Tangled Up In Art

Happy Art

2012-02-20T22:42:00.001-05:00

Loved this week's Diva Challenge: Mardi Gras. My first thought, was, "Ooh, sparkly and colorful." This is something I love doing. So here is my mixed media (Pigma pen, watercolor, Prismacolor pencil, Whispers marker, and Stickle) ZIA. It makes me happy.

I also finished the watercolor seascape that I've been working on for a few weeks in my Monday night studio class at Art Garden Studios. It also makes me very happy and reminds me of a wonderful trip to the beach.

Hope all of your art makes you happy and brings you good memories. Thanks for stopping by.

More Stamp Carving Fun

2012-02-16T22:26:00.001-05:00

Stamp Carving 101 is officially over, but I am not done with this hobby. I find it almost as relaxing as Zentangle. Just like Zentangle, I love the oftentimes totally unexpected results.

How weird is this? I think it totally Picasso-esque...

But when you print it, it turns into me. Not Picasso-esque, but Reubenesque.

Trees! Too much fun to carve. And mistakes just make it look more realistic.

Just for fun.

I had so much fun carving a stamp of myself, that I want to do more. Do you think anyone would want one? How much would you be willing to pay for a custom-carved stamp of yourself or a loved one? My Etsy shop has been just sitting empty, but I think this would be something fun to sell.

Comments greatly appreciated.

Zentangle-Inspired Stamp Art

2012-02-09T22:34:00.001-05:00

I've been in a stamp-carving groove lately and couldn't resist doing Sanibelle in rubber. It is my favorite so far. I carved all of the stamps except for the "Thank You" (obviously.)

Tedious?

2012-02-02T14:19:00.005-05:00

Up close viewing is disabled :-)

This week's Diva challenge was to again tangle with our non-dominant hand. Last year, I kept to simple tangles and really enjoyed the process. This year, I decided that I wasn't going to allow my "handicap" stop me from doing the tangles I wanted. I chose four of my favorites: Purk, BTL JUS, Crescent Moon, and Hollibaugh and began. I figured if I took it slowly and focused, everything would turn out beautiful. How foolish!

I had worked on this for about 45 minutes when one of my friends commented, "That looks tedious." All I could think of to say was, "Yes, it is." I then tried to explain about the Diva challenge and how the left hand is connected to the right brain, etc, but the damage was done. This is one person who will probably never "get it." Oh, well. These are the same ladies who watch me tangle every week and after 4 weeks, this was the first comment anyone has made on what I was doing.

This challenge was an eye-opener for me in that I could really relate to those people who've told me, "I could never do that." I know they COULD, but if their work isn't up to their own ideals, they wouldn't enjoy the process. At least that is what I discovered.

Stamp Carving 101 Update

I find that the process of stamp carving gets me in the same state of mind as when I tangle. I relax and lose all track of time. It is only when I do a test print and see all of the uneven lines and extra bits that don't belong, I'm frequently frustrated because my results do not meet my expectations. By the time I "clean up" my stamps, there is practically nothing left any more and I wish I could go back to its previous state. Just like with carving a flute, there is no eraser in stamp cutting.

I really liked Julie's advice this week. She said, "You have to accept the imperfections." I think this is the mark of a good teacher. Without even meeting me (since this is an online class), she was able to anticipate what my frustration would be and give us the advice we needed.

Art Class Advice Needed
One area of art that is pure fun with no frustrations (yet) is my painting class. I finished my second flower, a daylily, and like it even better that my orchid. I've decided to actually hang this, but I can't decide what color frame would be best. Thanks to the wonder of Photoshop, I was able to test a few out and I have it narrowed down to three choices.

purple?

off-white?

or deep red?

If you have a minute, could you please comment on which color you like best? Thanks!

I hope you all have an art-filled, frustration-free weekend... Cris

Friday Freebie #6

2012-01-27T01:37:00.001-05:00

($20 Discount code is: STMMMS78326)

Wow! What a busy week. I almost didn't get anything done on my Disney album. If it wasn't for "Friday Freebie," I probably wouldn't have. So, even if this feature isn't the most popular one on the blog, at least it is making me accountable for showing progress.

Here is your free kit of the week

I used the My Memories software to do a quick page showing our "cuddly friends" who came with us on the cruise. Then I did a matching page showing the New Year's Eve gift.

Two more pages done. And we all know that "done is better than perfect." Have a great weekend!

Really Tangled Up In Art

2012-01-24T16:08:00.000-05:00

Lately, I've been even more tangled up in art than usual. I have been learning oil painting; I am still tangling; and I also started stamp carving. I'm not certain if the stamp carving could be considered art yet, but it certainly is fun.

My First Attempts at stamp carving. At least I'm ready for Valentine's Day!

A Fengle Breaking Free! Fly away little Fengle.

Diva Challenge #55. Done in my sketchbook using a ballpoint pen with watercolor accents.

My Orchid in Oil

Fengle with Friends

Art Class

2012-01-23T12:42:00.004-05:00

My daughter has taken art lessons from Juli Hess for years. I finally decided to join her. If you live in the Columbus area and want to uncover all of your art talents, join me on Monday nights at Art Garden Studios. You won't be sorry. Here's a picture I've been working on. Can't wait to go tonight to finish it!

Friday Freebie #5

2012-01-20T05:47:00.000-05:00

Welcome to week 5. This means I've gotten 10 pages done on my Disney album. It's not too late to join the fun. Let me know how you like this feature and if you want to play along.

This week's free kit has beautiful shades of soft green. At first it reminded me St. Patrick's Day, but then I thought how perfect they would be for Animal Kingdom pictures.

Remember, all of the files are .png so you can use them in Photoshop or other photo editing software.
However, if you do want to purchase My Memories software, my affiliate code is: STMMMS78326. Using this code will save you $20.00.

Here's My Sign...

2012-01-19T14:42:00.000-05:00

You know you've got it bad when you've forgotten your tiles, so you tangle your shoes. That's my sign. Do you have it bad? What's your sign?

Purple Passion

2012-01-17T09:16:00.001-05:00

A big thanks to Laura, aka "the Diva," for challenging us to use purple. This creation took on a life of its own and I love it. Hope you do, too.

Diva challenge #54

Fancier Fengle

2012-01-15T09:30:00.002-05:00

Here is a Fengle all dressed up and ready to go to a party :-)

Undine

2012-01-14T21:13:00.001-05:00

The Diva is back; this time with a tangle of her own. It's called UNDINE and is all straight lines and angles. When I saw it, I thought it would be a great compliment to my new curvilicous favorite, FENGLE. I also was inspired by Shelly's Square In A Square string.

I was watching TV when I drew the Undine so the lines don't match up. Also, they ended up too far apart at the bottom so I threw in a little BEELINE to fill the space. I think they play nicely together.

I think it looks like the Fengle in the center is trying to break out of jail. I guess I should pay more attention to my tangling and less to football next time :-)

Friday Freebie on Saturday - with Bonus Tips!

2012-01-14T10:06:00.000-05:00

I had trouble againwith this week's freebie kit. Ilike the colors and had no problem finding pictures to use with them. They just weren't from my Disney albumand that is what I really want to work on. Here is the quick page I chose:

and here are a few of the pictures I wanted to use:

See what I mean? Not good.

PHOTOSHOP PHUN:

OK, Photoshop to the rescue. Afterexperimenting with Photoshop, here's what I came up with:

This, I love.

Want to try it yourself? Here's how to do it.

1. Open your picturesand quick page, each in its own layer. Layer 1 is your focal picture (my DD), Layer 2 is your quick page, andLayer 3 is your overlay picture (the beach.)

2. Hide the overlay for now and center thefocal picture in the opening of the quick page. If you were using my pictures, it would look like thepage above (the "not good" one.)

3. Now change thevisibility of the overlay picture so you can see it. Enlarge it until it fills the whole canvas. At this point, it looks like just thebeach picture, but that is easy enough to fix. The magic is in the blending modes. Change the blend mode toColor and watch whathappens. Here is what I got:

Using only Color overlay

Aren't the colorsgorgeous? Try playing with them to see if you like something better for your pictures.

The only problem is that you can't see the beach picture at all. This is an easy fix. Duplicate the beach picture layer andchange the blend mode from Colorto Multiply. Also, reduce the Opacity to give it a misty watercolor feel. For my final step, I masked out theopening of the original template so that my beautiful daughter is shown inrealistic colors.

Here is another page I did using the same technique.

BUT, I DON'T HAVEPHOTOSHOP

If you like this, but don't have Photoshop, here is a cool technique you can use to get a similar effect in MyMemories Suite.

1. Create a new blank page.

2. Click Add Photo and browse to your quick page to open it. It will be resized to photo size, soyou will need to resize it to fill the page. (Note, I get an error message when I do this, but just clickOK and it works.)

3. From the Photo section, click on Effectand select Sepia.

4. Now click Add Photo again and browse to your photo. Open this and resize to fill the page.

5. Finally, change the Opacity of your photo to about 50%. You will be able to see the QUICK PAGE behind thephoto and the opening in the QUICK PAGE will allow your photo to showthrough. Here is the result.

My Memories Version

I hope you enjoyed this and it helped you think of more ways you can use these fabulous designer kits. Please let me know there are steps you don't understand.

Fancy Fengle

2012-01-07T23:18:00.001-05:00

Rick and Maria created a new tangle called Fengle for CZTs to have something special to teach. Anyone want to come to a class to learn this?

My first Fengle: along with Esses and Purk.

Fengle and Flux, with a little bit of highlights with a white pen.
This was SO fun to do.

Friday Freebie #3

2012-01-06T00:55:00.000-05:00

Don't forget - you don't have to use the super easy My
Memories software to use this kit. They are just
.png files so you can use your regular photo editing
software. However, if you do want to purchase
My Memories software, my affiliate code is:
STMMMS78326. Using this code will save you $20.00.

Here is this week's free kit! Isn't it beautiful? It includes 2 Digital Papers, 6 Page Elements, and 2 Quick Pages.

I am continuing to plug away at my Disney Cruise photos, so here are the pages I made with this kit. I will admit that I had a difficult time this week as the none of my 500+ pictures seemed to GO with this kit. Or maybe I am just tired. It would have been super easy to use some pictures from this summer, but that won't help get my Disney Album done.

If you download this kit, please leave me a comment telling me what you plan to use it for.

Fun with Fabric

2012-01-05T00:09:00.001-05:00

I remember about a year ago, during CZT-V training, Maria said they don't use paper napkins. She cuts up worn-out sheets to use for napkins.

Sounded good, but I'd never had sheets wear out.

Until recently. Or, rather, not so recently.

I had one split right down the middle, so I tore it into some squares and set them on my desk so they'd be right here whenever I had the urge to tangle. They've been here for ... Well, let's just say, "a long time." Adding to my "vertical list" of unfinished projects. (AKA: clutter.)

Well, tonight, I drove the girls to choir practice and brought them along. I hate to admit that I spent more time thinking I should be tangling them than I actually spent on the tangling.

Are they my favorite project ever? No, but it was fun and I love the fact that I made something cool out of junk.

Who knows? I had so much fun that if I have any more sheets split, I may just have to open up a custom napkin shop on Etsy.

New Year New Tangle - Examples

2012-01-03T09:54:00.004-05:00

Birdie's tile: Deha, Cordst, Undiala, and Checkerboard

My tile: Deha, Cordst, Undiala, and 'nzeppel

We were both pleasantly surprise by how well they work together. Hope you like them.

A Trio of New Tangles for the New Year

2012-01-02T01:20:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!

Birdie and I have a problem: the white board in our schoolroom is so full of new tangles that there is barely any room to do math! Check this out:

So that we can erase the board to start the new year fresh, I promised her that I would write up and post the steps for her tangles on my blog. Here they are. Enjoy!

I like this one. I think it looks like a rose.

I like the asymmetrical look of this one. It's very bold.

Birdie is somewhat obsessed with Harry Potter. Each of the triangles looks a bit like the Deathly Hallows.

Friday Freebie #2

2011-12-30T12:27:00.000-05:00

Are you excited about "Freebie Fridays" yet? I am. Here is a preview of the kit for this week.

I love how well it coordinates with the one from last week.

Here are my pages I made with this kit. They are done using the quick pages from the kit along with stitching and rickrack that come with My Memories software. The "Welcome to Paradise" tag is from the Escape Tags available for .99 (or free if you use my affiliate code: STMMMS78326 when you purchase the software.) As always, no purchase necessary to use the kit of the week.

So, have you taken up the challenge to do a quick page or two with me? If so, leave me a comment or drop me a note and I will send you a link to a third free designer kit that coordinates with the first two! Hurry. This is only available through Sunday!

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-27T20:33:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a peaceful Christmas.

Freebie Friday

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to a new feature of my blog: Freebie Friday. Every Friday, I will give you a link to some beautifully designed digital scrapbook elements courtesy of My Memories software. This week's kit includes:

2 Digital Papers
5 Page Elements
2 Quick Pages

Three years ago, my whole family went on a Disney Cruise for New Year's and I still need to work on that. So, my goal is to use these designer kits to quickly make a few pages to share with you each week. Here is your first installment.

The Castaway Cay and Braids pages were done using the Quick Pages. And they really are quick. Here's how to use them in the My Memories software.

Add a blank page and open the picture(s) you want to use.
Add the quick page (QP) as an EMBELLISHMENT. Browse to where you downloaded your kit and open the QP.
Then just position your picture(s) to fit the opening(s)
Add a title and some journaling and you're done.

On the sailboat page I also used embellishments from the FREE Sea Memories designer pack.

The great news is that you don't HAVE to use My Memories to use this kit as all of the files are .png so you can use them in Photoshop or other photo editing software.

However, if you do want to purchase My Memories software, my affiliate code is: STMMMS78326. Using my code will save you $20.00.

So, does anyone want to join me in my goal of doing a few quick pages a week? It should be painless and I'm estimating I'll have this album done by Memorial day.

2011-12-09T10:33:00.000-05:00

Has anyone ever frowned at your tangling? Look at this!

Thanks!

2011-12-08T10:27:00.001-05:00

My scanner is broken, so I have no art to post, but I couldn't let another day go by without posting thanks for all of the gorgeous tiles I've been getting in the mail every day for my "I Promise to Help" project. I'm humbled that so many talented artists from all over are willing to help out.

I'm going to wait until after the new year to start on the poster so it's not too late to join in the fun. (If you've forgotten the details, click here)

Easy Christmas Gift

2011-11-29T16:24:00.001-05:00

Check out these cute candle holders that Birdie made for her band director. All she did was tear up some old sheet music and use Mod-Podge to glue it on some glass candle-holders. Then she glued on some black ribbon and put on a few more coats of Mod-Podge for gloss. Aren't they cute?

I'm thinking about copying some of my Zentangles and using them instead of the sheet music. Has anyone done anything like this?

Catching Up - and the Winner Is...

2011-11-28T17:08:00.001-05:00

I'm baaaaaaack! When my hard drive went belly-up, I took the time to CLEAN my desk. Then I painted it. Then I did some Zentangle. I thought I'd be all caught up on housework, but now in addition to being seriously behind on my blog, e-mail, and digital scrapbooks, I've now added several non-computer projects to my ever-increasing to-do list. But, first things first. I promised to give away some software on my birthday, which was 14 days ago! So, according to Random.org, the lucky winner is:

So, Sherri, you are the winner. Please e-mail me and I will send you a code to get the software for FREE! To those who didn't win, here is a code to get $10 off the software. Just click the image below and when asked, enter the code STMMMS78326

Sherri, You have 1 week to claim your prize!

Another Giveaway

2011-11-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

If you don't already know, Laura Harns, aka the Diva, just had 200,000 hits on her blog and is giving away some amazing tangling prizes. If you want to enter, just go to her blog and let her know "what has tangling done for you." While you are there, take a look and see what the others have said.

For such a simple concept, Zentangle has an astonishing way of touching lives. Best of luck! Please let me know if you win!

Have a wonderful day!

Cris

Scrappin' with My Memories

2011-11-03T22:12:00.000-04:00

I really like digital scrapbooking with My Memories software. They have a fun community as well. Every Sunday evening is their "Speed Scrap" challenge. (Like them on facebook) Here is my belated challenge entry, with pictures from the big cats at the Secret Garden, Mirage, Las Vegas. Birdie and I like looking at the big cats, but we LOVE the dolphins. Stay tuned. They should be next to be scrapped.

I used embellishments from the Zoofari pack, a mat from the Beach House pack, and the leopard print is from the Princess Diva kit. I also used a free Vine Overlay. All of the other embellishments: stitching, staples, word art, brads, ribbon, patterned paper, come with the software.

It's not too late to enter for your chance to try it for free (a $40 value.) Check out the rules here

Tangle in a Tangle

2011-10-31T23:14:00.000-04:00

OK - Time to play catch-up. Two weeks ago, the Diva invited us to use one tangle as a string for another (Weekly Challenge #44: "String Theory v. VI: Tangled on the inside") I think mine ended up looking like a quilt. I didn't explain the challenge very well to Birdie, but I really like her result.

My tangle was Bales and I filled it with Knightsbridge and Opus.

Birdie's is full of tangled goodness.

Puzzle Fun at Co-Op

2011-10-30T14:06:00.000-04:00

For the last 7 weeks, I've been teaching Zentangle to half a dozen tweens at our homeschool co-op. They are a delightful group of kids. Class is always fun and I love their work. I think I am learning as much as they are. I've been sadly lax in posting class pictures, but not this week!

Here's what we did. Everyone drew a string on theirDarice Color Your Own Puzzle . Then they broke it into pieces and passed out the pieces to their classmates. Everyone tangled and then returned the pieces to their owners.

Because there was no unifying pattern on the front (tangled) part, I had labeled the pieces on the back. They had to put their puzzle together upside down and then flip it over to see the results. What anticipation! The results were amazing. It was so much fun, I need to do this at an adult class!

A Big Hairy Mess

2011-10-28T08:16:00.000-04:00

When I first saw the new tangle Punzel, I immediately thought, "Oh, no. I can't even do chaining properly, how am I going to do this one?" Of course, the answer is, "One stroke at a time." Rather than "waste" my good tangling supplies (and so I wouldn't have to go get them), I grabbed the closest writing implement, a purple sharpie, and paper, the back of last week's challenge which started life as part of the packaging of pantyhose. (For a Halloween costume, of course. Pantyhose are so not my thing.)

So, as I was doing Chaining, I thought it kind of reminded me of a braid. Especially my daughter's braids. She has some thick, unruly hair. It can be beautiful, or it can be a big hairy mess. Once the hair idea got into my brain, things began to go downhill. So, since it was hair, it needed beads, and of course, a feather. All of the kids are wearing feathers these days. The crescent moon tanglation came about because we most often put her in braids to sleep so she will have waves in the morning. I could go on, but I'll spare you.

Let's just put it down to sleep deprivation and illness.

Rapunzel's Punzel: aka A Big Hairy Mess

PS - Don't forget to sign up formy digital scrapbook software giveaway

Giveaway!

2011-10-27T17:38:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited to be able to give away a free copy of My Memories software to one of my lucky readers. MyMemories is digital scrapbook software, but it is so much more. You can make greeting cards, invitations, even MOVIES! It is also very easy to use and it is fun. So, if you take digital pictures, and, really, who doesn't, then you will want to use this software.

It's easy to win. First, head on over to MyMemories.com and take a look around. Check out the Digital Scrapbook Kits - there are 864 of them! Aren't they fabulous? Did you notice the free kits? There are 90 of them! The coolest thing though is that you do not have to buy their kits to use their software. If you are like me and have been collecting beautiful digital papers and embellishments, you can still use them with their software. Even so, their kits are so beautiful and make the project go so quickly, that I couldn't resist buying a few or six.

Here is all you have to do to be entered to win this software:

1) Become a follower of this blog if you aren't already.
2) Write a comment telling me which of the kits you would most likely use.

That's it. Random.com will choose a winner on November 14. That is my birthday, but the gift will be for you! Good luck!

Cris

It's Colored!

2011-10-25T06:50:00.001-04:00

I'm back! We've been traveling. First to Maine for a friend's daughter's wedding. Then to Las Vegas for a family vacation. I love to travel. Not so keen on all of the catching up I need to do when I get back. Here's the colored version from, what was it, 3 weeks ago? It looks better "in person," because the shimmery gold just looks brown in the scan.

All that work, and now I think it looks like wallpaper. <sigh>

Wishing you an art-ful day.

Hope For Haiti

2011-10-08T07:40:00.000-04:00

My friend Sonya works with an organization called The Red Thread Promise and they bring hope to children in the US,China, and Haiti. When I think of hope, I think of the orphans she is helping.Do you want to help, too? We would like to collect some Zentabgles for The Red Thread Promise. Simply make a traditional black and white Zentangle, but with a single red"thread" running through it and send it to me. We will make a poster of all of them and auctionOff the individual tiles to raise money for their upcoming mission.

Friends at the Beach

2011-10-05T23:34:00.002-04:00

I know it's been pretty quiet around here lately. I've been playing with a new toy. Here is a sneak peek!

(And I have no idea why my blog is orange and brown. Must be for October. Happy fall y'all.)

Knowing When to Stop - Take 2

2011-09-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

Like at Chez Diva, we are under the weather at our house too. I'm just getting over a miserable cold and now Birdie has it. I was perfectly happy to sit in front of the TV with her and tangle. I am very tired of working small, though, so here is my Opus/Jonqil duo-tangle for this week's challenge, size XL. It is 8.5x11.

I think it needs more, but am listening to Birdie this week and stopping now, even though I think I could up the contrast and make it better. So, what do you think? Should I stop here or keep going?

Knowing When to Stop

2011-09-21T09:04:00.001-04:00

I was tangling the other day and Birdie commented, "You ruined it. You just don't know when to stop." That got me to thinking. How do you know when to stop tangling? I mean on any given tile. Not that we would want to stop tangling altogether!

I did a quick search and found the following quote by Dan Rockwell: “It takes more courage to stop than to start. Anyone can start something new. It takes real leaders to stop something old.” As a struggling perfectionist, I can relate to this. I keep thinking that if I just work a little more on something, I can make it better. Often times, this is not the case. I know he was talking about things on a much higher level, like dumping bad habits to make room for new and better ones, but I think it might apply here as well.

I will sometimes spend significantly longer on my "bad" tiles than on my "good" ones. Sometimes I can turn them around, but sometimes not. So the question of the day is how long do you work on a tangle that is not turning out as you'd like? When do you quit and move on to the next?

By the way, here is the tile Birdie was talking about. I happen to disagree with her. I like it. I did my tangling with a sepia pen then shaded with a Prismacolor French Gray 90%. Then I added some Prismacolor gold.

Whirled Peace

2011-09-19T23:04:00.001-04:00

In honor of Pinwheels for Peace project and World Peace Day on September 21, the diva has challenged us to tangle a pinwheel. This brought back a very happy memory from when I had a troop of very young Brownie Girl Scouts. We studied wind one day and they made kites out of paper bags and pinwheels. I will never forget the smiles on their faces as then ran around our back yard enjoying the March winds. (Which is good since I cannot find the picture.)

In the spirit of fun (and laziness), I made mine with the materials already on my desk: Prismacolor pencils and brush tip markers, a scrap of watercolor paper, and my trusty watercolors. I tried to use happy, laughing tangles.

Wishing you peace and laughter.

Love and Music

2011-09-15T21:35:00.003-04:00

A blast from the past - I used to write "Love" like this
all over my notebooks in high school.

Music is the language of Love.

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing you plenty of love, music, and laughter in your life. (If you have a good tangle for laughter, please let me know!)

Challenge 39: All you need is Love

2011-09-12T08:49:00.001-04:00

When I think of love, I think of my daughter.

And another

2011-09-12T08:47:00.000-04:00

When I get to be a famous artist, they will call this my "Paradox Period."

Rick's Paradox

2011-09-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

Rick Roberts, inventor of Rick's Paradox, used a very similar string to the one I did for this one. How cool is that? Mine reminded me of Christmas, so I highlighted it with gold and silver. Only 105 days til Christmas. Are you ready :-)

Fan or Addict?

2011-09-10T21:05:00.002-04:00

I started this during the 2nd quarter of the Ohio State football game. And, yes, I was at the game.

"Hello, my name is Cris, and I'm a tangle-holic..."

Paradox Makeover

2011-09-08T23:12:00.001-04:00

Looking at all of the beautiful entries to this week's Diva challenge, I was surprised at how many of them looked similar. How very unusual. So, I wanted to make some more, but I didn't want mine to look like everyone else's. I thought it would be fun to make one with dewdrops all over it. As Birdie said, "That one is a fail." So, I thought to try some charcoal shading. That made it worse. OK, I thought, let's get the kneaded eraser and try to remove some of that color. I know you can't rub on these tiles, so I thought I'd just press and lift. Not good either. I actually lifted the top layer in spots. Ugh. Out came the brush marker to fill in the holes. And since I didn't like the dewdrops either, I took some white glue and filled each circle with a glop. Now my dewdrops still don't look good, but they are 3-dimensional!

I started out Paradox 2 with an hourglass string, and thought it would be fun to use my brush pen to do a betweed-style line. But I didn't like it either. So, I kept adding more and more Paradox until practically the whole tile was covered. Still no good. I brought out a different, blacker brush pen and tried some shading. When that didn't work, I got out the watercolor pencils and that finally did the trick.

So, what do you do when your tiles just don't turn out the way you want? Do you keep going until you get something you like, or do you just put it aside and work on a new one? Do you have a "trick" that will usually "save" a bad one? Please share. Enquiring minds want to know.

Paradox or Pair of Ducks?

2011-09-07T21:51:00.003-04:00

This week's Diva challenge is titled "Pair of Ducks" as a word play on Rick's Paradox. We don't have a pair of ducks, bet we used to have one duck. His name was Al. Here is my entry, in memory of Al, who was eaten last week by a woodchuck. Do you see Al's curly tail in my tile?

For reference, her is a picture of Al. Poor Al. Poor Birdie. (She has a duck-shaped hole in her heart.)

Zentangle is Meant to Be a Surprise to Its Creator

2011-09-06T22:03:00.000-04:00

It bears repeating: "Zentangle is meant to be a surprise to its creator." This is a public reminder to myself.

Sometimes I do a tangle and almost like it. This is what happened in the first tangle. So, I thought I would redo it, with a little more planning. The result is the middle tangle. Not quite what I had in mind.

So, I tried again. I still like the first one best. It is much more spontaneous. The bottom one looks too much like wallpaper. I have no words to describe the middle one.

Remember, Zentangle is meant to be a surprise to its creator.

ABCs and 4Hs

2011-09-04T18:07:00.001-04:00

ABC: Assunta, Betweed, and C???

What a week. We got back from vacation a week ago Friday and I was so happy to have my scanner and computer so I could crop my tangles before posting. Then we started school on Monday and have had houseguests since Thursday and haven't had a chance to even tangle, let alone post.

Birdie is watching TV, DH is outside grilling a turkey, and the guests are not expected home for another 45 minutes, so I get a few minutes of computer time.

Here are my latest tangles, from over a week ago!

One was inspired by Birdie's A-B-C tangles and the other I did at her 4H awards ceremony. I asked after it was over, "Did the ceremony seem shorter and more interesting than last year?" Apparently, only if one is tangling.

Oops - guests are home early. Please, someone tell me the name of the 'C' tangle in ABC. I can't remember and don't have time to look.

Assunta at the beach

2011-08-25T10:27:00.002-04:00

I love the beach. Love the colors, the sounds, the ever-changine waves, love all of the interesting shells. I've discovered that they are my new favorite thing to tangle on. The small, irregular shapes of the broken shells are wonderful. The texture is excellent and so are the colors. Plus, all of the other shell hunters leave them just for me :-)
http://tangledupinart.shutterfly.com/pictures/11

Click here to view these pictures larger

tangled doors again

2011-08-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

Tile on tile

2011-08-20T08:14:00.000-04:00

This week's Siva challenge was to create a "tile within a tile," It sounded like fun, but it took me a few tries to come up with something I was happy with. I think it was because I was trying too hard. I need to remember, "Let go. let Zentangle."

Seeing Strings

2011-08-19T13:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone who does Zentangle quickly begins to notice tangles. One cannot look at architecture, fabric, or even nature without seeing things that are or would be great repetitive patterns for use in tangling.

Well, now I've started seeing strings. The one on the left was from art at the doctor's office. The other is from this seaweed I saw at the beach. So, please tell me I'm not the only one who's "gone off the deep end" as I've been told.

Travel Journal Tangle

2011-08-17T09:39:00.001-04:00

We had the perfect day at the beach: saw the sunrise, played in the waves, collected shells, ate good good, did art, and celebrated Maria's birthday :-) Here is the tangle I did to put in my travel journal to represent that wonderful day.

I used the gel pen to draw the texture on the shells, then used chalk, and finished up with a watercolor wash. This is the first time I tried that technique and I love how the shells turned out. Hope you do, tool.

One From the Road

2011-08-15T15:03:00.001-04:00

I can't tell you how many times I heard, "I could never do Zentangle because I can't draw a straight line." No one believed me when I told them that it really isn't necessary, even after I showed them the tile I did left-handed.

Recently, I had a few people in my classes who didn't have the steadiest of hands and their work was still beautiful. The unexpected jitters did not detract from the overall effect and just reinforced that this is work done by human hands and not by a machine. To try and prove a point, I did this tile while my DH drove us to the beach. No way to draw a straight line in moving vehicle. I could barely draw a curved one!

Catching Up

2011-08-12T13:16:00.000-04:00

Yours truly at the fair

It's been too busy here getting ready for camp, school, vacation, birthdays, and all of my tangling. We're finally on the way to the beach for some R&R. If I get ambitious, you might see some photography or even some sketches here. In the meantime, here are some pictures I've been meaning to share.

my helper

On Tuesday, I had a great class with some of the wonderful ladies I met at the fair. They were a joy to teach and did some wonderful art.

First tile

Second tile - love the Bales variations

From a class on 7/31. There were only 2 students and both live out of town, so for our second tile, I taught them some tangles that needed more focus. I thought they did a great job.

Enjoy!

Opposites Attract

2011-08-11T13:37:00.000-04:00

This week's Diva challenge is from my buddy Christina at stART. She challenged us to do either a straight-line string with all curvy tangles or a curvy string with all straight-line tangles and called it opposites attract. My first attempt was less than stellar. Birdie said it looks like someone threw up on a rug! (Trust your family to be brutally honest.) I will do you the favor of not sharing it :-)

The next two turned out better. I realized after studying the "throw-up" was that there was no contrast. Without the opposites for strong black and lots of white, all I had was middle-of-the road gray. I needed some of the opposites to attract, so that's what I did on these two. Hope you enjoy them.

The Game of Zentangle

2011-08-07T18:54:00.001-04:00

Tangled Bananagram Tiles

I've still been thinking about David's analogy of Zentangle as a game that you end up with a nice drawing when you're done. It is a game in which you are encouraged to bend "the rules," there is no such thing as cheating, and everyone is a winner. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your pen and play!

If you want to learn more, I will be teaching Zentangle 101 this Tuesday, August 9 in Pickerington. Please comment or contact me to sign up. (See the Classes tab for information about this class.)Publish Post

Do Talk to Strangers

2011-08-04T23:35:00.000-04:00

9 tangles

Today was my last day demonstrating Zentangle at the fair. Today, not only did I have people pick which tangle to use, I had them draw the strings! It was a very interesting experience, definitely a challenge. It's a good thing the Diva had gotten me into practice for them. So, here are today's "group projects."

Round and Round We Go

It was a trip talking to the passersby. Here are three of my favorite comments.

1) In response to my query, "Are you from around here?" "No, we're from Mars. That's why these look so familiar. They're like letters from my mother." ROTFL

2) "You all have magic fingers.

3) "Wow. I was just stopping here because I had some time to kill before my flight, but you made my day."

That last one made my day.

So, what do YOU think this looks like?

Fun at the Fair

2011-08-03T23:38:00.000-04:00

Demonstrating Zentangle at the Ohio State Fair the last two days has been so rewarding. Everyone is curious and fascinated with our new artform.

As people would stop by, I would show them some tangles and have them choose which I should use to fill in the spaces. I love how the first two are totally unplanned. David from ZTforKids described the process of Zentangle best when he called it a game. He writes, "It's almost like a game with a cool drawing at the end. I never know how it's going to come out." (When you have others choose the tangles, you have NO idea what to expect.)

For the third tile, I used Rick and Maria's new tangle Pendrills, but then got stumped and decided to tangle OUTSIDE the frame instead of inside it. I guess I was influenced by David's advice to bend the rules. He says, "There are just enough rules to keep you going... when ideas come, bend the rules and, SNAP! Tangles everywhere."

What a smart kid. I wish he could demonstrate at the fair with me!

Pendrills and Jetties

Talent

2011-08-02T08:51:00.000-04:00

Birdie competed in the Ohio State Fair Girl Scout talent competition on Saturday and so I've been thinking a lot about talent. There were so many girls there sharing their gifts with us. But, alas, in a competition, there can only be one winner, and so many little girls went away broken-hearted. I only hope their loved ones were able to comfort them and give them the courage to try again.

I'm so glad Zentangle is not a contest. I truly believe that if you can hold a pencil, you can do Zentangle. My impromptu class yesterday was a perfect example. I had two wonderful, talented ladies who came at the urging of a friend. Neither thought they would be able to do it. Check out what they accomplished.

First Tile

Advanced Tile

My favorite moment was when one of the daughters took a look at her mom's work and said in a stunned voice, "You did that? No way!"

So, my talented readers, keep tangling and amaze someone today.

Cris

PS - Birdie was not one of the brokenhearted :-)

Cakes and Ducks and Fair Tangles

2011-07-29T10:56:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Birdie took her turtle cake to the fair. We thought it was very cute and definitely original. (Just like Birdie herself.) When we got to the fair, though, we were blown away by some of the other cakes. She finished her interview and skills test at 10:45 (2 hours of waiting.)

Then we had 5 hours to wait for the judging results. We were at the fair. It should have been fun. Instead, it was HOT and BORING. Birdie's cousin LL was visiting from Chicago and they didn't want a ride pass, so we walked around the marketplace, bought over-priced junk food, and I tangled in the shade while looked at the animals.

The heat must have gotten to me because Birdie talked me into getting a duck. Al was supposed to stay with our chickens and be their protector. He didn't last 30 seconds with them. Every last rooster attacked the poor little guy. So, now Al lives in our frog pond, newly christened "the duck pond" as Al loves munching on the poor little froglets.

So, after we looked at the "fine" art (not impressed), we looked at the "creative" arts (much more impressed), and went back to the 4H building to wait. And wait. And wait. Took 2 more hours before we found out that she won... nothing!

Birdie wasn't so much disappointed as she was frustrated that we had to wait 7 hours to find this out. But, then again, she got a duck.

I got to tangle and I like the results, but I could have skipped the whole day. But, then again, I didn't get a duck.

A Challenge Trio

2011-07-27T19:35:00.000-04:00

My first thought when I saw this week's Diva Challenge was, "No, I think I will skip this week." Four new tangles. Ugh. Then I looked more carefully. Pais looks like a tangleation of Flux. Keenees is a tangleation of Jetties, and the other two looked easy. I tried copying one of my friend Sonya's light and airy strings to see if I could get similar results. What do you think?

Then I looked at what others had done and realized that they used ONLY the 4 challenge tangles, so it was back to the drawing board. It is so much darker than my usual art is because I was lazy. I sat down to tangle about midnight, wanting to stay up while Birdie had her birthday sleepover. I grabbed my tangle tote, my water, and my glasses, and sat in my comfy chair. Then I realized that I only had my 08. Oh well, I was enjoying sitting down far too much to get up for a proper pen.

So today, I thought I'd give it a go with a proper pen. This one I didn't like at all until I shaded it. Next time you don't like one of your tangles, try adding shading. See if that helps.

My "Shingle"

2011-07-27T00:22:00.000-04:00

In preparation for my demo at the fair next week, I made this sign. I used Sakura Jelly Roll Pens: white, copper, and glaze; and a silver Prismacolor for shading. It's hard to see from the photo, but the glaze makes the black even blacker. It looks like it is embossed and is shiny. I used it on the highlights in the T, the Squiggly line in the L, and in the N. Try it on your tangles. It is a really neat effect.

Now I'm ready to hang out my shingle and get this business rolling. If you are going to the Ohio State Fair next week, come visit me in the Family Arts and Crafts building. I will be there from 10-2 on Aug 2-4. Hope to see you there.

Close up to show the glaze pen.

(For you non-Americans, "to hang out your shingle" means to start a business.)

Tangling in the Third Dimension

2011-07-23T23:06:00.000-04:00

Here is another treat from Birdie, a Zentangle pantyhose sculpture.

I love seeing all of the movement possible in a static piece of art.

Enjoy,

Cris

Expectations of Fairyland

2011-07-21T17:24:00.000-04:00

The Diva's Challenge this week is as follows:

... to create a Zentangle environment where fairies would feel at home. There are lots of tangles that have full fairy approval and affection! Have fun!

Well, I guess I'm getting old or something because I haven't talked to the fairies for many a year and I was stumped. I made a few new tangles that Birdie told me were definitely NOT fairy-like. I even went through some of my older "unpublished" tangles. Nothing.

Finally, in exasperation, Birdie told me, "Fairies like flowers. Tinkerbell LIVES in a flower."

With that to go on, I drew a very swirly string and started with Enyshou, thinking the fairies would like something soft. Things went downhill from there. When I finished, I still didn't think it was very fairy-like, so I thought instead of shading it with regular pencil, I'd shade it with pink. I may be old, but I do know that fairies like pink! Then I decided that there was a need for highlights, so I got out the yellow pencil as well.

I still don't like it, but I think it was because of my expectations for what it SHOULD look like. Very un-Zentangle. I tell my students that their work will always look like a Zentangle and they shouldn't have expectations. That way they will be surprised by the result. I need to listen to myself!

Michael Landon said it best: Dreaming is one thing, and working towards the dream is one thing, but working with expectations in mind is very self-defeating.

Here's hoping that you will let go of expectations and enjoy the process. That is truly fairy-like.

Initialize, Finally

2011-07-20T10:52:00.000-04:00

OK, here is Christina's initial challenge done "properly." Of course, since it is MY initials, I need color. It was so fun to do. Hope your day is colorful and fun.

Trying Tripoli

2011-07-17T14:19:00.000-04:00

When I saw Maria's new tangle Tripoli, I was so excited. Then I tried it. Then I tried teaching it to my kids at Zentangle camp. Let's just say it was not "love at first sight."

After reading Tripoli Tutorial at Tinkered Art, I persisted and things got better. So, here are my first four Tripoli.

Initialize Challenge

2011-07-15T13:31:00.002-04:00

This week's challenge, posted by my friend Christina at stART, a fellow CZT and excellent artist, challenged us to use our initials as our string. In my hurry, I didn't realize that we were SUPPOSED to use both our first and last initials. Oops. Here is my initial attempt at initialize.

my tangle journal

Courage To Create

2011-07-13T22:47:00.000-04:00

Courage to create.

Do you have it?

Do you believe in yourself enough to stand up for it?

When was the last time you had to?

One of the reasons I like Zentangle so much is that it can help adults who have lost their courage to create. We learned in Zentangle training that most young children, when asked, will enthusiastically tell you that they are artists. By the time they get to high school, only a small percentage will give the same response.

I will admit to being one of those. Somehow over the years, I gave doubt a foothold and he made himself at home. Since finding Zentangle, I've started getting back into art. A little at a time. In addition to tangling, I have started dabbling in watercolor and willingly sketch in public. And post my less than perfect results here on this blog.

I thought I was doing pretty well. Until Monday.

Birdie had started a cake decorating project for 4H and we found out on Sunday afternoon that she needed to bake and decorate a cake for Tuesday. (Did I mention that she is in camp from 8:30-5 every day?) I didn't think she had enough time, so I started immediately trying to talk her out of it.

She wouldn't listen.

She baked her cake on Sunday but on Monday we found out that her mentor would not be able to help her. Again, I sat down with her trying to convince her that she didn't need to go to judging. I told her that she could still decorate her cake, just for fun and that she didn't need someone else to tell her she was good. After all, I figured she would be competing against kids who've done this for years and she only had one afternoon of working with someone that knows what she's doing.

Thank goodness that Birdie is smarter than I am. That she still believes in herself. Enough to stand up to her doubting mother. Check out what she accomplished, all by herself.

By the way, she took first place in the county and will get to compete at the fair on July 30. Wish her luck.

And the next time anyone, even your own inner critic, tries to tell you that you can't do something, don't believe them.

The Scrapbook is Done!

2011-07-12T13:23:00.000-04:00

I have a very bad habit of starting things and not finishing them. I could fill a room with all of the real projects that I have started. Not to mention the scrapbook from our Disney Vacation in 2009, our beach vacation in 2010, and our California vacation in 2011. This trip was too special to just have the pictures sit on the computer. So, this time I decided I had to make time and make this project a priority. This is why it's been so quiet here for the last few weeks. It's also why you can write your name in the dirt in my house and why my poor DH has to come searching for his underwear. (At least it was washed!)

So, here are some of my favorite pages.

Birdie made these tangle tiles for each city.
(She will be excited when she sees them
in the scrapbook.)

These are just some of my favorites. There are 96 in total. If you want to see more, then you can see the book at: Bookemon. It might look like you have to buy it, but you don't. Just click the Read button and you can see them all. Enjoy your virtual tour of the Black Sea.

Color Day at Zentangle Camp

2011-06-29T16:27:00.000-04:00

Today, we finished camp a bit early so I had time to scan the beautiful work. These kids are amazing.

35 Scrapbook Pages

2011-06-21T08:52:00.000-04:00

... and I haven't left Istanbul. These 35 are from our 2-day pre-cruise. I'm having so much fun making these I just had to share.

Let me know if this link works better than the last one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tangledupinart/sets/72157626983271166/show/

Today, I feel better, so I have no excuse to sit and play with pictures. The laundry, the weeding, the cleaning, and the MAIL are calling. I hate mail and I have a whole box of it from the 2 weeks we were gone.

Black Sea Cruise Scrapbook Pages

2011-06-17T12:24:00.001-04:00

OK, I posted the first installment of scrapbook pages from our Black Sea Cruise. No tangling today, just Photoshop work. This is 1.5 days! Yikes, I'm slow. Hope you like them.Publish Post

Back in the USA

2011-06-14T20:59:00.000-04:00

Birdie and I just got back from a 2 week vacation overseas. Thanks to those who commented on the posts I'd scheduled for while we were gone.

For the next few weeks, come join us on our vacation recap. Here is day 1, from Memorial Day. Birdie and I got some tangling done on the flight from Cincinnati to JFK, but the LONG flight to Istanbul was too turbulent to tangle. Ugh.

my Memorial Day tile

tangle tray table

Birdie's Berries

Trying to Be "Purky"

2011-06-10T21:20:00.006-04:00

Birdie was feeling a bit under the weather last night. To take her mind off her tummy, she tangled. She said it would make her more "purky."

Now, if I could just tangle to take my mind off my tummy when I wanted to eat. Hmm, the new "tangle diet."

Displaying your Art

2011-06-08T21:13:00.002-04:00

I've been having a great time collecting my miniature pieces of art. The problem is that they were just sitting in a pile on my desk. This is no way to enjoy a collection! After looking at all of the clutter in my school room/guest room/art room, I noticed that there was one spot that was completely empty. Check out my new collection shelf:

We had a bit of trouble with the wind from an open window blowing some down, so I used a stapler to attach the sleeve to the wall. Then I slipped the ATC back in. So, they are secure and I can change out my collection.

Some of them were landscape mode and they had to be hung. I used some fishing line and mini clothespins.
Birdie has been making some art of the places we will be visiting and I will admit that I am terrible about getting artwork framed and hung on the wall. So, as I was doing a rush clean-up job, I took the pile of artwork and shoved it inside our DVD shelves. I like that so much better than looking at the DVD collection.

So, do any of you have any clever ways to display children's art? Or artist trading cards? Please share if you do.

Learning from the Masters

2011-06-06T10:11:00.002-04:00

I had so much fun trying to imitate the style of William Morris, that I decided to try it with a master tangler. Being a writer and teacher, I am vigilant about making sure all work is MINE. However, it has long been considered not only acceptable, but recommended in the art world to copy from the masters. I'm not talking about counterfeiting or taking someone else's work and calling it your own. The kind of copying I'm talking about is for practice only.

At one point in time, it was standard practice during an artist's training. How else can someone who is dead teach you anything? That was the logic.

Why do this? For one thing, sitting down with a work of art and attempting to recreate it will help you get inside the artist's head. You'll find yourself noticing details that previously were overlooked. Emulation will help you get a feel for how the artist created the look and mood of the work being copied. You will gain a greater understanding of why they did what they did. Plus, it can be fun, especially if you don't assume that your work will be as good as the master and get discouraged when it is not.

I fell in love with Margaret's bookmarks over at Enthusiastic Artist and after staring at them on my screen saver for a few weeks, I decided to see what I could learn by copying them. Here is the results.

So, next time you just love someone else's style, try copying it. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Iris

2011-06-04T23:02:00.000-04:00

tangled Iris done with Prismacolor colored pencils

I made this months ago for a challenge, but never entered it because I didn't think it was good enough. It was sitting on my desk when Boo, who is never known to mince words, said, "That's pretty." She thought I should put it on my blog, so here it is.

More from Sonya

2011-06-02T09:57:00.002-04:00

She just keeps getting better.

Purk on the Loose and a Shading Tip

2011-05-31T16:01:00.001-04:00

At my last class, one of my students did Purk. And I forgot to tell her she had to do it in the loopy area that we had left for it. It looked great. Then I saw someone else make a Purk that looked like it was on wavy fabric. Unfortunately, I can't find it for you. So, I decided to try and make a Purk that was outside the lines.

Shading Tip: I also discovered that I really like using my black Prismacolor pencil for doing the shading. It's not as shiny as my graphite pencil and doesn't smear as much as charcoal.

Looking at the World Through Tangled Eye

2011-05-29T11:14:00.001-04:00

Did you ever notice how many good eye sayings there are? It was so hard to name this little ATC for the "Eyes are the Window to the Soul" swap over at Zentangle Inspired Art. It was Eye See You, Eyes Without a Face, Eyes Wide Open, I've Got My Eye on You, Here's Looking at You, Tangled Eye,...
The list goes on. Got any more?

Birdie is Sad

2011-05-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

All her original tangles: Cs the Day, T-zing, P-Cox, and Yonz

Birdie's String Theory

2011-05-26T11:07:00.001-04:00

Here is Birdie's tangle for the Diva's challenge. She's actually done quite a few of them, but this is the first one she's completed in time to enter it in the slide show. I'm impressed with how much Zentangle is helping her with pen control. Her latest works are so much more precise than earlier ones.

I love how she split her Crescent moon. She is so creative.

The tangle is the bottom teardrop shape is her own pattern YONZ.

Idol

2011-05-25T07:13:00.002-04:00

As we sat down to watch American Idol last night, Birdie asked if I'd done the Diva Challenge yet. Surprisingly, the answer was "no." (This will tell you how busy the last two days have been.) She looked it up and came back with a pre-strung tile for me to fill. Cool. Less to think about.

As I was listening to those talented kids, I kept thinking "aah" and so I tangled it. Some of the excitement from the show must have been seeping into my string because my tangles just would not stay in the lines. I like the way it turned out, half dead pen and all. Hope you do, too.

The Power of Three?

2011-05-24T09:15:00.000-04:00

Last night, I held my third Zentangle 101 class with three new friends and it took three hours. There was laughter, sharing, and beautiful art produced. I feel so blessed to be a part of the "Zentangle movement." (for the last three months) Check out the great work they produced.

The new poster child for "relaxed focus."

Don't they look like they were having fun? And in the spirit of three, here is a trio of new Zentangles.
The two good ones are Birdie's. I did mine without my reading glasses, as an experiment.

A Tangled Day

2011-05-20T22:27:00.000-04:00

Today was great fun. I had an awesome class with three friends at noon. Well, it was supposed to be three adults, but little "Boo" just 8 years old refused to leave and go play with the kids. What could I do, but give her a tile and teach her also? She absolutely loved it.

Another Awesome Ensemble

I remarked to one of the ladies that I didn't know she was an artist. She replied, "You made me one." How awesome is that? I love being a CZT.

This evening my artsy friend Sonya accompanied her daughter to our Girl Scout meeting. Instead of coming to the parent meeting, she just sat at my dining room and tangled.

Check it out! I think she made very good use of her time:-)

Hope all your days can be tangled.

Cris

Tanglicious

2011-05-19T20:19:00.000-04:00

Look what Birdie made for my Zentangle class tomorrow. (It's not too late to sign up!)

Birdie made this one. I can't even do Y-Not with a pen!

Birdie's tangle Par-K

OK - I had to join the fun too. (But I prefer using a pen.)

More of mine.

I must admit, I didn't like my "esses" cupcake, so I ate it!

Glittery Fun

2011-05-18T10:51:00.000-04:00

Jeanie, one of my besties who came to my first Zentangle 101 class, just gave me a book called Designs to Color Glitter. She thought the patterns looked like Zentangle and that it would be fun to tangle. She was right. I LOVE the pens that came with it. You can't see very well from the scan, but in real life they look 3-dimensional. They also look wet. I was afraid to close the book because I thought the ink wasn't dry! Very fun. I was very surprised at the quality of the pens since she found this at Half Price Books.

When a 4-year-old friend say it, he said, "Ooh, pretty eggs." So, here they are.

I thought the would also fit the spirit of the Diva challenge, if not the "letter of the law." I definitely did not draw these "strings."

I was going to tell you where you could find this book online, but I wasn't able to locate a source, not even by the ISBN or publisher (Flying Frog.) So, here is a picture of this little gem. If you can find it locally, please post in case anyone else is looking for it.

Happy treasure hunting!

Art for Music Lovers

2011-05-18T08:22:00.000-04:00

I just posted my first Zentangle Inspired Art at fineartamerica.com. If you like it, you can buy cards or prints. How fun. To my artsy friends, check out the site. Looks good.

It's a Zentangle, of course!

2011-05-15T17:27:00.001-04:00

Well, "it" is finished. We all should know by now that Zentangles "aren't supposed to look like anything," except a Zentangle, of course. This is what I tell all of my students. I, however, have been doing Zentangle Inspired Art so sometimes have to remind myself of that. Here is the finished 2x2 "mini" ensemble.

I don't want to influence anyone, so I won't tell you what I think it looks like - yet. But Birdie didn't see it when I told her. I can tell you what it does NOT look like. It doesn't look anything like Shelly's quad that I used as a jumping off point. I am not a "copycat" so what I did was copy what I thought looked like her string, then closed the window and waited a few days before I started working. Can you see where I used her string? (Can you see how much better hers is? Oops, not supposed to be judgmental in Zentangle.)

So, what do YOU think it looks like, if anything? Please comment.

Birdie's Card

2011-05-14T11:39:00.001-04:00

We interrupt your slow-moving story of the tiny ensemble with this gorgeous card from Birdie. She made it for her Shakespeare group. I thought it was gorgeous so I asked if I could put it on my blog. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Almost Done!

2011-05-13T22:08:00.001-04:00

Only one more to go.

The Story Continues

2011-05-13T15:02:00.000-04:00

Finally. I was going through Blogger withdrawal. Almost made a site on tumblr!

The Start of Something - Small

2011-05-11T11:34:00.000-04:00

New Tangle - Oof

2011-05-09T08:53:00.001-04:00

Tangles used: Oof, Paradox, Flux (Rick's tongues), Purk, Esses, and C's the Day

I've been having so much fun with Rick and Maria's tangle Oof. Here is my latest take on it. In the right corner is the completed tangle, on the left is one "half-baked." I started this tangle by using Birdie's C's the Day and my Esses on the strings and it looked like a Victorian quilt!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful day. I spent most of the day working in the yard, but did spend a few minutes "playing." For Mother's Day, I treated myself to some colored ATCs and managed to take a few minutes for myself tangling with the new tangles, my Harten and the official Oof. I love using the Gelly Roll pens on dark papers. Also used Prismacolor silver on the purple one. Very fun. Enjoy, Cris

Last Minute Notice - Contest

2011-05-07T10:54:00.001-04:00

I just found out about a fantastic contest going on over at JuliePrichard's Blog. You could win free online art classes for life. How great would that be??? Watch this video to see how to enter.

Good luck. I hope one of my awesome friends wins this.

Royal Wedding - Zentangle Style

2011-05-05T12:53:00.000-04:00

This week's challenge from the Diva is to create a tangle inspired by the royal wedding. I LOVE the architecture of the building itself and was drawn in by the woodwork here. I also was taken in by the gold braids on the uniforms. I just love a man in uniform. I used one section of the wall in each corner and tied it all up with a variation of the official tangle Vega. I call it Double-V.

In the center is another tangle I made up.

Well, I think it could be considered a tangle. It is a repetitive pattern, so I guess it qualifies. I call it Harten, Dutch for Heart.

Birdie thinks both of these are super easy to figure out, but I'll post if anyone is interested.

Art from the Med Center

2011-05-02T22:22:00.000-04:00

Hubby had his "procedure" (when did it stop being called surgery?) done this morning, so it was a day of waiting for me. I feel so blessed to have found Zentangle. It kept my mind and hands busy and the only thing I needed from the hospital was light. I finished up a couple of ATCs for my "Home is Where the Art Is" swap over at Zentangle Inspired Art Yahoo group.

Script Ohio - my favorite tradition

My "Gold Records" look like flowers, but I do like how the "esses" made pretty zendalas.

This kept me busy until lunch time. Then DH got moved to his room and I finished my mom's Mother's Day card. (Sorry, Mom, if you see this before Sunday.)

The front - finished yesterday

The inside - tangled today

I had brought my travel sketchbook and watercolors, but got nervous about working in the fancy moleskin, so I did some thank you cards to send to the ladies who are doing both the swaps I am hosting. I like them all together like this. It looks like one of the "house farms" so common around here. Tomorrow, if DH doesn't get discharged, expect to see some pages in my travel sketchbook and maybe even the Diva challenge entry. (It was actually quite nice being away from the cooking and cleaning and dishes and homeschooling and other *things* that take away from my art time!)

Birdie's Tangle: Par-K

2011-04-29T22:36:00.001-04:00

Birdie was at it again. She saw this pattern on her T shirt and developed a tangle of it. We thought it was pretty simple, but I didn't see anyone else using it. If it is original, she's naming it "par-k". If not, she'd appreciate knowing who has claimed it. (I discovered it on her algebra work. No wonder it takes her so long to do her schoolwork!) You can watch it being created, but the instructions are really simple.

Here are a few variations of mine.

Inspired by William Morris

2011-04-27T23:52:00.000-04:00

Check out the shading on the big flower!

Ooh - love the fancy lettering.

This week's Diva challenge was to great a Zentangle inspired by the art of William Morris. Not being a student of art history, I had to look up his work. A quick search of Google images will return hundreds of gorgeous designs. His work is just made for tangling. Here are some of the treasures which inspired my work.

Love the puffy flowers and the movement of the swirling vines.

Leaves EVERYWHERE.

Part of the challenge was to do an "inverse Zentangle" using light ink on a dark background. I pulled out a piece of navy card stock and Gelly Roll pens that I got at the CZT training in February and started designing. This was definitely ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) since there was no quick string, but carefully sketched (and erased and sketched ...)

Once I got a nice flowing design sketched, I found my "Zen." I loved watching the design come to life as the rich ink flowed slowly out of the pen, especially the sparkly copper ink. I haven't had this much fun working on a piece since I completed my first Zentangle back in October. Once I had it filled, I got my silver Prismacolor to add some shading and more sparkle. Finally, I got my courage up and did some light leaves as background filler. I hope you like this one as much as I do.

Save the date!

2011-04-27T17:50:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited. I got put on the calendar to demo Zentangle at the Ohio State Fair. I will be there August 2, 3, and 4 from 10-2. I know you guys are all really busy, so I wanted to let you know so you could get it on your calendar. If anyone wants to join me, let me know. It's free, fun, and gets you into the fair for free!