Challenge #251 and More Hand-Carved Stamps

Challenge 251 - Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day

The Diva's little boy has Moebius Syndrome and the family goes through quite a lot, especially the little guy - my heart goes out to them every time he is sick and they have to rush him to the hospital.  

This week's challenge is to use the Moebius Syndrome logo to help raise awareness for this disorder.  To find out more, please visit the Diva's post here.

More Hand-Carved Stamps

A few more stamps I designed and hand-carved in December.  I had a few days off work, so I had a bit more time - it was so much fun!

I'm still working on making this a pattern :)
Sometimes it is so off!! :)

Inspired by temple carvings in India.

Was designed as a border, but can also work as a pattern :)

Also inspired by designs I saw in India.  

I think I actually like it more as a border :)

This is a continuous stamp - I had carved a similar one but it does not make a continuous design.  I like how I can use it to catalog colors of paint / pencils; I think it would also work great for journaling.

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!

Challenge 216 Brella

The Diva's challenge this week (here) was to use the tangle Brella created by Bunny Wright. 

I am not going to have much time this week and I wanted to do the challenge, and play a bit in my mini accordion journal I posted about last week (here).  So, I decided to do this week's challenge in 2 of the pages - that's why it is so colorful :)

This is probably my shortest post ever, but it is content that counts, right?  :)

Enjoy your week!

Challenge 215 and Quick Accordion Journal

Challenge #215 - Labyrinth

This was quite a fun challenge (here); I learned how to draw all different kinds of labyrinths :).  It was so much fun!  The idea was to draw a labyrinth as a string and then tangle away :)

Here is mine.  I think that I would have liked to have made the spaces between the walls wider and less patterned so that it would be easier to walk the labyrinth.  Oh well... next time :)  I went with a leaf shape, but if I turn it upside down it could also be a heart.

I made it extra large today so you can "walk" the labyrinth if you want :)

Quick Accordion Journal

A few years ago a bunch of people at work were moving to another floor, and lots of office supplies were being dumped.  I asked if I could take a couple of sheet protector packages, and the admin told me to take anything I wanted.  Oh boy!!  I got lots of transparencies, some sheet protectors, tent cards, brochures, labels, etc.  

I have used lots of transparencies and have started using some of the sheet protectors to keep my home made stencils.  But I had not found a use yet for the tent cards and they are made with good heavy paper.  So, after the envelopes last week, I decided to try to see how the same technique would work on these tent cards, and then use them for a journal or something like that.

It took no time at all to paint them on both sides.  I used 2 tent cards for this - one in blue tones, the other in red tones.  I then cut them up in 3 equal parts and put them together with come washi tape I had gelli printed a while ago.  It really cannot get much easier than this :)... and it is so colorful!

Now it is ready to tangle on :).  I have started on one of the pages already.  Here are a few pages close up.

Challenge # 200!!!! Carving, Stamping, and Journaling

Diva's Challenge # 200

Wow!!  It takes a lot of time and effort to create and think about an interesting and creative challenge!  But 200!!!  I'm really impressed, and I'm sure it has not been easy with 2 little ones!  I have only joined in the fun a few months ago, but I can always go back if I want to, right? :)

OK... so, this special challenge # 200 (here) was to use your go-to tangle all the way to the edges of the paper - no border - and have the number 200 somewhere.

I grabbed a couple of number stamps I have carved a long time ago and never used and went at it without a string.  It turned out very blah... if I get the time and energy this week, I will try another one.

Carving, Stenciling, and Journaling

I really enjoyed the carving inspired by the Portuguese Ironwork window, so I played with it a bit.  You can see the original post and the carved stamp here.  I wanted to see if the same stamp could be used to create different patterns, maybe a border?

And then used it on one of my art journals.  Painted around it in black to see if it would look like stained glass, and added some more details with H2Os and Sakura pens.  I also added some of the things I didn't want to forget about the stamp in white.  I may end up doing more on the black, but it will stay like this for now.

I can really see how useful stencils are especially for Art Journaling and Gelli Printing - 2 things I would like to do a bit more of - and, like anything else, I would rather use my own designs.  I finally decided to try making one myself, so I grabbed a transparency, a stencil tool, and went at it.  

Well, I can say the lines are not even close to perfect, like the ones you buy, but... they are unique and I made them.  What I hear is that with a bit of use, they will lose some of those little blobs of melted plastic.  Even if they don't, it's ok, the image is good enough for me for now :).  The first one is the window, but I haven't made the border yet - still thinking how I want to do it.  The second was completely random... just kept cutting our shapes until it was done.  I'm not sure about it, but it will be fun to test it out different ways on the Gelli Plate.

Priscila's Window - Bottom is the stencil, and top is the image it creates

Abstract - Random Shapes - Top is the stencil, bottom is the image it creates

I hope you enjoyed these.  Feel free to comment.

Update and Junk Mail Journal

Update

The last few months have been hectic:

• Took on further responsibilities at work and so it has been pretty crazy!  Hopefully it will settle down in a couple of weeks :)
• Sold our condo, bought and moved to a new house.  It will take a while longer to get it in shape and organized, but at least I have most of my art stuff now :)
• Finally went to the doctor and found out why I have been feeling so crappy for so long - need iron!  OK!!  That explains it!  So I should be feeling a bit better in a month and back to normal in 9 to 12 months.  Back to normal is good :)

I hope to start back on the Diva Weekly Challenge soon, and posting more regularly.

Junk Mail Journal

New video of my art journal made with junk mail and other recycled papers (including used tea bags for the covers).  I wrote about it in this post here, but it took me this long to finally create the video :).  I can finally play with it now that the video is done :).

I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all those small pieces in the pockets, but I certainly have a lot of them!  I do love to play with hand-carved block prints, using different materials and techniques.

I hope you enjoy it.

Gelli Plate Printing

A couple of months ago I got a 6 x 6 Gelli plate and have started playing with it.  I absolutely love it!!  I need a few hours each time I use it as I keep thinking "what if..." and I cannot stop until I've tried at least some of these what ifs :).  Because of this, I have only had maybe 4 or 5 play sessions with my gelli plate, but boy oh boy!  have I had a lot of fun!!

Here are some pictures taken with my phone of the "mess" I made during these play sessions.  

I started to think about creating an art journal with some of these prints, and also do some collages to start with.  I also want to see what else I can do with these (during the last session I tried it on fabric as well).

Here are two quick collages I've done on Tyvek - this will allow me to do some sewing later on if I want.  This was just the first step, I will now play with these prints and eventually turn them into a finished piece of some kind (don't know what yet).

Last week I started playing with a couple of the not-so-good prints, to see what I could come up with.  I had a lot of fun with them :)

And so, inspired by all the fun I had with these 2 prints and 3 awesome books I got from my nieces for Christmas (about book art) I finished my gelli print art journal yesterday.  You can take a look at it here:

I feel this is just the beginning :)

Challenge #183 and Stamp and Art Journal Play

Challenge #183

This week's Diva Challenge (here) was to use a new tangle by Annette Carlo called X-Did.

I had a lot of fun with it, even though I haven't really had very much time to explore the possibilities.

Please check out the beautiful art always displayed on the Diva's challenge by all the participants.  I have not had a chance to do it, yet, but will definitely try to make time for it this week.  It is always a treat to see everyone's interpretation of a new tangle and it is always a source of inspiration to me.

Stamp and Art Journal Play

I started getting into art journals a few months ago, but have not had much time to dedicate to it.  So, I created a journal a while ago (shown here) from junk mail with lots of pockets.  The pockets are supposed to hold work-in-progress pieces that I can work on when I don't have much time.  This is exactly what I did this week.

I had about 10 minutes one night, and I painted this little piece with watercolors.  The following night, I had about 10 minutes again, and I added some details with pen and ink.  I'm not sure what I will use it for, but I felt pretty good to have spent those 10 minutes each night doing something fun and relaxing.  Sometimes it is all the time I will have, so this method of using the pockets for something I can work on a bit at a time, is working for me.

This is a bit less than 2 x 2 inchies... so, pretty small

Last Monday was Labor Day in the US and so I relaxed a bit finishing this piece.  It was stamped with my "Well Inspired" stamp, painted with watercolors, with details added in with pen and ink and colored pencils.

I also took another print of a hand-carved stamp from one of my journal pockets and worked on it while watching TV with my husband.  This stamp was created during the workshop (here) and I hadn't done anything to any of the prints I took at the time.

I added details with colored pencils and pen and ink

Regarding the new house... things are still uncertain right now.  I'm trying to keep positive and hope everything will work out. :)

Challenge and Handmade Art Journal

Diva's Challenge #169: String theory - Circles

The challenge this week (here) was to make your string out of circles, and then tangle.

I had fun with a couple of tiles, the top one is my favorite even though the circles are very crooked

Handmade Art Journal

A couple of weeks ago I made a mini art journal to test the pages, binding, and basic concept (you can see it in this post).  

My idea was to create a larger one for me to use once I start working full-time again.  Since I won't have that much uninterrupted time, it will be important to be able to pick it up and work for 10 or 15 minutes if that's all I have.  

So, I wanted to start with a journal already full of backgrounds I can just keep adding details or layers to, some empty pages, of course, and also lots of pockets to keep other work-in-progress pieces.  So, this is what I came up with.

Art Journal Cover and Binding

Pages and Closure

Some of the pages

One of the pockets with work-in-progress

I will probably make a quick video going through the journal pages, but wanted to post these pictures now.  I hope you enjoy them.

OH!  And the mini album has been given to my 4-year-old niece who promptly got some pens and watercolors and started using it.  She loves all the pockets and says she will keep it forever :)

Diva's challenge, Tangled Panda, and Mini Art Journal

Diva's Challenge

This week the challenge was to try a new tangle created by the Diva herself :) - Laura Harms.  You can see the challenge and the steps for this challenge here.  

This is what I came up with - the new tangle (no name yet) is the one in the middle.  The tile came out really weird; I think it needs a shave :)

Tangled Panda

My son's birthday was on the 2nd 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.

Mini Art Journal

Last year I started to look into art journals after seeing some amazing pages on blogs, Pinterest, and YouTube.  I made a couple of booklets with some art paper sometime last year and started to play and learn.  I must say I'm in the very beginning stages and definitely do not do it consistently... but, I always want to do better :)

So, a couple of weeks ago I thought that if I had a journal already with a bunch of backgrounds, it would probably be easier to do something every day, even if just a bit of doodling, or drawing, or stamping.  I also wanted to try to use recycled paper, and try binding the journal with different techniques I saw on YouTube.  So... this is my test journal with a bunch of painted pages from junk mail, magazines, envelopes, printing tests, and, of course, some blank pages.  Next time I will need a plain background... my work surface may be a bit distracting.