Trike Ride Rancho Vistoso (Arizona) for Mother's Day

I took a trike ride the day before Mother's day as my own private mediation and celebration.  It was a gorgeous day in Tucson!  The temps in the high 70's low 80's.  Went exploring in Rancho Vistoso.  They have wide, clean inviting bike paths.  I have wanted to ride out there for quite some time.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, this blog post is mostly pictures.  Enjoy.

Going downhill Rancho Vistoso Blvd. This was a BLAST!  I went down to First and Oracle had a salad for lunch after my ride.

 A little lake at a golf course.

This is a bench near Woodland Park.

 

 



Mother's Day cards/bookmarks and more things to do with Washi Tape

 

I am working on some special order cards with bookmarks for Mother's day.  They are more like mini six-page books that cards.  Each has a bookmark inserted in a pocket on the last page of the book.  Below are photos of just the bookmarks.  They are all laminated for protection.  They are also magnetic to really hold your place. 

 

The picture below gives you a better idea - a six-page mini book rather than a card.

 

I posted a washi tape tutorial a few posts back.  In the photo below you can see where I have used washi tape to make a little belt to hold the mini book/card closed.

 

In the photos below I show some of the covers of the mini books.  The edges have washi tape.  In this case, I did use washi tape that I purchased.  The first photo below shows the mini book with the washi tape belt across the top.  The photos directly below show the mini books without their belts.

 

 

Photo below is a sample interior page.  They can be custom ordered to have any type of  wording that you want, any color palette you prefer and you can have photos included.

 

The three photographs show the last page of the mini book.  On the left is the removable magnetic bookmark that was pictured in the beginning of this post.  They slip into the side pocket and they can be stored in the card when not being used in a book.

If you are interested in a custom mini book card with removable magnetic bookmark, for Mother's day, birthday's, Thank you or just because, please contact me on this blog, or my Facebook page or my store - all the information is on this blog.  If you do not see the card on the Big Cartel (my online shop), you can contact me to order.

 

 

 



Cyclovia Tucson, April 23, 2013 - May is National Bike Month

Checking out at  Wally World in preparation for a day of fun at Cyclovia Tucson, April 23, 2013.  Sun screen spray, Blistex and my new water bladder.  The yellow should stand out well double as a safety feature.

Six-year old Madison in the BICAS tent tuning up her bike.  Getting ready to decorate it for the ride.

Here is Fluff it Up a wonderful gourmet organic cotton candy vendor that is solar powered. It is not like any cotton candy you have tasted.   This cotton candy is amazing!!!  40 flavors.  He gave away free samples.  They go to different events like 2nd Saturday Downtown Tucson but if you can't wait, you can get some at Time Market.

.....AND WE ARE OFF..............THE GIRLS ARE RIDING OUT FRONT...

 

 

I JUST CAN'T RESIST.  THIS LOOKS SO RELAXING.



....AND IT IS....AH, THIS IS THE LIFE.

Pit stop at Roadrunner Bikes tent to fix Mindy's brakes!

Giddyup.

Here I am after stopping for a veggie burger at one of the food trucks.  I was just leaving Brandi Fenton park after playing in the water park.  I got drenched and LOVED it.....That is Mindy's right foot in the corner.

What a day...riding off into the sunset after music, food, free brownies, free cookies, free water, free sunscreen, free beads at Beads of Courage, free bike maps, free lemonade, free cow bells....dancing, piano playing, water squirting.....can't wait until the next event.  The people in the neighborhood were wonderful, many of them turned on their sprinklers to help cool the riders.

Sorry I didn't get more photos, there was truly just too many things to do and see.

I can't wait until the next Cyclovia event!

 

We have another winner for the first contest in May!  Dawn, please check out her wonderful blog A Tangle in Time!

 

May is National Bike Month!

 

 

 

We have a WINNER for the April contest and we have a new May contest!

We have a winner for the April bookmark giveaway for commenting on my blog.  Thank you all for the nice comments.  If you didn't win, don't worry there will be many more chances coming up!  The winner is:  Lissa of http://lissaslongyarn.com/.  Congratulations Lissa.  She just started selling her postcards on Zazzle.  Check her blog out. 

I also have a random winner.  Every month I have sent out a surprise to someone that has purchased from me or commented on my blog.  In April it was a blog commenter, Monkey!  I could not resist sending monkey one of my famous banana bookmarks of course.  You really should check out this silly, fun and very different blog.  You won't be disappointed.  http://www.himonkey.net/

Where have I been?  Right here of course.  I have been making bookmarks, riding my trike, making cards, working on my Art Gurlz bookmarks and canvases, making journals, boxes, taught a couple of mini workshops, participating in National Letter Writing Month and much more.   I almost forgot, I got my magazine article sent off to Interweave Press to be published in their Premiere issue of I Love Paper.  I also participated in the book giveaway on World Book Night. 

I'll be back!!! 

So, let's have an easy quick contest.  Name the movie or person that made that famous comment: "I'll be back" and win a bookmark! 

How to Make your Own Homemade Washi Tape

Here are some instructions to make your own washi tape.  Disclaimer:  This is not my original idea and there are lots of videos on You Tube or online that offer other options of creating your own.  

Check out a  fabulous site with great instructions:   Balzer Designs, recommended to me by a NLWM member.  The difference in methods is she uses a Xyron to apply her adhesive and she uses deli paper.  I love my Xyron, but I like using medical tape.  Both methods have their advantages.  I can make just a small bit to use immediately.

  

A sample of my homemade washi tape in the lower right-hand corner of the card pictured above.

  

 I am posting these instructions for my peeps in the National Letter Writing Group that Lindsay Ostrom started.  Check out her blog! 

The washi tape in the above photo is from Michaels.  It is seriously cute with the typewriters.  I could not resist.  It is also nice to have the option of make my own.  I feel the same way about rubber stamps.  I like doing my own drawings but there are some wonderful stamps out there. Plus rubber stamps give a totally different effect.   So I do a combination of my own drawing and stamps.  Depends on mood and time restraints.  You can also make your own stamps too.

 

For materials you can get all at the dollar store plus what art supplies you have on hand....I know you already have paints, rubber stamps and wonderful supplies so I won't go over that.  Of course, if this inspires you to go on a shopping spree and get more small stamps, by all means what are you waiting for?  The smaller stamps are GREAT for this project.  Here are some of mine:

 

 

You will need wax paper and medical tape - you can get at Dollar store. 

 You can get the transparent (pictured on the left below) and also the "paper" medical tape (pictured on the right below).  I like the transparent tape because it has small raised "bumps" and I like the extra texture it gives.  The transparent tape is also great to add wording to a piece.  For the transparent tape it is best to use Copic pens, but you can use water colors if you are patient.  If you use acrylic, there is no point in having transparent tape.  I like the paper tape too because it takes the stamps and paints very well.

  

You tape down the tape to the wax paper in manageable strips and then decorate away. First you add color, then stamps.  See, that easy!  Be sure and check out Balzer Designs too!  There are a lot of fun videos on You Tube also. 

I made these samples VERY FAST.  I just spread the wax paper out on my dining table then adhered the medical tape strips to it.  I painted some with water colors and used Copic markers on the others.  They were dry by the time I got out of the shower, so I was able to stamp them and take a photo for the blog!  That easy. 

 

EXPERIMENT.  Try other methods and materials.

Below is a sample of writing on the tape "Listen to Your Art".

 

 

 

I got this slack  hanger at Ross.  It is wonderful to store ribbons, duct tape or washi tape.  I love re-purposing things!  This comes in handy if you have more than one work station or you want to go to a friend's house to play!  You can just pick it up and take it with you!  I store the tapes and ribbon I use the most on it and I have other backup tape storage too.   I suppose you could get a lot of hangers. If you see a slack hanger where the top hook swivels, GET THAT ONE.  Easier to hang up unless you are using a closet of course.

 

   I like the portability.  As pictured below you can see how easily the arm swivels out for quick access.

 

Another re-purposed item pictured below.  This is a magnetic picture frame holder that I got for 50 cents.  I use it to put my rubber stamps on it as shown below.  It costs a lot less than the acrylic squares they sell for that purpose and works just as well.  I supposed I could get a metal tray to store it on.  (That black square is just the magnetic showing through).

Well, there you have it.  As I mentioned, there are plenty of blogs and You Tube videos on the subject.  Have fun.

 

Below is the view from my studio earlier this evening.  It was a lot more impressive than this photo but this is the best I could do with my phone.

 BY THE WAY....I HAVE A CONTEST GOING ON UNTIL THE END OF APRIL, 2013.  POST A COMMENT ON MY BLOG TO BE ENTERED TO WIN A BOOKMARK!!

 

Book Spine Poem

Tucson Pima Library is celebrating April as National Poetry Month with posting submissions of "book spine" poetry on their Facebook page.  It is not too late to submit if you want to try it, it's fun.  Here is my submission that they posted today!  Two of the books I used are by local Tucson authors!

  Stealing the Dog's Prozac (which was my inspiration) by Charlotte Lowe and In All the Rooms in the Yellow House by Nancy Mairs.