Zentangle Challenge #24-String Theory #2-"Stripes"

Another fun challenge by the Diva!!  "Stripes"..very cool to do!!!

Memorial Day-2011

     When I was a child in Illinois, we would get together with my grandmother each Memorial Day and visit all the cemeteries of deceased relatives to put flowers on their graves.  At each grave site, she would explain the relationship to us...at a young age, all I was really concerned with was the picnic of fried chicken, potato salad, chocolate chip cookies and lemonade waiting for us as soon as we got to the park on a bluff above the Mississippi River.
      Now that I am much older and my grandmother is now one of the visited grave sites, I wish I had paid more attention to what she was telling me!!!  I no longer live anywhere near where we would go, but my brother faithfully carries on the tradition, with even more sites to visit.  It is not meant to be a sad time....just a remembering time....but a tradition that I don't think the younger generation will probably carry on with, considering our mobile society.

Our little country cemetery in Illinois

     We visited DC in 2002 for the first time and the daily honoring of the grave of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is most impressive.

Arlington National Cemetery-Washington, DC

studioQ meeting

We had our May meeting last week rather than our usual "last Monday" because the last Monday is  Memorial Day.  We decided to do Spirit Dolls again as many missed doing that activity when we met before.  We also had a show of recent works.  And some of us had our batik challenge quilts pieced to show.  Several months ago, we all brought 12 inch batik squares to trade....the challenge was to create a wall hanging using some of all the batiks, plus one other fabric and as much of your own batik fabric as needed.

My Batik Challenge...need to do the quilting and embellishments.

Wendy's latest which is going to be in her show in Houston next month!

Heather's newest...neutrals and color combined

Bethany's Batik Challenge (to be completed)

Susan's Batik Challenge

A whole cloth quilt by Susan

And the latest spirit dolls...some brought pet pictures.  I didn't get finished with mine...doing my grandkids.

Zentangle Challenge # 23-String Theory

Our internet connection has been really weird the last couple of days, so I have not been able to post anything.  But today, we seemed to get the right tech because we are now back on line!!  This week, the diva gave the challenge to "tangle" a pre-drawn string.  It will be fun to see all the different ways everyone interprets this!

The original string from the Diva

My "tangling" of the string...upside down from the original!

I hope I am not too late in posting this to get it in on the diva's slide show!

Zentangle Challenge # 22-With a Little Help from My Friend

This is my second post for today.... here is my latest Zentangle Challenge...this is the one that my husband drew the string for and I "tangled" it.  It just hollered out at me...I AM a Dragon!!!

The original string and...

My "tangle"...I AM a Dragon!!

Jane Sassaman's Workshop

My title is a little misleading because I have no pictures of what I did. I am very slow at working on anything new but I have a good start.  It was a very good workshop; her work is incredible and she is a very fun speaker....grew up in the '50s-'60s to which I could certainly relate!  And I learned so much about how she does applique...I like the look of some applique, but never really liked the traditional way of doing it.  So her technique was very refreshing to learn....I think I will actually use it!!  The project we started is third on my list of "things to do".

But what I really enjoyed from the workshop was working next to a couple of very neat ladies...both I have known for awhile but not well.  While working on our projects we were able to talk freely and I discovered that one of my tablemates, Sue Needle,  not only is "into" zentangles" but she is in one of Suzanne McNeill's books: Zentangle-FabricArts, Quilting and Embroidery. Here is a sampling of her work...she also has a few other pages in the book.  Sue also had on Zentangle "tennis shoes" that she had done herself....a very talented lady who is also a long-arm quilter.

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And although I kind of knew it, I discovered that Suzanne McNeill is right here in my own back yard, so to speak.  She is located in Fort Worth...she has a blog and a website.

New Zentangle Challenge!

The newest challenge is to have someone else draw the string for me and then I will "tangle" it!!  Fun!!!  My husband drew this for me...I haven't worked on it yet, but will...already have several ideas buzzing around in my head!

Busy week coming up...tomorrow a workshop with Jane Sassaman.  I just finished getting my stuff together from her list...should be very fun!  

A Jane Sassaman work

And another one of Jane's work.

Her work is very colorful and lively.  I am most interested in seeing how she makes her quilts; what her technique is.  It is a kind of applique, I think...but not the more traditional way of turning the fabric under, etc. which I do not do very well, nor really enjoy!   I like the look but not the work involved!!!  And then on Friday, she is to be our speaker at our guild meeting.

Zentangle Challenge # 21-"OOF"-Out of Focus

A new challenge put out by the Diva..."OOF" is a zentangle designed by the originators of the whole Zentangle "madness"...but a good madness!  I have really been taken by doing these so I really appreciate Maria (Zentangle creator) and the Diva who challenges me each week!!

And here are pictures of the two band concerts we attended this past week to see the grands...we are always so impressed by how much these kids can do in the time they are in school/band!  Big thanks to their band directors for a fabulous job!!

Our favorite tuba player, in the middle.

Summer Creek Middle School Band

North Crowley High Honors Band

And our favorite French hornist, setting up for the concert!

A New Zentangle

"Through My Garden Gate"

This is a zentangle that I did recently, and I have added a new one to the left side of my blog.  In adding the Zentangle Challenge "Ixorus" (one of the early challenges from the diva),  I changed up my blog so that you can click on that image and it will take you to the pictures I have on Flickr.  I thought that might be easier to keep them all together....and I have other older pictures of things out there too.  I am planning to use Flickr even more as a good way to store pictures "out there".

Last night we attended a wonderful concert! Our grandson's Middle School Spring concert!  And a nice surprise...he has been asked to be in the Jazz Band...in which he will be more active next year as an eighth grader.  Tomorrow night is another great concert....our granddaughter's High School Band Spring concert.  I have some pics of his and will add some of hers after tomorrow night!

Nice rainy day today...we did get a little soaked last night...just as we were leaving the concert, the sky opened up!  And today, no where we had to go, so we stayed home and enjoyed about three hours of a soaking rainfall!

Mother's Day

My baby girls!

Very nice weekend!  Spent yesterday evening with one daughter and her family...good company, good eats.  And had a nice long phone conversation with the other daughter.  Then today, I spent the whole day just doing whatever I wanted!  Finished reading a book, started sewing my challenge quilt for this year's guild show.  The topic is "Going Green", recycling, etc. and the challenge quilt is to be made of reusable fabrics plus a mystery fabric that was given to everyone who is entering.  I have spent several days "de"-constructing fabric in order to put it back together again!

Zentangle Challenge # 20: Tanglicious Royal Wedding

The latest challenge from the diva is in honor of the Royal Wedding.  She posted the neatest slideshow of the wedding to give us all inspiration...there were so many things that could be used!  I decided to focus on the idea of wedding rings, the floral arrangements, the church ceiling and rose windows.

This is actually the first one I did but I thought it got a little busy.  Here I am trying to focus on the symbols on the Bishop's cloak, the braid on Prince Harry, again the ceiling, angle wings and fleur d' lis.

No More Daily Challenges!

I kind of miss having my daily challenges with my daughter!  So I am going to just have to blog aimlessly!  We had the most wonderful rainfall for two days...Sunday and Monday, so my concern about wildfires are put to rest for awhile!

Last week, my studioQ group met.  We had the most fun making Spirit Dolls!  It seems kind of crazy for us ol' gals to sit around playing with paper dolls, but that is what keeps us young!

The little cutie in the middle is mine.  We put magnets on them so they could go on the refrigerator.

And I finished my Kaleidoscope quilt, all finished but for the sleeve and the label.  It is about 45" square.  I used much of the fabric I bought in Juneau a year and a half ago when we drove to Alaska!  Any fabric I purchase seems to need to "age" a little before I can cut into it!

I am going to name this quilt "Totem".

And today, we drove to Dallas with a couple of friends to see the Stickley/Craftsman exhibit at the DMA before it closes next weekend.  There was also an excellent display of North American Art...bead work, carvings, masks, etc.  from Indian tribes all over NA.  Then after lunch we went to the Nasher Sculpture Garden and Gallery...always a favorite place for me!

We and our friends like to think we are part of the wonderful world of art!!

Zentangle Challenge # 19: A William Morris/White on Black

Well, okay...I don't have a white pen or black paper...yet!  So I am going to cheat a little and ask everyone to pretend and reverse my blacks and whites!  I am also posting some more of past challenges on my zentangle display sidebar.  This one I am showing is Starry eyed...challenge #4.  

And I am posting the "prototype" for my center design.  This is a picture from Nat'l Geographic...it is some kind of underwater plant, I think...but I thought it was a cool shape with neat texture.

  Now that my 30 day challenge with my daughter is over...I will try to post more of what I am doing with my other artsy stuff.

Challenge Day #30: LAST DAY (who do I miss??)

Today is the last challenge...we are finishing up with a picture of someone we miss.  I, of course, miss my parents, my father-in-law, several family members and friends who have gone on...I miss many of the people I worked with and used to see on a daily basis; I miss old friends and neighbors who now live far away.  I miss my girls' and my grands not being babies any more..and are all grown up!  But I think the person I miss the most is my sister.  She passed away when she was 49...way too young!  She was two years older than I am...we had a wonderful time growing up together, having children together, and we would be doing all those things that old women do together if she was still here.  She had two grandchildren when she died; there are now nine and three great grands.  She would have been a really spectacular grandmother...and she would have loved facebook/ computer stuff, etc.  I know she is looking down on all of us with a sweet smile on her face!  Miss you, Judy!

My big sister....1956...her Senior picture!

Challenge Day # 29: Who inspires me?

This day's challenge is to post a picture of someone who inspires me...that could be VAST!!  I am in awe of anyone who makes something!  I am always inspired by my family.  Great works of art, known or unknown always give me a thrill!  But one group of people whom I have known for nearly four years now never cease to amaze me and inspire me to be the best I can be and this group is from my guild..."studioQ".  We are a group of art quilters who get together at least once a month.  We share ideas, techniques, life experiences, food....etc!  And I always come away from a meeting recharged and energized to do something BIG!!  Thanks, gals!!

We are "studioQ"!!!

Day#28: Something I am afraid of!

I am really a chicken about many things...I don't care for carnival rides, fast cars, noisy crowds, but these are all things I can choose not to be part of. The things that really scare me are those out of my control...for example: wildfires, storms, and tornadoes!

MacDonald Observatory-March, 2011 - wildfires (we were there just two weeks before, fires hadn't started yet)

A Texas Tornado (we are "in the season" right now)

Texas thunderstorm...can happen anytime, but especially now.

So I am prepared at all times, ready to go to shelter with my water, cell phone, pictures and computer.  And go on about day to day living.  I try to not let any fear paralyze me!!

Challenge Day# 27:A pic of me and a family member

My baby brother was born when I was nine years old. Even though there was quite an age difference between us, we spent a great deal of time together. When he was a bratty eight year old and I was a teenager, we were still very close!

1950

 And here we are, fifty years later!!

Me and my baby brother!

Day # 26: Means a Lot to Me

The Challenge today, a picture of something that means a lot to me, is a no-brainer...here is the most current picture of my family taken this Easter...what a good looking bunch!!!!

Challenge Day #25: Better at Something

Today's challenge is to post a picture of something I wish I was better at...so here is my picture!!  One of my lesser traits is time management!!  I am usually a prompt person, I am seldom late getting where I need to be, but I can waste more time than anyone in the world when I have no deadlines!!  And now that I am retired and most of my time is mine to use as I wish, I find this weakness is getting worse!!!  I need to set myself up with a schedule...and KEEP to it!!!

Challenge Day # 24: My Day Today

I needed to add a couple of current pics to my blog for today's challenge. We did celebrate Andrea's birthday and Easter together.

The birthday girl holding the Scotty I made for her.

And one is never too old for a good old Easter egg hunt!!