Yep.....Been away from my blog a LONG time!

I'm back! Almost everyday, I would think, "This is the day I'll get caught up on my blog!" But, there was always a reason that would keep me from sharing here.

I will say that I HAVE still done something artistic and creative everyday, and, for me, that was more important than blogging. But...having said that, I really DO want to be better at posting! I'll try to post weekly.....and, I'll make a goal to for sure not go more than a month without posting. I think if I make this a goal, then I'll do better with the things I need to do to post on my blog. Things that have been keeping me from blogging more.

These things that need to be done in order to post are the main reasons I don't get around to posting. What are those things? It's after I take the pics...and then the downloading of the pictures I took of my art.... Those are really not the problem, it's after that, when I have to close everything down on the computer, and reboot it in order to get my computer to update my pictures. Otherwise, when I go to blog, I can't see the new pictures I just downloaded!

I don't know why I have to do this in order to see the pics I just downloaded. If there was another way, I would for sure share more...it's just that I often have a bunch of windows open I don't want to close to reboot the computer....and so another day passes. If anyone knows how to see the pictures I newly downloaded, without rebooting the whole computer, (I have a MacBookPro) I'm all ears! I would love to learn how to use this newer Apple computer better. Working with an Apple is still so new to me....and don't get me wrong....what I DO know how to do on my Apple, I LOVE so much!

OK....I have a lot to share....I'll get started! I'll post the things I FINISHED in September. (and that are not Christmas gifts, which I will have to wait and share AFTER Christmas! (for obvious reasons) :o)

First, below, I finally finished coloring in my front cover page of my drawing journal. The background is watercolor...but it made it all so wavy, that I used mostly color pencils and a few markers for everything else.

Next, Below is the paisleys that I mentioned in my last post. I enjoy paisleys, and may do some more of them...trying to paint some. But not until after Christmas....I already have too many things on my list of "to do"s to add any extra arts and crafts before Christmas!

These paisleys were fun to draw, and I will be using them as clip art, and coloring them in for cards, or scrapbook pages. I can think of many ways to color them in.....this is the reason, I scanned it into my computer in black and white, and then did a little gray scale coloring in for the finished look in my journal. I look forward to coloring this in many different ways, but I also like it in this gray scale too! I used my gray shades of markers along with a little pencil shading in this:
Close up:
Below, is what I drew on a wonderful Sunday! It was such a peaceful, and sweet day. Full of spiritual highs, laughter, singing, and peacefulness! I had been getting a little bombarded because of sharing some differing of opinions with some friends for a few weeks before this day, so the quote was especially strengthening to me! I have a LOT of friends whom I do know agree with these opinions I have, but there are times, when these friends (who are in agreement with me) are not at my side, and I am standing alone in a crowd in a differing opinions. This is a good quote for times like that. The doodling border was fun and relaxing!

This next one (below) was a harder thing for me to do. I decided that I would draw NO circles! Only straight lines...I didn't know it would be so hard to do! I love all of the grids in the grid! Fun!

Close up:
This heart (below) I drew on my 33rd wedding anniversary....Just for fun! I blended the pink at the bottom (that has my name in it) with the Blue (that has my hubby's name in it) and blended them together.....until it created a purple blend of us together...because I think this is a lot like our union....my hubby and I, through the years, have blended together....so that parts of us really are one! My youngest daughter said to me last night that she thinks it's funny how we (my hubby and I) answer questions at the same time, saying the same thing. She thinks it's funny that we will say the same comment, at the same time...and that we do it often. I've not only known my husband for 37 years, and married to him for 33...but he has been my best friend for all of that time...and we really KNOW each other. We also have the same sense of humor, and the same Spiritual beliefs, which to me, are both SO important to have! I am SO blessed to have such a good friend, and wonderful husband in my life! We've had many ups and downs, and through all of them...we have made it through them together. I'm grateful to have him in my life!
One of my daughters told me this looks like something made by Lisa Franks.....probably because of all of the blended rainbow look of it.....and no matter if it looks like something Lisa Franks or not... I love everything about it! :o)
Here's the Anniversary card I made for my hubby....
Here's the close up:
This is what was inserted into the card.....a song, "Forever My Love" by Carly Simon that I first heard right before we were dating. And while we dated, I would listen to it....just sure that this song would be about us one day. That one day, we would be able to look back, and know that "it was so between us..." I love to sing this song....After talking about this song...I need to take a "song break" right now....and then, I finish writing this blog! :oO ♫♪♫♪Eh-hmmm....OK, now that I'm finished singing....we'll go on to the next drawing.....Below.

I started on my anniversary after my hubby left for work in the evening. I got to try out my brand new compass! Being as I love circles so much....I thought I should invest in a good compass. I haven't used one since maybe middle school! This one works really much better than the ones I used while in grade school! :o) This is one of those...."Count the Circles" kinds of things...with WAY too many circles to count! (I'll get around to counting them all maybe one day if I get really stumped as to what else to do! LOL)
The weather was very changeable that day...it started out very hot and humid...then we had a little storm front, and the temps dropped from 85 to 70, within a couple of hours! I liked the 70s way better than 85. :o)
Close up of the center of the flower:
OK....below is the next EDM (Every Day Matters) 288 (which I mistakenly thought was #286, but found out last week, I had the wrong number.) # 288 is Draw something with Spots. I first wanted to draw dice....I LOVE dice! But many were already drawing them....so I thought of dominos...again....someone else drew them...I also thought of a dalmatian dog....but then, remembered I had a new compass...LOL...So.... I made layers and levels of polk-a-dots....because I wanted to use my compass again, and because polk-a-dots have spots too! It was Fun!! Here is another thing that counting the circles could take some time! LOL

Here's a close up:

Next....My daughter who is on a mission for our church....was having a birthday in Sept. I didn't want to send her "Things" that would be hard to take with her....So..we sent her money, and some drawings she could have to uplift her.

This first one...is one of the hymns we sang at church that Sunday....The Hymn was really sticking in my head....so in the afternoon, I sat down and drew it out in a Zentangle....

I copied the actual notes of the first few measures, and drew them in the note...and wrote out all of the words of the first verse.....then patterned the rest. I love it!

In this close up, you can see what I sent to her. I was going to color it all in... But then, thought she might like to color it herself...(maybe not until she gets home.....depending upon her very limited free time) But my plan was to color it in rainbow colors (I know, you're not surprised at all....but rainbow IS her favorite color!) I drew those tilted stripes with a slanted rainbow striped note in mind. I first thought I would do it in bright colors...but I also think it would look great in a very pastel watercolor wash....and yes, still in rainbow order...just much more misty looking.....hmmm....maybe I should make one with light pastel chalks! THIS is why I scanned it as clip art....so I CAN color it in many different ways! I love that!
Below is just the start of Julie's Birthday Card....It's all I have a picture of from it.

This quote below is one I found already printed like this....and then I just drew the border all around it.....of course, in rainbow stripes. She LOVES rainbows AND stripes, so I put them together with a good quote! :o)

Here's another quote I found online already like this...and then, I drew the border all around it! I tried to match the swirls in the quote with a swirly border. Great quote, fun swirly border. :o)

Here's Marty's Birthday Card....His birthday is 3 days after Julie's! We've been having fun doing Sudokus together, He copies the newspaper's puzzle at work for us to both work on, each working on our own...So I thought this would be a fun card for him....I took the last puzzle we did that day, and copied all of the numbers....but left out all of the 5s and 1s....because he turned 51! :o) Then I zentangled a border around it. He loved it!

Below, this zentangle is called "Hands" I counted the different patterns in this, and there were 57 different patterns in it! The hand is my own....and in a few places, there are words that go with what hands can do. I added talk, communicate to this, not just for those who mime, or those who "talk with their hands" or even those who type with their hands....but also, because I interpret for the deaf at church.... Sign language is a very important thing hands do to communicate! I wish they taught it in every school! I can tell you as a hearing person...it is such a handy language to have...especially if your family members know it too. Before "Baby signs" were invented and taught...(which is modified sign language to help babies communicate with parents) I was teaching my babies sign language. I also helped my hubby learn some signs...and he has does a lot of learning on his own too. Having a family that you can sign to is very helpful, and I have used it often in my life.

to get the hand to pop out, I not only put darker patterns around the hand. Then, I also did some shading all around the edge of the outline of the hand. It really DID pop out well! There is one pattern on the thumb I wish didn't look so dark....but I really wanted to put a pattern of leaves on the thumb....for a "Green Thumb" LOL

This was so much fun to do! It took some time too!
Now that I know I can do 57 patterns all on one piece of work....I now want to someday do a map of the USA, and make a different pattern for each state! That would make a great gift for my hubby one day.....I KNOW he would love it!
OK....in a few days....I post some of my October work.....but not any with Christmas presents spoilers in it! Not until after Christmas!

OK...ending with my gratitude share..

I'm thankful for my family....every member of them! September had me really thinking of all of the reasons I'm blessed to have my family in my life......and especially to have my husband in my life. I am grateful for my best friend, my laughing partner, my forever partner...who are all my husband...rolled into one! He's a great guy!

I'm thankful for the use of my hands, and that I can use them to do good in the world....I can serve others with my hands in many ways (including interpreting with sign language)....and I can share things with them! (Like sharing on here!) I thankful my hands can draw, and paint...at least learn to paint...I 'm thankful I can knit and crochet, and do all manner of arts and crafts with my hands! I hope they keep working for a long time!

Lastly......I really grateful that my health is improving! A year ago, I could not even get out of bed. And with the injury I had in my hips, lower back, and sciatica in my nerves....I had 4 months of not being able to do much of ANYTHING! I was in such severe pain, even with all of the really strong pain killers....I could not function, and was in severe pain! I have not only made it through all of that....I am healthier than I have been in the last 5 years, or more! I'm really grateful for that, and hope that my health keeps improving...so I can just event get into a "normal health for a person in their 50s" kind of health! That would be great!

Until next time....I hope we can all focus on the joys in our lives!
Pam