Who knew an ordinary cake box could become a beautifully textured handmade art journal?
In this project, I’m sharing how I transformed simple packaging into a unique cover using three layers of collage, earthy textures, and a few final embellishments. I’ll also give you a peek at the pages I’ve prepared for the inside — soft, translucent, and full of organic character.
Have you ever looked at something as simple as a tissue paper box and thought, this could be art? That’s exactly how this project began.
In today’s post, I’m walking you through how I transformed an empty tissue box into a richly layered, interactive junk journal — using scraps, printable pages from my Mixed Media Artist Resource Library, and a whole lot of creative play. If you love repurposing materials, working intuitively, and making something beautiful out of the ordinary, you’re going to love this project.
I recently created a handmade artist book for Flower Fest—a soft, intuitive celebration of florals, texture, and mixed media expression.
Instead of starting from scratch, I gathered pieces from my creative past: old floral artworks, fabric scraps, coffee-dyed papers, and floral printables—and gave them new life in this book.
The result is a layered, tactile art journal that feels like a blooming garden of stories, stitched together by hand.
Have you ever been captivated by the spontaneous flow of watercolor—the way colors melt into each other, unpredictable yet soothing? I have. I love the softness and meditation that watercolors bring.
But as someone who has painted with acrylics for over a decade, I’ve developed a special fondness for them. There’s something about acrylics—their versatility, texture, and vibrancy—that keeps drawing me back.
So I asked myself: What if I could play with acrylics in a way that feels like watercolor? That’s how this method was born—a playful, intuitive way to dye papers using diluted acrylic paint.
I’ve been writing in plain A5 notebooks for years — the kind you pick up on Amazon with blank white pages. But recently, I had a thought.
What if the journal I write in felt more me? More soulful. More beautiful. Something I actually created with my hands?
So I finally sat down to make one.
This handmade book is stitched using a binding style called Link and Long Stitch. I learned it from the lovely Jeanne Oliver inside her course Poets and Misfits, and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since.
If you love making tags for your art journal, happy mail, or collage projects, you’re going to love this! In today’s blog, I’m sharing a simple and creative way to make embellished mixed media tags using scraps of fabric, easy hand stitching, and a master sheet of mini abstract paintings.
These tags were cut out from the same master sheet I created in this blog post, where I shared how I painted a large intuitive background and then cut it down into smaller mini abstracts. If you haven’t seen that yet, go check it out first – it’s all part of the free tester workshop, and you can even join the class to learn how to create your own expressive master sheet for free.
Once I had my mini paintings, I realized there was more goodness left on the page – so I used the leftover sections to cut out tags!
✨ Join Me for a Free Creative Weekend! 🗓️ July 12–13, 2025🎟️ 100% FREE I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be a guest teacher at the upcoming MakeCreate Express free creative retreat weekend on July 12–13, 2025. This online event features 26 artists from around the world, each offering a unique mini-workshop designed to spark your creativity. 👉 Sign up for the …
Mini Abstract Paintings – A Layered Mixed-Media Art Journey Read More »
Let’s rewind to 2016. There I was, brushes in hand, teaching my 100th landscape painting workshop.
Fast-forward a decade, and I’d guided over 20,000 students online and 700+ in-person workshops—all about capturing skies, mountains, and forests.
But here’s the thing no one tells you: Passion evolves.
A quiet curiosity pulled me beyond paint. At first, it felt wild and messy. But soon, those unpredictable textures and playful marks revealed a whole new language of creativity.
Now, after countless experiments in my studio, I’m thrilled to say I’m officially teaching mixed media—and I want you to join me at
There’s something deeply satisfying about shrinking your art practice down to a tiny journal you can hold in the palm of your hand.
In today’s blog, I’ll share how I transformed scraps and prints into a 4×4″ mini art journal, complete with a sturdy 5×5″ collaged cover and a mish‑mash of “junk” pages begging to be personalized.
This project is perfect for using up leftover mark‑making papers, fabric bits, and vintage ephemera—all while staying present and intuitive in the process.
I have to admit: for the longest time, I shied away from black. It felt heavy, overpowering, and too final. But lately I’ve fallen in love with black, especially when paired with white.
In collage, mixed media projects, or art journaling, black becomes a compelling character—adding depth, contrast, and mystery to every layer. That’s why building a stash of black and white collage papers for mixed media art journaling is essential for any creative arsenal.
In this post, I’ll show you how to create your own black papers—from smooth, velvety sheets to textured, layered wonders. Use these backgrounds or print-and-mark techniques as foundations for your next journal spread, collage panel, or mixed media masterpiece.