"Biggify" Weekly Challenge #50

This week the Diva's challenge was to "biggify" the patterns in our tiles. Not to work on a larger canvas, but to draw our patterns larger. It was a lot harder for me than it seemed. I thought I chose patterns with some wiggle room for error and tried to keep each one on somewhat the same scale, but I'm not quite sure how well I succeeded. However, it was a real exercise in staying in the moment and being aware of every line and curve I was making.

"Red Thread Challenge" - Weekly Challenge #49

Hi! I hope all my friends and family had a Happy Thanksgiving!. It was a wonderful day.

I finished this challenge Wednesday but with T-day preparations calling my name this is my first chance to post it. Cris Letournea, CZT who blogs at Tangled Up in Art came up with a challenge this week to create a tile with a single red thread through it to bring awareness to The Red Thread Promise, an organization that brings medical care to children in orphanages (you can read about this organization here). She is also collecting the actual tiles to create a poster to be sold and the proceeds with benefit this organization (you can read about that here).

"Tri-Shapes" Weekly Challenge #48

This challenge really could have taken me out of my comfort zone, but in the end, it became an adventure.  The string in this challenge is 3 basic shapes:  circle, square and rectangle.  We were also challenged to "tri" new patterns which took me on an adventure all through the web as I traveled from blog to blog looking for new patterns.  There are over 100 official Zentangle patterns, and thousands of unofficial ones, plus all the variations!  So much tangling fun in my future!!

In this tile, I used Fife, Flying Geese, DL Labryinth, Eke, Finery, Corn Rows, and Brace.   You'll also see Dragonair as well.  Not a new pattern -- Norma Burnell demonstrated it in Providence at CZT7, but such a cool pattern and definitely one of my favorites!

Also notice my "chop" -- it took a while to come up with it.  Since it's difficult to get right in smaller spaces, my plan over the Thanksgiving holiday is to design a stamp from polymer clay.

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My Twirly Board!!

Turning your tile when you are creating a Zentangle is so important!  I knew that I would not be able to hold a workshop and demonstrate how to draw tangles properly if I could not turn my demo pad.  Drawing large scale is so different from the smaller tile -- I'm so glad I tried my Twirly Board out in the privacy of my own home first.

11/11/11 11:11 a.m.

There was a invitation by a CZT to her fellow CZTs to create a Zentangle piece today in unity for Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, the founders of Zentangle.  Rick lost his mother earlier this week and it was our wish that we would create our Zentangles with intentional thoughts and prayers for them during this time of loss.  Here is my piece:

"Lest We Forget"

With the noreaster that blew through New Hampshire last week, I wasn't doing much tangling, so I took some time today to pull out some tiles and get back to work.  Laura Harms, a CZT in Canada, posts a Weekly Challenge on her blog, I am the Diva, and I thought I would give it a whirl.  Quite fittingly for this Veterans Day week, it is to remember. 

While I worked on this tile, I am remembered far too many people:  my grandparents, aunts and uncles, my cousin David, my friends who left us all too soon, and unfortunately, some of my children's friends.  I miss them all.