Hi friends,

I know I’ve been a little quiet on social media lately. But sometimes creativity happens in quieter seasons. Just because we’re not sharing as much doesn’t mean we’re not creating — sometimes it simply means we’re exploring something new.

Over the past few months, I’ve been diving into a vintage craft I’ve been curious about for years: spun cotton art.

This beautiful art form dates back to the late 1800s and was often used in early European holiday decorations. These tiny figures: animals, dolls, little ornaments are made by wrapping cotton over wire armatures and shaping them by hand. There’s something so nostalgic about them, like tiny characters straight out of a storybook.

As I started learning, I watched quite a few tutorials, but one that really resonated with me was by Rosanna Makes. She’s no longer on Instagram, but her YouTube tutorials are still a wonderful place to learn.

I started simple with my first little creation, a farmer mouse. From there I fell down the rabbit hole of experimenting: learning about armatures, trying different cotton types, practicing shaping techniques, and painting tiny details that bring these little creatures to life.

My studio has slowly been filling with little critters: mice, geese, and lately a lot of bears. Bears have been especially fun to practice because getting their shape and expression just right takes time.

This quiet creative time has reminded me that even when we’re not posting or sharing much, creativity is still growing behind the scenes.

I’ve also been working on something many of you have asked about online tutorials. Since I’m not teaching in-person workshops right now, I want to make my classes accessible for those who aren’t local.

The first tutorial going up on my website will be my Coffee Filter Paper Peony, complete with a template and step-by-step instructions so you can create your own bloom at home.

I’m hoping to continue adding more tutorials as I explore new projects and techniques.

And I think I might turn these into monthly blog entries, little creative check-ins where I can share what I’m working on and learning along the way.

Thanks for being here and for following along on this creative journey.

With love,
Lucy

Pretty Petals by Lucy
Rooted in petals, blooming in whimsical handmade