Day 6

      I am trying to get tiles finished for the tile swap (which I am already far behind in).  So this was a good opportunity to work on those again.  Nothing major, but some relaxing fun.

    Thanks for dropping by!

Day 5

    I am working on tiles for a facebook swap.  So I used today to work on on of those.  Great opportunity to use some tangles from my new Design Original books, # 9 and 10.

     Been a haywire sort of day so I needed some zen.  My doctor wants to put me on a new med for my a-fib - Eliquis.  I researched it on the internet and it seems okay.  But meds, new meds, make me nervous.  I want to do the right thing and I just don't know what to do.  It doesn't help we are "talking" through a nurse.  I wish doctors knew how to use a phone.
     Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Day 4

     For today's creative entry, I worked on my tile for Adele Bruno's string challenge.  I love the string and most of the tangles she chose for this week.  I didn't have as much crafting time today as I had to do the "doctor thing".  I suppose I should have brought my things to tangle while I waited.  But I forgot them.  Oh well.
    

     Thanks for droppin by.  Hope you are having a wonderful day!  See you tomorrow!

Day 3

      Oh please tell me this counts even if I don't have a finished project . . .
      Over the summer I spend a lot of time making cards and getting them ready for the school year.  I give birthday cards to everyone in my school building.  There are Christmas cards to be made.  I also have some other occasion cards on hand.  I start out by choosing a Cricut cartridge that I would like to focus on.  Then I go through magazines and Pinterest to find ideas.  I sketch them out and then grab my Gypsy and start designing.  This usually takes me the better part of one day.  Today, for example, I chose the Folk Art Festival cartridge and worked on designing cards.  When I finished I had 8 cards ready to cut and assemble.  Now when I pull out my cricut, I can finish them up.  I suppose for some this seems like a lot of extra work, but I find it goes pretty smoothly for me.  Here are some pics of my crafting today - I will post the cards when I have a chance to work on them.

     I also use this "over involved" process to work on my scrapbook pages.  With the Gypsy, I can sit and plan pages then when I have time I can cut and work on them.   Thanks for dropping by and visiting.  I am visiting all the sites involved in this challenge, but sometimes I can't get my system to let me leave a comment - but I am enjoying seeing all the work and I will keep trying to let you know!!
      One of my goals this summer is to conquer posting and putting pictures on my blog from my tablet (android).  It certainly would be very convenient if I can do this.  Maybe if I do that for thirty days I will be able to do it without feeling like I am stumbling through the process.  We will see.

Day 2

      I think this 30 day create challenge is very cool!  If you are interested head over to Whimsey and Zen and join us.  The really  nice thing about this challenge is that any type of creativity counts - knitting, painting, you name it!  So that means when I pull out my Cricut and scrapbook or make cards that counts!  Nice!
      Today I worked on the inchie for Every Inchie Monday.  The word was "khaki".   I pulled out any paper I had that resembled that color and went to town collaging.  It is not spectacular, but it suffices.  Actually the colors are among my favorites.

      Then I worked on the challenge for Diva.  Hard to believe it is challenge #170.   Be had to do a Use My Tangle piece using the tangle "bugles".  While I had put this tangle in my notebook, I have to say I have never used it - or been tempted to.  It is a pretty tangle, I just don't seem to have made it work for me.  All that said, when I finished the whole tile, I was rather pleased with it.  I probably won't run to this tangle but then again I won't avoid it either.   These two things are all I got finished for today's challenge - the rest was done last week.

      For Christmas I got the book The Beauty of Zentangle.  It has tons of inspiring pieces in it and my plans this summer are to "borrow" some those inspirations and play with them.   I will try to remember to post the original artist's name when I share those pieces.  One of the pages by Angie Vangalis made me want to pull out my watercolors and see what I could do.  I decided to stay within one color family for mine.  I can't decide whether to tangle over the colored areas or not.   Any suggestions?

       Journal 52 catch up time!  I am sooooo far behind.  My summer goal is to get caught up with the current week.  Of course I realize the moment school starts, I will be soooo far behind yet again!   Hey, I can dream, right?
      Week 17 was the "refresh" prompt.  What refreshes you?  I had lots of thoughts - summertime is my refreshing time.  However the last few days of school I had some really bad leg pains and so I decided to go with what was making me feel refreshed at the moment - a long hot soak.

      For week 18, we were to explore the idea of creative hands.  I traced my hand and then added some things I enjoy with my hands.  I also put one of my absolute favorite quotes on this page.   It sort of sums up how I feel about creating.

      I skipped a few weeks and went over to week 21.  I will go back and do the others I am just waiting for some grand idea to hit me.   Since I enjoy doing zendalas, this page, "making mandalas", was right up my creative alley!

     Whew!  Long winded post.   Thanks for bearing with me.  Please leave me a comment if you can.

Day 1

      I have no doubt that this is  probably a bad idea - but it is summer.  I should have time.  Key word - should.  I saw the challenge to create something every day for thirty days.  It doesn't have to be a certain craft or art, so that means I can do some scrapbooking and card making.  Opens a lot of doors. I just know I can be very "target fixed".   (it probably should be called obsessive).
     I have spent the day working on my review for Shoplet.  So my normal crafting time was not so much.  But I am trying to stay caught up in my Tangle A Day calendar so I combined the two.   The hard part won't be creating something each day, it will be taking the time to post it.  I also do not usually post from my phone or tablet, but I am going to give it a go.

     Thanks for dropping by and hopefully leaving me a bit of whimsy!  Have a great day.

Bic Pens Review

 

 First of all just take a look at this scrumptious package from Shoplet!  It felt like Christmas when I opened the box.  I was expecting a pen or two, but wow!  Lots of goodies to play with.  I love pens nearly as much as I love notebooks.  Maybe even a fraction more.  I also love the fact that these pens are BIC.  That is a name you can count on for a good - inexpensive - pen.  Of course, there are very good high priced pens out there.  But when it gets down to reliability BIC has it.  Also, let's face it when you loan a pen for someone to use to sign something every now and then that pen does not see its way back home. 

     The first package that caught my eye was the set of 4 pink BIC Atlantis ball pens.  They have a nice grip to help your hand while writing and even better - they write pink!  A really pretty pink!   Sometimes when using a colored ink the flow doesn't seem as smooth so I was curious.  Not the case here.  It wrote very nicely and did not have any skip problems.  In addition to being a really nice pen, the purchase of this pen will support BIC's donation to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.
     Another pretty pink item in my package was the Stylus 2 in 1 pen.  This also supports the Komen foundation.  The pen itself writes very well, but feels a bit flimsy.  I tested the stylus end of it with my tablet drawing program, Art Flow.  I like to have control over the brushes and pens within the program.  The stylus performed well and did not give me any issues.  It works well on my phone also.  I like the ease of having a stylus and pen in the same instrument.  That is one less thing to misplace.  Since I received two of these, I gave the black one to my brother.  Even though the casing is a really pretty pink - it does write a nice smooth black.

     Another package held a nice set of Mark-it permanent markers.  The package says fine point, but they are not extremely fine.  You can get them in a variety of tips - fine, ultra fine, chisel, and medium.  The pen feels nice to write with.  I had a blank mug that was just begging for decoration and since they said they would write on glass . . . I have not tried using the other colors on my mug since I am not sure whether I want it to have color on it.  The marker went on without grabbing and hopefully will hold up in the wash, though I might use the oven heat set method just to be sure.

     The velocity gel pen come in a box of twelve.  Inexpensive if you need to keep a supply at your desk or in the office.  They have a nice comfort grip to make it easy to hold.  I have used these pens before and honestly am not as fond of the gel system.  It sort of "grabs" when it writes on most surfaces. 
     This next box of twelve is awesome!  It is call the Intensity marker pen.  It has a very nice feel to it and writes very smooth.  As you know I am a tangler and enjoy drawing with a pen (most specifically the 01 micron by Sakura).  I gave this one a try with some tangles and was very pleased with how it felt.  The bonus to this pen over a fine point Sharpie is lack of odor.  'The bonus over a micron is availability.  I can find these in most department stores and local office stores, not to mention at Shoplet.  The tip is not as fine as I would prefer for tangling, but it is a very nice pen.  The nib is 0.05.  At a little over $13.00 for a dozen, this looks like a really good deal for my art club next year at school. 

      Thank you for dropping by and I hope you have found something you might like.