BVCG - Cowboy Wisdom - Bull, Horse, Fool

My Guild's next challenge is "Cowboy Wisdom". I though this was a good lesson...
size: 5.5"w x 7"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper wrote out the text in a light and heavy funky serif style using both a Juice Up pen and a ZIG Calligraphy Marker

words: Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction.

Rotating Spinner Card - Hearts - Happy Birthday

 

And another spinner card... I think I'm addicted to them... You can see an other one HERE 

The mechanism is a the black circle scored to create 24 sections and a 1.25" circle in the center, then 7 sections cut away including the small center circle. Accordion folded both ways to make the mechanism very pliable. (the 1st section will be glued to the card base at the end of construction).

I adhered white squares, then a largish hand cut red heart to each, and then punched out white hearts and then the small punched heart which I added glitter to (some like the heart on the front and some just as an outline of a heart. This was mounted to a gold textured cardstock and then onto my white card base.

On the underside of each white base I wrote out a single letter to read "LOVE U BUNCHES with a glittered heart separating the words.

ECS Env Exchange - Jan 2026- Edwina Klein

Using my cut off ends of a bunch of Geli prints created the envelope. Drew out Edwina's name on a yellowish cardstock, outline with a black ZIG Writer and cut it out.

Card was also made with geli print ends and words done in shadow lettering style...

Rocks In Its Bed

size: 7"w x 3.25"h
I had this end piece of St Armand w/c paper and just started doodling rock shapes using a ZIG Writer and graphite 2B pencil with paper stump. Text written with the Juice Up pen.
words: If it wasn't for the rocks in its bed, the stream would have no song. Carl Perkins

Doodled Leafy Vine - String Along And Play

size: 8"w x 7"h
I loved Helen Williams artwork... and then... years ago...she stopped posting. Have no idea why. I resurrected this leafy design from my stash while looking for something else... I can't remember whether it was my design or something I copied from Helen... but decided to finish it.
On St Armand w/c paper painted the artwork and added some doodling. Painted the stems with gold paint. Added the text in a funky style and then filled in the sections with line work using a Juice Up pen.
words: string along and play with me.

The Beauty Of Lace on Black

 size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a white gel pen and a Juice Up pen created the lace design
Text written with a pointed nib and Bleed Proof white.
words: The Beauty of lace.

Bow - Bows & Bling

size: 6" sq
On Genoa Bond paper drew out my bow using a ZIG Writer, adding gaphite shading and a holograph sticker.
Lettering with a broad edge red ZIG calligraphy pen in a funky style. Shadowed with a Juice Up pen.
words: Bows And Bling It's A Girl Thing

Color Me Pink & Purple

size: 6.5" sq
On St Armand w/c paper drew out my letters and squares and painted with w/c. Outlined the letters with a Uniball gold gel pen and shadowed with a graphite pencil. Small text with a pointed nib and Sumi ink. Added glitter to some of the squares.
words: Color me pink & purple

Art of the Fold - Throw Out Pages - Intuitive Reason

size closed: 6"sqx 3/4"thk
The challenge for our next Art Of The Fold Group (Feb 2026) has us making a "Throw Out Pages Card"
Card base is a basic orangey scrapbook cardstock. I used 2 sheets. The pages made from Staples white cardstock.

Decorations were cut from geli prints as well as Hand made marbled paper, punched with various sized punches both standard and scalloped. Text written with a ZIG Writer in a basic monoline style. I doodled on 4 sections, adding w/c to one series and black in doodles with graphite blending.

Book title hand drawn letters on white cardstock and then fussy cut out.

words: The square is not a subconscious form. It is the creation of intuitive reason. The face of the new art. The square is a living, regal infant. The first step in pure creation in art. Kazimir Malevich

 

wk 2 - Gold - Education Is The Key

size: 5.25"w x 5"h
On Canson Black Drawing paper using a white and gold gel pen in basic monoline and shadow lettering
words: Education is the key to unlock the Golden door to freedom.
George Washington Carver

I had created right next to something I was doodling so I split the text away from the artwork... Love that bow...

 

wk 1 - Rainer Quote - Welcome New Year

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing paper wrote out the quote using a pointed nib and my style of script writing using Bleed Proof white ink. Added  some floral edging.
words: and now we welcome the new year full of things that have never been. Rained Maria Rilke

Future Intertwined

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing paper created the wavy doodle using a white gel pen... Text written with a pointed nib and Bleed Proof white ink.
words: Our individual fates are linked our futures intertwined. Jimmy Carter

On Black - PLAY - Important Exercise

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using both Copic White (don't like it...), Bleed Proof White and Gelly Roll white gel pen doodled the border and created the shadow lettering
words: PLAY a most important exercise.

On Black - Funky Frame - Frame A Moment

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a Uniball Gold gel pen created the funky intertwined border.
You'd ever know what looks like a blue border is real and beautiful green... go figure painted with US ArtQuest Mica Interference paint.
Text written with a pointed nib.
words: You can frame a moment but you can't frame a life. Armin Houman

On Black - Funky Border - Luck Misfortune

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a Gelly Roll white gel pen created the funky border. Painted with US Artquest Mica Color "Interference" set
words: Luck and Misfortune are closely intertwined. Thomas Muller

BVCG Env Exc 2025/26 - Violet Smythe

5"h x 7"w

With a ZIG Calligraphy pen wrote out Violet's name then doodled with a white gel pen. Added the swirl-y doodles with a Unibal gold gel pen.

The artwork on the card is something I was playing with and decided to make a card of it... hence the various colored circles to make it my normal card size...

Art Of The Fold - Rotating Spinner Card - Thinking Of You

size closed: 5"sq
The challenge for our next Art Of The Fold Group (Jan 2026) has us making a spinner cards and after making 2 of them I decided to try a rotating waterfall card...  couldn't resist trying to make this particular style. The original is 8.5"sq and not a card so set it aside to mull over and decided to make this smaller version and made it into a card. Much more useful...

Card base is basic black cardstock.

The mechanism is a circle scored to create 24 sections and a 1.25" circle in the center, then 7 sections cut away including the small center circle. Accordion folded both ways to make the mechanism very pliable. (the 1st section will be glued to the card base at the end of construction).

Adhered my 1.5" squares to each fold area, starting at the 2nd folded section.

Note: I didn't do any decorating or writing till the end so my letters were always in a readable orientation.

Drew out the letters for "thinking of you" in my funky style and painted with US ArtQuest Mica Color Metallic and Interference sets. Added a thick black shadow to each letter and a decorative doodle in each with gel pens.

Link Rotating Waterfall Card base Instr HERE

On Black - Optical Illusion - Straight Line

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a Gelly Roll white gel pen.
words: The straight line, a respectable optical illusion which ruins many a man. Victor Hugo

On Black - Heart Flower - Heart Of Mine

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a Gelly Roll white gel pen created the heart flower and leaves. Colored with Prisma colored pencils.
Main word painted with US Artquest Mica Color "Interference" set
words: HEART of mine

Art Of The Fold - Spinner Card - From Me To You

size closed: 5.5"sq
The challenge for our next Art Of The Fold Group (Jan 2026) has us making a spinner card and this is my 2nd card...  couldn't resist trying to make one that didn't catch when opening the card and since Valentine's is around the corner... figured hearts was appropriate.
Again I used scraps for the card. Basic white card base, then I glued the red paper to the card base.
I used various punches and dies and did a bit of gold painting on the Spellbinder dies using US ArtQuest Mica Color Metallic set.
Link Spinner Card base Instr HERE
I LOVE doing "Shadow Lettering" and did that on this card using both a ZIG Writer or a Gelly Roll white gel pen.

On Black - Abstract - Breathe

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using Prisma colored pencils for the abstract artwork,  white Gelly Roll 10 pen for the word outline and US Art Quest Mica Color "Pastelle" paint for the word
words: Breathe

Floral Border - And A Little Dough

size: 6"sq
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using US Art Quest Mica Color "Pastelle" paints. Added the text with a white Gelly Roll 10 pen.
words: ... Life can be wonderful it you're not afraid of it. All it takes is courage, imagination, and a little dough.
Charlie Chaplin

Linear Design - Intersecting Lines

size: 6"h x 4.5"w
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using a white Juice Up pen drew out the linear design. When done added the words using a broad edge nib and Kuretake Brilliant Gold Mica paint
words: INTER SECT ING LINES

Curtains - Secret And Sighs

size: 6"h x 4.5"w
On Canson Black Drawing Paper using various metallic gel pens doodled the curtain design... added the text with a white Gelly Roll 10 pen.
words: ... and the very folds of the curtains contained SECRETS & SIGHS. Anais Nin

Doodling - Let It Go

size: 6"h x 4.5"w
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew out the abstract linear design and then doodled or colored the spaces using Prisma Colored pencils, Fintec gold paint, Zig Writer for the doodling and graphite shading.
words: Let It Go

Shadow Letters - Promise Me Forever

size: 6"w x 4.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew out the words using the shadow technique using a red ZIG Writer and graphite shadow, then added the floral design to give a bit more interest using Prisma colored pencils.
words: Promise Me Forever

On Black - Been There - Done That

size: 4.5"h x 7"w
On Black paper (not sure what brand) created the words that popped into my head... in basic monoline using a white Unibal gel pen. Colored with Black Edition colored pencils.
words: Been There Done That

Calligraphy Artwork 2025 Bound

size: 11"h x 8.5"w x 1.5"thk each
Using Value Pack Neutrals cardstock for the pages, adhered to an accordion bound spine made from 1" folds. Approx 22 sheets per book with artwork on both sides of the pages.
Covers made with dark brown matboard (front, spine and back). Using  bookbinding tape to adhere it together. Added one of my gelli print papers to camouflage the tape and as a decorative element. Wrote the titles on the neutral cardstock trimmed down, punched the corners with a decorative corner punch. Added the vol # to the spines. 

 

 

 

 

 

Doodled Florals - Be Bold Be Bold

On Canson Mixed Media paper created the design with a ZIG Writer.
Lettering done with the Zig Writer and a black Staedtler Calligraphy Duo pen.
words: Be Bold Be Bold and everywhere be bold. Herbert Spencer

Star Fun Card - Happy Birthday

size: 5"h x 7"w
I came across this structure on Facebook by The Serene Stamper (Tina Zinck)

I used my geli printed paper: 6 pieces (5"h x 4"w) - score and fold 4 pieces (.5", 1.5", 2.5"& 3.5")
score and fold the other 2 pcs (1", 2" & 3"
Glue the 1/2" sections to the card base starting at the left edge and snugging the 2nd 1/2" section of the 1st piece to butt against the 1st glued piece. Glue the 2nd piece butted against the 1st piece. Repeat on back side of card base.
The other 2 pieces - one gets glued  between the 1st 2 sections on the front. Glue the ends to either side of the already glued down sections. Repeat on other side of card base.
These pieces will fold flat to become a 5 x 7" card.
Add words or whatever to the remaining card.

Art Of The Fold - Spinner Card -My Wish To You

size closed: 5.5"sq

The challenge for our next Art Of The Fold Group (Jan 2026) has us making a spinner card. I like the idea of it but not so much the construction. Will have to mull it over for a while... And on my theme of trying to use things up it was made completely from scraps except the base which is basic white cardstock. 

I raided my geli print scraps, mainly cut of ends from other projects... and glued them to the white cardbase. I like the results...
Die cut circles the appropriate size. Folded the mechanism and glued to the inside, then glued the circles onto it.
Link Spinner Card base Instr HERE
Raided my florals/leaves and BFly stash and adhered them making sure everything rotated properly without sticking... Added rhinestone gems to flower centers.
Used Shadow lettering style for the words.

 

 

Funky Floral - Fantastica - Shadow Letters

size: 4.5"h x 6"w
On Canson Mixed Media paper drew my funky floral... painted with w/c and Kuretake gold paints. Added the shadowed lettering in 2 sizes to fit the design.
words: Fantastica