Meeting a new friend

This past weekend I was in The Newport News Fall Festival of Folklife in Newport News, VA.  This is a huge show and the only one I do a year (we just moved and I'm exploring other festivals).  I mainly sell my art quilts, coiled fabric bowls and whimsical painted furniture.  But this past summer I got back into my zendoodles mainly because my boys and I were at the pool every day and I needed something that I could just pick up and go... my drawing pad!

For this year's festival, I made zendoodle notecards (see my last post).  And although they didn't do too well, they got the attention of a high school student.  Normally kids that age don't approach adults, especially carry on lengthy conversations, but not Gabby.  She was the most delightful young lady I'd ever met.  She first asked me if they were zentangles.  My mouth dropped open because most kids don't know that word, what it means, or are even interested in learning about it, "You actually know what a zentangle is?!?!" I exclaimed.  She proceeded to pull out her notebook and show me what she had drawn.  Her dad was somewhere else at the festival so she sat down (yes right in my booth) and we chatted for quite a while.

She asked if I had heard of Inktober.  I thought maybe I had but I had her explain it to me... Why didn't I know about this!!!  The long and short of it is that you draw 31 pictures (in your own style of drawing) in 31 days and the official list/themes for each day is on their website:

I am still trying to catch up but today is only the 11th.  Here are my first four:

1.  Poisonous

Now I know that Day of the Dead isn't "Poisonous" but my first reaction when I read this word I thought of a skull and crossbones which led me to the sugar skulls of Dia de los muertos, hence my first inktober drawing.

2.  Tranquil

3.  Roasted

4.  Spell

Thank you Gabby for telling me about Inktober and hopefully I'll see you at next years festival!

I am on Instagram as October Cat Studios if you'd like to follow my daily drawings but I will also be posting them here when I get a few more done.

A new idea

Whenever I create something, whether it be an art quilt or a paper mache bowl I always think of a way I could alter it or do something to it that is unexpected.  (You should see some of my Altered Barbies).  I am a stay-at-home mom but I love to create.  I sew, I quilt, I paint and I draw these zentangles.  All summer my boys and I hung out at the pool and while they swam I drew. After my 175th one I thought..."How can I change these up?"

Let me introduce you to my new notecard line with these ACEO size (2.5" X 3.5") drawings on the front and blank inside.  I have so many ideas right now that I can't draw fast enough! Here is a sample of my first one:

I decided to put a few embellishments on these cards and draw around them:

I decided to put foam squares on the backs of these two.  You can't tell by the photo but it gives it more of a shadowbox feel:

I have sewn through paper before so that gave me another idea! With these two I used the decorative stitches on my sewing machine for the borders:

There are two more things I will need to do with these (before I sell them) and that is to sign them and put my name and my website on the back.  (I already have nice display bags from previous photo notecards I've made). 

Thanks for stopping by!

#32, 33, 34 (missing #31, 35 and 36)

#32  Apple Juice boxes
(because I laid my boy's apple juice box down and traced around it a few times and used those lines as a guide.)

#33  Every Rose Has it's Thorn

#34 Soaring

#27, #28, #29, #30

#27 Stained Glass

#28 And the Green Grass Grows All Around

#29 Snail Tracks

#30 Methodical 

#21, #24, #25, #26 (missing #22 and #23)

#21 Drifting Away

In 2011 I was part of Olde Towne Art in Portsmouth, VA where I framed and sold some of my zentangles.  I think I may have sold numbers 22 and 23. 

#24 Orange You Glad You Looked At This?

#25 Candy Canes and Ribbons

#26 Corsets and Pearls