Happy New Year - Fodder School and Creative Activities

Wishing you an amazing and fruitful New Year!!

Had an amazing time with the Artsy Meetup Marathon where we saw the New Year in with an wonderful array of creative activities and lessons.  In my lesson we worked with alcohol inks and acetates.  I love the way they turned out.  If you would like to see how I use it on laminating pouches you can join me on my Patreon platform HERE

I have now finished the project for December and Fodder School with the artist Sally Hirst and I have made the projects from the Make Fodder part of the lesson.

It was great creating all the different textures to use with our Gelli plates which was so much fun.

Here are some of the papers that I created using my gelli plate

Working with a gelli plate can be quite an addictive activity, and so enjoyable seeing what you can create using additional things like stencils, masks and probably all the things sitting on your shelves or draws that you forgot that you had.  These can create some really lovely textures.

For the main projects we made coasters and Frames from our papers and here are mine.  And of course there are so many other ways in which you can use what you create with all the fodder that I have left over after these projects.

The frames came out really well and I think I will be making more.   I also made my coasters from cardboard instead of wood. It is great to be able to recycle and make use of all the materials we have at our disposal, instead of seeing them go into landfill.

For January in Fodder School we will be working on making more fodder with Liz Constable and there will be an equally exciting project to make with Liz in the 'Use Fodder' lessons that will be available around the middle of the month.  Check out Fodder School HERE

Before You Go

Check out my website

Artsy Meetup Marathon 2024 - Join Us!!

Come and join us for the Artsy Meetup Marathon!!

The fun starts at 10AM Central Time Dec. 31st. We will keep the room open until 7AM Central on January 1, 2025. 

Every hour or so we will have a new lesson, tutorial, or demo. EVERYTHING will be recorded and available to you for the first three months of 2025 (replays + a private group on Kiala Givehand's Mighty Network + select replays from previous Marathons + there are already bookbinding tutorials to get your creative juices flowing).

It’s going to be a fun time. You don’t have to be on for the entire time, just show up when you can & create. The schedule is live see the link below.  Get some rest, gather your supplies and come have fun with us!!

You can check out the teachers on their Instagram profile.  The Teachers are:

@southerngals_designs @thedreaminglotus @realityarts @shemidixon @leacayoungart @tinarileyimaginariums @soul_positive @suzanne_earley  @bookartstudios @deedeecatron @alycadabra @dansmoncrane @alteredstatesstudio @iamjoosjevdlely @claudette_hasenjager @sjrondon @raspberrybluesky

Register HERE 

Come and join us - LEARN MORE HERE

Give the Gift of Creativity: Why a Patreon Membership is the Perfect Gift

 

Are you looking for a meaningful and unique gift that inspires creativity? You can now gift my Patreon membership to friends, family, or anyone you'd like to invite into our creative space! By gifting a membership, you're opening the door to nearly 600 posts packed with art inspiration, technique videos, exclusive digital downloads, member discounts, and more.

A Patreon membership isn’t just a gift—it's an experience. It offers connection, inspiration, and hands-on creative learning, all without worrying about shipping or wrapping. You’re not just giving "something"; you’re giving tools for growth, joy, and endless creative conversations.

What Else do you Gain?

1. Learn New Techniques & Tools
Members gain access to a treasure trove of technique videos, tutorials, and behind-the-scenes content that spark fresh ideas and confidence. Whether they’re beginners or experienced artists, there’s always something to explore.

2. Enjoy Exclusive Creative Resources
From beautiful digital downloads like tags, floral designs, and embellishments to printable art fodder, the membership equips members with resources they can use in their own creative projects.

3. Connect to a Creative Community
Gifting a membership also means gifting a sense of community—where fellow artists and creatives gather, share, and celebrate each other’s work. It’s the perfect way to support creativity while sparking deeper conversations with other members who share your passion.

Your Gift Makes a Difference

By gifting a membership, you’re not only giving someone a world of creative inspiration, but you’re also helping to support my work and grow our thriving community of artists. It’s a win-win that keeps on giving.

Ready to gift creativity? Click here to gift a Patreon membership today!

No shipping. No stress. Just creativity, connection, and joy.

Blessings

Material Musings - Slow Stitched Fabric Projects

Join us for a session of Material Musings as we delve into projects that are still waiting to be finished before the year's end. While it might feel ambitious, the growing excitement for these creations keeps the momentum alive!

Here’s a peek at some projects that have been lingering in my project bag. By taking time to review them, identifying the next steps, and breaking them into manageable tasks, I’m optimistic about making progress and finally bringing them to completion.  

I also share with you some of the projects that I have done by other teachers on Making Zen, You can see the project that I taught HERE  You can also join me on my course - Embellished and Stitched and see how to create them yourself.

This is one of the projects from one of the teachers on the course -  Paula MacGregor, she showed us how she stitched her calico houses, I did mine in backing fabric and emphasized the stitches.

Stitched Houses

How do you get your projects complete then?

Here are 3 Quick Tips for Completing Your Stitched Projects:

• Set Small, Achievable Goals: Break your project into bite-sized tasks. For example, focus on completing one section, stitch, or layer at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed.  I work on several projects at a time so it helps to have small tasks that you can do, and move them each along.

• Schedule Dedicated Time: Carve out specific time slots for working on your project, even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. Consistency can lead to big progress.

• Reignite Your Inspiration: If you’ve lost motivation, revisit what excited you about the project in the first place. Lay out your materials, journal about your vision, or seek inspiration from others’ work to reignite your creative spark.  I like doing this periodically and it always keeps you feeling inspired and motivated.

Let’s transform those “in-progress” projects into completed ones together, check out the video and let me know what you are working on!

Join us on Patreon for FREE and see behind the scenes content.