Go, Swimmers...and All!!

Yahoo!!  Dana Vollmer just got her first gold....she's a local Granbury, Texas gal...her mom is/was my grandkids coach when they were younger...They swim with the Fort Worth Area  Swim Team (FAST)  and Dana's mom was coaching them when Dana was in high school and a FAST member.

And I am feeling for Michael Phelps.....but Ryan Lochte is a pretty neat guy too...Phelps will do better in days to come!

My studioQ Creative Crones meet tomorrow.  It is the first time we have met without our dynamic Sue...and it was her turn to give our challenge..."I Heard It Through the Grapevine"...I have a bottle of wine chilling to have with our lunch...for the theme and to toast a wonderful friend!  She was such a force...I keep running into people who have a connection to her, unbeknownst to me.  For example, tomorrow, Texas Christian University...TCU...is flying the flag at half mast in her memory.  I knew she and her husband were involved fans, but had no idea they were that influential!  I miss her!!!

Let the Games Begin!!

I love the Olympics!  While watching the opening ceremonies last night, I was very taken by the lighting of the Olympic torch.  And this morning I was reading that every country is getting to take one of the individual torches home with them at the end...how cool is that!!!!

Also I wanted to give this "Mi2" tangle pattern another try so while watching television, I was working on this Challenge...I had already done one...but thought I would post another one...I dedicate it to the Olympic Torch-2012!!  And I was very touched by the presence of the Queen, too.....she has always been a favorite figurehead to me...I remember when she got married....when she became Queen...and many other milestones in her life!  Loved her "entry" with James Bond/Daniel Craig!!!

Challenge #80-2 "Mi2! Mi2" 

Challlenge # 80: "Mi2! Mi2!"

Challenge # 80: "Mi2!Mi2"

This zentangle challenge was a real challenge for me...I love what Rick and the Diva did with the pattern...unfortunately, I don't think my attempt was nearly as successful!  This is a tangle I would like to work on some more...the week is early...I may be able to get another tile done!

And of course what the creator of the tangle, Mimi Lempart....Mi2 (Me2).... really brought it to the table!!

Goal Setting

Here it is....Sunday...first day of the week.  Good time for goal setting...On Friday, I went to my guild's monthly meeting.  It was the first time I had been to a meeting since last December...it was good to see old friends.  We were celebrating our 35th "birthday"; the gals in charge did a wonderful job of planning the meeting...a very fun time had by all.

While there, I realized I was supposed to have my entries for the quilt show turned in this month.  I can mail the info to the person in charge, so today, I printed pictures of the quilts I am going to enter and filled out the forms to mail tomorrow. Fortunately the pictures do not have to show the quilts finished!  It is not juried; they just want enough of a picture for identification purposes!

  Our show is the last weekend in September...the theme is "Quilted Memories of Days Gone By" and the ladies in charge have many great things going of for it....an apron contest, a cookbook, and a live auction for our donated quilts.  I had planned to only enter three quilts; one, an art quilt, is completed, the other two, a pieced 4-patch and a miniature, are almost completed. But then I have decided to enter five instead....another art quilt almost done and the guild challenge.  The challenge is to depict a memory in a quilt and to write a paragraph telling what the memory is.  I have an idea that I think will really be fun to do and a small quilt that is partially started I think I can work into my idea.  Will keep you posted on my progress!!

And while surfing around on Facebook, I came across this link which I think sounds very cool!  I had read briefly about Prayer Flags, but had not really gone into detail about them.  Check out this link...it explains all about them and a way to participate.

So my goals for the very near future are:

• quilt miniature for show
• quilt 4-patch for show
• do free motion on art quilt for show
• create and finish guild challenge
• make Prayer Flag
• finish a couple of small quilts for auction

Oh, and my studioQ group meets next Monday, a week from tomorrow and I need to finish my 12 x 12 challenge for "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"!  Again...it is started, just needs the finishing touches!

So...good night all...I need to go get busy!!!

Challenge #79-Citius, Altius, Fortius

Challenge # 79-Citius, Altius, Fortius

This week, the Diva had a guest Challenger.. Rho Densmore who selected the up coming Olympics for her challenge...specifically the Olympics motto...."Citius, Altius, Fortius" translated "Faster, Higher, Stronger"!  I chose to design the rings...also including an Olympic event in honor of the swimmers in my own family, particularly my grandson and his dad....who knows what the future may hold????

This piqued my interest so I did a little research and found out some interesting facts about the Olympics:

The motto was proposed by Pierre de Coubertin on the creation of the International Olympic Committee in 1894. De Coubertin borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who, amongst other things, was an athletics enthusiast. The motto was introduced in 1924 at the Olympic Games in Paris.

A more informal but well known motto, also introduced by De Coubertin, is "The most important thing is not to win but to take part!" De Coubertin got this motto from a sermon by the Bishop of Pennsylvania during the 1908 London Games.

The five Olympic rings represent the five continents involved in the Olympics and were designed in 1912, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.

The symbol of the Olympic Games is composed of five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. This was originally designed in 1912 by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games. Upon its initial introduction, de Coubertin stated the following in the August, 1912 edition of Olympique:

"The emblem chosen to illustrate and represent the world Congress of 1914...: five intertwined rings in different colours - blue, yellow, black, green, and red - are placed on the white field of the paper. These five rings represent the five parts of the world which now are won over to Olympism and willing to accept healthy competition."

According to De Coubertin the ring colours with the white background stand for those colors that appeared on all the national flags of the world at that time.

Art Reception for a Friend

Yesterday, we went into Fort Worth to a reception for a very good friend/fellow artist...Danny Jones. Danny and I taught art in the same district for over 20 years, and he and his wife who was also a teacher, are part of our poker pals. Danny had been commissioned by the Worthington National Bank of Fort Worth to paint a series of pictures of the Fort Worth area.  He had finished his 12th picture this spring so the bank held a reception to show off his work.  We have been privileged to watch the process of Danny's paintings as he would work on and complete them so it was a very exciting to see them on display and be enjoyed by the public!

Last year my husband and I were downtown and visited the bank to see the pictures which were already finished and hanging.  I was able to take photographs of some of the ones which were easy to get to...

Bass Performing Hall

Will Rogers Statue and Coliseum

Kimbell Art Museum

Fort Worth Court House

The Modern

Fort Worth Post Office

Cattleman's Steakhouse

There are seven here...twelve total in the series "Fort Worth at an Angle"...Danny researched many of the buildings in Fort Worth by taking jillions of pictures...then decided to approach each subject for his watercolors in a unusual angle...thus the title of the series!

A Challenge for August

A few days ago, my daughter who is also a blogger, put out a challenge for August.  It is a daily challenge....looks kind of fun...I am challenging any of my readers out there to join in too!  If you do plan to...be sure to comment so I will know to look for your blogs in August!!

You can copy and paste the following information...and let the challenge begin!!!!

Challenge for August

1. A recent picture of yourself and 15 interesting facts about yourself
2. Short term goals for this month and why
3. Why are you doing this blog challenge?
4. A habit that you wish you didn't have.
5. A picture of you and your friends
6. Something that you are looking forward to.
7. A picture of somewhere you've been to. 
8. A favorite super hero and why
9. A picture somewhere that has the biggest impact on you/inspired you.
10. Something you are proud of
11. Songs you listen to when you are Happy, Sad, Bored, Mad, etc. 
12. A person you would love to meet
13. Your Blog Story (who you are as a blogger, how long have you been blogging, where your name came from, etc.)
14. A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
15. A picture of you and your family
16. Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
17. Another picture of yourself as a baby!!
18. Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why
19. Nicknames you have and why you have them
20. What does your future hold/where would you like to be? 
21. A picture of something that makes you happy. 
22. What makes you different from everyone else. 
23. Something you crave for a lot. 
24. A letter to your parents. 
25. What is your greatest fear? 
26. 5 books currently in your "to read" stack
27. A picture of you last year and now. How have you changed since then?
28. 5 books you recommend and why. 
29. Letter to your 18 year old self. 
30. Letter to yourself in 20 years. 
31. In this past month, what have you learned? 

Challenge # 78-Auraknot

This week, the Diva's challenge is a new one from Maria and Rick, the original "Zentanglers".  If you click on the link, you will be taken to their blog with a very cool video of how to draw "Auraknot".  Also you will see much info about zentangling and can sign up for their newsletter.

This week, I kind of "stole" an idea from Bright Owl who also has a Dare challenge with predrawn zendalas.  The idea I "borrowed" was to draw a zentangle design/challenge in a series of more than one tile.  I loved what she had done so thought I would try it.

Challenge # 78 - Auraknot

And as a result of my last blog, I think I have found an incentive challenge for getting something done...it is only a monthly post...I like that better than daily/weekly.. ..something I think I can manage more easily!!

One Week, One Challenge

Okay, another challenge....I'm still fishing!!  I like this a little better because I only have to post once a week instead of daily....so here goes...Last week I posted on Amy's Creative Side (the facilitator of this challenge) that I was challenging myself to work on the quilt for our bed...I decided to set that aside for a day or two as my design wall was already full of the March Color Challenge (I am a little behind on those challenges too!)


So my challenge was to sew up the March CC to get it off my wall.  Then for next week, I will continue working on my bed quilt.

The March Color Challenge colors

My bargello-before sewing strips together

Bargello-after sewing strips together

Amazing how much sewing shrinks the size of a design!!! The measurements of the sewn Bargello are: 17" wide X 25" long.  I still need to do a lot of planning/designing with it to get it a completed work...but for now, it is off my wall!!!

Life...Joys and Sorrows-Challenge #77

Fire works at the Botanical Gardens-2012

Today, my country celebrates our birthday...the Fourth of July!  Monday, my family and I attended the concert and fireworks display at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens.  Great fun...many laughs...yummy food...outstanding music and fireworks!

We celebrated early because my husband started his second round of six sessions of chemo Tuesday which we attacked head on after a much needed break...it turned out to be a very good decision because the weather was very comfortable Monday whereas, today..not so cool!

Happy Birthday, America!!

And on a very sad note...a very good friend of mine was in a car accident last week..she died yesterday (Tuesday) of internal injuries...a true tragedy...as it was first reported she had minor injuries and was sent home.  Sue, I will miss you so much...my heart breaks for you and your family...you have been the glue that has held so many of us together...we will be lost without you!

Ironically, the zentangle challenge this week is from Rho Densmore who created a tangle, "Fiore de Pietro" (Peter's Flower) in memory of her brother-in-law who died suddenly just recently. Please go to her link to read her plans for this challenge.  As I sat last night working on my version, Sue was not far from my thoughts...so I would like to dedicate this particular challenge in her memory also.."Fiore de Sue OK".
And, Rho, if you feel my tile is worthy, please feel free to include it in your memory book.

"Fiora de Pietro/Sue OK"