Studio Inspiration, Judith Kerr, Grid Quilting, Plant Printing Books

Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from? It’s a question we’re often asked and there are lots of different answers. Sometimes I think inspiration can come from simply being in your creative space.

I admit I work in total chaos, operating a comprehensive system of piles and heaps. It’s the way I like it, but every so often I clear the decks, throw stuff out and start afresh. Oh, and I love nothing more than moving the furniture round! Yesterday was one of those days. I spent a very enjoyable couple of hours going through the various piles, sorting and sifting, rediscovering things I’d forgotten about. I shifted tables and chairs to reorder my workspace. I don’t know what it is about this process, I think maybe it just freshens things up a bit, but I feel encouraged to get out there and mess up the tables!


It didn’t take long: as soon as Amelie came home she too thought it looked inviting and immediately got to work with some painting.

Meanwhile, outside the studio door we’ve been keeping our eyes peeled. Earlier in the week I spotted this little guy…

I know so many of you live in countries with really exciting wildlife, for us in England a baby grass snake is pretty wild! This one was just the size of a pencil and warming up on the patio outside the studio door. What a treat to see him!

And just finally, before I move on to tell you about the new video workshop this week and a free video we have for you, sad news today – I just saw that Judith Kerr has died. Judith was the author and illustrator of beloved children’s books Mog and The Tiger Who Came to Tea. There’s an article about her on the BBC website including a lovely clip of her speaking about her love of drawing. Do have a listen if you have a couple of minutes.

New Video Workshop – Grid Quilting: Take it Further

Last week we used a walking foot to quilt beautiful grids with minimal marking. This week we’re building on those grid structures with freehand quilting. In the new video published today, Laura will demonstrate how you can create designs that look pretty tricky, but are in fact really easy to achieve.
DMTV Members can view this video now, if you’re not a Member why not consider joining us? You can check out our free videos to give you a taste of what we offer and sign up for access to over 30 videos for just £12.

Free Video – Plant Printing Concertina Books

We’ve posted a new flip-through video for you to enjoy this week. Linda’s been so busy working in her plant printed concertina books. Take a look at how they’ve turned out…
All of the videos (Plant Printing, Simple Concertina Books and Plant Printing: Take it Further) are still available to watch in the main playlist on the website. You’ll also find more on sketchbooks and all sorts of sketchbook techniques in the Archive section of the website.

New from Max & Rosie

My sister Frances, designer maker from Max & Rosie is upping her game in the reduce, reuse, recycle mission and as part of it she’s using reusable cotton pads for face cleansing. They work beautifully, even on delicate, sensitive skin. She’s added sets of them to her online store. Do check them out if you’re after a reusable option for your own beauty regime, or a gift for an environmentally aware friend…

Reduce waste by switching to reusable facial cleansing pads. Suitable for even sensitive skin, these pads are made from 100% pure brushed cotton for gentle makeup removal. Available in sets of 10 they come with a handy drawstring storage pouch. Use with your everyday cleanser or makeup remover, they are a great alternative to single use wipes and cotton wool which end up going to landfill.
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Love Linda and Laura xx