Almost a New Year

     Today, the 30th of December is New Year's Eve Eve...we are having some family and friends in tomorrow night so I was doing some cooking today...We are having a casual meal..soup and sandwiches, chips/queso, veggie platter, and cookie tray.  I decided to make a few bar cookies...blonde brownies, magic bars, and lemon bars....oh, and I have the kids decorated sugar cookies that I had frozen at Christmas to have for New Year's.

     So I am just a cooking fool...got all my stuff together...got one batch in the oven, start on my lemon bars.  Got the first layer done and on the pan...I start to beat the eggs, cream cheese, and powdered sugar...going good...but my filling layer is just a little too thick..Now I haven't made lemon bars for quite awhile  but the directions say, after the ingredients are mixed POUR onto the bottom layer!  Well, there is no way this filling will POUR so I decide to add another egg...still just getting thicker and stickier...okay, let's try another egg...hm-m-m-m, not much difference....let's add some lemon juice..after all, these are LEMON Bars!   Okay, that is a little better..still pretty thick..I can't POUR but I may be able to SPREAD the filling on...Just as I start to dump the filling on the bottom layer, a really loud bell goes off in my head!!!  Mystery solved!!  Do you know how much alike white flour and powdered sugar look when in the same type of clear plastic containers?  

      I just so happened to have enough ingredients to make a new filling for the lemon bars.  Baked them and then made the magic bars...all is well that ends well!!!  Then I look at that mass of cream cheese, 4 eggs, and two cups of flour...another light bulb...I hate to waste all that....so I add other stuff like sugar, baking powder, vanilla etc...spread some coconut on top and baked those suckers!!!  Who knows, I may have created a whole new wonderful cookie bar...worthy of the local paper's Christmas cookie contest...or not!!!!

Happy Anniversary to Me and Mine!

     Forty-eight years ago today my husband and I were married in the Catholic church which I attended from  birth to age 23.  We had a modest but formal wedding...a lovely reception at the local Country Club (a remodeled farm house at the edge of an apple orchard/nine hole golf course)...and a very short honeymoon in the big city of St. Louis.   We were both from rural communities...one in Illinois (mine) and his in Missouri, so St. Louis was  a big deal for us then!!!  I had taught for one year in the Kansas City, Missouri area and he was in the Air Force so had seen a little bit of the "world"....San Antonio, Texas and Reno, Nevada so we weren't just total greenhorns!!

     After our wedding, we headed to Nevada where he was stationed...within six months we were on our way to Anchorage, Alaska for two years...stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base.  And within another seven months we were proud parents of our first daughter...It is a good thing the young and dumb have no idea what they are getting into!!!  But...now, 48 years, several moves, another daughter, a terrific son-in-law and two perfect grandchildren later....we would not change one thing!!!!

We are looking forward to the next....well, probably not 48, but maybe another 28!!!!

The Day After Christmas and all thru the House....

We spent a wonderful weekend with our daughter at her house...she cooked for us..entertained us..and treated us quite royally!!!!  We had taken our other daughter's dog with us as they were out of town for Christmas...the D. we visited has a young (not quite a year old) very lively puppy and the dog we are taking care of is getting pretty old!  So it was an adventure to see how they reacted to each other...one very exuberant and the other quite grouchy!!!  In fact the older one was pretty traumatized for the first day and a half!!  But they finally somewhat tolerated each other...and made for a few funny moments!

Our daughter is a wonderful cook...albeit new at the whole thing...She fixed a delicious pork roast and all the fixin's for our Christmas dinner.  And I had already told her and my husband they would have to play games with me...that is how we spend Christmas when all together!!  So Christmas Day evening, the D. hooked up her Wii..and we discovered that I am a digital super athlete!!!  We played bowling, frisbee, and basketball and I kicked butt...beat both of them to pieces!!!!

So now we are home...the old dog is very happy to have her quiet space...we are 'way too stuffed...and looking forward to our own bed..I guess we are like the old dog in that respect!!!!  Great to go but also great to get home!!!

Still having trouble downloading pics!!!!

Challenge # 52: The Gift

This week the Diva's challenge is to make a Zentangle tile and then to give it away.  My tile will be mailed to one of my blog friends, a lady whose blog I follow and enjoy very much!  Because I want my tile to be a surprise to her, I am not going to tell who I am sending it to until next week.

"Giving is Pleasure.

No matter how large or small,

The thought is the gift.

Merry Christmas to all...I hope everyone enjoys the holiday in anyway you choose...be it with family and friends, at home or far away, I wish you happiness!!

Been away too long!!!

Our modem went out last Thursday, a week ago tomorrow....I didn't realize how much I missed being on line until I was without!!!  I admit it..I am a total Internet addict and that is OK!!!  As long as I still have the "strength" to walk away or not even get on until evening, I am still "in control"!!!

So....a quick update on what's been going on in my life...Last Friday was Trinity Valley Quilters' Guild Christmas party...we don't have a speaker at the December meeting...just tons of great food; a fantastic show and tell; lots of laughs and fun!  I finished my Medallion quilt so I took it to show. I need to get a sleeve on it so I can hang it.  I did a bit different facing than I usually do and I really like it....I am sure I will use it many times at least on small quilts.

Tuesday: The grands came out to do our annual cookie decorating...they left most of them here for me to freeze and have for New Year's Eve when almost everyone will be here.  Then Tuesday night, Dick and I did a little early anniversary celebrating.  Our anniversary isn't until next week, but we wanted to see the Lyle Lovett concert which was last night.  So we ate out and went to the concert.  We had real "nose bleed" seats....we were in the top balcony in the top row of seats. But the acoustics at the Bass are so fantastic, and with out binoculars, it seemed like the much closer!!

Today, I finally caught up with the BOMs that I have been doing....this one for November.  But at least I got it out before the December pattern is issued.  Check out the BOM logo on my side bar.

I am trying to download pics of my quilts but something is not working for some reason.

Too many good eats!!!!!

This morning we went with our neighbor's to our favorite Brunch Place...Blue Mesa in Fort Worth!  Yummmy!!!!  The best salmon, salsa, eggs of any kind, ham...and mimosas!  I could go on but don't want to make you all too envious!

Then this afternoon Open House at a different neighbors...we all take turns hosting...everyone takes a goody to share and cookies for a cookie exchange...again..Yummmmmmy!  I was still so full from brunch though that I wasn't able to thoroughly enjoy all the open house offerings so I had to bring a "take home" bag with me!!

And another little Advent trivia to share....

The Lights of Christmas

The most obvious symbol of Christmas are lights – Christmas candles, window lights, luminaries, lights on the Advent Wreath and Christmas tree. All signifying that Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.

Challenge # 51-"Fife"

The Diva's challenge for this week is "Fife".  It is a zentangle pattern by Molly Hollibaugh and while deciding what to do with it after I drew my string, I was looking through patterns on Linda Farmer's website to get some ideas and ended up using all "F" tangles!  So I included the names of all them in my Haiku.  Now for you non-tanglers out there...the names of patterns are kind of like abstract art...sometimes only the artist who created them knows for sure what the meaning of the title is!!  You just have to interpret the meaning for yourself!!

Challenge # 51-"Fife"

" The Challenge is "Fife".
Finery and Florz and Fluke
Fill my tangled tile!"

And while doing this challenge and looking at all the patterns out there...I have decided to challenge myself with doing each of them in Linda's list, alphabetically.  I am toying with a tile per letter...this is just my head talking...no decisions made yet!!

I also have joined a "round robin" quilt swap which I am excited about. It is under the direction of  Floribunda Quilts.  And I have a big "well...duh!" to my credit.  This morning I was cruising through her blog and was reading some of her older entries when I came upon an entry that told of a swap quilt she had sent to......ME!  I don't know why I did not make the connection before...chalk it up to senility, I guess!!

Swap Quilt from Floribunda....Isn't it great!!!!

And now I need to close and get busy on my Medallion Quilt...getting really close to the finished project!!

This is my completed medallion...working on getting it on a background and getting it all quilted!

Merry, merry!

Christmas is fast approaching and I am actually almost through with shopping!  I have my Christmas cards all addressed and ready to go..then realized I have no stamps!  And living out in the boonies, I can't (or won't) dash into town to get some!  So they will have to wait until Monday to go out but that is still much earlier than my usual Post Christmas mailing!

Decorating was a breeze as we didn't put up a tree since we are going to the daughters' for Christmas....and didn't put up my one thousand and one Santas (maybe a slight exaggeration)...and haven't decorated cookies with the grands yet..but that may still happen as they have one more week of school.  Just have to do the wrapping, get stocking stuffer things, and I'm good!!!

My granddaughter announced her college decision over Thanksgiving...she will be attending University of Texas at Austin.  She applied to and was accepted by three colleges...UT, A&M and Tech...and UT won her over.  Her paternal grandad is Delighted!!!  He is a BIG alum and football fan; this is his third grandchild to go to college and the first to pick UT!

Busy week coming up: Sunday: brunch with the neighbors; Neighborhood open house; Monday: finish shopping; Tuesday/Wednesday: wrap and do some cooking; Thursday: table to decorate for the guild Christmas party; Friday: the party itself....and we always have a big show and tell so I am trying to get my "Larkin Van Horn Medallion Quilt" finished to take...so better go get busy!

One more little Advent trivia:

ADVENT HOUSE

This is a popular rendition of the Jesse Tree and is usually purchased in a religious goods store. It has windows to be opened each day during Advent, each displaying a feature of the coming of the Christ Child. On December 24 the door is opened, revealing the Nativity scene.

Advent and More

JESSE TREE

During Advent, biblical persons representing the ancestors of Jesus, either in faith or bloodline, are gradually added onto a tree or branch, named after the father of David. The symbols such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesse, David, Solomon, Joseph and Mary can be drawn, cut out or purchased.

This Advent tradition is a new one to me.  But I think it is pretty neat so I am including it in my Advent Info.

One of the blogs I follow had a really neat 3D paper Christmas ornament. I think a lot of these patterns could be made from fabric also.  On the way to that site I found another one that has gobs of how to's.  Just click on the following and it should take you to that site.... paper 3D snowflake .

Challenge #50: Biggity

This week the Diva challenged us to draw BIGGER....to take tangle patterns that we liked  and to enlarge them..taking us out of our comfort zone, so to speak!  I decided to take a completed tile and crop off a corner, then replicate much larger!  I liked this challenge as it did make me use some techniques that I had not used for awhile.

The original tile

The enlarge drawing of a cropped corner..BIGGITY!!

"Is bigger better?

No, bigger is just different.

Big or small...your choice!"

Advent Adventure Continues

ADVENT WREATH

"Customarily the Advent Wreath is constructed of a circle of evergreen branches into which are inserted four candles. According to tradition, three of the candles are violet and the fourth is rose. However, four violet or white candles may also be used” (Book of Blessings 1510).
The rose candle is lit the third Sunday of Advent, for this color anticipates and symbolizes the Christmas joy announced in the first word of the Entrance Antiphon: "Rejoice" (Latin, Gaudete). For this reason the Third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and rose color vestments are permitted.

The Advent Wreath represents the long time when people lived in spiritual darkness, waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the Light of the world. Each year in Advent people wait once again in darkness for the coming of the Lord, His historical coming in the mystery of Bethlehem, His final coming at the end of time, and His special coming in every moment of grace.

During Advent, family and friends can gather around the Advent Wreath lighting the appropriate candle(s), read from the daily Advent meditation and sing songs. The Church's official Book of Blessings also provides a blessing ceremony for the advent wreath which can be used in the absence of a priest.

Advent

An Advent calendar is a special calendar that counts and celebrates the days of Advent in anticipation ofChristmas. Some calendars are strictly religious, while others contain more secular content. The tradition of the Advent calendar has existed in some form since the middle of the 19th century. For Christians all over the world, the Advent calendar has been used as a devotional tool to countdown the days of the Advent season that culminates with the celebration of the birth of Christ. Advent calendars have commonly been used for the education and entertainment of children, with daily scriptural readings that sometimes come with a chocolate treat.

I was raised Catholic and although I am not as avidly religious as I was as a child, there are a few things about the Church I still like...one of the celebrations I like is the Season of Advent....Christmas should mean so much more than just shopping!!  So my next few blogs are going to be associated with Advent...history of, symbols of, etc...maybe even a Zentangle or two thrown in!!

ADVENT

The word Advent is from the Latin adventus for "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent always contains four Sundays, beginning on the Sunday nearest the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, (November 30) and continuing until December 24. It blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the Bethlehem event.

Since the 900s Advent has been considered the beginning of the Church year. This does not mean that Advent is the most important time of the year. Easter has always had this honor.

The traditional color of Advent is purple or violet which symbolizes the penitential spirit. Religious traditions associated with Advent express all these themes.

Challenge #49: Red Thread

"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

The Diva has a guest challenger this week, Chris Letoumea and her challenge is to do a zentangle using black and white with a Red Thread in honor of the Red Thread Promise which is a charitable organization benefiting the children of the world....very interesting website...Chris's and the "Red Thread".  Check them out....

And because this week we here in the USA are celebrating Thanksgiving, my zentangle is of a turkey, using the good 'ol "trace the hand" technique, with the turkey's gobbler being my red thread!

Challenge # 49: Red Thread

"Annual traditions:
Families, feasting, football, fun!
Leftovers all week!!"

So HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!  COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!!  I know mine are many!!!!!

Challenge #48: Tri-Shapes

This week's challenge is given by a guest host on the Diva's website...Sue Clark.  Her challenge is to use three basic shapes: a circle, a square, and a triangle for the strings and then create the zentangle....and an additional challenge is to use zentangle patterns that I have not used before.  So the tangles I chose are: zuan shi, wisket, popsicles, and Queen's crown.

Challenge # 48: Tri-Shapes

"Circles, triangles
...and squares, oh my...basic shapes...
Ovals, rectangles!"

And, while surfing around from other bloggers' lists, I came across the BEST site for Zentangle patterns!  TanglePatterns.com is a site that belongs to Linda Farmer.  It had access to every zentangel pattern imaginable!  And you can sign up for her newsletter to get new patterns as they are created.  You can get to the creators' of many of the patterns, see their websites, blogs, examples, etc.  Can you tell I am pretty enthused by Linda's site!!!!  (Now, I am sure that many of you are already aware of it, but it is new to me!)

On a sad note, one of my favorite sites, 3 Creative Studios, is disbanning at the end of the year!  I can understand their reason, but it is a site I have really enjoyed.  I am sure the gals will succeed in all they do! (If you have not checked them out, you can still reach them from my sidebar of blogs.)

11-11-11

   

Australian Poster

     When I was little, my mom would quote "In Flanders Fields" to us on Veteran's Day; then known as Armistice Day.  I really didn't give it much thought until this week's zentangle challenge by the Diva.  So I did a little more research and discovered the following information:

Inspiration for “In Flanders Fields”

Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillery. ⁽¹⁾

During the early days of the Second Battle of Ypres a young Canadian artillery officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed on 2^nd May, 1915 in the gun positions near Ypres. An exploding German artillery shell landed near him. He was serving in the same Canadian artillery unit as a friend of his, the Canadian military doctor and artillery commander Major John McCrae.

As the brigade doctor, John McCrae was asked to conduct the burial service for Alexis because the chaplain had been called away somewhere else on duty that evening. It is believed that later that evening, after the burial, John began the draft for his now famous poem “In Flanders Fields”.

 I love the poem and I loved when the American Legion would give out paper poppies.  My dad was in WWII and we had a graveside military service for him when he passed away...gun salute and all.  I still think this day is one of our most special days...but I don't think it gets the recognition it deserves.  I will fly my flag and I will wear my flag T-shirt and I will re-read "In Flanders Field"...unlike my mom, I have not memorized it!

An Armistice Day poster

     What I didn't realize was that the poem was written by a Canadian, and that other countries also commemorate a similar day until the Diva gave us her weekly challenge: "Lest We Forget".  She writes some very interesting stuff on Canada's Remembrance Day.
  In Canada there is the Royal Canadian Legion which is similar to our American Legion. And Scotland has a Poppy Day.

A Scottish poster I saw on the Internet

     So with all that said and done...here is my Zentangle and accompanying haiku!

"Poppies in the fields.
All the crosses in a row.
Must NEVER forget!"

International Quilt Festival-Houston

      Well, I am recovered enough to do a little blogging!  Andrea (my daughter who came to spend the night) and I had a great time in Houston at the quilt show.  We did have a bit of a rocky start!!  We needed to be in Arlington at 5:30 AM to catch the tour bus...and Saturday night was the time change from daylight to standard time.  I changed my watch before I went to bed but left all the other clocks to deal with on Sunday (or let Dick mess with it while we were gone!)  So we set the alarm in our room to go off at nearly 5:00AM which would be 4:00 real time.  I knew we would need to leave by 4:45 to get where we needed to by 5:30.  I woke up several times and everytime I looked at the clock, I would mentally  subtract an hour.  Then about what I thought was 3:00, I heard Andrea up getting ready to go.  I thought "Oh, she has her time off!" and went back to sleep...When my alarm go off at ten til five (really ten til four) I got up...got ready to get in the shower, etc.  Andrea knocks on my door and says, "Mom, we need to be leaving right now!!"  I said, "Oh no, you have your time mixed up."  So to convince her, I checked my watch but sure enough she was right!!  Man, I cussed up a storm...brushed my teeth, threw on my clothes, grabbed my bag, jumped in the car, and drove like a bat out of Hell!!

     Fortunately, there were not vey many people out at that hour!  I tailed onto a pickup truck going well over the speed limit thinking the cops would stop them first!! And we arrived screeching into the bus lot right on time!!!!  I called Dick to let him know we were there...he realized what had gone wrong...the clock-radio we use is relatively new and we did not know that it was a smart clock that would reset itself!!!  I tell you..these new-fangled things will be the death of me!!!!!

Entering the George Brown Auditorium

One of the displays by the "12 x 12" gals

Wonderful thread art and dyeing

Love these cattails!!!

From the Nature group...such wonderful dimension!

Three dimensional houses by several artists

Created with white thread on black fabric

More thread painting

Gorgeous colors...great fabrics!

A closeup of a really neat quilt!

Isn't this just out of this world!!!

Taken from across the hall...The quilt in the center on the wall was done by a good friend of mine.  It appears in the newest Texas Legacy Quilt Book....the whole exhibit is fabulous!!

     It was a wonderful show....there were several exhibits that you couldn't take pictures of  so this is a sampling of some of my favorites that I could take.  I think this show had more of the "art quilt" variety that usual....maybe the genre is becoming more popular!!!  Sure hope so!!!

Challenge # 46 All Hallow's Eve

Since Monday (when the diva posts the new challenge for the week) was Halloween, the challenge was just that "All Hallow's Eve", the accurate name for the date.  I wonder how many people really know the origin  of Halloween...I heard a group on the tv saying they were campaigning  to have the date changed to the last Saturday of October so the kiddies could stay out late and not have to worry about school the next day!  That kind of messes up the real reason for Hallow's Eve! So I decided to bore everyone with the "real" story of Halloween!  If you want to skip and go right to my new Zentangle just scroll down!

Halloween s origins go all the way back to Ancient times with the Celtic festival of Samhain. This was the Celt s version of a New Years Eve celebration honoring the end of summer and harvest time, and marking a period of cold, darkness, and death of winter. Celts believed that this end of the year time marked the time in which the barrier between the living and the dead became thin. On October 31st the spirits would come back from the dead and create havoc by damaging the crops with frost and causing a multitude of other troubles.

The Roman church soon enacted a holiday to detour the worship of spirits, and so proclaimed November 1st as All Saint s Day to honor the saints and martyrs of the church. This day was also known as All Hallows Eve. As the two religions began to mix much of the traditions of Samhain, such as dressing up in costumes and dancing around the fire, became one with All Hallows Eve to create Halloween.

Tradition has always been a part of Halloween from its very start. It s no wonder then that many of our traditions today came from this time period. An example of these traditions would be bobbing for apples. When Roman tradition mixed with Celtic tradition, so did their festivals. One festival near the time of Samhain was a day to honor the goddess of fruit trees, Pamona. Pamona is quite often symbolized as an apple, hence the modern day practice of bobbing for apples.

Trick or Treating is also a tradition of Halloween with early starts. Trick or Treating came from All Soul s Day parades in early England. The poor citizens of England would line up on the sides of the street as the richer members of the community paraded by and threw them pastries called soul cakes. The starving citizens would accept these cakes in exchange for praying for the richer class s dead family members.

Another tradition of Halloween is dressing up in costumes. This is another tradition that started in early England where citizens, knowing that Hallows Eve was a time for the spirits of their ancestors to come back and taunt them, would dress up in masks and costumes to keep the spirits from recognizing them.

# 46 All Hallow's Eve

"Scary Spider Webs...
Spirits roaming all around..
The Bewitching Hour!!

Little Quilt Swap #6

A few weeks ago, I posted about the "Little Quilt Swap" which is sponsored by Kate North from England....I have so enjoyed it that I am sure I will participate again.  If any of my readers are interested, you can go to her blog or click on the logo on my sidebar.

This is the quilt I made for the swap and sent to Arkansas.

Today I mailed the little quilt that I had made to the person whom Kate sent to me. The recipient of my quilt lives in Little Rock, Arkansas.  And when I got home, I was very pleasantly please to have gotten a quilt from Julie Waldman who lives in Oakland, CA!!!  I LOVE my quilt...it is mostly (if not all) batiks...just beautifully designed and made!!

This is the beautiful little quilt I rec'd today from California!

My studioQ group met today.  There were only seven of us present but we still had a great time!  The gal who was to have it had to cancel at the last minute so we thought we had no where to meet...then one of the Q'ers came up with the idea of meeting at Cabbage Rose...a favorite quilt shop in Fort Worth which has several rooms for classes etc. and very nicely will let groups like us to use them.  After our "show and tell" and catching up on news, we went to eat at the Flying Fish, right across the street for the Rose.

And...last but not least, my daughter and I are going to Houston Sunday for the International Quilt Festival.  We are going by tour bus...it was a kind of last minute decision on our part...hoping that there were still some seats left to fill!  And luckily, the lady in charge had three left and was delighted to sell off two of them!!  I have been once before, but Andrea has not so it will be a full but fun day!!

Fall Festival Quilt Show Blog

This is a new challenge/blog for me to be involved in...Amy's Creative Side  is a very neat blog which sponsors a bloggers Quilt Show.  Click on the above to see all the quilts posted "out there"...including this one which I am going to post....

Aurora Borealis

This wall hanging/quilt was my entry in my guild's show challenge.  Each year Trinity Valley Quilter's Guild of Fort Worth, Texas holds a quilt show and each show has a member's challenge.  This year our quilts were to be created with one "mystery" fabric. (the same for everyone) and to go along with the theme of using recycled material.  There are five quilts chosen by the judges, no 1st, 2nd, etc...just equally given a ribbon and a cash prize....We had 35 entries this year and mine was one of the lucky ones...my fabrics were scraps from my husband's old ties, bridesmaids' dresses, mother-of-the bride dress, formals, Halloween costumes, and more.  I did quite a bit of hand quilting and beading on the quilt practicing some of the techniques I recently learned from a class I took at Arrowmont.

Challenge # 45-Chainling

This week the Diva's challenge is based on a zentangle from Rick and Maria named "Chaining".  I had not done this one before....found it to be very fun..and somehow as I was working on it, the whole design became a pumpkin shape!  Guess my subconscious realized it is fall/Halloween season!

Challenge #45: Chainling

"Pumpkin on the vine.
October is harvest time.
Fall is in the air!"

....and my accompanying Haiku!

Working on My Medallion

Slowly but surely I am finishing my medallion that I started in the workshop I took last week.  I have been thinking  about the background for the wall hanging as I bead and have a pretty good idea what I want to do.  Larkin also gave us some wonderful instructions on how to finish up the art work.

Day #1

Day #2

Day #3

Day #4

I really enjoy this process...as I learn, making a few mistakes...I am thinking of ways to improve, new ideas....This becomes.."can't wait to finish so I can start on a new one!!!"

In the meantime....our Texas Rangers are really doing great!  They are now in St. Louis, ready to win the World Series with one game to go!!  Then today's game was called because of rain....bummer!  Oh, the tension grows!!

Challlenge #44 Inside/Outside

Last Monday the Diva posted the new challenge...to create a tangle, then fill that tangle up with other tangles...very fun!!!  Here is my effort and accompanying haiku!

Challenge #44 "Inside/outside"

"So many tangles!
Inside, outside, all around.
A fun tile to do!"

And I am continuing to work on my medallion for my art quilt from Larkin's class.  Here is the start and what I have so far....this is a very slow, but gratifying, technique to work with.

Beginning of medallion

Second day..doesn't look like much....very slow!!!!

Fabulous Workshop!

This week...busy week...I attended a two day workshop sponsored by my quilt guild.  The artist who taught the class was Larkin Van Horn, a fabulous fiber artist whose current speciality is beading.  Now her beading is not your everyday beading!  Her work is simply out of this world.  I had taken a class from her a couple of years ago and learned some very good basic skills...but what I learned this week was 'way beyond my expectations.

Here is just one example of her work...be sure to click on her name to go to her website and see more of her wonderful creations!!

A closeup of the above medallion.

And the very beginnings of my medallion!

At the beginning of the workshop, Larkin warned us to not expect to complete the beading and probably not the background.  And she was right!!  It is a very slow process but I really love it!!!  I think I have a new addiction!!!  I'll post progress as I go.

Tomorrow is our monthly guild meeting where Larson will speak to the entire membership present.  Although I will be there and look forward to hearing her, I would really love to stay home and work on my medallion....maybe with cooler weather approaching I will feel like staying home and getting some of my projects done!!!!

Challenge # 43-Sunflower Fun-D

This week the Diva posted the challenge a day late because Canada was celebrating Thanksgiving on Monday, October 10.  Belated Thanksgiving, to my Canadian friends!

The Diva sometimes gets ideas for the challenges from fellow bloggers and this week's subject comes from the Republic of South Africa which supports a project to create awareness of leukaemia and bone marrow transfer.  The Sunflower Fund is a nonprofit organization which I became aware of through the blog of Pennyb of Fish Hoek, Cape Town, South Africa.

Challenge # 43-"Sunflower Fun" (d)

The Sunflower Fund
Share a little; Share a life!
Fight leukaemia!

Finally!!!!

RAIN, BEAUTIFUL RAIN!!!!  Finally we have rain...it started at our house about 7:00 last night and hasn't stopped yet...(9:30 AM).  Two hours ago we had FIVE inches in our rain gauge...and still coming!  And it has been a very gentle, steady rain...soaking into the ground not just running off!

Weekends activities have had to be curtailed....Rangers playoffs with the Detroit Tigers was delayed twice last night with the game finally ending after midnight...A Rangers' win, I might add!!!

We were at a marching band contest yesterday afternoon and saw the preliminaries.  North Crowley Mighty Panther Band was selected to compete again in the final round in the evening...we left before that...and I am sure they were probably rained out.  And it is hard to complain when we have so desperately needed rain.

Part of the French horn section standing at attention at beginning of show

A backdrop for the NC program "Medal of Honor"

The Mighty Panther Show "Medal of Honor" has a patriotic them, based on honoring our armed forces and fallen soldiers.  Really good show!!!

Lots O' Challenges

While we were out of town, the Diva posted several challenges that I missed out on....and when I returned I had immediate obligations and wasn't able to get to the topics of zentangles until this week!  

Because of our drought, I began to think of what would I miss most if our house burned down.  Although there are many irreplaceable things, I would hate to loose pictures, so I have been scanning pictures to my computer and putting them on an external hard drive.  And while scanning, I have caught up with challenges! And my Haikus to go with...

Challenge #42-HOPE

"Hope Springs Eternal....
The start of a famous quote.
A word to live by!"

Challenge # 41: Duo Tangle:Jonqal/Opus

"Jonqal and Opus
What is black and white and 'read'?
It's a newspaper!"

Challenge #40: Pinwheels For Peace

"Make Pinwheels for peace.
I wish it were that easy.
Let's make love, not war!"

Challenge #39 "Love Is All You Need"

"Love is all you need.
Two hearts beating together.
Make the world go 'round!"

Challenge #38: Better Than A Pair of Ducks

"A Paradox, hm-m-m-m?
Looks like a party to me.
Let the good times roll!!!