Rediscovering Your Supplies: Yarn, Fibres and New Possibilities

 Yarn, Fibers and New Possibilities

Sometimes a creative idea arrives just as you’re packing everything away!

After recording Material Musings, I found myself looking again at my yarns, felting fibres and drop spindles. I’ve been spinning different fibres, including cotton grown in my own garden, and I started to think about the variety of ways I could use the materials in front of me? 

 

I’ve been exploring separating some yarns into fibres for felting experiments, and looking at whether suitable fibres from my felting supplies could be spun into yarn for weaving. It’s exciting to discover connections between the things you enjoy.

The same curiosity has led me back to my beads. As I add stitching and beading to a textile piece, I’m noticing colours, shapes and textures in my collection that I want to bring into the work.

Something to try: 

Choose one supply you haven’t used for a while and make a small sample using it in a different way. You could try stitching a few forgotten beads onto a fabric scrap. Notice what you enjoy about the result.  You don’t need a finished project to learn something useful. Sometimes a little experiment is enough to help you see your materials differently.

Watch the video to see the fibres, yarns and beads that sparked these ideas, then come over to Patreon for four suggestions to explore with your own supplies.

Check out the post HERE

What have you tucked away that might be ready for a new creative purpose?

Stay blessed and be a Blessing.

Under the Sea - Art Journal Page

 

Welcome to #Firstsaturdayart and my art journal page.  I collaborate with a group of artists who get together at the beginning of every month to answer a creative call.

We have a list of prompts and have to respond creatively.

Hope you enjoy the page.  You can catch the full video on my patreon HERE  

Before You Go

You can also check out the papers that I create each month too.  This months selection is below

Art Bundles for Good #11 - Last Day Tomorrow! (Also - Check out the Elves)

 Get Your Art Bundle for Good #11 Today

Monday 9th November at midnight (New York Time) will be the final day to get your hands on the Art Bundles for Good #11. You’ll get 100+ art classes and resources from over 90 amazing artists, a collection valued at more than $5,000, all for just $109. That’s about $1 per class!

Don’t miss out on a chance to explore lessons on watercolour, mixed media art, drawing, collage, art journaling, acrylics, mandalas, and much more. Visit the Art Bundles website now to see everything that’s included, every class is listed on the homepage.

This would make a great Christmas present for the artists in your life.

GO TO THE ART BUNDLES FOR GOOD WEBSITE

Learn Art and Do Good

Every purchase of the Art Bundle makes a real difference with 25% of all profits going directly to The Uganda Partnership. 100% of our donation goes straight to funding local community projects supporting education, food security, and sustainable programs for widows and children. The Art Bundle is backed by a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee.

My Contribution to the Art Bundle

I have added my course called Creative Self Care, a fantastic way to make sure that you take some time out each day (not matter how much time you have) to do something creative.  You can check out my Creative Self Care Kit course information HERE.  You will get this course and 99 other classes by the other amazing artists for an amazing price.

CHECK OUT THE ART BUNDLES WEBSITE HERE

**********************************************

Before You Go

Change your mind from I’m Not Crafty" to "I Made This" Experiment and play in this series of creative workshops over 3 days.

Join us on 10 - 12 November 2026 and have fun creating with this crafty Elves Workshop Summit

Join the Workshop Summit HERE

You don’t have to call yourself an artist to enjoy this. The people who say "I’m not crafty" often have the most fun, because they follow along step by step and finish something that usually surprises them.

The HobbyScool Elves’ Workshop Summit is free, online and full of beginner-friendly holiday workshops.

✦ Sew simple lavender bags with no experience needed

✦ Paint a whimsical watercolor Christmas tree for your cards

✦ Pause, rewind and try again as many times as you like

✦ Pick the workshops that suit you and skip the rest

Join us on Tuesday 10th - 12th November for this FREE online event.

Join the Elves Workshop Summit HERE

Digital Art - Realityarts Creative Archive - November 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 November 2026 Sampler Edition, titled Heritage & Time is free to download until 30th November and offers you a chance to try the papers in your art journals and/or creative projects.

 

Heritage & Time - November 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 900 videos, digital art and exclusive posts:

 

Studio Edition - Women and Memory, November 2026

 

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature - November 2026

 

Atelier Edition - Patterns & Structure - November 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.

Which of the papers this month did your eyes linger on the longest?

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.

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?

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!

Creating Art Journal Pockets

Art Journal Pockets are fun to create, and in this video we work on an art journal page, whilst also taking time out for ourselves. 

It is also important in your day to find a way to be still, unwind and focus say on your breath, your surroundings, or go out in nature. We should also take time to spend creatively doing something that doesn't necessarily have a fixed outcome.

So I will show you how to create a pocket and then we will spend 10 minutes chill time mark marking or doodling and see where it takes you.

Supplies needed:

• Junk Journal
• Paper for pocket (page from a book)
• markers for doodling
• Bone Folder
• Hot glue gun
• Celotape

Before You Go

Making Zen is in a few days - sign up FREE HERE

I am giving away a spot on Gratitude Junk Journal - leave a comment on my post on Instagram HERE and for an extra chance to win a spot enter HERE

Hope you enjoy!

Gratitude Junk Journal, 10th Anniversary - Giveaway

 

I have wonderful news to share with you.

I will be teaching on the Gratitude Junk Journal, which will start 1st - 30th November.

Before it begins, I want to give one lucky person a chance to get a Complimentary seat.

• All you have to do is be following me on Instagram @realityarts - You can check it HERE

• Comment below or on the post (on Instagram) 3 things that you are grateful for.

You can get an additional chance to win HERE

The Giveaway ends close of the day 28th September 2026 11.59pm EST,

Good luck!!

Are You Joining us? The Art of Handmade has started!!

  

Are you ready to join us at the HobbyScool Art of Handmade Summit which started on Tuesday  If you haven't registered yet, this is your last chance to grab your free spot.

There is no preparation needed. No special supplies to gather in advance. Just register, show up and start making.  Here is a reminder of the speakers taking part - today is the last day.

Whether you tried botanical printing for the first time, finally sat down with polymer clay, or experimented with a technique you'd been curious about, I hope you walk away with at least one new skill, and something you actually made with your own hands, so give yourself some space and join us.  Today the topics are clay, wood and diy.

I played around with some Eco dyeing with avocado seeds yesterday and got some nice results that I will eventually be doing some wax resist on the fabric and using it in my mixed media projects.

 

The Art of Handmade VIP All Access Pass is also available, especially if you want to revisit any of the sessions, go over the instructions and experiment with different supplies.  The VIP Pass gives you lifetime access to all 31 workshops and 24 premium bonus resources, a fantastic selection of resources

Register for the Summit HERE FREE right now!

Before You Go

Check out the mixed media digital art papers that I release on my Patreon tiers, this gives you a closer look.  

I have created art process videos to show you a few ways to use the papers in your art journals and creative projects.  You can highlight the images or blend them into the background and create your own image.

Each month I offer my Sampler Edition of digital art papers for FREE for that month, but you are equally welcome to join us on Patreon to access the additional Patreon only content.

Whatever you do stay creative, and find some time each day just for you, Stay blessed and be a blessing!!

Textile Practice and Play - Material Musings

 

Fabric Play: Use What You Have and See What Happens

Creativity is not always about starting something new.  You can very easily start pulling out fabrics, threads and your scraps and give yourself permission to play - right where you are.

I have been working a lot with stitched projects - I am one of the teachers in the upcoming - Making Zen - Find out more HERE.  I have been experimenting with the hand dyed fabrics and wax resist, and my favorite beads and other embellishments, and I am having so much fun.  

One of my biggest reminders is to not 'save' everything for that perfect project that never materializes.  I have so many fabrics that I became (or still am) too precious about, and this is something I have also done with art supplies - then when I go to use them, they are dried up and you have to throw them away.  

Sometimes you don't know exactly what you want to do with that 'special' piece of fabric, you don't want to cut it, but eventually I reminded myself that I could always create more eco dyed and wax resist fabric, but if I never used them then I would not discover what the pieces might become. 

Creative play is also one of the ways we learn.

We discover how our threads behave, which colors work together, how stitching changes a fabric and what happens when we combine things we may not normally put together.  Here is something you can try:

Make a Mini Fabric Cluster

• Gather five small fabric scraps from your supplies.
• Choose different colors, patterns or textures and arrange them into a small layered cluster.
• Add a few stitches to hold everything together.
• If you have them, add a bead, button or small piece of ribbon.
• Don’t plan too much. Give yourself 10-15 minutes to experiment.

Your little cluster could eventually become part of a journal cover, fabric book, textile collage, tag or larger stitched project.  With the scraps I had above I made a couple of snippet rolls that I will use in some of my projects.

Most importantly, allow yourself to play, there are no mistakes only opportunities to learn a little more about your supplies and your own creative style.  Use what you have! experiment, stitch, and see where your session takes you

Before You Go

I am teaching in Making Zen Online Retreat that is free to join.  We will be creating mini trinket tags, we will be gathering our fabrics, slow stitching and adding our embellishments, so if you like you can join us and practice some more with what you have.

Sign up to Making Zen HERE

If you sign up for the VIP Pass you will also get access to my course showing you how to make additional embellishments for your Trinket Tags or creative projects.

Learn More about Making Zen Here

Digital Art - Realityarts Creative Archive - September 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 September 2026 Sampler Edition, titled Heritage & Time is free to download until 30th September and offers you a chance to try the papers in your art journals and/or creative projects.

 

Heritage & Time - September 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 900 videos, digital art and exclusive posts:

 

Studio Edition - Women and Memory, September 2026

 

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature - September 2026

 

Atelier Edition - Patterns & Structure - September 2026

As you can see we have some really lovely papers this month, available on the tiers as well as to purchase separately.  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.

Which of the papers this month are speaking to you?

Making Zen is Coming Soon!! Register Now

 

Are you Ready to Stitch and Create?

I am so excited to announce that I will be teaching a workshop at this year’s Making Zen retreat, hosted by Zen Stitching!

If you aren’t familiar with Making Zen, it’s a fun and educational five-day online retreat for creative makers. There will be around 30 artists delivering pre-recorded workshops throughout the week that are designed to help you improve your techniques and learn new skills. The best part - besides the community connections and all those useful skills - is that it’s totally free to watch each presentation for 24 hours when it airs during the week of September 28th - October 2nd  2026!

Register HERE for FREE

There are some really talented folks lined up for this retreat, and I can’t wait to take in some of the presentations myself! I’m particularly looking forward to Lauren Webers Landscape Broach, and Lisa Goddards abstract Landscape. My own workshop will be Mixed Media Art Trinket Tags and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Mixed Media Trinket Tags

The Trinket Tags can be used in so many cool art journal or creative projects. and can be embellished as simply or as detailed as you require.

This retreat is going to be a lot of fun, and a great way to improve your craft or learn a new one. If you want to join in, You can Register Here for your FREE Seat

Art Paper Flip Through: Heritage, Time & Layers of Becoming

 

Art Journal Paper Flip Through: Heritage, Time & Layers of Becoming

This month’s digital art papers are here, and I wanted to give you a closer look at the different designs, layers, colors and creative possibilities within the collection.

The theme for August is Heritage and Time: Layers of Becoming, and throughout the papers you’ll find many of the things I love bringing into my mixed media work -  faces, handmade stamps, doodled marks, textured surfaces, embossed metal, watercolor effects and lots of layered imagery.

August Sampler Edition 

One of the things I enjoy most about creating these papers is combining elements from my physical artwork with digital layers. It means that every page has lots of details that you can discover, cut, cover, paint into or use as inspiration for something completely different.

There are several editions available throughout the different Patreon tiers, beginning with the Sampler Edition on the Free tier - it is available as a free download until the end of the month. The Studio, Collectors and Atelier Edition are also available for separate purchase or join us on the tier.

August - Sampler Edition, Heritage & Time

You don’t have to use the papers exactly as they are, you might cut out one of the many tags, add paint, use one of the faces, make a bookmark, create a mini book or simply allow one of the color combinations to inspire your own artwork.

I especially love the black-and-white pages because they give you the opportunity to completely change the color palette and make the design your own.

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature

Sometimes we can put off creating because we feel we need a large block of time. But even five minutes of creative activity counts. You could spend those five minutes cutting out a few elements ready for another day.  The important thing is to give yourself permission to begin, experiment and especially play!!.

Five-Minute Creative Play

Choose one of your art papers and set a timer for five minutes.

• Cut out three small elements that catch your eye, perhaps the face in the image, a shape, or interesting color combination.

• Place them on a journal page without worrying about whether they traditionally “go together.”

• Move them around until something feels interesting.

• You don’t even have to glue them down.

• The purpose is simply to notice and explore.  

August Papers

You can see the full August paper flip through in the video, where you get a chance to see all the papers for this month.  Join us on Patreon where I share some additional ideas for using the papers.


I hope you find a little time this month to create, experiment and enjoy your papers.

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Art Journal Flip Through

 

Welcome to today's art journal we are doing a flip through of the pages.

You can access the papers by checking out the digital art papers that I have on my Patreon.  August Sampler papers are available for FREE until the end of August

Check out your papers HERE

Mixed Media Digital Art Series - August Papers

Realityarts Creative Archive - August 2026

The August Digital Art papers that were release for the Realityarts Creative Archive, bought a fresh set of collectable digital art papers, available in four tiers - Sampler, Studio, Collector, and Atelier.

The August 2026 Sampler Edition, titled Heritage & Time.  Each month you can access these papers for FREE for that month and it offers you a chance to try the papers in your art journals and/or creative projects.

  

Heritage & Time - August Papers 2026

Collectors Edition Papers Activity

Papers used in creative activities - 

You can 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, August 2026

 

Collectors Edition - Island & Nature - August 2026

 

Atelier Edition - Patterns & Structure - August 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.

Collectors Edition Papers Activity

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 courses 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. You can check out some of the courses HERE

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? Which one is your favorite?