NEWS & BLOG
Beyond the Factory: Unlock the Creative Potential of Sublimation for Textile Art & Upcycling
Dreaming of breathing vibrant new life into old polyester textiles or creating stunning, layered fabrics for your art? If you’re passionate about upcycling, bespoke fashion, or unique textile art, you’re in the right place! Today, we’re diving into sublimation…
Tokyo’s Hidden Gems: Art, Culture, and Treasure Troves for Artists
Everyone knows Tokyo for its bright lights and bustling cityscapes, but beyond the well-trodden tourist paths lies a quieter, more intimate side of the city, brimming with unexpected discoveries. On my recent first-time trip to Japan, I ventured away from the main…
My life in nine objects: part III
This is my third and final post about prized objects: the ones I couldn’t live without and would want to save from a fire. It was quite difficult to choose these three knowing they were the last ones; I kept telling myself they are just the last ones for now… The…
My life in nine objects: part II
In last week’s post I wrote about the first three objects I wouldn’t want to lose, the ones I would save from a fire. Today I share with you another three of my prized posessions: things I love for their intrinsic qualities and also as memory-holders. The first one is…
My life in nine objects: part I
A lot of my work is inspired by memories, and I see prized objects as memory-holders. Every once in a while I wonder which are the ones I couldn’t live without, the ones I would want to save from a fire. Without much premeditation I settled on nine, and today I share…
My own version of wallpaper
In this post I want to share with you my biggest decoupage project to date: creating “wallpaper” from the pages of an old Larousse dictionary for a feature wall I moved house last year, and had been toying with the idea of creating a decoupage “wallpaper” on one of my…
Pound shop transformations: upcycled glass
In recent weeks I showed you how I upcycle simple items from Ikea using just paper and glue. Other places where you can find interesting things to transform are the “pound shops” found in most high streets. I recently started teaching reverse decoupage on glass so I’m…
Ikea furniture hacks: kitchen chair
This is the second of two posts on furniture hacks where I share transformations of simple items from Ikea using just paper and glue. Last time, in the first of my furniture hacks, I showed you how I upcycled a Hemnes bedside table; this time it’s different versions…
Ikea furniture hacks: Hemnes table
In this post I share the transformation of a simple item from Ikea using just paper and glue. This time I want to show you the first of two furniture hacks. Ikea furniture is very affordable and even more so if you buy second-hand. There is often a good selection…
Ikea hacks: Papaja plant pot
This is the third post in my series on Ikea hacks: transformations of simple items from Ikea using just paper and glue. In this post I’ll show you how to add interest to Papaja plant pots, which range in price from £1 to £5.50. I chose a tall white pot in one of the…
Is everyone creative?
First of all, let me own up and tell you that the gorgeous picture you see above is not mine: it’s a collage on canvas that was created in just one day by a participant in my very first mixed-media workshop. I have been teaching decoupage for a while, which is very…
Decoupage obsession
I have been using both collage and decoupage in my work for a long time now, but only discovered that there was more to decoupage last year. The turning point came when I was shown how to decoupage the boots you see above, which were scuffed and worn but otherwise fine. So fine in fact that I was bored of wearing them, and while the soles and heels were in really good condition, the leather had lots of creases and looked “tired”. In other words, they were perfect for upcycling! In a few hours, with just paper and glue, I transformed them into this exuberant riot of pink flowers.
Take a look behind the scenes
Today I want to share a whole sketchbook with you, all 42 pages of it – I hope you can take a few minutes to look through as I think you’ll enjoy it . My sketchbooks are where I play and work through ideas that later may find their way into my work. I keep…
Streetart inspiration
I love the way street art adds colour to the city – you turn round a corner and suddenly there’s a giant bird, a face, or even a wave inspired by a 19th century Japanese wood block print . Yesterday I came across Camberwell’s Hokusai Wave, a…