Celtic Knotwork 1 - No Excuse

size: 4.5"h x 6"w
I'm continuing on with the Celtic style lettering from  Pauline Baynes (Edmonton Calligraphy Society). This one uses the 1st exemplar.
On Canson Mixed Media paper using a Juice Up pen for the outlines and text and Prisma colored pencils and a gold Uniball Signo pen for the center area of the letters.
words: No Excuse

Lettering - Explain Yourself

size: 4.5"h x 6"w
I saw something on line and thought I'd play with the concept...
On Canson Mixed Media paper using a ZIG Writer and various watercolors
words: Explain Yourself

Celtic Letters - Dream Big

Continuing on from Pauline Baynes Celtic Letters class last month. Thought I'd play with all 3 BIG GRIN. This was the last exemplar. It's the most tedious which I probably won't play with again...

Dream Big...
size: 9"w x 5.75"h
Used the Mica gold for knot outline and Prisma pencils and a splendor blender for the coloring. Thought I'd play on the "big" word

words: Dream big

Celtic Knotwork - Dreams

Continuing on from Pauline's Celtic Letters class last month. Thought I'd play with all 3 BIG GRIN. This was the 2nd exemplar. I think it's my favorite of the 3...

Dreams Be Your Wings:
size: 7"w x 6"h
Again used the ArtQuest w/c for the main knotwork of the letters then Prisma colored pencils, graphite shading.
words: Let your dreams be your wings.

Celtic Knotwork Lettering - Dream On

Edmonton Calligraphy Society had Pauline Baynes teaching Celtic Letters last month. I was not able to attend but she was kind enough to allow me the handouts. Love all the variations but they are definitely time consuming... She gave 3 exemplars and I thought I'd play with all 3 BIG GRIN. This was the 1st exemplar.

Dream On:
size: 7"w x 5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper,
Outlined with a ZIG Writer, painted with US Art Quest Mica w/c Metallic set, 2B Grafwood pencil and paper stump shadow.
words: Dream On and make them come true.

3D Liner - Joy - Choose Joy

size: 4.5"w x 7.5"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper lined the JOY letters using a new product to me... Stamperi Contour Black - needle nose tube. When dry adhered my paper to heavy cardstock so it wouldn't warp. Loaded the letters with water and dropped in Kuretake w/c #30 Cad Red, #43 Cad Yellow, #51 Light Green & #62 Turquoise Blue.
Wrote out the rest of the text with a Staedtler Calligraph Black 2.0 broad edge tip.
words: Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. Henri Houwen

Doodling - Squeezed In Nowhere To Go

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the leafy design with a ZIG Writer and painted with various w/c paints adding white gel pen highlights on the circles.
Text with the ZIG Writer
words: Squeezed In - Nowhere To Go

Doodling - Must Never Be Obvious

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the with a ZIG Writer and painted with various Mica paints and gold gel pen.
Text with a Juice Up pen
words: Ah, but my dear sir, the why must never be obvious. That is the whole point. Agathe Christie. "Five Little Pigs"

Hearts - Love Me Tender

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the words with a Zig Writer in a funky lettering style then added the hatching using a red Juice Up pen. Added the hearts with a gold Uniball Signo pen and added graphite shading. Text with a black Juice Up pen.

words: Love Me Tender Love me true never let me go. Elvis Presley Lyrics

Interlocking Squares - Y

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the interlocking squares design then adding my initial. Painted with w/c and Prisma colored pencils and some Mica metallic gold paint.
words: Y

Rocks - Finding Patterns - Essence Of Wisdom

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the rock design, painted with w/c and adding the thick black outline.
Text written with a ZIG Writer.
words: Finding patterns is the essence of wisdom. Dennis Prayer

Origami Book - Artwork Jan - Mar, 2026

  

Another Origami book, this time holding artwork done in Jan, Feb & Mar this year. 

Created with Bogus Recycled Rough Sketch paper 70# 18" x 24" pad. Used 1 sheet per booklet page and 1 sheet for the links

I stopped at 6pages including the covers,, otherwise it would have become too unwieldy...

I like the results. 

 

Understanding - Bubble Stamp Booklet

4.25"w x 5"h x 1/4" thk.
I had these rubber stamped pages from a long time ago... I had used one of my extra large stamps and embossed with various colors of embossing powder (gold, copper, silver, black), then colored in some of the bubbles using Prisma Colored pencils primarily and one with some w/c.

I wrote synonyms of the word "understanding" on 1"h white cardstock with the arrow shape at the tip. Adhered to each page (one below the other on subsequent pages). Bound the booklet using an accordion glued spine.

I added “do you UNDERSTAND” on the last page…

Doodled - Scarborough Fair

size: 7"w x 4.75"h
I was at my Guild's play day and this song was going thru my head... don't ask why... I have no idea.
On Genoa Bond calligraphy paper wrote out the text with a ZIG Writer, then colored areas with Prisma colored pencils (905, 918, 921, 995, 1003, 1003, 4800).
Was looking at it and then drew the border around it with the bullet tip. Looking at it some more added the border design with a Juice Up pen and the colored pencils.
And that's how most of my work evolves...
words: are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Doodle - Sing To Your Heart's Content

size 4.5"w x 6"h

A piece I did at my Guild's play day this past weekend.

On Canson Mixed Media paper created the border design then added the text using a black ZIG Writer and ZIG Clean Color markers.

words: SING to your heart's content

On Canson Mixed Media paper created the border design then added the text using a black ZIG Writer and ZIG Clean Color markers.

words: SING to your heart's content

Blue Flower - Beauty Is In The Eye

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the flower and leaf design and painted with w/c adding gold Mica paint for the stamens.
words: BEAUTY is in the eye of the beholder.

Abstract Doodle - Write Me Down In History

size: 4.5"w x 6"h
On Canson Mixed Media paper created the wavy line using a Premium Deco Color gold marker. Doodled with a ZIG Writer Then added the text with a Juice Up pen.
words: You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lines. You may trod me in the very dirt, but still like dust I'll rise. Mary Angelou

Heart Accordion - Floral Advice

I seem to have forgotten to upload this structure...

size: 2.5"sq closed
size: 13"w x 5"h x .25" thk

I folded a piece of 5"h x 13"w Genoa Bond Calligraphy paper accordion style. Cut into it for the heart shapes, as well as cutting to create the square shapes. Colored the petals in the hearts with Prisma colored pencils.

Text written on separate pieces of paper (speckled gray toned stationary paper) and adhered to the structure (it hid the fold lines). Added the title to the cover

Words: If you're going thru hell keep going... but stop and smell the flowers.

A of F - Accordion - Cut Out - Spring Has Sprung

size closed: 2.5"w x 5.5"h
size open: 12"w x 5,5"h
Our AofF for April is anything to do with Spring... That seemed like too open a theme. I have a tendency to like parameters... but I knew I wanted large letters to doodle in... and within very little time this was finished without really thinking... originally I thought I would color the florals but decided to leave it alone.

I used basic Canson Mixed Media 12 x 12 white 98# paper, pencil marked my 1.75" sections for my letters, scored and folded then drew my 1/2" border around the whole thing... Drew my letters, outlined with the bullet end of a ZIG Writer and cut around the negative areas. Drew the floral designs with the fine tip of my ZIG writer and painted the backgrounds with Holbien Peacock Blue.
Wrote in the rest of the text with the fine tip of the ZIG Writer in monoline.

words:  Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the daisies is.

Woven Booklet

I had all these skinny end cuts from geli prints in my off cut basket... and finally decided to use some of them creating these weave patterns... Then I framed them with black cardstock and adhered them to a solid piece of white cardstock and they became covers and page dividers (5 total).
Size closed: 5"w x 7"h x 1"thk
I cut up regular copy paper for the pages (5"w x 10"w x 5shts) and folded in half to create my signatures.

I haven't done hand bound bookbinding in years and really forgot how to do it... so fudged it. Turned out OK. Hung some hand woven beads from scraps as well.