Making Zen has Started!!

Have you signed up Yet?

Just a reminder: the Making Zen Online Retreat, hosted by Kate at Zen Stitching, has started until 30th May 2025 - and it’s going to be a lot of fun 

New to Making Zen?

If you haven’t joined us before, Making Zen is a free, five-day online retreat celebrating slow stitching, mindful making, and creative exploration. Over the course of the retreat, 32 amazing artists will each share a video workshop—free to watch for 24 hours—to spark your creativity and deepen your practice.

We will be diving into themes like:

 Coloring with fabric scraps
 Intuitive art-making
 Zero-waste stitching
 Botanically dyed pouches, stitched landscapes…… and so much more.

You’ll come away with mini projects to stitch, fresh techniques to try, and a deep sense of inspiration and calm. 

Get the VIP PASS and additional Bonus!

If you know that you already want to get the VIP Pass you will be offered a variety of bonuses from each teacher and you get the following:

$3,300.00+ worth of exclusive gifts, guides, extended workshops and resources to help you reignite your creativity!

  

This price is only available for a limited time! Normally $147.00—get it now for $97!

❤️ Early access to all 32 workshops (starting this week!) ❤️ Lifetime access so you can revisit and perfect your skills anytime ❤️ Gifts from our artists to inspire fresh ideas and projects ❤️ Daily live creativity sessions with Kate on Zoom ❤️ Transcripts + the Making Zen eBook to keep your focus sharp and your learning seamless There is an extra Bonus course from me Embellished & Stitched below if you use my link to purchase the VIP Pass (it will be no extra cost to you) !

I will be adding my Course Embellished & Stitched to the Bonus gift bag for all those who purchase the VIP Ticket using my link - you can check out the course (Value - $47) HERE

In the course Embellished & Stitched, I share different ways in which you can transform your stitched words into embellished designs with a variety of techniques and over an hour and a half of video content organized in short segments so you can jump in and out of an activity.  Once your purchase has been confirmed you will get access to the course! 

Looking forward to having you on the creative adventure!!

Before You Go

Have checked out the papers available on my Patreon.  From Free, $3, $10 and $15.  Join us on Patreon for FREE

Here are the papers that are available across the tiers that you can use in your art journals and creative projects.

Free Papers for May 2025

Mixed Media Art Encouraging Tags - Digital Art Downloads

 

 

Here are the papers for Aprils Digital Download on Patreon.  for the $3 Tier.  Below you will find examples of the projects that I created.  If you join us on the $3 Tier you will have access to all the previously posted content which spans 3 years and includes digital and video resources for your creative project.

We have a Free Trial on the tier so that you can wet your feet and see how you like it.  The aim for the papers are to encourage you to do something creative with what you have and provide you with beautiful imagery that you can play around with.

It is very important to find ways in which you can motivate and encourage yourself, especially in those times where you are feeling off or if you want a low energy project or even only have a short time.

The digital downloads are available on Patreon for you to enjoy, why not come and check it out and have a play with the papers.

Find out more HERE

Digital Art Papers May - Patreon

 

Here are the papers for May's Digital Download on Patreon for the $3 Tier.   If you join us on the $3 Tier you will have access to all the previously posted content which spans 3 years and includes digital and video resources for your creative project.  

We have a Free Trial on the tier so that you can wet your feet and see how you like it. The aim for the papers are to encourage you to do something creative with what you have and provide you with beautiful imagery that you can play around with.

It is very important to find ways in which you can motivate and encourage yourself, especially in those times where you are feeling off or if you want a low energy project or even only have a short time.

The digital downloads are available on Patreon for you to enjoy, why not come and check it out and have a play with the papers.

Find out more HERE

Digital Art Papers - May

My papers for May are now ready to down load in my FREE Patreon Tier.  You can use them in your creative projects.  

You can also see the other papers available on different Tiers.  There are over 700 posts on Patreon - videos, digital posts, exclusive, early release, resources, discounts and more.

Join us on the $25 per month tier and get access to all of the 700+ resources available on all the tiers.  You can also wet your fee with the $3 Tier and get 7 Day FREE access.  

Check out Patreon HERE

Digital Art Papers for May - Creative Art Projects

Welcome to the FREE Digital Art Papers for May.  

Every month on my FREE Patreon Tier I release a new set of papers for you to use in your Art Journals and creative projects which you can check out on the Free Tier of Patreon - HERE

Here is what I created with the April Papers

Why don't you join us on the FREE Patreon Tier and get your monthly digital art papers so that you can use them in your art journals and creative projects, and get those creative juices flowing.

LEARN MORE HERE

Digital Art Background for Creative Projects Available!!

What are you doing in your creative projects for March?  Looking for some digital art backgrounds to spice-up your creative projects?

The digital art background papers for the month of March are available.  You can join us on my Patreon to get hold of the ones on the FREE Tier

You can also access our $10 Tier and to get access to the digital art, videos and posts (over 700) that is currently on the platform. 

Available on our FREE Tier

Here are just a few things that you can do with the digital art papers once you have printed them out:

Cut & Rearrange – Print your background and cut it into different shapes. - try creating a collage, or mixing different backgrounds together.  

Layer with Mixed Media – Use your floral background as a base for stamping, stenciling, or mark-making. Add paint to mute some areas, then go in and add your favorite stamps.

Available on our $3 Tier

Interactive Journaling – Glue a background page into your art journal and write or doodle over it. You can also cut out some of the shapes and then create spaces that you can write over.

Available on our $10 Tier

Highlighting Hidden Elements – Use a fine liner or white gel pen to outline patterns that stand out to you. Find some of the hidden images within the backgrounds, enhance what you see and let the artwork evolve.

Come and join us and explore all the different ways you can use the digital downloads in your art journal or creative work.

Creating Faces - Mixed Media Art, FREE Background papers

Creating a Face: Transforming Free Papers into Unique Art

I had so much fun working on this page! There’s something special about taking existing materials and making them entirely your own.

For this piece, I started with the papers from the FREE Tier and reworked them.

These papers are designed to be versatile -you can use them as they are, or you can completely transform them by layering, painting, or experimenting with mixed media techniques.

Ways to Make These Papers Your Own

If you're looking for ways to customize them, here are some ideas to spark your creativity:

Paint Over It – Add washes of color, bold brushstrokes, or subtle shading to shift the mood and texture of the paper.  You can also do some mark making on the papers as well - or even some stitching.

Working with Background Papers

One of the things I love about working with the background papers is that they serve as a great starting point for your creativity. Whether you follow their existing designs or completely change them, the creative process is all about making it your own.

If you’ve used the free papers in your work, I’d love to see what you’ve created! Let me know in the comments - how do you like to alter and personalize your materials?

Access the papers for FREE on my Patron Page.  

If you would like to see the video process for these papers you can sign up for the 7 Day FREE Trial on my $3 Tier.  While you are there you can check out some of the other posts and digital downloads.

 

Uncovering Hidden Creativity: Exploring Art Through Backgrounds

Uncovering Hidden Creativity: Exploring Art Through Backgrounds

One of my favorite creative exercises is exploring mixed media art backgrounds.  If you have watched any of the projects on Patreon you will see how I create and searching for hidden shapes and figures within them. It’s a process of discovery—letting the background guide the direction of the artwork rather than forcing a specific idea.

This approach brings a sense of playfulness to my work, allowing unexpected elements to emerge. I’ve found it especially rewarding with my digital art floral background pages, as they offer endless possibilities for layering, highlighting, and transforming abstract patterns into something entirely new.

If you’re looking for a way to spark fresh ideas and deepen your creative practice, here are some ways you can experiment with background exploration:

Creative Activities Using Digital Art Floral Backgrounds

Shape Discovery – Print out your background and study it for a few moments. Do you see faces, animals, or abstract figures? Lightly sketch around the shapes you find, then enhance them with paint, ink, or stitching.

Cut & Rearrange – Print your background and cut it into different shapes. Rearrange the pieces into a collage or use them to build layers in an art journal. Try mixing different floral backgrounds for a dynamic effect.

Layer with Mixed Media – Use your floral background as a base for stamping, stenciling, or mark-making. Acrylics, watercolors, and even embroidery can add beautiful depth to the design.

Interactive Journaling – Glue a background page into your art journal and write or doodle over it. The soft floral elements create a unique backdrop for personal reflections or poetry.

Highlighting Hidden Elements – Use a fine liner or white gel pen to outline patterns that stand out to you. Maybe a petal looks like a bird’s wing, or a swirl resembles a dancer in motion—enhance what you see and let the artwork evolve.

Embracing the Creative Process

Letting go of strict expectations and simply exploring what appears on the page can be incredibly freeing. Sometimes, the most intriguing discoveries happen when we step back and allow the art to reveal itself.

If you try any of these techniques, I’d love to see what you create! Share your work or let me know what hidden gems you find in your backgrounds.

What unexpected shapes or patterns have you uncovered in your art? Leave a comment below!

This practice can lead to unexpected and intriguing discoveries, adding another layer of fun to the creative process.  Most of my work now takes on this form especially with the digital art papers I create.

You can access the papers for Free on my Patreon - Check them out HERE

Art Resource Hub - Free Digital Downloads (Available Now!)

 

Have you check out the Art Resource Hub, if not you would have missed the FREE monthly digital downloads that you can use in your art journal and creative projects.

In this months papers you get an abstract design that you can use as part of a collage, attach images to the surface or paint directly onto the surface and create an image.

Here are some of the previous papers that are available for you to use in the Art Resource Hub - get your copies now and share how you use them by tagging me on Instagram @realityarts

One BADASS Art Journal 2023 - Registration is now open!!

I am going to be teaching again on the One BADASS Art Journal - 2023 hosted by Tiare Smith

You can save 25% on the course when you use the code: SOGOOD25 at the checkout.

What is it?

17 Mixed Media Lessons, 16 Instructors. One BADASS Art Journal. All new and inspiring! Jump into mixed media tools, techniques, inspiration and art journaling. Create and make BADASS Art, challenge and surprise yourself!!

The theme for 2023 is: CHALLENGE YOUR inner BADASS. You will also have an amazing community creating, enjoying and connecting with each other. One BADASS Art Journal is designed to inspire you to create, learn, feel confident and provide you with the techniques and inspiration to feel BADASS when you make art!

REGISTRATION IS OPEN Check out the Instructors for 2023

In this workshop you’ll:

• get 17 badass art journal lessons (includes a book making lesson)
• learn BADASS mixed media techniques
• be infused with confidence, creativity and inspiration
• learn great tips and tricks you can use again and again
• play with a variety of tools, adding to your skills
• experience beautiful color combinations and blending techniques
• and so much more

Come and join us for these amazing Mixed Media art sessions 

ENTER CODE SOGOOD25 at checkout to SAVE 25%

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MORE INFORMATION

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Check out my Digital designs on Etsy HERE