Letters

I love to make and give letters to friends and relatives.  By letters, I mean the initial of their first name.  I have made quite a few now and all different sizes.  I usually always mat and sometimes frame them (if they don't have to be shipped).  Everyone loves to have their initial done as a personal gift.  If you haven't done this, give it a try.  It's sure to bring a smile, and if you are really lucky a hug! 

The last two letters I made were done with the inspiration of Joanne Fink at Zenspirations, her website. She also has a book out that I will be ordering soon.

Since this is a gift, I am going to use this as my entry in The Diva's Weekly Challenge #52.

If you are new to my blog and want to see my other letters, I am going to provide a link for each of them (most recent back to the first):
"D" for Darla
"K and P" for Karen and Pete's 50th
"S" for Sonia
"L" for Linda
"FISH" nickname for my brother
"T" for Tim; "L" for Lucy; "S" for Sue
"P" for Priscilla
"A" for Anne
"J" for Joanne

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

This is the very 1st year, ever, that I made my own Christmas cards.  I love Zentangle and the creativity it has brought to my life.  It has also brought me friendship with all of you, my Zen friends (here on blogger and facebook).  I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Looking forward to spending time with all of you, and hopefully many more, in 2012. 

Just tangling.....

Alphabet Soup

Sue Jacobs, CZT in Illinois, issued an unofficial challenge that I thought looked fun called Alphabet Soup.  You can find it here. The challenge is to use a tangle from each letter of the alphabet.  Sue completed hers in 5 tiles, which you can see here.  Nice work, Sue! 

I decided as an extra challenge for me, to use black tiles and the white gelly roll pen.  Even after the challenge, I still need to practice this more, especially shading with the white charcoal pencil.  I jumped right in and used a lot of new tangles, without practicing them first.  I tried to use tangle patterns from different tanglers too.  Some of the tangles I really screwed up, but kept on going. (Sorry if it's your pattern)  No mistakes in Zentangle, right!  

There are a lot of tangle patterns out there that I have never tried.  I will use a lot of these again and will need to try more in 2012.  It was also fun not knowing what would come next. 

I completed my soup in 6 tiles.  They are pictured together, but start in the upper left and go across the top row (left to right), then the bottom row (left to right). Names listed after the picture.  Thanks, Sue for the fun challenge! 




1st:  A-D:
Arc Flower ( J. J. LaBarbera)
Bilt (Lisa Skeen)
Crossroads (Sandra Strait)
DL Nebula (Donna Hornsby)

2nd:  E-H:
Euca ( Anne Marks)
Fishnet (Marïet Lusten Houwer)
Gewurtz ( Linda Farmer)
Hopscotch ( Suzanne McNeill)

3rd:  I-M: 
Ionic (Margaret Bremner)
Jalousie (Stephanie Kukla)
Kinetic (Ann Griffin)
LaBel (Sue Jacobs)
Mooka (Rick Roberts & Maria Thomas)

4th:   N-R:
Nutz (Lizzie Mayne)
Oke (Michele Beauchamp)
Pegs (Arja de Lange-Huisman)
Queen's Crown (Suzanne McNeill)
Ragz (Christina Vanderlist)

5th:  S-V:
Swirly Dot (Thomas Gallagher)
Triral (Pam Pincha-Wagener)
Unyun (Carole Ohl)
Vache 1 (Geneviève Crabe)

6th:  W-Z
Wigwam (Annet Spitteler)
XYP (Rick Roberts & Maria Thomas)
Yin Linx (Mary Masi)
Zenplosion Folds (Danni O'Brien)

Letter "D" for Darla

I had the chance to visit my sister-in-law, Darla recently at her home in AZ.  I don't get to see her often, but when I do, I am always reminded of what a loving, kind, and generous person she is.  We enjoyed wonderful meals and great conversation with family and friends.  I made her a letter "D" as a thank you for her hospitality. 

Challenge #51 "New tangle-FIFE"

This week's challenge from the one & only Diva, Laura Harms is to try the new tangle, FIFE.  This tangle was announced here, in the zentangle newsletter.  Molly Hollibaugh came up with this tangle, and it's quite lovely.  I did a couple of tiles after the newsletter came out and haven't posted them yet in hopes that this would be one of the weekly challenges.   So here is my contribution using the new tangle, Fife.  Thanks, Molly & Laura!

Shrink Art Jewelry

In the Zentangle 5 book by Suzanne McNeill, CZT there are quite a few different methods to make zentangle jewelry.  All of the methods have step-by-step instructions that are very easy to follow. I decided to try the shrink art that is displayed by Sue Jacobs, CZT   I have never worked with Shrinky Dinks before and found it to be quite strange and amazing stuff.  You draw the tangles on the shrink plastic quite a bit larger than what the piece turns out to be when it shrinks in the oven, which makes it very easy to tangle on the larger size.  I only tried the necklaces but Sue has instructions for bracelets and earrings too.  One of these days, I will be trying out some of the other great methods in this book.  If you are looking for zentangle jewelry ideas, check out this book!

Challenge 50 - Biggify

Another interesting challenge from Laura Harms (I Am The Diva) this week.  Work on the same size tile or paper you normally use, but biggify your tangles.  When I teach tangles, I draw the tangles big, but it's always on a big sheet of paper.  This was kind of fun to do big tangles on a tile (3.5 x 3.5).   Thanks Laura, for another good challenge.

Christmas Ornaments

I found these ceramic ornaments at Hobby Lobby and couldn't resist tangling on them.  I added some fun ribbon and this is how I spent black Friday.  So much better than shopping...at least for me!

Challenge #49 "Red Thread Challenge"

This week's DIVA challenge is brought to us by Cris Letournea, CZT at Tangled Up In Art.    Cris is helping a wonderful organization called The Red Thread Promise.   Take a look at their blog to see all the great work they do.  Cris is going to collect our tiles to be auctioned off as a fundraiser and make them into a poster for sale with proceeds used for their mission.  Both great ideas!   Thanks Cris, for organizing this and allowing us to participate in this worthy cause.  Looking forward to seeing and purchasing the poster!  My tiles are on their way. 

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." -Chinese proverb



Challenge 48 -Tri Shapes

I want to thank Laura Harms, at I Am The Diva blog for graciously letting me host the challenge this week.  I don't always have the time to look at everyone's entries so it was a lot of fun to read your comments and visit all of you blogs to see your beautiful work this week.  I tried to leave a comment on all of your blogs, and apologize if I missed anyone. 

It was interesting to see how we all like and dislike different things, including myself.  Some found the string hard, some loved it.  Some found trying new tangles hard, some loved it.  It's hard for me to step outside of my comfort zone and try new tangles too, but I have found some tangles I really love by doing that and hope some of you did too. 

Thanks again, Laura, for challenging us each week to try new things and helping us all grow with the art of Zentangle!

(I am posting my tile that you've see already on Laura's blog just for a record on my blog)

Tangles:  Zuan Shi, Sanibelle, Gloven, Amaze, Krli-Q's, Rosé

What's In A Name

The first thing that drew me to Zentangle was the name.  A friend of mine who is a quilter mentioned it on one of her blog posts here back in June 2009 and I had to check it out.  This of course was before I knew anything about the world of blogging, and hers was the only one I checked out from time to time to see what my good friend from high school was up to.  I am so glad I saw that post because Zentangle has changed so much in my life...all good and wonderful!  When teaching Zentangle classes or doing a display/demo table for art on the town night, I often hear people say "Zentangle...what is that, or I love the name".  After you learn what it is and the more you do it, you realize how perfect the name is. 

The same goes for tangle pattern names.  I love to see the explosion of new tangle patterns and sometimes the inventor tells how it was named.  When they don't it's fun to guess how they came up with the name. Some obvious and some you never figure out.  I am sure some have no relation to the tangle at all. One of the latest official tangles from Rick & Maria is PUNZEL and I am guessing the name came from the classic tale of Rapunzel.  The tangle itself looks like long braided hair.  I love this tangle and had to play with it some more over the weekend.

Speaking of names...a little side story.  We were in Idado in Sept visiting my 89 year old father-in-law, Kermit.  I have made some tiles for him and for his lady friend Wanda in the past.  They have been fascinated with it and love to see the pictures on my Ipad, since neither of them has a computer.  One day when meeting a neighbor of his, he started to tell her about what I do and couldn't think of the name Zentangle, so he said to me "tell her about, oh you know, I can't think of what it's called, but it's that scribbling you do".   Even though I don't like when people say Zentangle is just doodling (because they don't understand or take the time to learn), somehow when an 89 year man who I have nothing but great respect for called it scribbling (first word he could think of) it made me smile....and it still does. :)

11-11-11

A call was put out for all CZT's to create a tile today on 11-11-11 @ 11:11.  If a lot of people are creative and meditate through tangling, we could send a lot of positive energy out into the world.  It was also suggested that we send some positive thoughts to Rick Roberts (co-founder of Zentangle) and his family since Rick lost his mother this past week.  I played Rick's CD of wonderful flute music while I tangled and sent all of those in Zentangleland good thoughts!

Challenge #47/"Lest We Forget"

This weeks challenge from Laura Harms, which you can read about here, is to simply remember.  In Canada, where she is from they celebrate Remembrance Day on Nov 11, just as we in the USA celebrate Veteran's Day.  The cadets hand out lapel poppies for donation. The idea of the lapel poppy is pretty neat - based on the Poem "In Flanders Field" written by Canadian Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

What a beautiful and very touching poem!  It is important to have days where we honor those who are no longer physically with us.  Especially those veterans who have fought with the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.  I've lost a lot of very special people in my life, as I am sure that many of you have, and their memories are very dear to my heart. 

Challenge #46 "All Hallow's Eve"

Since Monday was Halloween, the challenge this week was to create a spooky tile.  I have a half moon window in my living room that I hang bats in every year for Halloween, so that was my inspiration.  The black tiles, white gel pen, and white charcoal pencil were a must for this one.  Another fun challenge!

The DIVA'S Big Giveaway!

The DIVA rocks again!  That's right, now along with the weekly challenges that we have all come to love, she is celebrating her blog going over 200,000 hits!  Whether you are new to Zentangle or have been around for some time you can get in on this giveaway, click HERE for all the information on entering.  Who is this Diva anyway?  She is Laura Harms, a CZT (certified zentangle teacher) in Canada.  She has been giving us a weekly challenge for 46 weeks now.  Anyone can join in on the challenges.  There are no judges, no prizes, no pressure...just a challenge to yourself as a tangler to try something new (a new pattern, a new string, a theme, etc.) and have some fun.  She puts together a slide show of all the entries each week, which is really fun and inspirational to view.  So check out her blog and join in on the weekly fun, you will be glad you did.  Also, this is one giveaway you don't want to miss!  Congratulations, Laura!

Home State Bank Display

I am always looking for new ways to advertise Zentangle to the public and hopefully attract some new students.  Home State Bank is gracious enough to allow small business owners to display a table in their lobby at their main branch on 29th St.  My display will be there for 3 weeks.  Thanks to Marcia and everyone at Home State Bank for supporting art in the community and allowing me this opportunity! 

Challenge #45 New Tangle-PUNZEL

It's always fun when a new tangle comes out from Rick and Maria!  This week's DIVA CHALLENGE is to try the new tangle-Punzel.  I am not going to say anything more than......I LOVE PUNZEL! 

34 More Happy Tanglers

After taking a couple of months off this summer from teaching Zentangle classes, I was happy to get back at it again.  I taught 2 classes this past week at the Windsor Library.  The 1st class had 15 people and the 2nd had 19.  We only had 2 hours, but I was able to teach them 8 tangles and complete 2 tiles.  I also got to show the "teens" (who were great to have in a class) how to make a  Zentangle friendship bracelet and how to use a letter stencil as a string for tangling. The teens had fun finding the tangles they learned in the 102 tangle print.  Everyone really loved the classes and discovering Zentangle.  A special "thank you" to Tamie Berg for suggesting Zentangle classes to the library.  They had such an overwhelming response they want to have more-Yea!

Look how wonderful their work is:



Weds night: 1st Ahhhh moment



Weds night: 2nd Ahhh moment

Thurs night: 1st Ahhh moment

Thurs night: 2nd Ahhh moment

Challenge #44 Tangled On The Inside

Another great challenge from the DIVA this week!  Use one tangle as the string and draw other tangles inside it.  I used Betweed as my string and drew it going two different ways (see 1st picture), then when I started to tangle, I decided to make the same tangle in the reverse spots (wasn't planned, just let it happen), love that about Zentangle!  I was going to leave the middle open, but threw in In A Pod at the last minute and now it kind of looks like a square butterfly-LOL.  Fun challenge!

Challenge #43 Sunflower Fun

The weekly DIVA challenge this week is Sunflower Fun.  Check it out ....here. 

I just got back from a week in Wisconsin..."sister trip" with my 3 sisters, so I am late posting my challenge but I made it a goal not to miss a challenge this year!  Wow, week 43 already!!!

Challenge #42 "HOPE"

The Diva's weekly challenge this week is all about HOPE in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Read all about the challenge here. 


HOPE:  To wish for something with expectation of it's fulfillment.

As I thought about the challenge this week, I thought about how we live with hope every day for one thing or another.  When we are young, it's the little things we hope for ( I hope he or she likes me, I hope I pass the test, I hope it snows and school is cancelled, etc.)  As we grow, we hope for bigger things ( I hope I will get married, I hope I will get that job, I hope I will have children, I hope they are healthy, etc.)  Hope is a very important thing to have and really gets put to the test when we, our family members, and/or friends have any kind of  health issue.  Hope also interacts with our faith.  I am sure there are tons of books written about hope alone. 


Back in Dec of 2010 I posted instructions for my tangle, HOPE which was based on the shape of the cancer ribbons.  My good friend, Jody came up with the idea for the tangle.  Jody lost her battle with cancer this May, but we were all hopeful for a long time.  I also lost a cousin and an aunt to cancer this year, but I still have hope and faith that everything is as it should be.  A smart woman, who I lost when I was 18, used to say "If you have your health, you have everything". (Thanks, Mom...so true)

As I said in my post back then...All of our lives have been touched by cancer in some way, relatives, friends, co-workers, fellow tanglers, etc., so take a moment to reflect, pray, or connect with spirit and/or the universe to send out some loving thoughts to those going through this fight and for their families and friends.  

This one's for you, Jody!

" I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest.  I do not judge the universe"  Dalai Lama

" Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow"  Albert Einstein

And from one of my favorite singers...."It doesn't matter to what God you pray, precious time is is slipping away"  Van Morrison

More Line Play

Back in August, I did a post on Playing With Lines and continued on with a larger piece.  I gave this one to my daughter, Samantha and her boyfriend Sean as a housewarming gift.   

There's gold in them there hills

It's that wonderful time of year again when the aspen trees turn their beautiful gold in the Colorado mountains.  It has been unseasonably warm here still, with a high of 87 today.  Good day to head for the hills and see some gold colors.  For those of you in northern Colorado we headed up the Buckhorn Canyon to Pennock Pass road and over the pass to the Poudre River.  The aspen's were beautiful all the way over the pass.  If you're close by, I hope you take advantage of this weather and head to the mountains.  We packed a lunch, the fishing rods, and my Zentangle tiles.  Doug stopped several places to fish the streams and while I could have joined him, I opted to tangle instead.  I really enjoyed sitting next to the river (nothing like that sound), seeing the fall colors, and doing the Diva's weekly challenge. 

This week the Diva has us doing another duo tangle, JONQAL & OPUS.  I love these challenges where we use two tangles that are quite opposite, because they always surprise me!  In the 1st one, I started with Opus around the outside, using that as my string for Jonqal.  I didn't plan on doing a second, but Doug was having fun fishing so I started another.  I decided to do the opposite, and started with Opus in the middle and used Jonqal around the edge.  Since I was out among the fall colors, I took a picture of them there. 

What a beautiful day!  Enjoy the pictures. 

                         

"The mountains are calling and I must go." and "In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." (John Muir)

Challenge #40 Pinwheels for Peace

I was out of town all week and just returned in time to do and post my contribution to the Diva's weekly challenge.  I hope all of you enjoy a few moments of peace each and every day! 

Challenge #39 - Love is all you Need

Laura Harms, at I am the Diva blog has another wonderful challenge for us this week.  In remembrance of the tragedy of 9/11, Laura wrote a very poignant post about love triumphing over hatred.  It is filled with beautiful quotes and words from Laura.  This week we are to do a zentangle tile in the spirit of love, whatever that means to us.  When I think of love, I think of hearts.  It could be that living in Loveland, where I see hearts all the time, has something to do with that, hmmm.  Anyway, I drew 3 different size hearts all overlapping as my string and tangled all of them (can you see them).  I didn't have any music on (rare for me while tangling) and I thought of a song from the 60"s (yes, this will date me) that goes...come on people now, smile on your brother, etc. so I had to look it up.  It was done by The Youngbloods and is called Get Together. I always liked that song and the words still ring true today.  (Posting lyrics at the end).  Anyway, back to my tile, I decided to write the words of the chorus around my tangles and then didn't like the way it looked.  Hmmm, do another tile or just keep going and see where this one takes me in the true spirit of the zentangle art method.  I covered the words in black, but didn't like the circle of black around the tangles, so before I knew it the whole thing was black, which in turn invited  a silver pen and some Mooka.  Mooka always reminds me of love too because the pods look like hearts sometimes or the long arms look like they are hugging the inside of the pods.  So here's my tile, love and hugs to all of you!

Get Together
The Youngbloods

Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Through the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why

Chorus:  Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now

Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one the left us here
Returns for us at last

We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass

Chorus (3 times)

If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command

Chorus (3 times)

Challenge #38 "Better than a Pair of Ducks"

When I first saw Rick's Paradox tangle I thought it was really cool.  I had some trouble getting it down until I read the tip somewhere, that if you turn your tile with each line that you make it is a lot easier.  Sure enough, that worked and I have been using Paradox a lot whenever I had a triangle shape to put it in.  Wow, it really is a cool tangle!  But wait...then Margaret Bremner/CZT came out with a wonderful tutorial, (check it out here) on Paradox and I had a light bulb moment (a little embarrassed to admit...why have I only limited Paradox to a triangle shape?  You can do Paradox with a square...and so much more.  Wow, this really cool tangle is over the top really cool now!  Thanks Rick for creating Paradox!  Thanks Margaret for the wonderful tutorial!  Thanks Laura for another great challenge!  (Love that you think Pair of Ducks when you hear Paradox-what fun!)

Challenge #37 Kiss My Grids

Another good challenge from the Diva, Laura Harms.  This week the challenge was to use all grid based tangles.  Another week where I am down to the last minute, so no words of wisdom, just my two tiles. (the 2nd one is a little out of focus).   I haven't had time in the past couple weeks to review and comment on all of your tiles, so I will anxiously await the slide show! 

New Tangle "BWS"

While we were busy painting the outside of our house the past 2 weeks (finally done-yea!) I noticed all the spider webs we had to clear out in corners and under eaves. I also noticed that when you went back to the same spot a day later, another web was already being formed. They are busy little creatures. So, as I was doing this I was being careful about where I put my hands because a few times (2 or 3 over 16 years, so not many) when working in the flower garden or in the garage, I have seen black widow spiders which have a venom that is extremely potent. I didn't know until I looked it up that their venom is 15 times more potent than that of a rattlesnake. Next I was thinking about the hourglass marker the females have on the underside of their abdomen and then I started thinking about a tangle. Rick and Maria told us in CZT class, and I pass along in my classes, that some of the best tangles can be found in nature. If you have been tangling for some time, you know that you see patterns everywhere. I am not sure if it is just me, or do you sometimes wonder what the world was like prior to deconstructing everything into a zentangle pattern? LOL! So after playing with this spider shape (8 legs) for a couple days, I came up with a simple tangle that has lots of possibilities for variations and can look really different and not at all like a black widow spider when drawn in a grid. I had several different names, but settled on BWS (black widow spider) for ease of remembering it. I hope you have fun tangling you own webs!

Click to enlarge