Sew Sweet Valentine Samples

I listed a new class for valentines recently, and now I have a few samples of what we will be doing in class. Participants can choose to glue, sew by hand, or sew with a machine. I will be bringing along two machines for students to share and can help out on a bit of sewing here and there for those a little timid to try but who like the textures stitching brings. Bringing a sewing machine is optional, but having your own will cut down on wait time.We will be using pieces of lace, trim, ribbon, sheer and heavy fabrics, embroidery floss, charms, fun embellishments, felt, old quilts, buttons, etc. After making the outsides, we will add heavy paper inside so you can write a poem, message, or whatever makes your heart happy. I will also be talking about how you could take your valentines and turn them into journal covers, mount them as a wall hanging or on a special box, attach to a bag, etc. The ones here are just samples. There will be plenty of supplies to choose from, almost all of which are included in the special price of only $25. Each valentine will be unique.
Student supply list: scissors for paper and fabric, a sharp hand sewing needle with an eye large enough for embroidery floss, and a small bottle of fabric glue (I like Sobo.) OPTIONAL: sewing machine with bobbins  Everything else will be there, ready to go. Sweet!
Sew Sweet Valentines only $25.
Saturday, February 1     9:30 am - 1 pm
Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ    frenzystamper.com 
Please call the store to register.  480-946-0007

Zendala, Zendala, Zendala

Here are photos of my next class coming up in AZ and now in CA, Too!.
NEW! Zentangle Zendalas 4 hour class $40.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
2-6 pm Intermediate Level
Create 3 beautiful zendalas to create a trio suitable for framing.
Previous to this, these 3 have only been taught a one private party, so they are new ones!
The Occasional Artist Glendale, AZ
623-847-2215 You can call the store to register.
  OR
Saturday, January 4 in Fresno, CA 3-6 pm
Peeve's Public House
1243 Fulton Mall
Sign up on Facebook here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/634128479979116/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming 
or contact me @ janeeileen@hotmail.com    Please put Zentangle Class in the subject line so your message does not get tragically stuck in the junk box!
Students, please bring one or more micron pens in size(s) of your choice, )! and a larger one such as 05 or 08 for coloring in would be perfect. All other supplies will be provided along with take home stepout directions for each tangle. 
We are going to have a great time!

What's New/ From the Bottom of My Heart

Well, I have three new things to report and a little message for my bosses, readers and students.
1. I just added three new classes to my schedule and a basic class as well in Fresno, CA. One has been taught only once at a private hotel party, so only those ladies are in on it. It will be new for everyone else. The other two are ALL new. I should have pictures soon. It is just that my lack of retirement has gotten in my free time and prevented me from moving any faster. I plan to have them all up with pictures before Jan. 1. In the meantime, you canfind some info. on the left.
2. I will have a feature article in the next issue of Haute Handbags with photos and info. on my tangled totebags. I can't wait to see it.
3. I have been invited back to Art Unraveled for the fifth year running. I will be teaching two zentangle classes and a gelli plate class. I am also honored to say that my tangling is included on the banner at the top of the home page. you can check it out here: artunraveled.com. That was a big surprise, and I am beyond excited. I hope some of you will be there, and we can cross paths! It is always such a great time, and truly a premier event. Applications for vendors have not been called for yet, but I hope to get in on that as well.

And the message I want to send to all of you is this. At this time of thinking about the end of a year and things to celebrate and be thankful for, I always try to think of some of the the best "presents" I have gotten over the year that did not come in a fancy bag or a box with a bow. Then I try to quietly let the parties involved know they are one of my "gifts." This year, I can't do all of them so quietly, because there are so many of you. I just want you to know that I treasure and appreciate everyone who lets me use their venue to teach and all of you who check out my blog whether it be for inspiration, to get class information, or whatever. And I want to thank all the many, many people who have signed up for my classes and/or given me positive feedback. From the bottom of my heart, YOU really do inspire me. I wish you all the a fabulous holiday season and wish you many countless blessings not in bags or boxes, too.

Tangling on Fabric Class Photos

I had some amazing students in my Tangling on Fabric class today at Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ. Here are a few pictures of the students working away on their tote bags. I think they did an awesome job!

And Another Confession

Well maybe not exactly a confession to some of you, since I have said it at least a few times before. I (heart) zendalas. If I had to be locked in to making only one type of zentangle creation, (ain't a gonna happen, just pretending) hands down, it would be a zendala. Mandala + Zentangle = Zendala. When I first started going crazy over these beauties, I spent way too much time trying to figure out ways to find mandalas to tangle in.  Now I know more ways to find them than I have time to fill them in, and I am planning to share it all at my next class, Zentangle Beyond the Basics: Zendalas Deluxe. First, I will share all the places I know to get easy access to ready made mandalas, then we will create some of our own with tips and tricks I have picked up along the way, and finally I will demo. about 12 tangles while we fill in some of our mandalas, including one official zentangle zendala tile. Below are a few photos representing some of what we will do in class. Come play!
Class Details:
Sat. Dec. 14, 2013 9:30 -2:30 with a lunch break $45. Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ frenzystamper.com Call the store to register, please. 480.946.0007

Come Play on Saturday!

There are still a few spots open in my class on Saturday at Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale. We will be learning to do 12 different tangles, and making one of a kind totes or aprons, you pick which you prefer. There are more details in the sidebar and below where you will also see some sample photos.  Let me know if you have any questions!  http://janeeileen.blogspot.com/2013/10/tangling-on-canvas.html

A Steal of a Deal!

If you have been curious about zentangles and want to know more, here's a steal of a deal.
Saturday, November 9th Zentangle Demo. and Make and Take
only $1. to help cover the price of supplies
All you need to bring is the buck and yourself! Learn about tangling and make a tag with a tangle on it. Choose 10:00, 10:30, 11:00, or 11:30 am.
Place: The Occasional Artist
7150 N. 57th Dr. Glendale, AZ http://www.theoccasionalartist.com/
(623) 847-2215 Call the store to register. Limit 8 per session.

Zentangle for Beginners is Back!

I've been continuing to get requests from people that want a Zentangle® class that "starts at the beginning," so I am going to try to do the beginners' class a little more often. Zentangle for Beginners is designed for people who are new at this fabulous art form, and want to start off slow and build some confidence to know the basics of drawing, shading, and materials selection. We're gonna do all that and have some fun along the way. These are examples of what we do in class. Below are the details on how YOU can catch this class.

Zentangle for Beginners: $30.  
 Come and complete 4 tiles in class, (3 zentangles and one zendala) in class.
Saturday, September 7 10am -1:00pm 

Place: The Occasional Artist  
7150 N. 57th Dr. Glendale, AZ http://www.theoccasionalartist.com/
(623) 847-2215 Call the store to register for class.
 
Student Supply List: Please bring 1 micron pen in size 01 or size of your choice, one pencil, and 1 tortillion or paper stump. If you prefer to purchase these 3 items at the store, you may do so on the day of the class. I bring them for sale if the store is out of stock. Zentangle things are selling there like hotcakes!
All other supplies and teacher drawn stepouts (directions to take home to have more fun) will be provided.

The Diva's Challenge 139: I am not gonna lie.

When one of my tangling friends and fellow CZT, Jean,  sent me a message last week congratulating me for the diva having picked my tangle for this week's challenge, which is how I found out, I am not gonna lie. I was pretty stupid excited about it. And what is even more exciting is to see how many different ways it was used. You can get the links to them on her blog here.
You know that old saying, When life gives you lemons, make lemonade? I have been making gallons of it for a few months. And right at the end of it, here came the diva. It was perfect timing. Life is almost back to normal, whatever that is, right? SO THANK YOU, DIVA! 
I know some people think it is a hard one to draw. I have only taught it once in a class and everyone picked up on it right away. It is a tangle of opposites. There is more than one way to draw it, but I chose to publish the one with the least steps, keeping in mind the rule for  6 or less. If I could break it down into more steps, maybe people who struggle with it would see how easy it really is. But a challenge is a challenge, and I so happy so many people stuck with it.
Seeing as how it is my tangle, I thought I should add to Mr. Linky's Magical Widget machine, too, so here is mine, done on fabric. I have been doing a lot of tangling on canvas and twill, including shoes, aprons, and totebags. So, I have a close up of the 8's section on apron and the whole apron.

Thanks again, Everyone!

Tangling on Fabric

• *** Sat., Nov. 16, 2013 9:00-1:30

Zentangle - Beyond the Basics: Tangling on Fabric $45

Tangle an apron or totebag, your choice. We will begin by sketching out some tangles on practice canvas, then instruction will be given on how you can create your own unique piece of work. Assistance will be given throughout the time frame as needed to make your apron your own. Afterward, you can use what you learned to tangle on all sorts of fabric items. Please note that the aprons that are provided will be available in white or offwhite twill with same color pockets already sewn on at the bottom of the apron. The aprons in the photos (what I had at the time) came with no pockets, so I sewed on fabric ones. The tote is heavy duty canvas and pretty big, about 16" X 18" with two large pockets, about 6"x9"each on the front. It has a pleated bottom meaning the bottom will be rectangular in shape. This means the tote is not like a pillow case with handles which is what it would be with no pleating. If  you have any questions, please email me @ janeeileen@hotmail.com. When registering for the class, please indicate whether you would like to do an apron or a tote, so I can prepare accordingly.

Student supply list: 2 fabric pens available at Frenzy Stamper $3. each

ALL other items needed for class, including the apron OR totebag are included in the class fee.

Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ frenzystamper.com
Please call the store to register 480.946.0007.  Come play with us, because it is going to be a fun time.

Honey, I'm Home!

After an unexpected 6 weeks away from home which is a long story too long for blogging, Prince Velvet and I have returned to la casa. If you see me in person, you will likely hear part of the story then. All is well now, and that is the important thing. I am working on rescheduling, scheduling and preparing for classes again, and am excited to say the first one out of the box will be Gelli Plates, Part 2 at Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ.  There are still a few seats left. Part 1 is not required for Part 2, so anyone can come play. We will be learning what I call sandwiching techniques which allow for more than one print to be made at once, seeing how you can make additional images while cleaning your brayer, learning how to use tapes, different gel mediums, glitz, sprays and transparencies among other fun. If you want to join us, the class is on Saturday, October 18th and more details are in the side bar. Here are a few examples of what you can do in Part 2. Can you tell someone just loves polka dots? There will plenty of other options in class. Let's just say I got a bit carried away in my excitement to be up and running again!

There IS more than one reason.

More than one reason to wear an apron, that is.  Sometimes you just don't have enough hands and you gotta have things handy. You don't wanna be pulling a wagon behind you, and you certainly know running back and forth for stuff won't do. So what's a girl to do? Get an apron. An apron with lots of pockets. It might look like this one has four, but it really has nine. When I sewed the pocket section on, I made one section three pockets deep and the others two sections deep. I think this will make it easy to get around the room with pens, pencils, tiles, all the stuff I'll need when teaching the next Zentangle classes. I knew a regular plain white canvas apron just wouldn't do. So, yep, I think this is gonna be the ticket. 
Ok, update, I woke up this morning and it was looking a little top heavy, and even though I purposed did this to show full coverage tangling and not, I decided to add a little something to the bottom. Here is what it looks like now.

Upcoming Zentangle Classes at Frenzy Stamper

I have been asked to teach Zentangle® in some new places, and here are the details on two of those classes that will take place at The Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ
You can contact me: janeeileen@hotmail.com or call the store to register 480.946.0007.
UPDATE: Due to circumstances beyond my control, these two Beyond the Basics classes have been postponed until further notice. I hope to reschedule cancelled classes in about 8 weeks.
 
1. Zentangle - Beyond the Basics: Zentangle Cards  
$30.Make 4 zentangle tiles and attach them to cards included in the class fee.
Sat., Sept. 21, 2013 9:30-12:30  $30. Here are some examples.

___________________________________________
2. Zentangle - Beyond the Basics: Zen Meets Mandala
These zendalas will be done on 3.5" paper tiles.*** Sat. Sept. 21, 2013 1:30-4:30 $30. 
Class examples: 

Student Supply List for the two zentangle classes directly above: 1 micron pen in size 01 or size of your choice, one pencil, and 1 tortillion or paper stump and for card class only. please bring your favorite adhesive as well, (glue stick, double stick tape, etc.)
All other supplies and teacher drawn stepouts will be provided. If you prefer to purchase these 3 items, you may do so on the day of the class at the store.*** Each of the Zentangle Beyond the Basics classes at Frenzy are designed for students who have a basic understanding of Zentangle. Check the Frenzy store schedule for Zentangle Basics classes taught by CZT Kitty Hester.

Class Announcement: Zentangle for Beginners

I've been continuing to get requests from people that want a Zentangle® class that "starts at the beginning," so I am going to try to do the beginners' class a little more often. Zentangle for Beginners is designed for people who are new at this fabulous art form, and want to start off slow and build some confidence to know the basics of drawing, shading, and materials selection. We're gonna do all that and have some fun along the way. These are examples of what we do in class. Below are the details on how YOU can catch this class.
Zentangle for Beginners: $30.  UPDATE: due to circumstances beyond my control, this class has been postponed. I hope to be able to reschedule it in about 8 weeks. 
Exciting News! Class is rescheduled. Saturday, December 7 10:30 am -1:30pm
Place: The Occasional Artist  
7150 N. 57th Dr. Glendale, AZ http://www.theoccasionalartist.com/
(623) 847-2215 Call the store to register for class. 

Come and complete 4 tiles in class, (3 zentangles and one zendala) in class.
Saturday, September 7 10am -1:00pm 

Place: The Occasional Artist  
7150 N. 57th Dr. Glendale, AZ http://www.theoccasionalartist.com/
(623) 847-2215 Call the store to register for class.
 
Student Supply List: Please bring 1 micron pen in size 01 or size of your choice, one pencil, and 1 tortillion or paper stump. If you prefer to purchase these 3 items at the store, you may do so on the day of the class. I bring them for sale if the store is out of stock. Zentangle things are selling there like hotcakes!
All other supplies and teacher drawn stepouts (directions to take home to have more fun) will be provided.

Thrift Shop Makeover

Lest any of my fellow journal addicts think I have fallen so deeply into zentangles that I forgot all about my journaling, that would be a big NO WAY! Not shouting, just sayin'. Here are just a few pictures from my latest 80+ page journal I call Thrift Shop Makeover. This is all it is getting until I actually start dating and adding journal entries; writing, doing more drawings, and gluing in all that important evidence. One challenge I have had with journals is wanting to get them made and bound and then later wishing I could take the pages out to manipulate them or sew things on, since thread is my favorite "glue." And sometimes when I prepare pages with a little whatnot, they don't always seem to be just the page I need when that is the page that comes next in a bound journal. Looseleaf takes away both of those problems, since the librarian side of me wants my pages dated in order, and the artist side wants to sew on them or take them out to make them easier to draw on.
Ok, enough of all that rambling. Thrift Shop Makeover is full of lots of things I found at thrift shops and thought would look good in a journal, including a lot of the paper, some of which is  recycled pages from books I took apart, just for images and such.

I will be teaching a class on this soon. Here are the details:
Thrift Shop Makeover at Frenzy Stamper in Scottsdale, AZ  You can contact me, or call the store to register.     480.946.0007    Sat. Aug. 17, 2013 9:30- 4:30 with lunch break 
The sample is scheduled to be at the store by Tuesday afternoon, June 18.
Student Supply List - Required:
• scissors for paper
• favorite glue or adhesive
• 2 or more pens that write on top of paint, such as Sharpie paint markers, in favorite colors
• ruler
• pencil
• 1 sponge brush about 1” AND 1 bristle brush, about 1/2” flat OR round about size 6
•water container
• 1 or more juicy stamp pads, your color choices

Student Supply List - OPTIONAL:
• sewing machine ONLY if you want to sew some pages instead of gluing them all
(You may rent a machine for $5. for the day, if you do so when you sign up.)
• thread if you will be sewing, any colors
• a few favorite rubber stamps or just use Jane’s
• personal paper cutter or metal edge ruler to tear paper if you don’t want to wait to share
• hole punch, standard size, if you don’t want to wait to share
• corner rounder if you prefer rounded corners on pages or tags and don’t want to wait to share
• apron
• marker(s) or pens of your choice if you want to draw, doodle, or tangle in your book in class- The focus will not be on Zentangle, but IF there is time, I can show you a few tangle patterns.

Items Included in the $60. Class Fee:
• step by step in person instruction on how to do the pages and cover
• thrift shop binder - These will be different sizes and colors with different features (pockets, pencil tabs, zippers, etc. but all will be loose leaf and smaller than standard notebook size, some new and some are not, but all in good shape! ) The one in the photo is about 8x9 inches.
• gesso, if needed for your binder you select from the options provided
• acrylic paint
• stencils and print making tools for paint
• file folders and paper in a plethora of varieties (graphics, graph, ledger, computer, primary, scrapbook, etc.) 40 pieces which will make 80 or more pages and spice up some of the other pages
• transparent page
• mini ATC holder pages
• envelopes
• tabs, tags, pockets, folders, etc. from the thrift shop and Jane's stash
• rub-ons
• tape
• clips
• ALL OTHER items necessary to complete your masterpiece  - Who knows? I may come across more good finds before then!