There have been a lot of comings and goings in my family lately. I was out in Colorado, my husband traveled to Arizona, and most exciting of all, our daughter returned from a semester abroad in Costa Rica. We all brought back gifts and mementos from our journeys, but I am most anxious to see Olivia's travel journals.

Today, I have a handmade feather tutorial from mixed-media collage and assemblage artist Jenny Cochran Lee. Jenny decorates her 3-D mixed-media collage assemblages with these easy-to-make embellishments.

I recently completed a flurry of art projects. After congratulating myself on my productivity, I turned around to look look at my home studio, and wondered, "Who made this huge mess?

Several events have happened lately that have made me stop and ask myself where I'm going in my life, among them a birthday and the realization that my children are getting more independent.

The vestiges of last week's snowstorm still linger in crusted mounds all over our yard. But I can ignore them because of the unmistakable spring sound of birdsong that has been filling the air the last few mornings.

To me a sketchbook is where you practice, try out ideas for your next painting or background texture, and make written or drawn notes to yourself. Here are three important reasons why collage and mixed-media artists should keep a sketchbook.

Collage is probably my favorite artform. I like paper collage, fabric collage, and mixed-media collage. I think it's my favorite because collage art gives me the chance to use pretty much every supply in my studio. Plus, I just love cutting and gluing.

Join Cloth Paper Scissors editor Jenn Mason on Valentine's Day for our very first free Make-Along Webinar, February 14, 2013, at 1 p.m EASTERN TIME.