Valentangle

"It is not the size of a man but the size of his heart that matters."   
 Evander Holyfield

I've completed another Diva challenge. That makes three weeks in a row for me! I haven't done that in a really long time. But I have to admit, I'd already started this one when it popped up as the challenge this week... which is to do a piece with a Valentine's Day flair. 

This is the front of a card I designed for my husband. I used Tombow brush markers and white gel pen to make the heart. Bunzo, Printemps, Indyrella, and some striping completed the card.

I have to admit that I really love the way this turned out. Hope he likes it as much as I do! (Don't worry - he won't see this before Sunday)

 

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love!"   Hamilton Wright Mabie

Holiday season is officially upon us. It becomes official on Thanksgiving, I believe, even if the stores and radio stations feel it starts at Halloween. In order to be prepared, I spent the last couple of months designing some new Zentangle inspired holiday cards to add to my Etsy shop. So I thought I would share my new designs with you here.

Adding these to my designs from last year, I now have more than a dozen different cards, some Christmas, some Chanukah, and some winter themed, available with or without something written on the inside.

Have you started (or maybe finished) your holiday shopping yet?

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

"The first step to believing something is true is wanting to believe it is true."  Terry Goodkind

I decided to write a quick post because I have a cute little anecdote to share. A few days ago I got an email that someone had started an Etsy conversation with me. I sell greeting cards in my Etsy shop, including holiday cards. A woman saw my cards there and sent me this message: 

"My 8-year-old son is a huge zentangle fan after learning about it in art class. His ONLY wish from Santa this year is a "handmade zentangle card of Santa" made by the big man himself. Of course, I want it to be perfect and keep the Santa magic alive but I don't have the talent to do it myself! Is this something you would be interested in doing?"

How could I resist that? So, after discussing it with her a little further, this is what I made.

I finished it this afternoon and listed it on Etsy so she could see it and make her purchase. Thankfully, she loves it. And hopefully her son will too. Hope it keeps the magic alive for him! 

House of Cards

"I squirrel away sealed greeting cards that people give me so I can open them later when I’m having a bad day."    Emily Procter

Next month I will be participating in a crafts fair to sell my Zentangles and Zentangle inspired art work.  I was disappointed to find out that my space will be very small, basically one six foot table. So I wasn't planning on working on anything new for the fair, since I already have way more items than will fit on my table. But something possessed me to introduce a new product at my table - note cards. I will have big cards and little, blank cards to add a personal note to, and holiday cards since that time of year is fast approaching. Here is just a sample of a few of the designs that will be available on my cards. 

Over the next few weeks I'll be busy adding as many card designs to my repertoire as possible. I'm hoping that the cards will be a popular item as they are useful and have a low price point. My Etsy shop will soon be reopened (after being shut down for a while), with my new line of cards. I'll let you know how the fair goes next month. Wish me luck! (If the last two fairs I participated in were any indication, I will need all the luck I can get!)