Bales

Bales is like an old friend.

Our friend Laura at I am the Diva challenged us to use Bales this week.
My plan (which never seems to work in Zentangle) was to do a  monotangle.

Oh well, so much for best laid plans.

And then I was off to my new diversion, my doodlin' dictionary.

After playing with my Copics, I decided to add Bales for a contrast to the color.

Harley uses my art time to catch a snooze.

Better late than never...

Ebony and Ivory

This has been one of THOSE weeks.
TGIF

Months ago I posted about my passion vine growing on an arbor
to protect some of my orchids
It was totally infested with caterpillars and I was being a good guy
and did not use any insecticide but let the squirmy things eat
the plant down to a skeleton in hopes that I would
have an equal amount of butterflies.
WRONG!

Finally this week a pair of Gulf Fritillary (had to look that one up) butterflies arrived.
And you know what I think...I think those two will make and lay eggs again.
And I will have thousands of caterpillars chewing their way through my vine,
to attract TWO butterflies.
There is something wrong with this picture!
Happy PPF!

My doodlin' dictionary

In a previous post I had mentioned a book that I enjoyed doodling in while

"watching" TV.

The book is almost full and I have had it in my mind that a dictionary would provide

an interesting background for my doodles,

 and I might increase my vocabulary in the process.

I headed off to our local Goodwill Bookstore in search of the right dictionary.

I needed to be the right size and the paper had to "feel" right.

I found one published in 1984...right size and right feel.

Bingo!

It came home with me and was immediately dressed in Duck Tape

I then glued pages together to give them more body and to reduce bleed thru.

My doodlin' dictionary and I are ready for a test drive.

Happy Belated PPF

"Kuke"

Happy Wednesday...Kuke Day

I am loving the new tangle the Diva has challenged us to use this week

Kuke can be easily used alone, like I have here or in big collections.

It is easy to do (love that) and can have dimension to it.

I decided to try and use white marker on black here, not too successfully.

If anyone has a "go to" white marker, I would love to hear about it.

This is a Signo, better than most but still not what I would like.

I had to include a photo of Harley.  What you can't see is how when

he drapes his tail over this footstool, he moves it very slowly and admires it.

Normally it is kept high on his back but on this footstool, he takes time to

appreciate it.

Lesson learned from my dog:  Do I EVER admire anything about myself?

Maybe I should!

Happy Birthday to Laura

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...

and so on.  I hope your 33rd birthday is spectacular.

I wish I could remember my 33rd birthday.

Enough about me.
I whipped up a cake for you.
Hope you enjoy it.

Schway is our new tangle from Zentangle.

I think it is a good one, don't you?

It is easy to do and gives a smashing result.

I will use it again, for sure.

Painting on masa paper and other odds and ends

OOOOooooh I love the way the dyes mix and blend and then sort of bloom

on the  masa paper.  

This process involves crunching up the paper in water and then spreading it out.

I love to get messy, don't you?

And now the work begins.  I will be negative painting to create a floral

More on this later

Playing with the Gelli plate is pure relaxation.  I am getting a huge collection

of painted papers so am looking forward to seeing ideas for 'the next step'.

A little fun in my Joanne Sharpe doodle book.

Happy PPF