New design as a thank you for a mail carrier to give

Sketch is representing Spring, Summer, Fall and then Winter- also showing the conditions with rain, sun, falling leaves and snow. As a mail carrier you deliver in all seasons and conditions. Still going to add some sparkle to the colored card. Will put the end result up after complete. Working on a card for my brother-in-law to give as a thank you card to the wonderful people on his route who thanked him for his service this year with gifts at Christmas.

Fire precious metal clay with a torch.

New Tortoise Design

New design for custom Christmas Sweatshirt - special request from a special friend who I miss dearly. Hope her son likes it.

Mosiac stars!

Stained glass mosaic stars. A reminder to always reach for your star. No matter what obstacles in life causes you to lose sight of your star - your DREAM! Always-always continue to keep your star in site - moving closer and closer to your Dream - YOUR PASSION!!!!

Zenology Design: http://kaiserglass.com/students%20work35.html

Zenology Design: http://kaiserglass.com/students%20work35.html

Posts go up!!!

This wonderful weather in late fall is allowing us to start on the studio. The posts are starting to go in. It will be a whole winter project - hoping to have it up and operating by late Spring!

http://kaiserglass.com/students%20work35.html

Check out a few of the glass pieces created at the workshop in NC!

Workshop at Kaiser Glass Studio

Just back from NC - Took a workshop at Kaiser Glass Studio. Where we were taught silk screening on glass, making glass decals, how to mix glass paints and the use of micas. Checkout the student work at kaiserglass.com You will see a variety of designs and also the class got to use one of my designs in class. The shells, the horses with stars, the tree are some of the ones I created. Excited to start using the techniques I have learned and continue to grow. If you get the chance take a workshop, very relaxed and informative workshop. Watch for photos to be posted soon.

Wooooo Hooooo!!!!

Sold 2 magnets and 2 orders delivered for the new design sling bag. Leaving for NC friday for the workshop at Kaiser Design - kaiserglass.com . So excited to take my designs to a new level.

Holiday Greeting Cards

Just received from the printer some of my designs on greeting cards for the fall season. See them at Dolci on South Westnedge or e-mail me to purchase one... only $3.50

Original design...and signed...

Pumpkin and three little friends...

A pumpkin and three little friends huddle together on a cold windy Halloween night...

Won't you come out and play....

ignore the little smudge in the back of the drawing... I had the help of a Boxer who wanted to leave her mark on my sketch... with the help of photoshop that will soon disappear...

October pumpkins

Getting into the fall season with three little pumpkins and some oak leaves.

Zentangle Master Class Part A

Zentangle Master Class Part B

Open Seed Arts: An Unboxed Life

Open Seed Arts: An Unboxed Life

Open Seed Arts: More Than a Metaphor

Open Seed Arts: More Than a Metaphor

New items in Store!

Please stop by Dolci on S. Westnedge and see my new items at the store...

Messenger Bags, Pillows, Magnets, T-Shirts, Gift Bags... Soon to be Cards and Prints!!!

Placing my pieces in a new store on S. Westnedge!

Stop by the New Store Dolci at 824 S. Westnedge - Kalamazoo MI. Just south of Vine Street on the right side of the road. Will be placing items at store tomorrow evening. Watch for photos of store front and display coming tomorrow... ! Please stop by and check it out... Thank you!

Will currently put in pillows, messenger bags, magnets and small gift bags. Working on a sling bag. And new bag colors to follow soon.

Items will be rotated so stop by often to see what is there...!

Barn Series

Pulled out my watercolors the other day. Decided to do a series of barn and country landscape paintings. I love the look of the old barns. I wonder what they looked like in their earlier years the purpose they held and the things they could say if they could talk.. In a way they do talk to you - if you just look. Stop and take in the weathered wood, the missing pieces the rusty hinges.. the silence.. it is a place of peace and a time when things were so much simpler. A time when value was on more than money... It was family - it was a time when families, friends towns pitched in to help each other... what changed what made greed take over, where people don't care about each other, their family, their friends their town... and morals went right along with it. Marriage use to mean somethings vows were taken and honored... Now its like a revolving door - no one cares ... just looking for the next version - fling.. -Jobs - companies use to care about their employees if you worked hard did your job the company appreciated it...and usually your family had or did work for the same company.. NOW... we have employers who treat their employees like robots... they work you many hours past forty, belittle you, to make them feel important - don't expect to pay you for the extra time you put in- you give up holidays, weekends - just to have many years of giving up your family life for work to have them eliminate your job or let you go to hire someone for much much less.. it is these things I see when I look at old barns, buildings, abandon homes... because they are much like us ... they stood strong gave it their all.. and were discarded for something new, something more exciting...I hope some day we learn to listen and see that just because something is worn it doesn't make it worthless.. it makes it priceless... we need to listen more with our hearts and love the precious things around us... And hope that corporations learn to realize the value of someone who has sacrificed family to do a job - so in turn they can provide for their family. I hope when you drive by an old barn, fence post, building or home ... you think back - and think about what family, honesty and love really is all about...

new design_Dolphin!

A new design I have been working on. With the thought of it being placed on a T-shirt.

New design finished!

Just finished a Dolphin design. Will post soon. Also working on a series of watercolor paintings - Old country barns I have driven by. Along with wild flowers that are so beautiful this time of year. Will post progress shortly.

New design! Sea Turtle

My new design.. which I have placed on a pillow with swarovski crystals... I am excited to see it in glass for a pendant... going to try some designs on T-shirts... also looking for messenger bags to put them on.. but, haven't found the one I want yet...

Thank you Corporate AMERICA!!!

Well here I am again unemployed due to re-structuring of a job.. Employers would rather have computers working for them (cold and un-feeling) then pay for a human. Working for a company for 10 -plus years gets you nothing but kicked out the door. So they can bring in an automated system or someone they can pay a lot less. That is the thanks you get for dedicating yourself to them. Maybe it's the push I need to get me to focus on my God given talent and design! If I would have invested the amount of time I did to help someone else grow and expand their company.. Just think where I would be with mine....

And another thing ... Where in the world have all the truthful people gone... because finding one - is like being on a scavanger hunt for a needle in the middle of a corn field...

Flower Pattern

New design created for pillow and cards... Hand making the pillows..

New Designs- Challenge Hand

Another weekly challenge... tracing a hand ... don't just look at the hand .. look into it... it has traveled, it has experienced many things along lifes journey... it has held, it has felt, it has touched lovingly others and it has felt pain...Imagine tracing your hand or someone you care abouts hand... what would the designs you doodle in tell you about that hand?

A Weekly Challenge...

This was a weekly challenge on the Zentangle Art site... It was to draw a Zentangle with a heart in it.. Well I drew a heart.. This heart holds a few holes, and if you look carefully it has been torn down the middle.. even though there is some happiness there, it has suffered much pain... but if you look- coming out of the broken torn heart is a new beginning it looks like a sunrise... May be it is telling us that though all the pain we endure in life there will be a dawn - a place to start again - be stronger and grow...

Imagine the difference you can make!

Just like a tiny pebble creates far-reaching rings, if each person does a little and tells a lot, autistic children and adults with Alzheimer's disease can be helped by MnemeTherapy™

http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d544d344d446b7a4f44493d0d0a&blogview=true

I hope you will follow my blog as I train to become a Mneme Therapist
and enjoy the many wonderful stories along the way.

Playing with a slideshow.. Great new site zentangleart.ning.com

Find more photos like this on ZENTANGLE/ INSPIRED ZENART

You know it's Spring when you start to hear the peeper frogs.

Early spring evenings are definitely here when you hear the little peepers singing...
My version of what the little peepers look like in their whimsical world...

Morning Thoughts

I tried to post this before I left for camp ...
But, nothing wanted to cooperate..

This morning the quote
"Just as the caterpillar thought it's life was over,
it became a butterfly."

I thought about how many times I was that caterpillar.
Then I began thinking about the kids I will be with this weekend
and how they are the most amazing butterflies I know.
And for four brief days I will be allowed to fly with them.

I am truly Blessed.

New design fish and dragonfly

Scanner not working very well.. Can't get it as crisp as I would like. First design of 2010.

New Zentangle

Just when the caterpillar though it's life was over
It became a butterfly....(unknown)

New zentangle design....with caterpillar, butterfly, heart, flowers and leaves. Let it remind all of us that just because we come to a road block - what feels like an end. That there is another door to open.. another place to start new - move forward. A new BEGINNING! For the many trials of life there is always and new opportunity...a new journey to begin.

Valentine's Day card

Original Zentangle designed Valentine's Day Card.

Blue background is just so you can see that it is cut out. The pink on the card is highlighted with pink glitter to give it just a little sparkle. The back of the card is numbered and signed.

Give someone special a special Valentine card... Under 25 will be available.

Few of my other sketches

This is in the process.. not fully completed ... Dillion claimed as his next tattoo...
At the point I created this - it symbolized a lot of what was going on in both our lives
so it will always have a very deep meaning to us.

New items up on cafepress! Just in time for Valentine's Day!

http://www.cafepress.com/Zenology

How it started...

I discovered Zetangles while looking through a Cloth, Paper and Scissors magazine... which for whatever reason I just felt driven to find that certain issue...I had just a few months before lost someone who was a very precious part of my life - who passed a way expectantly.. But, in the short time we were together (after walking back into my life after over 20 years - telling me the exact day and year he fell in love with me - so many years ago) he brought into my life several gifts from his heart, which will always be treasured... After this tragic loss I felt my creativity was gone - along with that came empty days of missing my best friend. Then I came upon the faithful issue of the Cloth, Paper and Scissors magazine ..which changed my days, even though everyday I still hurt. I was able to focus that pain and loneliness into my art again... and from that - Zenology Design was born.. I hope you continue to follow my blog as my designs continue. Know - that they are inspirations of a lost love, that most people will never experience. I was lucky enough to have experienced - unconditional love and a true friend for a brief moment of time... that will forever be in my heart, along with the treasures he gave - he never realized the impact he left on others... I love you and miss you greatly Keith...you are forever the person who I draw my strength from, your kindness and understanding will never be forgotten....

Valentine's Day design for card

Design for the Valentine's Day card.... each one will be finished with crystals to add sparkle..Inside it will say you complete my heart.

Lessons I have Learned from a TREE

That no matter where you start it's up to you to sink your roots deep and build a solid foundation - your future is truly up to you.
That just because you are in a pine tree forest - does not make you a pine tree - Be yourself.
That they're arms are always open - Always there offering protection and shelter - Asking nothing in return and not judging.
That through life's storms you need to bend - Or it will leave you BROKEN!
That each tree is unique with bumps, scars, grooves and knots - That does not make it any less beautiful - It actually makes it more beautiful...
So each time you see a tree let it remind you to stand tall and be proud of who you are!

Zentangle Tree - Rectangle Magnet!! Just Listed on Cafepress

Add instant style to lockers, dorm rooms, workspace or the fridge while keeping your notes and reminders in view with an attention-grabbing Rectangle Magnet.

• Measures 2.125" x 3.125"
• Metal shell
• Mylar/UV protecting cover
• Flat magnetic back

New Item added to CafePress-Framed Print 13x15

Prints are perfect for the home or office. All prints are custom manufactured using archival inks and acid-free paper. Framed prints are matted and framed in a stylish black frame with plexiglass cover. Frames include complete backing. Frame size: 13" x 16"

Retiring Christmas Card - 2009

This was the Christmas card I used this year. I am retiring it..
Watch for new design next year and for a Valentine's Day card soon.
Have a wonderful New Year with many Blessing.. and remember some are not always obvious.