Closing Out 2015 ... Onward to 2016

Well, motivation took over today and the holidays are put away for another year - all the decorations, trimmings, and memories are packed away ... The holiday season is always a fun time with family, making and giving surprises, enjoying the school district's two week winter break ... and it's hard to see it come to a close.  One more day off, then it's back to work and all the stresses that come with that!  The "New Year" is a good time for reflecting on the past year, the coming year, the "must-do" resolutions (which typically last about 3 weeks), which I'm going to call "goals", and inspirations instead ....

First and foremost, my family members are healthy, I'm healthy - can't wish for more than that!  My main resolution(s), stay healthy!!

Now, as for reflections, goals and inspirations .... Joining several "Tangling Type" Facebook Groups last year, and scanning / pinning many Pinterest posts, I found myself frequently on overload with tangles and projects I'd like to do ... so many that I sometimes got bogged down, and then did nothing!  This year I'd really like to NOT do that, but instead really bring a few projects to completion ...

• During break I managed to clean out and organize the "craft" / "computer" room.  There are still a few things to dispose of, but it looks much better!  In doing that I realized I have a stash of yarn going to waste!  Some yarn was incorporated in abandoned projects, so I took them apart to "re-purpose" the skeins.  I found some solid colored, eggshell, bulky yarn, from an afghan I was knitting several years ago as a gift for my departed Father-In-Law.  I didn't get it finished before he passed, and didn't want to finish it, so it sat... Five days ago I started a new afghan - crocheted instead, in a "waffle" stitch - with a lake hook.  It's about one-fourth complete right now... Once completed I might take on another knit or crochet project to continue using "the stash."
• In the mean time, I have returned to my tangling journal that I started in August, but put on the back burner when working on Christmas projects.  It is almost complete and I have great ideas for 3-4 more!  In fact, I have already cut the paper and brainstormed ideas for a few of them ... they will be WIP at the same time, as they all have a different "theme" and depending on my mood at a given time, I will be able to pull out the corresponding "journal".- My first journal (started in August), that will be finished soon (watch for pics!) is "pure" - white paper, black ink, shading with ink and/or graphite.  I added new techniques as I learned them, which I will do with the others as well.
  - One of the next ones will be more colorful - some pages with watercolored or bleeded-tissue backgrounds; other pages white with colored pens; others with "colored" in patterns.  All techniques I am anxious to explore.
  - Another I'm planning, will be "found poetry".  I'm debating if I want to mount the "poetry" on white or tan ...
  - I've recently found videos of an artist demonstrating Mandalas and I really like her style (Search you tube for Alena Light) - so another journal will be all Mandalas
  -  I like quotes, and as with my first art journal, find it a great place to feature favorite quotes - the forth journal will probably be another one of quotes I come across over time...
• And then there are "Challenges" which are a great way to learn and stretch techniques ... The Challenges I worked on during the summer of 2015 were weekly, and participating in 5-6 at a time - was a bit overwhelming!  Consequently, I stopped trying to keep up, although I did learn a lot when I was participating ... Now I have come up with my own "challenge".  This one will be a monthly, rather than a weekly challenge and will have a monthly theme.  I'm thinking a 6" X 6" "tile (which will actually be heavy paper as true "tiles" don't come in that size. - More to come on that ...

That's it - my resolutions, reflections, inspirations / goals, for 2016!  Time will tell if I achieve all of this .....
Tangle On!

Tangled Gifts ...

Three Sets:

First, for parent volunteers - tangled ornaments

The ornaments were frosted glass; with "Identapen" tangles.
The "boxes" were made with cardstock and the 1-2-3 Punch Board
by We R Memory Keepers.

Next, the students made a set of "cards" with matching envelopes for their parents.  Each student made four.

The cards were 8 1/2" X 5 1/2" cardstock - folded and corners rounded.
The envelopes were "invitation" size.
The students drew "dangle" tangles, and chose a piece of the design on the card
to put on the matching envelope.
Some students added just a tiny spot of color on their designs.

The set of cards were stacked and tied with a string of raffia.
A simple gift that the parents really enjoyed receiving!

Lastly,  I like the set of card stationary and decided to make a set for a friend.

I used the same cardstock and envelopes as above.

First, I colored with watercolor pencils and blended with a tiny bit of water.
Since I was working on cardstock and not watercolor paper,
I did not want the paper too wet!
I used a coordinating colored Micron to tangle a simple design
and colored pencils for shading.

Handmade gifts are always fun to design and create, and surprise people with.  I hope as I get more proficient with tangling, I can create other fun gifts for next year!