Wednesday, 29 July 2026

Back to Creativity Summit - Reserve Your FREE Spot

Back to Creativity Summit - 18th - 20th August

HobbyScool is hosting the Back-to-Creativity Summit, a free, 3-day virtual event running August 18–20, 2026, built for makers who want to put down the to-do list and pick their craft back up.

No expensive supplies to buy first. No “you have to already be good at this” requirement. Just three days of expert-led workshops you can follow along with from your own creative space.

Grab Your Free Spot on the Retreat HERE

VIP All Access Pass

Don't worry about falling behind as there is a VIP option you can access which will give you Lifetime access to all the classes so you can take your time, repeat them as often as you need to and make it work for you!

Before You Go

The Sampler Edition Digital Art Papers are still available for FREE to download until the end of July on my FREE tier on Patreon, you can use them in your art journals or creative projects.

Monday, 20 July 2026

Creative Tech Summer Retreat - It starts tomorrow, have you grabbed your spot?

The Creative Tech Summer Retreat -

Starts Tomorrow

The HobbyScool Creative Tech Summer Retreat starts tomorrow — and if you haven't registered yet, this is your last chance to grab your free spot.

No prep needed tonight.
No software to install in advance.
Just register HERE, show up tomorrow, and start making.

Here's a quick look at what's coming:

Day 1 Tuesday, July 21: Cutting machines & vinyl crafts
Day 2 Wednesday, July 22: Digital art & illustration in Procreate and Canva
Day 3 Thursday, July 23: AI tools & turning your skills into income

Each day's sessions are free for 24 hours, so there's no pressure to watch everything live. Check out all the speakers, we have an amazing lineup!

Grab Your Free Spot on the Retreat HERE

VIP All Access Pass

Don't worry about falling behind there is a VIP option you can access which will give you Lifetime access to all the classes so you can take your time, repeat them as often as you need to - make it work for you!

Batik Inspired Fabric Using Wax, Ink and Dyes

Batik Inspired Fabric

I have been experimenting with a simple batik-inspired wax-resist technique to create patterned fabric for my mixed-media and textile projects.

What you will need:

Tealight and candle wax or bees wax
Recycled fabric - tea towel, old bedsheet
Inks and dyes, shimmer misters
paint brush (keep one just for this activity)

I began with pieces of cotton fabric and applied melted candle wax and beeswax in loose, random patterns across the fabric.

I then added a mixture of shimmer sprays, leftover inks and orange fabric dye. Some of the bottles were almost empty, so this was also a great opportunity to use older supplies rather than allowing them to sit forgotten in the studio.

After adding the color, I placed the fabric inside a plastic bag and gently scrunched it together. This helped the colors blend and move into some of the uncolored spaces.

As the fabric dried, the colors softened and the wax-resist patterns became more visible. I especially loved the areas where the wax had cracked and allowed fine lines of color to bleed through.

Those unexpected marks inspire the next stage of the project and I see where intuitively I want to go. This is one of the things I enjoy most about experimenting with fabric. The first technique does not have to produce a finished piece. It can become the starting point for collage, stitching, art journaling, a wall hanging or another mixed-media project.

In the full Patreon post, I share more about the process, the materials I used and three creative activities you can try with your own wax-resist fabric, including creating a sampler, using up leftover color supplies and responding to the patterns with hand stitching.

Visit my Patreon page to read the complete post - HERE, see the finished fabric and explore the creative takeaways.

You may also spot a special appearance from Cole, my helpful studio assistant!

Before You Go

As artists, most of us have been collecting supplies for many years, this is a great time to look at what you currently have before you consider going out to purchase something new. I had some printer ink left over that I had brought at lease 20 years ago and it just sat there gathering dust as I didn't have the printer anymore. I experimented and found it stains fabric, and you can get some interesting effects. So take a look and you might surprise yourself.

You can find additional videos I created showing different wax resist experiments below and access my Full Material Musings playlist HERE

Behind the Scenes

If you want to check out behind the scenes and early release content then join us on my Patreon. You will find over 1000 videos and digital art resources for you to use in your creative projects. You can access my Patreon HERE

Download this months Sampler Edition Digital Art Papers for Free - You currently have 11 days left to access these papers for free!

If you want to take your learning further you can start in the Artist Resource Hub on my Course platform, this is also Free and there are many other courses that you can take a look at when you are ready.

For now, stay blessed and be a blessing!!

Friday, 17 July 2026

Dreamboard Art Journal: Creating a Vision for Moving Forward

Creating a Vision for Moving Forward

Sometimes a journal page begins with a clear idea. I find that my pages usually begin with background colors that I may have added from extra paint, or a collection of papers on the page, waiting for me to begin.

I returned to a page that already contained layers of paint. I have several pages in my art journal waiting to be worked on and this is useful for when you have a fixed time to create. I also had a bag filled with words and phrases collected from newspapers, magazines and I started to select encouraging and motivating words and phrases:

The words became the next layer of the page. and I thought that rather than creating a traditional vision board, I used the journal spread as a place to explore my intentions, hopes and creative direction.

You do not have to finish the page today

I find that one of the most freeing things about art journaling is that you don't have to finish a page in one sitting. You can prepare a background one day, add collage another day and return later with words, paint, stitching, texture or reflections. Each layer tells a different story.

When you are short of time, ask yourself 'what is the one small thing that I can add'? It can be a shape, extra paint/collage or some words that have meaning for you. It is a small step and helps keep you connected, especially when time is limited.

The Page Can Continue to Grow

The journal page is a starting point not the final destination and you can return to it, you might later decide to write about why you chose the words and what they mean to you. Use what you already have, one of the best things about this activity is that you do not need expensive materials.

You can use:

· An existing art journal page

Newspaper and magazine words

Old newsletters or brochures

Scrap paper

Glue or matte medium

Gesso

Water-soluble pencils or crayons

Acrylic paint

Stencils or sequin waste

Metallic paint

A paintbrush or palette knife

Here are specific supplies I used (do check what you have before buying something else)

Inktense Pencils - https://amzn.to/4wNCfOC

Gesso - https://amzn.to/3TkIDyb

Shimmer Misters - https://amzn.to/4fFGG8d

Gold Paint - https://amzn.to/3TFdUfj

Sequin waste or your favorite stencils - https://amzn.to/4bt1I7A

Now, go see what you have in your creative space to start your own page and have fun!!

Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Creating Mixed Media Art Dolls - Material Musings

Creating Mixed Media Art Dolls

Welcome to today's Material Musings, in this video we will be taking a look at a variety of different ways to create art dolls and a bit about the technique. Have you made mixed media art dolls yourself? They are really fun to create, and practically all of my supplies are recycled or repurposed.

Where to Start?

You start with the armature, which can be made out of a range of materials - wire, foil, wood, clay, paper clay, foam, plastic and once you have the base you can decide the other materials that you want to finish your mixed media art doll with.

In the examples that I share in the video we have ones made from foil, foam - (fiber) and plastic. I then cover them with fabric, paper clay and even wrap some with scrap fabrics and yarn and embellish with beading.

I hope that you see how fun and straight forward they can be to create and I hope that it inspires you to make your own - you probably have all the resources around your home already. You can check out the previous art doll video below:

If you are interested in making your own, I will be creating a mini course to take you through the steps. You can join my course platform and will be alerted when the Mixed Media Art Doll course becomes available.

Join the course platform Here

In the meantime, why not check out some of the other slow stitched and fabric course available on the platform.

Stitched Folk - Online Class

On a tight budget? Come and join me on YouTube and see all of the textile and fabric art videos I share as part of Material Musings, my weekly textile and fabric art adventure. You can find my full Textile Art Playlist on YouTube Here

Want a Behind the Scenes and exclusive access? Then my Patreon Tiers would be great for you!

If you want a behind-the-scenes look at my work and practice, you can join us on Patreon Here and while you are there you can check out the FREE Digital Art Sampler Edition in the paper Collection for July.

Whatever you do, take time out each day to do something creative, experiment and step out of your comfort zone. What are you waiting for???

Sunday, 5 July 2026

Realityarts Creative Archive - July Papers

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

Heritage & Time - July 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, July 2026

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature - July 2026

Atelier Edition - Patterns & Structure - July 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. Our course that are regularly being developed are 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.

Which of the papers this month are speaking to you?

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Sampler Mixed Media Art Papers - Download your copy Today

Layers of Becoming - Sampler Edition - June

Here are the mixed media art papers that are available on my FREE Patreon tier. Each month we develop a new set of papers that you can use in your art journals and creative projects. This is the June papers that will be available until the close of Wednesday 1st July EST

Download your copy HERE

Here are the other papers available across the higher tiers that are available as well..

Here are some of the art created from this month's and previous papers across the tiers

Come and see which papers connect with you and you can use them in a variety of ways. I have created tags and other mixed media ephemera from the papers. It is also great to be able to use what you have without too many additional tools. A glue stick and markers can do the world of good in an art journal.

Take some time out and come and join us, allow yourself to be swept away with the designs and the imagery and create pages that you can come back to and leave creative messages to yourself.

Join us Here for FREE on Patreon

Thursday, 25 June 2026

Creative Tech Summer Retreat 21st July - 23rd July is Now Open for FREE Registration

The Creative Tech Summer Retreat is now open for Registration

I wanted to share with you details about the Creative Tech Summer Retreat which is being brought to you by HobbyScool.

This retreat will teach you how to use modern tools like Cricut, Canva, Procreate, AI, and print-on-demand platforms to level up their handmade business or personal projects. If you have always wanted to learn to use these tools for your projects, join now for free and save your spot on the retreat! You can sign up HERE

Example Workshops Include:

Cricut Projects: Beginner to Intermediate
Canva 101 for Creatives
Create Your First Digital Sticker Pack in Procreate
Intro to AI Art Tools for Creators
Print-on-Demand for Handmade Sellers

Why not save yourself a spot - You can get your ticket HERE

Even if you don't have all the creative tools you can use the ones you do have and still get a lot of information from each of the teachers. One of the tools I use at least every day is Canva, I use it in editing photos, videos, creating thumbnails and more, I find it really handy. You can also add different effects on your photos as well, remove backgrounds, and you will learn and over the 3 days of the Summer Retreat, here is a taste of what you will be learning using Canva:

Brandi Kabacinski

From Camera Roll to Keepsake: Create a Printable Photo Book in Canva

Kim George

Canva to Cash: How to Create and Sell Your First Simple Book on Amazon

Emily Holverson

Birthday Invitation in a Box: Design Your Own Custom Invite in Canva

And this is just 3 of the teachers out of 23!! If you haven't used Canva before you can sign up for free as well and have a play around before the Retreat begins.

Before you go

Have you downloaded this month's free creative papers on Patreon before it goes onto the paid tier.

Download this month’s free creative paper on Patreon

You can check out the video where I share how I used this months papers in a creative project in my art journal, it might spark some ideas for you!

Want to stimulate your creative juices, why not take one of my FREE course on my course platform and while you are there check out some of the other resources available. Join us on the free Art Resource Hub

While you are there why not explore...

And Finally....

If you would like to focus on your self-care, why not check out:

Filling the Creative Well or Creative Self Care

Saturday, 20 June 2026

5 Easy to Make Art Journals - Use what you have

5 Easy to make Art Journals

In today's video we look at a selection of 5 mixed media and recycled art journals, and I show you how I have worked in them and some of the supplies that I have used. With the number of items that we have in our supplies or just around the house, you will probably find most of the things you already have without going out to buy anything else. If you don't have that particular item, then substitute it for something else (that is where the fun really begins!

Materials - remember to substitute if you don't have:

Cardboard
Tetra-pak (milk cartons)
Old greetings cards or packaging
Fabric Scraps
background papers
Paper ephemera that you have made or source images from an old magazine
Brown paper/wrapping paper
Glue
Embroidery thread to stitch the books or use yarn

What You will learn

I hope to take out the hesitation for creating an art journal, waiting for the right supplies, the right weather or whatever the excuse may be and get you putting something together by the end of the video just for you. You don't have to put it all together in one sitting, savor it and come back to it.

Reflection Prompt

What supplies or recycling materials have you been sitting on that you can use in a creative project today?

More Art Journal Designs

In my art journal playlist I have a large amount of art journals that I have made and share. Some of the videos show you how to make your own journal from start to finish, some show me working on a page using my supplies and some are flip throughs to give you some inspiration.

You can check out my art journal playlist on my YouTube Channel HERE

Digital Downloads

I mention when making some of the small art journals the digital papers that I have used. Each month on my I create a set of digital download papers across different tiers that can be used in the art journals or creative projects. I also create a set each month that are FREE until the end of the month for you to download and start creating. Each month you will be given a different digital downloads to use in your creative projects. You can get yours HERE

FREE COURSE RESOURCES

I also have a number of free classes on my Course Platform - Realityarts. There you will find my Art Tags Course which shows you how to alter and create your own art tags, there are 6 in the design to download and resource videos. Recycled mark making - do you want ideas for making your own stamps and stencils, then this mini course takes you through a range of the everyday materials that you can use in your art projects. Check out the Course platform HERE

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

Wax Resist Projects - Material Musings

Mark Making on Fabric

Working with natural fibers

Come and join us in Material Musings today!

Friday, 12 June 2026

Art Journal Play - Working with Patreon Papers

Join us as we work in our Brown Paper art journal. We are working with papers that I create each month on Patreon. On the page I will be creating a figure and also a small pocket on the opposite side of the page to hold any additional papers.

Creating Faces

Art Journal Pocket

The Papers are available in my Patreon Shop Here

This is the June Papers in the Atelier Edition

Material Musings - Beads and Wearable Art

Welcome to today's Material Musings, where check out several different projects - including fabric jewelry, beads and art journal bags.

Here is an example of the crochet necklace and the beaded wrist cuff - I think more accessories might be to come.

Thursday, 11 June 2026

Making Fodder - Inspiration Squad - Fodder School 5

This month I am one of the Inspiration squad members for Fodder School and I get to share my take on a lesson by Roxanne Stoute. As a previous teacher on Fodder School 4 - it is full on, so it is great to be a student and savor the projects.

We are currently in the 'Make Fodder' phase and I have been busy painting, marking fabric, paper and playing with elements from nature.

You can also check out Fodder School 5 HERE, there are some fantastic teachers

Here is what I have so far

Mixed Media Art Papers

Here is some of the natural materials that I worked with as well, and the papers that I painted and added marks using different supplies

All in all it is great fun to look through some of the things that you have to create new looks and combine elements that you might not have before. I now have a lovely collection that will go to some of the other projects that are calling..... will you join us?