Making Space ~ Space Making
Make ROOM for creative expression
Nature-based expressive art is anchored in the creative process (as opposed to any final product). The goal is to slow down, attune the senses and adopt a playful approach to making. We'll explore different creative processes and mediums each month but always taking our inspiration from nature. There will be time for individual making and group discussion.
Make TIME for yourself
Carve out a couple of hours mid-week to reconnect with yourself and the natural world.
Make SPACE to connect with others
We'll gather in the Mingle Community Space in Whitlam -a safe, supportive, and relaxed setting. Join a community of women who share a love of nature. Enjoy cups of tea and equally warming conversations.
All materials will be provided
You are welcome to bring your own art/nature journal to write in if you have one, but this is not a requirement.
A women's creative circle inspired by the beauty, awe, and wonder of nature.
We meet every second Wednesday of the month at the Mingle Community Space in Whitlam.
Upcoming dates: 11 February, 11 March, 8 April, 13 May, 10 June
“Nature is a teacher.
She unfolds her treasures to our search,
unseals our eyes,
illumes our minds,
and purifies our hearts.”
- Alfred Billings Street
Upcoming Weaving Workshops
Beginner Basics - Introductory Basket Weaving Series
If you've always wanted to learn basket weaving but haven't known where to begin, or perhaps you just fancy trying your hand at something new, these workshops are for you! You'll learn the beginner basics of coiling technique. The materials are simple - you'll be working with raffia (a natural fibre), a wide-eyed tapestry needle and your hands.
Coiled Flatwork in Long and Short Stitch
Saturday 7 February, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Mingle Community Space, Whitlam
In this 3hr session you'll create a small flat-worked round in long and short stitch suitable to use as a coaster, brooch, or hung ornament (fixings provided). This workshop is suitable for complete beginners or those wanting to revise foundation techniques before progressing to more complex projects.
Waveform Taking Shape in Figure 8 Stitch
Saturday 14 March, 9:30am - 12:30pm
Mingle Community Space, Whitlam
Create a striking waveform design in two tones. Learn how to form and shape your weaving with a raised edge, creating lifted sides to transform your flatwork base into a trinket dish, platter, or bowl. This introductory workshop is suitable for complete beginners or those wanting to revise foundation techniques before progressing to more complex projects.
Weaving is slow, mindful craft that can’t be rushed. It’s not complicated, but it takes time. With this in mind, you might not finish your work during a workshop. However you will leave with the knowledge and skills you need to do so at home. You can always come along to a Social Weaving Session for some guided support. Social sessions are held on the last Saturday of each month at a roving location. Follow Seasons of Self on social media or join the mailing list to be kept in the loop!
Weave your way to wellness…
Baskets have been around as long as humans have needed to carry things. The art of weaving has been practised by cultures across the world for generations.
I discovered basket weaving just prior to the covid 19 pandemic. During an otherwise uncertain time, this ancient craft proved to be a much-needed cathartic release, somewhere to put my worries. My unravelling nerves, were woven together again stitch by stitch.
This grounding practice keeps our hands busy and gives our minds something to focus on.
I love to teach this craft to others and witness their tension move from their body, to the basket. I work mostly in raffia and pine needles, but also enjoy exploring reclaimed materials that would otherwose go to waste such as plastics and fabric scraps.
Arranging a 1:1 lesson means I can give you my undivided attention.
I also facilitate group workshops for up to 12 people.
“A good life is like a weaving.
Energy is created in the tension.
The pull and tug are everything.”
- Joan Erikson
Nature-based Expressive Art Sessions
It’s only natural to express your creative nature. At base, we are not seperate from, but rather at one with nature. We are nature. Increasing urbanisation, digital creep, and the frenetic pace of life mean this understanding has become fractured. It’s all too easy to lose sight of who and what we are.
I facilitate nature-based expressive art sessions en plein air (outside) in beautiful locations across Canberra that invite you to:
Tune into your surroundings (and your inner landscape)
Activate your senses and appreciate the little details
Restore attention and find focus
Settle/recalibrate your nervous system
Find your stride and reinvigorate your body
Let go of stress and tension
Nurture your creative self
“Nature is an infinite sphere
of which the center is everywhere
and the circumference nowhere.”
- Blaise Pascal
Tailored Creative Workshops
I love bringing people together through art and nature. Wellbeing, team building, wholesome hens, baby showers, family gatherings - I can tailor a nature connection session or creative workshop to your needs. Create a collaborative art piece that reflects those in attendance. Workshops typically allow time for both personal reflection, hands on making, and group sharing.
Commissions
Looking for something unique? I create custom art pieces - whether for yourself or someone special. Past commissions have included woven platters, bowls, wall pieces, and jewelery.
PAST EVENTS
A two-part series combining clay forming and fibre weaving techniques to create intentionally imperfect vessels.
This hybrid workshop series presents an opportunity to experiment with materials and techniques without expectation or pressure to “produce” something perfect. Instead play is our objective! We’re not after neat, tidy, smooth or seamless… instead cracks, lumps, tangles, and wobbles are all welcome!
Part One
Create a hand shaped clay vessel using the pinch-pot technique. Once you've found your form, you'll create holes in readiness for part 2 - weaving the decorative detail around the rim. Your vessel will then be fired.
Part Two
In the second session you'll be reunited with your fired vessel and shown how to weave a decorative detail around the rim. You'll also be able to add gold cracks or flecks to your vessel to symbolise the art of golden repair.
Crackpots & Basket Cases
“Emergence”
In collaboration with Communities @ Work
24 October 2025
Spring is a time of emergence, renewal, and new beginnings. Explore this theme in a playful creative expression session with art therapist and nature connection facilitator Sally Holliday from Seasons of Self.
Beginning with a golden egg, you'll be guided in using a variety of materials to make a nest, adorned with natural and found materials. Does your egg need to incubate for a while, or is it ready to crack open? You decide - it's your creation! You might like to choose a bird guardian to watch over your piece.
This session is not so much a formal art workshop focused on learning technical skills, but rather a supported opportunity to express yourself creatively using a range of materials. You'll be encouraged to adopt a playful approach and have freedom to make things your own! Enjoy a relaxed afternoon with afternoon tea provided.
“There is something infinitely healing
in the repeated refrains of nature…
The assurance that dawn comes after night,
and spring after winter.”
- Rachel Carson
Create with Collage
10:30am - 4:00pm, Saturday 8 November 2025
Set aside Saturday 8 November to Create with Collage!
No prior experience is necessary to enjoy collage. Share the delights of this medium with other women in a fun, relaxed, and supportive setting. We've carved out a whole day to really immerse ourselves in the process! We will offer a range of structured/guided activities whilst allowing plenty of time for free play.
Who's facilitating?
Sally Ruth, Tess Gifford and Sally Holliday are 3 creative women who love to collage - each in their own style. You'll have access to insights from all 3 facilitators across the course of the day.
Where's it hapenning?
Main Hall, Common Ground Dickson
What to bring:
Essential - bring your hands and a sense of curiosity. We’ll provide scissors, glue sticks and a generous array of papers to play with (feel free to bring your own pair of scissors and personal imagery to incorporate if you like).
We're keeping this offering to a small group of just 15 tickets.
Registration is essential to secure your space!
We look forward to sharing the magic of collage with you!
““On the great canvas of time,
we all create our own masterpiece.
A snapshot in the cosmic,
collective collage.”
- Michele Jennae