Toodles - and being open to change

Sometimes I start out with a plan, but it's always a good idea to stay open to change.  I started with this die cut, The Sweetest Sound II by Penny Black, that I colored with Copic markers.  I wanted it to be a  "string" for a tile so I traced around it onto an apprentice tile.  I added Diva Dance (Zentangle® video) and Toodles (new tangle Zentangle video), alternating both until it looked complete.

But when I held the die back up to the tile, it just seemed to get lost.  I decided to try a second layer of the die behind the first and added a dark walnut ink to the second die so I could use it slightly offset as a shadow for the first.  But something odd happened.  Somehow the scrap of cardstock was damaged and the ink wouldn't stick to it evenly. The more ink I added, the more pronounced the "hotspot".  But it was so pretty!  I held it next to the tile and, yup, that's the one...to use alone!  The Copic one will just have to wait for another project...... 

Diva Dance and Toodles in Sepia micron with colored pencil. Die cut added using Distress Oxide ink.  

Zentangle and life lessons.  

Toodles.

Flowers? It's Meer-ly January!

This new stamp, Crimson Blush, from Penny Black is just beautiful....  I stamped it with tattered rose Distress Ink and then "watercolored" with more distress inks, candied apple, wild honey, crushed olive, bundled sage, vintage photo, chipped sapphire and hickory smoke.  I also used a gelato, snow cone, on the sky.  Mainly I'm noting the colors so I have something to refer back to...I was so pleased with the outcome!  The sentiment is from another new set (yes, I've been shopping) So Loved.  I stamped on Portofino Acquerello 140 lb watercolor paper.  I haven't played with this paper much and this is my first time water coloring using distress reinkers.  I'm not sure whether it was the paper or the ink or the combination that caused the bleeding, but it worked well anyway....I just added a few thin lines with a 005 black micron.  The reinkers are SO saturated with color, I'll try them more diluted next time, but again I'm happy with this one!

Here is how I started, at this point I thought it would be a vertical card.

And after  i dropped candied apple and wild honey onto individual wet petals.  

And I was also busy with Christmas thank you cards.  These Beautiful Day flowers from Altenew were stamped over a distress oxide background and then I added colored pencil.  The thanks die is from Hero Arts.  

And I enjoy making the backs of my cards special too.  

Another Penny Black stamp, peony using distress and distress oxide inks.

The dies used on both card backs are a Sizzix Tim Holtz set wildflowers.

And my January calendar for my journal using the tangle Meer.  I drew the string loosely but in pen.  I even outlined the wrong number of squares initially and then added in a few more!  And although the string was loose, I took my time filling it in.  

Thanks again for stopping by!