Art Bundle for Good #11 Giveaway

The Art Bundles for Good #11 Giveaway is here.

Enter to Win over $5000 worth of art classes. There is no cost to enter. Three lucky winners will be selected to win the entire bundle of more than 100 digital art classes from over 90 top art instructors. Take your creativity to a new level.

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Before You Go

Gratitude Junk Journal

Our 10th Anniversary celebration is almost here! Gratitude Junk Journal begins November 1, and enrollment closes October 31.

We start by making altered art journal together, creating a special place for everything we'll make throughout the month. Then we'll fill those pages with mixed-media art, new techniques, creative play and, most importantly, a new reason for gratitude each day. Come celebrate 10 years of gratitude, creativity and JOY with us!  Enrollment is $119 and closes October 31. 

Join us for the Gratitude Junk Journal Here

Growing Cotton: From the Garden to My Creative Projects

 

Have you ever looked around your garden and wondered what you could bring into your creative practice?

In this episode of Material Musings, I’m sharing my homegrown Barbadian Sea Island cotton, and some of the other natural fibers I’ve been exploring, and the ways these materials find their way into my artwork.

I grow cotton on a very small scale - a couple of plants, but even these produce more than I can process! There is something so rewarding about watching a plant grow, and eventually holding a piece of yarn that I’ve spun myself.

I also share some of my sculptural looms, made using wood I’ve grown and harvested. The wooden frame stays as part of the finished artwork, alongside woven threads, beads, recycled elements, and small amounts of my cotton.

You don’t need much of a special fibre to make an impact. Sometimes a small section woven among other yarns gives a piece its character.

Looking at the garden differently

Cotton is just one of the materials that I have made use of from the garden.  There are other fibers that can be used, the pieces of wood can become mark-making tools, and dried plant materials offer possibilities for weaving.

I share some of the marks made with my homemade brushes in the video. A simple mark might not seem like much at first, but add layers, color, and other textures, and it becomes the beginning of something interesting.

It makes me ask: what is already around me that I could explore a little further?

Start with what you have

You don’t need to grow cotton to explore these ideas. Some leftover yarn, scraps of fabric, or a piece of cardboard can be enough to begin a small weaving. Those little experiments can become additions to journals, stitched pieces, or other mixed media projects.

Watch the video for a closer look at the cotton, my spinning tools, sculptural looms, and the other fibers I’ve been exploring.

Watch the Material Musings video here 

Then come over to Patreon, where I’m sharing four creative ideas from this episode for you to try, from a small weaving to making your own mark-making brush.

Explore the ideas on Patreon 

What material in your garden or creative stash could you look at with fresh eyes?

Art Journal Play - When you are Enough

 

Join us in looking at today's art journal pages and looking at ways to provide a safe space to express your thoughts and feelings.

It can be a page full of text, one word or just an image that will convey what might be going on inside your mind.

What ways do you use your art journal pages?.  I think that I move between a more haphazard style jumping from different journals and I like to use certain art journals for specific things.  in each I aways leave space to return, to play and leave a mark. 

Are you in a space where you can come and go in your art journal or would you like to create more spaces that enable you to do so and express how you feel?  In this video I explore several ways that we can provide ourselves with spaces that are nurturing and enables us to play as we create. 

Before You Go

Have you accessed your FREE digital art download yet, it is available until the end of October on Patreon to use in your art journals or creative projects.   You can get your digital download HERE

You can check out some of the other papers available on different Tiers while you are there.

More Fabric Inspiration Activities - Material Musings

In yesterday’s Material Musings post, - You can check it out here

 

I shared some of the fabric and textile art projects that I have been spending time doing in the studio. Sometimes you have to take a pause and take a look around.  I wanted to get an overall look to see which of the projects were calling the loudest - (there are more things sitting in bins crying out for attention) but we will try and focus on a few smaller projects first. 

As I look at them there are many that I felt drawn to pick up again, I thought of the enjoyment that I got from making them, and identified some that I was willing to let go of - if only for a season, and then see where they want to take me over time.

Check out the Activities

I thought it would be useful to share 4 small activities that could get you thinking about how you can move some of your projects forward.  They are small actions that you can apply to the fabric projects that you have, spend time seeing how it feels and if you are inspired to work on those pieces that need your sparkle!

Join us For FREE on Patreon to access

You can Join us on my Free Tier on Patreon to check out the suggestions that I share to help you take your textile projects further - you won't have to go out and purchase any new supplies - just use what you have, experiment and play a while!

Rediscovering the Possibilities in Your Projects - Material Musings

 

Welcome to this week’s Material Musings!  

I am spending time looking through a few of my fabric projects, unfinished pieces to see if I can find fresh inspiration with some of the materials or if I can develop them or take them in a new direction. 

In the video, I share slow-stitched samples, handmade pouches, fabric and card birds - I have been doing the Fodder Challenge 6 and will be sharing more of the projects that I have made over the next couple of weeks.  You can see some of the project so far on my Instagram HERE.

  

I also played around with some felt embellishments bringing out my felting supplies, it is so good to be surrounded by so much color.  I also have my unfinished kawandi project that I am working on.  I also share some textile artworks returning from an exhibition, some of the pieces feature cotton that I have grown in my garden, spun and woven - so much fun.

We finish with a selection of trinket tags, combining fabric scraps, beads and broken jewelry. These little creations can decorate journals, become ornaments or add a personal touch to a gift.

One of the things I’m reminded of is that a project can change direction. A stitched piece can become a pouch, smaller pieces could join together as a wall hanging, and some mark-making might provide the finishing touches when you no longer feel like stitching.

Take out one unfinished piece this week and ask: What would make me excited to work on this again?

Before You Go

I have a course coming up called Stitching Joy from Your Fabric Scraps, which you can check out, it is currently on preorder at the early bird price of $67

Learn more information HERE

When is it Enough? Art Journal Page

 Art Journal Play

What do you use your art journal pages to help you do? Do you have a more haphazard style or are you quite methodical working your way through the pages, with things measured out and embellished or are you somewhere in-between but would like to create more spaces that enable you to do so and express how you feel. 

In the upcoming video on Friday on my YT channel, I explore several ways that we can provide ourselves with spaces that are nurturing and enables us to play as we create. You can access the video early on my Patreon or as a channel member.

You can catch the Early Release video HERE

Before You Go

Have you accessed your FREE digital art download yet, it is available until the end of October on Patreon to use in your art journals or creative projects.   You can get your digital download HERE

You can check out some of the other papers available on different Tiers while you are there.

Gratitude Junk Journal - Early Bird Special Extended!!

Looking for the Sign?

Were you debating whether to join us for the Gratitude Junk Journal 2026 and looking for a sign?  

Well, I think I found your 'Sign' The Early Bird discount is being extended until the 13th of October!  Sign up HERE

Check out the Junk Journal Details

The Gratitude Junk Journal will run between the 1st - 30th November and in this workshop you’ll learn:

• how to create a beautiful, altered book for keeping your thoughts and art.
• how to make awesome art journal pages that you love.
• practice gratitude daily through art and fun challenges.
• how to find JOY in your everyday life, which can reduce stress.
• how to use (junk), bits and pieces from your stash and/or around the house to make great art.
• how to work with yummy layers and textures.
• techniques for creating wonderful backgrounds.
• techniques that will empower you to make great art again and again

That means you now have through October 13 to join the 10th Anniversary workshop for $89 and you will also receive the 2021 Gratitude Junk Journal Workshop FREE.

Here is a sneak peek of my session which I am excited to share with you.

Come and join us for the Gratitude Junk Journal HERE

Before You Go

Check out the Arts and Wellness Cafe

Digital Art - Realityarts Creative Archive - October 2026

This month's release for the Realityarts Creative Archive, brings a fresh set of collectable digital art papers, available in four tiers - Sampler, Studio, Collector, and Atelier.

The October 2026 Sampler Edition, titled Heritage & Time is free to download until 31st October and offers you a chance to try the papers in your art journals and/or creative projects.

 

Heritage & Time - October Papers 2026

Join the FREE Tier on Patreon to access the papers, along with project ideas, behind the scenes video and early release posts, along with other 'member only' content.  Free members can enjoy the monthly papers while spending creative time. You can join us HERE

Additional papers for this month are available for purchase or by joining the respective tier, and also gives you access to over 1000 videos, digital art and exclusive posts:

 

Studio Edition - Women and Memory, October 2026

 

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature - October 2026

 

Atelier Edition - Patterns & Structure - October 2026

On my Patreon platform you get to watch Patron Exclusive posts, see behind the scenes content and get early access to the videos that I create and post on my YouTube Channel.  Each month I use the papers in different projects to give you additional inspiration when using them for yourself.  If you are ready to move your creative journey to the next step then come and join us.

As a Patreon Member you will also get a discount off any of the courses I create on my Course Platform - check out the 'Collections tab' to get your appropriate discount.  You can check out the course platform HERE. If you would like to add to your learning - then you are in the right place!  Our courses are regularly being developed for those who want to add to their learning and start to develop their own creative voice and style.

I hope you join us and use the digital art papers in your creative projects and art journals and I look forward to seeing how you get on.

When you join one of the higher tiers you get access to everything below it.  You can dip your feet in and do a 7 day FREE Trial, do you want to join us?

Last Day for Making Zen

Well it is finally here, the last day of Making Zen, and if you haven't yet got your VIP pass, you can still get it now for a great price! it is great to see all of the variations of my Trinket Tag project - love them! you can share with me on my IG @realityarts.

I have had so much fun learning from the other artists, here are some of the things I made:

It doesn't have to end today, if you still want to continue creating get yourself the VIP pass and continue to enjoy the sessions you missed or want to watch again and continue making, and feast on all of the resources that come with the VIP

Get your VIP Ticket HERE

Time To Create - Material Musings

 

In this week's Material Musings, I share some of the creative pieces that I have made, it has been a lot of fun working through some of the sessions. Check out one of them below.

Inspired by Lisa Goddard

I really enjoyed creating the landscape and adding stitches that I wouldn't normally use.  I would like to create more of them.

Making Zen ends tomorrow and you can still access the VIP Pass which gives you lifetime access to the 30 pre-recorded workshops, as well as a special gift from each of the presenting artists. There are other resources included too, like the Making Zen ebook and access to some special workshops from the archives of past retreats.  Check out the VIP Pass HERE

Looking forward to having you join us!