There are two secrets, I think, to landscapes. One is the adherence to a good composition. Without a good composition, the work won't be as interesting as it should be. There are books which describe classic types of composition; if you become committed to making landscapes, you'll need to study those.
Another secret to good landscapes or any piece of art is called the Golden Mean. There is a mathematical calculation, I believe, that goes with it, but I have a simpler description. If you put a large "plus" sign in the middle of your piece, the center of interest or focus point should fall somewhere in one of the corners created.
Once you have studied these concepts and gotten them into your head, they will come naturally to your thinking as you design landscapes. You will find yourself checking for them intuitively.
The other concept, which I found by trial and error, is the presence of light and shadow, or light and dark (the Masters called it chiaroscuro). Ignoring shadows isn't true to life and will make a work flat and two-dimensional. The best landscape artists make good use of this concept! Light and dark can be implemented first in the fabrics you choose, but can also be added through fabric pens, dye, or paint, and see-through fabrics such as tulle.
To start your first landscape and implement these concepts, try drawing the major lines of your inspiration picture on a sketch pad, and with your pen (you can use a Sharpie) jaggedly fill in the shadows you see. See how you have implemented these two concepts. Is your picture interesting? Then make changes as you need to.
Remember, it all comes with practice, so let loose and just have a good time with your work.
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