About Susan Ashbrook

Susan has worked in art her entire career. In her early career, she worked as a commercial artist. One of her favourite jobs was making trade show displays and designing parade floats.

Susan began teaching art in 1996 and was executive director at the Visual Arts Centre Orleans (VACO) for 10 years. She also had a flower shop for 17 years and taught floral design.

Susan describes herself as an “artistic explorer” - she loves experimenting and trying new things. She has worked in soft pastels, oil, acrylic and mixed media. She exhibited her paintings, winning prizes and awards, the most notable of which were placing as a finalist in The Artist’s Magazine’s annual international competition and receiving an honourable mention in the International Artist magazine competition. Susan’s work was featured in the book “How Did You Paint That: 100 Ways to Paint Flowers and Gardens”, as well as in “Incite: Dreams Realized… The Best of Mixed Media” and International Artist magazine published her article on marketing oneself as an artist.

During the Covid 19 pandemic, all of Susan’s teaching and exhibition venues were closed so her art career took a surprising pivot to designing and creating journals, greeting cards and small treasures that include tiny paintings, decorated trinket boxes, coaster sets and food safe gift containers. This became the focus of her creative outlet, and she continues to this day. “It’s not painting, but it is equally creative and artistically satisfying” she says.

What Susan can offer...

Journals

Journals can be used for many things, and there are as many different types as there are uses. So, let’s explore some of the options...

Hard Cover

These are bound using thick matte board as the base for the cover which can be finished in fabric, paper or other materials such as leather, real or faux, etc. Hard cover journals are bound in two ways. Either like a hard cover book with a ridged spine and the pages (signatures) stitched in, or bound looseleaf with a book ring binding system. Book bound journals have a finite number of pages and book ring bound journals offer the ability to add more pages, replace the pages once they are completed or organize them in a different order, depending on how you want to use them.

Soft Cover

Soft cover journals can be covered in paper, fabric, leather, real or faux and any number of other materials. They tend not to have full spines and therefore accommodate less page signatures, which are generally stitched in, making them a finite item.

Traveller’s Folios

These can be soft or semi-hard covered and usually feature removable/replaceable writing journals as well as pockets and envelopes for storing your ticket stubs, postcards and other souvenirs. They are narrower than normal journals to be able to fit into your carry-on luggage, to be accessed easily, as needed, during your journey… so you know where you are!

Garden Journals

These were designed based on a journal that Susan kept, as an avid gardener. It allows you to record weather, weekly changes in the garden, work that needs to be done, new plants that you want to add and more! They are available in book bound and ring bound versions.

Children’s Journals

These fun journals, based on themes that children love, include tactile sensations, bling, lots of stickers to use, writing pages and colouring images. Themes include puppies, kitties, mermaids, fairies and unicorns.

Greeting Cards

In this day of modern technology, with so many different forms of correspondence, why not return to the special tradition of sending personal greeting cards. Taking the time to select, write and send a beautiful handmade card shows the recipient just how much they are loved and appreciated. It also makes a pleasant change from the usual bills and flyers when it lands in their mailbox!

Susan makes cards for all the usual occasions as well as customizing them for non-conventional ones. She creates them in a variety of sizes that can be mailed as well as some with more depth that are better suited to hand delivery. Cards can include an inside greeting or be left blank so you can use them as note cards.

Susan also creates original art cards using mixed media and collage elements. These are archival and suitable for framing.

Treasures

Susan’s treasures are small handmade gift items that suit many occasions.

Tiny Framed Paintings

Tiny little masterpieces that are framed to both sit on a table or hang on a wall. They include a variety of subject matter and are produced using acrylic paints, mixed media, collage and other media and techniques. Sizes of the paintings range from 5” x 7” down to 4” x 4” and include florals, fruit, plant life, beach scenes and more.

Food Safe Gift Canisters

Decorated cardboard cylinders that are perfect for gifting foodstuffs in… candies, cookies, tea, hot chocolate, other powdered drink mixes and herb and spice seasonings etc. They are also great for storing things in, either in the kitchen or the arts and crafts room, or anywhere for that matter.

Treasure Boxes

These exquisite little boxes come in a variety of shapes, sizes, styles and themes. Perfect for keeping jewellery, a special shell collection, or golf tees in! They can even be made to house your selection of handmade coasters.

Hand Made Coasters

Did you notice that smooth segue? Susan makes wooden coasters with a cork base, to protect your furniture. Shapes include round, square and rectangular. She decorates them based on themes, such as seasons, holidays, wildlife and land, sea or coastal images.

Custom Orders 

Anything that Susan creates can be customized. She enjoys the challenge of making it personal for the customer and/or the recipient and she’s happy to discuss the options with you. Please contact her directly if you are interested in having something created for your specific someone or needs.

Teaching

Craft Home Parties

Susan also offers Home Parties for you and your friends to learn about crafting while enjoying each other’s company. Subjects include silk scarf decorating, glass Christmas ornaments, greeting cards and a variety of styles of journal making. For more information, please contact Susan directly.