throwback to then

  For this week's of Diva's Challenge, we were asked to go back into our stash of tiles and remake one of our favourites. I happened to have spring-cleaned my house and have recently found the sketchbook that was given to me at my CZT seminar. In it, I found this drawing:

Featuring N'zeppel and a pink marker.

  Keeping in mind that was three years ago....

  I re-did it in this way:

This time, I used watercolours and coloured pencils, plus white charcoal for the highlights.

  Keeping to the spirit of re-doing tiles, I did the same for Joey's challenge, which asked us to use Cadent. Here's a tile in my three year old sketchbook that featured Cadent...

  And here's what I created using the tangles Cadent, Crescent Moon, and Printemps. The background is watercolour. The shading is Polychromos coloured pencils. One of my students drew Printemps squished up into an oval shape, with the spirals being very close to one another... I thought it looked lovely. Like the rings of a tree. So that's the idea I tried to re-create in this tile.

  I'm currently 33 weeks pregnant! Can you believe it? I certainly can't.

  There's been a bit of water-retention and sore feet. But other than that, I don't have any other complaints. It's been a very easy pregnancy for me, and I hope my delivery will be the same. I'll be holding my baby shower in three weeks' time. How exciting.

  Even though I was down with the flu earlier this week, I created a Draw With Me tutorial video on how to draw a simplified version of "Oof". Perhaps you'd be interested in it:



  Lastly, here's a tile I completed, just for fun. It was sent to me by Beth Detzler for the Travelling Tangles Project. Here's what she did....

  And here's how I completed it...

Featuring Garlic Cloves.

  Thanks for popping by. I'll see y'all next week!

tickle me pink

  Here is my sketchbook page for this week's Zentangle challenges. The Diva asked us to use her tangle, "Somnee". Joey asked us to use Whirlee. I didn't really like the Whirlee tile, but I like how the two tiles link up.

  Here's a tile from Sandie McClellan for the Travelling Tangles Project.

  And this is how I finished it.

  Lastly, I completed this canvas drawing last night. :) The pink background was created using acrylics. The tangles were drawn using the fine point of an Identipen. I filmed myself completing the piece, so you should see the process video up on my Youtube channel sometime this week.

Close up of the Singapore Sling on the canvas.

  Thanks for popping by. I'll see you next week. Until then, keep tangling!

Draw-wings

  Here's my sketchbook page for this week's Zentangle challenge. The Diva wanted us to create a tile to celebrate Earth Day, and Joey wanted us to use the tangle "Spoken". I tried to make my page colourful and resembling a sunset.

  Here's a page that I did just for fun. Featuring Fant-ik, Ilac, Diva Dance Waltz, and Printemps. I'll be teaching these patterns in my May classes.

  And here are some envelopes I created for the Travelling Tangles Project.

  I added some wax seals on the back of these envelopes.

  Pretty, isn't it?

  And here are some tiles that two of my students created last week. They are eight and twelve years old.

  Also, if you haven't seen it already, I posted a "How to Draw a Pink Gemstone" tutorial a couple of days ago.

  Thanks for dropping by. I'll see you next week. :)

dramatic browns

  I have a mini-tutorial for you this week!

  For this week of Joey's challenge, we had to use the pattern, "Frames". I saw possibilities with it, but felt that I could simplify its step-outs further... Here's the tile that I created for the challenge.

  And here's the mini-tutorial on how I drew a simplified version of "Frames", if you'd like to learn.

  Other than that, I've been super excited to show you what Debra Huff did to the embedded letter tile I sent her a while back. This was, of course, for the Travelling Tangles Project. Here's my start:

  And here's how Debra finished it:

  Absolutely stunning, isn't it? There are so many tiny details, I keep finding new things each time I look.

  I'm finally back to creating videos.... I have upcoming videos already completed. So if you're not subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, you totally should. And if you live in Singapore, you should totally come attend a weekly Zentangle class with me. May is going to be the last month that I'm teaching as I'll be going for my maternity leave from June onwards. Find out more about my classes, via this link.

  As always, thanks for dropping by. I'll see you next week, and until then, keep tangling!

a bouquet of Mookas

  For this term of my weekly classes, I've been teaching my students how to draw Mooka. So I think that explains why it's popping up so often in my personal art works... I've been having great fun teaching this month's classes, and I can't wait to convert those classes into online classes.

  This was what a student did in her sketchbook as homework:

Very lovely.

  Here are my tiles for this week's Zentangle challenges. Joey asked us to use Relly-Telly-One. The Diva asked us to use Shattuck and Tripoli. I kept things really simple this week, letting shading take centre-stage.

   Some Travelling Tangles Project tiles:

with Beth Detzler

With a six-year-old kiddo by the name of "Jazz White".
I coloured the tile rainbow colours, cause' every kid loves a rainbow.

  A Cubine tile from Michele Werner...

Before

After

  Lastly, a tile that was created as a thank you present for someone.   :)

  The background was done using Peerless watercolours. The gold accent was done using Finetec paints. Featuring a bouquet of Mookas, Printemps, and Diva Dance Waltz. I'm so pleased with how this tile turned out.

  Thanks for popping by. I'll see you next week. :)

a splash of colour

Here's my sketchbook page for this week's Joey and Diva Challenge. The Diva wanted us to use our hands to create a string, and Joey wanted us to use the tangle "Breach". I added Flux and Crescent Moon. The background was created using Finetec paints. The white pen is a Uni-ball Signo Broad.

  In a similar fashion, I created some Bijous with my Finetec paints to complete last week's of Joey challenge. We had to use Mak-Rah-Mee, which is a lovely tangle. I added lots and lots of Mooka to the tile, draping outwards and downwards.

  For Travelling Tangles, I completed a tile sent to me from Jules Mack.

  I added Fe-Ba as a background to try to echo her flowers. I think it worked well.

  I also sent out my tiles for April's Kite Swap. I created hand-made envelopes for this swap, and had a lot of fun with it.

(Addresses have been blurred out for privacy purposes.)

  Here's a mosaic from one of the classes I taught last week. :)

The bottom left tile that has no shading is mine.
The top right tile was done by an adult. The other two were done by kids.

  And lastly, here is a page from my sketchbook of a flower I drew in ballpoint (Biro) pen. Lots of fun.

giving the baby a shower

  Let's start this post off with a monotangle tile for Diva's weekly challenge. We were asked to use Paradox. Here's what I did:

Very simple.

  I also wanted to show you a little project I did with my students for the month of March. I started by creating little windows in watercolours....

  I then got my students to add Puff, Onamato, and Diva Dance Waltz onto the tile. Here's my example tile for the class, with an added coloured background:

  And here's what some of my students did:

  If you live in Singapore and would like to join a Zentangle class with me, I offer weekly classes at Bukit Batok East Zone 3 RC and Toa Payoh Central Community Club. Or you can arrange for a private class, too. Find out more via this link.

  I'd also like to share exciting news with you... My husband, Alex, and I are expecting a baby in mid-July! 

I'm currently at 24 weeks, but I've already gained 15kg (that's about 33 pounds).  

  It's a girl. She's healthy. And we are thrilled for this new addition to our family. We haven't quite settled on a name just yet. But I'm not too worried. Four months is still a way to go.

  The pregnancy is the reason why I dropped off from the online world towards the end of 2017, and that I haven't been updating my YouTube channel... I'm not sure what I will/will not be able to do after the birth of the child... I know for sure that I'll be taking my maternity leave from June onwards, so all of my Zentangle classes will stop then. I don't know when I'll start teaching again after, but teaching is my passion and I cannot see myself completely stopping even after having the child. I'm just taking things as they come, and reminding myself to not push myself too hard.

  I have plans to start converting my weekly classes into online courses. That way, if you're living outside of Singapore but would like to take a class with me, you could. Watch this space. You'll be the first to know when that happens.

In related news;

  My best friend is planning a baby shower for me to happen in June. We're ironing out logistics and I'm excited for the celebration. Some days it still feels surreal to know that I'm pregnant....

  I recently found this website called "Paperless Post" that creates personalised digital invitations. I've been thinking of creating invites to my baby shower using the site. I'll give you a full review of my experience with the website at a later date. :)

  Onwards!

  I started a new sketchbook to do ballpoint sketches, and more realistic pieces using my Caran D'ache Neocolor II. Here are some pages from the sketchbook so far.

A tomato with a cool colour scheme.

Some pears.

  I also drew a seashell. I showed it to you in my last post, but if you haven't seen it, you can click here.

  Thanks for dropping by. Maybe I'll see you next week. :) Until then... Keep tangling!