Workshops
About My Workshops
I do not yet run my own site, I post workshops wherever I am asked or invited to. Currently I run workshops at Willowing & Friends, Deb & Company and Shabby Cottage Studios. If you would like me to do a workshop for your site, please contact me.
My workshops don’t have a closing date, you can sign up anytime you like and work at your own pace. I keep an eye on all my workshops daily, so if you need to ask for help, critiques or just want a chat, I’m always around.* Click here to read some of the student comments I’ve received so far.
Most of my workshops are available to purchase through Artfire, where you can pay with Paypal or a credit without creating an account and in your own currency.
Struggle with streaming or downloading videos?
If you live somewhere that video streaming is restricted, I can send the workshop in basic DVD format for you to transfer to your computer, just ask. Likewise, if you have a really poor internet connection and find that you cannot download the files, I can send them on DVD. Please note that this is only a data DVD with the class files on, it is not a professionally produced DVD created as a saleable product.
*Please note that I am UK based and my timezone is GMT. Although I’m a bit of a night owl I may not be available immediately during the majority of USA evening and replies to Australian/NZ queries may take up to 15 hours.
Studio Makeover Workshop: Whimsical Workspaces
(Online class – FREE!)
Come on over to Willowing & Friends to join up. Everyone welcome!
I was looking around my studio lounge the other day and thinking I needed to clear it up. I started to tidy up half heartedly, but I had nowhere to put anything. So I decided that I needed to move my books out to somewhere else. An inspiration board on Pinterest gave me the idea to create a reading nook in my bedroom where I have space. But I’d need to move some bookshelves out of the studio lounge to accommodate the books, which meant reorganising everything. And if I was going to go through it all I might as well clean while I was at it. And if I was going to do the studio lounge, actually the kitchen cupboards could do with a clear out… and… and… and…
.. and I went and made myself a cup of tea and decided I really didn’t have time for all that.
Sound familiar?!
- Workshop: Whimsical Workspaces (Studio Makeover)
- Begins: Saturday October 1st
- Weeks – 4 (ends 29th October; can be repeated with other rooms later)
- Price – COMPLETELY FREE! (but donations gratefully accepted on a completely voluntary basis)
This workshop is about nurturing and creating a sacred, artistic space. If you don’t have one, take the opportunity to clear out a corner and make one. If you have one, use the time to get rid of the stuff that’s in your way and turn it into somewhere you want to be, that inspires you and makes you happy.
While we work on each area we’ll do other things we ‘never have time to do’ like listening to albums we love, listening to an audio book or radio program, moving in a way that encourages your body to stretch, whatever you decide to focus on.
Prompts will be given and maybe a link to one song that sets the theme for the day to bring in some different music that you might not otherwise listen to.
Workshop Outline
Week 1 – Cleanse
A week focussed on sorting, evaluating and taking stockWeek 2 – Tone
A week dedicated to rearranging, cleaning and recyclingWeek 3 – Moisturise
A week dedicated to adding finishing touches to your workspace to make it all about you and your art.Week 4 – Relax
A week dedicated to creating a piece of art in any format, for your new space, that speaks to you and encourages you to be creative.
The aim with this workshop is to take it slow, not get overwhelmed with ‘blitzing’ and ‘decluttering’ and forcing our naturally messy and creative natures into nice, square little cream & mint organisational drawers from Ikea. This is all about expression and creation, taking the opportunity to recycle, rejuvenate and repurpose objects we already have, to create a nurturing environment for our art.
The workshop will begin Saturday 1st October (because weekends are a good day to get cracking o things) and run through until Saturday 29th October, just in time for Halloween decorating.
Art Journal Workshop: Eve to Eve
(Self-Paced) – $45
Eve to Eve Materials List (Right Click and ‘Save As’ to Download)
There’s a little magic in all of us and it’s time we let it out! Some of us know instinctively how to tend a plant or a sick child, others can befriend any animal, still others know colour magic and can create a beautiful ensemble whether it’s in the lounge or out of the wardrobe. Maybe you can work magic in the kitchen, always getting the bread to rise just so or you can weave beautiful works from thread, paint or words.
Course includes:-
- 21 downloadable videos (729 minutes in total)
- 30 page instructional pdf
- access to online group with discussion forum and gallery
- one-to-one online tutor assistance when required
all available from day 1 at willowing.ning.com
Bookbinding Workshop: Cryptic Coptic
(Self-Paced) – $45
Cryptic Coptic Materials List (right click and ‘save as’ to download)
This is a coptic binding workshop in which we will be demistifying the sewn journal technique. Using simple and cheap tools we will create a coptic bound journal with optional covered spine. Coptic binding is not easy to understand from diagrams, but it’s not actually that difficult to do.
This course will be a ‘study at your own pace’ course and I will be on hand to answer any queries or offer assistance.
Course includes:-
- 5 downloadable videos (197 mins total)
- 9 page instructional pdf
- access to online group with discussion forum and gallery
- one-to-one online tutor assistance when required
all available from day 1 at willowing.ning.com
Click here to view samples of the kind of books you can create from this workshop.
Art Journal Workshop: Use Your Words
(Self-Paced) – $45
What?! Art journals are supposed to be fun, creatively free places to spill out and do whatever you like without fear of making mistakes . All you need to write in your journal is some techniques to help you put that little voice back in its box and put your journalling onto your page.
In this ‘study at your own pace’ workshop you’ll learn 10 different ways to put writing of all sorts onto your page. Interesting ways to write about your day, your dreams, healing themes, your family & friends and much more. Plus, each week we’ll look at a practical way to incorporate writing onto your art, rather than just slapping it on as an afterthought because you feel you ‘ought to’. That’s 15 different techniques in all!
Course includes:-
- 15 downloadable videos (330 minutes in total)
- 25 page instructional pdf
- access to online group with discussion forum and gallery
- one-to-one online tutor assistance when required
all available from day 1 at willowing.ning.com
Bookbinding 1: Tools, Materials & Techniques
(Self-paced) – $45
This is the first in a series of three Workshops
Suitable for absolute beginners of all ages but younger children should be supervised when using sharp tools and blades
Have you ever wanted to learn how to bind books but it looks too complicated and expensive?
Then you need this series of workshops – ‘Bookbinding 1-2-3′
- Bookbinding 1: Tools, Materials & Techniques (Available as Self Study)
- Bookbinding 2: The Art of Measuring & Stitching (Available as Self Study)
- Bookbinding 3: Getting Creative & Doing Your Own Thing (Closed to sign ups)
In the first workshop we’ll learn the techniques involved in creating simple, glue bound and hand sewn bindings, with a minimum of expense and no experience. We’ll be recycling materials we already have around our homes to create beautiful books and re-purposing tools from other projects. Professional tools and materials can come later when you decide you love bookbinding and want to take it even further. For now, we’ll just keep it simple and work with what we have to hand to the best of our abilities.
Think of it like a challenge to exercise both the left and the right side of your brain – all you need is a little imagination and someone to show you how. The title bar above shows the 3 books we will make in this class (plus 1 additional variation not shown).
Course includes:-
- 6 online videos (100 minutes in total)
- 10 page instructional pdf with templates
- access to online group with discussion forum and gallery
- one-to-one online tutor assistance when required
all available from day 1 at Shabby Cottage Studios.
Bookbinding 2: The Art of Measuring & Stitching
(Self-Paced) – $45
This is the second in a series of three Workshops.
Suitable for absolute beginners of all ages but younger children should be supervised when using sharp tools and blades
Have you ever wanted to learn how to bind books but it looks too complicated and expensive?
Then you need this series of workshops – ‘Bookbinding 1-2-3′
- Bookbinding 1: Tools, Materials & Techniques (Available as Self Study)
- Bookbinding 2: The Art of Measuring & Stitching (Available as Self Study)
- Bookbinding 3: Getting Creative & Doing Your Own Thing (Closed to sign ups)
In this follow up workshop to the popular ‘Bookbinding 1′ we’ll be concentrating on sewing and measuring techniques that you’ll be able to take forward into much more difficult classes later on. Building basic techniques now will help you keep your work neat, tidy and professional and allow you to concentrate on learning more complicated styles more easily.
For a minimum of expense and with no experience you can make a simple, multi-signature book with a pretty hand sewn binding and a great, collaged, mixed-media cover that can be adapted for any occasion.The book in the title bar above is the actual one we will be making in class.
Once you see how easy it is to put a good quality book together you’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it before!
Course includes:-
- 8 online videos (135 minutes in total)
- 5 page instructional pdf with templates
- access to online group with discussion forum and gallery
- one-to-one online tutor assistance when required
all available from day 1 at Shabby Cottage Studios.
