ICAD Wrap-Up 2020

Well, the last five cards are posted here and a picture of all of them circling the title card also.  It has been a great experience again this year.  I must admit that the last two weeks were a little more challenging for me but I persevered.  I hope that whoever is reading this enjoyed looking at them.  If you'd like to see those from the past you can check out the headings for ICAD 2014 through ICAD 2020 on my side index.  This will be a total of 427 cards over the last seven years with a few more here and there that didn't make it into the official count.

Day 57 - Billiards

You would think that these tiny billiard balls and cue stick would have been hard.  Not so much.  Coloring in the background took more time.  Looking back, if I had made them bigger I would have had less background to color in.  Lesson learned.

Various Pens, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 58 - Tea Set

We had a busy day with the 4 yr-old GS and he wasn't interested in "arting" with grandma so this was just a quick sketch and comment on a painted background.

Arteza Watercolor Gouache, Micron Pen

Day 59 - Arboretum

Well, this is the greenhouse in the arboretum.  I actually had a brain-fart forgetting that an arboretum involved trees so those tree leaves were an afterthought.  Hope you buy my description.

Micron Pen, General's Watercolor Pencils, Graphite Pencil, Arteza Watercolor Gouache

Day 60 - Bossa Nova - This is a Brazilian Bluebird

Crayon Resist background with ACMoore watercolors, bird/branch/flowers Arteza Watercolor Gouache

Day 61 - Adventure

When I saw the prompt for this day I thought that it would be perfect because this was the last day of my employment.  On Thursday (we don't work on Fridays during the summer) the principal sent out an e-mail to the staff that was working in all the buildings and to our school staff at home that today was my last day and invited them to come over to "clap me out".  I gathered my belongings with the help of the secretary and principal and opened the door to a crowd of masked colleagues.   My heart was overwhelmed as they clapped, cheered, some even brought noisemakers, and some of them brought their children whom I've come to know, some since they were babies.  I wanted to hug them all good bye - these hearts are my hugs to them all.  A little blue, but happy too.

They lined the sidewalk to the parking lot exit and did more cheering, clapping, waving, as I pulled away.  I can't say that I didn't tear up.  It was and is bittersweet.  I love the people that I worked with.  There were days that were not as good as others, but that's to be expected.  Our staff was a caring community and I was blessed to be amongst them.

I'll have some more to post about the end of that chapter, but to round up ICAD I have to say that I always learn something whether it be how to use a new material, the topic (bossa nova, suzani pattern, different kinds of mirages, etc.), and I learn more about my strengths and weaknesses, what I like to do, what is hard for me, what comes easy.  I hope my readers enjoy looking at the cards as much as I have enjoyed making them.

ICAD Weeks 7 & 8

Apologies in advance for a long post to include two week's worth of ICAD's.  Right now I'm actually doing the last few days of the challenge, but before it ends I did want to catch up with the posting.

Day 43/61 - Bloom

I used some security envelope insides for the flowers, tissue paper for the leaf, and part of a map of NJ, and if you look closely you will find the little heart where we live.  In planning this card I knew I wanted to use some quilling dies I had for the flowers.  I managed to find the dies but could not find my little quilling tool and had to resort to using a tweezer to roll the flowers.  I now believe that my quilling tool has run off with my rotary cutter which I still can't find.  They are vacationing together, I'm sure.  

Day 44/61 - Unravel

"Help me unlearn what I've learned, unravel what shouldn't stay tied, and walk away even when it will never feel comfortable, gentle, or right."  Victoria Erickson of Rebelle Society

Micron Pen, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 45/61 - Simplify

I used a mop up card - a card that I cleaned some pigment off of my brush from the previous card.  I added some circles in watercolor pencil, activated them with my aquabrush and when dry, added the letters of the alphabet in smaller circles.

General's Watercolor Pencils, Micron Pen

Day 46/61 - Diagram - Off Prompt

I decided to try replicating the sunset I had taken a picture of recently using watercolor gouache paints.  They are more intense than watercolors and smoother to use than pencils.  The index card paper bows with the all the water used while painting.  I was pretty pleased with how it came out.

Here's the photo inspiration.  

Day 47/61 - Pencil

A simply pencil drawing of one of my flying pigs that happened to be nearby.  This one was on my desk at work and has followed me home.

Day 48/61 - Confetti or Glitter

On a quick trip to the dollar store to pick up a few things I found some wooden glitter stickers that didn't seem to be shedding too much.  The bird and flowers were inspired by the package that the stickers came in.

Watercolor Gouache

Day 49/61 - Orchard

On our way home from Barnegat we stopped at a farm stand and I took a look around to see what could have come from an orchard. There were peaches and plums and they were just starting to put some beautiful pears out.  So I decided to make mine yellow bartlett pears.

Micron Pen, General's Watercolor Pencils, Cuttlelola (dot pen)

Day 50/61 - Pinwheel

Micron Pens, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 51/61 - Blue or Blueberry

Zig Dot Pen, Wrapping Paper Butterfly

Day 52/61 - Orbit

Various pens and markers, some green and yellow zucchini on the side

Day 53/61 - Garden Gate

Based on our garden gate that has the heart motif.

General's Watercolor Pencils, Micron Pen

Day 54/61 - Outline

General's Watercolor Pencils, Gift Wrap Butterflies, White Gel Pen

Day 55/61 - Paisley

Micron Pen, Graphite Pencil

Day 56/61 - Unfold

Arteza Watercolor Gouache, Micron Pen, Map

Once you unfold a map can you refold it correctly?  That's the question.  The quote comes from a Harvard study on map folding.  The map is folded using an origami technique called the Miura fold (google for some pretty easy tutorials).  

With the map out of the pocket.

Five more days to this challenge and the week is flying by!

ICAD Week 6

Day 36/61 - Ocean

This was inspired by an Instagram workshop I did during quarantine offered free by a CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) in Spain on Instagram.  

Micron Pens, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 37/61 - Hydrangea

A vase of hydrangea's from our yard.  We put some bushes in late last year and earlier this spring and have them fenced in from the deer.  This particular bush has a plethora of flowers and some of them have bent over and broken allowing me to bring them into the house.  

Arteza Watercolor Gouache, Gel Pens, Marvy LePen, Watercolor Pencils

Day 38/61 - Rust

I was going to look on Pinterest for a recipe and this rusted peace heart pendant was in my feed which was very serendipitous for the prompt of the day.  I just needed to find a suitable quote to fill the rest of the space.

Arteza Watercolor Gouache, Micron Pen

Day 39/61 - Mirage

This is a depiction of what is called a Brocken Spectre.  The figure you see is actually the shadow on the fog of the person looking at it.  The halo is caused by the low angle of the light.  They say that mountain climbers come upon this spectre near summits.

Arteza Watercolor Gouache

Day 40/61 - Gradient

This didn't start as a pear, just a squiggle.  Then the stem appeared.  

Micron Pen, Arteza Watercoler Gouache, General's Watercolor Pencil

Day 41/61 - Cinnamon or Spice

When I thought about the prompt I was thinking cinnamon rolls.  These would be pretty fancy decorated cinnamon rolls, which actually I think now, resemble snakes.  Though they don't have any heads.

Micron Pen, Arteza Watercolor Gouache, General's Watercolor Pencil

Day 42/61 - Knot

Micron Pen, Graphite Pencil

ICAD Week 5

It's been a bit of a crazy week here.  I should have published this earlier in the week, but I didn't get to it.  I've gone into the office twice this week and still working on things from home to try to get ready to transition the new person.  It doesn't help when the office machines that I need to use won't cooperate.  But I digress.... on with the cards for Week 5.

Day 29/61 - Citrus - Some Stained Glass Citrus Slices

ACMoore Watercolors, Micron Pen

Day 30/61 - Arcade

We used to love playing Skeeball at the arcade.  Can't do it anymore with my back.  This is a skeeball mandala.

Micron Pens, Zig Brush Pens

Day 31/61 - Font

This font is called Constellation.

Marvy LePens, Micron Pen

Day 32/61 - Earrings

I had done some tangling on wooden disks a few years ago.  These earrings are based on a necklace I made from the one with this pattern.

Micron Pens, General's Watercolor Pencils, Gel Pen

Day 33/61 - Periwinkle

What do these flowers and snails have in common?  They're both called Periwinkles.

Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils, White Gel Pen, Micron Pen, Graphite Pencil, Arteza Watercolor Gouache

Day 34/61 - Board Game (Not)

But since it was the 4th of July, I was inspired to tangle something in red, white, and blue.

Micron Pens

Day 35/61 - Lantern

A red-veined Chinese Lantern plant to be more specific.

Arteza Watercolor Gouache, Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils, Micron Pen

ICAD Week 4

The last full week of June is behind us and we're almost half-way done with this challenge.  It's gone so quickly.  It's been fun and truly challenging at times.  I'm sure there will be more challenging days ahead.  But let me get on with what I've accomplished so far.

Day 22/61 - Anchor - This started as just an anchor mandala and grew into a sea scene of sorts.

Micron, General's Watercolor Pencils, Derwent Inktense Pencils

Day 23/61 - Terrarium 

The framed part is actually a 3x5 index card that I did as a warm-up to the start of ICAD unknowing it would come up as a prompt.  I added the little story around it - It was Valentine's Day 2017 and instead of spending money on cut flowers that would only last a few days my husband took me to a garden center and we created our terrarium.   This terrarium went to school with me and sat on my counter until it came home during this quarantine where it will stay and hopefully be as happy.

Day 24/61 - Emerald

This started with the idea of drawing/painting an emerald green parrot.  While I was looking for pictures of green parrots, I was remembering some recent posts on FB about local people finding parakeets at their feeders.  Pet parakeets.  I was sad when I read that because I know that they will not survive our winter climate but I remembered that there was a colony of Monk Parakeets in Northern New Jersey that had adapted to the Jersey weather.  These are the Monk Parakeets that have that pretty green and grey coloration.

Micron, Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 25/61 - Cappuccino

Who knew that there really are Cappuccino Roses.  Google them - they're beautiful beige and pink.

Prima Watercolors (Complexion), White Gelly Roll, Chalk Pencil

26/61 - Bougainvillea

There are two cards for this day because I wasn't too thrilled with the first one and had another idea for the second.  The first was the flowers added to an already prepared card that I had trying some crayon resist and watercolor on.  The flowers were done with oil pastels.

White Crayon, Watercolors, Gallery Oil Pastels, Graphite Pencil, White Out

This is a tangled version of Bougainvillea.

Micron Markers, Prismacolor Pencils

Day 27/61 - Souvenir

I had seen a picture on a friends timeline of rocks on the beach of the Amalfi Coast.  These are my kind of souvenirs - pebbles or shells.  Some people have rocks in their head, I have rocks in my pocket.  I've pocketed beach stones, landscape stones from the miniature golf course, walkways, etc.  Not many are as pretty as these though.

Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils, Gallery Oil Pastel, White Gelly Roll, White Out, Graphite Pencil

Day 28/61 - Wind Chime

General's Watercolor Pencils, Micron Pens (I added some MicroGlaze to the center piece hoping it would give it more of a shine.  It does IRL but not so much in the picture.)

This will be a busy week ahead so I'm trying to work a little ahead of myself so I can enjoy the time with family coming up.  And I'm finally going to be able to get my hair cut this week!!!!  I have missed 4 haircuts during this pandemic and my hair grows fast.  I am not used to having this much hair.  Not only does it fall into my face, it's actually curling in the back and almost down to my collar - not what I'm used to.  I am so looking forward to this.

ICAD Week 3 (And Something To Make You Smile)

Three weeks into June and it's starting to really heat up.  Regular school is out and I am on vacation until July.  They won't be back in the office full time until August, so I will only have to go in one day a week until then, or more if I need to.  I'll still be working from home, but with the teachers gone now, there's basically only the ordering to do and getting ready for the next school year which they are still trying to figure out.  They've chosen a replacement for me and the tricky part is going to be how to "train" her and remain socially distant.  This will be interesting.  But let me get on with showing my ICAD's for the last week.

Day 15/61 - Dandelion

Dandelions at the bottom of my Home Depot Bucket

Micron Pen, Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 16/61 - Robot

Based on the Robot from the 1951 film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" one of HWNSNBP's favorites which is to be watched whenever it is on.

Microns, Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils

Day 17/61 - Mustard Yellow

AC Moore Watercolors, Wrapping Paper Butterfly, Gift bag flowers

Day 18/61 - Six Word Story

Gallery Oil Pastels, Gel Pen, Graphite Pencil 

Day 19/61 - Pause

Microns, Zig Watercolor Brush Pens

Day 20/61 - Birdhouse (Based on a picture I took way back in 2008)

Micron Pen, Derwent Inktense Pencils, General's Watercolor Pencils

The colors aren't as vibrant, but I'm pleased with it.

Day 21/61 - Geode

Gallery Oil Pastels, Gel Pens, Bic Correction Fluid

(There really is silver in there.  I could not get it to show up in the photo.)

And now here is something to make you smile as I promised -