Willa’s Resources
Are you looking for your art friends to keep you company while you create away in your space? Never feel lonely again!
Take a deep dive into what’s happening at Willa Workshops by listening to the podcast, watching YouTube videos, reading the blog, and everything else that’s FREE at Willa Workshops, all in one convenient place!
WiLla Wanders’ Insiders
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Sign up to receive the Inside Scoop on all things Willa Wanders + Workshops, PLUS get my free Mixed Media Madness Mother Board Project instructional.
Whether you’re a seasoned artist or just getting started, this is where creativity begins. Think of the Willa Wander’s Insiders as your personal connection with me where I let you know about new projects, inspiration, and exciting updates you won’t want to miss.
New to Making Art? Don’t know where to begin?
Start here!
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![Colorful mixed media art papers with textures and abstract designs, labeled "Mixed Media Messy Papers."]()
Painted Paper Fodder
Foundations in Mixed Media Collage Art
If you love the look of collage or mixed media but feel overwhelmed by supplies, techniques, or the fear of doing it “wrong,” this course meets you right where you are. Instead of focusing on finished artwork, you’ll learn how to create painted papers — the colorful, imperfect building blocks artists use in collage — while playing with color, layers, marks, and texture in a relaxed, approachable way.
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Threaded & Sewn
A Beginner's Guide to the Sewing Machine
Many mixed media artists want to use machine stitching…but they’ve never learned how to use a sewing machine; or they haven’t used one in years and lost confidence; or they feel unnecessary anxiety around something that should feel simple. Threaded and Sewn is here to change that! Feel confident using a sewing machine, and bring stitch, texture, and depth into your mixed media art.
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Watercolor for Relaxation
Find Your Flow and Fill Your World with Color
Imagine this: You, sitting down with a paintbrush in hand, blending soothing colors into mesmerizing patterns. Your mind unwinds, your worries melt away, and the world fades as you enter a peaceful flow state. Sounds good, right? That’s exactly what this course is all about. Let’s turn your sketchbook into a peaceful, colorful escape. Are you ready to let watercolor transform your day?
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Journal Into Your Art
Megan Quinlan’s Gentle Introduction to Bookmaking
Megan is excited to share these journals with you, and how to add them to your daily art practice. In the first half of the course you will build your journal. Once your book is constructed, it is yours to use however it moves you. You may just want a hand-made journal for writing and that is awesome! Or you may want to learn Megan's tips and tricks for high impact art journal pages with lots of writing and handlettering.
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Love Your {imperfect} Art Journal
Sarah Gardner’s Encyclopedic Guide to Art Journaling
Sarah teaches us, from the base layer up, 8 amazing ways to just BEGIN—You can always overcome resistance to the blank page with one of Sarah's fun methods. After the base layers, Sarah demonstrates endless ways to play with these supplies in her 10 FULL "Watch Me Journal" Videos. And finally, there are 30 exciting and different ways that Sarah shows us how to add text to our journal spreads.
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Future Course: The Sidekick Journal
On-the-Go Creativity
A Sidekick Journal typically refers to a smaller, portable, less polished and more casual companion journal that artists use alongside their main art journal or mixed media projects. Because I do a lot of big mixed media art projects, my Sidekick has become my go-to for that messy, random art journaling that I crave! Click the button below to be the first to know when this course launches.
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Love Your {imperfect} Letters
Find Confidence in Your Hand Lettering
The most beautiful letters are the ones that feel personal, expressive, and uniquely YOURS. In this course, you’ll learn how to build confidence in your hand lettering through fun, approachable exercises, add words and quotes to your journal pages with ease and excitement, let go of the fear of “messing up,” embrace your creative style, & design letters that are perfectly imperfect—and totally YOU!
Free Printables!
Nine pages of printable words with the theme of PEACE for use in mixed media art projects.
One sheet of printable art for your mixed media art projects. Designed to be framed as is or ripped and torn and incorporated into your own art pieces and art journals.
Creating a mixed media master sheet is the fun and easy way to create abstract mixed media background art that is perfect for handmade card creation, Artist Trading Cards, postcards, Rolodex Cards, etc.
The ArtFoamies x Fodder School Collab Series!
Every once in a while in life something really cool presents itself to you and you just cannot say no to it.
Our collaboration with Art Foamies is that kinda opportunity
Not yet familiar with foam stamps and the Art Foamies company?
An "art foamie" is a foam stamp used in art and craft projects. These stamps are made of foam material that is soft and flexible, allowing it to be easily pressed onto surfaces like paper or fabric to create patterns or designs. Art foamies come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, and they can be used with different types of ink or paint to add decorative elements to art projects such as scrapbooking, card making, or fabric printing. They are popular among artists and crafters for their versatility and ease of use.
Catch Me+Our Community on YouTube!
Listen while you create! The ShOW UP OR SHUt UP PoDcAsT
Old Fashioned Fun! Read my Blog PosTs here . . .
Art Journal with Me!
Creative Whispers is a YouTube series dreamed up and led by Leaca Young, and it’s one of those ideas that instantly pulls you in. Each round played out like a creative game of telephone—Leaca chose a prompt and made the first video, the rest of us then made our best intuitive guess as to what that prompt was, and then followed that thread wherever it wanted to go in our art journals.
The result? Four videos per round filled with unexpected turns, creative risk-taking, and those little moments of magic that happen when you don’t quite know where you’re headed—but you go anyway.
If you’re looking for a spark, a nudge, or a new way into your art journaling practice, I think you’ll find it here. You can watch me work through the whole process of one art journal spread in each of these videos, and I guarantee this will spark your creativity.
And if you want to keep the inspiration going, be sure to check out the Creative Whispers videos from Tina Hois and Gabrielle Heckenbucker over on YouTube, too.
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Ask Yourself This
Round 1 Secret Prompt: Paper Pockets
My guess: Vintage Photo
Did I guess correctly? No. Did a paper pocket somehow magically end up in this spread? Yes, it did. Just another mystery of the universe!
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Peace in Oneself
Round 2 Secret Prompt: “Use Watercolor and Pen to highlight a quote that matters to you.”
My guess: Watercolor Paint
Did I guess correctly? It appears that I nailed this one! And I love how it turned out. BOLD and exciting!
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Brave Girls
Round 3 Secret Prompt: Clip Art
My guess: Paper Dolls
Did I guess correctly? Not really. But who cares! I was inspired and I adore how this turned out with ArtFoamies designs from Amanda Trought.
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Protection
Round 4 Secret Prompt: Zen
My guess: Circles
Did I guess correctly? That’s a no. But did I feel Zen when I was working on my art journal spread? You bet I did!
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Wounds
Round 5 Secret Prompt: Mug
My guess: Watercolor Fussy Cut Florals
My most “off” guess from all eight rounds of Creative Whispers, but I loved the result! Especially the hand lettering on the really old masking tape.
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Hostage
Round 6 Secret Prompt: Collage
My guess: Fussycut Ephemera / Collage Fodder
Did I guess correctly? I did! I did! And I’m grateful that I am being pushed to try new ways of art journaling. I fell totally in love with this game!
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The Upside Down World
Round 7 Secret Prompt: Two Colors
My guess: Black and White
I got very close. And created art that surprised me in its simplicity. Even though the subject was very painful, I feel like this represents my emotions well.
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Letting Go
Round 8 Secret Prompt: Markers and Pens
My guess: Pens
Even though I was on the hot mess express during the making of this spread, it turned out just fine. That’s how it goes with mixed media art journaling!
Find out which watercolor sketchbooks are the most satisfying to paint in and why in this YouTube video where I take a walk down memory lane with many different types of watercolor journals.