I needed to draw something that would be calming and also purposeful. So, as I’ve been enjoying drawing zentangle-style designs, I thought I’d create a greeting card.
How I made the card …
To start, I cut some Claire Fontaine mixed media paper into a 5″ x 5″ tile. Then, I used a mini foam blending tool to colour the paper with Tea Dye and Old Paper Distress Inks. A quick spritz with water to add some more texture followed by a blast with a hair drier, and the paper was ready to draw on.
I used the tangle pattern generator to give me some patterns to use. Today they were:
*Scena (bottom and middle top)
*Sedgling (the weird mushroomy things)
*Squill (the top left pattern)
*Well (the top right pattern)
*Arukas (the central pattern)
I also added some gold dots to the centre of the ‘flowers’ that make up the Well pattern, as well as to the central circle of Arukas.
Before adhering the design to a blank kraft paper card, I used a piece of foam to add some Black Soot Distress Ink around the edges of the card. Once adhered, I used the gold Gelly Roll pen to draw a line around the design.
It was then the envelope’s turn for attention.
I started with a lower border of Scena with some Sedgling growing from the top left and right. To finish the envelope, I added some gold dots.
Reflecting on the finished card
I actually quite like the design of this card. I started with Scena at the bottom and it ended up looking like hills and fields. So, it was a natural progression to add the Sedgling as mushrooms or trees growing on top of Scena.
The next two patterns were geometric ones, and it felt natural to join them with some more scena at the top. Scena also looks like clouds. Arukas was the final pattern to be generated, and it fit perfectly in the space left, filling it like a brightly shining sun.
I had no idea what I was going to create today, just let the random patterns lead me forward.
The only thing I need to do now is to find someone to send the card to! Mind you, I do have quite a few cards in my stash, so I need to find some ones to send them to!
Angela Porter 