I still haven’t worked out what to do when I grow up! I’m mainly a writer, an artist, and a fairytale dressmaker with various crafty hobbies! Here (and on YouTube) I share bits of my life, thoughts, and what I’m learning along the way. Let’s find magic and inspiration; join me for this creative living adventure!

 

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setting up Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival site, panoramic photo 1, 2019
May 3, 2019
Glastonbury Festival was sorely missed last year, and we’re well and truly ready for another one. There’s already a buzz around Pilton and the local area – lots of caravans are being towed past the house; and Shepton Mallet Tescos usually has more than its share of interesting vans in the carpark lately. If you’re new here; hello! Welcome! Hopefully you’ll find some other posts on my blog that interest you as well. If you don’t know me, I moved to Pilton eleven years ago, but have been going to Glastonbury Festival since 1995, and absolutely love it….
Styling a lagenlook outfit
It’s cardigan season! Styling a khaki linen dress with a waterfall cardigan
April 25, 2019
This black waterfall cardigan was a charity shop find, and I love it! Not all waterfall cardigans are made equal – I like the shape of them, but some have too much fabric around the back of the neck, and some don’t have enough fabric at the front (do you balance the waterfall bit on top of your boobs, or let it fall to the side of your boobs?), but this one, originally from Marks and Spencer is perfect!….
Hurricane Ophelia orange sky
Why ego is the thief of joy
April 16, 2019
Do you remember the day when Hurricae Ophelia hit the October before last and the sky turned orange and the sun turned red? Well I’m writing this on that day (though no doubt I’ll edit it and make it a bit more coherent in a few days time! (edit: a year and a half later!)). It was the most bizarre kind of day – the clouds were a dark steely grey, yet there was not a drop of rain. The sun was red and the sky was pink like sunset, yet it was noon, and the wind brought down any leaves or branches that were dead or dying. It was no wonder many people had thoughts of the apocalypse occurring. As I reached the top of the hill on our dog walk, I had a bit of an epiphany……
Styling a black smock dress
A plain black smock dress
April 12, 2019
This time last year Chris and I had our first campervan trip of the season to Cornwall, and it turned out to be a lot warmer than we expected! I feel that at the moment we’re in that hit or miss time – completely unpredictable – often looking warm and sunny, but then you find there’s a freezing cold wind, which stops at 2pm and then it becomes quite hot! Anyway, the black dress I’m styling for this blog post is ideal for now – as long as you have a cardigan handy!…
Finding the real Flower Fairies! ~ Abstract realism mixed media art process.
May 6, 2025
Hello! This week I visit the Cicely Mary Barker Flower Fairies exhibition at Watts Gallery and visit Emmett's Garden with family. I can't believe it's been a year. I also share the process of making a mixed media and oil painting of a fairytale scene. Mentioned: Art Juice podcast and @ThisPaintingLife As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
Painting a fairytale! Mixed media process video ~ Art studio vlog
April 29, 2025
Hello! Hope you're having a good week. This is the first painting I showed my friends! Here's the mixed media and oil painting process I used to make a fairytale painting. I really feel I'm finding my style now. As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
Behind the scenes of an artist's life! Paint swatching, photographing art, testing ink & studio tidy
April 22, 2025
Things are different now - there's some big news in this video! And I swatch my professional Winsor & Newton artist watercolour paint, and take photos of my recent landscape and abstract floral art ready for my website - see them at https://www.helenhobden.com/ I test some beautiful metallic ink from Ferris Wheel Press, and carry on tidying my art studio! As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
Following a How To Create An Abstract Floral Painting workshop & more + Tidying up my art studio
April 17, 2025
This is the Abstract Floral painting workshop by The Milan Art Institute I am following: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral/jojKXnz6/7Vqa9f6vKfq3WYcs and then I painted eight more! I also said "I can't believe I'm showing you this!" when I started tidying up my art studio! Please don't judge me! My abstract floral paintings are now on my website - click 'read more' for the links below. As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
Massive craft paper haul! ~ Mixed media painting process ~ Making a clay pot ~ Art vlog
April 8, 2025
Hello! This week in my crafty vlog I have a massive decorative craft paper haul to show you - mostly from Prima and Stamperia, ready to make some journals. I show the mixed media art process of my next painting, which has a magical storybook feel. And Rain and I go to the Somerset Brick and Tile Museum in Bridgwater where I made a clay pot and some Christmas stars, and she made a soap dish. As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
Swatching & trying new art supplies! ~ Brusho powders & paint spray ~ New art notebook!
April 1, 2025
Hello! This week I'm unboxing and trying out some new art supplies and swatching some old ones as well. Some Derwent Inktense pencils; Colourcraft Brusho crystal colour pigment powders; SprinkleIt metallic and iridescent powders, and Brusho acrylic mist spray paints. I also start a new notebook for my art ideas, and I receive my Milan Art Mastery Program certificate. Hope you have a good week! As always, thank you so much for watching and spending your time with me! Please support this channel for free by subscribing, clicking the thumbs up and the bell notification button. If you enjoyed this one, please share the link with your friends. Thank you! :) For extra free content, videos and behind-the-scenes updates, sign up to my newsletter here: https://helenhobden.substack.com/ To bring an enchanted world into your life with beautiful art on your walls, browse my paintings here: https://www.helenhobden.com/ If you would like to watch an extra 60 or so sewing and art videos, please go to https://www.patreon.com/HelenHobden Handmade by me: Browse for your unique bohemian clothing purchases here: https://threadsofafairytale.com/ If you'd like to know more about the online art course I took for a year and a half - the Mastery Program by the Milan Art Institute, please follow this (affiliate) link: https://milanart.samcart.com/referral... Tip jar! If you would like to contribute to my hard-drive fund to help keep this channel going, it would be gratefully appreciated. :) https://paypal.me/Oshun
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