Making Zen - Get the VIP Experience! -- Closes 25th November 11.59pm AST!

 

Making Zen has come to an end and we are on our last week of Gratitude Junk Journal, we have had such a lovely time. 

It was great to connect with some of you and see all the work produced in the retreat. I hope if you are doing the bonus session of Embellished and Stitched, you will share your take on the lesson with me on Instagram - @realityarts.

For some the 5 days of the retreat fitted their schedules, but If 24 hours of access seems like it’s just not enough, the VIP Pass, which gives you lifetime access to the workshops, as well as some other special bonuses from each of the presenting artists, is available until Monday 25th November 11.59pm AST. 

If you want to join in on the fun, you can get all the details for the free ticket and for the VIP Pass HERE.

It is really great to see what you are creating too.  I have been completing the projects from the other teachers as well and will be sharing soon.  

Gratitude Junk Journal

My lesson went live for the Gratitude Junk journal, and I created a series of tags that can be added to the art journal.  The creation of the tags is about reflecting on the time spent, in the past, present and what you would want for your life in the future.   Here are the tags

You can find out further information about the course Here.  I hope you are able to join us for an amazing creative journey.

Making Zen Online Art Retreat is BACK

 

Making Zen is Back and Kate Ward over at Zen Stitching is holding another Making Zen Online Retreat this November, and I’m going to be a presenting artist!

If you haven’t taken part in Making Zen before, this is a textile-arts-focused retreat gathers 20 talented artists to host one workshop each over the course of five days, and those 20 workshops are totally free for anyone to watch. It’s an incredible opportunity to get inspired, connect with new friends and artists, and improve your craft!

Here are the artists that will be taking part.

You can come and join us HERE

With all these artists, you can be sure that a wide range of topics will be covered - I’m particularly excited for Kiala Givehand and Agy Lees session . My own workshop will be about creating stitched words for your wall hangings, art journals or other creative projects.

If you’d like to learn more about the retreat (and save your free seat!), check out the Making Zen website HERE. You’ll be able to get all the schedule details there and find out more about all the other artists in the retreat.

Embroidery Extravaganza - Starts Tomorrow!

Embroidery Extravaganza starts tomorrow Thursday 8th August and it will be a day where creativity and craftsmanship come together, so gather your supplies! 

This event can be attended by embroidery enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned pro, the ten expert-led workshops are designed to ignite your imagination and elevate your embroidery skills.

Click Here to Learn More about the speakers

What to Expect

At Embroidery Extravaganza, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Participate in workshops led by experts in the field.
• Discover new techniques and creative ideas to take your embroidery to the next level.
• Exclusive Student Benefits
• Gain access to all event presentation recordings with no expiration date! This invaluable resource is available exclusively to students who purchase their tickets before the event date. 
• Giveaways during the live event
• Receive a digital swag bag filled with goodies

Get Ready for a Day of Creativity

To make the most of your experience at Embroidery Extravaganza, here are a few tips:

• Come Prepared: Bring your embroidery supplies, including needles, threads, hoops, and any other materials you like to use.
• Stay Open-Minded: Be ready to try new techniques and experiment with different styles.
• Take Notes: Keep a journal handy to jot down ideas and techniques you learn during the workshops.

Limited Space - Act Fast!

Spaces are limited, so don't wait to secure your spot at this incredible event. Plus, you can save $20 off your ticket now by using the code ee24reality at checkout. Sign up now at creativespark.ctpub.com.

Looking forward to seeing you there and stitching together a beautiful day of creativity and craftsmanship!

Creativity Meets Craftsmanship at Embroidery Extravaganza

Mark Your Calendars for August 8, 2024!

I am thrilled to share a bit about Embroidery Extravaganza with you.  It will be a day where creativity and craftsmanship come together. 

This event can be attended by embroidery enthusiasts of all levels. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned pro, the ten expert-led workshops are designed to ignite your imagination and elevate your embroidery skills.

Click Here to Learn More about the speakers

What to Expect

At Embroidery Extravaganza, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Participate in workshops led by experts in the field.
• Discover new techniques and creative ideas to take your embroidery to the next level.
• Exclusive Student Benefits
• Gain access to all event presentation recordings with no expiration date! This invaluable resource is available exclusively to students who purchase their tickets before the event date. 
• Giveaways during the live event
• Receive a digital swag bag filled with goodies

Get Ready for a Day of Creativity

To make the most of your experience at Embroidery Extravaganza, here are a few tips:

• Come Prepared: Bring your embroidery supplies, including needles, threads, hoops, and any other materials you like to use.
• Stay Open-Minded: Be ready to try new techniques and experiment with different styles.
• Take Notes: Keep a journal handy to jot down ideas and techniques you learn during the workshops.

Limited Space - Act Fast!

Spaces are limited, so don't wait to secure your spot at this incredible event. Plus, you can save $20 off your ticket now by using the code ee24reality at checkout. Sign up now at creativespark.ctpub.com.

Looking forward to seeing you there and stitching together a beautiful day of creativity and craftsmanship!

Fabric Art and Slow Stitching Projects - Material Musings

 

Welcome to Material Musings, where we embark on a journey through the exciting world of fabric art! From exploring various fabric products to delving into inspiring books for creative sparks, there's so much to discover together.

I am currently immersed in several fabric art projects, and we will be choosing a few to work on over the next couple of weeks. I will be adding some additional stitching and also going though my bead selection.

Check out the video above and I have included time stamps in the video description to make for easier viewing.

Check us out on the FREE membership on Patreon for some tips for you to consider while on the stitching journey: - Check it out Here

Embrace Imperfection

Don't be afraid to let go of perfectionism: ....Learn more Here

Experiment with Texture

Explore texture in your fabric art by: Learn more Here

Before You Go

Here are some of the other projects and resources mentioned for you to take a look at

Dragonfly stitched project - https://youtu.be/8Zody9EG9Z4

Red Bead Stitched Project - Part 1 https://youtu.be/aiqsmpk8D8s Part 2: https://youtu.be/PsHo0cntWIE Fabric Kits/course to purchase: https://realityarts.thinkific.com/courses/fragments

The Ultimate Flower Book - https://amzn.to/49FS2To

Creative Applique to Make and Wear - Hardcover - https://amzn.to/3JqmVR3

Stitch inspiration: Bianca Springer @thanksimadethem on IG or https://biancaspringer.com/ I am teaching - Check out my FREE Courses HERE - https://realityarts.thinkific.com/ Thank you for joining me in my art studio. We all have 5 minutes that we can give to creative play, why not see how you can fit creativity into your every day Subscribe Here http://youtube.com/amandatrought For More inspiration please visit my Patreon page HERE. https://www.patreon.com/realityarts

Check out Bianca Springers Book 'Represent - Embroidery' on Amazon HERE

Check out her Blog too HERE- 

Leaf Art and Slow Stitching - Material Mondays

Welcome to Material Mondays, I recently tried my hand at embroidery on leaves and it turned out to be quite an addictive activity. 

I saw an artist - Susanna Bauer and her work - which is amazing, and thought I'd give it a go. 

The leaf I used for this particular project is from a sea grape plant. The plant is normally found by the sea and has edible grapes. The plant acts as a good windbreak and when it dries out, it feels quite sturdy and turns a beautiful reddish color. If you would like to know more about sea grapes you can check out my Gardening Channel HERE.

I also experimented with another leaf from a trumpet tree, which has pretty trumpet-like flowers. 

To begin, I harvested the leaves from trees that had been trimmed or had fallen naturally. It's important to handle the leaves delicately as they are quite fragile. After picking them up, I soaked them in some olive oil - You can use whatever oil you have to hand to give them a nice sheen.  While the leaf will eventually degrade over time, you can preserve it by varnishing or using a gel mat or gloss medium.

For the actual stitching, I used embroidery thread and doubled up two strands and then created a spiral effect on the leaf. I'm still experimenting with different designs, but I'd love to try some crochet designs on leaves as well - check back next week on Material Mondays to see the results. 

The finished product can be framed or used as an outdoor hanging mobile. Overall, this has been a fun and creative way to use leaves from my surroundings. I'm excited to keep experimenting and sharing my projects.  Check out the video to see the process, and also the supplies below.

Supplies:

You can collect dried leaves from your garden or park, or you can purchase dried leaves below:

Dried Leaves varied-

Dried Eucalyptus Leaves 

Embroidery Thread - Arteza 

Awl

Needles

Self-healing mat

I hope you get to try them yourself and look forward to seeing what you come up with.

100 Days of Embroidery Stitches

I committed to doing the 100 Day Project and decided to do 100 Days of Embroidery Stitches. Here are the ones that I have done so far.

The 100 Day project is about choosing an activity that you will do and you can choose whatever you like.  A couple of years ago I did 100 Days of Pastel Paintings, it enabled me to spend time with my pastels that I had never used and get familiar with them.

You can join me on Instagram as I share them once every 3 days.  There are some that I initially have difficulty with and that is alright, you just have to try your best and come back to it from a different perspective.

For me the main thing is to enjoy the stitches and use them in some of my other stitched projects.  Not all the stitches that I am doing will be suitable, but at least I will know how to do them.

I hope you are doing a 100 Project of your own and enjoying showing up for your self.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

 

100 Day Project - What will you do?

So I decided to join in with the 100 Day Project which started on the 31st January. For my project I decided to learn Embroidery stitches.  With some of the fabric pieces that I have been creating I wanted to add some new stitches, so this was an ideal time to support my daily creative practice and learn some new techniques.

I have had this book of embroidery stitches but never committed to learn any of them so it just stayed in my bag that I keep my machine threads.

I have had embroidery hoops for as long and they too just sat around as I never found the time to try them out.  These are my first embroidery stitches and you can follow me on Instagram to see which ones I complete.

I am looking forward to learning all 100 stitches and the emphasis is on learning new stitches.  I know they are not perfect but the whole thing about the 100 day project for me is the following:

• Committing to the 100 days
• Learning a new skill that I can apply in my creative work;
• Remember that I am still learning the stitches and I can't compare myself to someone who has been doing it for years;
• Showing up for myself;
• Reminding myself that it doesn't have to be perfect for me to share what I am doing;
• Congratulating myself for every day that I do show up
• Have fun!!.

So if you are up for doing a 100 day project come and join us #100dayproject

Looking forward to seeing what you decide to do, remember there is no pressure, just continue to show up for yourself, don't compare yourself and have fun!  Check out the last 100 Day project that I did a couple of years ago where I use pastels for the first time and I have created a few videos of the process - 100 Days of Pastels HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing!