Diva Challenge #300 - Moebius Awareness Day

Moebius Syndrome Awarness - version1
Dancers, Smiles, Hearts, Mooka, Tipple, and Printemps

Moebius Syndrome Awarness - version 2
Moebius Awareness logo with Tripoli, some Hearts and Purple!

The Diva Reached her 300th Challenge this week, congratulations to her. For this week's challenge we revisit the Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day. Her son Artoo has this syndrome and through her blog we have seen his progress and amazing development.

This is the fifth Moebius Syndrome Awareness Challenge I've had the honor to participated in: Challenge #55, #103, #151, #251.  I chose to use a 3Z tile size and shape. The slogan "Smile With Your Heart" is a wonderful uplifting message so I used that as my inspiration.

Check out the other wonderful tiles for this week's 300th Diva Challenge.

 

 

 

   

 

 Challenge #299 - Drawings and Triangle Exploration

Combined Triangle Tiles, Common String, with touches of blue

triangle tiles 1-5

triangle tiles 6-8

Last week I decided to try my hand at triangle tiles. Mine are not equilateral (only 2 sides are 3.5") since I cut them out of a divided circle. but it gave me the basic feel. I created a template and I cutout my in the "fashion of" the official Zentangle® 3Z triangle tiles.This was more of an exploration in sections. I used the Zentangle blog Twelve Days of 3Zs Christmas Challenge as inspiration. Things got way out of hand and I couldn't stop myself. I finished up my pieces Sunday night.

Lot's of tangles and techniques for these pieces:

1. Shattuck, Cresent Moon, Drawings, Tripoli,
2. Lolliwhop, Knightsbridge, Mac-Ra-Me, Gourdeous
3. ICanThis, Poke Berry, Knightsbridge,
4. Drawings, Tipple,
5. Marasu, Poke Leaf, Molygons, Printemps, with Bijou's cousin
6. Tripoli, Crescent Moon, Moowa,     Knightsbridge, Purk beadz
7. Tripoli, Hollibaugh, Tipple
8. Drawings, Diva Dance

This is over the top for me but what the heck!

Challenge #256: - DuoTangle: Boo*Kee and Artoo

Almost a Duotangle... Artoo and Boo*Kee
with lot's of Auras and embellishments

My New Version - 2/24/2016

Original Version - 8/2/2010
Can you see the Toad?

The Diva's Challenge for this week #227: is to create a piece using two tangles: Artoo and Boo*Kee, Laura developed these two tangles for her boys.  The focus for this challenge was to unite these two tangles in one piece. I tried to let the tangles speak to me and keep it fun and "sunny" for the boys. I tried to incorporate the feel of sunlight and spring in this tile; out of the winter doldrums and into spring. It was a fun challenge and I hope all our efforts bring smiles to these two sweet boys. Here's to a quick  recovery, and health, and smiles for those two cutie pies.

Check out all the wonderful solutions for this challenge.

Challenge #255 -
Ghosts of Tangles Past

I didn't get my piece posted for last week's Diva Challenge #255, so here it is.

When I was first exposed to the Zentangle process in 2010, I became obsessed. Everywhere I went I carried my drawing pad and created a new Zentangle piece several times a week. I scanned in one of my first pieces 8/2/2010. I had titled this piece "Thru the Garden" and tried to incorporate all the things I would experience in a garden. I tended to fill every nook and cranny and began each piece with a familiar object or place to inspire me. 

I was using a Kohinoor Rapidograph pen for most of my work. I was fascinated with line quality, textures and the detail tangling brought to my creative process. No shading.

For my redo, I retained the original string. I scanned in the original piece in and looked over all the elements and chose the ones I was going to keep. My work is now more open the tangles and textures more defined, shading is a Major part of my work

I had written a poem for this piece but I couldn't find the Toad until I looked at the scanned image on screen:
Through the garden,
Walking tall,
I see a Toad,
He's following me,
The Koi in the pond,
Greet me.  

.

Through the Garden 2016 - outline,
without much shading or contrast

Challenge #251 - Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day

Moebius Logo surrounded by Tripoli and Tipple accents

This week's challenge brings attention to Moebius Awareness Day, which is Sunday, January 23. It's a challenge that Laura Harms posts yearly. For those of you have not heard of Moebius Syndrome, Laura describes it as a congenital nerve disorder affecting cranial VI and VII nerves controlling the lateral movement of her son, Artoo's face. Her Challenges and wonderful blog raise awareness of this Syndrome. It has been an honor to share and learn more about their family, and Laura's willingness to share Artoo's progress and growth with us.

The Moebius logo seemed to call for the use of a triangular tangle pattern to accent this symbol. Tripoli seems to let the symbol nestle in beautifully.

Past posts of this challenge:
#151 Moebius Awareness Challenge,   #103 MACD,  #55 MACD.

Challenge #109 - Zentangle Quest

Dansk, Printemps, Flying Geese, and a background
of Hibred in sepia tones

Zinger/Lupine, Tripoli, Mooka,
Crescent Moon, Pearlz, Zander

This week's Diva Challenge for week #109, is taken from Maria Thomas'  Zentangle blog post. She presents a  new technique which she describes and illustrates beautifully. The technique uses random parallel lines as a string; the lines indicate inner and outer folds or curves, then add banding and tangle away! It creates a fun 3-D effect, check out all the fabulous offerings on the Diva's site.

For version 1 - I fashioned alternating cone shapes embedded in a Hibrid background. I "wiggled" and broke up the lines a bit to soften the Hibrid background. I used Printemps, Flying Geese, Dansk and some ribbons fastened with little buttons to set the stage. I continued the cone's draft "lines" beyond the perimeter, it gives it a neat which I like! I used brown/sepia and black micron pen, I used graphite and a sepia pencils for shading.

My second version is black and white with lot's of grey, I worked with black and white gel pen. It looks to me like Tripoli is spinning into the cosmos wheeee! I used a Zander parallel line to create my 3-D bands, Crescent Moon, then added Mooka, Zinger and some Pearlz.

Challenge #86 - Break Free!

This weeks Diva's challenge #89 asks us is to break free of our tile border! To create a tile or ZIA where SOME element of your work goes beyond the border and stretches or expands out. This direction is not out of my comfort range at all. I often go off the grid with my work.

I used Hollibaugh, Tipple, Beadz, Tripoli which morphed into a viney flower with some decorative leaf patterns. 

  

Challenge #28 - Trip to Tripoli

This was a very enjoyable challenge, I wasn't totally satisfied with the result, but the process was great. I got to experience Tripoli at CZT training #6 even before it had it's official name, Maria and Rick were demonstrating this new unamed pattern, and it was very exciting. It makes such a difference being able to watch someone creating a new pattern, stroke by stroke, and of course being able to see Maria creating it was AMAZING! Watching the flow, emerge while hearing Maria and Rick discuss it was wonderful. The tangles they come up with are amazing, very much like potato chips (oh yeah, I'm going there!) You can't tangle just one. It is addictive and gives that ahhhh, popped the bubble wrap, satisfying feeling when a rythm is developed and you can relax into process. Just tangle, smile, and breathe. Mooka was very much like that for me, and I'm sure Tripoli will be another guilty pleasure!

I enjoyed the process as I started with the precise (not really) rounded triangle and let my tangle morph into a more organic, rippled shape.  I think that lines that ripple have a wonderful rythm and energy. Just like in nature, nothing is exact, nature has it's own wonderful organic flow and rhythm. I enjoyed the journey, didn't focus on the outcome, and I let my intuition and pen lead me. Sounds very Zen, and isn't that the essence of the Zentangle experience?

Fresh from CZT training

I just ran across this tile that I did on the plane coming back from Whittinsville, MA. I was crunched into one of those comfy (NOT) coach seats (between two people!), just one of the sardines in the coach section of the plane. I was able to pull out my little clipboard, a micron pen, and some lovely watercolor paper and enjoy myself - the wonders of the Zentangle experience. This piece was done fresh from CZT training #6. I knew that Rick and Maria hadn't presented the pattern officially yet, so I didn't post it at the time.  I had tucked this in my journal. It does show the joy that I was feeling after experiencing such a wonderful weekend. There was so much creativity and I met many great new people. It was a magical experience and my exhuberance shows in this tile.

Another try