A Book Review - How to Make 100 Bead Embroidery Motifs by Genevieve Crabe

 Some of you may know Genevieve Crabe as a wonderful Certified Zentangle Teacher, she has also developed a whole heap of Mandala Stencils as well.   

Her book published by Creative Publishing International, is a wonderful resource for bead artists as well as those who do embroidery.  I think the designs would lend themselves to being used in a mixed media journal that includes substrates such as fabric, paper and cardstock to name a few. 

Genevieve's book is a wonderful introduction to beading on fabric.  The designs are easy to follow and instructions in the Technical Support chapter are well set out.   The designs are wonderful and would also be useful for combining embroidery and beading.  Overall, this is a great book with some great designs and ideas on beading.  I am glad to have it in my personal book collection. 

You can check out Genevieve's web page here. Amaryllis Creations

I've been playing in my Journal

 I have been having fun with some ideas for String Lines ...  these ones are all running parallel horizontally and I have drawn a message in them, tangled the outside border.   These would be a great little gift tag or something like that for someone special.   Think of Christmas messages for your presents to those who are special to you.  (note here:  I celebrate Christmas, but if you dont' you could use the idea for your special celebrations throughout the year)

You could really go to town with these, what fun!

 And I have been quite immobile over the past week or so as a result of the SLE (lupus) that I have ... so I have been playing with my journal trying to cheer myself up! My hands can sometimes be quite wonky, so using watercolours help to make things look good.

This is something I truly believe - if you dream it, you will make it come true!  Dreams are the impetus to drive us forward to achieve that which we crave.   I used to dream of a little cottage overlooking the water and mountains when I was young ... for the past 12 years that is exactly where I have lived.  And I am sure I have seen my husbands face in my dreams before I met him!

It all comes down to Happiness ... it is life's contentment that makes me happy.  What about you?

 And here I loved playing with letters ... some styles are inspired by those I have seen in calligraphy books.   I am not a calligrapher, but sure would like to be able to turn a nice letter.

 Hmmmm ... thinking about all things fishing and my husband's story on how big the fish was that took his hook.

 Flowers, who doesn't love them with their glorious colours.

 And we all need sunshine in our lives.

Look ... more word strings ... almost all coloured in. 

Well ... I hope you are having a great week wherever you are.  I love Journalling in my down times as they make me take a look at how I am travelling and where I would like to head on my next adventure here at home!

Happy tangling for now ... Jane x

Still Taking Leave - but wanted to Share This

 I needed a break from all that is Zentangle and Quilting ... so I picked up my coloured pencils (Prismacolor this time), a bottle of Zest It Pencil Blend and a journal that I had made from Fabriano Artistico Watercolour paper.

I had previously done a watercolour wash on all the pages with different colours and then spattered watercolour paint wash with a brush onto the pages - some I used rock salt as well.  This gave me a fantastic background to do some pencil paintings.

This is the front page ... you have to know that I did not have flowers to copy from ... I copied a line drawing and coloured from the heart, how I recall these flowers to look. So they may not be botanically correct.   That is okay - because it is a journal of my favourite flowers!

 This is a little way into the book ... on the Pink page.

The yellow page ... I love daisys

All of these Pencil Paintings were done with a base of colour, a layer of Zest It Pencil Blend and then more layers of colour. 


I have had a restful weekend doing what I love to do  - draw - with colour!

Okay ... see you all in a week or so.

Cheers
Jane
x

Zentangle Galaxies

I have been working on this piece over the weekend on and off and 2 hours today at the doctors saw it finished.    I had images of worlds and galaxies full of Zentangles whirling through my mind.  I like it.

And last week I added some colour to the front page of my A3 journal.   Still considering colouring the letters in red or grey ... not sure yet.

Happy Valentines Day to everyone ... hope your sweeties bring you flowers and kind words....Jane x

Picture Fest of what I have been up to

Obviously I have been Tangling up a storm as usual ... I can't seem to put that pen down .. can you?

I have been playing with my own patterns and official Zentangle patterns ... in my field journal notebook doing borders and letters ... surprise surprise!

 A few full page drawings...

 And some one Tangle pattern borders ... these could be very useful - especially for journaling or scrapbooking!

This pattern is a variant I came up with from the Zentangle pattern "Braze"  and "Striping" 

 This one is using my pattern "Tadpegs"  very cute I think.

 "Knightsbridge" with a little BTL Joose (Sandy Bartholomews pattern)

 This one is full of my patterns and some Zentangle patterns..

A few new ones for me in there too!

 "Betweed" with my "Tadpegs"  ... and if you look closely I have been using a hint of colour ... have you tried the Derwent Graphitint pencils - they are divine ... graphite with pigment ...  I will be using these more and more I think.

 This one is purely "Striping" - an official Zentangle pattern.

 "Knase" also an official Zentangle pattern.

And I have been tidying up sorting my bits into some stackable draw tubs ... very handy with the Dymo tape machine too! 

 And on Australia Day I went fishing with my husband ... beautiful weather and we caught 3 lovely sized Brown Trout.   (Well I supervised as I don't have a fishing licence but I will next time!)

 The first trout...

 What I get to look at while fishing - lol!

I have a captive audience and can talk about anything I like - isn't that funny. 

And no it isn't a Hawthorn supporters beanie that he has on ... he had it years and years ago.

Jet sleeping  on the quilty bits (my quilty bits - test bits that I have been playing with on the quilt machine awhile ago now - so very cat useable).

So happy Tangling for now ... have a lovely weekend everyone.    Cheers Jane x