Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

First Green Bean Harvest Summer of 2013

Yield: 2 pounds

Swaying in the wind

Ever since I was a kid I have loved mobiles.  That is why I only own three; two of which are in the house.  I know my obsessive personality would have them hanging everywhere.  I have seen houses where the whole yard was covered in them.  For me it's like doing a presentation on a client's plate; less is more.  

I made this mobile with basic directions from this site.  I already made the charms you hang on purses and key chains.  Maybe a mobile would be possible?  I wanted to combine all artsy things that I love into one item.  So this one combines three.  The first is a mobile, second is jewelry making and the third is Zentangling.   

Here's how I did it.  I took a heart rubber stamp I already had on hand and stamped it a billion times on a piece of card stock that I had randomly painted.  I tried to create a different tangle in each heart but after a while I found this to be more work than what I wanted to do.  So there are duplicates of many of them.  I assembled them like the charms.  I cut them out and then punched holes at the top and the bottom of each heart. 

I didn't know how this was going to turn out so I didn't want to make the foundation circle too large.  I used a large gauge wire to make the foundation circle and then wrapped it with smaller wire.  I went back and took seed beads and wrapped them on the foundation circle.  The reason I use the seed beads is to keep the hanging items from slipping around and causing the mobile to list from one side to the other.  

Jump rings were used as well as some wire links and everything was assembled.  I wanted to make sure the hearts had enough weight so they would hang well.  They are extremely light.  So I added one bead at the bottom of each heart.  It's a time consuming project but worth it in the end.  I would like to perfect this idea and then sell them in my Etsy shop.  

Here is the whole mobile hanging.  I have some adjustments to make on the top but that shouldn't take very long to do.

Here is a closer picture so you can see the Tangles on the hearts.

You can see the backs of some of the hearts in this picture.  

If you have any ideas on how I can improve this, give me a shout in the comment section.  I have a ton more hearts that are ready and waiting to be turned into a mobile.

Wordless Wednesday

First Lavender Harvest 2013

Diva Challenge #123

Since taking a Zentangle class I have been doing it everyday.  I have filled up one book and one -third into another book.  I decided that just looking at my work wasn't enough.  I need to see and be inspired by others who love doing this as much as I do.  So I took the plunge and entered myself into a challenge issued here.  

So here is the challenge for this week...The challenge for this week is: can you do a Zentangle without  using existing patterns or tangeleations* of them? And what are your experiences while doing so?  

Being so new at doing this, I am not really sure what makes something an official Zentangle and what makes it just a run of the mill doodle?  Many people who do Zentangling have doodled for years.  I am one of those people so that line between what is a Zentangle and what is doodling is a bit blurry.  

The challenge was to come up with something that is not an existing pattern or a variation of an existing pattern.  I think it would be harder if you had been doing this for a while.  Your mind is wrapped around remembering different patterns. I found myself sitting and starring at the square and thinking before I put pen to paper.  This seems counter intuitive to me since Zentangling is supposed to be free flowing and relaxing.  Towards the end, it was relaxing but trying not to do something I had seen on Pinterest, Facebook and in a book, was a true challenge.  

Here is my entry for challenge #123.

 I called this pattern Elongated Tulips. I have no idea if there such a pattern.  I thought the challenge was a genuine challenge.  

 

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Provence Lavender

The Charmed Life

I have so many interests that it's a bit overwhelming when people ask me what I do.  I have tried to use more than one hobby to enhance another.  What I am about to post about is the perfect example of this.  I have been making jewelry, paper beads, paper bead jewelry, quilling and now learning the art of Zentangle.  I wanted to combine two of those hobbies together and I think I have figured out a way to do that with Zentangle and jewelry making.  These aren't officially "jewelry".  These are to suitcases, zippers and key chains as stitch markers are to knitting.  It's  jewelry for your stuff.  Don't understand?  Look below.

I am sorry these are turned this way.  I did change the photo to make them where you can see them but for some reason they reverted back.  I can't see to figure out how to change them.

I can't make something and not doing some knitting pictures.  I might be knitting much these days, but I still love to knit.

These are charms.  They were all hand drawn and painted by either watercolor, watercolor pencils or makers.  They are pretty small and each has a chain that you can attach them to a suitcase, a zipper or your key chain.  

This is what most of the backs look like.  They are covered in a metal that is able to go through a Cuddlebug.  I have painted them like in the video and then sanded them.  It just gives them some depth.

The chains to attach the charms are from Tim Holtz and can be purchased at AC Moore and Michael's.  I think that package ran me $4.99.  The charms package can be purchased at the same two stores.  They are different sizes and shapes.  There are forty of them in a package and cost $9.99.  I hate paying full price so I use my coupons to always get at least 40% off. I have nearly 100 of them done but still need more chains.  I will be selling them in the fall at the craft shows along with the jewelry and quilling I make.  They will run anywhere from $1.00-5.00.  I will not be posting them on Etsy because it's just not cost effective.  If you are interested in any of these, give me a shout and I will make arrangements with you to get them.video where I learned to make them.  Mine are different from hers but the concept is still the same.  They would make cute little gift tags for Christmas gifts.  You could put someone's name on it and then they can attach it to their key ring later.

 They were super easy to make and they are so much fun.  If you are not art inclined then you can paste something on the charms instead of drawing something like I did.  You will have a great time doing these!

Wordless Wednesday

Wanted:  Humming Birds

Trading Cards

Since discovering Zentangle, I have bought about eight or nine books mostly written by Suzanne McNeill.  I read in one book about how people (Zentangle artist and artist in general, I think) use Artist Trading Cards.  Cards can be a series or each can be different.  I stumbled on to them at Jerry's and decided I wanted to try them.  So last week when I should have been doing so many other things, I created my own artist trading cards.  I will put all of the ones I have made so far.  I have my favorites but won't tell you until later which ones I favor.  

 Leaves and Sky

 Purple Tulips

 Flight

 Happy Yellow

 Betwix and Betweed

 Confusion

 Garden

Betweed

Each card can have a mixture of Micron pens, watercolor paints, watercolor pencils, and a shading pencil.  I sprayed a Workable Fixative so that nothing will rub off or run.  I found the trading cards in Bristol board, Watercolor paper and there was another kind of paper which totally escapes me now but they all measure 2.5X3.5 inches.  They don't fit into a business card case so if you carry any of these with you; it will require a special case.  I read that people give them names, number them, then put down the artist name and I think a state.  So there are my first attempts to tangling Artist Trading Cards.  I have three packets of them; two in watercolor paper and one in bristol board.  Each packet has ten blanks.  I have no idea who I will give these to but just thought it was such a cool idea.  What do you all think?