Tangling a bird

 Oh what fun I have been having...  I bought a Zen Tangle book and am so enjoying this... I love to doddle... I guess you could say I do... as I have published 12 books of my doodles...  but they are all free handed ones... Zen tangles are not as free... but a lot of fun...  


I did the bird... (a picture of it un-painted is below...  and then I looked at the challenge today for Just Add Water... Artists Play Room Challenge... and it was to do something with Red and White for Canada's birthday... or Red, White and Blue for the USA Birthday... so I did one for each...  it has red and white bird... and then I added the blue background... and blueberries...  which is what has motivated this page in my journal in the first place...  

 You see... we have about 50 blueberry bushes... and they are the rabbit eye blueberries... which are large and delicious...  oh my goodness... they are so wonderful...  anyway... I kept on noticing the CARDINALS flying really close t o the house??? That's weird???!!!  Why are they doing that??? but then I asked Glenn if the Blueberry bushes in the back were in fruit... YUP!!! That is why they were flying close to the house... to get some... there are a lot of feral cats around too... they help keep mice, and other things at bay... and also will attack birds...  so they fly close to the house so the cats dont see them... I guess.. so we  have had very very very very few of them...  no good...  bad cardinals...  so I have asked them not to eat them all... we did get a couple of quarts from them... but that was all... 

Here is the original tangle I did... it is about 4x4 inches... so it is small.... and very detailed to say the least...  but hey... when you are learning like I am... you try to do these so you learn...  

I added the branches and things and then colored it in and put it into my journal...  what a bird that is...  took me about 2 hours to do!!!  

The green stands for love... love of country, love of others and just good LOVE...  

It is a little HOT here today...  to say the least...  they are saying it is up in the high 90's... but that is not what it feels like..  It is most likely a little warmer... as the temp on the deck is 102...  a little warm...  I am sitting with the fan on.. but will enjoy a nice cold shower in a little while...  

Have a good day...  stay cool... and enjoy you holidays...  Love, Light and Peace.... Bonnie  

The Three Crowns

 

CHAPTER 17: Hurrah for the Red, White and Blue!

The White Queen gave a deep sigh, and laid her head on Alice's shoulder. `I am so sleepy?' she moaned.
`She's tired, poor thing!' said the Red Queen. `Smooth her hair -- lend her your nightcap -- and sing her a soothing lullaby.'
`I haven't got a nightcap with me,' said Alice, as she tried to obey the first direction: `and I don't know any soothing lullabies."
`I must do it myself, then,' said the Red Queen, and she began:

Hush-a-by lady, in Alice's lap!Till the feast's ready, we've time for a nap:When the feast's over, we'll go to the ball --Red Queen, and White Queen, and Alice, and all!

-- Chapter 9, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There

In the United States, we are celebrating Independence Day this month, so we have a patriotic Red, White and  Blue color challenge for you! Of course here in Wonderland we know those colors are for the White Queen, the Red Queen, and Alice's blue dress! Enter your red, white and blue project by July 27 for a chance at a prize from our sponsor.

__._,_.___

 I read this and then went to Alice in Wonderland books and read the passage again... and saw that Alice had just received her crown .... so I made crowns for all three of the QUEENS...   

The colors... 
RED, WHITE, and BLUE!!!   

How surprising!!!  

So I got out my foil tape, and made three crowns... embossing the band of each one a little bit differently...  Alice's which is the blue... she got the Fluer di lis as she has been seen with one on the end of a ruling wand...  and of course her favorite color... BLUE... with a large A all decorated with Blue Heart gem stones!!!  She is a royal you know!!!!

 The White Queen.... she of course had all diamonds on her crown... (I wish !) and I used the snowflake embossing folder on her band...  white... and pretty... 


The little butterfly just had to go on the white queen's crown... she is so light and frilly... 

The Red Queen's Crown, which is up above... with all the red rubies on it... and the band has embossed hearts... so regal for the Queen of Hearts...  

All three of these crowns were fun to make... and the decorating was the most fun...  They were very easy to create... as I used my Tim Holtz small stapler... to put the crowns all together... so very easy using this...  Now the 'gem' stones... the diamonds, rubies and sapphires are all little clear 'dew drops' that I dyed with my alcohol inks...  and also put them onto the crowns with the Glossy Accents... as a glue!!!  Love that... it dries quickly and clear!! What more can you ask for when putting gem stones in place!!!!    You can get all these at Simon Says... and also MUCH MORE... hope you will take a look at their store front...  and I do wonder who will be lucky person to get this shopping spree??? That is a wonderful prize!!!  Yikes... I love it...  

Well thanks for taking a look at my crowns... and I do hope that you put on your crown and enter our challenge of the month...  it is so much fun.. and look at the PRIZE!!!  WOW...  
 
RED   WHITE    and   BLUE 

Patriotic Alice in Wonderland…

To use the Red, White and Blue theme I thought for a long time… and finally thought I would do a configuration box that I have wanted to do for a long time… but then there were some things that I wanted in my configuration box that were not in the theme of Red, White and blue… so back to the drawing table…

Okay… I could do a fun little album of Red, White and Blue things …. 

Things that appear in Wonderland…  for example the Red Queens dress is red, white and blue!!!  Right???  … but that just didn’t settle right with me…  I need to get really excited about a project that I am going to do…  and this one is being sponsored by Simon Says… and so I am using some of the WONDERFUL 6x6 printed paper pads that they have… I love to go to Simon Says and pick out all my 6x6 papers…  so very many to pick from… and perfect size for all my projects…  as I tend to work smaller than larger…  so I LOVE these pads…  I will use them on my project… with no problem… but what project am I going to do…

laying down 

 

Finally pay day!!!  I made this… and I love it… and I had so very much fun making it… It is only 3.5 inches tall… not very big… and yet it will be mailed to a friend of mine that LOVES Alice things…  and it is will be treasured for ever and ever…  (I love friends like that… ) 

So I used white card stock to create the bones of this little book… and then created a special nook for each Red, White and Blue theme in the three cubby holes…

 RED
 The Red of course had to be the Queen of Hearts…  she is so red… her voice is even RED…  LOL… do you know what I mean…

 These are the 'wall' papers I used ...  I love them...  

 WHITE   

Then the WHITE… well that had to be the WHITE ROSES… that the cards had to paint RED!!! 

I decided to use this really great red rose paper as the three 'cards' were painting the roses RED... 

 BLUE  

And the Blue… well it had to be Alice… but I wanted something more.. so I added the favorite part of the Alice in Wonderland movie to this area… the BLUE BUTTERFLY!!!   

A little bit larger picture for you to see...  The smoke is even BLUE... LOL..   

 The detail on this paper is so very beautiful... and it is so ALICE to me... 

 I had to add this picture of the final scene of the movie... where the magnificent blue butterfly lands on Alice's shoulder!!!  And then flies off...  


So special... so I had to add it here... 

 

So there you have it… I added a few wooden red hearts to the front and back.. and I also used my Dylusion Sprays that you can also get at Simon Says… they are so very special… the colors are vibrant and alive…  I love them.. so if you don’t’ have them… hope fully you will get them from Simon Says…  (which I have to add this…  Simon says ships really fast…  I love it!!!)  

The papers that I used are from the following pads  Sweet nothings by Kaiser Craft, Conservatory by 7 Gypsies, Crush Collection by Bo Bunny  …. And I think a few more??? But when working I am not really focused on which book I am grabbing… but on the colors of the papers… LOL… just my problem…  but the papers are wonderful... 

This is looking down on the project... you can see the RED WHITE AND BLUE very clearly...  oh a little green is good luck!!!  

Hope you will join in on this fun challenge... it is really a fun one... and then go on over to Simon Says and buy some goodies... they sure do have a HUGE selection to choose from...   Thanks for stopping by for a visit today... and hope you will come back soon... 

Love, Light and Peace... Bonnie  

Journaling is FUN!!!!

 Today on Balzer Designs, Julie has asked for answers on why do you journal...  

Well my is fairly easy... because I LOVE it... I love letting loose and I love to experiment, have fun doing this... and just creating a fun space for me to play... I have done journals for a very long time...  and love it all...  

This page is no exception... I wanted to try masking off sections... and grabbed the wrong tape... I thought it was the 'blue' one... but in my hurry to play...  it was the regular masking tape..!!!! Duh... anyway...  when I went to peel it off... it tore a whole in the page... so I used that to my advantage...  On this page, I colored my sections... and then put some feelings in each one... I also wanted to start to play with writing my chinese Characters again... it has been a long time since I have done them... and I do love them...  I also had just gotten my newest Tim Holtz ink pads... and wanted to play with the colors...  so I used one in each section...  playing and doing is my love of life...  (other than my hubby!!!)  

 As you can see I allowed the next page to show a little bit of its self prior to flipping the page...  


The strip where the tape was, provided a very nice area to doodle into ... and I do love to doodle..  After publishing a 'few' books of doodles I guess it is fair to say I doodle a lot...  and do love it... so I filled in with some flowers... and I love all the natural rock walls and fences that are built in Western NC... They are awesome...  every person that creates them, has a unique and different style of working with the rocks... all generally found in the area...  in fact, I think I will start another journal on rock walls... they are truly a work of art in themselves... 

 This page is also trying out of colors... using a waterbrush and just being free to use the colors...  nothing fancy...  


I most likely will add to this page as time passes by... it is rather un-done at this time... but hey... is a journal page ever done???  

 Here is a close up of the face area...  nothing fancy... just a partial face... 

 Again a fun time using two of the pretty colors...  and it was a reflection of lifes force for me... this page is most likely finished... it is full of the energy that I love...  as life is in reality...  free and flowing into each other...  

 Another sectioned off page... I love the brush strokes and the freedom of this... even though it is controlled with the tape and the sections... it is free in each space to be its self... 

The last page of this day was to play with one color and create a page... I love pink... and generally do things differently... but was in one of those free moods to just play... so I did...  a few strokes on the paper... and then i doodled some leaves with a waterbrush on the top of that ... .  a Chinese character and was done...  

LIVE... and enjoy...  

So there is a good example of my feelings on paper of my journaling... I felt really good after I finished these... and moved onto getting ready for a class that I have to prepare for...  so I had done my free thing... and now for some hard thinking... LOL... 

Thanks so very much for  stopping by for a visit... and hope that you have  a wonderful week-end... if you are traveling... please travel safely and enjoy your vacation time...  

Love, Light and Peace... Bonnie  

In the GARDEN

A very dear friend of mine, sent me a link to yet another challenge... and it really looks like it is right up my alley...  Since I am on dial up... some of my friends will send me places that they think I should be at... LOL... they are really so very sweet to do this for me... I love it...  anyway... another e-mail from Carollee showed me this site...   Just Add Water so I decided to take a look and see what was going on...  

Wow... it really is up my alley... it only took three hours to download the page... and there were so many like minds... and I really wanted to do this one...  So I started to play...  and this is what I came up with...   

Since we have an organic farm... I felt I really should do some veggies or something... but then I thought about it.. and felt like doing my favorite thing... FLOWERS... I love flowers..of all kinds...to grow, enjoy, pick, look at... and of course love.. . My husband does too... he loves to grow roses and sunflowers... his sunflowers generally are over 15 feet tall... and so very pretty... I love them... as I love all flowers...  

So without more ado... here is my piece...  
Since I love flowers this was not 
 

really a challenge... I had cut out some Pretties by Bonnie and had been painting them.... then when I got the e=mail from Carollee I thought I would use them...  so here are some that I was fooling around with...  

Since we garden organically and biodynamically I had to have a fairy or angel on my page... I just had too... flowers and fairies go hand in hand...  

 I also put a few dimensional flowers on the page... i know that they will get flattened... but that is okay...  


I had to do a little stenciling too... and felt that the Butterfly tape was also essential for this page to...  We do have a butterfly bed... and they are all over the flowers there... 

All known beneficials are welcome.. including all insects, and hopefully a lot of bees and wasps... keeps our plants healthy and growing...  

have a great day.... and enjoy the summer months...  today it is starting to heat up down here... almost in the mid 90's... we are suppose to get upto 103 today...  I am not looking forward to it...  

So stay balanced and you will be okay... be loving to your self and create something wonderful...  join in the fun...  

Thanks for stopping by for a visit... Love Light and peace... Bonnie  

Summer Sun

 Over at Inspiration Journal the Challenge for this month is Summer Sun...  so here is my SUN... since I live in the south eastern part of the USA it is HOT during the summer... and the sun... yikes... very hot on us... at times not very comfortable... so this page is dedicated to making it more reasonable for me...  LOL... do you think it will help???  

 I used all kinds of sprays, paints and glimmers, and more sprays to get the look on this page.. I used stencils, with acrylic dabbers.. and sprays... and then I used markers and even a ball point pen to doodle the original doodling... love to use a pen for that... easy for me to do...  


I added the snail... as  I love snails... just in case you didnt know... 

I made the dribbles as sun rays...  and the flowers are from the love of the sun and rain to grow...  I have to remember that...  and not get upset when it is so HOT...  

Thanks for visiting me today...  
Yesterday was our 44 wedding anniversary!!!  WOW... how can that be when we are only 29 years young???  Oh well.. funny magical things do happen... that is for sure... LOL... Hope to see you soon... Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie  

Into Grey

 Today is our 44 Wedding anniversary... I don't know how... as we are only 29 years old... LOL... but we have been holding our ages well...  to say the least...  

Anyway.. it is a fun day for us... and we are already enjoying it greatly....  I have made cookies, a wonderful Fresh tomato and bean salad from our garden!!!  and ready to share at this point...  Glenn is picking more beans, and other things...  and I played...   Today on Balzer Designs,  Julie has a fun Second Floor challenge...  and that is to use a PENCIL.... oh my goodness  I have not used a pencil to draw in years...  I always use a ball point pen... and Bic is my favorite... I love the way the ink flows... sounds silly... but you have to use something that you love to sketch with... and that is mine...  So I sketched this design above... with thoughts of 44 years ago... and all the wedding preparations... Since the reception was at my folks home, there was a buzz plus all around the place...  there were over 300 people at the reception... and it was to be very informal... a true garden reception... I remember it well... very nice... and informal... we had champagne, strawberries, and some punch for the minister and his wife...  and some little party sandwiches that my Mom insisted on having...  Glenn and I picked all the strawberries at a huge farm.. and they were huge strawberries and very sweet and juicy!!!  A really wonderful day was to be had...  Ohhhhh it seems like yesterday... but our kids are both grown... and we have a grandson and so I guess holding at 29 doesn't pass anymore... LOL... anyway... I wanted to tell you a funny thing .... when we were pulling away from the wedding... my cousin started to call after us... and we stopped... and she asked if we knew that our license plate was our wedding date... it was
MEA  626   Me Anniversary June 26..... I still have the plates and turned them into a cover for our honeymoon pictures...  what fun...  So the 6.26 in the picture stands for the date... and the 44 for the years married... and we still care and love each other... GREATLY...  So I guess it will last...  what do you think???  

 So that was my pencil sketch... then I sort of followed what Julie had done... and got out my leaf stamps that I have made... and used different colored gray ink pads to print with... okay since I don't clean stamps... the green from the last time shows... oh well... just gives a different look...  I added some curly cues and love it... I will use it for something... 

 so then I tried using only black to see what I got...  and this also came out nicely...  


To be very honest...  I don't use black and white as much as I should.. I do love it... and use to use it all the time.... not really sure why I stopped????  

 Then I went a step more..... 
Took one of the stamps and made a wreath... and then added some more leaves with a final touch of a Pretties by Bonnie 
wreath on the top... and used a few gray markers to color the leaves...  added LOVE for Glenn and Me... and moved on...   

 If you haven't made any stamps of our own... it is really very easy and a lot of fun... you can use all kinds of things to create a stamp... right down to a piece of fruit or a potato...  I have even used erasers or fun foam... to get the look I want...  Try making some of your own... and see what you come up with... I am sure you have the supplies to create a design with... and they are great on bags for gift giving too...  so much fun!!!   

 This is another stamp that I love using for background... I will play with this later... and see what I come up with...  Although today I have to work on a special card for an up coming class... so I have to do that... a MUST...  but I will play with these... believe ME... I love what I have gotten... and it has been a long time since I have used my black, white and gray...

 As I was really getting into this project, my sweet hubby came in with a couple of RED ROSES for me... he is so very sweet... he is a real keeper.   He not only picked these... but he creates these rose bushes from one single plant that is a real OLD TIMEY rose ... that really smells like a ROSE use to smell..  I love these...  and how sweet... two of them were ready to be picked today.. to show our love for each other...  

So I had my bin of Pretties by Bonnie out... and took a Large Daisy out... and colored it with gray... and then started to add some leaves and color a tag with gray... and oh what fun... I will get back to this later on...  

I have to do a few things... and then make that card for this up and coming class...  so I have to wait... but I will show it to you when I finish it... I promise...

I also took away quite a few things too Julie...  I am glad you mad a comment about that... as it is important to look at ones self and see what you have learned...  
1.  I learned that I too like quick results... but need to slow down a bit from time to time and enjoy... a meditation with the pencil was GREAT...  I always use a pen... and this was a nice change..  

2.  I loved using the greys again.. brought back an old technique to me... I love it too... 

3.  That I need to make some more rubber stamps... I have a lot of pink rubber that needs to be used!!!  Can't have stuff laying around un-used now... can I???   

4.  That when you take a 'simple' challenge like using a pencil and give it 'IT'S' own way... it will lead to better things than you thought... but you need to give freedom to your work at all times...  so very important...  

5.  To slow down and enjoy...  all the time... there is no hurry... and this has been a very delightful experience that I didn't expect today... thanks Julie... and also I thank myself for giving myself the time and energy to do this... as I do have a full plate today... my gift to ME... 
 

Have a super wonderful day... I will...  I know that... and I will hope you do...  Thanks for stopping by for a visit... and see ya'll tomorrow...  Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie  

Frames

 I have been trying to make a few gifts each month for Christmas presents... so here are a few more... I made Frames using metal tape and embossing it...  so very easy and look how pretty the frames came out...  !!!  I LOVE them... I even made a metal rose for one... and a poinsettia for the other... Of course I used my alcohol inks on all the frames... and also a piece of repurposed plastic from my bin...  

 I used a Spellbinder die to cut the frame on this one...  I love this particular die and at Christmas it is so very pretty... 

 I used some Liquid Pearls for the center of the poinsettia  flower...  just for an added touch...  and of course a little tiny seam binding bow... 

 On this one I used a few more Spellbinder dies... just a little different along with a Cuttlebug embossing folder...  


So very easy and great gifts for all on your list...  

Hope you are getting ready for the holidays in a little way...  it really helps to get started early and get it all done, so that you can goof off and enjoy the holidays...  

Have a fun day... enjoy your summer time...  thanks for taking time out to visit me... 
Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie  

Depth's of Distress

 Today over at Simon Says Stamp and Show the theme is DEPTH OF DISTRESS .... and we can interrupt that anyway we desire... 


Well to me... the word Distress used by someone that does paper art means only one thing... Tim Holtz... the duke of Distress himself...  so that is what I did ... a page of products that have HIS name on them...  all available at Simon Says Shoppe...  check it out... great place to shop...  


So I used some of the new Summer ink pads... and that was sort of my color theme... 

 Since I am re-working techniques in my studio I did a few more techniques on the background... and got the depth results I wanted... and then I added a few leaves from my collection of stamps made by me...  love my leaves...  sorry but I use them so very much...  I used Distress ink pads on all of this...  and then I used embossing powders on the bird.. which of course is Tim's...  and added the border edge doily... and put it and the tickets on with the mini stapler... love that little thing...  I used other stamps of Tim's on the background... lettering and also crackle... and then  ticket or two... and I even used some thread from the ribbon and made a nest... 

 I added some Chit Chat words... and then got a little carried away with the making of the flowers...  


I wanted to put on the page... not more, as it is hard to work on other pages with these beutiful roses... 

 So I just put all the luscious roses at the bottom of the pages... to show off the pretty colors and the perfection of them...  I used all paper that was 'scrap paper' that had been colored with Tim's inks... so I had a huge collection of them... and then I decided to do that next page too... as it need to be finished...  so I had fun using the Distress markers,  Glossy Accents, and more distress ink pads...  love making them on the worksheet... which is also  a tool I don't know how I ever lived without... and of course I had to add a Pretties by Bonnie  flower to the page...  Happiness 

So as it states on the page... 

Now and Then it is GOOD to pause in our pursuit of Happiness and JUST  BE  HAPPY!!!!  that is so very true... 

Hope that you have a happy day... and enjoy every minute of it...  Thanks for stopping by for a visit... and hope to see you tomorrow...  

Love, Light and Peace...Bonnie