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 #154 - Valentangle

The Diva's challenge for week #154 and she's all about Valentines Day. She asks us to create a Valentangle", great term, no? I chose to embrace hearts and of course red. My heart is a play on Maria's new tangle Aquafleur with some Knightsbridge stripes, lot's of hearts, and some Printemps with lot's of Auraknot texture. I used my wonderful Derwent Inktense pencils to add a touch of red and yummy texture with my white gel pen. I'm so pleased that my Printemp spirals magically turned into wonderful little rose bouquets when I added a wash of red to the centers.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Hope it's sweet and full of wonderful loving thoughts, hugs, and Zentangles!

Check out all the other wonderful work for this week's challenge at the Diva's site.

Challenge #137 - Knights Over Tipple

Tipple and Knightsbridge with a little
ribbon "sewn" through

This week's Diva Challenge for week #137 is to do a Duotangle (phrased coined by the Diva) using Tipple and Knightsbridge, two of my go-to tangles... so eazy peezy? A little more challenging than I expected. I chose to go big and bold, another go-to for me, and work on the line quality and shading. I think I like the result, it's got lot's of movement and the shading was a blast. I really enjoy the contrast of hard and soft using these 2 tangles.

Notice how neat my sewing is? I sew with my pen, much safer than a needle and thread!

To check out other work go to the Diva's site. It's always great to see all the wonderful variety and creativity for each week's challenge . Thanks Diva, another fun one!

Tried another version of this week's challenge with a few variations on the theme of Tipple and Knightbridge. Kept the line quality a little more consistent to see what happened. Use a zig-zag string for a different feel. A web is just the structure of KB without the checkerboard, right? After all, Halloween is just around the corner...

Version Two
Variations on a theme...

Challenge #110 - Get rid of the box - Tin Can Art

Top version done with Staedtler
black permanent pens and
grey marker for shading.
Bottom version adding color and
wire for my Float Fest effect.

The Diva's Challenge this week asks us to think "Out of the Box" and work out of our comfort zone. When I was at CZT training #6 we got to visit Rick and Maria's beautiful old Victorian home in Whitinsville, MA. There was wonderful artwork everywhere. Maria took a crack in the plaster and turned that imperfection into a beautiful "jewel", a touch of her tangling, and it's magically transformed! Check out her blog feature Fabulous tangled solution to a problem in her studio, it's Amazing (of course!). So, the Diva challenge for week #110 asks us to jump, take the leap, and try something new on our tangling adventure!

I've been very interested in tangling on different surfaces, I'm especially interested in tangling on cloth and have created some lovely hangings I use in my classes. I've also have gotten into tangling on recycled tiles, which I love. So what now?

I was making some chicken soup this week and chose to use the top and bottoms of the can my diced tomatoes were contained in. The inside of the can is coated white, so it is the perfect surface for my tangling. I tried using the my micron pens, but the surface was too slick and the microns beaded up. So I reached for a Staedtler permanent marker pen; black for the first version and color added to the second. I used a light grey marker for the shading and the result was pleasing. The surface is a little slick and challenging to work with, but perseverance and patience won out over the can! I sanded the sharp edges and cut my finger in the process, oh the pains we suffer for our art!

Version one contains tangles based on grids (out of my comfort zone, I'm a free flowing tangler). Took a deep breath and jumped in with Bales, Cubine, Knightsbridge, and then added Betweed, Golven, and Shattuck. So I kept to the grid tangles for almost half!

My second version features my ornate letter "S" for Spring (hope, hope, hope). I added Daisies, Swirls, some Betweed, BTL Jooz, Perfs and Auras and color. I then punched holes around the edge using my trusty hammer and nails, wove in some wire to create my Float Fest strings and my ode to "S" (Spring) is complete. I punched hanging holes on each so they can be hung and displayed. The purple is a little much, but I wanted the lids to stand out.

A View of the Can's Lid from the Back Side,
Pretty huh?

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....

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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!

Challenge #48 - Sue Clark - String Theory v. VII: "Tri-Shapes"



Version One - Using familiar tangles
Knightbridge, Floatfest, Crescent Moon, Tipple, Munchin,
Paradox, and Lampions (seed pods), Beadlines

Version 2 - New tangles
Unyum, Spinners, Arches, and Antidots, and a little Paradox point 

Sue Clark, CZT from Colorado is the guest host for this week's Diva Challenge for Week #48. Sue asks us to create a string using three basic shapes (circle, square, and triangle). Fun brain teaser as always. These three shapes don't seem to lend themselves to the same string but it was a fun challenge. Thanks Sue!

In version one, I didn't follow the rules. I used some of my favorites: Crescent Moon, Knightsbridge, Paradox, Tipple, Floatfest (one of my faves), Beadlines, and Lampions/Seed Pods (that's what I call them). Some of my Floatfest has a little striping to mimic a BTL Joos. A busy little organic ZIA but I like the result.

In version 2 I followed Sue's suggestion and used unfamiliar tangles with one faves: Unyum, Spinners, Arches, Antidots, and a little Paradox point (had to throw one fave in). I think the results work!

As I look out and see snowflakes and think of winter, I hope this is my sun catcher for the inevitable upcoming short, grey, winter days! Grasp those little sun rays oh ZIA!

Influencing the weather has always been a dream of mine. As children we lived off the boardwalk in Long Beach, Long Island, NY. We were living in a small apartment house with my father and a hurricane was slapping the Long Island shore.

We were given strict instructions by my father when he left for work that morning to stay off the beach. But his 3 darling daughters had other ideas. It was so exciting to stand on the beach and watch the waves crashing to the shore, how could we resist?

We thought our dad would never know. So we snuck down to the beach and held hands while chanting and swinging our arms up to the heavens... "Oh King Neptune, King of the Sea..." a little ritual we thought would get rid of the big ol' storm. In the midst of our chant several waves crashed on shore soaking the 3 of us to the bone.

We were safe (no thanks to our little stunt) but sopping wet. There was no way we could sneak back before my father got home from work and clean up quickly enough to hide the drowned rat look we receive from King Neptune on our little excursion.

Needless to say, my father, was not a happy camper when he arrived home to find we had totally disregarded his warning. We didn't get out to the beach for quite a while after that, and worst of all, all our efforts hadn't stopped the hurricane!

Challenge #24 "String Theory version II: Stripes"

The Diva's challenge for this week #24 asks us to use a specific string, all stripes. My stripes are definitely not conventional stripes, more chopstickish. It will be fun to see what everyone does with this challenge. I combined Floatfest, Static, Betweed, Knightsbridge, Tipple, Mooka, Sez, Printemps, Perfs, and some other stuff (stuff is another word for "I don't know the names").

I just updated my profile picture. My dear friend Blake video taped the beginning of our first official class as CZT's. Blake took a shot from the video and sent me a still. So this picture is me teaching as an official Zentangle CZT, whoo-hoo! My friend Jeanne and I held the class right after the CZT seminar while visiting friends in Vermont.

The second version of stripes has Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh, Purk, Diamond Pane, Betweed, Sanibel, Hybrid, some bead pods, and Kingsley, a pattern developed by my table mate Lisa Jameson at CZT training. She got her inspiration from some wonderful old books at Oakhurst.

What a wonderful time we all had at CZT seminar #6. We are the Zentangle Zealots!!!

Weekly Challenge #23: "String Theory"

This weeks Diva's challenge gives us all the same string and tells us to go for it! I'm going to try this a couple more of these. I love the fact that we're all starting from the same place or string and then going in our own directions. The variety and creativity that ensues is AMAZING. I really enjoy seeing the variety developed from one string by all you amazingly creative sources. What fun the weekly challenge is!

I'm still influenced by the Whitinsville seminar so I'm working on some tangles we looked at with Rick and Maria and just playing with new tangles. Printemps, Knightsbridge, Quabog, Vega, some Tipple, and my tangle Cross View.

This ZIA has more of a drawing quality to it... I love playing with the variety of line qualities (thick and  thin) and working with the shading on the organic shapes that are created. The challenge for me with shading is the not to muddy the image and to make sure there is enough contrast between the darks and lights.

One of the things Maria kept telling us was to pick up our tiles and look at them from a distance and turn them. The Zentangle process does make it easy to immerse ourselves and not see the big picture. It's sort of the point of a meditative process but we all need to look at the big picture to see the full impact in our Zentangles or our lives.

My second version has Purk, Betweed, Diamond Panes, Hybrid, Keeko, a Printempish tangle and other "stuff". Technical, huh?

Part of a Dyptic

This is larger piece also, aproximately 5"x7". Some Knightsbridge, Diamond Pane, Mooka, Floatfest, Zenplosion Folds, and some orbs. This is going to be part of an ensemble, actually a dyptic.

CZT training is less than two weeks away, so I'm starting the big countdown! Can hardly wait to meet all you other tanglers and, of course, Rick and Maria. I'm so pleased that we will be able to experience the Oakhurst and not miss that priviledge. It should be a special event.