It has become increasingly important for me to consider sustainable sourcing for my supplies, and I experiment with techniques and recycling materials either from my own supplies or thrift stores and also revisit unfinished projects for renewed inspiration.
Tuesday, 22 July 2025
Managing Waste for Creative - Projects Material Musings
It has become increasingly important for me to consider sustainable sourcing for my supplies, and I experiment with techniques and recycling materials either from my own supplies or thrift stores and also revisit unfinished projects for renewed inspiration.
Friday, 4 July 2025
Doodling - Filling the Creative Well - Blog Series
Doodle Daily
Doodling might seem simple; it is something we often do without really thinking. When I used to have to sit in work meetings, I would have my note pad making marks in the margin. I also found myself doodling if on the phone to a friend - having a pen in your hand and a scrap of paper enables you to not only make the necessary notes for your understanding of what is being said, it can also help you process some of the thoughts that maybe going through your mind using mark-making.
Doodling it holds amazing creative power. I now set aside time just to doodle or ‘mark making’ and in each of my art pieces there are aspects of doodling in the work.
What can you Try?
Start today with a pen and paper. Don’t worry about what you’ll draw. Begin with one line, then another. Let your pen dance freely. Make patterns, spirals, simple faces, or abstract textures. Doodling isn’t about the end result—it’s about the process.Set a timer for five or ten minutes. Let yourself get lost in the motion. You might find that your mind relaxes, and your breathing slows, and you get totally caught up in the process.
Over time, regular doodling builds visual vocabulary. You’ll find motifs emerging that you can later use in larger work. Flowers, dots, arrows, waves—all unique to you.
Try doodling during a phone call or while you are listening to a podcast. Doodle in the margins of your journal. Let it become part of your daily practice. Don’t underestimate the power of something so small – it has a meditative feel about it that you can embrace. Once you have mastered doodling on paper, try other material. Below I doodle with fabric paints and stitching.
- Doodling is a mindfulness practice disguised as play.
- Tiny repeated acts of creativity build long-term confidence.
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Check out some of the free and paid resources below to enhance your creative journey
Check out Filling the Creative Well which helps you establish your creative practice. In the course Filling the Creative Well, your journal is also a place to answer questions, encourage and motivate you, some days you need a reminder and so filling it with encouraging words so that you can come back to it, especially in those days where you are in a valley is really important. .
Monday, 12 May 2025
Making Zen Online Retreat - Check out the VIP Bonuses!!
Have you signed up Yet?
Just a reminder: the Making Zen Online Retreat, hosted by Kate at Zen Stitching, is returning 26th - 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.
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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.
Thursday, 8 May 2025
Fabric Art Journals - Material Musings
For May we will be looking at additional ways that you can work on the fabric in your journals if you make them and use some of the supplies that you may already have.
I will be sharing over the coming weeks the following, and anything else that I may have that can make marks on the fabric and create some unique and individual pieces for stitched projects:
The use of Glitter on Fabric - Most of us have used glitter in the past, I am sure you have some lurking in one of those draws
Derwent Inktense Pencils and Inktense Bars - these are two of my favorite supplies, they are highly pigmented and permanent once dry
If you would like to know more about the supplies, I have linked them so you can check them out. Essentially, I want you to try some of the supplies that you may not have thought of using and that you already have - experimenting and playing.
Did you miss last weeks Material Musings - check it out below:
Sunday, 13 April 2025
Wax Resist - Material Musings - Project 2
Join us for the next part in the Wax Resist Series on my Channel, sharing how I work on one of my projects and the techniques used to create a wax resist/batik piece.
You can catch the first episode below
Thursday, 13 March 2025
Fabric Embellishments - Material Musings
Welcome to Material Musings where we look at some of the fabric embellishments that you can get to use in your work.
I source mine from a variety of sources, around the home, thrift stores, or swaps that you can do with other creatives - especially those who stitch, they will always have some unusual and interesting trims that you may be able to use in your work.
Check out the previous video and you will be able to see some of the fabric in a project.
Before You Go
Come and join us for FREE on Patreon and see behind the scene and dive into a creative oasis! Learn more HERE!
Monday, 3 March 2025
Material Musings - Textile Art Project Update
Welcome to Material Musings where we will see the progress made in the current projects that I am working on in the studio.
This piece is made up of wax resist and dyed fabric, lots of slow stitching, and beading. The figure that I use on the piece is one of my digital downloads available on my Etsy store - HERE
Next week on Material Musings I will be sharing some of the ways in which I source my fabric embellishments.
Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Material Musings - Fabric Inspirations and Kawandi
Come and check out this weeks Material Musings. We look at lots of lovely dyed and hand printed fabric, and we start a Kawandi!
A Kawandi is a type of hand-stitched quilt traditionally made by the Siddi women who are descendants of enslaved Africans who were bought to India.
Kawandi quilts are distinctive because of their vibrant, improvisational designs and the way they are constructed. They are made from layers of fabric scraps, often brightly colored, and sewn together with running stitches. Here's a closer look at their key characteristics:
Key Features of Kawandi Quilts
Construction Style:
- Kawandi quilts are typically sewn from the outer edges toward the center, unlike many traditional quilts made from blocks or panels.
- The stitching is done in a spiral pattern, ensuring all layers stay securely held together.
Materials:
- They are made using recycled fabrics, including old saris, or other discarded textiles.
- The use of fabric scraps gives the quilts a rich texture and unique, look.
Aesthetic and Design:
- The quilts are often colorful and feature bold patterns, with an emphasis on spontaneity and personal expression.
- Small decorative touches, like folded fabric triangles called phulas (flowers), are added to the corners or edges.
Practical and Cultural Significance:
- Kawandi quilts are made for practical purposes, such as providing warmth, but they also reflect the Siddi community's history and artistry.
- The improvisational process mirrors storytelling and a connection to cultural heritage.
Wednesday, 6 November 2024
Material Musings - Fabric Projects
Join me on the FREE online class - Making Zen where you will see me create a slow stitched piece. It starts on the 18th of November.
Monday, 14 October 2024
Material Musings - Slow Stitching and Bargello
In today's video I share my most recent Material Musings video, where I look to continue working on the 'Choices' Slow stitched project. If you want to see what the project looked like before you can check out the previous video below:
Before You Go....
Creative Gardener Today
Here is what I share in the garden today. You can check out the video below.
Gratitude Junk Journal - Early Bird 20% Off
We have an early bird rate (until 31st October) on our Gratitude Junk Journal, which I am teaching in. If you would like to get 20% off then enter the code AMORE24 at the checkout.
Learn More About Gratitude Journal HERE
Art Resource Hub
Every month in the Art Resource Hub I share a FREE digital Download, for your creative projects, here is the one for October:
Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Material Musings - Fabric Books
Join me for Material Musings this week. Here are an additional 3 fabric art journals that I have been playing with. It is always nice to revisit previous journals. I did some painting in a couple and plan to do some stitching and maybe add beading.
Here are the three fabric art journals that I work on, made from recycled materials.
You will also see a page in progress and ways that you can add stenciling to a page. I will be spending a bit more time on the pages and adding some additional embellishments.
Thursday, 5 September 2024
Material Musings - Handbag Fabric Art Journal and More
Monday, 2 September 2024
Material Musings - Fabric Art Journals
Come and check out the latest Material Musings where I share a variety of fabric art journals that I work with.
Some have been made with paper signatures, and others have been made of entirely of fabric.
Monday, 19 August 2024
Fodder School 4 - Exciting News!!
Exciting News - I will be teaching in Fodder School 4!!
I will share ideas and tips for writing, doodling, stamping, stenciling on your fabrics to create amazing, patterned fabric sheets which you can further cut, layer, and stitch together to create even more dynamic fabric fodder clusters.
In Use Fodder I will then show you how to combine the fabric fodder, and clusters you have created with decorative stitching and beading to create small wall hangings.
Monday, 12 August 2024
Material Musings - Fabric Art Cards
With the addition of stitched words you can further add to your pieces. You can also add a small woven piece to add to your fabric cards. All of the additional fabric has either been painted, stamped, stenciled or wax resisted.