Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Birthday Weekend


Diva Challenge #274: Show your colors
Fireworks!
Tada &  Ahh

This is Red White & Blue week! The Diva is travelling in the US and asking us to show our country colors. I've got a swap in progress with the same patriotic theme and since my birthday was the 4th of July I'm just about finished creating a series of Fireworks! ATC's. I just got back from a lovely long birthday/holiday weekend in San Diego. I  made a little art along the way.

Made by Joey #120
Coffee Ring Circle String Series
pattern: Girdy (with Tipple)

I'd left the last of my pre-coffee ringed ATC's in the hotel room on Monday morning, so I just noodled around over my morning coffee with what was handy and came back and made the real ATC later..

Joey 120 at the hotel
warming up

I'd pre-washed several pages in my sketchbook before leaving home. I spent several hours each morning over coffee in the lounge waiting for my sister to wake up...

...and finished this over the course of 3 mornings.
Diane & Caroliens Weekly Alphabet Challenge R-V-I
Ruutz, Vortex & Intwine

I got head start last week on this weeks D & C challenge. I'm creating a series of ATC's using only patterns in my reference binder. I received a very pretty hand tangled note card from Ragged Ray, one of my Travelling Tangles peeps. That's a bit of her artwork on the left. There were several lovely travellers in the mail when I got home. I'll share them soon.

4th of July at the Torrey Pines Hilton
a birthday gift from my sister (and the beach towel too)


Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me!




24 comments:

  1. Happy belated birthday!!!! Love your work and the colors in your notebook.

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    1. Thank you Anne! I've been going a little crazy with the "Hefty Hack" watercolor technique the Diva shared a couple of challenges ago. I puddle a bunch of colors on a piece of acetate and press the sketchbook page onto it, lift it off then stand the book up and let the colors run into each other. I love discovering new techniques;-)

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  2. What a nice present, your sister gave you and you are lucky that you never have to work on your birthday. I see you were not only laying by the swimming pool, you created a lot of beautiful Zentangledrawings, well done, all of them!

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    1. Thanks Ria! It was the best birthday ever;-) I'm in the food/retail business so I usually always have to work on my birthday. I'm a super early riser so I really enjoy the morning alone with my coffee and sketchbook.

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  3. I love that filled page in your sketchbook - so much going on, so much to look at!

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    1. Thanks Jem! I love the way that page turned out. It's pretty busy yet such a Zen thing to work on those quiet couple of mornings.

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  4. Happy Birthday. I am always in awe about the amount of art you have done so early in the week and now I am amazed at how much you have done on holiday. I love everything, the fireworks are a highlight and also the colouring of the tipple in the Joey tile. Wonderful

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    1. Thanks YT! my neighborhood cafe opens at 6:00am, so the early morning art and coffee is a way of life;-)

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  5. Happy birthday! No one (American) has an excuse to forget your birthday, plus fireworks every year. It looks like you had a lovely visit to San Diego. It's my husband's favorite US city. He thinks he could live there. I'm not sure I could deal with the traffic. Thanks for describing your technique to color your papers before tangling. I hope to give it a try. Very nice "work".

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    1. Thanks Suzanne! I love San Diego. I went to college there back in the late 80's. You can YouTube the "Hefty Hack" technique. I like to throw a bit of salt on the paper as well for some really cool texture.

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  6. Oh my! Love both challenge tiles!! And your sketchbook drawings are gorgeous!

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  7. Hey! a holiday girl! Happy Birthday...isn't it fun having a big national day for a bday? Mine is Christmas...it makes you feel so special having Santa bring your bday gifts...and I bet all "your" fireworks have been a delight for you!

    But I love your tiles. Excellent response to Joey's challenge. It is inspiring. LOVE love the coffee rings! You lift them right off the page with shading...how cool! and a mighty fine take on girdy, too

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    1. Thanks HeidiSue! It was a super special birthday this year livin' the high life with my sister. I never have the foresight to get the time off work.
      I'm really liking the coffee ring series too and I truly appreciate your inspiring enthusiasm;-) I was at an art fair a couple of years ago and there was a girl who was selling prints and postcards using coffee as her main medium. Very cool stuff. If I don't go all ADD I hope to explore this beyond the challenges;-)

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  8. Happy birthday! & Happy holiday! I love all your tiles! So beautiful!

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  9. Happy belated Birthday Michelle. All your tiles are gorgeous! How busy your are at your holiday!

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  10. Happy Birthrday, dear Michele!
    I wish you lots of beautiful artworks within your next year and I am convinced you will do!
    I love your DIVA tile and the Coffee- Girdy is just amazing!
    What inspiring holidays!! Many greetings, Simone

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    1. Thanks Simone! I feel really fortunate for the path that led me to Zentangle. Daily art is a way of life now;-)

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  11. Lovely tiles! A belated birthday wish. Hope you enjoyed every minute of it.

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  12. I love the way you color your work. All are just lovely. Looks like you had a great birthday too! Your sister sounds like a keeper :)

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    1. Thanks Jean! I have to say I'm pretty addicted to that Hefty Hack technique the Diva shared a couple of challenges ago. It's super simple;-)

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