When I was shopping in Tucson over the holidays, I found these tiny address books in Plunket’s Office Supplies. They are actually a vinyl cover over a small, inserted booklet. The price was about $3.50 each. These are a bit bigger than our A8 micro art journals, but they work very well as a protective cover. So, I cut papers and covers to make several micro art journals.

So, what are we building? A mixed-media burger! Yum! The point of this exercise was to figure out for myself, what my mixed-media layers are/should be. This concept comes from Karen Campbell. You can learn more about this method by watching her Mixed Media Hamburger series of videos. Before I watched these, I had the basic idea, and had actually executed a previous art journal of paper dolls. But I had some issues that needed resolution.

Adding large definition to the shapes on the page with Caran d’ache. Printed paper collage, matte medium, on gessoed art journal page. Coloring added with Caran d’Ache and matte medium.

Plating up some more collage! Printed paper collage, matte medium, on gessoed art journal page.

Just a sneak peek at something I’m cooking up today! Printed paper collage, matte medium, on gessoed art journal page.

I am surprised at how many artists do not keep an art journal/sketch book. I’ve used one for years, and I find that they are invaluable learning tools for me. I have recently started a new one, in a 12-inch by 9 inch, Bee, Super Deluxe Mixed Media Book. I really like these books because the paper is excellent. I can use it for pretty much any medium and it works well.

In the continuing development on this piece, the lavender has been advanced with more foliage and contrast. Working with color in pencil form has been interesting. Caran d’Ache, Inktense, Stabilo, Albrecht Dürer, matte medium on 300 lb Arches.

Sometimes, I sit down to practice something in my small sketch book, and my pen has different ideas than I do! Here, I was going to practice various tangles… and a “shapie” family just flowed out! There are still some tangles… can you spot them? Small sketchbook page, drawing done with Sakura Pigma Micron pen. Tangles: Bumper Fescu Mooka Printemps Springle

Continuing development of yesterday’s project. Adding a little definition to roses and some lavender bushes. Caran d’Ache, Inktense, Stabilo, matte medium on 300 lb Arches.

This is by no means finished, but it is a tiny bit of something that I am working on. I thought you might like to see it. Caran d’Ache, matte medium on 300 lb Arches.

For the first project in the new Zentangle Project pack for grey tiles, we are creating a small, rearrangeable puzzle of four Bijou tiles, all with the same tangles. These can be assembled into your own mosaic and arranged in different designs depending on how you place each little tile. This is my first tile. I got carried away with the Diva Dance, on the second side, so I will be redoing this.

I am willing to bet that everyone who tangles for any length of time has those few designs that are just difficult for them. Showgirl was one of mine. Everytime I did it, I would end up with something that wasn’t quite right. You can see some of my failed attempts in the smaller tests in the image above. I kept practicing, for several months, on and off. Then, after following a lesson from Eni Oken, the light bulb came on, and I finally got it!

I recently spied a package of multi-colored fountain pens at my local bookstore. I’ve looked at them several times, and finally decided to purchase them on Monday. They are called "Color Write Fountain Pens", made by Ooly. This company makes a variety of fun art supplies suitable for the hobbiest. There are eight pens in the set, and they retail for $14.99. That’s about as cheap as it gets for a fountain pen, under $2 each.

When my MIL passed away, we found the ZIAs and Zentangles she created later in her life. One of the things in these was a box with a tangled alphabet. Today is brought to you by the letter “Q”, as tangled by Twyla! Zentangle drawn on white card stock using a black, Micron pen. Shading done with graphite pencil. Tangles: Quabog Quipple Queen's Crown Quiltz

Yesterday’s progress.