More Flip Flops

I call this design wheels for obvious reasons. Once again, I've selected a default color for the straps and soles, but you have four options to choose from. It's cool to have cool flip flops for the summer!

Wheels Flip Flops from shop crabulous!

It's Almost Flip Flop Season!

It's actually flip flop season here for me; and even if it isn't for you, it will be soon. I've created a couple of new flip flop designs and what's wonderful is that Cafe Press is offering other colors besides black for the straps. Here is the first of my new designs for this season:

Scribbles! from shop crabulous!

I used pink for the default color for the straps and soles but you have a total of four colors to choose from.

Highlight: Artwork by Bobbi Rullan

Abstract Silver Necklace by Bobbi Rullan of
Artshots

Since moving to Savannah, I've been fortunate to meet  wildly talented free spirits right here in my own neighborhood. The ladies with whom I've been lucky to hang out call themselves Photoholics and they get together once a month to take photos of a pre-selected site. Of course, lunch is very much a part of the outing!

Our group leader, Bobbi Rullan, is extra specially gifted at thinking outside the box and always thinks of fun new adventures for us. She is also talented in turning her photos into abstract artworks that she has recently published on Zazzle.

I hope you'll take a moment to check out her site and her creative designs! Please visit Artshots at Zazzle.

Big Picture Update

I'm slowly, but surely, making progress on the project for my mother which I refer to as the "big picture." Although I like working big like this, I'm not so sure that I'm crazy about working on canvas. The texture creates a drag on the markers of which I'm not very fond. I think next time, and there will be a next time, I might opt for a large piece of Rives BFK for printmaking. It's my all time favorite paper and I don't need much of an excuse to find a reason to buy it!

Just A Little Bit Further Along

Little by little this project is inching its way along. I even find myself working on it in the middle of the night when I've wakened momentarily. (The downside of keeping an art project alive in your bedroom!)

More Canvas Covered

It's a long, slow process, but I'm loving every aspect of it.

Red Flower Design

This particular Tangy Zoodle, which I've come to call "Red Flower" is one of my all time favorites so I was inspired to use it on a few items in shop crabulous!

Below are the results.

This wooden coffee tray comes in two sizes.

"Red Flower" license plate for those who live in states that only require one state issued plate.

"Red Flower" license plate holder.

"Red Flower" throw pillow.

Throw Pillows

I've been having a lot of fun with the new and improved Cafe Press lately and I've discovered that they now have a throw pillow whose look I love! At least, from the photos. I have yet to see one in real life, but I intend to. I'm dying to order one with one of my designs. 

Anyway, these are the pillows I've created to date. And this is the link for all my home products:

Crabulous Fun For Your Home

Tangy Zoodle #61

Aha! Finally found some Sakura Gelly Roll pens!!! (Michael's has them in their scrapbooking section, next to the Microns.) They are the only gel pens that I know of that work so brilliantly on black paper. I LOVE them. I had a really good time with them over the weekend as you'll see in the next few days. I MUST go back and pick up more colors. :D

Georgia and Bomomo

"Bomomo In Pink" by Georgia May Copland

My niece, Georgia, has recently discovered the fun of Bomomo. (Gee, I wonder how she learned about that! ;) ) And this is her first attempt!

As much fun as I have with bomomo as an adult, I love seeing what kids can do with it. The site has no instructions, so while adults struggle with what to do and what is "correct," kids just go wild with it and their free spirits are set free.

Make sure you give it a try, or at least show it to your kids or grandkids. Bomomo!

Tangy Zoodles in Color

You've probably noticed that color has been creeping into my Tangy Zoodles and last week's works are almost all in color. I haven't yet decided if I like the color or black and white better, but it's all fun!

Remember, if you're interested in pursuing the art of zentangle yourself, here's the book I recommend: One Zentangle A Day

More Zentangles

You know I love these, and I just have to share what I love! Here are more Zentangle designs since my last post on this matter.

Tangy Zoodle

As you read in an earlier post of mine, I've become fascinated with the drawing technique known as Zentangle and expect to do more with these techniques. I also decided to take the designs I've already created and upload them to my shop on Cafe Press (shop crabulous!) and have them used on tile coasters. I also wanted to give my designs a unique name, but with a nod to Zentangle. Of course the word, doodle, came to mine and that progressed to "zoodle" and that brought back a memory.

Back in the 80's my husband purchased our first cabin cruiser, a 24' Bayliner. It was just big enough for the two of us and our two toddlers and we spent many a weekend on our boat, which we called "Valkyrie." 

We made a lot of boating friends and we were frequently hailing each other over the VHF radios on our boats to locate each other and make plans to hook up. Whenever you hail another boat, you always give the name of your boat as well and the call number of your radio license. Our license number began with the letters WTZ which are always spoken as "whisky," "tango," "zulu." 

Apparently our youngest, who was two at the time, absorbed all of this radio hailing activity and one day as we were closing the boat up for the weekend, he made his way to the cockpit, withdrew the radio mic from its holder (fortunately the radio was turned off) and started calling into the microphone, "Tangy zoodle, tangy zoodle, tangy zoodle!)

It's a phrase that has been permanently embedded in my brain for the past 26 years and I can't think of a more perfect name for my Zen tangled doodles, can you?

Summer Breeze

"Summer Breeze" - 8x10 - Mixed Media Collage
Click Here To Purchase

This third piece in the masking tape series actually keeps the under painting intact. It makes for a very busy composition. And the sweet little ceramic piece with the dragonfly I picked up in a gift shop in Lithopolis, Ohio. 

The lace paper used in this piece is spiral or uzumaki lace.

The Earth's Crust As It Appeared On Thursday

"The Earth's Crust As It Appeared On Thursday" - 11x14 - Mixed Media Collage

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

Every once in awhile you begin a composition that just defies you. It refuses to cooperate and end up looking lovely. I set out to create a collage depicting terracotta pots filled with nasturtiums. It's a favorite subject of mine and one I haven't done in a long while. At the end of the day it was such a mess that in order to prevent myself from fooling with it any longer I covered it with a layer of paint. The next morning, I realized that a layer of paint wasn't enough and I proceeded to smear modeling paste and coarse pumice gel all over it, too. And then I started sticking things in it. It's way over the top for me, but somehow immensely, personally satisfying. And yes, I did it on a Thursday!

Note Card With Ants & Circles

I'm having way too much fun with these note cards. Lot's of cheery colors in this one, too! The circles are made from some sort of pages from a book over which I've melted crayons. That's always fun to do. Oh, and the very bottom paper is a piece that I made some years back. You can pretty much tell when I've made the paper because invariably you'll see glitter in it! I haven't made paper in awhile. All my paper making tools are in the attic. I think it might just be time to unpack them and have some fun again!

February, 2nd Month

"February, 2nd Month" - 6x6 - Mixed Media Collage - $90 + $10 shipping

Available on Etsy 

Just in time for Valentine's Day! I was inspired. For some reason I had painted the canvas red without really thinking about it. Then, when I was shuffling through my papers for the right pieces, I found this page from the Farmer's Almanac that had already been treated with melted crayons and wouldn't you now, it was from the month of February. I'm not sure which year this was. I know, though, that it was from the first or second decade of the 20th century. 

Please be mine! <3

Another Red Note Card

I'm not sure how I've gotten into the habit of using either unryu or banana paper as the base for my little note card abstracts, but I have. I guess I just like it! I'm intrigued by the plant fibers that run through it and the way the edges get all fuzzy when you rip it. That's the best part about these Thai papers, ripping them. Their fibrous edges make them appear even more beautiful when you do that.

Blue & Turquoise Note Card

Another day, another note card!

Orange Note Card With Green Butterfly