Who is a craft artist?
To me it is someone who creates handmade projects
using a whole variety of substrates and media to bring something beautifully creative
and artistic to the finished product. Do you love to design and make individual
and imaginative works of art to show on social media, sell to people, to give
away to your friends or just to keep for yourself? Well, a sketchbook is a fantastic
place to keep lots of trials, experiments and practice pieces and is used by
many of us who are not just pure artists (in the sense of those who are
learning formal art), but also those of us who consider ourselves to be crafty individuals
who are also artistic.
A sketchbook is
called a sketchbook because it was specifically designed for sketching which generally refers to
making rough, unfinished drawings or quick studies, but the term
"sketchbook" implies a space for experimentation, practice, and the
development of ideas, rather than finished, polished artwork. I have many such books that I have been calling
journals but actually I keep many of my mixed media designs in them, crafty, vintage
and shabby panels and sketches or paintings that I have created over the years.
Why have I called them journals? Well, I really don’t know, but maybe it’s because
I didn’t see myself as an 'artist', many people think that craft, in the sense of
papercrafts and similar projects, is not art. If they’re not, then what are
they?
Here's
a Google AI overview answer to my question ‘Can papercraft and similar projects
be called art?
Yes, papercraft and
similar projects can be considered art. The distinction between "art" and "craft" is
subjective and often blurred, but many papercraft forms involve creative
expression, aesthetic appeal, and skilled execution, which are all
characteristics associated with art.
Recently
a very good friend told me I should not be calling some of my sketches 'doodles',
they are sketches or drawings she said and told me that I shouldn’t shy away of
seeing myself as an artist. So, you know what? She is absolutely right! I think
so many of us crafty artists feel the same. As I said in the opening paragraph we
are people who create handmade projects using a whole variety
of substrates and media to bring something beautifully creative and artistic to
the finished product, therefore we are artists.
With
that in mind I have started a sketchbook to bring together lots of ideas, ‘practice’
pieces in drawing, painting and collage using all the materials and tools that
I use in my day to day creative craft and arty sessions in my studio (actually
it’s a small bedroom lol).
If
you are interested in keeping a crafty/artistic sketchbook that will contain some
of your trials, some finished pieces and some collections of other media like
die-cuts, stamped and coloured images with other snippets then maybe my ‘Creative
Sketchbooking’ workshop is for you. The day will be packed with 6 mini projects
that will be linked together with practice and learning opportunities to
include a little sketching, some tracing and what I call painterly water
colouring which is using acrylic paints in the same ways that we can use
watercolour paints. Along with the
die-cuts, snippets and colour swatches these will all come together under the
theme of Butterflies, Bees and Moths to bring 2 x A4 pages to sketchbook life.
Some people like to stamp...
The
workshop is on Thursday 17th July (One space only) and Friday 18th
July 2025 (several spaces available) and can be booked online at Country View Crafts . It will be
held at Country View Crafts headquarters which is –
Country
View Crafts
Country View
6 Wrestlingworth Road
Potton
Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 2DP
United Kingdom
Susan
is the owner and has this amazing online and physical shop where she sells a
huge variety of products from a large number of different brands. She is a one-man
band running her business but her customer service is second to none and on
many occasions orders that have been placed before 3 pm have arrived on my
doorstep the very next morning. (Thanks to Royal Mail as well).
Workshops
are actually held in her shop, normally the maximum is 12 and she provides a
free lunch.
If
you are interested I am a teacher by trade, I no longer teach in education, I
am retired, but I love doing workshops. I pack the day full so that it caters
for those who are less confident and experienced to those who are more
confident and accomplished, wherever possible there are opportunities for you to
personalise the content and further develop your own ideas and reflect on your
own creative journey and interests. I am there to help, support and advise to
the best of my abilities and many of my workshop participants are returners who
keep coming back to enjoy making the projects I bring. Why not come along for the day to see what we offer and have some fun and learning as well.
Social
media links –
Me
- https://www.facebook.com/Bumblebutterfly/
My
Blog - http://www.bumblebeesandbutterflies.com/
Me
- https://www.instagram.com/bumblebutterfly/
Country
View Crafts Shop – https://www.countryviewcrafts.co.uk/index.asp
Country View Crafts Workshops - https://www.facebook.com/groups/380480706160675
