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, RosedaleHeather 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 crossstitched sample, black cotton thread on eco-printed cottonmark 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 moorlandsketchbook 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.
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 papercolour 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 textlayered 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.
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 coversketchbook, 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.
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…
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 £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.
My new mini-course on Teachable is now available here
Make your own Sketchbook course
Three very simple sketchbooks to make, plus lots of ideas and techniques on preparing and filling the pages with paint, collage, and simple mark-making.
My preference is always for making my own sketchbook rather than simply buying one. I often think bought sketchbooks have more pages than I can comfortably fill, and they also tend to get too full once you start sticking extra papers or stitched samples in them. If you make your own book, you can limit the number of pages from the beginning so that it’s not completely bursting at the seams when you’ve filled it.
The first book, the basic concertina/accordion fold book, is very simple – some might think simplistic, or a bit too simple – but I think it’s one of the most versatile fun little things you can create.
sample of concertina books
The zine-fold book – also very simple – is equally versatile, and offers lots of possibilities for some quick explorations.
zine-fold sketchbook
The third book in this little mini-course is a single signature stitched book with a wrap-around cover with integral pockets.
single signature sketchbook with painted pages (step-by-step tutorials for this)
You get to see lots of pages from my own sketchbooks, and you get some collage paper to print and download, plus some tag templates and some poetry lines to cut up and re-assemble.
see lots of my sketchbook pages
Special Early Bird price of £25.00, which will rise to £30.00 from 1st April. You don’t need to enter a code; just buy before the end of March for the lower price. It’s all pre-recorded, so you can start any time, download the lessons, watch as many times as you want for as long as you want. No time limits, no deadlines, just learn at your own pace.
It’s primarily aimed at beginners, but I’d like to think there’s something for most mixed media enthusiasts here.
Tools and supplies
This is the first in a series of short mixed media courses. Up next (and still working on it – for which read, ‘haven’t really started it yet’) will be paint your own collage papers plus mark-making tools and techniques for mixed media sketchbooks. That title might need some work, but I’m having lots of fun here this week. I hope you are too.
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 pageDay, pages 2 & 3Day, pages 4 & 5Day, pages 6 & 7Night, title pageNight, pages 2 &3Night, pages 4 & 5Night, 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?
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 poemcollage with painted papers and textstitched 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 collageinside 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.
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 – 🎶 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 scrapsabout 8″ square, layered scraps and sheer fabrics, ready for stitching
And a box of glorious blue threads vying for attention.
🎶 blue, blue, electric blue 🎶 earworm by David Bowie, ‘Sound and Vision’
So when I say ‘wishing you a Blue Monday’, I mean it in the happiest way possible.
This one is A4 size, and it’s the sketchbook I’m using for the Laura Horn Modern Mixed Media course. So far the course content is quite different in style from what I would normally produce, but there are some interesting techniques that I might be able to adapt into some kind of landscape work. Laura is very, very good at what she does, and she demonstrates the techniques expertly.
The cover for this one is mostly layered sheer fabrics – hand-dyed silk organza, chiffon and nylon tulle, on a plain calico base. I drew some loose scribbly marks and lines on the calico first, which you can just about see under the surface, and then layered the sheers over the top to form a kind of landscape.
sketchbook, front cover
The scrap of poetry on the front cover, held in place under the top layer of nylon chiffon, is from ‘Home Thoughts in Laventie’ by Edward Wyndham Tennant.
The back is a little more simple, but broadly the same technique:
sketchbook back cover
Sheer fabrics are notoriously difficult to photograph, so some of the colours are not quite right here – textiles always look so much better in person, in any case. This detail of the back cover shows some hand-painted builder’s scrim under the top layer of chiffon.
back cover, detailfront cover, detail
As usual, I’ve made a wrap-around slip cover, so the inside covers do double duty as pockets.
inside front cover
The Modern Mixed Media course so far has been quite heavily focused on ‘botanicals’, which I’ve struggled to render on paper without it looking like someone else’s work. The best I’ve been able to do so far is a kind of scribbly variation, which I quite like.
scribbly botanicals, pen and ink/watercolour
I’m not terrifically impressed by the paper in this sketchbook, which is a Fabriano watercolour 200 gsm. The paper has a very prominent texture, which I find distracting. You can see it particularly clearly on this page:
sketchbook page
I’ve taken to collaging the pages before adding any paint, which I’m finding easier to handle.
sketchbook page, collaged with vintage papers
This page is ready for something, though I don’t know what yet. I could easily say the same about myself, most days. Let’s see what the rest of the week brings.
