Challenge #84 - String Theory, Blind String, AKA, Steam Punk Central

Original blind string

This week's Diva's Challenge for week #84 asks us to pick up our pencils and paper, close our eyes, and draw a blind string. This was a fun challenge and an opportunity to play with the steam punk stuff I've been working on this weekend.

Since Laura was on a well-deserved vacation last week, there was no challenge. I needed to fill the creative void so I jumped into Erin Olson, CZT and her Bright Owl blog Zendala Dare (lot's of fun). I've been meaning to concentrate on Zendala's more diligently for my classes but haven't had the time. So it's wonderful to add this to my weekly list. Now that my book has been published I can focus on more creative outlets!

I surfed the web for inspiration and I was taken with the Steam Punk stuff I've seen on Sandra Straight's site and begin noodling with it. Very fun, and it definitely was the focus of my challenge this week. I'm not sure if I'm doing the Steam Punk Zentangle style correctly, but it's fun trying.

My completed ZIA with Steam Punk inspired tangling

I incorporated Cruffle, Knightbridge with Cruffle, some screws, nuts, dangles inspired by all the wonderful art I've seen this week, Spiky Wire (my new tangle), and lot's of chains and beads (inspired by my sister Nancy who is a wire jewelry artist. One of my other sisters, Tracy, is also an artist,so it runs rampant in our family! Check out their site links!

I loved the process for this week's challenge; the result is a little busy, but it was a BLAST doing it. Because the style is so new to me I feel the need to fill my ZIA with lot's of good stuff. In the beginning... it's all good stuff (to me :)) Enthusiasm rears it's head, so I have to go with it!

I'm also incorporating the steam punk project  I worked on this weekend. Have I mentioned... I love Steam Punk, metal, nuts, bolts, beads. No one has ever accused me of not being enthusiastic (ad nauseam perhaps) but, I guess that's the function of a blog! Exposed your creativity and craziness to the world. So here goes....

---

My initial exploration

I played with a little steam punk Zentangle style this week. What fun, a few screws, Cogs, Wheels, Plugs, Clamps, and Mooka and now, I'm hooked!

I think this will be a continuing process to combine the beauty of the Zentangle tangles with the grunge and metal of steam punk. I've started a study that I'm going to keep and build as I discover new textures and  tools to add to my arsenal.

Below is the initial version that I developed this weekend:
my new tangle Spiky Wire, some metal Mooka, bent wire, gems, chains and stuff. It's new to me and I'm sooooo excited and fixated... Whoopee!

Steam Punk Study Version One: lot's of white space to fill:
Spiky Wire,  Metal Mooka, nuts, bolts, chains, cogs.
gems, twisted wire

Linda Farmer's String #15

Linda Farmer of tanglepatterns.com presents a weekly string for tangling. This weeks string #15. This one is shared by Courtney Frantz, CZT from Texas.

Courtney states, “I drew this string using a photo of an abandoned church as inspiration. I find photographs to be a great source of inspiration when I am stumped for a string. Of course, I don’t draw or outline the entire photo … just take a few basic lines as a starter.”

I tried using some of the tangles from Linda's Tangle Refresher: Tuftid, Warble Eggs, then some Paradox, Tipple, Knightsbridge, and Shattuck.

Check out tanglepatterns.com for more strings and tangles!

Zendala Dare #20

 Fescu, Static/River, Shattuck, Umble
Hurry and NZeppel with tangelations

Added a touch of metallic green for sparkle
Betweed, Printemps, Leaves, Beadz and more...

Mooka Leaves - a Tangelation

Mooka is one of my all favorite official Zentangle® patterns/tangles created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. They introduced this wonderful pattern through a youtube video last year and I was smitten!

Recently the Diva's challenge asked us to combine Mooka with Assunta and I played with some variations on Mooka. I love curves and leaf shapes so it was a perfect marriage with Mooka.

Here is my deconstruction of the tangelation. Hope you enjoy!

So here goes...
Begin Mooka Leaves with the leaf shape; this first “frond” will be a single line stem, this begins your tangle. All other leaves will have the double line stem. Continue the Mooka flow by always making your arms/leaves come back into the form. As with all Zentangle tangles the new strand/form goes behind the others. I added the little tear drop on the end of the leaf but your “leaf” doesn’t have to have any embellishments, just let it flow!

I would love to see what you do with this tangle. Please leave your link information in any comments. Thanks for stopping by!

Zendala Dare #19

Version 1: Lot's of Mookas', some Beadz, Flux and "Perfs"
add a  little shading and eet  eez complete! (French accent )

Okay, I'm jumping on the Zendala Dare bandwagon! Erin Koetz Olson, CZT of Bright Owl hosts a new Zendala Dare/challenge every Friday, and I'm joining the crowd. She does all the hard work for us and develops and supplies the templates in a variety of sizes and shapes. There is some inspirational work from all the participants, Check it out.

I've been putting this off as long as possible but I need to start working on more Zendalas. I'm all for freedom of tangles and forms so I was apprehensive about the confinement of the template, but this was a lot of fun and the template gives me freedom to play! I basically used the template as a string. Kept very close to the original form but my stuff will never look perfect and pristine. It's organic and wonky and wobbly but I still like the results.

I appreciate all those that have perfect lines and forms but mine doesn't go there.

I want to thank Erin for all her hard work and inspiration. I hope to learn a lot as I add this challenge to my weekly tangling assignments! Whoo-hoo! I enjoy the fact that these two pieces are so different.

Version 2: Paradox, Aura Knot Cross, Hollibaugh,
Sez, Auras, Rounding, and some Meer-Like forms.
I'll spare you the French accent again!

Challenge #83 - DuoTangle Assunta and Mooka

I really enjoyed this week's Diva Challenge, #83 a Duotangle using the tangles Assunta and Mooka. Mooka is one of my all time favorite tangles. When Rick and Maria first presented Mooka it was the Diva's weekly challenge. That's all I drew for 2 weeks. And I did a lot of tangling, I was obsessed! Assunta, eh, not so much. Combining the two; not so much...

Well, I took a deep breath and decided had to go forward with the dang challenge! After all I am a Zentangle Zealot and I must go forth and tangle my brains out. Lot's of tries and fails and then...

I decided to concentrate on Mooka, my lovely Mooka, and combine it with one of my favorite forms, the leaf. I kept true to the tenants of Mooka: one continuous line, always going inward when drawing the "feet/leaves" of Mooka. I tried to relax, smile, and breathe! The Mooka's echo the Assunta form.

This upcoming CZT training gives me the perfect opportunity to try and relive the wonders of the Zentangle process that I experience in May of 2011 when I became a CZT in class #6.

I love what came out of this challenge, the leaves have the feel of a bleeding heart with that lovely little bulb on the end. Assunta was also fun and flowed more easily than I expected. I kept Assunta grey (pencil) in the background as a wall paper to present my Mooka Leaves.

This is a full 8.5 X 11 ZIA because I wanted room to breathe and explore! My scan is complete with kitty hair (thanks Miranda!)

I also found out the children's book I've been illustrating for the last 2 years has been printed.  It's a wonderful collection of Fairy Stories written by Diane Light. The name of the book is "Into Fairyland, A Treasure Chest of Fairy Stories." The writing is wonderful and I'm very pleased with my illustrations. This was two years in the making and I love the results! It's a full-color paper back book!

Getting exposed to the Zentangle process really sparked my creativity and enhanced my illustration process. The book is colorful, and full of lot's of wonderful Fairies, Magic, and Love. You'll see the Zentangle process throughout the 64 pages. I'm very proud of this book. Any young girl who fancies these wonderful little creatures will love this magical book.

Check out Starry Whispers Books for more information. Just click on the "Into Fairyland" tab.  I would love to share this wonderful book with my fellow Zentangle enthusiasts and any of your little fairy enthusiasts. We also have FREE Special Things to do: coloring pages, word search puzzles and an EXCITING CONTEST. You could win a free book and an Amazon Gift Card! .
I'm also including a study for Mooka Leaves, starting with a simple outline and then embellishing with Assunta in the background. These challenges are great at making us go beyond our comfort zones. I love coming out the other side feeling like I've stretched my creative muscles. Thanks to Laura, Rick and Maria, of course, and the Zentangle process for giving me this opportunity!

Here's a study with simple outline and then embellishing,
rounding, and adding Assunta

Weekly Challenge #82 - UMT version VII "Brayd"

This weeks Diva's challenge is a first of the month, Use My Tangle challenge #82 using Shelly Beach's tangle Brayd. This is a great tangle with lot's of possibilities and flow. I use Brayd, Flux, Printemps, Tipple, Hollibaugh, BTL Jooz, some Pearlz and some spirals. It's a fun challenge that lends itself beautifully to shading. I'm working on some other tries.

Challenge #81 - Relay for Life Zendala

The Diva's Challenge #81 - was guest hosted by Erin Olsen, CZT of Bright Owl. She hosts the Zendala weekly challenges and presented a Zendala template based on Relay for Life. A great cause in the fight against cancer. Such a wonderful and worthy cause. I was up North at a friend's place this past week and internet was iffy and no scanner so I didn't get posted in time. When I got back late Saturday night there was a storm and my cable, internet, and phone were off.

Betweed, Beadz, Leaves, Auraknot, spirals, and more...

Because we were up north with no printer or scanner, I had to  free-hand  the template Erin provided. Wonky is my middle name, but I like the final results of my template interpretation. I concentrated on keeping my Zendalla light, open, and organic. The shading and lines were my focus. Erin's template allows wonderful flow and connection. The connection we all have in the fight against this devistating disease!

I felt leaving the open areas felt like the gaps left in our live's by loved ones who are gone. I lost my mother to lung cancer in 1996. I miss her and this week vacationing and sharing stories with old friends brought up a lot of stories and memories of our mothers. There was lot's of laughter and sharing and it was wonderful to share and remember family stories. My mother was a character and an amazing strong woman. She was challenging and could drive me crazy, but she was the person in my life that I knew loved me unconditionally and I dearly miss her.

This challenge also made me realize I need to concentrate on Zendalas much more. I've dipped my toe into the Zendala process but full immersion is necessary. I'd like to start presenting Zendala's classes in the future. Onward and upward in my Zentangle/CZT journey. Thanks for the boost Erin and a wonderful cause!