Sandy B Get Well Tangle

Here is the first Get Well tangle I did for Sandy B.  Thanks to Linda for posting that on tanglepatterns.com. This was the first version I created but did a second one and sent it off this week. I love the Zentangle® process but doing something directly for someone else adds another dimension to this wonderful process. I hope it helps make her recovery process a little more enjoyable. It's so wonderful the way the whole Zentangle® community pulls together to bring love and support to one of it's own. As I've been cruzing the web I've seen so many wonderful creative expressions for Sandy posted. It shows how the power of creativity and the universe combine to bring support and hopefully a speedy recovery. When our good intentions turn towards someone I have to believe there is strength and a power beyond our comprehension. Hope you're on the mend Sandy!

Challenge Week #6 - IXORUS - Artoo's Last Casts

My favorite baby parts are their little round toes and soft chubby tummies. Blowing kisses on a babies' tummy while the peals of laughter ring out are the sweetest sounds. A newborn baby smelling like a fresh bath and baby powder is the best smell in the world. And best of all, those darling little feet and chubby little toes that just scream out "Please chew on me!" Babies are a miracle and it sounds like Artoo is definitely a miracle baby!

I love Artoo's little tangled casts, won't all the other babies be jealous? That was a wonderful idea. Just think how much he'll appreciate them when he is older and gets to see these darling pictures Laura posted on her blog. I bet he'll really appreciate it when she shows them to his first date!

Thanks for sharing your wonderful little bundle of joys with us and giving us the opportunity to share in your trials and your little miracles from a distance.

Laura, thanks for this weekly challenge that has opened up so many avenues of creativity and inspiration and helped expose all of we Zentangle enthusiasts to each other's art and thoughts!

I had to draw little baby toes and include parts of your sweet little Zentangle cast designs, "Love" seemed to pop out at me, so there you go. Weird little friendly beings overlook and guard these sweet toes and whisper Love, Health and Happiness!" I added some little pacifiers to calm and gently lull your little one to sleep. Congratulations Artoo, hugs and warm thoughts to you and your family. 

Hekzeee and Pods Practice

I'm trying the Hekzee, and Pods tangle recently posted on tanglepatterns.com. Hekzee is one of those patterns that look like it can't work by viewing the instructions. I find it amazing how the pattern "appears" as you continue following the step-by-step instructions. Taking it one step at a time and not worrying about the outcome works, who knew? Could this be true in life also? I look at most things in life as tasks you either take on and finish quickly as possible or those that I procrastinate about. The all or nothing mentality doesn't always work well for me. Zentangles allow me to conquer those small spaces and see something wonderful when it's complete.

ORBs - Challenge Week #5

Doing this week's challenge, Orbs, brought up images of an organic machine spinning and spitting orbs in a dysfunctional little world of bead growing Sedglings. There was a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that featured a mysterious alien game which infiltrated the Enterprise and hooked most of the crew. This game allowed the aliens to control the minds of the crew. The game launched little balls that were then sucked up by long undulating tubes, this caused a visceral pleasure sensation, hooking the gamer. Welcome to the wackey world of blooooooop. Don't get hooked!



Zentangle Your Name Challenge - Continued

Thanks to Linda Farmer for hosting  tanglepatterns.com for all of we Zentangle enthusiasts and sponsoring this challenge. It is one thing to Zentangle our Names and the additional request that we use only official Zentangle patterns bumped it up a few more levels. I am down with a bad head cold today so I'm blowing my nose and tangling my brains out (excuse the expression) this lovely, grey, cold, winter Sunday. This is yet one more version of this challenge.

This was a great opportunity for me to try tangles I haven’t worked with yet. I haven’t ordered the Zentangle kit yet so I don’t know what all the official Zentangle patterns are. Tanglepatterns.com, Zentangle.com, Alpha Tangle, and Flickr references are so invaluable. I’m going to be attending the February CZT training so this was a great opportunity.

DANNI Version #3: 
D = Dex,
A = Ambler,
N = NZepple,
N = Nipa,
I = Isochor

Zentangle Your Name Challenge

Okay, so I'm doing the Name challenge offered by Linda Farmer of tanglepatterns.com here challenge for us is: Zentangle your name. Fun exercise. I didn't use all official zentangle patterns so I took a little "artistic license" as they say.
DANNI Version #1:
D = Drupe
A = Afterglow (Carol Ohls pattern, not official)
N = NZeppel
N = Nightsbridge (AKA Knightsbridge)
I = Innapod (not official)

DANNI Version #2

D = DL Nebula (Donna Hornsby's pattern, not official)
A = Afterglow (Carol Ohls pattern, not official)
N = Nightsbridge (A.K.A. Knightsbridge)
N = N Zeppel
I = Intersection (Susan McNeill's pattern based on Official "Hurry" pattern?)

Starry Eyed Surprise! - Challenge Week #4

Challenge Week #4: Starry Eyed Surprise! based on the youtube video for the song: "Starry Eyed Surprise" By Paul Oakenfold. When I tangle I usually use melodic, whimsical, flowing melodies or good old rock and roll, so this had a totally different feel. Fun song.

This tangle incorporates Afterglow and DL Nebula which are a perfect astrology combination, don't you think? Knightbridge brings in the feel of a dance floor so you can jam down and get jiggy under the stars and nebula! Pretty hep of me 'eh?








More stuff...

Couldn't sleep last night so I decided to work on more tangle versions for CZT® Laura Harms 's Weekly Challenge #4. How appropriate to continue on the star theme when all the stars are out! It's almost as good as sleep... isn't it amazing how many inspirational thoughts come in those late night hours?

The true test is if those inspirational "aha moments" still hold water in the light of day...

I enjoyed doing this mandala inspired globe, I'm totally into creating textures and the working on line quality in my tangles. Sometimes it's a little over board, but I just can't help myself!!!!!!!

I didn't use any pencil shading on this mandala, instead I used my 3x0 fine point Koh-i-noor rapidograph pen to create shading lines. It's interesting that once scanned, the fine lines read as grey, hmmmm.

This third version brings back visions of country fairs and the circus. We went to a balloon festival in Howell, Michigan this summer and this little guy could have been one of the fanciful balloons we saw during the big balloon launch at dusk. Watching those colorful balloons slowly rise above us and and float away was so neat. Up, up, and away we go!

"Eyes Wide Shut!" - Challenge Week #3

Challenge Week #3: "Eyes Wide Shut!"


Draw your string without looking. I was amazed at how my spacial sense was warped without looking at my square. All my strings took up were much smaller. Without looking, my spacial sense thinks the 3.5" square is much smaller. I drew several different strings and all of them were tiny designs in a larger space.

I decided to go with it and just accept it as it came out.

Version #1

Version #2

New Year's Inspiration

The weather outside is frightful, typical Michigan winter; cold and grey. It's great to have the inspiration of Spring, plants and fanciful growing things to bring me out of my winter funk! I was strolling through my favorite zentangle inspirational web sites and ran across a piece Shelley Beauch had on flickr! I love her flowers; organic yet graphic. Fun to play with!

I was just looking over a quote I gave in November, I had mentioned, surprise, surprise... the fact that the Zentangle process has taken over my creative thoughts. I used the term "zentangling" rather than "tangling". How passé was that? I have to get my CZT language down since I will soon be attending, and hopefully getting certified, at the next CZT training in Whittenburg, MA. This will certainly perk up a drab February, better than taking a winter break to a warm climate will be the creative warmth and excitement of training and meeting other zentangle enthusiasts!

Two Pencil String - Challenge Week #2

Happy 2011! I can't believe the new year has arrived one, Christmas has come and gone. I had an exciting new year's celebration which consisted of the cat and me snuggled up on the couch snoozing in front of the TV. Whoo-hoo! I awoke at 12:03 am when the ball was dropping in Time Square and noisemakers were blarring from the TV.

Here is week #2 of  Laura Harms weekly challenge, to create a tangle using a two pencil string. This first image is the black and white version. The double string does form a definite path through the tangle. Fun exercise.

Here is the tangle with year and shadowing added. 1/1/2011 - and so the year begins...