Zentangle is for Everyone! Weekly Challenge #32

This week's http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2011/07/weekly-challenge-32.html is brought to us by guest host Carole Ohl. Carole invites us to create a tile using 4 specific tangles, AND to mail these to her for participation in a showing of art to emphasize that "Zentangle is for Everyone."

The selected tangles are Baton by Carole Ohl,  Keenees by Donna Hornsby, Pais by Mikee Huber, and Zedbra by Margaret Bremner & Laura Harms.
I have tended to limit myself to Official Tangles, not through any bizarre chauvinism, but I think because I become utterly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of tangle patterns out in the world! So this was a Giant Step outside my comfy box, and I embraced the opportunity. I've also had more tangling time, since I'm taking a couple of weeks off work to be with my Last-Born daughter and new granddaughter KiSSy. (Not that I'm really needed, but it's nice to have a little downtime, and spend time snuggling the baby, and tangling!)

This is actually my 3rd attempt at this Challenge: I wanted to let Pais run wild

I really like Pais, and had a lot of fun with Zedbra. Keenees and Baton are fun, too. Good for me to learn some new stuff!!

So it's only Wednesday, and I've finished 3 tiles!! I'm going to post them all here, and probably send the first two on to Carole. I think it's a  terrific idea to show people that Anyone can create a Zentangle, and that there is no Right or Wrong way to do it!
Given four specific patterns there will be an unlimited variety in the end products, only dependent on the number of artists participating. Very Exciting!!



2nd attempt: the idea for shading Zedbra was one of those early-morning visions!



First try, and my least favorite of the three


BTW: my spell-check doesn't recognize
 "Zedbra,"
but offers Zed bra as a valid option.
 Reminds me of a joke about lingerie sizing
; D.

She's Here!!

Yes, the KiSSy Girl arrived last night @ 20:53 EDT. 

My dear friend the Blue Ridge Woman has posted a Zentangle for her. I haven't had a lot of tangling time, but I will!
But for now, Stuff to be done before my girls come home tomorrow.

Blessed Be, and Joyous Tangling!

String Theory v. V

"Initialize"  Weekly Challenge #30 from "the Diva"  as guest-hosted by Christina Vandervlist, CZT in Ontario. (I hope I spelled your name right!) uses our initials overlaid to create the string.

Now I'm not always too great at following directions, and I couldn't decide which of the many combinations of my own initials I might use, and besides all that I have Baby on the brain! So I used the initials of the name intended for the next grandchild, when she arrives.
But I couldn't just do two: I tried, but I really liked it with the 2 S's doubled up behund the K (I'm going to call her KiSSy)

Then I forgot/failed to scan the string before I tangled it. But it looked a lot like this: 

(from my "string tests" in my sketch book)


All those curly, curvy letters made a lot of Very Tiny Spaces to tangle on a
3 1/2" tile, but I persevered! 




 Now, I must get ready for work!!!

Blessed be, and Joyous Tangling!

The Labyrinth

So when I promised to post the Steps for drawing a labyrinth "tomorrow," I guess I really meant "as soon as I can get to it!"

I did actually get the steps drawn on Monday, but it's taken 'til Thursday to get it scanned and write the post.

I LOVE labyrinths. They are incredible tools for meditation.

A labyrinth is not a maze. A maze has numerous paths, dead ends, blind alleys. A labyrinth has only a single path, twisting & spiralling into the center and back out. You can't make a wrong turn, you can't get lost. You only have to focus your feet on the path, and set your mind free to contemplate . . . whatever.

 There are plenty of on-line resources for more information on Labyrinths. A few of my favorites are:
http://www.lessons4living.com/labyrinth.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/tn/SacredLabyrinth/problem.html

http://www.labyrinthcenter.com/welcome_to_our_labyrinth.html (my favorite local labyrinth walk!)

Labyrinths can be quite tiny representations: I have a pendant with a beautiful laser-cut image. They can be small enough to be traced with a pencil or a finger, or large enough for many people to walk at once, passing easily on the paths.

Again, I don't claim this to be a  true Tangle, although it certainly can be drawn in a limited number of steps, with repeated lines. I also don't claim to have originated it, as I found the same instructions on a number of sites. But here is my version of the Steps for drawing a simple 7-circuit Labyrinth.
The first 3 steps: cross, corners and dots (did I say "dots?") are the "core," "key," or "seed pattern" of the labyrinth. The rest is just point-to-point curves!

I did this on graph paper to make it a little easier to see, but you can easily do without.  My reds scanned a bit dark.  And there is that place where I skipped a block, but I wasn't going to start over AGAIN!

So, think about it:

Drawn with a limited number of repeated lines
No dead ends, wrong turns (or "mistakes")
Facilitates a shift in consciousness, a meditative state

Does any of this sound familiar at all?


Enjoy exploring labyrinths on-line, try drawing your own. Best of all, find a labyrinth near You, and take a walk!

Blessed be, and joyous Tangling!

String Theory Challenge

I know my posts have been catch-as-catch-can recently. I'll be more regular once the new granddaughter arrives. So many things that have to be done!

I'm late again this week, but I liked this Challenge from I am the Diva a lot. Guest Host Sue Jacobs challenges us to use an actual string with a weight on the end to create our String.

As I thought about this one, I knew Exactly what I wanted to use as a weight: and old favorite pendant. I thought of stealing a bit of yarn from the teddy bear I'm knitting, but ended up with a llightweight chain attached to the pendant by one end:

The "Willendorf-style" goddess is a favorite of mine, since our body-styles are so similar   ; D
 My daughter calls her a "fertility goddess," but to me she is a Matriarch: she has borne children, lived life, and is comfortable and powerful in her Self: a beautiful, mature Woman.


I created two Zentangles with strings created this way, and both with just a touch of the Goddess. Of course, all my work has something of her creativity, I just put a little extra thought into my tangle selection.

For the first, the spider-webby look of Betweed, and a quasi-representational use of Tipple (along with Striping, Dex, and Drupe)


For my second, slightly larger than tile-sized, piece, I had a very circular space, that I was deciding what to do with. I put my sketch book away last night, and when I woke up this morning I knew what it needed:

A LABYRINTH!

Now the Labyrinth is not a Tangle, but this one can be drawn in a series of very tangle-like steps. I'll post them for you tomorrow. In the meantime,  you go have a look a the photo at my Friend's blog. This is a photo of a labyrinth we created on a NC beach a couple of years ago. It was Awesome!

More on labyrinths tomorrow.

And to Laura-the-Diva and little Artoo, blessings and Healing Energy! Hope you're all home again soon!