After the success of first video workshop (I can't believe all 100 places sold out!) that I held last Summer for Butterfly Conservation, I'm excited to announce a new workshop!

On 1st June 2024 at 10am, I'll be hosting a live workshop which you can sign up for and access via Zoom. The full lesson will include a step-by-step of how to hand-carve your own bamboo pen, drawing exercises including mark-making, colour mixing and illustrative techniques, and then a guided final piece on a ready-prepared greeting card of an inky Peacock butterfly sat on top of a Buddleja bloom as shown in the image. You'll receive a craft kit in the post with all the materials one week prior to the workshop, so when the live class begins you'll have everything you need. It will contain two blank watercolour greeting cards and eco envelopes, (so you can try your hand at creating the same design twice, or making your own second design), a ready-made bamboo pen, powdered inks, a £5 voucher for katemoby.com, all practice papers and reference materials. Suitable for ages 7+. Don't worry if you can't make it on the day, the session will be recorded for you to enjoy in your own time afterwards. You can also purchase the previous workshop from September too if you fancy a final piece of a wildflower meadow, detailed honeysuckle and two beautiful moths.

£10 of the ticket price goes straight to Butterfly Conservation, so you can learn a new skill whilst raising crucial funds to help butterflies and moths in decline in the UK. For more information please contact [email protected].

Just to let you know that I'll be out of the studio from 15 March-4 April on another creative break, so any orders placed in this window will be sent when I return. The exception to this are items made to order sent directly from the printers, which will go straight out as usual. You can find a category of all of these on the homepage, or click the button below, so if you needed something without delay, this is the place to look! Products available include indoor & outdoor cushions, child & adult sized aprons, phone cases, drinkware and worktop savers, so plenty of options still to choose from.

This might be useful to know if you were hoping to buy something for Easter, which is 31st March this year. So if you've had an eye on an Inky Hare or Duckling something that isn't made to order, please order before 15th March so that it will arrive in time!

Any requests for new animals you'd like to see that I can work on whilst I'm away? Get in touch to let me know!

Mostly recovered from the Christmas madness, I'm already planning for the new year. You can see where I'll be popping up in real life below and this list will get updated as the year goes on, so be sure to check back in for the latest news. Please do come and say hello if you're visiting any! It's also worth keeping an eye on my social media incase I get any free tickets to give away.

5th May Arnos Vale May Fair
Arnos Vale, Bath Road, Bristol, BS4 3EW
10am- 3pm

16th June Bath Independent Market
Green Park Station, Green Park Road, Bath, Somerset, BA1 1JB
11am - 4pm

23rd June House to Home Summer Pop Up
Criftens Fold Yard, Sapey Common, Clifton on Teme, WR6 6ES
10am to 5pm

7th July The Fold Artisan Market
The Fold, Bransford, Worcester WR6 5JB.
10am to 3pm

13th July Edgebaston Artisan Market
Edgbaston Village, Greenfield Crescent, B15 3AU
10am- 3pm

7th - 15th September h.Art Hereford Art Week
Garron Centre, Llangarron, Herefordshire HR9 6NJ
(there is a café at the venue serving teas, coffees cakes and lunches!)
11am - 5pm each day

26th-27th October Nature in Art’s Gift and Craft Fair
Nature in Art, Main A38 Twigworth, GL2 9PA
10am to 5pm each day

16th November The Downs Christmas Fair
The Downs Malvern, Brockhill Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WR13 6EY
9.30am - 2pm

19th-20th November Woburn Luxury Gift Fair
Woburn Safari Lodge, Woburn Safari Park
Entrance on 19th November - Star Lodge MK17 9DW 
Entrance on 20th November - Turnpike Road MK43 0XB
19th November 6pm - 9pm
20th November 9.30am - 4pm

23rd November Christmas at the Castle
Hatherop Castle, Cirencester, GL7 3NB
10am - 4pm

28th November Herefordshire Festive Gift Fair
The Pavilion Rooms, Ledbury Rugby Club, HR8 2LP
4pm - 8.30pm

1st December The Fold Artisan Market
The Fold, Bransford, Worcester WR6 5JB.
10am to 3pm

I wanted to let you know what I’m doing for the looming behemoth that is Black Friday. As usual, I’m avoiding the unsustainable price-slashing in favour of something kinder. The vote on my Instagram was very close between donating items to the food bank and a donation to Médecins Sans Frontières so I’ve decided to do both. For every single item ordered on katemoby.com, I’ll buy one item for the Hereford Food Bank, so 3 cards = 3 cans of soup for example. Whatever the food costs I’ll then match as a donation to MSF so with one purchase you can do good, both at home and abroad.

The good stuff doesn’t stop there though. For every order over £10 I’ll pop in an Inky Animal A4 unframed print worth £15, but as I don’t want anyone to be left out or feel pressure to spend more than they thought, orders under £10 will have a bundle of postcards worth £5 instead. No code needed, free UK shipping as usual, offer runs from now until Monday night. Let’s add some colour to Black Friday together.

I had a lovely time at my first event of the year, I even managed to bring some new products, which I haven't properly launched yet. It's a great privilege to see the show without the crowds early in the morning, so if you'd like to see a little behind the scenes snapshot of RHS Malvern, click the picture for my quick scamper round early one morning.

I'm planning on lots more in person events this year - I realised after 2020 just how much I'd missed seeing customers in real life, making new stallholder friends and bouncing ideas off real people. Here is the list so far of where I'll be showing up, please do come and say hello if you're visiting any! It's also worth keeping an eye on my social media incase I get any free tickets to give away.

11th - 14th May RHS Malvern Spring Festival
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW
9am – 6pm each day

8th July Edgebaston Artisan Market
Edgbaston Village, Greenfield Crescent, B15 3AU
10am- 3pm

29th July Moseley Arts Market
Alcester Road, Moseley, B13 8JP
9am - 3pm

5th August Malvern Arts and Food
Grounds of Malvern Priory, Abbey Road, WR14 2AY
10am to 5pm

13th August The Nest Artisan Market
SwallowsNest, Little Verzons Farm, Ledbury, HR8 2PZ
10am to 3.30pm

18th-20th August Art in Penallt
Humble by Nature, Upper Meend Farm, NP25 4RP
10am - 4pm each day

17th September Wye Valley Makers
The Shack, Bastion Mews, Hereford HR1 2BT
11am to 3pm

22nd-24th September Malvern Autumn Show 
Three Counties Showground, Malvern, WR13 6NW
9am - 6pm each day

7th October Malvern Arts and Food
Grounds of Malvern Priory, Abbey Road, WR14 2AY
10am - 5pm

14th October Edgebaston Artisan Market
Edgbaston Village, Greenfield Crescent, B15 3AU
10am- 3pm

28th-29th October Nature in Art’s Gift and Craft Fair
Nature in Art, Main A38 Twigworth, GL2 9PA
10am to 5pm each day

2nd November Herefordshire Festive Gift Fair
The Pavilion Rooms, Ledbury Rugby Club, HR8 2LP
4pm - 8.30pm

18th November Christmas at the Castle
Hatherop Castle, Cirencester, GL7 3NB
10am - 4pm

19th November FestiveNest
SwallowsNest, Little Verzons Farm, Ledbury, HR8 2PZ
10am to 4pm

25th November Malvern Christmas Lights
Grounds of Malvern Priory, Abbey Road, WR14 2AY
10am to 6.30pm

2nd-3rd December Gloucester Quays Christmas Market
Gloucester Quays St Ann Way, Gloucester GL1 5SH
10am - 6pm (Saturday) and 10am - 5pm (Sunday)

9th December Edgebaston Artisan Market
Edgbaston Village, Greenfield Crescent, B15 3AU
10am- 3pm

There aren't many environments where you won't spot a feathered friend. Thriving in the unlikeliest of situations, birdlife brings hope that even the most wilderness-starved corners can host a little of the natural world. In our rushing around, bird song can be something we tune out, or if we do register it, it may not go further than thinking "Oh that's nice." But learning just a few simples tunes and who makes them can suddenly unlock a whole orchestra of understanding, create connection with the more than human world* and bring a little wild just a little closer. The best part is that it doesn't have to be hard!

I use an amazing tool called Birdnet which is an app for iPhone or Android that records the sound and tells you the most likely singer along with links to more facts. Not an ad, I just really love it and use it most weeks!  So you get the joy of tuning your ears to songs, whether they're starting to sound familiar or not, and the instant gratification of an answer.

During lockdown, I watched this 1 minute video BTO series on birdsong, focusing on different birds in an easy and accessible way and would really recommend it. Being blessed with a garden, that window into a bigger world during that difficult time when all our horizons shrank gave so much joy and peace. Just like that first lockdown, early Spring is an excellent time to start to open your ears - birds are tuning up in earnest as they start to lay their claim to breeding territories, and the aptly named Song Thrush can be heard from dawn until dusk (and sometimes at night too!)

Remember that it’s not a test, but becoming familiar with just a couple of feathered friends will open up a whole new world of understanding and connection. So instead of hearing bird song and just thinking "oh that's nice," you can think, "I can hear a surprisingly loud wren even though they're so tiny and camouflaged I can't spot them."

“A sky filled with tiny, twinkling lights is one thing, but a sky filled with other worlds is quite another. Deeper understanding confers that most precious thing - wonder.”
- Professor Brian Cox

Oh and I’m working on a garden bird collection at the moment, hopefully coming soon!

* This phrase is often used by We Are Stardust - a small business hero of mine who also blends science and beauty.

Just to let you know that I'll be out of the studio from 10-28 March on another creative break, so any orders placed in this window will be sent when I return. This might be useful to know if you were hoping to buy something for (UK) Mother's Day, which is 19th March this year - smack in the middle of my break! So if you've had an eye on something for the Mumma figure in your life, please order before 10th March so that it will arrive in time!

I hope 2023 is treating you all kindly so far! It's starting to feel a bit more Spring-like here in Herefordshire - we've even enjoyed lunch outside in the sunshine!