More Zentangles

Such a lovely day.  Snow, cold, wind, icy roads.  I just love it.  Good time to Zentangle so I colored the tree some more.  I prefer it not colored, but too late now.

The next one has the background painted with water color pencils with the curly design masked off.  It didn't work quite as I planned; make sure there is no dry paint on your stencil when using a mask!  It will pick up the color of the paint.



Zentangle Round the Christmas Tree

I am absolutely determined to not succumb to winter depression this year.  Part of my strategy is to look for the good things about winter. I  have more important strategies, but this one sounds like fun!    I have not decorated for the holidays for a couple of years but this year I plan to at least put out my Snowman theme stuff (I don't have to worry about taking them down right away!)  And in case I decide on a tree, I thought I should practice decorating one, zentangle style.

It's a good thing I copied it at this stage because I went on to add watercolor and now I don't really like it.

Fabric Beads and Zentangles

 It has been a busy few days.  First, some fabric beads.  Making these could become addictive!   I started making beads for a specific quilt, shown below, and then went on to make some others.  I'll try to get a picture of the quilt posted tomorrow.  Just the beads for now!  And please keep dangling beads from curious kitties!

 The assorted  beads were made using scraps of fabrics.  I found that Golden Polymer Varnish worked very well if you want the beads varnished.  All the beads on the top row except the last one  are varnished.

Next,  a new zentangle, which I colored.  The pink didn't show up too well on the scan.

The quilting is done on the Zentangle quilt but I just added Puff Paint for highlights and now have to wait for it to dry and expand before I take a picture.  Maybe tomorrow!

Texture Challenge Quilts

My art quilt group, Fiber Optics Group (FOG) just completed a challenge to make a small quilt using samples of fabrics representing textures that we had brought to our last session.  The textures were weathered stone, polished river rock, a cat's tail, an old leather book, fair wings and chocolate pudding.  Here are some of the results:

Below are a couple of pictures of samples made using line as a major design element:

This is a wonderfully creative group that I am hard pressed to keep up with!   But we have a lot of fun and work hard.   Look out quilt world, here we come!

Zentangle

I just finished my first Zentangle (a form of doodling; google to find lots of links).  I plan to use the method for a quilted whole cloth.  I started the quilting today; it is a lot harder than using a pen!

And here is what the quilt looks like so far.  The "string", in zentangle speak, is a metallic thread couched on the top.

My Gallery

As this is Create Every Day Month, I am trying to at least complete something every day.  Today it was a journal page from my on line class.  We were asked to draw frames and then put a different kind of picture in each frame.  Working that small was challenging.  So was drawing all those straight parellel lines; no rulers allowed!  The page background was shaded with soft chalk pastels; I love the soft look they give.

Oh oh

As part of my journaling class, we had to draw faces with the hope of finding a visual representation of our muse.  Jessica has a cute one named Dear Me.  Here is my initial effort on finding a muse.  I'm sure she will undergo some changes, but for now I kind of like her!

And my journal page, Is Today Over Yet, underwent a few additions and then I tried Golden Polymer Varnish on top to keep the acrylic paint from being sticky.  The varnish smeared the white Signo Pen ink!!! This is why my muse is called Oh Oh!

Is Today Over Yet?

I don't want to talk about today.  Let's just say my car will be fixed for tommorow.  Many thanks to Sheni's Auto Trend.

The day did provide inspiration for a journal page I started last week.  I might add more to it tomorrow, but for now here is what it looks like.

Acrylic paint, collage from magazine picture, light gesso overlay, stencil with White Signo pen and purple Sakura Glaze pen, whining written with Pitt pens (tried with a Sharpie pen but it didn't work well on the acrylic paint).

Art Every Day Month

November is Art Every Day Month.  Click here to learn more!

Art Every Day Month

Shiva Paint Sticks

Recently I was playing with Shiva Paint sticks and the new Christmas rubbing plates.  Not sure what I'm going to do with these (wall hanging, place mats?) but here is what they look like.

I just finished another quilt!!

This quilt was started in a class with Karen Henry.  The leaves are bobbin stitched with tulle and wash away stabalizer. I left the edges loose and flowing, finishing with a satin stitch edge.

Leaf Quilt

Here are some closeups of the leaves done with bobbin painting, tulle and and watersoluble stabilizer.  I put some Angelina fibers underneath some of the leaves for some extra shine.

Where's my muse?

As part of the on line journaling course I am taking, I went looking for a visual representation of my muse.  Instead I found my Inner Critic!



So I have declared November Be Nice to Your Muse month; maybe I can coax her out from behind that brick wall!