The creative dilemma.

 The questions that have been asked of creative types the world over is possibly, "Why do you do what you do?" "What compels you to create?" and "What do you do with all of the things that you make?" "Are you more about the process or the product?" These are certainly questions I ask myself.

I feel I'm stuck in my creative practice at the moment and it's not something that has just snuck up on me. It's been simmering away in the background for a few years now. I've been a maker for as long as I can remember. But a lot of that making was through necessity.  Translation- the cool thing that I saw was out of my price range. So I'd create a variation using the materials that I had.  For my personal use only, not to copy and resell.

In the mid 1990's, I made myself a handbag from some remnant decorator fabric I'd sourced, by pulling apart an old snap frame purse I had and tracing the pattern pieces. Once I had a basic understanding about how the pieces came together, I made a few more.  Then, my boss's wife asked me to make something from some fabric that she had, so I made different style bags for her. They were very basic shapes with a single pocket in the interior lining. There was very little hardware. I gave each bag a name so that I could keep track of it when I gave it away or sold it. I'm glad I had the foresight to take photos of nearly every one I made, even before digital photography was a thing.

The first Joystuff bags ever made!

 

Bags for the boss's wife.

Making these bags unlocked a new obsession in me. I'd scour the fabric warehouse around the corner from where I worked, often rummaging through piles of decorator samples for the most part of my lunch break. The bold florals and colourful stripes were my favourites. I still have a box full of them, despite not making things will florals much anymore. After most of my friends had received their very own Joystuff original handmade handbag, I decided that the best thing to do would be to sell them at markets and through retail shops. I had a few shops that took them on consignment and did okay selling them this way. I also attended the Craft Markets once a month, first with my 2 girls when they were babies, and then later, with the help of my best friend whilst The Bloke stayed at home with the girls.

Yarra Glen Twilight Market 2007

I did the markets for about 10-15 years. Most days were successful and I started to get some return customers. But towards the end, I wasn't enjoying the process of making.  I wasn't trying to push the boundaries and learn new techniques like the early days. I was making to have stock to sell the next month. I was also finding that despite my prices being incredibly reasonable (in hindsight, too cheap) customers were haggling for discounts. And I heard the occasional utterance under the breath of "I could make that." It was time to pack away the market stall and get back to sewing for the love of it.

All up, I made nearly 600 handbags and various other recycled fabric goodies, like bootstuffers, pincushions, wall hangings and cushions. 

I decided that the thing I liked to make the most once the desire to make handbags left, was wall hangings. I did some mid-century modern inspired hangings for my walls and really enjoyed the creative process. And as MCM was always popular, I figured I'd try to make some money as well.

You can see some of the finished wall hangings here.

I've sold a few of them over the years, but some of them took so long to complete that I couldn't put a price on them that I felt customers would be comfortable with.

The tiny hand stitching on the vinyl shapes took me forever! "My Heart Feels All of The Things." ©2019

I've often thought that maybe I should be someone with a message. Recycling and sustainability are issues that I've felt strongly about for a long time, and is the core of my creative practice. If I can repurpose materials or use something destined for landfill in a new and exciting way, then that has to count for something, right?

But what about politics? Social injustices? The worst parts of history repeating in real time, in front of our eyes? Shouldn't I have something to say about all of that? Yes, I should. But because there is so much injustice, hurt and the abuse of power happening around the world right now, I decided that the best thing for me to do is create something that brings joy. Whether that's to others, or just me, that's okay. If the radical, outspoken art doesn't come naturally, then why should I force it? I'll stick with detailed, hand stitched, full of texture, slow-crafting. 

While I wrestle with my conscience about whether one more fibre art wall hanging is going to push the climate catastrophe to breaking point, our governments are frothing at the bit to build massive AI Data Centres in our country. These energy vampires will do more damage to our environment than all of the items I could create in  my lifetime. 

"Bianca" A reworked porcelain doll that previously looked like a character from Little House on the Prairie.

So fuck it! I think I've just solved my dilemma. I shall keep making weird things even if no-one wants to buy them. Because when I look at the things around the house that I've made with my own two hands, I still smile and feel a sense of accomplishment. 

Why do I make what I do? Because it's what I like to see around the house.

What compels me to create? Curiosity and the desire to learn new skills.

What do I do with all of the things I create? Display some, sell some, give some to friends and store the rest in tubs in the garage.

Am I more about the process or the product? I like to think that I'm all about the product, but I think I enjoy the process more.

Happy creating.

Would you look at that!

 I blinked, and suddenly we're in 2026. Well in, in fact. The Twilight Zone that is the days between Christmas and New Year were over before I knew it. The Summer holidays were a blur of sleeping late if the warm weather allowed, stressing over the fires that were ravaging the country and trying to survive as the savings dwindled and work had not yet resumed.  My vegetable garden got a makeover and many of the seedlings went in late. Because of this, it's April and I'm picking the last of the tomatoes.  We had a great feed of zucchini and cucumber, which are the perfect Summer staples.  The garden is now due for a big cleanup of the fading plants, ready for Autumn/Winter plants.

The freshly planted vegetable garden.

I usually have a holiday craft project that I like to focus on, but that didn't happen this year.  I still haven't finished the one I started last year. It's sitting unloved on the frame, with the urge to pick it up again non-existent. Each time I think I'll get back to it, I remember the neck pain and tingling hands from working on it. One day when I have nothing to do, it might call to me again.
I have so many unfinished projects and it's getting to the point where it's holding me back.

I've picked up the beads again, something I do at least once a year. Usually, it's because I'm making something for myself for an event. That lead me to making a whole bunch of beads and pendants out of Sculpey, as I was missing beads in certain colours that I wanted, and discovered that it was easier to make them myself that it was to find them in op-shops.  I have quite the selection of colourful, patterned beads now.  The hard part that comes next is deciding how to string the selected beads.

A box of Sculpey beads, ready to be made into necklaces.

I've got a couple of other projects that are taking up space in my head right now, but motivation is low. The fact that we are in the midst of a fuel crisis thanks to the Orange Shitgibbon AKA The President of the U.S, starting a war in the Middle East, as well as the ongoing genocide in Gaza by Israel, and a general sense of regression in this country, well, it's all adding up to kill my creative vibe. 

Documenting the process (or am I just creating content?)

 Hello there fellow creatives! 

Scrap thread in a mesh pocket with felt surround.

Felt shape with mesh window, stuffed with yarn scraps.

We have reached the tail end of 2025. The calendar has just ticked over to December, and it's now that those of us who leave things until the last minute, really start to panic about the lack of organisation for Christmas day. As the years roll on, I'm less and less enthused by Christmas and all of the expected trimmings. In fact, I don't care for Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day or any other day that I once viewed as nothing more than a day off work, but now view as a time when my inbox is flooded with marketing campaigns from corporations big & small. As others on the interwebs have noted, if you can't remember the name of that obscure company you bought that thing from 10+ years ago, just wait for Black Friday, Cyber Monday of the pre-Christmas/Boxing Day sales, because sure as shit they still have your email on file, even if you opted out of receiving email marketing.

But I digress. There has been quite a bit of creativity happening this year, and I've documenting it a bit more. Mainly for my own benefit, as I'm trying to document the time it takes to make things as well as understand any hurdles in the process I may have encountered. I also find it a useful tool for spring-boarding other ideas off.

The Summer was spent working on the needlepoint project. What began as random shapes stitched in the wool colours I had on hand, blossomed into a larger scale project with some thought put into the colour palette as a whole. My meagre stash of op-shop acquired wool has grown to a large hamper full of colour sorted zipped bags. 

Needlepoint shapes in abstract designs, on the WIPboard.

An abstract needlepoint shape in progress.

A needlepoint design that needs a backing and edging to be completed.

A larger scale needlework canvas, stretched onto a timber frame.  Still in progress.

I actually worked on it for most of the first half of the year. I had to pack it away for a while, because I was getting pins and needles in my hand from overuse.

In March, some very dear friends of ours got married. It was possibly one of the warmest Labour Day weekends we'd had for years, but honestly, the day was perfect, the setting was lovely and it was just an all round special day.  It's not often I put on make-up and a dress nowadays, but I was happy to do both on this occassion. 

Me.

I had an idea to create some Comfort Cushions, as an antidote to the sad state of the world and the constant anxiety that had taken over my days. The Real Job™ cash flow was very unstable, and it was causing me quite a few sleepless nights. I hadn't managed to sell any of my own crafty wares in the hope of easing our financial woes, and I needed a project that would, A)keep my mind occupied on something, and B) maybe generate some quick cash, as I planned to sell these at a lower price than my wall hangings. 

I was unsuccessful with the selling part, but really enjoyed the creative part. I'm fascinated by talismans and symbolism, and loved coming up with the imagery to go with the feeling I was trying to evoke.

Six Comfort Cushions in a small cupboard. The front cushions show the back with the token pocket.

If anyone is interested in buying one or more of these cushions, they're still available. You can find them here. 

As with most of my projects, once something is done and photographed, it's packed away and I move onto the next thing. Surprisingly, this time around, instead of starting on something completely new, I picked up a project I'd started on a whim , roughly 12 months earlier.  I figured it would be quick and loose, but of course, halfway through, I JUST HAD TO source some new (old) materials to create the vision I had in my mind. And then make some new hanger designs to display the finished piece from.

Stitching the shapes to the backing.

Adding the details.

Trying to get lots of texture and depth.

The finished wall hanging. Complete with hand painted timber hanger.

Other completed projects this year have been the stripping back and repainting of a small dolls cupboard, into a display cupboard to showcase my wares. And to hang behind that, an abstract fabric artwork, sewn onto linen and stretched over an Op-shopped canvas.

Abstract artwork behind display cupboard.

October rolled around and talk on the MadeIt socials turned to Christmas products. I'm not usually one to make things specifically for "Hallmark Holidays" as I like to call Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween etc. To me, they're days in the calendar marked by how much overpriced stuff we can have pushed on to us. But I'd really enjoyed making the Ugly Christmas Jumper cushions last year (which I can't believe I forgot to share on here,) so I thought I'd expand on that a little bit. 

Ugly Christmas Jumper cushions that I made in 2024. Made from fabric remnants, felted wool jumper scraps, beads, sequins, ric-rac & embroidery.

Whilst flicking through a book on A-frame cabins, I was struck with the idea to make a gingerbread house cushion, as an A-frame house.  I hunted through my fabric stash for some brown fabric that looked close to gingerbread, but didn't have anything suitable. I ended up finding a length of cotton flannelette at Spotlight on sale, and despite my better judgement about buying new fabric for my craft projects, I knew that if I didn't get this cushion made, it would haunt me. So I threw it in my basket and got to sewing once I got home.  It didn't come together quite how I visualised it, and it's not as bright and cheery as the jumper cushions. 

Gingerbread house A-frame cushion made from new cotton and remnant fabric, trims, beads & embroidery.

Because of this, I only made one. I was also struggling to reconcile creating Northern Hemisphere Christmas imagery for a Southern Hemisphere Christmas. Despite this, I have since seen an absolute glut of gingerbread house themed Christmas decorations in stores. I listed these cushions at the higher price point on the site, because quite a bit of work went into them.  I've since sold 2 of the jumper cushions (surprisingly to warmer states of NT & QLD) but have not had much interest in the newest one. I don't think I'll make Christmas themed decor next year. Unless requested by friends or family.

I'm actually having a big rethink on my craft practice in the future. I keep having big ideas, but then get derailed by the thought that I have to make things that I think people will buy. And then they don't, and the big idea has drifted away and I start another untethered project just for the sake of keeping my hands busy.  Or I start the big idea, do a deep dive on Pinterest or Instagram or even my vast library of craft books and magazines, only to realise that the influx of visual stimulation has thrown me off course completely, or knocked the wind out of my sails because I don't think I'm as good as other creatives.

So I'm going to go back to making things that make me happy or teach me new skills. (Gotta keep the brain active! Old dog, new tricks etc!)

I want to finish the wall hangings that I made the relief hangers for. I've got six hangers with no artwork that keep staring at me from my WIP board. I don't have the wall space to display them when they're finished, but that's a bridge to cross on another day. For now, it's all about the rush to get Christmas organised, buy presents, work out where we're having lunch on Christmas day and then breathe a big sigh of relief when Boxing Day rolls around. And we're back to that weird, in-between time when the days blur into one.

The shift.

 Hello there.

We're already 15 days into 2025 and I'm scratching my head at how the time has flown so fast. Where was that quiet, don't-know-what-day-it-is time between Christmas and the New Year? Did I not notice it because we've already had massive bush fires across the country, that had everyone on edge? And then once that was brought under control, our media was filled with images of fires raging in LA? Combined with the ongoing heartache of the genocide in Gaza and the upcoming inauguration of the Orange one, it feels like too much, all at once.

I like to spend these melding days in a number of ways. Generally, I sleep late (if the weather doesn't make the house unbearably hot), then either craft, potter in the garden, watch movies with the family, read or scroll social media. There hasn't been as much gardening as usual, thanks to cloying humidity and a nagging elbow injury that requires me to take it easy with the weed pulling.  I've had some lovely lazy time under the fan, losing myself in a book. I've spent hours hunched over at my desk, revisiting needlework in a way less traditional than learning from a kit.

 There's also been a smidge of exercise happening, as my daughter coaxes me from under the fan, to join her on walks around the neighbourhood. 

And I've lost hours at a time, scrolling through Bluesky, posting inane thoughts about my life whilst feeling heartsick at the atrocities occurring all over the world. (I deleted my Twitter/ X account at the end of 2024.) I used to enjoy jumping onto Facebook and Instagram. They were both good sources of information regarding events in the area, or places of interest that I might like to visit. But they have become so polluted with sponsored posts, reels and AI generated slop, that there is no point to either of those sites anymore. I used to love Instagram and mourn what it has become.  So I'm weaning myself off social media and trying to find my tools for relaxation and creative inspiration elsewhere.  And I'm going to try to post on this blog more often. It's more for my own benefit than anything else, as I don't think anyone else reads it. (If you do, leave a comment saying hello.)  I do need to try to keep some sort of online presence, as I  have a website and an online store that I'd like to get some traffic to. What's the point of paying subscription fees and web hosting costs if no-one is seeing your stuff?

I really enjoy discovering craft blogs that show the creative process and the creative spaces. Maybe I should do more of that myself. Again, it's good to have these records of the process for my own benefit. Why shouldn't I share it with others that might be inspired in some way?

So that's what I intend to do. Shift away from anything associated with Meta and shift towards reigniting the joy I found from reading and writing blogs in the early 2000's.

Who's with me?

Spring Things.

 Well, hi there!

Can you believe that it's September already? I ask myself the same question every year. Where does the time go?

As usual, I had plans to achieve so much, but those plans were derailed by various life happenings, as is often the case. But that's ok. I'm a "go with the flow" kind of gal, so I'm not too stressed about not crossing things off my loosely scribbled to-do list.

I finished the quilted wall hanging that I was working on in my previous post.  I had some challenging moments when it looked uneven and then I was worried that I had cut my binding too narrow. But I persevered and finished it and I'm very happy with the outcome. It's listed here.

Finished abstract quilted wall hanging ©2024

I had a very different idea for the mounting, but despite spending a few days noodling around in the garage, I couldn't get that idea to work quite how I envisioned it. So I mounted this piece on some lovely scrap timber that I bought off a cabinet maker. I think it's oak.

I tried to get better at using power tools to do some of these timber projects, but honestly, most power tools are not made for small hands (and more so when those small hands are having grip strength issues!) I had to wait for days when The Bloke was available to do the timber work, because what would take me hours, he could knock over in a matter of minutes. I've got a nice batch of timber hangers in stock now, so that the next piece I make won't be held up by my not having them finished and ready to go. I've got a mix of plain timber, which I'll sand and then give a beeswax coating to, as well as some textured ply that I'm playing around with.

Textured wood hangers, painted in grey primer.

Timber scrap with an abstract pattern burnt onto the surface.

Timber hangers with paste applied to create a textured surface.

It's frustrating when you have an idea in your head, but can't work out how to make it a reality because you don't have the skills or the materials to make it work. And on top of that, when you try to do things in a sustainable way, that's an added hurdle to get over. Sure, I could 3D print something, or have it vacuum formed or moulded. But that's expensive, usually made from toxic materials, pricey or too slow for my impatient brain to wait for. The wood burning was a fail because the wood was too hard and the tool got stuck in the grain. If I tried that again, I would use a softer wood, like pine.

The wet, windy days we've had over Winter have been the perfect time to experiment in the garage. I did learn though, that sanding wood creates a fine dust that get's over everything! (I was wearing goggles and a ventilator.) All of the camping gear, exercise equipment and suitcases were covered in dust, so I need to invest in a better extraction fan or cover the stored items in tarps and boxes.

I haven't much felt the urge to start on a new project lately, but I have been working on some packaging/display options for the jewellery collection I made at the end of 2023, start of 2024. I really need to get them listed on my website, but wanted to make sure that if they did sell, I wouldn't be held up sending them off because I didn't have a suitable box to post them in.  I know that many businesses are all about branding and how they can be promoted on social media, but I have a problem with spending huge amounts of money on something that will be put in the (hopefully recycle) bin.  I sourced cardboard boxes locally, then have been using materials that I've collected from recycling facilities to create something to keep the necklaces safe and secure in transit.

Felt and leather jewellery display with cardboard easel. 

The biggest revelation was finally tracking down what I now know are called 'binding screws' or 'Chicago screws'. I had collected long ones from fabric sample books, but was desperate to get my hands on short ones, in a variety of finishes. I asked The Bloke if he knew of them, but his search came up empty handed. In frustration, I searched for "screws used to bind sample books together" and that's when my search yielded results. The screws give a nicer finish than using rivets. I also made some easel stands with scrap cardboard from Reverse Art Truck in Ringwood.  Now I just need to get them listed onto the website and fingers crossed, make a sale or two!  (Go and check it out and subscribe to the mailing list if you'd like to be kept up to date about new items.)

So that's what's been happening at Joystuff HQ. Cheers!

Trusting the process.

 G'day Stuffers! (Is it bold of me to give my readers a nickname? Does anyone else read this blog?)

I've just taken a break from the studio to make myself a coffee, wash a few dishes that I left soaking in the sink and take some pain medication to try and get rid of the headache that is forming.

The very messy studio before it had a major clean up last month.

I'm not sure if the headache is a symptom of my erratic period (hello perimenopause) or if it's from too much computer work/end of financial year stressors.  I finished what work I had to do at around lunchtime today, then headed in to the studio for some creative time.  I've had so many ideas forming in my head lately, but I just haven't had the time to get stuck in to it. I actually have to write myself a list to remind myself to make time for crafting. It's so easy to be distracted by Pinterest or Instagram (although I'm trying to wean myself off the latter, now that Meta has decided to implement AI scraping), and I've often said that I sometimes spend so much time developing an idea that by the time I get around to creating it, the urge has gone.

Improv patchwork made from decorator remnants.

                                          

I've spent the past few months thinking about making things to add to my Madeit store. I was so excited when the site was refreshed and relaunched last year. The new owner, Leina Broughton, has a wealth of knowledge about selling online, and she was happy to give us all pointers on how to market ourselves and our products, how to take better photos and write better headings to make SEO work for us. But the more videos I watched and the more things I read from other sellers on the Facebook page, I began to wonder if it was the right platform for me. The push to constantly post on Instagram, and to create reels and videos of me in the studio, didn't sit well with me. I don't want to be a content creator. I want to make weird little things from the many piles of fabrics I've collected over the years. I don't have a consistent look to my work. It's something that has bothered me my whole creative life. But I've accepted the fact. I make what I make because I enjoy teaching myself new skills. I like to use the things that I've collected. I'm not about mass producing products. And I'm not in it for the money. (Although it's always nice to make a sale and then donate 10% of that sale to a deserving cause.)

So, I keep coming up with ideas and I keep trying to bring them to fruition. But I just don't have the drive like I did when I was making bags to sell at markets. I think it's a combination of an oversaturated market for anything anyone could possibly want, coupled with a feeling of not being good enough, or not having the skills to market myself. 

Improv patchwork piece with added stitching, that I started in May. It's sat idle for the last few weeks.

I'll keep plugging away. I like the fact that when I'm in the studio sorting through fabrics and playing around with ideas, it helps me to destress from 'real' work. It also means that I get some time to myself, as the family tend to leave me to my own devices when I'm in there with the music turned up loud. (I can't tell you how many times they've startled me when they open the door.)
And hopefully soon, I'll have some new items to add to my shop and feel like I've accomplished something. 

Everyday Art Practice

 Hello there!

As usual, the months have started to zoom by, and here we are in April. Daylight Savings ended last weekend, which signals cooler evenings, earlier dinners and more time for creative pursuits, since I'm not outside until all hours, pottering in the garden.

January/February passed by in a blur.

The youngest child turned 21 at the end of January, so now I feel old. Both of my babies are officially adults now.😭 We had a lovely, low key barbeque lunch with close friends and family.

I managed a trip up to Tolmie mid-February. My remaining pine trees needed to be planted as we had a run of hot weather that really dried out the pots. Unbeknownst to me, some of the pots had blown over in a storm and were laying on their sides, not getting any rain. I got most of them in the ground and fenced them off using mesh panels that we had acquired at an auction. It was a very labour intensive 4 days, but I'm so pleased that I got them in the ground. I haven't had a chance to check on them since, but hope to get up there over the Easter break.

In my previous post, I mentioned that I was revisiting an embroidered panel that I had started quite a few years ago.  Unfortunately, I lost interest in that when I had an idea to add some black lace details to it, but couldn't find the materials to continue. I did buy a black lace dress at the Op-Shop and began to pull it apart, but the desire to continue had already left me. It's back on the WIP board until I get the urge to pick it up again. I played around with a few beaded pieces that I'd started, but nothing was holding my interest for very long. It may have been a combination of warm weather and an arm injury that was holding me back.

I'd often thought about buying one of those books that gives you an idea to create every day, such as this book by Lorna Scobie. I held off buying it whenever I saw it in the bookshop, because I knew my past record with finishing projects wasn't great and figured I'd do one or two pages then add it to the pile of neglected creative projects. Then one day, whilst mindlessly scrolling on Twitter or Facebook, I saw that someone had bought a Day to a Page diary and was drawing in it everyday. I decided that this was something that I could definitely handle.  When I was next at the shops, I purchased an A5 spiral bound diary with as little text on the pages as possible. I started on January 27th. I originally had the intention of going back and completing the January days that I had missed, but realised later on that this was probably not going to happen.

The goal was not to overthink things, but to just get something onto the page, using the tools and materials I have around me. (As an art supply addict, I have quite a few different mediums to choose from.) I would use images from books and magazines, online inspiration and my own photographs as a jumping off point. Quite often I would see a painting that I loved, or a great print on some fabric and think to myself, "I need to create something in that colour scheme or with that modern feel." Now was my chance to give it a go.

I discovered artists such as Sarah Schroeder , Julie Hamilton, Rachel Urquahart & Alisa Burke, and wanted to capture the loose, colourful style like theirs. I'd played around with collage here and there and really enjoyed it. It is a medium best suited to a large workspace where you can spread out all of the little bits and pieces of paper so that you can see the possibilities of the shapes and colours. My desk isn't that big and it's currently sharing space with beading supplies, books and various pens, glues and scissors. I have a drawer under my desk stuffed to the brim with scrapbook paper, old album covers, paper bags and various bits of wrapping paper. Collage is the perfect way to get ideas down fast, and it has become my go to when I've left my art practice until late in the day.

Some materials are not great on the thin paper that the diary pages are made from. Connector marker pens (left over from when my kids were at school) seep through the paper.

I had to create a cut out on the back of this page in order to cover up the colour seepage.

I bought some new Crayola markers and although I don't have a large colour selection to choose from, they work much better on this paper. They don't blend well and can have a tendency to look a bit messy, but I'm trying to lean into that.

My favourite medium would have to be paint sticks. Originally made for children, these non-toxic, waterbased sticks are like soft, fat crayons that glide on smoothly and can be blended like paint. I have a set of Little Brian and Boyle Chubbies. They're not suitable for fine, detailed colouring, but great for slapping down colour and then adding detail with pens and markers.

The only downside to these are the fact that they are a plastic barrel like a glue stick, so once the stick of paint is used, the barrel will end up in landfill (I can't see a recycling symbol anywhere.) It would be great if the barrels were either made from recycled plastic content, were recyclable or refillable, or the barrel was made of cardboard. It would also be great if you could buy the tubes individually, as there will definitely be colours that run out quicker than the others.

I'm learning so much about my own creative process. I've always liked drawing and sketching to get ideas down, but I've never been able to sit for hours and work on a realistic drawing. I can do an abstract that's full of lots of different textures and patterns, but they always look very 2 dimensional.

I just can't seem to draw what's in my head or what's right in front of me. It's like the hand-eye-brain signal gets crossed along the way. Or I start to draw and then a different style of drawing pops in to my head and I change my idea half way through. Here are some examples of drawing from my mind or using props. You can see how badly they turned out.

I want to practice doing more 3 dimensional drawing as well as learning about perspective, shading etc.

I found a cool picture of a a sculpture on Pinterest (sculpted by Paulie van der Heijden, I believe) and decided to have a go at drawing it. I was quite pleased with the results. I'd also like to draw something similar but instead of copying an object that has been created, try to draw something that I'd like to create myself.

I find that if I use a picture as a jumping off point, it's a great way of learning new techniques. When I saw this vintage fabric print by John Piper,

I knew I wanted to find a way to create the dry brush stroke look, without using a brush. I ended up cutting up some cardboard, painting them and then printing onto the paper.

They will become great colour references later on when I want to make a textile piece and need a starting point. Even though a lot of my stitched and beaded pieces evolve quite organically, it's always good to have an idea to start with, as it makes choosing fabrics so much easier.

I'm hoping to see patterns and a style develop, but all I'm seeing so far is that I really like bright colours and that I'm hesitant to have overlapping or intersecting lines in my drawings, because I'm worried that I'll stuff it up and ruin the picture. I'm only 2 months in, so there is still many pages ahead of me that are open to experimentation.

Anyway, here's a few of my favourites so far.

If you want to follow my progress, you can check out my Instagram stories @joystuffmakes . They're in the highlights section under March art, April art etc.