Looking up: Sunlight through the walnut tree.

This was my view today while doing yoga (this Ekhart Yoga video) on the deck. I love the look of walnut leaves. The leaflets seem to create gentle echoes as they get smaller. I keep thinking there is a “tangle” design in there… somewhere.

Haven’t done anything all week between sickness, sleeplessness and laziness. But I felt really good during yoga this morning in spite of (or maybe because of) that. My shoulders have never been so loose! I was even able to walk my feet in during a full bridge pose. A first! And even that pose just felt good. And strong. Weird but good.

Instead of two, I did three 10/20s (situps/pushups). I was pushing but even that felt good.

Guess maybe that break wasn’t all bad.

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Bangle and earrings prototype

Woohoo! Just whipped up my first dangle bangle and earring set. Heart bead and rose slices were made earlier from shaded rose cane, sanded well and finished with floor polish. (still am amazed that it works so well on polymer clay!)

Instructions for both bangle and cane came from Cindy over at Polymer Clay Tutor.

Short and sweet!

ETA: matching mommy & me bangles!

Looks like a basket of flowers

Here’s what I came up with for the Diva’s weekly challenge. Didn’t intend for it to look like a basket of flowers… at first. But when I noticed that I just went with it and added floral and greenery looking tangles.

Tangles used: Groovy, Mumsy, Botanica & Boxwood, Scrawlz.

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This is the prettiest loaf of gluten-free bread I’ve made yet!

200g brown rice flour
300g sorghum flour
100g millet flour
100g Red quinoa flour
300g cornstarch
3tbl ground flax

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Challenge #68: Hybrid/Strircles Duotangle

Quickie post for today’s theme. Idea is from the Diva’s Weekly Challenge #68.

Little bit has been sick and now I am hoping that I am NOT coming down with it myself. Surely it is just the “normal tired” because of a strenuous karate class last night and not being able to get to sleep until after midnight.

 
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So here are a few of those things that covered it:

Earth Day tangle for the Diva's challenge #67.

Beads made from Cindy Lietz' "Rose Brain Cane" tutorial

Finished Turtles and Dragon. Still amazed that I can use floor polish and wood paste on polymer clay!

More sooner or later. Dashing off again!

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Inspired by henna design... steampunk henna?

Forgive the backtracking… its been a busy week. Just pretend you read this on Tuesday.

This ZIA was inspired by this henna design.  Tentacles! Not sure why but my mind immediately went there.  This is not quite what I had originally envisioned but it is close. Didn’t quite capture the flow-y-ness I like of the inspiration. :-/

Used Suckers by Lizzie Mayne for the tentacles. Will be using it again! Things I learned using this tangle: making the tentacles thicker and slightly curving the lines that intersects the rings make them more dimensional (to my twisted brain anyway).

Other tangles I used: The shell is Galatea by Molussus. The gear is Geer 3 also by Molussus (this one is becoming a habit!). The border is Persian Flower Boarder by Neil Burley.  (or half of it anyway)

The original is much lighter than this scan came out but I like the contrast better in the scan. The pens are microns and the color washes are watercolor using a waterbrush. (cool tool!)

This is almost something I’d consider having tattooed… sans the border… almost.

Last but not least!

Looks like the best effort came last. Very happy with this guy in the end! Wasn’t so sure he’d turn out but got hit with some last minute inspiration and… Voila!

Now I can clean off my worktable and patina all 3 plus the dragon and get them finished!

Okay… off to practice some karate so that I can go to bed!

Steampunk Beetle #1. A Zentangle Inspired Artist Trading Card.

The one in the middle is the actual card. The other two are the practice runs in my journal. Already working on #2 which when done will be winging its way to Finland! Kinda cool that. There will be more in this series!

This was inspired by tangles from Molussus (this one and this one), Christi Friesen’s Steampunk Beetle tutorial (click here for PDF) and the “june bugs” that are out early this year. Used a teeny-tiny Micron pen in brown to draw it all out. Then used the same only in black to re-draw some details. Colored pencils for shading. Gold and silver gel pens for accent.

Next card will hopefully use watercolor instead of colored pencils. Oooh! Or maybe even a strong tea wash!

Hrm… being that this was inspired by things around me… think I’ll submit it to APR’s Challenge #3. Woot!

Okay. Playtime over. Must listen to J read now…

My second try!

Jenn over at Just add Water, Silly is doing a blog hop. Here’s my first entry. Meant to do last week’s but never could find the time.

This week’s theme was to tangle your initial or favorite word. So I did an “H”.  This is my second try at it. My first one I did not finish I was so unhappy with it. I’ll scan it in later. Maybe. This one I’m much happier with.

The tangles I used are: Pais, Sonnenband and Mi2. Feeling like I’m getting the hang of Mi2! I like these end curly-bits better than the last ones I did with this tangle and the second color helps it pop, I think.

Having a heck of a time getting used to tangling in color! Didn’t expect that! I like the added dimension color can bring but I’m usually happier with my black and white attempts. I’m hoping it will get easier with time and effort.

Anyhoo. There ya go!