Blog
Finding Peace and Comfort in Troubled Times
As we struggle through uncertain times, it’s important to look after our mental health; to take time away from all the negative noise and make a space where our heart and soul can find a bit of peace and comfort. One of the best ways I know to achieve that is through journaling. Whether it’s …
Ancient Earth Journal + Rust Dyeing Online Workshop
Welcome to Ancient Earth – the latest Unraveling the Mystery Video Workshop. In this online class you’ll learn how to create a handmade journal with blank embellished pages that look worn and aged and a little rusted around the edges. Also included in the workshop is a comprehensive course on rust dyeing where you can …
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How to make Rusted Fabric using Wonder Under
While I was in the process of making a new book cover, I started experimenting with making rusted fabric using wonder under fusible webbing which I’d painted. Wonder Under is fusible webbing with a paper backing, and because I’ve used painted wonder under before, I knew that it would probably turn out quite well. And …
Make Your Own Stitched Mixed Media Mini-Journal
If you love to make stitched journals as much as I do, you’ll love these stitched mini-journals! Mini-journals are quicker to make than standard size journals, so if you’ve never made a stitched journal before, this is a great place to start. You can find a guided tutorial here on my Creative Art’n’Soul Journaling website.
Pages from my Book of Days + Tips for Stitching on Leaves
Nature journals are one of my favorite types of journals to make. As an amateur photographer and nature lover, I love to capture the things that I see through the lens of my camera and use those photos in my journals. I also like to incorporate real bits of nature onto the pages of my …
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How One Word Can Change Your Life
Every year for about the last 10 years or so, instead of making new year’s resolutions, I choose a word that will become my guide for the coming year. I use this word as a way to stay focused and move my life in the direction that I want it to go. When I feel …
The Book of Days: a Memory Journal
What are your favorite memories of last year? Or the year before? Most of us tend to keep our memories inside our head or inside our heart, and over time they tend to fade away until something stirs the memory back to the surface. The Book of Days is my latest online class where I …
Explorations in Natural Dyeing using Fruit and Vegetables
In this year’s series of Unraveling the Mystery Online Workshops, I’m including with each session a workshop on natural dyeing which is a simple and easy method of making hand-dyed fabrics and fibers that we can use in our stitched journals. In the last workshop, I included the process for natural dyeing with fruit teabags …
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Ancient Earth Mini-Journals – a quick tutorial
I finally completed one of my Ancient Earth Mini-Journals that I started about a week ago. Because the pages are small, it went together very quickly. I named this particular journal “Meditations from the Heart” and attached some small stitched collages to the pages. I hadn’t intended to write a tutorial, but these small journals …
A Quick Handmade Card Tutorial: Sentiment Cards
Handmade Sentiment Cards are perfect to make for yourself, or to give as gifts that will become special keepsakes to be treasured and enjoyed for years to come. These types of cards can be personalized for any occasion using inspiring images, words and quotations all woven together with stitched fabric and paper collages. In this …
The “Creative Sewing & Design” Gift Guide
There’s no getting around the fact that gift-giving season is almost upon us! I don’t know about you, but since I spend so much of my time sewing, dyeing and working with surface design, I always love getting gifts that are creative and sewing or surface-design related. And I particularly love it if they’re also …
DIY Printable Gratitude Journal
Keeping a gratitude journal is not only a great way to remind yourself of all the wonderful things in your life, it can also transform your life in amazing ways. According to Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, leading researchers into Gratitude, their research shows benefits such as greater connection to others, increased personal joy, better …
