It's curtains for 2013

As the curtain falls on 2013, and

we look forward to 2014 let us hope we have learned something from 2013.

Who is the world doesn't desire a peaceful coexistence with their neighbors?

At times it feels like we are moving further away from this common dream

and yet we all desire it.

How does that happen?  Are we making our desires known?  Are we being heard?

Are we open to ideas other than our own?

We are eternal optimists and so we hope that 2014 will be better.

Let's do our part to make it better!

Happy New Year and thank you all for your visits to my blog.  

I have loved visiting yours although I don't always leave a note.

I am reminded with each visit how small our precious world is and how much

we share.

See you next year!!!

Happy "arting"

Word of the year

Never quite finished this one

Part of my way of welcoming the New Year is to pick a 

Word of the Year

That word replaces any resolutions but is in fact a sort of a resolution in itself.

For 2013 I selected "stretch."

I wanted to expand my mind, try new things, go different places,

just s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

I found that even on the wrong side of 70, I could welcome new experiences

and try new things with my word of the year in mind. 

So this year?

Well 2014 isn't here yet but my front runner is 

OPEN

Being of that certain age, it is important to keep your mind open to new ideas.

I want to open new doors in my life.

I want my eyes open to art inspiration

and my heart open to all.

As I write this, it is sounding like a resolution isn't it?

So be it.  

My word of the year is also my inspiration when the 

dreaded white sheet threatens me

So bring on 2014!

I think I'm ready.

Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas!

Happy Paint Party Friday, Tracey
Wish this guy was on a tea cup!

Things are very slow at work right now, so I keep a sketch book handy.

Yesterday, Father Christmas appeared.

I thought I would share him with you with sincere wishes for a very happy Holiday Season.

I know you look forward to putting 2013 behind you and my wish for you
is a stellar 2014.
Keep on keeping on.  We are cheering every step.

Greeting Cards

The past couple of years I have been sketching cards for different events

in my grandchildren's lives.

With the Holidays upon us, I decided to do a card for each of them.

There are nine and time's a wasting.

Laurie May at "Draw your awesome Life" posted a snowman on Facebook that

was this year's inspiration.  Thank you Laurie!
A few more to go and they will be in the mail!
Happy PPF

A lift on yupo

My infatuation with yupo continues.

In this one I slapped down a thick water color wash, let it dry

and then used graphite paper to lay down my image.

From there, the fun begins.  You just wet and lift (with toilet paper) and your 

images emerges.  For the wetting I used a very stiff "scrubber" brush.

I found one for fabric that was quite small and really made the stripes easier.

Is anyone else out there enjoying yupo?  I would love to hear.

Happy PPF

Boo*Kee

Laura at I am the Diva has come up with one of her own tangles this week.

She is calling it Boo*Kee and gives us easy to follow directions.

So our challenge was to use Boo*Kee in a tile.

It is slow at work at this time of year so I had time to play with Boo*Kee.

Later in the day, I took another try at it.

What I like about this tangle is that it can really have a different look

depending on how it is used.

Thanks Laura.  

The lowly scarab

I love scarabs, or that is I loved scarabs until I read their history.

Little did I know that they were the ones that were masters at creating huge balls 

of dung.  I didn't have the heart to draw a zentangle ball of dung so instead

made dainty beads (of dung) for my challenge piece.

On another note, I congratulate all of you that work full time

and still find time to contribute each week.

I hope it is because I am in a new job,  but I am buried right now.

I also understand that it isn't easy to train an old dog like myself.

Hooray for an understanding manager (who just happened to celebrate

his 80th last week).  To him, I am a young thing.

It is all relative isn't it?

More yupo color

You may remember that I have been enjoying using yupo paper to create some wild color designs.

Today I decided to take one of the creations and play with it some more.

I gave the Createx paint on yupo a coat of matte medium.

Then I cut out circles, attached them to the painting with tape and rolled on a coat of white 

acrylic paint.  I am not sure if I am done yet but I sure like how the white sets off the

prettier parts of the painting.

This is the painting before I started fooling around with it.

This is watercolor on fabric, on yupo..another WIP.

I have accepted a full time position so will have to put my art fun on the back burner

for a while.  

I am excited to be working again but will miss my "play".

Happy PPF

DuoTangle Fengle and Quandry

I did it!  Fengle is a real challenge for me.

Mine may look like everyone else's but it is done.

I like Quandry as a background and will likely use it again.

And Fengle???  Only when I have to.

Thanks Laura for a fun challenge.

Doubly challenging this time.  I have gone back to work.

I was invited to do work I have done for 30 years so was happy to return.

That said, I am on the "wrong" side of seventy so it will be interesting to see

how I hold up.  In the meantime, it is fun to be "back in the saddle."

8's Parte Dos

Another Monday, another challenge at I am the Diva

This week we were challenged to do one of my favorite tangles,

8's Parte Dos.

I love the look of this tangle but always have a tough time putting it with any

other tangles.  I am anxious to see what you all come up with.

And for you Laura, as winter approaches the Skatch, a view from my lanai.

Blc. Marge Putnam with over 40 blooms coming

My very first vanda's first bloom

Butterflies

I think this is finished.

It is a ice cube tray dump on yupo (described earlier in 'Color Fun').

I covered that with crinkled up tissue paper and let the whole mess dry

for a couple of days.

Then I negative glazed with watercolor to create the butterflies.
This time of year in Florida, butterflies are everywhere in all sizes and colors.

Here is a recent page from my art journal.
I must have butterflies on the mind!
Happy PPF!

Too much rain ...

I was doodling in my 'doodlin' dictionary' today and realized

that this summer much of my inspiration has come  from our wet weather.

Raindrops seem to crop up everywhere. 

From the "dictionary"

Using script as rain

Gelli paper raindrops on a dictionary page

To my tangle calendar

I do not want to sound like a
whiner.
I know many have suffered with
flooding this year.
We have not and for that I am
grateful.
Just found it interesting that
my inspiration was coming
from the rain.

Color fun

Happy Paint Party Friday

Recently I shared with you all some fun on yupo paper.  I was using acrylics

covered with watercolor and then doing a lift.  That was fun...

until I discovered Createx Transparent paints.

They are wonderful on yupo paper and the color is-

well, see for yourself.

A bouquet perhaps?

So what do you think of this color???

Here are the culprits.

Now I will be doing some negative painting using these backgrounds.

Stay tuned.

Tangles in "Rad Color"

Using forgotten tangles here

The Challenge this week at I am the Diva is to use color in our tangles

in honor of the "Color Me Rad" 5K race held recently in Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan, Canada.  

I love color so this was a treat for me.  From time to time I treat myself to a

watercolored page to work on.

Here are a couple of recent ones.

And sometimes, I use just a touch of color.

Thank you Laura for a fun challenge!

Beamz...sort of

This week's challenge at I am the Diva

was to use the tangle Beamz.

From the first time I looked at this tangle, it reminded me of nautical flags.

I know NOTHING about nautical flags but this is what I saw.

So that meant leaving out the diagonal lines normally used in Beamz.

That is what I did.

Anniversary

A bit of whimsy this week.  We celebrated our 49th wedding anniversary this week.

I don't have any idea where the time has gone but I do know I would

pick the same guy if I had to go "hunting" again.

Happy PPFwww.paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com

Tipple-Love it or hate it!

This week"s challenge at I am the Diva is Tipple-love it or hate it

I happen to love it but have really been suffering a lack of creativity lately.

Does that sound like a whine?  Well maybe it is!

So, here is my Tipple

And here is why I am tapped out.

I am not a knitter, but am trying to be one.
I am taking a lesson in making socks and decided to challenge myself.
I am doing one on a magic loop and one on 4 needles...and another one on magic loop.
I am fried!
Thus the simplicity of "tipple" this week was a pleasant escape.

Happy Paint Party Friday

My favorite Sharon Balzer Design stencil.

I had a WIP that I had no idea what to do with it when lightening struck.

I traced the design onto the canvas with a Sharpie and then filled it in with black

The canvas was ho hum but I like this.

All of the grandkids are heading back to school.  I try to make a card for each of them to encourage them along the way. 

Here are some of samples

Leftie Challenge

It's Monday and there is a challenge from over at

I am the Diva.
This week we are to do a monotangle with our left hand.
Sounds easy enough, until you try it.
I had spotted Kathy Barringer's "Lovely Loops" and decided they would be a snap.
NOT!
This takes such concentration and it still is all wobbly.

 Then I decided a grid might be easier.

My apologies to Beth Snoderly for my attempt at "Quare".

And last but not least, my final attempt at a grid.

The pencil grid was easier this time, but those hearts!

I was exhausted when I finished.

Great challenge Laura!

P.S.

And after all of this, I see I was supposed to use "bales".  Somedays I should just stay in bed!

I kicked the "monkey"

I hope you have read Danny Gregory's blog on the "monkey".

If not here is the linkhttp://dannygregory.wordpress.com/2013/07/16/fresh-wisdom-to-trump-the-monkey/

You MUST read it!  

A couple of weeks ago the blahs hit.  Even my doodles looked crummy.

Always wanting to keep my creative juices going, I went back to my knitting and 

left my art table alone.   I thought about what I had read in Danny's column but just couldn't shake that "monkey".  Two scarves and a pair of socks later, today I sat down to see

if I could at least add to a page I started weeks ago.

Not done yet but definitely not as crummy as some of the stuff I have done lately.

So I pulled out an old canvas with three layers on it.

And here is number four.

Danny, thank you so much!  I think I am feeling better now

Challenge 130, Henna Drum by Jane MacKugler

I thought I had an idea...but I didn't.

You know how you visualize something and set about putting it on paper

and it just doesn't work.

Well, this is it!

I am back doodling in my dictionary again and I thought this would make a great border.

It does, but just not on a busy background.

Lesson learned but I will post it anyway because I want to share how much fun

the dictionary is.  The pages have been glued together to give it less bleed through.

This is a work in progress with Copics

And then I treated myself to new pens at the back to school sales.

Thank you Laura for a great challenge and Jane for a new tangle!