Diva Challenge #300: " Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day"

I have participated in a number of Diva Challenges over the last five years. This is a repeating one as it is to increase awareness about a neurological disorder that her youngest son has. The challenge is to  use the Moebius Syndrome Foundation's logo and if you want, the color purple which is the their representative color. It is also significant in that is the 300th Diva Challenge. One usually learns different things when doing the challenges. Sometimes it is a new tangle, or technique. The one thing I learned in this challenge, after a number of times trying is a way to deconstruct the logo so I could use it as the string on the tile.  Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Printemps, Shattuck, Heartvine, Noom

Highlighting and color were done with Prismacolor pencils

I still need to work on using the colored pencils, The shading gradation did not turn out like I would have wished. I did use a layering effect to help with the smoothing and blending.  Overall I am pleased with the outcome.

I have not looked at any of the other submissions on I am the Diva. I hope to have some time to do so and would encourage any of you that have not all ready done so, to go and look at what is there. I would also encourage you to take the time to comment on the different art. It is greatly appreciated. You can click on the above link to go there directly.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. 

Go Tangle

A respite from tangling: Crocheted "Messy Bun" Hat and Cowl

If you are use to seeing posts on the Zentangle® method or one of the tangling challenges that I have participated in, sorry to disappoint you. Over the last 4-5 years I have spent most of my time tangling, This has been either preparing for or offering classes as well as creating different things for the different market events that I participated in. Many of those were also a marketing tool for the classes. During that time I have done little with any of the needle craft that I have done before. The last couple of weeks I have cut back on the tangling and been working on a number of crocheting projects. I have enjoyed the break. Don't see that this will be a major thing but just taking a break and doing something else that I enjoy has been a nice respite.

I earlier posted pictures of a couple of pairs of fingerless mittens that I had done. Here are two other projects that I have been working on.

The hat is called a Messy bun or ponytail hat and the then there is the cowl.  The cowl uses the crocodile stitch that I used on the mittens. The hat is done with what I think is called a Jelly Bean stitch. The pattern that I used is one that I found  on Ravelry. It is called a Jellybun Beanie by Heidi Yates. I think her site is snappy-tot.com . Both of the items use basic stitches and are easy to do.  There were a few things in the hats directions that were a little unclear but I was able to figure them out. The cowl is a pattern from Leisure arts. 

Thanks for visiting.  Stay tuned as I will still be posting things on tangling. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Diva Challenge #299: "New Official Tangle: Drawings"

I did not get to last week's Diva Challenge but did get to this week's. Probably helped that I did a class on Wednesday introducing the 4 new tangles released during Zen Again. This week's challenge is on using one of these tangles, Drawings. I have to admit that this tangle was a little bit of a struggle for me at first. I think that part of the issue was that I was too focused on making it look like Maria's examples.  After seeing some experimentation with the tangle by some other CZTs, notably Shelley Beauchamp, I let go and gave it another try. I think mine has more of an organic look than a wing but I am pleased with the way this turned out. One of the things that I have incorporated in my classes when I am introducing tangles is that the end, I have them do a tile. They can use some, or all of the tangles introduced in the class or they can use any that they know. This was a tile that I started in and was showing some things that they could do with the tangles. I did not get a mosaic of their tiles. I left my Ipad at home and did not have anything to take a picture with. One person did Icanthis in way that looked like a vine, I thought it was a nice, unique variation  of this pattern. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Noom, Icanthis, Drawings, & Ahh,

Highlighting done with General white charcoal pencil and Prismacolor white pencil

I have not looked at many of the things submitted. The ones that I have seen are of ones that have been posted on FB. If you have not done so, would strongly encourage you to do to I am the Diva and look at the great pieces of art. It is always enjoyable. If you can take time to comment on people's work. They greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go tangle !!

Crocheted items with some standard stitches and Crocodile stitch

Have not posted much when it comes to the needle crafts. Have not done a lot of things. Spending some time doing some items that I have put on hold as I was doing more of the ZIA's. Did not want to post the one item as it is on its way across the country. The recipient may have it by now, or if not will tomorrow. Have never done this stitch before. Have seen it called a crocodile stitch and a Dragon stitch. Have not really investigated it much to see what the difference exactly is. This one is the Crocodile stitch. Was a little challenging to get it at first, more from the point of how you have to hold the work than it being a difficult stitch. Here is how that turned out.

These are fingerless mittens with a long arm . 

Here is the second item. This one sat in a bag for a long time. Started it and then got busy with other things. Decided that I finally had to finish it. 

This is for an infant. Was not difficult just a lot of carrying the yarn through.

Have a few other projects that am hoping to get to also. Will post pictures if and when I get them done.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Another experimentation on Bookmarks: Using a fountain pen to tangle

I know that this is probably not new to some of you but I have not done this before. My sister got me some fountain pens for Christmas. I have used different pens and even done some work with dip pens but had never tried to tangle with a fountain pen. I use them at work, primarily for signatures and entering some information in a chart as I like the way that it looks. It also usually makes me slow down some, so whatever I write is a little more legible.

I know there are a couple of CZTs that have commented that they prefer to tangle with a fountain pen and some of the videos that Zentangle® has posted have been done with a dip pen. This is usually something done by Marie, I do not think I have ever seen Rick use one. Well, one of the pens that my sister got for me has a .03 nib, which is similar to one of the microns. Figured that would make it similar to using a micron. Also she got me some colored inks to try. One of them I used to write a letter, just to see what it looked like. Is not a color I would use regularly to write with so I decided to use it to tangle a bookmark.  Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Tipple, Narwal, Phicops, Dragonair, Zinger, Angel Fish, Boing (variation), Sinchun, and a few little relatives of Bijou. 

Did not do any shading on this. Did try to to a little stippling with the fountain pen. That will take more practice. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.