Zentangle Challenge-Blue, a Fish, and an Angel...

This weeks challenge is Something Blue @ iamthediva.com (see the Diva's Challenge badge on the sidebar). This is an atc (2 1/2 x 31/2") in my pocket Moleskine sketchbook with a Zig ballpoint pen in turquoise. I started off with a black spiral covering the whole card, then filled in the spirals with patterns. 

Another atc I started in the Moleskine while sitting in the waiting room at the Dr.'s office. I used a black Zig ballpoint pen, and later, a turquoise one. The egg and wing shape are patterns I saw online somewhere. Mine didn't turn out too well, so I added swirlys and polka dots. Still not happy with it, but thought I'd share my not so good with my better with you anyway. :)

This one and the next two are 4x4" tiles cut from white cardstock, and I used turquoise and black Zig ballpoint pens. I started this one in the left upper corner with one of my favorite patterns and continued across the tile with more of my favorite patterns free-hand. As I said before, I don't pre-draw with a pencil, so any wobbly lines and uneven patterns show, but that makes it mine! :)

I prefer free-hand drawing to using patterns, because I have a really hard time following patterns for anything. However, I decided to try some cookie cutters for a starter pattern. I used a plastic cutter for this one, and it barely fit the 4x4" tile. I placed it on the paper, and, using a pencil, drew around the inside of the cutter, which left the very basic outline. Then I lightly divided it into sections, and using the Zig black ballpoint pen, went over the pencil lines and filled the sections in with some favorite patterns. I really like my little fish! :)

I used a very thin metal cookie cutter angel here. She looks a little like a nun, doesn't she? Same process as the fish.

I just wanted to show you that whether you can draw or not, you can tangle. There are lots of ways to get a starting line to fill in and some great tutorials online. I don't claim to be a pro, but you don't have to be a pro to enjoy doing what you love. :)

Learning Needlefelting 2-ATC?

Since this month's theme at Creative Every Day is intuition, I guess I can call this an intuitive yarn painting, of sorts.

I wanted to do some needlefeltting this morning, and since I didn't have any backing material handy, I decided to try felting yarn to yarn. I took the black yarn that was left from the kit project I shared before and pulled and tangled it into a flat shape and layed an atc template over it.

I started out to make a landscape atc by felting the blue and green yarns onto the black, but then it called for a pink stripe. I liked it and was going to leave it that way, but then the muse whispered, "If you felt it on the back too, it will lock it together better."

Okay, the black backing had pulled apart some when I pulled it off the foam punching block, because the needle punches the yarn into the foam, so this sounded like a good idea.

Memo to me: Get a bigger and better punching block-the brush type which doesn't hold onto the yarn

So I turned it over and happily punched away. It did lock together better, but now there were lots of black fibers sticking through the pastel colors (the lesson here is not to use a dark backing under light colors). I added more blue, green, and pink yarn to the front, but still could see the black showing through. I kind of liked it like that, except that there was a small black cluster over the pink and down into the green that looked sort of like a swarm of bees, thus the yellow wispy piece diagonally across the front. Ms Muse told me to do it. ;)

Because I desperately need to do some cleaning, I'm calling it finished, for now. If I trim the black edge off it and add a decorative stitch around the edge it's an ATC. I'm kind of liking the black edges, and as I sit here looking at it, I see all sorts of possibilities, like maybe beads or charms or decorative stitching added...

Anyway, just thought I'd share what I'm playing with right now. Thanks to all you who inspire me every day by sharing whats on your work table! :)

CED-Ducks, Experiments, & Inspiration

Ducky Blue Napping was an experiment in finger painting. I used watercolor and inktense pencils to color the doodle drawing in my Moleskine watercolor book. You know I like darker, more intense, colors, don't you? Anyway, then I dipped my finger in water and made little swirls all over the background, merging the colors together. I also used my finger to paint the duck. His feathers are fingerprints. I used a black pencil to emphasize some of the feathers. I like him!



I hadn't carved a linoleum block in a while, but I was INSPIRED by Dandelion 's block prints on her blog to get mine out and start carving. I had some small pieces of linoleum already cut, so the swan is atc sized and the hat lady is just a little larger. I drew with a pencil directly on the tan linoleum, then carved the lines out. I usually carved everything out but the lines, but Dandelion's pieces were so delicate and pretty I decided to try it that way. This is a trial run on an old envelope, and they need tweeking a bit more, but I decided to share them anyway. I had fun doing them!

Walking the Peace Duck is a drawing born of doodle marks and imagination in the Moleskine sketchbook. It is drawn in regular pencil, and I digitally enhanced it make it darker. You can see some of the doodle lines remaining that I pulled the image out of. I will probably eventually color it in, but right now I love it as is.

I also have a blog post for Every Day Matters of a pencil drawing of a pear from five different angels if you'd like to see.

I seem to have gotten a jumpstart on CED's September theme of Inspiration. I have been inspired all week to try different things. I even took the plunge and opened an Etsy shop. Now I need to get inspired further and get it all set up and something in it for sale.

Hope one of these made you smile! :)

Arty Girlz-Red & White

This week's challenge at ArtyGirlz is red & white, so here is a little red cat that came out of my doodling. It's watercolor with white acrylic dots and a black sharpie in my Moleskine pocket wc book. The page isn't laying totally flat which makes it look larger at one end. It isn't. I just didn't want to tear it out yet. I think he has kitten pox. :)

The one below is a regular playing card stamped with alphabet, a face, and stars.

Hope they make you smile. Have a great Sunday! :)

ATCs & Peeling Paint

This week's challenge at Artygirlz is to make an atc. I'm sharing three. These two are watercolor/wc pencils, pencil, and ultra fine black sharpie on wc paper in a Moleskine wc pocket book. They are some of my doodle drawings painted.

I am late with the Inspire Me Thursday challenge for last week, which is peeling paint. Below are two inchies and an atc, which have the peeling paint technique applied to them in acrylics. The atc has four layers of paint, which was very bright, so I stamped on a piece of rice paper and glued on top to tone it down. The words are written in a fine black sharpie.

The inchies are done in copper and blue, then coated with acrylic medium, which is making them look kind of milky looking. They also have copper glitter embedded in the medium. They are backgrounds ready for something to be added. All are laying on a postcard sized piece of acrylic coated wc paper.

Close up of ATC

I missed participating in both challenges for a week or two. It's good to back back. Thanks for looking and I hope you enjoy. 8:)