ZIA heat debossing with dies

If you have a die cutting machine and thin dies, check out this YouTube.  A quick overview is that you carefully ink your die with embossing ink, then run your die with paper through your machine to emboss only (not cut).   Instead of being embossed (or raised) the line is embedded in the paper or debossed.  After heat (de)embossing you are left with the thinnest line.  I, of course, felt the need to combine the technique with tangling.

Here is my first attempt after heat embossing.  (Cheery Lynn die)  

And after tangling, trying to get a variety of fragments in those little spaces...

So, the Diva challenge this week was Halloween themed, or white on black.  Ok. Did I have something scarier in my dies? Not sure if it's Halloween, but I think if I bumped into a dragon I'd definitely have a scare!  So, another Cheery Lynn die.  Isn't it beautiful?  

And a few other dies and an embossing folder I thought I'd give a try.

The completed dragon after adding Tipple, Yincut and then drawing in lines like I was filling Isochor. I used metallic gelly rolls.  

And the teacup stack (die by poppystamps) with Tipple and Florz.  I needed inspiration for a background and thought that Florz would be nice.  The Mosaic app is a great reference to search for inspiration.  I searched for black tiles with the Florz pattern and found CharlotteJ_CZT20's tile which inspired mine.  (Hers is really awesome, you should check it out if you have the app.)

This Chevron die (by My Favorite Things) ended up being the foreground for Scena.

Trying the technique with an actual embossing folder (crazy right?;-). I used this fun Spider by Sizzix. 

Do you see all that excess embossing powder?  Only the spider is debossed.   The powder just stuck everywhere else.  Some might have viewed it as ruined, or at least attempted to brush away all that powder before heating, but I thought it looked kind of cool and that maybe I could work it into the design.  

That happy accident turned out to be the best part of my completed ATC don't you think?  That's 'NZeppel and Rain gracing the card.  I used a combo of white ink, pencil and zenstone in addition to gray Fabrico.

Did you catch my NFluxel last week?  Just thought I'd ask since I had two posts last week.

Have a great week!

Back to basics

When I first received my Zentangle® Primer Vol 1,  I wanted to go through it page by page and really absorb the knowledge. Of course tho, I had to check out all the eye candy before I could get down to studying.  So, a once through looking at the photos, oohing and aahing over the wonderful artwork and wanting to skip right to reticula and fragments!  But, I started from the beginning and things were going fine.  I was referring back to the original Zentangle book, comparing and making notes and moving along nicely until I got to the "your first tile" lesson in the Primer.  Somehow, I just wasn't all that enthused about doing a basic tile.  I got sidetracked, trying new tangles, new techniques (like shades of gray and graydations), preparing for a new class, and just enjoying what I was learning outside the primer.

Then vacation came along.  I knew I wanted to get back to the Primer.  So there we were, camped in a beautiful canyon, next to a gorgeous river.  And the timing was perfect for my "first tile" lesson.  Setting in a camp chair, soaking in some sun, I decided to use the tile provided in the book, that extra special one complete with watermark would also help to make this "back to basics tile" special.  I took my time with each instruction and each line.  Going back to known tangles (Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh, Printemps and Florz) was so comfortable, yet I was approaching each as if it were new to me.  And, although I was inclined to do something a little different with the shading, I just followed the instructions.  It was actually comforting to play by the rules.  

Then the exercise was to do the tile again, same tangles but different shading.  Hmmm.  Now a lesson asking for creativity!  So I thought about what I had worked on a day or two earlier, which was making some notes and examples about graydations.  That would totally change the shading, in fact I would be hard pressed to keep it similar!  So I pulled out my new black Pentalic journal that my friend and roommate from CZT14, Dari,(she goes by Dari on the Mosaic App too) recommended.  I had already done the little Bijou tile on the page combining the graydations techniques,  my recent parabolic lines class, Maryhill, Static and maybe a 3V influence as well.  I thought a basics tile using these techniques would be a nice addition to the page.  

So here you have it, same string, basic tangles of straight and curvy, basic techniques of auras and drawing behind.  And then adding complexity just through layering and some reversal of black and white and of course adding all those grays.  

And here's a view of my favorite page in the primer.  Yes, being a CZT has quite a few perks!  

Bijou to the rescue!

Sometimes it's just hard to make that first pen stroke. The ritual of Zentangle® makes it easier, for sure, but sometimes I just feel paralyzed by current events. The continuing violence and racism that rocks the US, the violence around the world, political rhetoric encouraging fear, hatred and devisiveness really weighs me down. Sometimes I even feel a little guilty because I CAN lose myself in my art. It's tempting to not listen to or read the news. To just hole myself away. But then I think, there's got to be something positive I can do. I need to find my voice. I need to pay attention. I also need to feel the bad so I can recognize the good. But with all this going on, it's really hard to take a first step, even with something as routine for me as making a card or drawing a Zentangle tile.

So I was at square one, unable to make a first mark. This time though I didn't have to make that first pen stroke, or rather, it was already done. I noticed some unfinished Bijou tiles. When I originally did the step outs for MoFins, I had started putting them on Bijoux. But then I realized there just wasn't adequate room for me to demonstrate the steps, and I started over with standard size tiles. Of course I didn't throw away the Bijoux. They were just sitting there at the top of my tin waiting for me to notice them. So those first pen strokes were done. It would include MoFins and it had also been predetermined it would be in red and black as thats how each had been started. Once I took that first step, I took another. Once I completed one, I kept going.

Here are the completed tiles. Dragonair, K-Leesi, Hibred, Shattuck, Betweed, Printemps, Tipple, Ahh, Fescu, Striping and Well came out to assist MoFins. My next question was what to do with those little tiles. Then I remembered a square die that I bought thinking...hoping it would work with square tiles. I just hadn't tried it yet. I cut out red, black, gray, white and a silver option (the silver is upcycled from some packaging). The die cuts out the interior square from the frame. It also embosses with a second pass through your machine with a rubber mat. I did add a hand cut "v" in a couple spots to be able to tuck in the bijou tiles. That way they dont have to be adhered and can be removed by the recipient if they like.

Here is the nice selection I die cut and embossed.

I'm sure that the die I'm using is from Crafter's Companion and was in their Create-A-Card Die'sire series.  However as I'm typing this,  I'm unable to find it in their current catalog.  Here is a link to their main site.  I did find an image on-line and I believe it is called Decadence.  I am requesting assistance from Crafter's Companion and if I can link you to the die at a later point I will update the post to do so.**update** Crafter's Companion no longer carries this die. :-(  They did tell me it's available in the UK, HOWEVER,  I noticed that die is 8 inches square where mine is just under  6 inches square.

I ended up cutting a square of contrasting color slightly larger than the die cut square before adding it to a standard A2 hand cut and folded card.

But what to do with all those larger frames? You automatically get both the frame and the interior square when you die cut it. Well it turns out that frame works nicely for a standard size tile! The logical place, to me, to add the slits had a little more play between them and the tile, so I ended up making four cuts to secure a tile. But then, of course, I'd need to draw a regular sized tile to show off that frame for you! So while I didn't have a tile started, I continued with the MoFins theme on a black tile this time using an oblique pen and Dr PH Martin's Bleed Proof White ink. I added highlights with Zenstone and also used a black identipen and gray Fabrico.

And, go figure, the frame also accommodated a Zendala! And again, to show you the frame, I wanted to complete a Zendala. My placement of the four cuts as in the frame above ALMOST worked, but just barely caught the edge of the Zendala. So I tried a little different strategic placement of the cuts, a little more snug this time. I couldn't have gotten any luckier with this die. I'm sure it will get a lot of use.

Tangles are MoFins (couldn't stop now could I?), Maryhill, Cubine, Static, Hurry, Tipple and then there's the Scena that morphed into Enyshou with just a touch of Isochor. The frame is from simple black cardstock but I added metallic rub-on in a pewter color and it looks very much like metal now.

So I still don't know what my voice will be. But I am paying attention. And I know that when I take that first step, more will follow.

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Perfect Pearls™ on black

One of the nice things about Joey's challenges is you can give them a try anytime. If you want to link your work to the challenge, there is no time deadline there either. I really liked the look of the tangle Gnarly for last week's challenge #119 and wanted to try it.

I'm also easily distracted! I saw this YouTube video and was reminded how nice the Perfect Pearls™ powders look on black. Here is the result using a nice line stamp called Glass Vases by Hero Arts. I used the same technique as outlined in the video using Strathmore ArtAgain paper, then mounted onto cardstock. The embossing powder acted as a resist, however as I chose a fine lined stamp, I did end up going outside the lines some using the brush provided with the powders. In hind sight, I could've cleaned up those lines by coloring over the areas where I went past the line with a black marker.

So, one distraction down, and a beautiful card to boot, I went back to Gnarly. When you draw it, you thicken the lines much like the results of paint strokes. I decided to try the tangle with a paint brush! Deliberate lines can be drawn with a pen or a brush after all! My first practice attempts were using the same brush I used with the card above, the brush that came with my perfect pearls set. It just didn't work that well for me. I got out a good quality fine watercolor brush and tried again, MUCH better. I used Turquoise and Forever Blue. If I added the second color while the first was still damp, they blended really nicely. And if my strokes didn't turn out so well, I was able to redefine the black line (once everything dried) with my black Identi-Pen. I used similar blues from my Polychromos colored pencils to shade and to add the surfboard stripes. Sometimes distractions can be a good thing!

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MoFins!

MoFins with Hollyhock

A new tangle AND a new class.  Be sure to check out the Zenstones Color Class tab above for more information  on the class.

And now, check out the new tangle I have for you! That's it in the border above. (Hollyhock, by Jason Lau, is in the middle.) I've been playing around with it since early April, stumbling into it as we were driving home from Moab Utah. I struggled with the name for a while. It was nearly LeaMo ( for LEAving MOab) but it just didn't sound quite right. Eventually I got my husband in on the act. As my other tangles (i.e. Maryhill, Skwim) were named after places, I wanted to include our Moab adventure somehow. He suggested MoFins after a jeep trail called Fins and Things at Moab. It just seems to fit!
Lots of variations here, you can pick and choose what steps to use! Here is the original version.

MoFins (1 of 5)

MoFins (2of 5)

But sometimes elegance is simpler.

MoFins (3 of 5)

MoFins (4 of 5)

MoFins (5 of 5)

You can use the first step as a string and fill with tangles.

MoFins as string for tangles.

Why not consider the first step as reticula? What about fragments?

MoFins (string/tangles & fragments)

Border examples in my bullet journal.

MoFins border examples

Playing with white ink on black paper.

MoFins example white on black

Just having fun.

MoFins monotangle (with Tipple)

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Black Tiles and Not So RAZ

This week's black tiles started out with this older tile that I had done in preparation for my black tiles class. I had forgotten all about it. It occurred to me this tile would be an excellent RAZ candidate. RAZ stands for Random Act of Zentangle and typically they are left in public places for someone to find. My goal this year is to average at least one RAZ per month.

I had been working on these cards with a technique where you heat emboss over watercolor. I got the inspiration here. The envelopes I made by up cycling a calendar.  I was a little late getting them mailed, so I decided to walk Molly (our dog) to the post office to drop them off. A perfect place to drop off a RAZ too. However outside the post office a nice man struck up a conversation with me about Molly. It started there, but in ten minutes or so, it seemed we had discussed everything under the sun! He was so open about his life and beliefs that I decided to give him the tile. So I guess it was more of an AZ (forget the random part!). In return he gave me a gift too... As he then recited some beautiful poetry for me! What a nice exchange...and not your typical trip to the post office!

Continuing with the black tile theme, here is a Bijou sized monotangle of Enyshou. I posted it on the mosaic app previously. It's hard to keep track with what I've posted where. I need to figure out what gets posted where and why. Any suggestions? I'm thinking its a little redundant to post at both. Enyshou is a great little tangle that can really vary it's look. More on that next week.

Next is a Bijou and ATC of an Isochor-ish flower where I used a die cut for the string. It was really fun to play with the hilites in white. Can you see the variation in the one flower?

Be sure to check out Annette's blog at CreA(R)Tives. I participated in her 2nd mosaic project and am hoping to see my tile with all the others on her April 5th post.
Have a wonderful week!

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New things lead to...well...new things!

Eddyper with Zenith

Trying new tangles and updating some of my instruction cards. I'm listing names with links. Check them out!

Land Girlz and Oybay I've played with recently and decided I needed instruction cards. Garlande seemed like fun and as I was trying it out it felt familiar, what was it?? Yes, it reminded me of Akoya, which I really enjoy but realized I had never made a card for it.

I also tried KT recently in my mandala. I know it wants to take me somewhere else, I just haven't let it yet. Viaduct was fun.
And then checking out tanglepatterns for more, I found Eddyper. So pretty!

Sometimes tho instead of learning a new tangle, you just need to go back to a tried and true and have a go from a different perspective, or add just a little twist! I just love Orlique. (Sorry no online instructions, but its not hard....find a CZT for instruction if you're having difficulty.)

Then it's back to a new tangle AND twisting up the old favorites! Here I was trying out Andante and then the tangle morphing just took over. Notice any of your favorites morphing into anything else? And of course Bijou was there to encourage me on! It also helped that I had a pen skipping towards the end of its life!

And now I have another new tangle to try, and a new blog to watch. Check out Naaki. Doesn't it look like fun? I found Nadine through Zentangle's ® new app, Mosaic. Ah, yes, another thing for you to try!
Yeah! I had a chance to try out Naaki before this posted....

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