The 100 day project Week 15 (Day 99 and Day 100)

Hey there creative friends!

Are you as gobsmacked as I am? I made it! At the start of the challenge I was enthusiastic and got going with loads of energy. The enthusiasm is still there, but the energy not so much. But it will return after a short break.

What has been your experience of the 100 day project? Did you finish? Will you do it again? What skill do you think you have improved upon the most?

As mentioned I am taking a break, but my blog will be back to it's not-so-usual schedule of posting once or twice a month unless there is a book feature.

The promised Instagram posts will feature later this week. Thank you for visiting my blog and sharing in my 100 day challenge.

Until we meet again!

💜 Linzé

Day 99 and 100

And this is it. I chose to write these last two days, since it was the best use of the little time I had available.

Time: 3 hours

The 100 day project Week 14 (Day 92 to Day 98)

Hey there creative friend!

How are you doing this week? Are your completed projects piling up? 

I wish I could say that my project list is getting shorter, but no. It's not happening. At least not at the moment. Of course, I am not going to tear up the list, it is just going to get done a bit later. LOL! I'm writing and boy, this story is surprising me in almost every scene. I just noticed that I misspelled 'stasis' but that is what editing is for.

I did do a bit of arty stuff, but not as much as at the start of the 100 days. I have been ticking off the days, and can you believe the end is just two days away?

But below is what I had been up to this past week, but I will see you again on Tuesday.

PS: look out on Instagram where I will be sharing (in a nutshell) what I have been up to for 100 days. 

💜 Linzé

Day 92

I had so much fun doing the collage grid last time, that I did another page. I added a bit of gold pen here and there. I also included a scrap of watercolour painting I did a while back,

Time: 3 hours

Day 96

And here is page 3!

I switched colour scheme and wanted to do black and white backgrounds. Then realised that I don't have B&W papers. Lots of B&W ephemera, but not what I wanted. So out came my stamps and ink pads.

At the end I had gluey black fingers, but it was loads of fun anyway. 😂

Time: 3 hours

Days 93, 94, 95, 97, and 98

Words this week.

Time: 4 hours

The 100 day project Week 13 (Day 85 to Day 91)

Hey there fellow creatives!

Do you see the light at the end of the tunnel growing bigger? Yup, the end is rushing closer. And so is my break. But overall the experience was not a bad one, only a tiring one. I will be looking at my list to see what I still want to do, and if it doesn't get done by day 100, then that is okay too.

What has your experience been like? Good? Educational? Let me know in the comments below.

But back to the current, or rather last week's, creative efforts.  

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Days 85, 86, 87, 88, and 90

Words seem to flow like a river at the moment, so I am along for the ride. The manuscript is now just over 50,000 words, and I am still enjoying the characters and their story. A good thing in my book! 🥳

Time: 7 hours 45 minutes

Day 89

Working on the book drawing. I made a proportional error with the book, which is difficult to erase because I am using carbon pencils. I thought to adjust the background to cover it, but might actually have to start over. I am still thinking about my options.

Even if I start over, it won't be time wasted. I've learned something valuable about drawing proportions and sketching the outline before jumping in to draw. 😏

Time: 4 hours

Total time: 6 hours 40 minutes

Day 91

I forgot that in autumn the aloes start to bloom. This week I've noticed the aloes in our garden and made a quick drawing in my phenology journal for the month of May. I don't know the names of the aloes, but this one always blooms first.

This past week it has also been getting colder, which I don't mind so much as the shorter days. We don't have daylight savings time in South Africa, but we definitely notice that our days are two hours shorter than in the summer months. 🤔

Time: 40 minutes

The 100 day project Week 12 (Day 78 to Day 84)

 Hey there, creative friends!

What a week! Work, writing and trying to finish the competition painting before the deadline. Then trying to figure out how to submit a picture of the painting, finding the registration form, and then filling it out. It was a challenge all of its own. Maybe it's my age, but seriously why not just tell people what they had to do? Anyway, I got it done.

It's been a writing week again, but I did do some other arty things aside from the competition. I started a new canvas on Friday, but will share more about that in my next post.

Lastly, I am seriously looking forward to the end of this challenge, I really need a break.

Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Days 78, 79, 82, 83, and 84

I am not sure this is the exact word count, since I wrote a lot of words by hand this week. Once they are transcribed in my file, of course I will know how many I did write. 😂

Time: 6 hours

Day 80

I spent most the day to work on the competition painting to make sure it is completed in time. I will share a picture once the judges have made their decision.

Time: 5 hours

Day 81

I bought a Colour Block (the B&W version) a while back. It looks like cardstock bound like a pad of paper (80 sheets, 220gsm, 15x15cm squares). The top sheets are black, so I pulled out the arcylic brush markers I bought from Temu, and had a go. The markers are very nice, but the black stopped working before I actually had a chance to use it. Very disappointed, but I have other black acrylic pens, so it's not that much of a tragedy.

Note: The link is only for information.

You need to have a look at your local art stores (South Africa) if you want to try it out too.

Time: 40 minutes

The 100 day project Week 11 (Day 71 to Day 77)

Hey there, fellow creative!

After multiple weeks of two, three, and four workdays, it is almost unreal to get back to the reality of a five-day work week.

Not much to share in terms of art this week, since I have been writing almost every free minute that I have. I love how the story is going (up and downs for my characters) but they are making my life interesting, that's for sure! 🤦🏼‍♀️

With the end of the challenge on the horizon, I am still enjoying myself, and looking forward to taking a break at the end.

Wishing you a creative week. Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Days 71 to 74, and Day 77

Lots of writing on the story.

Time: 6 hours 45 minutes

Day 75

This is one of the projects of the Mastering Mixed Media taster course hosted by Tamara la Porte. It is based on the lesson by Jessica Swift.

Acrylic markers on 10x10cm canvas.

Time: 2 hours

Day 76

Playing with collage in an A4 sketchbook. Paper and glue with a bit of ink here and there.

The butterfly was coloured with acrylic markers and a gold Gelly Roll pen.

Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

The 100 day project Week 10 (Day 64 to Day 70)

Hey there, fellow creatives!

During April I wrote 26 blog posts for the A-to-Z blog challenge which amounted to 4663 words. It was fun to share my tips for overcoming creative block. But now it's back to focusing on the 100 day project.

And here are my creative endeavours of the past week.

I hope you enjoy them too. Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Day 64 to Day 68

I have been writing most days. I also started a painting which I cannot share since it is for a competition.

Once the winner is announced I will show what I painted.

Writing time: 5 hours

Day 69

Before Easter I bought this cute box shaped like a house filled with treats. I love chocolate. Then I got an idea: why not make a tiny doll's house room with the box to practice for the wooden apothecary cabinet I want to make?

Although I have spent hours on it today, there is not much to show yet. The wooden frame will be one of the windows.

I am still contemplating the theme while making the elements.

The lab was closed today for a long weekend, so I had a bit of time to play to my heart's content.

Time: 6 hours

Day 70

I wrote a few words today, but spent most of my free time working on the Easter box model. A door and a book case in progress. I'm using a pre-made window frame to support the smaller wooden pieces while the glue dries.

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes 

Cheating the Muse - Letter Z

Hey there, creative friends!

Welcome to the last letter of the A-to-Z blog challenge 2025. It's been a journey, hasn't it?

Did you find any of my suggestions to cheat the muse of any help? Please let me know. And you are very welcome to add your top tips to overcome or even prevent creative block. We can always learn from each other.

My last tip is the trusty Zentangle. It's not quite a traditional drawing but more than just a doodle. I like to draw the odd Zentangle, especially when contemplating new ideas to draw or paint.

And the last thought from me for this theme: zero excuses. I have shared many ideas, but these are not the only ones. They may or may not work for you, but having a backup list of ideas when the muse goes on strike is my go-to to keep the creative juices flowing.

I will keep blogging on my 100day project challenge projects if you want to visit again.

I wish you a joyful and creative life. Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Cheating the Muse - Letter Y

Hey there, fellow creatives!

Welcome to my 1000th post!

When I saw the numbers at the beginning of the challenge, I thought that it couldn't be real. And yet, here I am. Fourteen years, and still going. The going is stronger in some months than in others, but you know how it goes when life gets busy.

I did decide not to post on social media in April, except for one post about my book on Instagram. I have also shared a few A-to-Z bloggers' posts to X, but many blogs don't have a sharing option activated. Some don't even allow for comments. It's a shame, but it's not something I have control over.

Did I pick a theme for today? I did: yellow. Because it is a happy colour, the closest to gold (for my achievement 🎉), and colour is always something we can play with.

My current 100day challenge large project is another drawing. But I am itching to write, so it might take some time to get back to it. But with the writing muse on a high, who am I to argue? 😏

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

The 100 day project Week 9 (Day 57 to Day 63)

Hey there, creative friends!

How is your 100day project going? If yours have been like mine, you would have had ups and down along the way. I remind myself, daily, that I am doing this challenge for myself and that is why I can keep going. But will tell you this, once we get to day 100, I am definitely taking a break.

Lots of people tell you that you have to draw or write every day, but it can be exhausting. Creative work involves a lot of decision-making and that requires mental effort. Even though I have already written more than 50,000 words so far this year, have a novel coming out at the end of April, a novella coming out in July, and have made several artworks, I don't create every day.

So here are this past week's projects.

Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Day 57

Mini books to use in a junk journal. I plan to put them into pockets on a tag which I still have to make.

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Day 58

I found brass clothing things in a PNA this morning and just had to try and use it in a paper project. So I made a tag. The metal thing is at the top of the tag - the ribbon is tied to it.

Have no idea how it's used in sewing. 😏

Time: 1 hour

Day 59

I started a new drawing with carbon pencils. They are darker than graphite, but remain matt. I used both Staedtler Mars Lumograph Black and Faber-Castell PITT pencils.

Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Day 60 to Day 63

I spent most of the week writing. On Thursday (Day 61) I had to have my car's windscreen replaced, and decided to wait while they did the work. I did watch while they removed the cracked glass, but not when they put in the new one. The removal process wasn't something I had seen before.

The rest of the time, I worked on the story.

Time: 8 hours

The 100 day project Week 8 (Day 50 to Day 56)

Hey there, creative friends!

When I started this challenge, I just hoped that I could keep up with a daily creative practice, but this week started with Day 50. Mind blowing that we are halfway already!

I do have a problem now, with the next novel which is scheduled for release at the end of the month, my time is getting really limited until I finish working through the edits.

Any painting, or writing words for the next book, have to wait until the edits are done.

But I did manage to finish the Raven drawing, and did some more sketchbook work to start the second half of the 100day project challenge.

Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Day 50

A small (10cm x 10cm) canvas done with acrylic markers. The sun looks more like a fire than our star. Oh, well. 😏

Time: 30 minutes

Days 50 to 53

I got the final edits back from my editor on Thursday last week. With the release date at the end of the month, I had to commit my time to working through the edits and the comments she had made to fix some issues.

Visitors to my blog have the opportunity for an exclusive discount and getting the book before it is officially released on 30 April 2025.

Use this link to Tiger Gold - the Strike Masters, to see if it might interest to you. Please note there is an email requirement. I don't have a mailing list anymore, so there won't be any spam from me.

Day 54

And it's done. A challenge for sure because of its size, but I loved doing it. Graphite is one of my favourite mediums, so I will definitely do another big drawing. But my next big project is an acrylic / mixed media painting on canvas.

Time: 30 minutes

Total time: 16 hours 30 minutes

Day 55

I made tags from tags attached to some socks I bought.

They are small and could easily be used for spine dangles on a junk journal or to decorate a bigger tag, or something else. I haven't decided yet where they will end up.

I also finished another sketchbook. It had just one spread left. Stickers and collage spreads only - no drawing or painting.

I picked two spreads to share.

I made the sketchbook using craft paper. It is 6cm wide and 9.5 cm high. It is now filed with the other full sketchbooks. Awesome feeling! 🥳

Tags: 1 hour

Sketchbook: 20 minutes

Day 56

An abstract coffee cup painted with gouache in my TBS sketchbook. Only three pagers left.

I really enjoy painting with gouache so it will be great if I can finish this sketchbook soon. 

Time: 3 hours

Cheating the Muse - Letter Q

Hey there, creative friends!

Thank you to everyone who has visited my blog. If I missed your question when I wrote this post, I promise to answer it in the comments.

So here is Lissa's question: "Why is your blog named 'Butterfly on a broomstick'? This could have an easy explanation. But I'm curious if there might be something special to it."

My reply: To be honest, Lissa, it took me a while to remember 🤦🏼‍♀️ because once I created the blog in 2011, I didn't think about it again. Until today. 😃

Although the dragonfly is my favourite insect, it is a predator and not quite the image I wanted for my blog. I do like butterflies and picked them for the aesthetic side of creativity. The broom can represent many things, but when it comes to creativity, to me, it represents the "work and effort" side of things. Not in a negative way, but art or any creative project requires some effort to make it happen.

Thank you for your question, Lissa, and the reminder of why I chose the name.

Don't forget to visit for the Letter S post (Tuesday, 22 April 2025). I have a special surprise for my blog visitors.

On Wednesday, I will share a few tips that have helped me improve my artistic skills - in the Letter T post.

Until Monday!

💜 Linzé

The 100 day project Week 7 (Day 43 to Day 49)

Hey there!

Are you struggling too? This week has been particularly rough with everything that I needed to get done, so finding creative time turned out to be my challenge.

The weekend was great, then Monday arrived and life interfered more than usual. But as the week progressed, I got more of a handle on my todo list and things got better. And my list of creative things, was worth its weight in gold this week.

Do you have weeks like this?

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Day 43

Progress is slow but it is closer to being finished.

Time: 3 hours

Total time: 16 hours

Day 44

Still transcribing the words from my notebook. Almost caught up.

Time: 3 hours

Day 45

All handwritten words are now caught up. The story is not yet done, but the ending is now in sight.

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Day 46

Not much time today. Managed a few words though,

Time: 40 minutes

Day 47 and Day 48

Made a few corrections, and then worked some more on the bird and background. Not yet finished, but the end is in sight.

Time: 5 hours

Total time: 21 hours

Day 49

More watercolour numbers in my tiny sketchbook.

Time: 1 hour (excluding drying time)

Cheating the Muse - Letter I

Hey there, creative friend!

You might have heard the expression that the muse needs to find you working. Professionals get stuck in, while amateurs wait for inspiration to strike.

Inspiration does happen, often at the most inconvenient time or place. However, professionals just getting the job done have much more merit than you might think.

You can also seek inspiration to help if you need it. Today, I am sharing inspiration for writers. And no, this is not me, but people who do this for a living and can be of much better help.

I got this document in my inbox because I subscribe to the website, and you can too. It is not your usual advice, so why not check it out? It could just be the inspiration you need to keep writing.

Happy writing!

💜 Linzé

The 100 day project Week 6 (Day 36 to Day 42)

Hey there creative friend!

With the A-to-Z blog challenge underway, I suddenly found myself in trouble: I forgot the date! Ouch. The A-to-Z blog posts are featuring every day of the week, and Saturdays, whereas this summary of my 100 day challenge projects, are posted on Sundays.

There is not a blog conflict, but my brain has clearly needed a reboot to make sure time for both challenges are put on my daily schedule. Now they have, so here is to smooth sailing during April. I hope! 😉

Until next week!

💜 Linzé

Day 36

Finishing the Artkula photo challenge project for March is a good way to start the new week. It's an oil pastel painting on Canson Sand Grain A4 paper. I did the tiny details with a black Polychromos pencil.

Time: 3 hours

Total time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Day 37

Transcribing handwritten words again. Many more to go.

Time: 2 hours

Day 38

Origami pocket for junk journal. Left is the pocket, right I put some ephemera in so you can see the pockets.

I was working and had a YouTube video playing as background noise. Then this came up. I grabbed a sheet of paper, and voila! I learned something new, and it's something for my junk journal. Win-win 😄

Time: 3 minutes

Day 39

I did the gouache paint a few days ago and didn't check the time. Today I was too tired to paint, so I pulled out a Faber-Castell PITT brush pen to draw the connecting stems for the abstract flowers.

Time: 5 minutes

Day 40

Another session with my big project. Lots of erasing because I made a mistake where I drew the outlines on the right bottom, but it's fixed now. Still a WIP as I am sure you can see.

Time: 3 hours

Total time: 13 hours

Day 41

And the words continue to come. 😄 I keep track of the number of words that I write and so far this year I have 46k on my spreadsheet. Not bad for just over 3 months.

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Day 42

Almost forgot that I still have some of these flowers left on my list. So here is the next one. Ink on an old dictionary page.

Time: 15 minutes

The 100 day project Week 5 (Day 29 to Day 35)

Hey there creative friend!

It's been a words week, that's for sure 😀 With working on the new book, and editing the novella, lots of words flowed out of my proverbial pen this week.

The good news is that the novella is finished, and I emailed it to my awesome editor on Thursday evening just as our art group meeting started. I spoke to her earlier in the day and told her the planned release date. With my next novel's release date coming soon, I need to focus on that instead of worrying about the novella...for now.

There was time for a bit of art and craft. Of course, a new set of acrylic markers helped the creative juices to flow too. 😂

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Day 29

Working on the new novel.

Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Day 30

More words...LOL! 

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Day 31

Some writing done during the day, but mostly after I finished work.

Time: 2 hours

Day 32

The final draft is now done and ended up at about 47,000 words. It might be shorter after the professional edit, but that's okay.

I prefer to get a book out that will be it's best version, which it will be with an awesome editor like Vanessa.

Time: 6 hours

Day 33

Another journal card made from the Uno deck on the left.

The 10x10cm painting on the right was done with new acrylic markers that I got a few days earlier.

Time: 2 hours

Day 34

I made a journal tag. The back has a pocket for storing ephemera or a journal card.

Although it is a large tag (16x8cm), it will fit the junk journal I made last week.

Time: 2 hours

Day 35

Not much time to write today since we are having a party for my husband's birthday and there is a lot to do before everyone arrives.

Time: 40 minutes