Happy Tuesday!!

    I hope everyone is doing wonderfully!  I am having a good day even though it is very cold - again - outside.  Glad I have no where to go. 
    The inchie country for this week was Vietnam.  I honestly don't know much about that country.  I remember the war era and when I googled Vietnam I was bombarded with military pictures.  I really did not want to focus on that.  So I looked at the countryside.  The hills and rice fields are very pretty landscapes.  So my inchie tries to use all those things and the flag.

     Diva's challenge was to use the tangle rumpus.  That one is a very pretty tangle.  I decided on a black tile and white pen just for some difference. 

     The challenge at Joey's was to use the tangle drogon on string #157.   I like this tangle and decided to just make the tile a monotangle.  I also used a bit of henna colored pencil to shade.

     I got a new coloring book from Color It (one of my favorite companies) last week - Colors of the Decades.  It had been out for a while, but I really wasn't interested in it.  Then I saw one of the pictures inside and thought I should give it a try.  Glad I did.  It is a lot of fun to color the "wild" colors of the years past.  Here are a few from the book that I have finished.

     See what I mean about color?  I love the chance to color a bit wild!  Guess I better go.  Oh, before I forget - I have about 5 miles to go on my virtual race!  Can you believe it?  I have been able to log on at least one mile each day.  I know that is not very impressive if you are athletic, but for me (the ultimate couch potato) it is pretty exciting.  I plan on signing up for another one as soon as this one is complete.  I will show you my medal and t-shirt when I get them!
     Take care and have a wonderful week!  Hugs!

Challenges of all sorts

     Hello!  I hope everyone is well and staying far from this flu that seems to be everywhere.  I am hoping that being home and away from the little ones I can avoid it.  So far I haven't even had a cold - which is highly unusual.
     The inchie challenge this year is all about different countries which I love!  Of course, I have always loved the inchie challenges, but this is really appealing to me.  This week's country was India.  I chose the Taj Mahal and the flag. 

     Another string (#165) and tangle - Exeter - to use from Joey.  This is a great string.  The tangle is one I think I may have used before.  Mine got a bit off on this tile, but still turned out okay, I think. 

     The last challenge doesn't have any pictures.  Remember I told you one of my resolutions was to sign up for a virtual "race".  Well, after weeks of trolling, I did it.  I chose the shortest one and there is no time limit, but I was thinking I might could do this.  I am doing the Mardi Gras race at Yes.fit.  I put one mile on it yesterday!  I will show you my t-shirt and medal when I finish.
     This last coloring sheet is my inspiration this week. 

     Take care and I hope you have a blessed week.  Hugs!

Let it snow!

    We may get some snow tonight.  Oh I hope so.  I know I will be tired of it in a few days or even hours, but it is winter and we should get at least one, don't you think?  I envy those places that have a bounty of the white stuff!
     I am loving these inchie challenges this year (well, I have every year, haven't I?).  The idea of a different country every week is cool.  This week was France.  Some of my ancestry is French.   I am learning - very slowly - to speak some French.  So this was a great week.  I chose the Eiffel Tower, some lavender and the flag. 

     For Joey's challenge we had to use string #237 and the tangle didada.   I happened to have my new set of fineliners out so I decided on a cold color - blue!  I am okay with how this turned out.  Wish it had been a bit better, but . . .

     If you are interested in free coloring pages, go to www.colorit.com/prayer and check out the free 10 pages they are sending.  This one is from that set.  My Grandma had some bluish glass jars and I tried to get that same look.  I used Derwent Inktense pencils and a marker for the words.

    I am still trying to "conquer" grayscale coloring.  I want mine to look like those I have seen that look like a photo.  This one is better than the other one I did, but still not as vibrant and sharp as some I look at.  I will get there - I hope.

    Now I am off to finish up another coloring page and do another grayscale tutorial. And to repeatedly look out the window!  Would it help if I broke into a Frozen chorus of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman"?  No, probably not.  I do not have any musical bones in my body!  Why hurt anyone's ears?
     Thanks for dropping by and I hope you are having a very blessed day!  Hugs!

Dreary day!

      The weather is icy and rainy today.  Yuck.  I don't mind it too much since I don't have to go outside, but unfortunately Lakota does and he is still fighting the hurt foot.  He is getting around better and even putting some weight on it (gingerly), but you can tell it still bothers him.
       Lots of art today.  I don't do it all in one day, but it sort of collects and then I am ready to post.  All of the challenges were done today.  The first one is the inchie!  Since we are going around the world with this year's words, the second inchie is the United States.  Unlike other countries because I live here, I think of too many things to do on an inchie.  I was reminded of the song we sang a lot in elementary music class - America the Beautiful.  So my inchie has "purple mountains majesty and amber waves of grain". 

       I missed Joey's challenge last Monday.  Well, I didn't miss, since I found it and posted over the weekend.  But I usually do them on Monday so I can have one post a week.  Oh well, it is done and up.  This week we had to use string #206 and the tangle "ta-da".  The word blessed just seemed to fit perfectly.  That's my focus word for the year.  The purple got a little darker than I would have preferred. 

      Diva's challenge was to do a duotangle using phicops and huggins.  I like huggins, but don't like dong it.  However I saw a video of Melinda Barlow showing a huggins variation - "crazy huggins".  Now I love that one.  Besides the way she described it I actually GOT it.

       Speaking of Melinda Barlow, I absolutely love her videos.  She can explain things so well.  This past week she did the tangle "rumpus" on a beautiful tile.  I totally stole borrowed her idea.  I don't think she would mind being my inspiration.  Here is "our" tile, lol!

       A little bit of coloring this week though only one thing to post here.  I do most of the coloring posts on the Facebook sites I belong to.   This is from a mandala book by Color It.  I tried something different for me.  I used a highly technical method of selecting colors.  I went to pinterest and searched color palettes.  Then - now follow closely due to the detail of this method - I closed my eyes and poked at my computer screen and landed on the selection.  If needed I can provide a video tutorial!  Seriously that is about what I did.  Then I matched up markers and gel pens to the palette and colored.   I will definitely play around with the palettes again.

      Thanks for dropping by.  I love your comments and appreciate them so much.  Hugs!

Inside Outside

     How did I miss Joey's challenge this week?  I could have sworn that it started back up NEXT week.  I also would have been wrong!  It started this week.  Had I not gone over just to check on the date, I would have missed it.  Perish the thought!  It is one of my favorite challenges.
     Joey gave us a string and we had to tangle on the inside of it, then again on the outside of it.  Really fun!  Here are my two pages.

      I also finished up a few more coloring pages.  When it is so cold out, sitting inside and coloring is a delight.  School starts back this coming Monday.  Will I miss the cold mornings?  Not a chance.  I will do a happy dance.  But only when I get up at 10 and not at 6!!  Delayed happy dance, I suppose!

     Oh if you would, please sent a prayer for my poochie.  He did something to his front paw / foot and now is limping about.  Poor baby.  He doesn't appear to be in pain, but definitely does not want to put his weight on it.  Thanks for your thoughts.
    See you next week when I do my inchie and other challenges!  Take care and stay warm!  Hugs!!

Another year!

     It is hard to believe another year has passed.  For me, personally, 2017 has been a year of ups and downs.  Mostly ups.  The beginning of the year I was still in the classroom and questioning on a daily basis if I ever could retire.  I started crying every time I even thought of it.  I seriously was major depressed.  I know that sounds silly.  It did to me.  But nevertheless, I was distraught.  I could not see myself at home, without my school work to think about, and idle!  Oh what a joy to be SO wrong!  I am far from idle, never have looked back at all the school work and love being at home.  I also was very blessed financially which was another huge worry.  It has been so nice to just relax and enjoy my time at home and not have so many worries.  So I am quite excited to see where 2018 will go.

       Do you make resolutions?  I do.  Sometimes they are kept but like most, they get forgotten.  I have 3 this year.  One is personal and I won't share.  Another is to finally finish my coloring book that I have long ignored and get it to the publisher by spring or sooner!  I really want that done.  The last is - now please don't laugh - I am going to enter in a virtual race, log my miles on the treadmill and see if I can do it.  I have a lot of trouble walking so this will be a real challenge.  You can finish at your own pace so if it takes me a year to do one race, well, that is more than I have done previously, right?  I will let you know how it goes.  Well, I will let you know when I catch my breath!

 

      Another year of INCHIES!!  Yahoo!  I am so glad the torch was passed on to some wonderful ladies and we have this challenge to look forward to each week.  The words for this year are places around the world.  That should prove to be educational!  The first stop on our journey is the Netherlands. 
     Oh and before I forget - here is the sheet of inchies for 2017.  I love seeing them all complete and together.  I have to get a sheet ready for this year's art.  To hold this year's inchies I tried to make the grid look like postage stamps.  We will see if they all fit okay!

     I have been fascinated with mandalas lately.   Here are some I have worked on over Christmas.  I have a new journal with the circles done on the page very lightly to use as a guide.  I am really having fun with this little book.

 

    I am not too keen on the green one, but oh well.  Thanks for dropping by and I hope you are having a wonderful day.  I am trying to stay warm in some very cold temps, so send me some sunshine if you have some to spare!  Hugs!