a little outside the black and white rule but then I make the rules so I can also break them.

watercolour on soft cotton paper
colour palette and pebbles

I gathered together a wide range of substrates when I made this book, including canvas, cotton rag paper, cartridge paper, watercolour paper and handmade papers. Each one takes paint and ink slightly differently, making this sketchbook perfect for all kinds of exploration.

pebbles, painting (left) and collage (right)

I’ve also used plain black india ink here and there.

ink on canvas

And some collage:

collage from magazine papers with text
layered papers with text

There’s some figurative work (or play) too. I like birds. I think the ability to fly would be my superpower if I could choose one.

Raven, coloured pencil on watercolour background
Magpie, coloured pencil on watercolour

Something a little looser:

crow, black ink over watercolour

I also created some printed/stamped papers that I’ve stuck in here and there.

watercolour (left) and hand-printed paper (right)

Today I’m looking through some fabrics to make some textile/stitched samples.

black and white fabrics and threads

I’m actually starting to run out of pages, and I can easily see the attraction of a second volume. I would never have expected black and white to be so interesting and engaging. Just proves the value of venturing outside your comfort zone and having a go. I do like a creative adventure.

Monochrome

Recently I wondered what a monochromatic mixed media sketchbook might look like, containing explorations of line and shape but exclusively using tone instead of colour. I figured there was only one way to find out.

black and white sketchbook

I’ve made a sketchbook, about 10″ square, including black and white papers of various thicknesses and textures. It had to have a cover, of course:

sketchbook, front cover
sketchbook, back cover

I’ve painted some collage papers using only black and white paints and inks.

painted collage papers

Early days, but so far it’s interesting. The absence of colour is making me consider tonal value much more carefully and consciously than I usually would.

black and white sketchbook

The paper you can see in the photo above is very unusual and really beautiful. It has some sort of fibre or yarn embedded in mulberry paper to form those circles.

lovely paper

I included some of my favourite Two Rivers watercolour paper and only used Mars Black watercolour with details in fine drawing pen.

landscape in one shade of black

Most of the other pages are still in progress, and I’ll probably move backwards and forwards between them.

mark-making and hand-printed paper

I guess some things really are black and white or shades of grey.

sketchbook page

Stitched samples for sketchbooks

Good news! My new course is about ready, I think. It can be hard to tell when these things are done because you get so immersed in the process of making, videoing, editing (and re-editing) that it can be difficult to be objective about it in the end.

Stitched Samples for Sketchbooks is all about turning your fabric scraps (and other odds and ends) into something beautiful, useful, and inspirational.

I’m probably primarily a textile artist, but I spend a lot of time working (or playing) in mixed media sketchbooks to explore different themes, colour palettes, textures and different ways of stitching. Most of that happens behind the scenes, but it’s essential groundwork for whatever I happen to be working on at any one time.

This course shows you how I go about preparing and adding stitched samples to my sketchbooks.

scraps

By layering your scraps and adding some simple stitching you can create unique little samples that you can add to your sketchbook, or indeed turn into any piece of decorative work.

getting started

There is layering, stitching, painting, sketchbook work, and more.

painting backgrounds

As always, you can watch the preview for free before you commit to anything, and you get lifetime access to all lessons. You can download the videos, watch as many times as you like, and learn at your own pace.

working with layers

I had lots of fun putting this one together, and I’ve made some interesting samples for my own sketchbooks too.

preparing samples

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

And stay tuned for some exciting news coming next week…

Painted Collage Paper and Mark-Making

A little excitement for a Saturday morning: my new course, painted collage paper and mark-making, is out now.

new Teachable course out now

There’s lots to explore, from choosing, preparing and painting papers to making your own stamps and stencils, some simple hand-printing techniques, and lots of ideas for using your hand-painted papers.

all this and more

Special early bird price until the end of March, so be quick if you’re interested. You don’t need to enter a code, the special price of Ā£30 is already set at the checkout.

simple mark-making

Classes are pre-recorded, so you can learn at your own pace. You can download the videos to watch later, and you get lifetime access – watch as many times as you like. Enrol before the end of March to take advantage of the Early Bird price.

exploring supplies

This course is designed to follow on from my Make a Simple Sketchbook course, but there’s no obligation to enrol on both.

make your own stamps and stencils

All you need for the basics of Painted Collage Paper is some paper, some paint, a little time, and a gentle spirit of adventure.

zero-waste paper techniques

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

And as if that’s not enough excitement for one day, I have some even more exciting news, which I will share when I can. Watch this space šŸ™‚

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

YouTube

It’s a whole new adventure, and I’m not quite sure how or why it happened, but I appear to have set up my own YouTube channel.

My channel home page on YouTube

I’m in the process of uploading my Instagram short videos, and yesterday I made a video on starting a new sketchbook, which you can see here.

This one is a little square (ish) concertina folded sketchbook, with seven pages each side, which I’ve filled with collaged illustrations and found poetry cut from an old anthology.

I’ve made it in preparation for a forthcoming course in my Teachable school on making your own sketchbooks (yes?), and very enjoyable it’s been too.

I really like the way these simple folded sketchbooks become circular, where the end is also the beginning, so I’ve created this one on the theme of day and night revolving around each other.

If you saw the beginning of this little book, here’s how it turned out (ignore all the paint on my fingers, it’ll come off eventually):

mixed media sketchbook with found poetry

The text comes from various early twentieth-century poems and I’ve just cut out and rearranged the lines and phrases to create new poems.

Day and Night title page
Day, pages 2 & 3
Day, pages 4 & 5
Day, pages 6 & 7
Night, title page
Night, pages 2 &3
Night, pages 4 & 5
Night, pages 6 & 7

Returning to the subject of YouTube, I’ll be keeping teaching and online courses on Teachable but I don’t mind sharing occasional processes and techniques on my YouTube channel.

So my next question is, what would you like to see?

Mixed media sketchbook

I’ve been working on this sketchbook for a few weeks now, finding homes for all the tiny samples and scraps of painted paper and fabrics. At the same time I’m in the process of preparing to write a new course on mixed media/collage in sketchbooks, and I find it helps to actually make the thing you intend to teach.

handmade sketchbook, 9.5″ x 6.5″

I made the very simple sketchbook, using cartridge paper and some handmade cotton rag paper – it’s just sheets of paper stacked, folded in half, and stitched along the spine. The wrap around cover is cotton rag paper and it ties with some hand-dyed cotton tape that wraps around the button. Mixed media sketchbooks often become quite bulky because of all the inserts and layers, so it helps to bundle it up like this.

Sketchbooks are sometimes regarded as preparation for something larger, but I tend to see them as valuable and inspirational objects in themselves. I see them as a place to collect abstract thoughts in the form of shape and colour, and also as a place to try different colour combinations and design elements. Some of the designs in this book may or may not become larger works, and if they don’t then it’s enough to have them as they are in the sketchbook.

Here’s a quick flip-through. The pages are about 9″ x 6″ ish:

mixed media sketchbook pages

And a closer look (details are in the captions beneath the image):

strips of painted collage papers
simple mark-making with thread on layered fabric scraps (4″ square)
extra fold-out page

I don’t often write in sketchbooks like this one, but I do sometimes like to add a few words of text. I have an old poetry anthology that I cut up to make found poems. I know some people have strong feelings about cutting up books, but I only ever use very old books that have missing or damaged pages. The text serves to remind me of what I was thinking when I made the image, and sometimes it might also suggest the title of a larger work.

stitched sample with found poem
collage with painted papers and text
stitched sample (about 5″ square) with simple mark-making

I like the way samples in different media can support and inform each other. The top sample on the page below was made by collecting and layering fabric scraps, and then the lower image is a collage inspired by the stitched sample.

from stitch to collage
inside back cover, handmade foam stamps and simple drawn grid

As I’m currently taking a temporary break from Instagram, I have a bit more time to focus on structuring the new course. It generally takes a month or more to put one together and I’m still at the thinking-it-through stage, so there’s a fair way to go. But watch this space.

Blue Monday

The third Monday in January (2025) is supposed to be the most depressing day of the year. It’s nonsense, of course (though I guess some of you in the US may not be in agreement right now…) The concept apparently was invented by a travel company in 2005, to sell more holidays, and only applies to the northern hemisphere because of the cold weather and the short daylight hours here. As you know, I love the winter and the chilly, grey, short days. I also like January, blue, and Mondays, so I’m just here today to disprove the theory. I hope you haven’t fallen for the marketing/sales hype that’s trying to persuade you to feel miserable today. You might want to look away at this point if you don’t like blue, though.

Today’s daily stitching had to be blue, if only to justify the title of this post.

20th January daily stitching

And a closer look:

lifetime (cross stitches) piling up – šŸŽ¶ earworm by Talking Heads, ‘Lifetime Piling Up’

Recently I’ve been gathering together some little zero waste samples that I put together last year. These are just tiny scraps of fabric laid on a foundation, covered in a sheer fabric, and randomly (or purposefully) stitched. I thought it might be nice to compile them into a mixed media sketchbook. More on this later.

zero waste sketchbook page

I’m doing zero waste with collage papers too, using all the tiny scraps and strips of painted papers, letting the stitched samples and collage elements begin a little conversation.

stitch on the left, painting and collage on the right

It’s all very intuitive and kinaesthetic. The hands start doing something with fabric or thread or paper, and the brain eventually gets interested enough to join in. You have to start doing the work in order to do the work.

There are a few more basted samples that need stitching.

zero waste samples using selvedges and hand-dyed scraps
about 8″ square, layered scraps and sheer fabrics, ready for stitching

And a box of glorious blue threads vying for attention.

šŸŽ¶ blue, blue, electric blue šŸŽ¶ earworm by David Bowie, ‘Sound and Vision’

So when I say ‘wishing you a Blue Monday’, I mean it in the happiest way possible.