Muriel's Magpie

Muriel's Magpie Personalised Illustrations, handmade greeting cards, custom art, school art subject support, Voluntary/ Community Projects, DM me I love to design and create.

I'm up for commissioned challenges. I'm addicted to buttons. I’m very happy collaborating and getting involved in voluntary and community work!

I get the feeling… … I’m almost there!
12/06/2026

I get the feeling…

… I’m almost there!

Yay!!!What do these three images have in common you might be thinking??? Well I’m coming to the end of a big big project...
11/06/2026

Yay!!!

What do these three images have in common you might be thinking??? Well I’m coming to the end of a big big project and I can finally see the light for the drawings!

I’ve been working away in bits and bobs of any chunks of time that I can on a big illustration project for Ash and I’m down to the last few drawings.

I’m so excited to see the final proofs of Ash’s book with my illustrations in place.

I’ve made a set of over 50 drawings, simple and explanatory in purpose, black and white quick sketches and then adding a load of editing to get them super black and white for print.

I’m so excited to see how they fit the text and see the final result 🤗

Clay update…Here is a little snippet of the latest batch of creations being made my club.I’ve a variety of children atte...
09/06/2026

Clay update…

Here is a little snippet of the latest batch of creations being made my club.

I’ve a variety of children attending with varying age ranges and skills.

At the moment Year 4 to 6 attend and they have all chosen what they would like to create this term.

Some creations are being made such as; a bowl with fruit, a doughnut vase, a piece of pizza, a dragon, a cat, a cute cupcake, a whale and an eye.

It’s so interesting to see what the children pick to create, some arrive knowing exactly what they’d like to do - I wonder where their ideas come from!

What would you make is you had 10 hours to play with clay?




__________________
👋 Hi, Mary here, I create personalised illustrations, take my wares to various fairs and markets and enjoy a good school based arty project.
Oh and I teach a Ceramics Club in TW2.
✍️ Get in touch to work with me.

Ever wanted to try your hand at collage, mixed media or assemblage art? Our recent trial lesson for my Birds and Botanic...
05/06/2026

Ever wanted to try your hand at collage, mixed media or assemblage art?

Our recent trial lesson for my Birds and Botanicals Workshop was an absolute joy!

Look at these amazing creations the attendees (my friends and neighbours) made in just one session.

✨ Whether you are a total beginner or looking to try some new skills, you can create something this beautiful, too. Plus it’s all about the process, the gorgeous outcome is a huge plus!

The ‘Birds and Botanicals’ sessions kick off in exactly one month, giving you the perfect opportunity to take a moment out of your hectic schedule for some slowing down, calming artistic activity!

This workshop is all about bringing a curiosity and willingness to slow down, get caught up in the papers and textures whilst being inspired by nature, in particular birds. A time to play and enjoy the materials and process.

🗓️ Dates: Friday 10th, Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th July.
⏱️ Time: various (email for details)
📍 Location: Carry on Crafting Festival, South of England Showground.

Spaces are limited to groups of up to 7 participants in the evenings with 1:1 or pair taught sessions available during the day too. All happening in my gazebo at the festival. This will ensure personalised guidance and support from me, spots are filling up fast!

👉 Interested?
💬 Have questions?

Drop a comment or send us a DM!

The perfect pairing…A heartfelt card and a gift that reflects what someone loves.Whether it’s a treasured pair of binocu...
03/06/2026

The perfect pairing…

A heartfelt card and a gift that reflects what someone loves.

Whether it’s a treasured pair of binoculars for the birdwatcher, a favourite vinyl record for the music lover, or another thoughtful keepsake, a handmade card adds that personal touch that makes a gift truly memorable.

I love seeing how you pair my cards with meaningful gifts for the special people in your life.

What would you pair with one of my handmade cards?

Sustainability……and recycling.I am so conscious in our throw away world, of making every effort to adopt and keep an eco...
01/06/2026

Sustainability…

…and recycling.

I am so conscious in our throw away world, of making every effort to adopt and keep an eco ethos in my making and life in general.

I love using found objects, discarded papers, other peoples trash has always become my treasure, this in part is where my name choice came from for Muriel’s Magpie.

European folklore tells tales of magpies in which they are branded as thieves that steal jewelry and shiny trinkets.

They are fantastic collectors of objects and utilisers of items discarded by others.

Plus they look purely black and white from a distance, a closer look in the sunlight reveals a stunning, iridescent green, blue, and purple sheen across their wings and tail.

I think this sums up perfectly how I feel about creating with discarded materials.

Items that from the outside look like rubbish can, in fact, make a wonderful and beautiful piece of art.

I regularly visit charity shops to ask for any books that might end up in land fill, I buy peoples discarded sheet music, I’ll keep envelopes and scraps of interesting papers (napkins, paper plates, packaging wrappers, promotional brochures old magazines)

I love using found items in my collages and combining them with a hint of gold leaf, metallic thread or pen.

What’s the most unique material you’ve ever used in a creation?

Colouring …….is a wonderfully accessible tool that promotes mental wellness by reducing stress, calming the brain, and e...
30/05/2026

Colouring …

….is a wonderfully accessible tool that promotes mental wellness by reducing stress, calming the brain, and encouraging mindfulness.

This process works brilliantly for both children and adults; the practice stimulates brain activity, sharpens focus, improves fine motor skills, and helps manage negative thought patterns.

Colouring engages both sides of the brain, we use both the logical and the creative when engaging in a colouring session.

Some of my colouring page designs incorporate small spaces for you to add in your own drawings, patterns or larger areas of blending.

Some people favour using limited colour palettes, others love blending coloured pencils. Using water markers or glitter pens looks really effective too.

Proven to be an amazing way to relax, calm your nervous system and take a break from your busy life, day and mind.

When will you get engrossed in your next colouring session?

Need a colouring sheet - DM for prices.

The Musical Museum…It’s been so lovely this past month working with the Musical Museum to get my greeting cards stocked....
28/05/2026

The Musical Museum…

It’s been so lovely this past month working with the Musical Museum to get my greeting cards stocked.

I started by stocking 5 that I had already created - these cards are left blank inside for your own message and all have a musical element to them.

I have been developing a 6th that I’ve now added to my little stand, this design is based around the wren and incorporating the landscape from the design of my paperback journal that I sell, plus some musical score. A glimpse of the tranquility of the countryside and the joy of nature and birdsong.

The Musical Museum has such a range of visitors so it is wonderful to know that my cards might well end up all over the world.

More ideas to come along the theme of birds and music and if you fancy creating something along this theme join me at Carry on Crafting Festival in July for my Birds and Botanicals workshop.

22/05/2026

And the winner is…

…….well done you’ve got yourself two tickets to .festival!!

I’ll be in touch to tell you how you get the tickets.

Excuse me for not being in the video, I was very hot and red faced at the end of a trial session for my Birds and Botanicals workshop

Plus I had had a couple of glasses of rosè by the time we were all packed up and ready to do the draw and go home so my very quick draw was actually a few minutes long. I’ve cut the waffle off the end! 🤪

Well done! Have a lovely weekend 🥵🤗🤪

Last chance…Find my original post below and like it for a chance to win 2 tickets to .festival I’ll be doing the draw fo...
21/05/2026

Last chance…

Find my original post below and like it for a chance to win 2 tickets to .festival

I’ll be doing the draw for it tomorrow evening after my trial run of my Birds and Botanicals Session that I’m offering at the festival.

Grab yourself entry to win tickets for a lovely day out. What better if you are into crafting that a whole festival dedicated to all things creative and crafty with over 130 different classes on offer!

Hopefully see you there!!!

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Ludlow

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Monday 9am - 5am
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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