Zentangle Inspired Art-Title Page, Bird and Flower

I drew this tangle to use as the front cover for the photo album I'm using to fill with Zentangle drawings. The album cover has an oval opening and you can see the word Zentangle through it when the album is closed. When you open the front cover, this is the first page of my album.

For this tangle, I traced the outline of the bird from a stencil and then I drew in the patterns and leaves and branch. I prefer doing the tangles in a picture rather than just the Zentangle square.

I drew this flower as a tangle starting at the center of the flower and growing out from there. It's fun to draw things that are just pure fantasy. :D

Zentangle is a calming exercise for everyone. You do not need any artistic talent. You just draw the patterns one stroke at a time. It was developed by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.  Many of you have already done this type of drawing and just called it doodling which is basically what it is. Why don't you give it a try?
Have a great day and create something!

Stampscapes - Forest Falls

This scene, measuring 8.5"x11", is much bigger than my card sized scenes. For this scene I followed a tutorial by Kevin Nakagawa on the Stampscapes website. I didn't have all of the same stamps that he used so I had to use what I had for my version of his scene. To make all the elements of the composition I had to use a  lot of masking to get images to look like they were behind other images.
It was fun to try such a big project. My friend Linda and I each did this scene at her house one day last spring. I had most of it stamped and inked with colour, but got it back out recently to finish it to display at an art show in which I participated.
Did you get creative lately? It's good to stretch your abilities with something out of your comfort range now and again.
I'd love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Zentangle Inspired Art - Art Journal page

This is a page in one of my Art Journals that started out as an experiment with a new technique. I was trying the technique of colouring with a tombow marker onto plastic and then using a blender pen to pick up the ink and apply it to the image and having the colour fade to a lighter colour as you keep colouring. I had one long slim image in the center of the page for several weeks and decided to keep drawing around it with some tangles. I used one fairy stamp in the top right corner. I used the new technique to add the colour to the rest of the page. It was fun to create this fantasy page.

Take care and let your creative side loose!!!

Wedding card

I made this card for my step-daughter Kristy's wedding. She married Mat on July 30th, 2011. The lily is made from the stamp Jumbo Tiger Lily from Stampendous. I used white embossing powder on glossy cardstock and then stippled in some ink for the colour. I cut out the flower and popped it up on the background that I had embossed with a cuttlebug folder. The background was mounted over silver metallic cardstock.

I copied a wedding poem and printed it on the computer for the inside sentiment. I made corners in the silver metallic cardstock using a cuttlebug die.

Kristy loves lilies so when I found this stamp a few months ago I had to buy it to use for her. This is the back of the card. I stamped the frame and then masked it and stamped the lilies to make them look like they were behind the frame.
The wedding was wonderful, the bride was beautiful and the couple looked so happy.
I had fun creating this wedding card for their special day.
Have a fabulous day!

Art Journal - Searching

This journal page was made using the Symmetry (Fish Heads) Sheet #5 from Stampscapes.  I stamped the images on the right hand side page and then drew the extended lines for the left side page. I drew in the rest of the scene and then coloured it in with oil pastels. I wrote the journaling using a sharpie marker. The fish looked to me like they were searching and it made me think that we spend much of our time searching in our lives too.
I love the freedon of creating anything you want in an art journal.
Take care and happy creating!

Stampscapes Scenic cards

These are three scenes that I did using the Stampscapes stamps. I stamped on glossy cardstock and coloured the scenes with dye inks using stipple brushes, paint brushes and some markers.
The stampscapes stamps are made by Kevin Nakagawa. Many stamps are used to create a scene and they are wonderful to use to create many different scenic layouts.
These scenes are card size at approximately 4.25 by 5.5 inches. They were created for some of my stampscapes classes that I teach in my home.
Take care and enjoy creating! :D

Art Journal - Wildflowers

I was trying a new technique when I did this art journal page. I took my acrylic stamping block and coloured on it with a watercolour crayon, then spritzed water onto it and let the crayon melt and then stamped it on the background. I did this over and over with different coloured watercolour crayons until I achieved the look I wanted. Then I stamped my images onto the background. I used the following stamp sets from Stampin Up - All a Flutter, Pocket Silhouettes, Inspired by Nature. For the quote I used Scenic Sentiments Sheet #4 from Stampscapes.
I love trying new techniqes and the art journal gives me the freedom to try many different things.
Enjoy and create everyday! :D

Zentangle inspired art Book Cover

My friend Linda and I went to a Zentangle class at the Mixed Minded Event in Kitchener put on by the Art House Studio. At the class we sewed together a book cover and then we had to make a Zentangle design on it.  The top picture shows the book cover that I made with the book closed and the picture below it shows the book cover open.
The tangle was drawn with a micron pen and shaded with a pencil.
Here are some quotes from a book I have by Suzanne McNeill called Zentangle 4. "Zentangle is a relaxing and rewarding artform for all ages. Zentangle helps calm the mind. It helps reduce stress and improves focus. This relaxing process turns drawing simple patterns into artistic design."
It is a lot of fun to try all the different tangle patterns. Give it a try!
Happy creating!

Art Journal - Bold Flowers

Today I painted this page in my art journal. I saw a very big painting in a model home we had gone to see and I used it as my inspiration. This page measures 9"x6".  I used acrylic paints and painted the coloured background first, then I painted all the black outlines. This technique was very loose and fun and I hope to try it again.
Give it a try and show me what you create.
Happy painting!

My Mom's Mother's Day card

This is a card I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. I used Stampin Up's Elements of Style stamp set. Stickles was used for the glitter.
Happy creating! :D

Tiger Lily Card

I made this Tiger Lily card with the matching gift bag for my friend Linda's birthday. The Jumbo Tiger Lily stamp is made by Stampendous. I made two Lilies for the card and cut out part of the second one and popped it up to give it some dimension.
I love these jumbo Stampendous stamps. Now I want to use this lily stamp in one of my art journals.

Have a wonderful day!

Altered History Book Art Journal

Today I am showing two layouts of my art journal pages. I found my old high school History book from Grade 11 that I am altering and using as an art journal.

On this page I used the Stampendous Cling Jumbo Peony Set stamps, various other stamps in the background and acrylic paints.

On this page I used a set of stickers, various stamps in the background and acrylic paints.

I'm really enjoying the freedom of creativity that comes with the art journaling.

I'd love to hear from you.

Take care!

Stampscapes Anniversary Card

This is a card I made for my hubby for our anniversary. It is stippled dye inks on glossy cardstock.

My friend Linda always calls this small people stamp "the naked people" so I put clothes on them! *LOL*
Have a wonderful, creative day!

Starting my blog

Today I start my new blogging adventure. I want to use this blog to share my art with all the wonderful people I have come in contact with in the creative world.  I look forward to meeting new people interested in my artistic adventures as well.
Here we go!

This is a bookmark I made for a friend using Stampscapes Stamps. It is stamped on glossy cardstock and coloured in using stipple brushes with dye inks, markers and white gel pen.

I wish you all a creative day.  I'd love to see what you have created.