DO YOU TANGLE?

I do.
I filled all the right-hand pages of a sketchbook
with Zentangles. Last evening I picked up my
colored pencils and started to color them.

My sketchbook will go with me on car trips and
I'll begin to fill up the left-hand pages next.
It's fun. Very relaxing.

NEAT AS A PIN AND READY FOR WORK!

All cleaned up!
Yesterday was "Get My Studio in Order Day", and
what a mess it was! You know that saying....
"A creative mess is better than tidy idleness"
That's me! Creatively Messy!

I was trying to work on a brand new assignment the
other day are couldn't find half of my materials.
It's a wonder I could even find my chair because I
had so many things piled up in there!

My agent also reminded me the other day of a new
product that will be on the market soon with one of
my snowmen - a plate, mug and gift box! I think
it's going to be meant to be a "cookies for Santa"
type gift. You know I'll be posting pictures as
soon as I get the samples or photos.

See...I even sharpened all of my pencils!
I just bought a box of new ones that will have a
smoother look than the ones I've been using. And
I bought a tablet of "mixed media" paper to try
some new techniques.

It's another beautifully sunny day here and the
light is filling my studio making it one of the
most pleasant rooms in our home - especially
since I cleaned it up! So....off to the studio
I go to work (play!).
Have a wonderful Sunday!

I THINK YOU ALL KNOW BRENDA FROM.....

COZY LITTLE HOUSE

Well, Brenda has a brand new Etsy shop!

Do go over and check out her new
Lollipop line!
No, not real lollipops! But fabric creations!

MORE FUN WITH BATIKS

I drew a simple leaf shape on a scrap of batik.
You can see the actual batik pattern on the right-
hand side of the fabric.
All I did was embroider tiny fancy stitches inside
of each of the little motifs and then outlined them
with a backstitch. I used only one strand of
embroidery floss.
I'm not sure what I'll do with this. Maybe
applique it onto a pocket or lapel.
I also backed this with a piece of felt before
I did the embroidery. I don't use a hoop when
I embroider, so backing the batik gives it a
firm foundation on which to stitch, as well
as gives it more of a quilted effect at the
same time.

FUN WITH RUNNING STITCHES

This was a fun "busy work" project made with
batiks and cotton embroidery floss.
I traced different sizes of circles with one of
my templates and needle-turn appliqued them
to the background and then embroidered simple
running stitches with 2 strands of floss.
It's about 7" x 10". I'll probably put a backing on
it - I embroidered it all over a piece of felt, so it
is nice and thick - and then crochet an edging
around it. It will make a nice hot mat for
my teapot.

It was fun to do in the evening just to keep my fingers
busy while mindlessly listening to TV at the same
time. You know how that is! Watching with
one eye! ;-)
No special skills necessary for this project at all!
Anyone can do a running stitch.
What did YOU do this weekend?
I'm still not 100% over the cold I caught but am
feeling much better, so it's back to work
tomorrow.

My 2013 Calendar by Lang is now available!!!

You can buy it here:
LANG

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE WAY IT TURNED OUT!!
Thank you, Lang, Alan - my agent - and Kate, the
former Art Director at Lang who spotted my art
on her desk and called my agent!

Today is a day of rest.....

My agent emailed this morning with a
request for art for one of my licensees.
After looking through my boxes of paintings,
it was decided here that I'm just so very
tired and not yet fully recuperated from
the cold that was generously given to me!
LOL! So agent suggested a day of rest.
Which is exactly what I've been doing.
I have picked up a little humorous mystery
novel, have been sitting in my comfy chair
drinking tea and chatting with hubby -
hubby being the generous person with
his cold! LOL!
Well, I did promise "for better or for
worse, in sickness and in health." And
we take care of each other. A few days
ago I was the maker of tea and giver of
hugs and sympathy.
I hope another good night's rest and a
dose of Nyquil will do the trick and I'll
be back in the studio tomorrow.
The ideas continue to form and need to
be put to paper and paint!

Finished sachet pincushion....

I'm not feeling much better this afternoon.
But the laundry got done and I worked on a
couple of watercolor designs.
There will be no baking of scones today.
I curled up in my favorite chair and crocheted
the edging on the pincushion/sachet I embroidered
the other day. It's a triangular shape because the
snippet of fabric was all I had. I kind of like it,
being a different shape.
I filled it with lavender.
Now my hands smell wonderful!

I am just about to get into my pajamas and
housecoat and slippers and TAKE A NAP!
Hubby is treating me with TLC and cooking
supper. The evening will be spent watching
"My Family" and "Doc Martin" on PBS.

Take care everyone! You don't want this
cold that's going around unless you have
time to rest and take a day off from work!

There will be no outing this afternoon... :-(

Miss Diane WAS going to go to Hobby Lobby this
afternoon and poke around in the art supplies dept.
However....a scratchy throat, headache and a
general, all-around aching has begun!
It looks like the ailment Hubby is just getting over
is generously spreading itself around!

So, I'll be in the studio popping aspirins and
drinking gallons of hot tea with honey and
painting instead. But it's a "play day" painting
time on weekends! So I'll be just doodling with
colors and creating patterns and designs -
all for the fun of it.
I KNOW it will take my mind off what I
know is coming: a stuffy nose and cough.

Relaxing fun with needle and thread and batik

The other evening I wanted some "busy work" after
finishing a crochet edging for a towel. So I went into
my fabric stash and found a pretty, swirly batik, some
threads, needle and scissors and had fun stitching
borders around the designs and filling in the areas
with a couched criss-cross design.

This will be a pincushion top, and I'll add some
crocheted edging to it. It was relaxing and fun.
And since I have a big stash of batiks, I can do more!
So if you want to practice some fancy stitches and
think you can't design a drawing for them, just
pick out a batik with a prominent pattern and
there you go!