Working with Archetypes & New Project

Hellooo!!

After 

13 GODDESSES IN 13 WEEKS CHALLENGE

I have begun a new personal challenge with archetypes and myths. 

Among my favorite reading subjects are Psychology (mostly Jungian), Mythology and Folklore.

I started this "journey" while working on a new project for my friend Rebecca from Your SHEro's Journey, as I am drawing a tarot deck. 

(quick preview)

The Major Arcana are actual archetypes, so what better companions for walking this path?

At the moment I am (re-)reading a bunch of books at once, taking notes and meditating. I will be able to show you something in a few days. So, stay tuned! :)

While working on the tarot cards I "received" two images that I had to put on paper.

Here they are. I haven't examined their meanings yet, but I can feel their power (especially the second one's).

I am in a sort of wild woman state of mind lately. I'll have to work on this, too.

I even stumbled upon an interesting book that has just been released. 
Synchronicity at work? :)

For further readings about archetypes and myths check out these must have books:

Have a great week!

Release of my New Workbook!

Helloooo!

Just a quick note to let you know that my new ebook is on sale at my Etsy Shop

KAIZENDOODLES

Yay! :)

This is a study I made on ancient motifs depicted on stone, wood, ceramics.

I'll show you my method for creating patterns as long as guide you through the process of identifying yours.

The workbook contains also 13 new patterns and beautiful artwork made with them by my talented fellow tanglers.

I am very proud if it. It is my first "solo" adventure in publishing an ebook and I am so excited!

I hope you will like it.

Have a great week!

13 Goddesses Challenge - Week #2: CELTIC or NORDIC - CERRIDWEN

Helloooo!!

Here we go with our second week of the

13 GODDESSES CHALLENGE!

* CERRIDWEN*

Lately I am beeing fascinated by dark or old Goddesses.

Like Cerridwen.

She is a Celtic Welsh Goddess and Enchantress of Transformation, stirring in her cauldron a potion that grants wisdom and inspiration.

She is a Shapeshifter and a Goddess of Rebirth: she ate Gwion Bach, became pregnant and gave birth to the famous bard Taliesin.

The meaning of her name is controversial. It could be translated as either "Croocked Woman" or "White/Pure Woman".

You can read her story in 

THE MABINOGION

This time I remembered to take pics while drawing my goddess! :)

First I sketched her face in my handmade journal.

Then I started to create skin tones using watersoluble pastels and my (almost dead) paper blender.

Added the Cauldron.

Don't ask me why I chose these colors for her hair. It came to me that way. :)
Maybe it's for her double nature: death and rebirth.

Adding final touches.

And here she is!

What do you think?

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If you like Fairytales, there is this course starting in July.
And Tam's class "Fabulous Faces" is a great start if you are a beginner with faces. I learned a lot!

Click here to view more details
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Now, show me your Goddess! :)
You can join anytime until December 31st, 2016!

(You can add your URL below until July 6th. As Inlinkz allows links for only 30 days, if you join the challenge after the end of June, please post your link in the comments and I will come visit!)

Check out the guidelines and weekly prompts HERE.
Enjoy! 

Postcards and Mandalas

Hellooo!

I have been out of town for a week for family business and I had a few time for tangling. :)

But, first of all, I want to show you the amazing postcard prints featuring my Wild Goddesses!

I am very happy with them!!

You can find them on sale in my Etsy Shop

KAIZENDOODLES 

I drew my goddesses while (re-)reading

This is a book worth reading if you are looking for your wild soul. I read it for the first time some 15 years ago, but only now I have truly understood it. It is a daily companion in my inner journey.

And for my 2016 MANDALA CHALLENGE here are a couple new mandalas:

Prompt: FOUR DIRECTIONS

Prompt: IN THE GARDEN

Have a great weekend!

Holidays Shopping Idea #3

Hellooo!!

Ready for your next shopping idea?

Here we go!

Ellen Wolters is one of my tangler friends and a prolific youtuber. She has tons of fans following her video stepouts on how to draw tangles.

In October Ellen published a 2016 tangled coloring calendar and a coloring book.

I am so proud that she asked me and my co-authors, Ina and Alice, to be guest artists and contribute with one coloring page each!

If you love coloring books, then these have to be added to your collection!

COLOR ME! TANGLES

2016 COLORING CALENDAR

Check them out!

Have a great week!

Holidays Shopping Idea #1

Helloooo!

It's Xmas/Yule time! 

Have you already bought your gifts?

This month I am going to write a bunch of posts to introduce you to some new items in the tangle and spiritual world.

As many of you already know, this year I have been busy with the making of a collab interactive book called

TANGLE IT! JOURNAL 

It has been such a wonderful adventure collaborating with ALICE HENDON and INA SONNENMOSER!

And what a surprise when our book ranked among the first 10 in category on Amazon for a whole month! 

I am so GRATEFUL for this success!! It goes beyond my wildest dreams!

I have been struggling with unemployment for almost two years until I realized that if nobody offered me a job I had to create one.

 So, now I am proud to call myself an INDIE AUTHOR.

^___^

This year, if you are looking for a fun book for all ages, this is the book for you! 

Read what customers wrote:

Carla Szczuka: 

"I got my book today. It is a very good size for a purse or bag. I looked through the whole book and it reminds me of a puzzle book with all kinds of activities.. This book has something for everyone, and depending on your day, there is literally something to fit your mood. There are new tangles to try, suggestions for strings, pages to color, challenges and so much more. There is lots of space in the book for you to try tangling on. This would make a good present for beginners to introduce someone to tangling."

PamelasKindle:

"This book is exceptional. It is not only perfect for doodlers and those new to zentangle it is perfect in its simplicity. It would make the perfect gift to anyone of any age who enjoys to doodle around. I find zentangle a very stress relieving hobby but with this book it adds fun and creativity to my activity. Best doodle journal I have found on the market."

Have a great week!

Introducing you to TANGLE IT! JOURNAL

Helloooo!!!

These last two weeks have been super busy! :)

I can finally reveal my secret project!

My magical FB friends, INA SONNENMOSER and ALICE HENDON, and I 

HAVE RELEASED OUR FIRST BOOK ON AMAZON!!

It is called 

TANGLE IT! JOURNAL

and you can find it HERE 

Blog is HERE

(Visit our blog for previews)

But what is a Tangle It! journal?

Let me explain it to you:

Are you ready for some tangling fun?

Are your ideas about tangling all . . . well, tangled up?

This Journal will help untangle the mystery of tangling with a brief explanation of this specific art style, then we will dive head first into a whole lot of tangletastic fun and zaniness that is tangling.

In this Journal you find:

• 20 step by step instructions of new, unpublished patterns
• Tips from fellow tanglers
• Strings
• Art challenges
• Inspiration and ideas

 This idea has been swirling around my head for months, a sort of interactive tangling book filled with fun and practice for tangles lovers.

When I met Ina and Alice om FaceBook I instantly knew that they were the right buddies for this project. We are such a wonderful team!

The most intriguing fact about our team is that 

EACH OF US LIVES IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY!

I am from Italy, Ina is from Germany and Alice is from U.S.A!

And we never met in person!

This has been an incredible challenge for us all, because it involved great skills of collaboration and TRUST.

I am so proud of our amazing team!

During the first three days from release our book has been ranked #1 among New Releases and #3 in our category (Drawing > Pen Ink). 

This goes beyond my wildest expectations!

I want to say thank you to my family and all my friends who believed in this project and supported me.

I hope our journal will bring you as much fun and happiness as we had while creating it!

If you purchased our book and want to show us how you used it, you can join us on

TANGLE IT! JOURNAL FB GROUP

TANGLEITJOURNAL 1 on PINTEREST 

 TANGLEITJOURNAL on INSTAGRAM

Have a great week!

Merry Yule!

MERRY YULE TO YOU ALL, my friends!

Wishing you a joyful time. Mine will be very happy because there's going to be a big surprise! I will tell you about it later. :)

I want to read a lot and draw, as always.

I'm reading again some of my fave books about the Celts

and Arthurian Legends and the Grail



Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

Don't Worry about Mondays

Hello Peeps!!

How are you all?

WOW! This time I have been away from my blog for a whole month!

In my Quick Update: #3 post, almost two months ago, I wrote that this year I asked for changes. There have been changes, but not the ones I thought of... Well, at the end of November I received the last (I hope) one: I HAVE BEEN FIRED!!! Ouch! That's not fair, Universe! My hubby cannot find a job, and now THIS!?

OK. Let's think about it: did I make any mistakes when asking for changes?

Or it's the Universe that has a strange sense of humor?

On a second thought I decided that it was a MESSAGE and that I wasn't understanding it...

Maybe the Universe is trying to tell me that I need to start anew? To focus on what I want to do instead of what I have to do?

I have been pondering the pros and cons, and I concluded that the worst con is that I won't have a regular salary. But, anyway, for the next 8 months I will receive an unemployment check from the government. 

And the pros?

As I wrote in my FB wall, one of the positive things about being unemployed is that you don't have to worry about Mondays. Ehehe!

This is a good start, isn't it?

Other pros are: 

- Having more time for focusing on my online shop and expand my internet activity

- Being able to draw more

I don't feel like taking this situation as a negative one.

Instead, I want to concentrate on the positive aspects of it.

It won't be an easy time, but hubby and I will live through it and find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Seeking for help, today I printed the 2014 Create your Amazing Year Workbook, Planner and Calendar. Both Life and Business Editions (click image for link). In 2013 I have used the Life Edition, and I can affirm that it is very useful. So next year I will use the Business Edition, too.

If you have never tried these workbooks, you have missed something. :)

Let's see what will happen in 2014!! :)

I have a lot of pics of my latest drawings to show you.

I will post them in my next blogposts.

Here's a taste of them:

See you soon!!

Mind Mapping & FREEBIE

Back to posting again! :) 

I've been very busy lately due to job, niece on holiday and new ideas springing out. I needed some time to organize my time and to-do list.

Speaking about organizing, I want to tell you about

MIND MAPS.

I read a very interesting book by Tony Buzan some years ago:

It opened the doors of a new world!
Mind Mapping is a powerful visual way of taking notes, organize ideas, studying etc. It's very simple to use and it can blast your creativity with original ideas!
Here is a sample of a Mind Map (source Wikipedia)

In my previous posts I've been telling you that I'm in a time of changement. Well, Mind Maps are a part of this changement. They are helping me define what I want from life and how to achieve it.
Today I want to share with you a CREATIVITY MIND MAP.
Starting from the central word "CREATIVITY", all you have to do is fill the blank spots with any word you can think about when thinking about creativity. I added some decorations, but you can add more, and color them or draw something. That's all up to you!
If you want to show me what you made with this Mind Map, I'll put a Linky Tool in one of my weekend posts. Just copy, print and create! It's FREE to share.
Happy mind mapping!

29 Faces: #29 & 13 Goddesses in 13 Weeks

Last day of 29 FACES! Thank you Ayala for hosting this wonderful and inspiring challenge! I enjoyed it vey much!

As I wrote some posts ago, this challenge gave me the idea for 13 GODDESSES IN 13 WEEKS.

For this last post I wanted to "merge" the two challenges.

This is not my entry for the first week of 13 Goddesses, but it wants to be an introduction to this subject that I've been loving for all my life.

You can start creating your first Goddess right now (read the rules to know which is the first one). On Monday, March 6th you'll be able to link it in my dedicated post. Take your time and have fun!

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Now a short intro.

The Triple Goddess
In ancient times and now in Neopaganism the Triple Goddess was a group of three goddesses who represented the three stages of life and the three phases of the Moon:
- Maiden: Youth - Waxing Moon.
- Mother: Fertility - Full Mon
- Crone: Old Age - Waning Moon

They were aspects of the Great Goddess.
In Ancient Greece the Triple Goddess was represented by Kore (Maiden), Persephone (Mother) and Hecate (Crone). In Celtic (Welsh) myths they were Blodeuwedd (Maiden), Arianrhod (Mother) and Ceriddwen (Crone). There are many other examples of Triple Goddesses in many cultures.
Here I have chosen to represent them in their "global" way.

You'll find many info about his subject and mythologyin the following books:

 

29 faces: #12

Another grey and freezing day here in Italy.

OK, I know I'm allergic to sun rays and photophobic, and I do hate hot weather, preferring Autumn and Winter temperatures. But at the moment I'd like a little sun to warm my bones!

*******************************************************************

When I started this blog I was reading a book about Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) by Richard Bandler: Get the Life You Want. Richard Bandler. Click this link

One of the things I've been lacking of during my whole life is DETERMINATION. While reading this book I learnt some simple techniques to make my life more interesting and become more determined in doing things (althought it doesn't seem to work well when it comes to do the houseworks!!!).
I had already started a couple of blogs before, but they died quickly.
This one was a new challenge for me, maybe because I was talking and drawing about something I really loved. It will be 2 years old in August and I'm very happy with it.
DETERMINATION is the key that opens many doors, and this year I want to open a lot!!
***********************************************************************

Now let's go up to the 29 Faces Challenge.
See creations from other talented artists at SUNDAY SKETCHES.

Crafting with my Nephews

Like every January my relatives from Argentina have come to Italy for their holidays.

Three weeks of fun with my nephews.

Here are some beautiful collages we made following Julie Nutting's book "COLLAGE COUTURE".
View other beautiful creations at SWEET SATURDAYS and SUNDAY SKETCHES.

  Gaby, 8 years old

Mory, 11 years old

Caro, 12 years old

Tangle Organizer & Tangle Journal 2012 Review and Giveaway @Life Imitates Doodles

Check out this review of these two items at Life Imitates Doodles!

Sandra is having a giveaway.

If you don't know what a ZENTANGLE is, check out Rick and Maria's amazing website and these great books: