Tangled Christmas Tree and S N O W !!!!

I spent yesterday working up a tree and I think it came out pretty well, I am happy with it for the most part!
Last night before bed I wrote on the opposite page, I don't know, I might not leave that alone.
Not happy with it, I may change it or add to it.
But here it is...


And for those of you who don't know, we live in New Mexico and for the past few years we rarely see much snow, but look what we got last night!!!!

So far, I have yet to venture out past our front courtyard (pictured here). But if I do, I will get pictures!!

Isn't it just beautiful!?
My love is out shoveling snow as we speak to get out of the driveway to go to work! LOL!!

Zendala and junk...

The latest entries in my journal are Zentangles.
I tried my hand at a Zendala (Zentangled Mandala)
And then I tried Zentangling my hand!



The mandala side features a watercolored background.
However, I figured out the pens I had picked up to use were NOT waterproof.
It's a shame, but it could have been worse by far.

Then I found this video on You Tube through Motley Soul and decided to give the hand tracing a try. It was awesome. I think I need a little more work to steady my hand, but it really was just to have something to do to get me through the headaches.
It really does help with the headaches, and the focus.
It also didn't help that in the middle of the page I ran out of ink in my pens and had to go back to the ultra fine tip sharpies, which are waterproof, but are nowhere near as smooth as a pen.
: /

I have actual Sakura Micron pens on the way to me as we speak.
Does anyone know if they are waterproof?
I have heard they are, but I have yet to find anything in print regarding the fact that they are or aren't.

New Journal, Sharpie Ghosting, and Stricles!!!

I got a new art journal!

*dances*

I still have my big one, my first one, of course. It is a large 8.5"X11" sketchbook and I do love it but as a new art journaler I find it difficult to always fill the pages. I am often left with a lot of "empty" space. So, amidst short exchanges of comments on YouTube with Less Herger from Comfortable Shoes Studio she made a comment pertaining to smaller journals being a puddle as compared to an ocean to fill. Well, now I have a lake. :)

A midsized hardbound sketchbook. I would have gotten a moleskine but I take what I can get locally for the time being, plus there will be more. And, I will still use my large journal, mainly for playing around and seeing how things react and for my attempts at drawings.
The new one will be more of my day to day art journaling.
I love it to pieces already.

And so, for the first project in it, I re-did a page I have done before.
But, I attempted some sharpie ghosting!
You can find Less' How-To video on this technique HERE.

It's the lyrics to Pink's "F****ing Perfect" written in four different colors in four different directions. This was the most fun! I love writing song lyrics on paper. And honestly I think I might have liked to leave them this way, but I didn't.
Next, a layer of gesso.

You can see some of the marker color coming through, I wasn't super happy with the turn out on this but I think it comes down to sharpie colors. I want some more vibrant colors. I used red, orange, blue, and green. And after a watercolor wash of blue the blue started lifting up more.
But yes, more vibrant colors to test...

And finally, the eh pretty much, finished page.
I may doodle on it more, I don't know. I am not liking blank spaces... much.
I had hoped the sharpies would have lifted through the gesso more.

I had drawn in my larger journal with the blue sharpie once and failed so I covered it with gesso and made a page on top of it and for my life I couldn't cover it.
I don't know what happened here, exactly. But will try it again soon.

Then I started a page of Stricles last night and finished it this morning.
I <3 Stricles.


And lastly, when my little guy sees me working in my art journal he wants to paint too.
This is his work of art. I think I will keep it and put it in his art journal, it makes a nice background.


:)

30 Day Art Journal/Blog Challenge - Day 3 - "Lest We Forget"

So, today's challenge...

I have two challenges to complete.
The first is a Zentangle for the I am the diva challenge!



I can't say that I am pleased with it. Doing a Zentangle in something other than a grid proved to be my undoing.
No matter, it just means I need to practice.
It also means that the Zentangle kit I asked for for Christmas would be a good investment AND so would the books (incase the hubby reads this).
:)

It's supposed to be in the shape of a poppy, loosely. : /
There are little poppies inside in honor of Canada's Remembrance Day and the poem In Flander's Field, also in honor of Veteran's Day here in the U.S.
I thought a lot about my dad when I made this.

Next is a page that I completed, well, if you call it completed, for the Motley Soul Monthly Journal Group second challenge.


I'm not happy with this page. I feel like I slacked off or something.
Started with picking a word, the prompt: One Word, One Thought.
I picked music because it is immensely important to me at all times but especially during my creative process.
Then I had picked up some cheap watercolor paints and tried to use them, I am a novice at it, can you tell?
:)
It was boring so I slapped some silver glitter acrylic paint on top and when it was wet I loved it.
But it dried. :(
Once dry I wrote my thought on it, which is just a quote.
My favorite quote that has to do with music, mind you. I always find myself doodling that quote when listening to music.

And there it is.
I'm just sharing those for honesty and good measure.
And to see what it turns into in the future because it will get worked on some more, just not right now.
Moving on...

Lastly, for giggles.
This is my very first page painted with the watercolor paints.
It will probably get a coat of gesso and some paint over it but it was fun to play with and you never know what it will turn into, I guess.
:/


One thing is horrifyingly clear... I need to learn how to use these watercolor paints!
I have planned on getting crayons, but my trip to the city keeps getting pushed back.
Boo!

........................................................................................................................



Music page updated.
I bought a new metallic red acrylic paint today and happened across some scrapbooking stickers for $1.00 a pack.
It's still not my favorite page, but I feel better about it and it is done.

Off to gesso a bunch of pages in my journal!