Hand carved stamp - #CARVEDECEMBER

I wanted to carve another snowflake stamp (I carved 2 a few years ago).  I started out folding a piece of paper, cutting it and then unfolding it.  Then used a similar design for my stamp.

For some reason the paper looked cool, but when I first printed my stamp it looked really ugly and not like a snowflake at all!  I was really disappointed!

When I was about to forget all about the stamp, I thought it might look cool if I printed over it, but with it rotated 60 degrees.  Aha!!!  Now I actually like it!!  At it will always look different, that's for sure!

Top:  Left - stamp; Middle - 1 print (ugly); 2 prints (better!)
Bottom: prints of different colors with black outline

Challenge #247 and New Stencils Gel Printed

Challenge #247 - African Artist by Tina-Akua Hunziker

This week's challenge (here) was to use Tina's tangle "African Artist".  I had to keep looking at the step-by-step instructions to make sure I got it.  Even so, I messed up on this one, but decided to post the first attempt, anyway.

I also am not that thrilled with the tile; it feels very heavy to me.  Oh well... better luck next time :).  I did enjoy the tangle after a while, and am definitely going to try it in different ways to see if it doesn't feel so heavy.

New Stencils Gel Printed

You might have seen the stencil I designed and cut last week; I decided to do another one this week and then try both on the gel plate.

I had a lot of fun with them, and took a lot more prints than I had intended.  Isn't that always the case with the gel plate?  It is for me as I keep thinking "what if" I did this or that, and next thing you know I have prints all over the place :).

Here are some of the prints:

Stencil designed and cut last week

New stencil drawn and cut this week

Challenge # 246 and Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

Challenge # 246 - Monotangle Trees

This week's challenge was a wonderful guest post by Dilip Patel (here).  I could spend hours on this one and try all different things, but since instead of hours, I have minutes... I went with a Bijou tile (2x2 inches).

Newly Designed and Cut Stencil

I have been thinking about designing a stencil of a repeat pattern.  So, on Sunday, I went at it and this is what I came up with.  I think I will have a lot of fun with this one.

Started out with a print from a hand-carved stamp (bottom right), trying different things on graph paper, seeing what would work as a stencil, and finally drawing the piece (top left) to be copied over and over to make up the complete design.

This is what the stencil looks like after the first test (it is 4x4 inches).  It took me forever to get each of the little pieces out - apparently I didn't press hard enough with my x-acto blade.

This is what my first print looks like (using the stencil 4 times, of course).  I also outlined all the shapes with black ink, just so I could see the pattern better.

Then I started thinking what would happen if I were to go into some of those bigger white shapes and "cut out" the inside.  I haven't done it on the stencil (yet!), just wanted to see what it would be like.  So I drew the shapes, and painted then with some of the acrylic paints I had used with the stencil.  I like it, but drawing/painting them and cutting them out are 2 very different things, so I'm still thinking if I will attempt it or not.

Challenge #245 and Gel Printed and Tangled Boxes

Challenge #245

I'm so glad to be posting again!  It means I found a bit of time to create :).  Sometimes work takes over my life, and this was one of those times - I sure hope it is over for now!

This week's challenge (here) was to go back to basics and Hollibaugh - you can see the link to the step outs in the Diva's challenge page.  I wanted to do something I had not done before, so I drew three strings and made those my intersecting lines.  I hope you like it; I obviously had fun with it :)

  

Gel printed and Tangled Boxes

I'm trying to use some of the paints and materials I've had for years, rather than keep buying new ones.  So, in an effort to use some of the acrylic paints I had, I used my small gel plate (3x5 in) and some of my stencils and had a lot of fun with a couple of boxes.  Then I started tangling on the box (as you can see I'm not finished yet).

I'm having a great time with this wonky box, and I'm starting to wonder how it would be to do it on a wooden box.  I think the surface would be a lot smoother and easier to tangle on.  I might have to try it!

Challenge #241 Stones

I had a day off today, so it was fun to be able to do this challenge today.  I loved the theme of the challenge (here), and remember being in awe of an artist who balances stones in the most unbelievable ways in incredibly beautiful places.  

Rather than copy someone's work, since I had the day off :) I tried to balance my own pebbles.  It was hard!!... but when it worked, it was so much fun :)  See the pictures below of some of the ones I was able to capture (before they tumbled down) and my submission tile from one of them.  I do need to work on my shading :(

Challenge #240 from a Gel Print

The Diva Challenge for this week (here) was to be inspired by the season.  Since it is Fall here in New England, I had to go with leaves.

As you know, I've been playing around with gel prints, and have created a few books with them.  The idea is to use them as art journals, and go back to each one of those prints and play with them.  So... I looked for one of the prints with leaves, and tangled away.  I also used Inktense, colored pencils, and black and white pens to transform this print.

This is the "AFTER" version

The "BEFORE" version is the 6x6 inch gel print on the right.

If you are interested in seeing more unfinished prints from this art journal, you can see them in the video below.  I have actually added a lot more pages after I created the video, but have not redone it.  Maybe I will do another in a few months, when I have a few more pages already transformed.

Challenge 239

This week, this was all the art I had time for.  Hopefully I will find a bit more time next week :)

The challenge this week (here) was to watch the video about how to draw Munchin, and then use it.  My tile is a bit bla, but... that's how it turned out :)

Challenge 238 and Tree Stencil / Mask

Challenge 238

This week's challenge was to learn and use the tangle Tri-bee created by Beate Winkler.  You can see the instructions and the challenge here.

I probably should have practiced it before I grabbed the tile, but... that's the way it goes :).  I did have fun with it.

Tree Stencil / Mask

I have been thinking for a while that I would like a tree stencil, mainly to play around on the Gel plate.  I felt really courageous one afternoon and cut it with an X-acto knife.  I wanted to end up with a stencil and a mask, but... when I picked up the stencil, 2 big pieces just fell from it :(.  OK, so now I have a tree mask :).  Next time I have to be a bit smarter with my design, and not get so close to the other branches.  

Still... here are a couple of gel prints I got from a quick session last Sunday.

 

Challenge 237 and Published in 500 Tangled Artworks

Challenge # 237

This week's Diva Challenge (here) was to use a stencil with a natural dye to create your string.  I used one of my own stencils and passion tea on watercolor paper.  The tea comes out pink, but it turned to very light purple on the watercolor paper once dry.  I will try it on other kinds of paper later and see if it stays pink on any of them.  I'm not sure you can actually see any of the color in the picture below; you just have to trust me it is there :)

Published in 500 Tangled Artworks

I found out a few weeks ago that some of my work had been published in Beckah Krahula's "500 Tangled Artworks" book (here).

I was thrilled!  I finally got the book and am really enjoying looking through all the amazing artwork.  I'm very flattered that some of my work was selected to be in the book. 

I posted before about all the 6 pieces I have in the book:

Zentangle workshop - Week 13
For a project, I created these mountains with tangles.  What is special about them is that they connect on all 4 sides so you can have a continuous pattern - as you can see in the bottom picture.

Zentangle workshop - week 12

Zendalas - top painted with Inktense pencils, bottom with watercolor pencils

Earth Day
Because the challenge [DIVA'S CHALLENGE #164] was for Earth Day, I decided to use recycled paper - used tea bags - and because the Earth is round, I went with the round tea bags.  I used Sakura gel pens, Inktense, and colored pencils.

Tangled Panda
My son's birthday was on the 2nd [MAY] and I wanted to make something for him.  Since he loves pandas (how could you not?!!), I went for a tangled panda :).  I think this was my first non-abstract Zentangle Inspired Art.  I know I have a lot to learn to become good at this, but it didn't turn out terrible, so... that's great!  Of course, I had to go over the really black areas with a black colored pencil because it just did not look black enough.

Diva's challenge 155

I have been playing with block carving and decided to try one of the grid tangles: Well.  I then printed the carved block on ATCs, and finished each one differently.

Back Home and Challenge 235

Back Home

I'm back home after a month away in Portugal - 2 weeks working and 2 weeks vacationing.  I didn't do a lot of travelling, all my free time was spent with my parents, siblings, aunts, nieces and nephews.  I had a lot of fun and it felt really good to be with them after 2 years away.  I'm now back home although my body still thinks it is in Europe (jet lag can be a pain!)

Challenge # 235

After I don't know how many challenges missed, I'm glad to get back to them.  This one was so much fun, it was to draw stripes across your tile as a string (you can see the challenge here).  I decided to go with a simple tile, and I definitely got into a zen state with all of those Paradox tangles :)

Challenge 219 Envelopes and Gelli Session

Challenge 219

This week's challenge is "Straight Lines all the time"; you can see it here.

I started out by drawing some straight lines across my tile.  Somehow the idea in my head was better than it turned out :), but that's OK.  So now I had my "string of straight lines" and went through my collection of tangles and chose some with straight lines.

Even though I like each individual tangle, and I really enjoyed drawing them, I'm not happy at all with the tile.  I think I should have taken a different approach... maybe next time :)

Envelopes

Here are the envelopes I received back from the Envelope Swap I participated in a few weeks ago.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

You can see the front (left) and back (right) of all 10 envelopes by artists

(left to right - top to bottom):

Mark Montano / Diana Klask

Sheila Goldsberry / Genevieve Crabe

Bertha Trujillo / Jan Canyon

Angel Kelley / PLA Schneider

Gloria / Terri Denise Oleson

Gelli Session

I have been looking forward to this long weekend so I could spend a couple of hours playing with my Gelli plate and not worry about anything else - great stress reliever :)

So... as usual, I got out some paints, different types of paper, new stencils cut from Tyvek and transparencies, some mark/texture making tools, the Gelli plate, of course.

This is what my work area looked like before

A few things I wanted to try

• would putting a Tyvek stencil with a hole in the middle be good enough to pass for a round Gelli plate or a smaller size Gelli plate
• Try some of the newly cut stencils
• print on a napkin layer - to use for collage - the layers are so thin they are supposed to look completely transparent once collaged
• print on labels - some small and completely transparent, others white with a blue bar across them
• print on some of the office supplies I got for free when people moved offices at work - tent cards, brochures, and conference / handout folders (they have pockets inside)
• print on tags, and cards I received but would never send to anyone (too boring)

This is what my pile looked like at the end of 3 fun hours (some are printed on both sides):

And this is what my work space looked like :).  I got a comment earlier that I only showed a picture of the organized "before" but should also show the very-messy "after".  So... here it is :)  Enjoy!!

Challenge 218 and Updates

Challenge #218 - White on Black

This week's challenge was to use a black tile and tangle with white; you can see the challenge here along with everyone else's entries.

It's been quite a long time since I have done anything on black; one of the reasons is that I always mess up and instead of doing highlights with the pencil at the end, I do "shading" as usual, and it just looks wrong!  Today I kept thinking to myself "highlights!", "highlights!", "highlights!"... and... it looks completely different than my other ones :).  I had fun!

Updates

The journal from a file folder I was working on last week... it went through a very, very, very ugly phase.  I almost threw it in the trash, but then thought... well if it is trash anyway, let me play with it, it certainly cannot get any worse. 

So I went crazy with it :) and now it looks completely different than it did last week, but it is growing on me.  Mind you, I'm still not happy with it but hope I will eventually "fix" it.  

I did not put all the pages in yet (and just put rubber bands for now), but will finish it in the next few days as we have a long weekend coming up :).  Here are some really bad pictures of it right now, just so you can see more or less what it looks like.  I will get better pictures when it is done and it is actually light out.

I also received the envelopes back from the swap and will try to take pictures and post - most had glitter on them, so I need to do something with that as I don't want glitter everywhere. :)

Challenge 217 and File Folder Journal in progress

Challenge #217

This week's challenge (here) was a duo tangle:  you can only use Dex and Bunzo tangles.  I found it hard, and I'm not sure why... maybe because they are so different I didn't know how to make them work together?  Maybe?

Anyway... here it is on a Bijou tile (2 in x 2 in).  The left side is the unshaded version, because I forgot all about the shading until I saw the scanned, larger version :).  I thought is would be fun to show them both.

File Folder Journal - In progress

For some reason I thought that using a file folder would be a really easy way to make a journal where I could play with my hand-made stamps.

OK... so far, it has taken a lot more work and thinking that I thought it would.  Mind you!  I'm having fun, but I don't think it will ever be as "quick and easy" as I thought.

So far, I have folded it and unfolded it about a hundred times ... lol... ok, maybe not quite that many, but... a lot!!  I put a couple of coats of gesso on the outside (it was patterned and it had a big purse design on it - you can still see it in some of the pictures).  Then I painted it with water soluble wax crayons - I just felt like it, no other particular reason:

Then I grabbed one of my designed stencils, and went at it with Golden acrylics and a bit of glazing medium.

I pounced the sponge over the inside pattern until the sponge was completely out of ink - just to give it a bit more interest and tie the pocket with the interior a bit.

Hopefully it will turn out well when it is finished, but you never know!