Karla Dornacher Celebration Giveaway!

Karla Dornacher, a wonderful Christian artist, is hosting a celebration giveaway with three lucky winners! Click here to check it out!



A String, A Dare, and A Prayer

My head is sloughing through the sinus stuffies here and it is crazy windy outside this morning. I thought it got windy where we lived in Ohio, those mid-west flats could get pretty wild sometimes, but they've got nothing on the coastal winds and weather-whew!! We're having gusts as strong as when Sandy blew through late last fall and it sounds like the house is wanting to let loose some shingles or shutters, the storm windows rattling hard in their frames. I need to investigate the bird feeders and windchimes once the sun comes up, make sure none have blown away during the night. Crazy!!

The good news, though, my car is safely home again from the shop--hallelujah! She's thirteen years old, my little Kia, and I was worried her transmission was trying to quit on us. Turned out to be a brake rotor catching--all fixed and they even flushed and refilled the tranny fluid for us, just to be on the safe side, and less than $125 later--she's good as new!! How sweet is that?? I love my car. I love seeing it parked out front in the driveway even more. Yay!!

So I finished the week's Zendala Dare yesterday. Not sure if I really like it or not...If I look quick, I do like it, but if I look too long, it causes the eye to struggle between the delicateness of Paradox against the stronger, bold graphic patterns of the circles, and it feels harsh to me:

Paradox

 

 

Then, the Diva's Challenge this week is String Theory, using String 3, and I'll be honest-I'm cheating here...I'm just not feeling the strings lately. I'm much happier letting things develop more freestyle. Though, I do have a 'thought' for an answer to this challenge, I did this one a couple months back using String 3 and figured I'd share it just in case I don't get to work on the idea that's floating round in my head...I started something in my Tangle a Day calendar that I don't want to rush, so I may not get to the string thing in time for the cut off...

 

Knightsbridge, Poke Root, Tipple, Hollibaugh, Festune

And the morning's prayer:

 

In everything you do today, may your spirit be one of eager expectation and patient trust.

Eagerly expect your Father to return any minute, but patiently trust Him to do what is right.

 

“Our homeland is in heaven, and we are waiting for our Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven.”

Philippians 3:20

 

Just a Quickie

Everything went smooth as butter yesterday morning with Mr. Hubby's doctor appointment. We were on our way to Ihop for breakfast way before I ever expected--I was thinking it would be more like brunch, if not full out lunch! But they sent us on our way a little after nine-thirty and I was staring down a short stack of red velvet pancakes with an over easy egg and a side of hashbrowns by ten! No complaining from either party! We ate and headed home, he hit the couch and I broke out my Tangle a Day calendar to finish up a page inspired by a pattern twist created by Helen Williams of A Little Lime:

Y-flip, Diva Dance...still way behind...aahhh....

I love how her mind works and her playful explorations of patterns. I wish I could see things more the way Helen does, but, truthfully, I don't (make) take the time, rather always feeling rushed to catch up, keep up, and that's not exactly conducive to true play...I really need to slow it all down...

I did sketch up my plan for this week's Zendala Dare and have a brilliant inspiration for playing with those new Papermate Flair pens I snagged at Staples over the weekend...First things first, though--breaking in my new super groovy running sneaks this morning (on the treadmill even though it's more than forty degrees outside--my heel's still hurting and road running wouldn't make it feel much better, even in the very best shoes...) Then a few quick cleaning chores and I'll be all set to play! Hooray!

Early Morning Miscellany...

Up way too early here this morning to help hubby get ready for his appointment today. He had to be up at three-thirty, so I got up at two-thirty to have my quiet/sanity time for the day...Gonna be a long one...

But!! I got some great news yesterday! One of my favorite artists, Marcia Furman, hosted a giveaway for her birthday on her blog, Brain Overflow, Artful Antics and Other Shenanigans and I won!! I got to pick my choice of her Scrabble pendants--which was not easy as I love ALL of her stuff, but I narrowed it down to a few (pictured below) and finally chose my favorite favorite, Free--the one of the very right...yay!! I'm so excited--can't wait 'til it gets here! You can check out more of Marcia's amazing artwork at her Etsy shop here.

Romans, Firmly Rooted, and Free Scrabble pendants by the amazing, super talented (and cute!) Marcia Furman

Then...I had stumbled across this cleaning recipe somewhere the other day....I love making homemade cleaners but they don't always live up to expectations. This baby, though--wow!! Super simple (and *cheap!!* I love cheap!!) it's a quick mix of Original Blue Dawn dish detergent and white vinegar--viola!! You can make different strengths for a bathroom cleaner, toilet bowl cleanser, carpet spot remover, or an all purpose strength. A thicker strength is a great soap scum remover that you can let sit overnight, then rinse off the next day for a super clean shine. I used it in both bathrooms yesterday and it worked beautifully! I also mixed up a spray bottle of the all purpose strength for the kitchen--have to say, I'm in love!!

AND!!! My new running shoes should be here later today!!!!!!!!!!!! Check these beauties out:


Asics Gel-Nimbus 14--aaahhh!!!!

I haven't been able to run or train for the past couple weeks, waiting for a heel spur to, well, heal...Poor Tuck's been just as anxious as I have to get back out there and pound some pavement. We may just have to do that after the FedEx guy drops these off--yay!

 

Got my addresses yesterday for my postcard swap--one goes to Australia, another to Canada, and the third all the way to---Massachusetts--hahaha! I'll receive cards from Canada, Connecticut, and....Massachusetts-I love it! We have lots of amazing artists here in New England!!

 

Hoping I'll have a chance to tangle later, at least catch up in my calendar a bit if I don't feel inspired or quite up to the Diva challenge or Bright Owl Zendala dare... May be just a wee bit tired after being awake since two-thirty this morning...so just might take a nap rather than a run....we can break those new shoes in tomorrow...We'll see--have a great day!!

Zendala Dare #41



I knew I wouldn't get too much done today with both Bill and Bug home here, and I didn't...I did get to run all my errands and finish the necessary cleaning chores to free my day up for waiting in the doctor's office all morning tomorrow, so that's good. Then it began to snow so I had to grab Tuck and head out for a nice long walk amid the flurries...so beautiful! I had time for a quick salad before we had to start with hubby's prep for his wonderful 'procedure' tomorrow...then had to fix dinner for Bug and myself. I have to give giant kudos to my man...He's not been allowed to eat anything all day, just drink clear liquids, popsicles, broth, and I made him some pineapple jello...I would be the most miserable person on the face of the earth, whining and moaning and snapping at anybody who dared cross my path if I had to endure what he's done all day... but he has such a great sense of humor and has joked and laughed all afternoon. The prep part wasn't a whole lot of fun for him, but he bucked up and took it like a man--I'm so proud! Now he's sound asleep--pretty smart since he still can't eat anything and has to wake up at three thirty to drink more of this 'colon cleansing' concoction--bleh!! I know he'll be super glad when this is all done and over so he can eat and drink and make merry once again--poor love!!

 

But, I did manage to finish the zendala from last week's dare, #41. The Tangle of the Week for our Zia Yahoo group is Carole Ohl's Coaster, so took care of two birds with one stone here, and incorporated Coaster into the dare--ta daaa!!

 

Braze, Coaster

Just a side shot...



Then I didn't even realize today was Monday and almost missed the Diva Challenge's post for the week...and my Tangle a Day Calendar sits looking blankly at me...So much to do and not sure how much time I'll have to play tomorrow...Right now, it's cocoa time then off to bed...we have to be up and out the door early in the morning. At least I know I'll have lots of time in 11/22/63--love, love, love this book!! So, good night, sleep tight, and don't forget to...

 



Hello Monday

I am so ready for a new week and a new month...I know, don't wish your life away, right? But January has been a less than favorable start to the year so far. It began all right but the last two weeks rather fell in the dumper and I am champing at the bit for a chance to pick things back up and get realigned here...I'm not dropping the ball like last year and just muddling through. I want to do make something of this year, be more productive as well as creative, so c'mon February!

Ann Voskamp's recent post of her 25 Point Manifesto for Sanity has really hit home this week. First, it's simply brilliant-as is all her work (if you're not reading her blog, A Holy Experience, you really need to be!) I printed mine out and have it hung on the fridge for a daily reminder to keep moving forward, in His way...simply, encouraging, beautiful. I love it!

I didn't get a chance to finish any creative projects this weekend--too much running around and too little time with toys...But last week's (*groaning in dismay of lateness...*) zendala is almost done, so I should have that ready to post either later today or first thing tomorrow. And I had a brilliant inspiration for a little printable to whip up and may just be able to post it on Etsy?? One of my goals for the year...way past time for that...Just have a bunch of errands to run today and cleaning chores I need to do since I'll be sitting at the doctor's with Mr. Hubby a good chunk of tomorrow morning...catching up on some reading anyway!

And I need to get back to counting again...

46. Homemade chicken noodle soup with crusty bread for dipping
47. The silly comfort of Alka-Seltzer Plus fizzies
48. Friends able to get Bug from the bus for me
49. Sea Lab field trip
50. Jammie days
51. Sleeping in (til five...becoming a habit!)
52. Unexpected snow
53. Freestones' Freshies (j'adore!!)
54. A new finch feeder
55. Swap postcards done
56. Girls' Day Out with Ashlee and lots of new goodies!
57. My hubby who comes home on his lunch to look at my misbehaving car
58. And who brings me ginger ale when I don't feel good--he's just the absolute best...I could cry I love him that much!!
59. Friends safe at their new home in VA--happy they made it, sad they're that much further away...
60. Safe flight for Ash and Kyle to FL for a week in the sun with Grandma Pattycakes (love!!)
61. Ann's Manifesto and new energy for the new year!
62. Pretty new curtains
63. Super soft Kermit green blankie (I really am a blanket addict)
64. A new rainbow of markers to play with--aahhh, toys!
65. Finished Beth Moore's study of Esther (and cried...big shock...beautiful study!)

Yeah, I dropped the ball on pictures again, too...Let's focus, however, on the more important, the counting (it's in the manifesto....are you counting His gifts?? Time to start??)

May the song within you which sings for eternity, sing loudly. Heed the songs of heaven.

Dismiss the songs of earth. May the Father quiet the voices around you which tell you to settle for less than what He promises.

 

“Always be joyful. Pray continually, and give thanks whatever happens.

That is what God wants for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Friday Again

Where has January gone?? This time next week will be February--can you believe it? Are you ready?? Pink hearts, boxes of chocolate, velvety red roses...Oh yeah, I'm ready! Don't you just love love? Haha...I drew up my Idea Journal Page for February and definitely like the monthly breakdown rather than a weekly. Maybe when I get more ideas I'll need a weekly page again, but until I'm all caught up this feels like a better solution...and here we are:

Very Joanne Sharpe inspired--can't wait to take some of her online courses!

 

The Yahoo Zia group has begun a Tangle of the Week prompt to help learn and explore our patterns more in depth. This week's tangle is Bales, an old favorite with endless possibilities. I filled up another page in my Tangle a Day calendar playing with Bales (I'd say I'm almost caught up but every day I slip a little further behind...again...but it's just too much fun even trying to keep up!!)

 

An assortment of Bales

We have no bowling this weekend--but my car has an appointment at the shop to find out what is ailing it...poor old girl, she's even older than our Boo...Hubby believes it's a problem with the brakes catching, definitely repairable--yay!! I love my car--it's carried us from Tennessee, to Pennsylvania, and up here to Massachusetts--not ready to say goodbye!

 

So have a super fantastic weekend! Enjoy this last week of January and start planning something sweet for your lovies in your life--Valentines Day will be here before you know it!

 

More Catching Up and Crazies

The craziness carries on this week...The migraine that crippled me Monday and Tuesday finally let up yesterday morning-praise God--but then I pulled something in my lower back trying to put Sweet Pea up in bed and gimped around in more agonizing pain all day. My car is acting up--it's not been wanting to go in reverse, makes a big, rather violent jerk after laying on the gas pedal. Yesterday it decided maybe it didn't want to go forward either. I'm not taking it anywhere today. Or tomorrow. Hubby's having it checked this weekend. My luck I'd get stranded somewhere over in Dartmouth with no way to get back home again, so staying right here where I'm safe and happy and not in need of emergency transportation. Then the cuckoo crazy icing on the wacko cake this week comes from Ruby (our almost eleven year old Pyrenees mix) who is now afraid to go into the kitchen. Mind you, she needs to go through the kitchen to get to the back door to go outside. Nope. Not interested...Why???? She peers terrifyingly at the pantry and veers as far away from it when I've managed to coax her to the back door, shielding her bodily from whatever she's imagining is lurking in there...Then she didn't want to come back in! I had to bribe her with string cheese as she bolted back to the safety of the livingroom. (Bolted...this one who fell down the flight of stairs last week...) Nothing has come crashing out of the pantry at her, as far as I know, in the previous twenty-four hours to cause this strange attack of paranoia, and I'd been home with her the whole time. I can't imagine what's gotten into her head. She's doing it again this morning...won't step a paw into the kitchen, just lears at the pantry door from the safety of the hallway. Tuck and Pea aren't showing any reservations-they jaunt fearlessly in and out the back door a hundred times a day, scratch at the pantry door for treats and chewies...No idea what bug has gotten in Boo's baffled brain...Just another day in Cuckoo Crazyville...won't you join us??

 

I did play a little catch up yesterday afternoon (after catching up on a monster pile of laundry and a host of other cleaning chores, which more await me today...) Another page from the Tangle A Day Calendar:

 

Played with a little distortion of Shoshi's Y-ful Power, and Mi-2

And I finished my photo mat for the Zentangle Swap on Facebook--yay!

Heartstring, Zedbra, Puf, Verve

 

Scratching those piled up projects off my list!! Getting there, anyways! Hope everybody is having a fantastic and far less weird week than we are! Thanks for checking in!

 



Moebius Syndrome Awareness Challenge

The Diva Challenge this week is in honor of Moebius Syndrome Awareness, an extremely rare neurological disorder that's afflicted her younger son, as we know him-Artoo. Our string for the challenge is the Moebius Syndrome Foundation's logo, and MSF's color is purple. As soon as I saw the logo string, I wanted to use Bunny Wright's new pattern, Heartrope, all in purple, and on my Tangle A Day Calendar for January 24th, as that's the official Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day (painfully aware of the two and a half preceeding pages yet waiting to be tangled in...it's been a rough week here with colds and migraines and company all weekend...So much housework to catch up on and tangling and...and...and...aaahhh!!) Anyway, this looked a whole lot more elegant in my head than how it actually turned out, but it was drawn with a great deal of love and admiration for this sweet family whose mom, Laura, our resident Diva, brings tangle fun and inspiration into our lives every week, and we get to sneak peek into their lives as these two precious boys are growing up and adventuring through school and Star Wars and great blasts of Canadian snow...We love you Laura, B-rad, Chewie, and Artoo!!

Postcards Done

I finished the third postcard for the swap over at Artists in Blogland last night (yes, I did say night--haha! Girl's been sleeping in 'til five lately and staying up 'til nine...look out!!) We'd gone to dinner with Ash and Kyle at Freestones, one of my favorite, favorite restaurants here...oh so good!! If you ever go, be sure to ask for a basket of 'Freshies'. I don't care what else you order, everyone must have Freshies!! Freshies are Freestone's take on croutons--but they're great big chunks of warm, toasty, butter soaked garlic bread that tenderly melt in your mouth and make you forget about the world for just a little while...Oh Freshies, how I love you!! You don't even have to get a salad to enjoy these tasty, toasty bites--they'll bring you a basket just of Freshies and ask if they're enough. There's never enough Freshies!!! So I obsess...wait 'til you taste, you will concur...

Anyways--the postcard swap! Here's my third installment and a group shot of all three together:

Ixorus, Phicops, and Reticulated

My trio

 

And, here we are at another new week again! I'm rethinking my Idea Journal page as well and rather than making it a weekly thing, I'm thinking I may want to just do a monthly page. There are too many, many little things pulling at my attention and there are many more things that I actually NEED to accomplish and creating a pretty little weekly page of reminders of what I haven't gotten done...that's one simple thing to whisk off my pile of Need To's for now. I'll sketch up a thought for a Valentiney February page to do, um, closer to February (I know, it'll be here soon enough...gahhh!) and get back to more important projects that need my focus.

 

Today is shopping day with Ash! Look out Taunton and the Silver City Galleria!! Though, I'm not really planning on buying anything...I hope to try on some new running shoes then order them off Amazon, but other than that, I really don't need a thing. Ash, however, is going on vacation and will need all sorts of fun vacationy new things!! I'm just looking forward to a fun Girls Day Out! Yay!

 

Everyone enjoy your new week! I think we're rooting for the Patriots tonight (I forget who Mr Hubby wants to win the first game...oh football...I'll be so glad once this season is over again!! Blah!) Go, um, Pens!! Haha!

 



Here Comes the Weekend

It's been such a long week, trying to get over this cold and achiness. I've never spent so much time sitting in front of the TV as I have this week, and even though I've managed to get a good deal of artwork done, still...Mind numbing nonsense. I had to shut it off after a while yesterday just for silence. Please, just silence...

 

But yesterday I got to working on two of the three postcards due for a swap on Artists in Blogland, one more to go...

 

 

 

I also have my photo mats staring at me for another swap, and a couple other projects beckoning before I allow myself to move on to the lettering courses I want to take....My Tangle a Day calendar is behind once again, as is One Zentangle a Day and Drawing Lab....Me thinks I'm trying to do too much?? Priorities and time management have always been a struggle for me...Ah well...

 

The good news is I'm feeling better--a wee cough remains from the ugliness that began the week, so a-shopping I will go with my dd, Ashlee, this weekend before she whisks away to visit her grandma in FL next week (and miss all this cold and snow?? Yeah, she's outta here!! Haha!) That's all right-I'm just as happy to see our beaches here with that chill in the air and listen to the seagulls calling overhead...I'm exactly where I want to be =0)

 

Zroz

Well, one good thing came out of lying around like a pneumonic lump today...I created my first pattern! Okay, I've played with a few things that possibly could've turned into patterns but I never bothered before...never felt the potential like this little fella has...Meet Zroz (zee-rose....got it? 'Kay...)



 

Zroz step out and a little ATC I did for my Bugga...

So there I was, happily playing catch up in my Tangle A Day calendar (yes...just a wee bit behind...) I wanted to do another of my heart/triangle Auraknot/Bunzo from the duo-tangle Diva Challenge this week (though, I don't quite like this one as much as I liked the original...blacking in the sides rather than filling them with Bunzo felt flat this time around...). Tossed in a little Inapod, then what?? Hmmm...a few circles filled with some aura looking bulls eyes kinda sorta...zip zip, shade it up, viola! I originally tagged it Oh's in the corner but immediately Zroz popped into my head (conveniently AFTER I'd inked in the Oh's...grrffff,,,) But, I think there are tons and tons of variation possibilities with this--fills for the O's and for the bulls eyes....Many, many ways to play!! I was only disappointed to find out I couldn't submit it to Tangle Patterns since there's penciling in and erasing involved (not quite zen enough...) but, that's okay...I'll still play with it and anyone else who'd like to give it a whirl, by all means--go for it!

 

Bunzo, Auraknot, Inapod, and Oh...Zroz (haha)

 

Lookee that! Really happy with my Inapod...

So, enjoy! Hope to see what all you zentanglers out there will do with Zroz....

Diva Challenge #102/ Zendala Dare #40

Laura's Weekly Diva Challenge this week is a duo-tangle featuring patterns Auraknot and Bunzo. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed drawing Auraknot. I haven't used it since it first came out and so many other great patterns keep cropping up lately...it's easy to lose track of those favorites. Bunzo is another super cool pattern and I think I got a better handle on it this time around than the last time I tried to tackle it...

Put this in my One Zentangle a Day sketchbook for easy reference...Feeling a little Valentine-y...wasn't sure if I'd like the red or not but it gives another dimension now that it's done...

This side shot made me realize I hadn't shaded the center Bunzo...oops!! Haha!

And moving on to Erin's Zendala Dare 40, finished this up this afternoon-been on a Tripoli kick lately...a little Shattuck and an Auraknotty star for the middle...viola! Have to say I'm rather happy with it!
 

 

Little Sickie

Still feeling under the weather here this morning...it's just no fun being sick. And for some reason, they don't air Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets or the Prisoner of Azkaban up here--just Sorceror's Stone, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince and both Deathly Hallows. Okay, so I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Isn't that enough Harry?" or possibly, "There's a whole lot else to watch....or do...." or whatever, and at that I *GASP!!* Surely the rest of you understand the devastation of that two year gap, and those of you I am humbly thankful for...I'll have to bring the DVD's up from the basement while I'm lingering so dangerously close at death's door. Of course, I could just watch a little Game of Thrones....Season Three fast approaches!! So cannot wait!!!

While a nice big pot of stock softly simmered on the stove yesterday afternoon, I managed to get the other birthday card finished and then played with my Tangle A Day calendar, though clearly you can tell I'm not feeling 'it' with being sick...I just didn't know where to head with it and it shows...

Lemon icing!! Mmmm...

I loved the start in the left corner for the 10th but then it just fizzled...eh....

 

Today just planning to stay in and, well, watch a little Games and/or Harry (we already covered this...!!) Hopefully find the energy and inspiration to play a little later in the day...At least they're calling for snow tomorrow! Yay!! Happy Almost Wednesday!!

 



Falling Behind

Winter has caught up with me this weekend...The whole left side of my head is congested and I can't breathe. Drainage tickles my throat, I cough then sneeze...bleh. Heading to the grocery store later (to share my germies since surely that's where I picked them up in the first place...Um, I'd like to return these? Thank you very much....Have a nice day!) and picking up chicken and veggies to make me some soup. My freezer is barren of any stock--how did that happen?? Definitely need to fix that and fill myself with warm, comforting, chicken soup, extra noodles please!

I didn't finish any arting projects this weekend, though I did get some bits worked on here and there along with signing up for another new postcard swap that ought to be fun! And finally found the photo mats for the zentangle swap on FB (got a four pack for a buck at the Dollar Store! Sweet!) So lots of wonderful playtime ahead!

So as I wait for the Diva challenge to be posted this morning and I'm still pondering what to do with the week's Zendala Dare, I at least can post my thankfuls and continue counting for the week ahead:

22. Snowy Tucker run (the best kind of run!)
23. Peppermint marshmallows for my cocoa
24. Time for catching up (need some of that this week, too!)
25. Drippy dog nose smears on the windows
26. Snow water for the houseplants (they love it!!)
27. Watching Loki toss his cage clips to the floor again and again
28. Pretty snowing wallpaper for my phone (it's the simple things that make you smile!)
29. A day to not have to be anywhere-aka: Jammie Day!!
30. Psalm 18:19
31. Bug and Tuck morning silliness:
 

Where's my Bug?

 

There he is!! Silly 1 and Silly 2....



32. New glasses made by my hubby!! They're purple! Love!!! My man rocks! =0)

33. Beautiful zentangle bookmark in my mailbox!

34. Leftover pain meds from last year's surgery to help ease my hurting burned hand (nothing serious...felt completely better in the morning--praise God!!)

35. Dinner out with hubby's sisters

36. Bacalhau a Gomes sa (which is the fish I had at dinner--I love Portuguese food!! Just wish it loved me back....)

37. Gianormous Portuguese rolls dipped in Mozambique...aaahhh!

38. Happy hubby with new toys (power tools) to play with

39. Volunteering with Bug at the Shepherd's Pantry--he worked his little tail off...proud Mama!

40. New jeans!

41. Hubby's mom's 92nd birthday (and she doesn't even think she's hit 65 yet...bless her heart!!)

42. New birdfeeder pole up and actual chunks of suet for the basket--happy me, happy birds!

43. New flagpole up (and an excuse to go find a winter flag...!!)

44. More zentangle swaps to play in

45. Dinner with the kiddos all here (I love a full house =0) )

 

May the Spirit which lives within you guide and convict you. Remember the message which brought you to Him. Let it be the message you share with others. May peace and power be yours today.

 

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in Him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
~Romans 15:13

Join us in counting His blessings:

Progress!

I actually managed to get a couple things done off my project list yesterday--yay for me! The first is a Duo-Tangle for the monthly challenge from the zentangle group over at Chocolate Baroque, and still working with the colored cardstock I did a little Springkle/Knyt piece. I so wanted to fill in little bubbles or springies or something!! It was hard to restrain myself to just the two patterns. A little shading, a little highlight, and I tucked it away before I was tempted to add more...aaahhhh! Thanks for a great challenge Paula!



 

 

Next up I finished a birthday card for a friend that needs to go out in the mail ASAP...and then I realized I need to do another one! Hopefully I can get that done today, though Fridays are rushed since the kiddos are done early from school and we have plans to go pre-bowl this afternoon...but the next card doesn't need mailed out quite as quick as this one, so not a big deal if it needs to wait a day or two...This one again has a wash of sparkly gel pen that just doesn't want to show up with the camera...who doesn't love pink icing?? And still working on my Blueberry Loft logo...

 

Then!!! I had the most wonderful surprise in my mailbox yesterday! I signed up for a zentangle bookmark swap on Facebook late last year and all the bookmarks were to hit the mail on Monday. Here's a shot from the hostess of some of the bookmarks she'd received from swap participants all over the world--wow!! I can see the one I sent in--the sixth one back in the middle row...Love all this glorious zentangle!!

 

And this is the one I got back--love it!!!

Front

 

Back

Next swap I've signed up for is a photo mat exchange (which I need to remember to pick one up at Michaels soon!! What? Shopping at Michaels??? Darn the luck!! Hahaha!) Just having too much fun! Happy Weekend and Happy Creating!!

 

 

As your day begins, may the Father’s blessing be upon you. Be His quiet and holy representative. Be the one who takes a stand for that which is right. Be the one who reminds the world of what really matters in our world. Be the voice of God and the promise of eternity.

 

“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father encourage you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. God loved us, and through His grace He gave us a good hope and encouragement that continues forever.”
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

More Phicops and Rainbows

Got caught up on my Tangle a Day calendar yesterday with another Phicops tangle--I'm loving all the great challenge posts this week with this pattern, so many possibilities! I even woke up this morning thinking about ways to play with Phicops (may just work on that later today...yay!)

Squid and Phicops

 

 

And next week's Idea Journal page...not much has changed other than the colors (I do love a rainbow...and I washed some glitter gel on as well though you can't really tell from the picture. Just wish this paper held up better to water...)

 



 

Today's plan is to work on a couple paintings in progress and a few birthday cards that need done ASAP....This year is already zipping by way too fast and a super busy weekend ahead...Happy Creating all!

May you know the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ today. Let his spirit overshadow and consume you. I pray that it gives you strength and courage and focus in everything you do today.

 

“God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will not give up when troubles come, but you will be patient. And you will joyfully give thanks to the Father who has made you able to have a share in all that he has prepared for his people in the kingdom of light.”

Colossians 1: 11