Zentangle Challenge # 88-"IX"

The Diva gave us a challenge using the tangle "IX".  Although I have to admit is not one of my favorite ones, I appreciate the opportunity to try the tangles that I would probably not use otherwise!  So here it is:

Challenge # 88-"IX"

Earlier today, I posted my challenge for the Bright Owl's "DARE" of the week.  As both of these challenges request specific blog links, I didn't want to post them together, but if you are interested in seeing another zentangle of mine, you can link to it.

Pinwheels for Peace

Today, September 21st, is known as International Day of Peace.  Last year the Diva challenged us to do "Pinwheel for Peace", the zentangle way. And she has challenged us to the same this year.   There are several organizations in the world promoting peace...this is one of them.  Another group that I have become interested in is the "Peace Felt" organization.  Click on my link to find out more about them.  I have signed up to do a swap with this group...am working on my  felted item and will post a picture of it when it is finished and before I send it off to Greece where my partner is.

And because I haven't blogged for awhile...I want to update everyone on my "Buddy"..who is also my best friend and my husband!!  He is much improved since the last time I blogged; will receive his last chemo next week...then after PET scan, we will know where we go from here.  Thanks so much to all who had commented on my last blog..your thoughts are really appreciated!

This is going to be a real multipurpose blog as I am going to not only post my Pinwheel for Peace challenge, but also my Dare # 23 Zendala.

First..my Pinwheel for Peace and if you wish to see the Pinwheels from last year, the Diva has posted them in a slideshow.  While at her site, you can also scroll down and see individual pinwheels from other challenge responders for this year!

Pinwheel for Peace-2012

And now my Zendala Challenge for the week from the Bright Owl:

Zendala # 23

Zentangle # 85-Copada

Every first Monday of the month, the Diva challenges us with a "UMT"...that is, "Use My Own" tangle.  A guest Zentangler will give the challenge for the week.  This week, Margaret Bremner gives the zentangle "Copada".

Challenge # 85

As I drew my string and thought about how I wanted to incorporate "Copada", my overall design began to take on a life of its own!!   A face seem to be growing out of every line I put down...so as I added more and more, I found myself actually naming my challenge...Alfie...and having a nice little, albeit one-sided, conversation with Alfie!

Below, you will find Margaret's instructions for drawing "Copada".  Give it a try!

Zentangle Challenge # 84-"Blind Sighted"

The Zentangle Challenge for this week from the Diva is titled "Blind Sighted" (a little play on words).  The instructions were to draw a string (that is the area one draws in which to add the "zentangles") with one's eyes closed!!!!  Thus....

I loosely drew my tile shape first (rather than using a real tile size, I am drawing my challenges in a sketchbook of a much larger page); then closed my eyes and drew the string!  As you can see I somewhat missed the tile!!  But keeping with the challenge, I left my string hanging out!  And made the background of the tile part of the design.

Challenge # 84-"Blind Sighted"

Zentangle Challenge # 83-Assunta and Mooka

The Diva gave a Double challenge this week...using only two tangles..."Assunta and Mooka".  I'll have to admit, I do not care for Assunta, but I am very fond of Mooka...I had forgotten about it!  It is so easy to fall into the habit of using the same tangles each week, so I really appreciate the Diva stretching my creativity with her interesting challenges!  And by naming specific tangles....whether they are my favorites or not, is a great way to expand!!!

Challenge # 83-"Assunta and Mooka"

Zentangle Challenge # 82-Brayd

This week, the Diva's challenge is what she has named "UMT".  And I quote her for an explanation...."*If you don't know about UMT - here's the scoop:  The first Monday of each month will feature a home-made tangle - chosen at random from the linky listhere.   Anyone who has created their own tangle is eligible for submission,providing it follows the guidelines listed here. (Please read the guidelines)" 

So this week, the creator of the tangle that is the challenge is from Shelley Beauch. Shelly is one of those really super zentanglers...PLEASE check out her link as her work truly is just fabulous.

This week's tangle pattern is called "Brayd" and if you go to Shelley's link, you can see how it is made.  I fell back on my plan to use the first letter of the designated tangle to create the rest of my tile....so here is my Brayd...with the help of Baton, Betweed, Bridgen, and Beadlines.

Challenge # 82-Brayd

If you go to the Diva's link, you can check out all the other challenge entries...so many fantastic ones!!!

Zentangle Challenge #81-Relay for Life

Nothing like getting my challenge posted at the last minute!!  This week the Bright Owl is a guest hostess on giving us a challenge. She is participating in the Relay for Life so is dedicating this challenge to that cause (see below).  The Bright Owl is the same gal who gives a Dare with a given zendala pattern every week.  I have been negligent in keeping up with her dares....I do download the patterns every week so one of these days, I may just flood my blog with thousand of them!!!!

So here is my zentangle for this week:

Challenge # 81-Relay for Life

....and here is some information from Bright Owl about the Relay for Life and this challenge.

I am very proud to announce that on August 18, 2012 I will be walking in the Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society.  The Relay for Life is a 24 hour walking event to support cancer treatment and research.  Your team must have someone on the track at all times for 24 hours to symbolize that cancer never sleeps.  As a paramedic, I encounter cancer patients on an almost daily basis.  I do my best to be optimistic in their presence but I know that the reality is that many of them will not have a favorable outcome.  On the upside, I am the niece, friend, caregiver, and acquaintance of many people who have beat cancer and are living life to the fullest as a result.  It's because cancer has touched my life in so many ways that I decided this would be a worthy cause to donate my time, money and expertise to. 

This week I have teamed up with the Diva and been graciously allowed to guest host this weeks Diva Challenge to bring awareness (and hopefully a little cash!) to this worthy cause.  

The challenge this week is to complete the Zendala template below.  For those of you who are unfamiliar, a Zendala is a combination of a mandala and a Zentangle.  Zendala's are a nice change of pace and a ton of fun to do!  Simply fill in the spaces with tangles of your choice and shade.  That's all there is to it!

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!!

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.

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!!

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"

Challenge # 76-Home..... and Chocolate!!

Wow!  Here it is only Tuesday and I am posting this week's challenge!!!  So not like me!!  I suspect there are some of you out there that must sit by your computers in the wee hours of the morning on Mondays...waiting for the Diva to post!!  More power to you!!!!  I am afraid my wee hour devotions are only for catching spectacular sunrises, but computer skills will have to wait for that early morning cuppa' coffee!!

Anyway, this week the Diva designated the Zentangle challenge to be "Home"...Canada is celebrating Canada Day July 1st and we in the United States celebrate our "birthday day" on July 4th, thus the title for the tile this week! And I think it is cool that this is Challenge #76 as our "birth" year is 1776!!  Very appropriate!

For my challenge tile, I chose the focus to be a star with multitudes of stripes...both have always been predominate figures in my country's history...the flag has 50 stars for fifty states with thirteen stripes for the original states; the state in which I live...Texas...is known as the Lone Star State and the flag is a star and bars or stripes..many other states use stars and stripes in their flags...the Stars and Stripes  is a military news source which has been in publications since World War II.  And I could go on but........Here is my Challenge:

Challenge # 76-Home

Yesterday was my monthly meeting of my art group, the Creative Crones.  Our 12 x 12 challenge this month came from Kay...and it was to create a mini quilt with this theme:

"It doesn't matter what the question is, the answer is Chocolate!"  And the optional technique to use was to create an optical illusion!  So here are a few of the interpretations that were brought to the meeting!

My "Chocolate"..can you see my optical illusion?

A close up of my "engraved monogram"!

Chocolate by Bethany

And the question is??? by Rhonda (a UFO)

And Kay's Chocolate...also a bit of an optical illusion!!!

To add to the merriment...we all brought chocolate to share..even those who didn't get their blocks done brought chocolate!!!  Yummy!!

Our challenge for next month is " I Heard It Through the Grapevine"...perhaps wine to sample is in order???

Zentangle Challenge # 75

Having been out of town for a few weeks, I have fallen 'way behind on the Diva's challenges!  I want to fill in the ones I have missed but until then....here is the latest for this week:

Challenge # 75-Tanglation Nation: Cadent

The Diva gave the challenge...Cadent.  Here are the instructions on how to create this fun tangle.

Challenge # 71-Pea-nuckle

Challenge # 71 Pea-nuckle

Just under the wire!!  I finished Pea-nuckle while watching television this evening!  I didn't think I would get it finished in time to post today...the deadline for the weekly challenge, but I was able to multi task!!  Pea-nuckle seen below, is from the archives of the original website for Zentangles.  I didn't think I was going to like it at first, but it is pretty fun to do....I don't care for my total look on this tile....'way too much stuff!!  But I did use my "new" technique of choosing patterns that start with the same letter as the challenge tangle!  I used: Pea-nuckle, Plaid, Pane, Puf, Pas, and Paradox.  These can all be found on tanglepatterns.com.... a site I have referenced many times before!  Great site by Linda Farmer.

Maybe if I start simplifying my tiles I won't always be at crunch time for posting!!!

Dare # 6

Dare # 6

It is time to post the Dare Challenge from Erin at Bright Owl again.  I really enjoy these because the design is already created and it is just a fill in the spaces!  It goes very quickly for me.

Summer has come to Texas...95 degrees today...I am very glad I finished my t-shirt quilt.  It was getting a little bulky to be quilting when the weather is hot!  I even have the binding on it...just need to make a label for it and a card for my granddaughter's graduation.

I have also gotten my Cotton Robin quilt quilted....just need to bind it and do some embellishments.

Dare Zendala #5 and A Contest to Vote for...

Zendala Dare # 5

The other "zentangle" challenge I have taken up from Erin at "Bright Owl" is a fun little quicky.  Erin provides the "Mandala" design which can then be printed off in  a couple of different sizes and shapes.  This week, I had such fun with "Squid" on the Diva's challenge that I decided to do the whole Zendala Dare # 5 with that pattern.

And I have entered a contest...Quilting Bloggers offers a theme a week with some pretty cool prizes.  This week Vicki Welsh is offering some of her handdyed fabrics which I just drool over every time I visit her blog.  So if  all of you would like to help me win...go to Quilting Bloggers and vote for my quilt!!!! The voting takes place all this weekend starting today.  This is the quilt I have entered.

Aurora Bourealis-Earth, Wind and Fire

I had also entered this quilt in our guild challenge last year for using recycled fabrics.
There are a lot of pretty quilts in the contest so if you choose someone else's to vote for, I will certainly understand!!!  Thanks in advance for those who are supporting me!

Challenge # 70-Sepia

This week the Diva challenged the zentanglers to use color in our tiles.  Because so many haven't used any color, she suggested doing part of the zentangle with a Sepia tone...I always have trouble choosing which zentangle patterns to use so this time, I decided to use patterns beginning with "S" for sepia. There are so many patterns out there...(click on the "tangle patterns" badge that I have on the side)  I need help in making a decision!  It worked so well I may have to use this technique again!!!

Challenge # 70-Sepia

The tangles I used are Sonnenband, Striping, and Squid.  Sonnenband is from Simone Bischoff who is in Germany and means Sun Bands in English, and clicking on either of the other two patterns will take you to the same artist, Sandy Bartholemew...two different blogs with the instructions on how to draw these.

Challenge # 69-Groovy

Challenge # 69-Groovy

Here it is...Saturday night and I just finished this zentangle.  I did mislabel it though...I put Challenge # 68 and, after looking at the Diva's site again, I realized it should read "69"!  Wow!  She has really done a lot of challenges!!  The idea for this pattern..Groovy...came from Eden.  Periodically the Diva will choose a name for the zentangle of the week....this past week the design was created the talented Eden Hunt  and here is how she created it.

This was a very fun tangle to do...it will be one I will use more often.

And because I missed getting the Diva's last weeks' challenge posted, I am going to post mine again!

Challenge # 68-Strircles and Hybrid

Now, on to work on my T-shirt quilt for the grand....and must also get my "Cotton Robin" completed.  I received the completed mini last week and now must quilt, bind and get it mailed off.  Those participating in this challenge have asked to not post pictures until everyone has had an opportunity to get their original mini back...completed!

Two New Zentangles....Kind of...

Dare #4 with a hint of Mexico

My first "zentangle" is for the mandala challenge that Erin has created.  This week she posted this design to fill and suggested that we use something influenced by the ocean or Mexico as she was embarking on a cruise to that area.  So my Mandala is composed of some Mexican colors...ristras, the colors of the flag of Mexico, etc.

For those not familiar with Mexican peppers, these are ristras....dried peppers.  They can be purchased all over the Southwest and Mexico...used for decoration and for cooking.

Challenge # 67-Strircles & Hybrid

And my other zentangle is for last week's challenge by the Diva.  I am a little late in getting it done so it may not get posted on her website.  I am a little pressed for time this week as I am trying to get my granddaughter's t-shirt quilt finished for her high school graduation....Her last band concert..forever...was tonight!  Hard to believe that baby is getting so grown up!!!