A Request ... Celtic Knots

It can be dicey - you do something for one colleague, and another "wants one too".  I was actually flattered!  

One of my grade level partners (who had done a ton for me and our classrooms this summer) and her husband have Irish roots, and she requested a Celtic Knot.  So, a little research, and I found a wonderful set (21!) of videos on You Tube by David Nicholls that really made it look so easy!  (And it really wasn't too hard once you got the hang of his little tricks.)  

Due to the need for precision, I did use a ruler to lay down the initial grid lines.  The rest is freehand.

Pairs of alternating parallel lines are lightly sketched in (see video link for details).

The edges are sketched in depending on the pattern used - this one is Celtic Hearts (video 5)

Sticking with the whole name, and stacked look, I began ... Another 8X10, pale green paper, Micron Pens (black and green 02, 05, 08), Derwent Watercolor Pencils, white Gelly Roll for one tiny spot, my favorite - embellishments that are organic garden inspired (Zinger, Phystel, and four little Bijous to represent their family), a dangling heart to match the Celtic Hearts, and the "shamrocks" are mine.  I wanted a fun, whimsical look, but not "silly"... 
The

The letters were sketched in, again for uniformity.

Next, I "inked" everything, and added color ...

Finally, the shading and shadows, plus four Bijous, complete the piece.  Here you go Jenn ~

Seven weeks of "pinning" and I have about 1,000 tangling pins on my board ... and growing!