Warrior

This tangle was done with a dark blue micron on water color paper.

And, as usual, when I was done it looked like something to me... so this one is a warrior mask.

What do you see?

Interesting that it looks like a warrior to me... does this mean I feel I'm at war? or preparing for battle... ? or simply protecting myself??? hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. lol.

What does your armor look like?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Funky Bird Part II

Here is the REAL funky bird.... I didn't set out to draw a bird, but after I was done that's what it looked like to me... do you see it??

What does YOUR funky bird look like?

... scatter joy...

lindy

layers

This was another from the set of 7 private swap...I was experimenting (well they are all sort of experiements, aren't they?)

And I'm getting ready to take on a new challenge with my art soon.  I have long been an admirer of all things 'altered' and find the layers and layers of textures, colors, words fascinating... so I'm going to teach myself that technique and see what happens.

Oh and I read something on a blog I recently stumbled upon and found it an interesting perspective:  The difference between art and craft is with craft you have a step by step process you follow to recreate the original and art is where you take that process and then MAKE IT YOUR OWN. 

Have you hugged your inner artist today? AND have you told that inner critic to shut the #%!$ up??!?

...scatter joy...
lindy

city life

Today's tangle was part of a series for a private swap... I started with straight rectangular boxes, and after I was done it looked like buildings in a city to me.

What excites you more... the allure and buzz of the bright lights or the serenity of the country?

...scatter joy...

lindy

take a slice

This ATC was part of the series I did in the private swap.  Zentangling doesn't always necessarily start out as being anything.... but often times when I'm done I see something in the lines and squiggles.... this one reminded me of different pizza slices.... then again, perhaps I was just hungry....

and it's always amazing how different art looks simply but turning a piece on its side...


What do you see?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Bookmark Tangle

You know I love me some zentangling.... ; )  so..... for this swap we had to do a bookmark.  I really liked how this turned out.... I wasn't sure at first because generally I keep my tangles in a smaller space but I took my time and didn't rush.... just went about it as I felt like it.  I used sepia toned pens on water color paper, charcoal for shading; the person I was creating this for loves all things vintage.  I had some great paper I used for the backing, too, that was an interpretation of an old pattern in blues and beiges...

tell you a secret??? i almost kept this one for me..... *giggle*

what do you use for a bookmark?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Take a bite...

Yes... I'm obsessed... obsessed with enjoying my food while making my beautiful body as healthy as I can.... (see post below this one for one of my fave breakfast smoothies!).... so much so that I've gone and done something some might think is crazy.... I signed up for my first ever triathlon!!!! OH YES I DID!!! AND.... I started a blog called Tri-umphantly to journal my journey to the center of ME!!!!  If you are a fan of fitness or looking for a different approach or simply want to cheer me on (cuz hey, we can ALL use cheering ON!!!) then please click on the link and follow along.... glad to have you!

Enough about that part of me... on to my obsession with whole food fabulous and making ART!  So this piece was part of a set of 7 different ATCs that I did on a personal trade with someone from Swap-Bot.  She was doing zentangles of letters A-G for me and I had free reign... so I tried to do some fun things for her.  This one came about because she mentioned she liked to collect postage stamps and I had this great one from New Zealand.... and of course one of my very fave foods is from there.... I wonder if it's the color or the fact that it is one of the most nutrient-rich foods you can fuel yourself with that has my heart.....?!?

In case you can't decipher my sketches.... these are kiwi.  What a cute name... kiwi....!!! This is chalk, ink, pencil on watercolor paper... oh and let's not forget the ephemera....

What's the last thing you sketched?

...scatter joy...
lindy

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

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

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
.

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

mini red zen*tangle INCHIES

Have you noticed that when I try something, I keep on trying it over and over and over and over again.... lol... probably boring you to tears... and that's one of the reasons I want to change up the organization of my blog... so that I provide a little more balanced commentary on what's going on in this collage called my life.

However, I'm not there yet, so, if you can indulge me just another minute, here are the Inchies I made for the Red Zentangle Inchie swap.  I thought it was going to be very difficult to draw in that teeny space... but I drew the tangles BEFORE I cut the inchies.  (Thanks, D, for the awesome tip!)

Have you tangled yet?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Color * full Tangles

These are from 4 swaps... all for zentangles in color.  Traditionally Zentangles are done in black ink on white or ivory paper.
Blue, Rainbow, Purple and 'Free Color', which of course, I took to mean 'GREEN'....

Tangles are delightfully fun to do... and it's a great way to spend my evenings when I'm away from home. Watch a true artist at work creating a tangle here... it's time lapsed so goes by speedy, but not so speedy you can't see what's happening... zentangle tutorial

It's interesting to go back and look at them a few days later... I always wonder what I was watching or listening to at the time....


What color is your tangle?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Now & Zen(tangle)

Oh. MY. GOD!!!  I just received one of the best gifts!!!! I have recently discovered the art of zentangling and a very special person was paying attention and gifted me with the Zentangle Kit...

It comes packaged in its own gorgeous hand-made dark teal paper box... complete with step by step instructions on creating tangles, pencils, pens, hand crafted die cut papers and a mini dvd ... what a treat!

I am excited to be on this journey and can't wait to see where these tangles take my artistic endeavors...

and No... you don't NEED this kit to zentangle... their home site gives plenty of info to be able to strike out your own tangles and there are many other sites devoted to showcasing other artists' tangles.... but I sure am excited by this gorgeous gift!








And here is a piece of functional art.... a bookmark I tangled yesterday afternoon... too fun!

What inspires you?

...scatter joy...
lindy

Dancing the zenTANGO

I love arts.  I love crafts.  And I really LOVE learning something new... so my new fascination continues to grow... zentangles.  I am new new new so judge not too harshly.... and have to say... I love it.  It's easy... anyone can do it... and you end up feeling very artistic...!  I am currently in a couple of swaps involving the exchanging of these mini works of art on swap-bot (another new fascination...)

What has caught your fancy?

... scatter joy...
lindy

a merry mummy christmas!

I did it!  I finished my mom's christmas pressie and now it's on it's way to florida to arrive just in time for the festivities!

As many of you can relate to, each year it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out just what to give our parents for the holidays.  I came up with this idea last month while at the Craft Social... as I was learning how to make artistic doodles (aka zentangles) a million ideas on how to use this artform came flooding in... among them the brill idea I had for gifting my mumma.

As I reflect on my own life stories, it occurred to me that I really knew too few of my mom's stories and so what better way to get her to tell them to me than to present her with a 'journal' for writing them down.... including some touches of art throughout to keep it interesting.

It's easy peasy:

1. Buy a suitable notebook to use for the journal.  (I chose spiral bound because it will lay flat, and lined for ease of writing.)  I found this one in the clearance cubbies at Paper Source.
2. Modify and embellish at will (keep in mind how long it will take because once you start you'd hate to only get 1/2 way through)
3.Compile the thought starter questions and write them throughout the journal. ( It's much much easier to tell you a story if you ask me a question first, to get me started.)

If you'd like to use my questions to start from, just email me and I'll send you the file. 

There are so many stories we need to share with each other and this really is a great idea not only for our elders but also think about writing your stories now... as you live them... what a wonderful gift for your own family members and friends.

How does your story begin?

...scatter joy...
lindy