Mostly invisible creations

I've been playing with my website again on the back end. I'm probably going to be upgrading to a different website soon... which means a lot of changes, but the blog piece will stay intact.
It's amazing how much creativity goes into some of these things.

Also, if you're local (Western NY area), and want to join my MeetUp group, you can do that here! 

I also have a lot of painting to do this weekend and I've done a lot of tangling the last few days so I'm kind of taking it easy. but I did get the weekly focus challenge done this morning for Square One:Purely Zentangle. It's Mooka.
I adore Mooka although I used to be afraid of it.

Today I get to spend time with one of my favorite people in the universe, my little niece! :D

I hope your day is even half as good as mine will be, and that you have time to make something awesome!

Til tomorrow then... Keep creating!

Tangle on Tuesday!!!

I plan on tangling today! I just don't know what. LOL

Here's my entry to SuzyMosh Creations That's New to Me Week 2 challenge.
Our letter this week was C, now.. as a CZT one of the first things I did was make a binder of tangles, so I've tried plenty.
There are always a few that I just kind of think... eh...... I don't like that one so much and I try really hard to go back to those and give them a shot. So Suzy's challenge is perfect for me. It may not be 100% new to me, but ones I don't use will really force me to expand my horizons!
This week I selected Courant and decided to use it that day in my Tangle a day calendar. I did two variations to create a light and a dark and you know what?
Now, I suddenly LOVE this pattern.

Courant

I got distracted while working on Day 12.... but I actually like it the way it is. Whether I'll continue or not, remains to be seen. Seems a little like a cop out, but..... something about the simplicity of it is actually kind of cool. 

Flux

So anyway, I'm going to create something, besides this cup of tea and pot roast for dinner. Mmmm pot roast.

But I'm facing a bit of internet block. Not really creative block but that thing that happens when you start browsing for ideas and get so overwhelmed with ALL the things you could be doing that you end up just spending hours looking at stuff?Yeah.. that.
Kind of like when you go to look up how to fix something on youtube and find yourself lost in the puppy side of Youtube until you stagger out 4 hours later realizing that it's noon and you are still in your pajamas.

That's not just me right? 

Ok. Let's make something awesome! 

Also... does anyone have Chameleon pens? I kind of want some, and I'd love to hear opinions. I have a gift card that I've been saving for when I saw something REALLY cool, but I've seen some conflicting reviews. Something about them seems to be calling me, but I'm kind of afraid that might be a gateway drug to Copics, which I've managed to NOT remortgage my house for. Yet. 

Anyway... please feel free to let me know if you've tried them and if so, what you thought! I'm not a reviewer by any means but if I try them I'll let you know what I think. :) 

Monday Tangling!

Today is Monday.. .YAY MONDAY! (never thought I'd say that!!!! but now that I am focused on my art pretty much full time, I like Mondays!)

Today's piece of creativity was Laura Harm's 200th Diva challenge! WOW!
Use your favorite tangle to do a monotangle with no edges, your Mac and Cheese tangle shining center stage. Mmmm Mac and Cheese. I love Mac and Cheese... wait.. I'm getting distracted again.

Anyway, my go to tangle is Flux. I went back and forth between that and Cadent, which is another I use a lot but I really LOVE Flux, so I thought that would be my stand out today. I love it. :) I always love tangles that are done with Flux.

I'm going to do it in my calendar today too I think.

Do you participate in Laura's weekly challenges? If not you really should! I know she's hoping to get 200 people to participate this week in honor of her 200th challenge.
It counts here too if you post it!
If you've been waiting to try, today's a great day to do so :D

Just... do it (day 4)

I had big plans for projects yesterday, instead I had a horrific headache and spent a good chunk of the day in bed.
NOT my favorite thing to do. :(
So I finished my "Jar of Happiness/Jar of Positivity" which was almost done and then I did get my Tangle a day done and that's about it, but I did it... because a day without a pen in my hand makes me sad. I know there will be days I stumble and don't get much done, I know that there will be days when you don't want to do it... it really IS ok, but if you can, try. :) You really do feel better at least while you are creating.

Today the headache is better,if not good, so I'm hoping for more productivity.

Here's what I got done yesterday!

Day 3, What will you make today?

I didn't get a lot of time to create yesterday so today, and I haven't yet this morning. So far the only thing I feel like making is a cup of tea!
BUT...  Today, I'm going to start on a project I'm very excited about! I'll have some work in progress shots over the next few days along with some smaller projects here and there. I wanted to get the post up for you, so I haven't been creative yet today.
At some point I also need to work on getting together my studio space. It's lacking. I haven't decided if that counts as a creative project in my own mind or not.... DECORATING it will be, but the actual pulling things together sounds more like work than creating to me.

Today seems like a good day to show you a project I just recently finished. It hasn't been "unveiled" anywhere yet, but I'm really happy with it. It was a gift that had been ordered for Christmas, 1 of 4 custom bags for the kids of a friend. She gave me a list of their likes and dislikes and basically told me to create.

They were happy with them. This one was my favorite, but I have a soft spot for Toothless anyway. :)

Now... 

I have to go clean a banjo and I'll be back with you later! 

What are you going to make today? 

#WhimsybyKelly2015 Challenge- Begin as you mean to go on

Good morning!!!! Happy New Year!

"Begin as you mean to go on...."
I don't know who said it historically... or if they even did, but probably a lot of people did, I'm sure there's a meaningful quote, but I don't need to look it up, because I know who said it to me. 

Two teachers said it to me, oddly enough not at the same time and neither was an art teacher.
Mr. Feltges taught English and Mr. Starr was my drama teacher. Both left a lasting impression.
In fact, those are some of the wisest words ever spoken to me I think. 

Set out to begin things that way you mean to continue them, let others and yourself know what your standards and expectations are, do it the way you plan on doing it RIGHT FROM THE START.
It's almost the start of a new year.
"Begin as you mean to go on... "
So while I won't be setting any actual resolutions, I will be making conscious choices, especially today and in the next couple of days or so as to how I want and expect my life to go for the next year and in general going forward. Somehow not looking at it as a resolve, but looking at the choices as a new direction makes all the difference for me.

How are you going to start the beginning of your new year? Will you begin as you mean to go on?

I plan to focus on my creativity and my positivity this year, which is one of the reasons I started this challenge. 

So, let's BEGIN.

Today is the 1st. A brand new year, a brand new start. Our brand new journey on this challenge. Thanks for joining me, and welcome! 

A few extra details that weren't in yesterday's post (I'll go in and add them as an edit so everything is in one place for reference)
Please link directly to that day's submission, not just your blog or your pinterest. Specific url makes my life much easier. :)
I added it yesterday but it bears repeating, keep it clean. I am ok with some nudity if your art calls for it, art is art but anything pornographic will be deleted. I reserve the right to decide what is porn. (I'm pretty liberal, but there may be some kids participating, let's make it comfortable for everyone)

Make friends here! Visit one another's links, take a peek at what they are creating! BE INSPIRED!

Please use #whimsybykelly2015 if you are sharing on twitter, instagram, facebook, G+ that way I can search that # and if it's visible I can find it!
You can go back and add art to a previous day ANY time you want to during the year but after that week I won't "count" it towards any monthly prizes. It's just too hard to keep track. It will still count towards any yearly prizes though and it also gives you bragging rights.

Works in progress count. Don't feel you have to finish something to be able to post it. But don't keep posting something that doesn't show progress. :)

I am going to try and put my post up every morning before 9 some days it might include my art... some days it might tell you what I'm going to do.
Some days there may be a prompt... but I only promise one prompt per week (on Thursdays) and even then it's going to be pretty vague. I am not looking to direct your art, I want to be here to encourage you to create. Look for a prompt on Thursdays.

 I don't really want to work ahead of all of you, but I'm considering working 1 day ahead so that I have something to show you. Here is something I have finished to end 2014. It's a reminder to me to focus on things that are important and it's my first ever Opus tile (10x10) which is awesome because I love working in that size, so having Zentangle® tiles in that size made me really happy.  

I have 2 brand new "New Year Projects" that I am starting today though, so I wanted to start them on the 1st, so I'll be working on these today. 

Carole Ohl's Tangle a day 2015 calendar (which you can buy here if you are interested)

and

An art journal I am working on with other CZTs. This is  a Mixed Media travelbook by Cachet. Hopefully I'll like it, I've not used it yet. :D 

Alright, Let's do this.

Your prompt? 

Begin. 

Creative Challenge coming in just a couple days!

Looking to inspire yourself this coming year? I hope so! Every year resolutions get made, and discarded and this year, I hope to change that.
I am inviting you to join me in a creative journey for 2015. It sounds like a huge commitment, but honestly I'm not really going to ask you for much in the way of time, I'm asking you to commit to yourself. What would you do if your creativity had no rules?
In June I launched a 30 day challenge and that was pretty successful! I had a number of people play along and I learned some things I want to do MORE of and somethings I want to try differently.

Full details will be posted on New Years Eve, I hope you'll join me and check it out. Tell your friends to stop by, encourage them to come hang out. I hope this turns into something fun for everyone!

Diva Challenge 186- String theory Leaves, leaves leaves!

I love fall so much. It's my favorite season. I love the warmth of summer, the promise of spring (especially after my arctic winters of endless snow) but the color and breathtaking beauty of fall make it my favorite. I love the crispness of the days that alternate with warm days that feel like presents!
I live in NY so.... I associate fall with warm cozy sweaters, new boots, POT ROAST!!!! and new school supplies, freshly sharpened pencils and blank notebooks...
So.. ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS!

Today's Diva Challenge  was leaves.
Ok.

Here's what I came up with and I had so much fun doing this. I used brown, a dark green and red from my heritage color pen set and then coordinating pencils from my inktense set.

Loved it. Might even do more of this one.

Well I feel productive! (and a new challenge template!)

Ok, I said the other day that I needed to get busy and catch up with challenges... and so I did.
I competed a bunch of the challenges put out weekly by Laura Harms over at I am the Diva (If you don't follow her or participate you totally should!)
But I was behind since.. sometime in early summer. So in the last few days I completed... not 1, 2, or even 3, but 8 of hers!
177-185
Wow. Really, she's up to 185, and now I am too! (I still haven't posted all the first ones that I went back and did, I should make that a project this fall!)

So without further babbling...
177- Truffle. I like the way this one turned out so organic. It makes me feel like I fell into Alice in Wonderland or the garden or something!

177- Use the Tangle Truffle

 178- Duotangle by the letters, using tangles with the first letters of your name.
So, K & B
Two of my favorites Krli-Q and Bales!

178-Duotangle by the letters

 179- Be like Bijou, Tiny tiles! This isn't actually a tiny tile, or "twinchie" because I don't have any. I actually ended up doing this in the corning of my Marketing homework!

                   179-Be like Bijou

 180- This is a UMT- (Use my Tangle) This one is called MacDee, and I love it, cause it's PLAID! I love PLAID!!!

180-UMT MacDee

181- Water.
I am not sure about this, but my daughter loves it. It's to use water as an inspiration. This is different than many of my other pieces but it's kinda fun and hey... COLOR!

181- Water

182- Stripes. A fun opportunity to use a bunch of tangles!

182- Stripes

183- UMT- X-Did. I don't think I "did" this one right, but I am happy with the result. It was new to me, so you know what that means right? PRACTICE!

183- UMT X-Did

184- New Tangle by Molly. I like it. I'll use it a lot, another one to practice though!

184 New Tangle by Molly

185- Duotangle Phicops & Diva Dance. Not sure about this one but it DOES have a lot of movement to it.

185- Phicops and Diva Dance

AND I'm CAUGHT UP on those!
but...
I also fell off the alphabet wagon. :( Cheryl over at Artful Creations had a cool alphabet challenge going, for Tackle it Tuesday I stopped somewhere around K I think. (I'll have to check) I want to finish that but I'm not sure when... but the fates aligned and the day before  I looked to see how behind I was... she had launched a NEW CHALLENGE! So I am throwing myself in and encourage you to do so too! This week was to use Tangles that started with S, E and P.
Here's mine.
I used Peaknuckle, which I love but never feel like I have quite perfected, Sand Swirls which is a favorite and EEZ.
I'm very happy with this one actually.

So then there's one more thing...
I've been posting challenges here and there for a while, mostly there since my 30 day (Which I WILL be running again in the future!!) but I promised you a new template for fun. So....
We "Grew a Garden"
We "Built Houses"
Now... Let's "Make the Bed"
(Can you tell I have too much housework to get done these days?)
But I think it'll be fun and I actually have something that's been in my head since I was a little girl and read the Princess and the pea for mine.

So here's your template.

I know they don't look like much but it's really the prompt and giving you a few things to work around to make it a challenge... so, what are you waiting for?

DOWNLOAD IT HERE
Please play along and you can share too!

Christmas cards, already?

I've been working on Christmas cards lately,I know it seems so early but if I don't get them started they won't get done!  Because it seems so early I'm not going to post what they look like yet!!!  I'm already hearing about Christmas in stores. Eeek.
How soon do you start on your holiday stuff? Either for gifts, or sales if you sell or decorating? I really wanted to be further on them, but I'm still all about Halloween so I'm struggling to get over that creative block!

I'm usually working on about 12 different things, so here are a few work in progress shots of what things look like here and sadly very little completed work the past few days!

I'm working on another block for my AIC project as practice and soon I'll be working on my first batch of 50!
It's painted and ready to go, I should have it done in a day or so. You know if I get to pull out my pens today! I actually LOVE this stage, the block has been painted and edged in black and is basically a completely blank canvas. It's really the complete definition of possibility to me.

Here are a pair of Deadpool Converse I'm working on, they're still in the pretty early stages.

I did finish a new vine video. Turn off the sound, I'm still learning.. and what I learned on this one is oops... turn off your music while you're doing stop motion. Ugh, it's pretty disjointed and I haven't figured out if you can edit sound on Vine yet. 

I did some tangling...

I got my welcome package for my CZT certifcation, and have been planning some ideas for that! I'll be official in November!

And while this isn't art related it's pretty cool. This is a fact finding mission for the family tree project my cousin is working on. I just started helping her with it, it's very cool. I love vintage pictures!

I'm missing challenges. Both the ones I like to participate in, and the ones I was posting myself. 

I promise to get one up here on Friday this week. I even know what it will be and I am going to make time to catch up on some of the other challenges out there too.

Have a great week everyone if I don't see you before then!

Diva challenges 175& 176

I was a couple weeks behind on these, but I'm caught up now. 

175 was to use Cruz.

The UMT's usually (Use my tangles) are always a true challenge for me, but I always learn something new.

For this one I decided to go with all grid style patterns and then use a thicker than usual line to kind of unify it. I like how it turned out, but it doesn't feel like anything special. 

The next one is 176, and was a challenge by her guest blogger, Amy. It was to "BYOB" and stain your paper with your beverage.
YAY! TEA!
So I dripped tea on it, it made some cool splashes and I liked that part all by itself! Then I tangled on it using my sepia pens and then to continue with the "something different" theme I added a quote.
One of my all time FAVORITE quotes actually.

I am in love with this one. I know it's messy and not even and I could do a much better version, but I love it. (Is it ok to be in love with your own work?)

Here it is. 

Trusting my process

I find that a lot of times when I let things come easily I think no one is going to like the finished project, or that I won't, and yet more and more what I've learned in the last month is that the more "natural" or organic I let my process be, the more I just let things come to me, whether it's writing, drawing, sketching, doodling or painting, the pieces that have the most likes anywhere, that people respond to the most are the ones I almost didn't post because in my head they were "throwaways."

My perfectionism is still there. I'm going to continue to try and make it be quiet.

Here's what I have for you this morning.

Have you ever tried a mandala? Not a template, but creating one yourself? This was my freeform attempt. I liked doing it. My technique needs work. (see there I go again with the perfectionism) 

So today's art prompt for you is to find a mandala, use it to inspire you in some way, either to create your own, to tangle it or to see what it inspires you to make. 

Have fun!

(10 days left!)

"O" it's Tuesday

Cheryl over at Artful Creations runs a weekly Tuesday challenge for Tackle it Tuesday.

We are working our way through the alphabet and are on the letter O.
That means that all the tangles start with the letter O.

Here is my tile for today.

I used 

• Onamato
• Opus
• Ole

Very few of the tangle patterns that start with O are ones I really like, but I did use Ole for the first time and found it to be really versatile. I think I'll use that one more.

So, we're on day 17, and as much as I am a creative person, and I really do try to work on something every day, wow.. it's hard to do it EVERY day! The guitar kind of took a lot out of me getting it done on time, so I am going to go with something really simple tomorrow I think.

So today's art prompt is:
Round.
Either do something round or circular or with the letter O.

Zendala 94!!! and Day 12 of my challenge!

Erin over at The Bright Owl took some time of from posting her weekly Zendala dares and I missed it. I did go back and complete some of the past ones but something about working on a current challenge always motivates me!
I was really excited the other day to see a new one pop up! Wooohoo!
As soon as I saw the template I imagined flower baskets. Then I read further and her theme was HAPPY. Spring makes me happy,and while it's a bit of a deviation from my usual approach to these, I have to say I'm really pretty pleased with the results.

I actually did most of it yesterday but I finished it this morning so it's going to count as my Day 12 project for MY 30 day creative challenge. (This way hopefully I can be almost a day ahead and get these posted for you a little earlier than I have been.)

If you are new here, you've found us on day 12 of a 30 day creative challenge. You are still more than welcome to join in! I really hope you do!

You can find the details here and today's art prompt is.. Growth. 

However you want to interpret that... I actually can't wait to see!

Here's today's linkey thing!

Middle of the week already!

Yesterday I told you about the cool app Doodling Together that I found the other night after my iphone IOS 7 upgrade and diaster-a-thon. It's fixed, it's better. I'm not cranky anymore... and while reinstalling all my apps I found this!

Anyway there is also facebook group called Doodling Together that is built around this concept and I'm in love with the idea.(I have no affiliation other than I joined and am participating)

You can learn more about it here or get the app.  It's $2, but giving a couple away this week.

Prizes will be awarded on  All you have to do is submit something today and leave a note in comments that says "Enter me!"

Anyway, I finished my 2nd square and here it is! I really like it. I used some of my favorite things. I have Budz, which is my tangle in there, along with striping which makes me think Tim Burton and Dr Seuss got together to have a party, then I threw in some dots

If you are new to the challenge you can find out more here. 

Otherwise, post it up! Show me what you did to create today.

My challenge for you today is to use dots of some kind in whatever you make! 

Week 1 is over!

Remember how I said everything had to be posted by Sunday night? It's because today, my project was to give you this.


It's a showcase of the artwork submitted by everyone this past week and I really hope you enjoy it. That amount of creativity and amazing stuff was fantastic and I love to see what everyone is doing.



I tried to get everyone in here, if yours is not here for some reason, shoot me an email at whimsybykelly@gmail.com and I'll make sure to add it to next weeks when I do that one. There were a couple that lead to nowhere.


So that's my creative thing for today... my prompt for you today is to find something in there that inspired you, whatever it is and use it to create something new. If you can't get to it today, then sometime this week.

The rules remain simple.

• Create something. Doesn't matter what. Just do it.
• Post your creation 
• Put your direct link in the linkey thing
• Leave me a comment. 
• Be nice

Past due entries may be posted up until the Sunday of that week, otherwise they can't count. You can still link them but that's the cut off for the video and the contest.

Let's have fun this week!

Create, Create CREATE!!! Day 4

Ok, we're on to day 4! That means we are over 10% done with the challenge! Feeling creative yet?

GOOD!

Ok, so here is what I did today. It was fast, it had to be, it's a big day here. It's my youngest minion's 13th birthday! WOW! It doesn't seem possible. He's taller than me now, I remember walking the floor with him for 2 years straight!

So I'm feeling a little nostalgic and have a lot going on today...so today couldn't be something really intricate, but I wanted it to have a fun feel. 

My prompt for you today is this...

GO with it. (I was going to say Let it go, but I didn't want to be responsible for making you all sing for the rest of the day)

Don't overthink what you are going to do, put pen to paper, brush to canvas and let it flow.

I'm excited to see what you come up with.

For those of you who are JUST finding my blog, you can find the details in any of the last few posts or you can click here on yesterday's where I listed the rules AND showed pics of the prizes!

Hey, who's on Pinterest? Instagram? Twitter? Let me know so I can follow you! 

Enter your submission on the linkey thing below and then please leave me a comment after you do so I know you did. 

Submissions for today are ok until Sunday.

Day 3 already! Woo Hoo! And my contribution for the Diva challenge 170

So remember, the goal of the challenge is to be creative EVERY day!

Just DO IT!
I have perfectionist tendencies... if I let myself think too long I second guess everything I do, which is the heart of my own personal project this year and the challenge. Stop worrying about it and just DO IT!

For anyone new please check out how to participate.

Complete something. (There's a prize for the person that completes the most)
It doesn't have to be big, or intricate or spectacular. (See above.. just do it!)
Try and link daily, if not, please no later than each Sunday for it to count.
Link on each day's Linkey (There will be a new one each day starting today)
Tell your friends! The more the merrier!
Winners will be listed July 1!
1 winner for the most entries and 1 chosen at random.

Prizes

Sakura Microns in winner choice of black or color

Wooden spiral art set

So today, for MY creative project, I dove in the The Diva's weekly challenge, which is #170! WOW (I'm so behind! LOL)
The challenge is a UMT and to use Bugles. I'm going to be honest, I hated it while I was making it, then all of a sudden it came together. I still don't love it, but here it is. I love how her challenges push me outside my comfort zone. It really makes me grow and learn new things.

I also made tart cherry Zoku popsicles and last night I made homemade granola. YUM.

So what did you create today?

Kelly's 30 day creative challenge starts TODAY! Day 1

Ok, Today is the first day.

If you want to hear more about prizes, etc, please take a peek here

Otherwise, it's pretty easy.
I will post an art prompt each day but you do NOT have to use that.

• Complete something EVERY day (or as many days as you can)
• It doesn't have to be big or intricate... draw, paint, sketch, knit, doodle, play with chalk.. whatever you want or like to do that makes you feel creative! An amazing meal counts too! Mmmm food porn! LOL
• Try and link daily, if not then no later than Sunday night to count.
• Please link directly to what you want me to see otherwise I might miss it, in the Mr Linkey thingey and then leave a comment so I'm sure to see it.
• Tell your friends!
• Come back on July 1st and I'll list the winners.
• One prize for the person who completes the most days 
• One prize which will be chosen randomly. Get an entry for each day you participate.

Day 1- Consider using a theme from nature! 

Here is my offering for you. (As you can see, far from perfect, but something I really enjoyed doing!)

AND go. 

Don't forget to leave me a comment after linking!

And I shall call her....Zoey! (And the official challenge details!)

I am really excited about the way this turned out. I am a huge fan of giraffes and when I saw this I instantly knew I wanted to make it patchwork. This one took me a while, but I only started it last night so it wasn't too bad!
I used my watercolor pencils to add some color, which I don't normally do...but they were perfect for this and just really had some fun with it.
My daughter and I decided it's a girl, and my son decided her name is Zoey!

Isn't she cute?! (I wish she was an actual stuffed animal!)

Ok! And now onto the next piece, my

Kelly's 30 day "Kreative" Challenge!

It starts tomorrow and runs from June 1- June 30.

I challenge you, to be creative every day for the next 30 days.

I am pushing myself this year to really make sure that I am doing something EVERY day, no matter how small and I want to see how many of you will join me!

I am hoping to have one of those cool Mr. Linkey things up and running by tomorrow but I'm struggling with it a little, so until I do, please just leave your links in the comments. 

There are only a few rules and that's to keep it simple.

Complete something every day, or as many days during the challenge as you can. 

It doesn't have to be big, or intricate. Just draw or paint, or sketch or knit or doodle or whatever it is you want to do that makes you feel creative! 

Try and link them daily, if not, then no later than Sunday night of each week and note what day it's for in your title or somewhere in your blog post or link.

Please link directly to what you want me to see, otherwise I might miss it.

Tell your friends!

There are going to be TWO prizes.

One for the person who completes the most days... and then one will be drawn randomly from the people who entered, each project is good for one entry. 

So now that I said that... what am I giving away? 

I thought I'd give away a set of my favorite micons in winners choice of black or multicolor 

and I've also decided to give away a wooden spiral art drawing set like mine, because it's gorgeous and I love it so much. 

 

So don't forget... and I hope to see you back here tomorrow for day 1!