Spring Smoothie Break.....

I will post again Friday April 2nd...thanks for stopping by.

Spring has SpRunG!

I hosted my first swap.... it was part of the newfangled zentagles group I belong to... this group encourages experimentation (in general, tangles are black ink on white/cream background).... this one is not...

I used watercolors, chalks, inks on water color paper

Today's nod to the celebration of crafts is a nod to my love of textiles..... and a further nod to organics as well as modern prints... I just stumbled upon this site and can't wait to place an order... I have no idea what I'm going to make, but right now that doesn't seem to matter.... ; )  Check out Daisy Janie at
http://www.daisyjanie.com/index.html

Bounce

Zentangle... circles.... bounce.... a recent swap challenged us to interpret a zentangle ATC with a single or multiple circles.... 

I took it literally....

And today's craft moment:  a very cool zippered pouch with reverse applique.... zippered pouches are a huge fave of mine... maybe it's because I seem to have so many bits and bobs flying about and this helps to reign them in...

check it out http://orangeflowerpatterns.blogspot.com/2009/08/zippered-case-with-reverse-applique.html

Have you zentangled yet?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Motivational Movement

By now you probably know about 'Awaken the Artist' (and just in case you don't... it's my theme for 2010!).... but what you may not know is another signifcant part of my life is choosing a life of health.  So guess how excited I was when I found out that I am able to work out at a local gym as part of my client's employee wellness program.... so I went and signed up tonight..... a couple of the very very cool features: access to the gym 24/7, access to any of their clubs any where, and there is a club basically across the street from the hotel, AND.... the personal trainers package deals are beyond affordable..... !  

I can't wait... I've been working out at the hotel, which has been 'ok' but the eliptical here skips (which kinda defeats the purpose...lol) and there isn't much in the way of strength training, so wooHOO!!!! Just another reason why I LOVE working on this project... ; )  

See ya at the gym!

Today's craft moment:  This very cool blog has something for everyone... check it out! http://blog.craftzine.com/

What are your fave workout shoes?

...scatter joy...

lindy

envie envy

Trading these fabulous miniature works of art (ATCs) has been so fun for so many reasons... one of which is the discovery of mini envelopes to send them in.... (I know, it's the little things in life that gives me such pleasure!)  I've received some very cool envies and finally I took one apart to use as a template.  You could use any kind of paper, really... scrapbook paper, wrapping paper.... I had a couple Paper-Source catalogs on hand that I thought would be fun to turn into envelopes...

I'm going to work on making a template to share with you, but in the meantime here are the photos.... (and you can always make any size envies... just think of it as wrapping a package.  Tape runners (or 2 way tape) works wonderfully well.

template:

folded piece before taping:

new life as an envie:

envies a plenty:

and today's craft moment.... the Paper-Source blog is full of ideas and links to templates!
what color is your envelope?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Eat your Green....

A recent swap had us creating ATCs that were GReeN... at least 80% had to be green aka 'most' .... and knowing how much I love green, you know I just had to sign up... but what to do... what to illustrate.... ???

Well my fave veg and my fave fruit, of course..... juicy and delicious...  I used chalk, watercolor, and pen on watercolor paper.

Today's craft moment....one of the more inspirational sites I follow... johnnie's work has a wonderfully positive energy...  http://www.savedbylovecreations.com/2010/03/winners-choice-giveaway.html  I'm so glad I found her site...!

fave fruit? fave veggie?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Once upon a time...

there was a girl and she liked being a girl very much because being a girl rocks it out and so she made it her goal to eradicate (big word for small blog) the use of 'like a girl' as being a negative and instead used it as a statement for being or doing your best...!  ride like a girl..... run like a girl.... play like a girl.... cry like a girl (cuz let's face it.... crying is NOT a bad thing!)....

today's craft moment.... hey... CRAFT like a GIRL!!!!! wooHOO.... anyway.... today's craft moment: one of the wonderful things about my promise to share cool 'craft' or art sites with you in celebration of national craft month is all the new and wonderful sites and blogs I'm finding... I hope you are enjoying the exploring.... because these fabulous femails are awe inspiring....

http://hearthandmadeuk.blogspot.com/   this site offers up tutorials, commentary, and one of my most favorite things... stunning photography either snapped by the author herself, or found shots decidedly in need of being shared.  enjoy.

what do you do like a girl...?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Terrific Tote!

In celebration of craft month I offer up Confessions of a Sewing Addict.  I was on the hunt for a tote/bag to utilize while working (a purse just isn't cutting it) and I was so excited to find this site... I DID NOT MAKE THIS BAG... this is Martina's fabulous work and pattern (which she generously shares on her blog)... so click and visit today!

In celebration of my find I went on the hunt for fabric today.... I found a hidden treasure in Menominee Michigan... a wonderfully fabulous quilt shop called Quilter's Haven.  The owner, Chris, is warm welcoming and has delicious fabrics and patterns (yes... I do buy patterns because even though I don't use them in the traditional sense, I look at the pictures and figure out the project.) She is currently remaking her website, but I'm going to share her link anyway... quiltershavenltd.com

The fabric I bought is gorgeous, don't you think?  These are for two separate totes....larger pieces are for the Tote Exterior and the smaller  for the lining....WooHOO!!!
what color is your tote?

...scatter joy...
lindy

En Garde!

For some reason this tangle looks to me like a swordsman, cape flying, shield wielding.... ready for the duel....

Please do not ask me to interpret Rorschach Inkblots... I have a feeling it would not be pretty... *grin*

this is for another swap... done on 130 lb cold pressed watercolor paper with micron .25 mm black ink...


... and to celebrate national craft month, one of my fave sites:
http://craftingagreenworld.com/


What puts you on your guard?

...scatter joy...
lindy

bloom

Spring is fast approaching... one of my favorite quotes is 'bloom where you are planted' and one of my favorite blooms is the sunflower.  Here is my zentangle interpretation for a recent swap... this one is on its way to the netherlands...

And here is a link to a fun craft site to celebrate national craft month:
Cool Craft Site

How are you blooming...?

...scatter joy...

lindy

Celebrate Craft Month

I totally forgot that March is national (?) Craft month.... I love that there is a month devoted to the craft of crafts... ; )  I urge you to 1- make time for your favorite craft, 2- learn a new craft, and 3- encourage others to celebrate national craft month!

I, of course am celebrating the whole year since my 'theme' this year is 'awaken the artist'.... but specifically this month from here on out I will highlight one favorite craft site each day either in a post dedicated to that particular craft or as the final paragraph in the post.

Today I share with you a wonderful, wonderful artist and her blog that celebrates the paper arts.... I encourage you to visit because there you are sure to be inspired to try new things.  http://inkstainswithroni.blogspot.com/   Ink Stains by Roni Johnson is a trove of delicious ideas.  She is also the author of the Teach Yourself Visually Collage and Altered Art.

What craft have you been wanting to try?  What are you waiting for???

...scatter joy...
lindy

time for a tangle?

It continues to be my new favorite art form... I keep thinking about how I could broaden this beyond making ATCs and trading... and the sweet thing is... everyone interprets the same designs differently.  AND anyone can do this... these two I did while listening to a podcast with Doug Graham about raw foods and his book
80-10-10.  I think it looks like I was happy... (which of course I was.... and I AM...!)

To me: the tangle on the left looks like a curvy woman with a cape who is busy shaking and grooving... and the center looks like all the inner workings of a healthy body doing it's thing..... and the one on the right ???.... lol... well maybe it doesn't always have to look like something...  (although when viewed with the deep curve on the top it definitely looks like my luscious produce overflowing from a bag as I leave the market...!

what does your happiness look like?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Hosting my first swap....

WELL.... I've decided to do it.... I'm going to 'host' my first swap.  I joined the Newfangled Zentangle Group on swap-bot and the founder, Tess, offered to make me an officer.  (It's a very official and everyone bows in my presence as I enter rooms....) ; ) 

Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a little.... but I DO get to post and host swaps for this group... so my first one is SPRING has SPRUNG... the challenge is to tangle your interpretation of that theme on a 3.5 square (typical zentangle size) and because this group likes to experiment with color and design it is not only encouraged, but embraced.  I can't wait to see the designs and hope that I can persuade people to send me pics of their creations for a later posting here!  (I will add my creation this weekend to this post... in the meantime here is a place-holder... one of the very first tangles I ever did on a scrap piece of paper)

If, after all my blogging on and on and on and on and on about zentangles you still do not know what they are, here is yet another link (compliments of Tess)  Beez in the Belfy

So I urge you to stop reading.  Put pen to paper. Do the Spring has Sprung dance of the of the tangle.

EDIT: oh guess what?! This is my 100th post WooHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 

What color is your spring?

...scatter joy...
lindy
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Harmony

The second in the Inspirational Words series.  Harmony.

... with an eye made quiet by the power of harmony & the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things. --- wordsworth



How do you practice harmony?

...scatter joy...
lindy

... Balance ...

One of my favorite forms of art is word art... especially using inspirational or motivational words.  This card is called 'Balance' and is part of a set of two
(I'll post the other one the next post).

I had so much fun making the 'Skinny' that I continued with the same colors and techniques.  I'm going to have to make a set of inspirational cards for myself, I think....

How do you find your balance?

...scatter joy...

lindy

who named them 'skinnies'??? and why?

Embrace Change.... this was for a private swap I did with one of my swapping friends on swap-bot.  She had to educate me on creating a 'skinny'. 

They are 3x5.... hmmmmm now I wonder if was supposed to make the art vertical vs horizontal...

I did this one in acrylics, inks, pens, metal, ribbon and beads.

Can you tell how much fun I'm having creating?

How do you spread your wings?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Swimming in a Sea of Tangles

This ATC was for a Zentangle group swap... sender's choice.  When I read my partner's profile I saw that she likes bizarre imagery and also has a fondness for animals.      

As this tangle unfolded itself it reminded me somehow of a cross between a rabbit, cat, and fish...

drawn on 130lb cold pressed water color paper (so far my favorite paper to draw on) using my Martha Stewart (yeah, I said it...) .5mm pen in peacock blue.

what do you see...?

...scatter joy...

lindy

alphabet of life e & f

"Express Thanks" and "Forgive" were the next two cards in this series.  For some reason, as much as I love the series, I'm finding it difficult to come up with things representative of the words... I try not to be too literal because that's just not a good fit for me, but it hasn't been easy ...

For this swap I thought I would challenge myself by using different mediums than what I typically do... so I used chalks, oils, pencils and pens.  My partner was from Michigan (my home state) and it was fun to have that in common.  She'd mentioned having lived somewhere warm and moving back to Michigan because of the winter, so I definitely had to incorporate that...

and the Forgive... well, I tangled the word and then of course I'm all about starting over.... so took it from there.

The Forgive ATC was difficult for me... I don't think I forgive very easily.... in fact I'm not sure I forgive at all....  That's not to say if we have a misunderstanding or disagreement that I hang onto it... I don't... I let that stuff go easily.... and I don't really even think there is anything to forgive...
But the BIG stuff.... the REAL stuff... I don't know how you do it.  I have had a couple things in my life happen that I will never forgive.... I can't imagine it.... 
How do you forgive?

...scatter joy...
lindy

boy do I miss my boy...

When I'm home Bax keeps me laughing with his antics.... I was busily working on something out in the kitchen area when I could hear this very soft 'woof'       'woof'  (he was definitely using his indoor voice...).  As I peeked around the corner to see what he was asking for, here is what I saw.

He was posing perfectly and asking very nicely for his broccoli stalks (one of his fave treats) that were on the coaster on the glass table in front of him. 

What do your animals ask for?

...scatter joy...
lindy

50 SWAPS Completed!

Today as I sent out another 2 swaps I hit the 50 completed mark.... wow.... !  It's been fun working on art in the evenings in the hotel room... I picked up this gorgeous little 'train case' from a thrift store for $5 and I'm able to bring my art supplies with me.  Here's my hotel room 'desk' converted to art table.  (Don't worry... I have a clear plastic table cloth that protects the top.)  It's been a really fun diversion as well as a wonderful and inspiring way to continue to awaken the artist... I will continue to swap and may even check out other swapping sites or maybe even other avenues for sharing my art.  Thanks for following me on this journey.


What are your passions and how do you share them?

...scatter joy...
lindy