Knowledge is

Here’s a collage zine I started at a local zine hangout on Thursday and finished tonight.

I like experimenting during zine-making events, so this style is very different from the zines I usually make.

The images are pretty random. 😂 I was looking more at colors and patterns, with less regard for items in each image. Text is inspired by old card catalog entries (cards were on the tables, among archival materials available to use).

A hand holds the front cover of a collage zine with a photo of chairs and domino patterns. The title is Knowledge is... A hand holds a collage zine that features various images, including a grapefruit slice, a photo of people, and colorful xylophone keys. The text says, Challenge and response. A hand holds a collage zine that features a grapefruit slice, part of a paint brush, and abstract shapes. The text says, skepticism. A hand holds a collage zine with images of large green leaves, colorful geometric patterns, and dominoes. The text says, question and answer. A hand holds a collage zine that features colorful speech bubbles, a blue oval shape with purple doodles around it, and a yellow star. The text says, communication. A hand holds a collage zine that features an illustrated backpack with various objects inside it. The text says, theory. A hand holds a collage zine that features an illustration of Earth with a yellow abstract background and a vintage photograph of a crowd of people. The text says, empathy. A hand holds the back cover of a collage zine with abstract geometric designs on the top of the page and a domino pattern on the bottom of the page. There's a small moon and stars logo next to the words, Mythical Type. Near the bottom of the page, text says F&M zine hangout, Nov. 21, 2024, Lancaster, PA.

Happy Doctor Who day!

I still have a few copies of Hipster Doctor Who.

A hand is holding the zine Hipster Doctor Who. The zine cover has a purple, blue, and red galaxy image in the background. Text on top of the image says Hipster Doctor Who in all uppercase letters.

It’s available in my Etsy shop, or you can message me if you’re interested in trading. 🙂


Collage background for a zine

I’m working on a new mini zine about astronaut food. For the background, I wanted to collage a bunch of images of stars, the night sky, and related textures.

I collected images out of an issue of Astronomy magazine, and I gathered some illustrations and scrapbook paper I had.

Here’s a photo of some of the images.

Several astronomy-themed images featuring celestial bodies and lunar surfaces.

Here’s a photo of what the collage looks like.

A collage features various cosmic-themed elements, including stars, planets, and celestial textures on a textured background.

Next I’ll scan this into my computer, add more images digitally, and then add text (…which I still have to write).


Urban Legends is now available as a digital zine! You can download the PDF on Ko-fi for free (or pay what you want). 👻🎃

The cover of Urban Legends on a purple background with spider webs in the top corners. Text at the bottom says, Digital version now available on Ko-fi.

Urban Legends made it to Australia!

I sent a copy of Urban Legends to Sea Green Zines, since she helped get the word out about open submissions.

Check out the video review on Sea Green Zines’ YouTube channel. Urban Legends is about 25 minutes in.

There’s a whole other set of zines in the video before that if you want to check that out, too. 😃


Left-brained art

“Left-brained art” is a mini zine that includes tips for how to make art without having to plan all the details up front. Each page includes a tip and brief explanation.

This zine encourages you to work with the materials you already have and not worry about what people will think of the finished work.

I drew the background by hand with markers. Layout and text in Canva.

Copies are available in my Etsy shop (U.S. only). I’m also open to trading! (Message me.)

A hand holds a mini zine called Left-brained art. A hand holds and open zine with advice on overcoming creative obstacles by simply starting and allowing ideas to flow. A hand holds an open zine with text about focusing on personal interests and accepting uncertainty. A hand holds an open zine with text about creativity and self-expression.

Full text in the zine:

Front cover

Left-brained art

Page 1

If you are a left-brained person (like me!), sometimes making art feels difficult. 

You want there to be order. You want to sort out all the details from the start. And if you can’t do that, you feel stuck.

Here are some things I try to remember so I don’t get stuck. 

Maybe these will be helpful to you, too.

Page 2

Simply start

Easier said than done. 

Try making something (anything) before you decide on what the end result will be.

One idea might spark another idea..and then another.

Page 3

What’s “good”?

Don’t get hung up on what’s “good.”

Whatever is trending or popular for the moment doesn’t matter. 

Make what interests you.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Page 4

No plan is okay

You don’t have to plan everything. (It feels uncomfortable. I know.)

Figure it out as you go.

You can take it one step at a time.

Page 5

What you have

In most cases, you don’t need special tools to start a creative project.

You can start with what you already have.

“The best camera is the one you have with you.” – Chase Jarvis

Page 6

You, first

Make stuff for yourself.

If other people like it, that’s a bonus.

If no one else likes it, you’re still learning and growing.

Either way, you win.


My first zine was a joke

So you met your doppelgänger” was the first zine I made, back in December 2019. It was a fun little thing to give to my friends at work for New Year’s Day. I was playing with the idea of “new year, new you.”

A holds a mini zine titled So You Met Your Doppelgänger: How to deal with the other You - a practical guide, against a colorful background.

I wanted the zine to read like a straightforward guide but at the same time, it’s dry humor.

The stick figure drawings add to the effect: The zine seems serious but it’s actually silly.

Then I posted the zine online, made a few more zines, and started an Etsy shop. “So you met your doppelgänger” was getting positive reactions from people. Copies were selling on Etsy.

In 2023, I went to my first zine fest. People stopped by my table and picked up “So you met your doppelgänger.” They laughed when they read it and said it was clever. It was the first time I saw strangers’ reactions to my zines, in person.

Five years after I made it, “So you met your doppelgänger” is still my most popular zine. There are over 300 copies of it out in the world.

And it started as a joke.

When I made “So you met your doppelgänger,” I had no idea people would find it online and purchase copies…and continue to do that for years.

So whatever you’re making, share it. You can’t predict how people will react to your work.

Share it, and see how it goes.


Test copies

This week I’ve been making minor edits to my new mini zine, Left-brained art.

After I drafted text and images, I printed a test copy. Then I used a red pen to mark edits and changes.

Back to Canva to make edits and then print a new test copy.

More red pen.

Repeat until I’m happy with how everything looks.


Contributor zine: Urban Legends

“Urban Legends” is a quarter-page zine that collects art and writing about urban legends, myths, and folklore. Eighteen people contributed stories, poetry, illustrations, and collages. Work was submitted from the U.S., Canada, Scotland, Belgium, and Germany

Auto-generated description: A hand holds a book titled Urban Legends, which features artwork and text about urban myths, folklore, and legends on its cover.

The finished zine is 36 pages (including covers); 4.25" wide x 5.5" high; printed in black & white; and bound with staples.

The cover is white cardstock. Interior pages are 24 lb white paper.

I’m mailing copies to contributors this week. Limited copies are available in my Etsy shop.

Urban Legends is also available as a digital zine. You can download it for free on Ko-fi (or pay what you want).

Check out a few of the pages:

Auto-generated description: A book is open to a page titled Crazy Jones by C.F. Robert, featuring a personal narrative about childhood experiences with an Indian Guides group. Auto-generated description: An illustration of a woman with long hair holding a scythe, seated by a moonlit backdrop with the title ARDUINNA at the top. Auto-generated description: Holding an open book, the visible page contains a story titled Ogopogo by Christine Hart, discussing a personal experience with the legendary creature.

Zine station success

Yesterday I ran a zine-making station at a public library fundraiser. 🙂

The library had a Fall Fair with a bake sale, raffles, magic show, and games. Arts and crafts tables were inside the library. Here’s the zine-making station.

Auto-generated description: A library table set up for a crafting activity is covered with art supplies like markers, glue sticks, and colorful paper.

The library provided magazines, scrapbook paper, markers, glue sticks, scissors, and plain white paper. I brought copies of How to make a mini zine and What’s a zine?

This is the first time I’ve done a zine event with kids. Having collage materials definitely helps, so kids don’t have to write something on the spot.

Two girls spent about an hour and a half at the table, making two zines each, because they said they were having so much fun. 🥹

I think if I do more kid-focused zine events, I might make some kind of template that they can fill in. Having more of a guide might be a nice option besides having a blank piece of paper.

Here’s a zine I made during some downtime.

A hand holds a small zine titled My favorite Fall Things with autumn leaves on the cover. A hand holds pages 1 and 2 of the zine, which includes the text: apple pie, apple dumplings, apple cider, and apple turnovers. At the bottom of the page, there's a photo of a basket of apples. A holds pages 3 and 4 of the zine, with phrases like Fall colors, changing leaves, sunsets. There's a small sun illustration. A hand holds pages 5 and 6 of the zine. The text says, holidays, Halloween, Nov. 14 is my birthday! and Thanksgiving. Decorative orange and brown patterns are on the edges of the paper. A hand holds the back of the zine, which features floral and celestial designs, titled Mythical Type, with event details for the Wernersville Public Library Fall Fair in September 2024.