Tools of the Trade...Trading Tools?

Ok...this weeks Diva Challenge (#206) asked us to use something you don't normally use, or expand our horizons. I had it all planned out...the huge piece of beautiful Rosapina has been on my work table for weeks, I have it all planned out in my head. I started it...and it is now cut up into smaller tiles, as it really didn't work out the way I wanted it. (tried rubber-stamping words...not a good idea while you are on a conference call...)

So...I reverted to something else I figured as a semi-failed attempt a while back. I watercolored a few errant pieces of water color paper with the salt process and some cool Niji pearlescent watercolors, and when they were done, I didn't know what to do with them. They were so pretty, they intimidated me. So, I whipped out the least intimidating one (purple and grey) and the associated Tombows, and tangled away. I just got my Tombow markers recently, and haven't really used them much, and I have never really shaded with color, so this was a grand experiment.

I did mount it on a black tile, I thought it looked nicer.

Squeaking in under the wire...and back to homework.

Stay Crazy My Friends!

Year of the Goat! or Sheep? Happy Lunar New Year!

Slow week, not a lot to report...

Diva #205 gave us the prompt of Chinese New Year (Year of the Goat.) So...I found a lot of sheep that looked like goats...and goats that looked like sheep. Tried to keep a it a bit simple I guess, Found a cool vector graphic of the sheep and used it as my focal (traced, kinda, drawn, kinda) and thought it needed the red and gold colors I always see in pretty Chinese things.

Happy New Year!

Stay Crazy My Friends!

My Funny ...Valentangle?

And here I am, in the throes of my final semester of undergrad...buried in the hoopla that is internships and homework...

I am squeaking last weeks Diva (#204) in right under the wire. Since today is Family Day in Canada, she isn't posting this week's until tomorrow!

So #204 is a Valentangle. I thought I might like to try out my new Tombow markers, and I sure do like them. (ad before anyone goes praising my ability to make a Celtic knot...that is a Zencil and you can get the set for either 3.5 inch tiles or Zendalas, or even Bijou from Jenny Perruzzi at her etsy.com shop.) I am a little sad that the glitter pen I used in the rings didn't show up on the scan, but that's life. It's really pretty in person.

And for our Diva Throwback, I present to you, #195, which was Old Into New. I deconstructed Fengle to make this ring for my Trim-a-Rim. Derwent Inktense pencils and that Wink of Stella Glitter Brush (I'm on a glitter bender again...)

And another Diva Throwback (a bit more recent one!) #203 - UMT (Use My Tangle) Athitzi by Seven. I did this one on a Bijou tile, and turned it into the Valentine card my man!

I was really on a roll with cards this week, its my big birthday season, so here are the one's I did for my sister soldier, Gloria.

And the one I dd for Mom...

I would like to thank my pal Betsy (you know who you are) for giving me the card making bug...

That's all I have time for tonight. 

Stay Crazy My Friends!

Diva #202: Chebucto vs. Copada

Oh man...was this one a real challenge for me!

This week, our darling Diva asked us to do a DuoTangle of Chebucto and Copada by Margaret Bremner. Now, for those that know me, I'm not squeamish, and I don't practice, I just do. I have to say this one was a major trial for me (resulting in a couple of ripped up tiles in the trash!) I love Margaret, but I was calling her all kinds of names...and kinda lost my Zen. But on a last resort, I pulled out one of my old "practice tiles" and I think I came up with something workable. I was really getting back into it in the end. (Thankfully, that silver pen is opaque and covers up a bunch of things!)

So to make this week a real challenge, here is a throwback Diva from when I was being a bit of a slacker. This one was #194, entitled "Embrace the Yuck." The prompt was to go outside your comfort zone and do a tangle with your non-dominant hand. I'm right handed. I may as well only have one arm, because my left does not do what I want it to do. I procrastinated on this one really bad for a while, because it made me very uncomfortable. I did part of it with my left hand, and part of it with my glasses off (which just made my eyes water and gave me a headache...)

ok...and now back to homework!

Stay Crazy My Friends!

Diva #201 - "Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day 2015"

This week, I learned a lot about a lot of things, and it's only Monday!

Laura Harms, The Diva, has a couple of really cute kids. The youngest, Artoo, has a neurological disorder called Moebius Syndrome. This coming Saturday is Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day, so she her prompt for this week's Diva Challenge was to use the Moebius Syndrome logo in our work. So...I printed it out...made it the right size for my 6 x 6 paper, cut it out, grabbed a piece of purple paper (the color they use for the Moebius Syndrome stuff) and did a little paper treatment. Paper curled with the spray...ack...I ironed it...it flattened.

Then I went to tangle on it. Alcohol ink Perfect Pearls Mist and Micon pens do not work well together. I did most of this in White Gelly Roll, but I wanted some black to accent it. Permawriter...no...IdentiPen...no joy...Black Gelly...worked for a minute...Black Gelly Glaze...worked, but boy was it inky! Interesting, to say the least.

So...this post will get a little weird. I thought I would collect up some of the Diva Challenges as I finish the one ones I am behind, and just post them all on one page so I can sort them out. I will do this from time to time!

The first here is Diva #199, which is a UMT (Use My Tangle) of Hitch by HeidiSue. On a Black Tile, with metallic Gelly Roll pen. Not completely happy with the red, it looks more pink on the black, and not quite as dramatic as I would have like.

And also, #197, which used the new Zentangle pattern Akuras. I feel like I cheated on this a bit, because I am going A-Z on Official tangle patterns in my Tangle-A-Day 2015 calendar, and it so happens I am catching up on that too.

And last, but not least...I saw this on Pinterest, so I had to have it for my work space.

I have been moving stuff from space to space to work, sometimes at the tall drafting table, sometimes at my desk with my computer, and sometimes at the sewing table (since I have the machine put up for now...long story...school is involved.) I set up my most used Zentangle materials in the top rack, including stuff I am currently working on.

So now I can just wheel it around, and work where I want.

One more day of freedom, then back to school...

Stay Crazy My Friends!

Viva La Diva 200!

I'm BAAAACCCCCKKKK!

Did you miss me?

This is my 5th and final week of my school break. Boo! OK....so maybe not so boo, as this is my LAST SEMESTER. That's right! I graduate in May!

Report card from the Fall semester - 6 classes, 6 A's! So while I was absent from the online Zentangle world, I did very well at putting my nose to the grindstone and getting a lot done.

We spent a lot of the holiday break traveling. We went to Florida for my sister-in-law Marie's celebration of life (cancer sucks) and we went skiing/snowboarding before Christmas (you truly cannot teach this old dog new tricks, I am going to stick to skiing after taking a whole day of snowboard lessons.)

Last week, we went to Texas to see the kids (and my cutie patootie grandson.)

So, in my last and final week of distressing, I could not help but be a part of The Diva's 200th challenge. The prompt: use your mac 'n cheese tangle as a mono tangle, take it all the way off the paper, and include the "200" on it. I had worked on Zendala tiles earlier in the week (pics below too) so I decided to go with the Renaissance Tan Zendala and my favorite tangle, Fengle.

This one took me a little while longer than usual, but I am surely pleased with the results.

And you may ask, why Fengle? Well, long before I even knew what Zentangle was, I got this tattoo...

And at the time, the only thing it stood for was my Arizona way of life, ala Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers (aka The Refreshments.) But now, I add its meaning of reminding me every day the Zen of my tangled life.

Oh, and before I forget, had a great get together with my Zentangle pals in San Diego this week. Shout out to Janet Masey (Tiki Tangles) for hosting, and Suzanne Wilka (Tinkered Art) for arranging to lead us through this ultra cool Zendala Tile box by Dorian Eng (Little Bit of Heart).

And...I think we are caught up for now. I have a lot of tangling to do to get caught back up with all the Diva Challenges I missed, so I set a goal to be caught up by the end of January, and then I am going to go back and start at #1 (I joined in at #161) and proceed throughout the year.

I should have some classes listed pretty soon, but I need to find a venue, and see what my school load is going to be like first.

Stay Crazy My Friends!

Playing Catch Up!

Ok...the rush of finals is over, and I am off school until January 24th.  Grade have not yet been reported, but so far I know of 5 of my 6 classes I got A's.

It is a Good News/Bad News situation. Good News is the Spring is my last semester; I graduate in May. Bad News is I have class 4 days a week (including my precious Quilts of Valor Fridays.)

I realize I have been lax in posting, and lax in my participation in the Diva Challenges, so I am making to rectify that. I left off with #193, which was Veterans Day, and the challenge was THX (Trio, Huggins, and XYP.)  Worked it on a watercolor post card, with Micron and Derwent Metallic watercolor pencil. I went over the gold watercolor with a gold UM-153 from Signo, because it seemed like it needed it.

I am setting a goal of being completely caught up before school starts again, so I need to get crackin! I started doing the Diva challenge at #160, so I think this year I will go back and start at #1...thought that would be lofty goal and give me a prompt when I need one.

Ciao for now. Happy New Year!