Off to New Zealand

Unfortunately I've had no time to do Diva Challenges recently as I'm off on a cruise around New Zealand. I've been very stressed and nervous about it all, not having gone out of Australia since I arrived back in 1980. Going away is always a bit unsettling for us, being "Seniors", but this is a totally new scenario . I know I'll be fine once I meet up with my friend. She's glad to go as she comes from NZ, and has a daughter living there whom she'll be able to see. I won't be able to post again until I come back in two weeks. But I do have something to share.

I have continued to explore Betweed and watercolour pencils. I enjoy working on watercolour paper.

Another share..I took a friend just out here for two weeks from Manchester, UK, around our delightful Gippsland countryside. Previously she'd only seen cities, outback and Queensland. Its so green where I live, similar to England. She just loved the day. We headed for the mountains, where we have snow in the winter.

Spotted an alpaca as we drove by.

A view over to the Baw Baw mountains and the Tarago reservoir.

Discovered the Noojee tressle bridge. It was built many years ago for the trains to cart wood from the forests which were  being cut down. Its made from wood and bolts. No longer a train track but every year they have the longest breakfast right along it, yay!

Diva Challenge #193 "Trio"

This week's challenge is from guest Diva Holly Atwater is to use three tangle patterns:- Huggins, Trio and XYP.
I've been away and working in my small watercolour book, so decided to work in that for the challenge. I did the zentangle in the traditional manner first, then used watercolour pencils for the colour.

Our next swap on Facebook is to represent "Winter". At first I found this difficult, then started to look at images of bare trees, which became my inspiration. I created some watercolour backgrounds, some with luminous effect and went from there. Below is a selection of some of them.

Wondering what to do with old ZIAs, decided to use them for Christmas cards!

In Australia Spring continues to bless us with colour and more colour! I am continually amazed at the beauty of flowers. Here I have one of my rose bushes and some ground cover which, when the sun is directly on it, seems to glow with quite a brilliance.

I hope I have brought you some colour and inspiration today!

Diva Challenge #192

It's UMT week,  with guest challenger Chris Letourneaux giving us her tangle "Seton" to create a tangle-ation with. I loved the design but got too carried away with too many details. My final tile wasn't crash hot either but here it is.

Tangle: Seton, Onomato and Ennies

Also this week I kept working with Betweed. I did a mono tangle of it in a watercolour paper book, painting in watercolour paints. To get the intensity of colour I wanted I needed to work in layers, but I was pleased with the result.

We are in a lovely season of Spring right now and the roses are in full bloom. We were fortunate to have purchased a house which came with rows of rose bushes down the driveway. They are so delightful!

Many thanks for all the kind comments for last weeks blog, they are much appreciated.

Diva challenge #191 and a new tangle pattern

Well, Ive been busy again trying this and that...
One night I wanted to have a play with paints, so I drew a picture same method as doing a zentangle, just as came. I nearly tangled all of it but didn't!

I used Koh-I-nor palette of bright paints

this one was for a Facebook challenge to use Bee-line,  I used the tangle as a string as well

Im amazed how this looks on a screen, almost luminous, but its only a watercolour background and white gel pen.

And finally my Diva contribution! I started with a sepia pen, thinking it was black..duh!  anyway, I kept going and here it is.

Our challenge was to use Betweed

Diva Challenge #190 "Pink for Ardath"

Laura's grandmother Ardath passed away last winter from breast cancer, and most of us will know someone who has suffered in similar fashion. The challenge is to use pink in some way in honour of Ardath and others. I attempted to use tangles which were soft and gentle, then the idea of heart tangles came up, followed by the obvious question mark.

Tangles: Chillon, Leaflet, Heart divided, Heartstrings, Hearty, Pozer, Wud.

I have another pink tangle which I did this past week, again using last weeks challenge tangle pattern Yuma.

Tangles: Yuma, Printemps, Jetties, Antidots, Knase, Verdigough

This week I finished the rest of my Facebook ATC's for the swap! Our task was to use two colours and two patterns for all the cards. But they'll be posted very gradually with the price of postage as it is for international! Oops, I thought I had cropped it!!

To finish off with I'd like to share some of our delightful Spring flowers! They are so glorious after a colourless winter!

                                                             Have a good week!

Diva Challenge #189

A new tangle pattern is our challenge this week. "Yuma", by Tina-akua Hunziker came up on the random selector machine for Use My Tangle challenge. I found it enjoyable to use, guess as I like lots of lines!

Here are some of my latest "completions" from Ben Kwoks templates

Media: Watercolour pencils

Media: Prismacolour pencils and fineliners for tangle patterns

Watercolour paints, coloured pencil, markers and fineliners

We are having a fun swap on Facebook at the moment.  Chosing two colours and two tangle patterns, using the same for each ATC.  I have done all mine on a colour wash background, choosing pink and blue as the colours, and Florz and Leaflet as the patterns. I have found in doing so many that my creativity developed, and I was inventing things I hadn't thought of before.

Diva Challenge #187

My Millie in the window yawning in the afternoon!!

Our challenge this week is to use a blind string. I have completed two, one traditional and one coloured.

Some ATC's for a swap

a watercolour background swap to go.

Diva Challenge #186 (2)

I began this post card a few days ago and finally finished it. Its a more abstract version of leaves, more my genre. This was completed in watercolour paint. Added my cat "Millie", who loves to sit on the top of hubby's chair!!

Diva Challenge #186: Spring colour challenge.

We were asked to trace or draw leaves and colour and tangle them with an autumn or spring theme.
First off, I had a spare watercolour background which was quite "autumny". I traced a few leaves from the garden, painted them, then tangled. I enjoyed that process. As it is Spring here, I wanted to do one to show off the lovely spring colours.

Great spring colours!

Fresh green leaves

Some fun pieces for Petal Power (Alphabet flowers)

Bridgen for 'B' and for 'C', Corner Box, Cruffle, and Chainlea.

Challenge for Square One.. Use 'Dex"

Sunday challenge : Bible books..Exis, Zedbra, Ragz and Arundel

Trial pieces for 2 tangles, two colours.