Happy Holidays!!

Happy Holidays!!!  I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post.  I was busier than I thought with my holiday creations.  Here is my 2011 holiday card.  Print on the front was created using scratch foam board.  Pop-up inside with some tangled  snowflakes. 

front of card

inside of card

scratch foam board for front of card print


Have a safe and happy holiday season!!

Thankful

There are so many things I am thankful for, but I want to take this time to share how thankful I am for zentangle and what it has personally done for me.  I have been tangling for many years now and it has become a staple in my life.  It has seen me through hard times and has brought me back from low places.  It has changed my life and I am so thankful to have this wonderful tool in my life!!  Zentangle is a great gift in my life.  Thank you zentangle and Rick and Maria!!

Most recently my creative mojo seemed to just have picked up and moved on.  There was not one single creative thought in my being and the thought of the holidays and all the gifts and cards I planned to make seemed like a the most overwhelming and hair brained scheme I had ever heard of.  What was I thinking??  Being able to sit down and create was the last thing I felt like doing.  Well I let a week of doing nothing and ignored the creative void and then got my weekly blog update that Laura Harms, The Diva, had posted a new challenge.  It had been a while since I had completed a challenge.  So I challenged myself to just complete the tangle.  That was all I had to do - and from that challenge 48 was completed last week - and it was like the light switch was turned back on and my mojo is back!  The Holiday cards are in full production and here is this week's challenge # 49 - the Red Thread Challenge!!

Now with 4 glorious days off - let the creativity begin!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Challenge #48

This week's challenge from the Diva was to use a circle, square and triangle as the string and "tri" to use tangles you have not used before.  Lately I feel like I have lost my mojo and so participating in this challenge was my attempt to find a glimpse of my good ol' creative mojo.


Looking for tangles I had not used before was a big relief in this Sahara of mojoness.  I didn't have to think about which tangle to use - just find a new one and try it out.  Thanks to Linda Farmer's Tangle Patterns site and the plethora of tangles available there!!  

Voxter , Bridgen, Sanibelle, Scrumble, Baton and Florez

New Tangle - Kolum

Another walk along Mass Ave...another new tangle!  The architecture of downtown areas is so rich with tangles its a wonder I am not tripping all over the place because I am constantly looking up at the buildings.  This lovely piece of architecture was on the old Coca Cola building - which sadly is now where the Indianapolis Public School buses live and are repaired.  So the entrance where I found this pattern is closed up and in ill repair (lots of dirt) but you can still find the beauty hiding right under the grime.

 Kolum 

by Lara Williams, CZT

Challenge 45 - Punzel and Color

The zentangle group focus yesterday was "color" and so I decided to try out some color with the challenge for the week.  Color + zentangle is pretty new to me and thanks to Time to Tangle with Color by CZT Marie Browning we had lots of guidance on our color adventure.  We tried using indirect coloring and splash backgrounds with some success. I think we will try another color group after the holidays are over.

Punzel Challenge with indirect coloring

Punzel Challenge with splash background

Keep Tangling!!

Tangleation Group

I've been meaning to post this for a couple weeks.  At our last zentangle group we did a tangleation project where we picked four different tangles and then combined them.  The exercise was from Sandy Bartholomew's book Yoga for your Brain (pg 32).  It was fun and challenging at times. My favorite was my tangleation of poke leaf and tipple.  I think it makes the poke leaf glimmer - like its lit up.

Our next group is this Tuesday, if you are in Indy - COME JOIN US (group info located on the right).

Keep Tangling!!

Challenge #44 - String Theory v. VI

Found some time to catch up and join in the diva challenge this week from Laura Harms.  I decided to use my new tangle Swurly that I debuted in an earlier post today.  Here is the naked Swurly.

And here is the tangle filled with tangles.

Keep Tangling!!

New Tanlge - Swurly

This is a tangle I came across last month when taking a walk a couple weeks ago with my friend.  Ever since I became a CZT I really enjoy looking at the architecture in downtown areas to see what patterns I can find.  We were window shopping on Mass Ave and I looked up at one point and saw this lovely window and thought it might make a new tangle to share.  It took a couple tries to come up with the steps - but I really think it works.  It also has a lot of tangleation possibilities.  I hope you like it and would love to hear what you think.  

Swurly

by Lara Williams, CZT

Keep Tangling!!

Challenge # 41 - Duo Tangle

This week's challenge was the 2nd duo tangle challenge from the diva - Laura Harms.  I missed out on the first duo challenge so I made sure to get this one done while at zentangle group last night.  I really like a challenge like this because these are two tangles I have not used that often.  This was a fun challenge and look forward to more duo challenges in the future.  

Challenge # 41 - Jonqal and Opus

Keep Tangling!!

Mandala-icious!

Voila!! My first mandala with my mandala maker.  It took several attempts to get a good one.  On the first one I overdid it.  Too many lines with too many tiny spaces.  The second was just plain unattractive and weird.  There is the old saying "the third time is the charm" and so it was with my adventures in mandala making.  I really am enjoying the incorporation of the sepia pen in my tangles and love the little bit of color it adds without turning it into a full blown color piece.

Here is the plain mandala.

Here it is finished!

Another reminder - if you are in Indy, come by the zentangle group today at 6pm @ the Earth House Cafe and you can try out the mandala maker!!

Keep Tangling!!

Challenge #40 - Pinwheel for Peace

I used my new mandala maker to help out in creating the string for this week's challenge and it was a bit of a challenge for the 3 1/2 inch format of the tile.  So part of it was created using the mandala template and then I filled in some of the lines by hand. The circles were created using the template and just moving it around over the tile which is why they are in different locations.  I am happy with how it turned out and I am working on my first full zendala I have created with the template and will share that soon.

Keep Tangling!!

New toys!!

Okay - this attempt number 4 to get this post completed and instead of completing it on my new ipad 2, I am typing on my computer.  In the previous and now missing version of this post I was waxing poetically about how much I love my new ipad - and although I do love it, it can be a little frustrating at times.  I do really love the fact that I can pull up my zentangles and zentangle inspired art in an instant to share with anyone.

Now for my second new toy.  I came across this beauty while I was out for a walk with a friend on Saturday.  We stopped by the Mass Ave Toy Store where they have all kinds of retro and old school toys.  So I was just browsing, not really looking for anything specific and there it was - A Mandala Maker!!  How cool!.  It is totally reminiscent of the spirograph I loved when I was little and I knew I had to have it.

I don't know if anyone else has seen one of these, but I think it is pretty cool.  I am just starting to figure out how to work it - but I foresee some pretty cool stuff coming out of this.  I plan on bringing it to the next zentangle group on 9/27 for everyone to try out.  I plan on using this to design my pinwheel for the challenge this week so look for the post in a couple days!

Keep Tangling!!

Challenge # 39 - Love

The challenge this week was to create a tangle inspired by LOVE in remembrance of 9/11.  I have dedicated my challenge to one of the greatest loves of my life - my cat Piggy who I lost last week..  His formal name was Ignacious Thistlewhite....Iggy for short...and let's just say Iggy was a big eater so he was most affectionately known as Piggy.  He was the world's greatest snuggler as you can see from the picture below.    Even though he had been sick we did not expect it to be so sudden.  We miss you and love you Piggy!!

Keep Tangling!!

Pair of Ducks - Challenge #38

Loved trying this challenge with the sepia pen - finished it today at the zentangle group. Paradox or "pair of ducks" really is one of my favorite tangles!!

Just a reminder - if you live in Indy and want to come tangle - join us every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at the Earth House Collective in the cafe from 6pm - 7:30pm. They have great fair trade coffee I hear (I don't drink coffee but Ned does and he LOVES their espresso) and they also have great teas. I also love their vegetarian cuisine!! The next group is on September 27th - so mark it on your calendar!!!

Keep Tangling!!

Zentangle Group - Challenge #37

We had our second meeting of the Indy Zentangle Group at the Earth House Collective this past Tuesday and we decided to collaborate on the "Kiss My Grids" challenge.  It was a lot of fun to get together and work on our various projects and share.  We will be meeting every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at the Earth House Cafe from 6pm - 7:30pm.  Hope you can come join us sometime!!


Artists: Kara Monroe, Diana Sexton, Jayme VanHorn & Lara Williams

Keep Tangling!!

New Tangle - CALI

This is a tangle I started creating almost a year ago while sitting in a conference room in - you guessed it - California.  Since I am a California native, I thought naming it after my home state was fitting.  So...while I was sitting in this hour after hour long presentation I noticed the woman sitting in front of me had a pretty cool print on her blouse and decided to play with it and voila!  Cali was born!

CALI

by Lara Williams, CZT

Keep Tangling!!

New Tangle - FLOWTUS

Here is a tangle I created from the background patterns I saw while playing a game of Majhong on my phone. 

FLOWTUS

by Lara Williams, CZT

Keep Tangling!

Challenge #33 - Pendrills

Last week Maria and Rick gave us a brand new tangle Pendrills and the Diva challenged us to use it.  I decided to challenge myself a little bit more and create my zentangle on one of the new black tiles.  Getting used to the light touch needed with the white pen takes a little time, but overall I really enjoyed creating on the black tile.  I definitely recommend having a white colored pencil to add some shading too!!

Keep Tangling!!

Weekly Challenge #32

Last week's challenge was to create a zentangle with 4 tangles I had never tried before that were created by other zentangle enthusiasts.  It was lots of fun learning new tangles!!

Keep Tangling!!

Weekly Challenge #31 - Fairy Land

I've been absent from the challenge world for a bit but am slowly finding my way back.  Last week's challenge was to create a zentangle that a fariy would like to live in.  So with the swirly clouds above, the toadstools to hide under and the flower petals to sleep on here is my littel fairy world.

Keep tangling!!

Dill Pickle Walls = New Light Switch Plate

I always heard that painting your walls can do wonders for reviving and renewing your home, but seeing is believing!  I wish I had before and after pics to share but what a difference going from a deep dark blue that made our hall feel like a cave to a lovely light green better known as Dill Pickle.  So with the new paint came the opportunity to decorate and a new light switch plate was in order for the kitchen.  I had an old metal light switch plate that I covered with a sheet of polymer clay and baked.  Then came the alcohol inks which I had never used before to supply the background colors.  Then using a .05 Microperm pen I tangled away and I am pretty happy with the results.

Tangleware Jewelry Box

I finally have a new piece done for my Etsy store.  Its been a while since I created something and I actually have 3 in progress this weekend!! It feels so good to be able to do my art work!!  Here is the latest.  I got stuck a bit in the creative process but feel really good about how it turned out.  Here are a couple pictures. 

If you want to see more, check out my Etsy store - Tangleware.  Use the code TANGLED for free shipping on any purchases.

Keep Tangling!!

A wedding card

My friends Wendy and Eric got married yesterday.  It was a beautiful wedding despite the weather and a very fun reception following.  Anyway, just wanted to share the card I made for them using my version of Mooka.  I was inspired by their invitations which had their initials, WE on it.  Pretty cool and clever of them I thought. 

Keep tangling!!

Challenge #26

I love this challenge!!  I've always liked the spiral shape and once I saw my string on the tile it immediately inspired me to try Kloonz (Step by step directions for this tangle are located under tangles here on my blog - over on the right).  Sort of got funky toward the middle but still looks pretty good.  Reminds me of a cross section of a nautilus shell. 

Hope to get another one done before the week is over.  We'll see...

Keep Tangling!!

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Weekly Challenge #25

This was a super fun challenge!  I love zendala.  My first ZIA (zentangle inspired art) piece was actually a zendala that I did several years ago before I even knew what a zendala was.  I would share it, but  I gave it to a good friend before I moved to Indy. 

Anyway, I had a fun time doing the zendala and can't wait to have a zendala workshop later this summer!

Keep Tangling!

Late and Early at the same time!!

The holiday weekend was super duper busy with family and friends visitng for the 500 so it was no wonder that I didn't get challenge #23 done on time.  And since I had been late every other time so far, I'm sure no one was shocked.  But hold onto your hats because right below #23 is #24 and the week isn't even over yet!!

I am particularly pleased with being able to get Kloonz into a challenge tangle finally. 

Challenge #23

Challenge #24

Keep Tangling!!

Better Late than Never....Again

Late again for challenge #22, but here it is and I am pretty pleased with the results.  Thanks to Ned for drawing the string.  I am particularly pleased with my ability to leave negative space.  The urge to fill in every space usually gets the best of me - but not today!

  I started on the left with VITRUVIUS and then saw how it could transition into OOF and then into JETTIES. Voila!  Enjoy!

Keep Tangling!

Zentangle 101 Class

Had a busy weekend which included my 3rd Zentangle 101 class since I started classes here in Indy.   What a great group of folks who did a beautiful job and produced some beautiful tangles.  It still always amazes me every time I teach how quiet it gets as soon as I start with the first tangle and the silence that comes over the class as everyone is fully focused and "in the tangle zone."  Here are the first and second zentangles.  I need to thank Kara Monroe for the pics!  Forgot my camera and my camera on my phone was taking some funky pictures with lines across them.  Thanks Kara!!!!

Keep Tangling!

Weekly Challenge #21

Better late than never.  I've been meaning to join in the weekly zentangle challenge posted on I am the Diva's blog since she started the challenges...21 weeks ago.  So here we are at challenge #21 and I finally got my first challenge tile completed.  Of course its too late to submit and be part of the slideshow, but I can post it here on my blog. 

If you haven't checked out the challenges I encourage you to do so.  They are lots of fun and the slideshow she puts together of all the entries people submit are great.  I love how one idea can get expressed so many different ways.  That is the beauty of zentangle!  We are all here working toward a similar goal and all bring something unique and beautiful to the table.

Keep tangling!

Welcome & New Tangle - Kloonz

Welcome to my new blog!!   I feel like I am pretty behind the times as far as getting a CZT blog up and running.  This is all new territory so please be gentle in your assessment and hang in there as I get the hang of this new venture in communication.

So I was watching Attack of the Clones the other day (yes I am a science fiction nerd) and instead of watching this intense battle scene going on, I'm looking at this cool pattern in the background and trying to figure out how to turn it into a zentangle pattern.  Through several different trials I was successful and so Kloonz was born!
                                                                
                                                                        KLOONZ

* Hint - the dots on the top are every other one to the ones on the bottom so you end up with half as many on to as on the bottom

I debuted it at my first Zentangle 201 class last weekend and it seemed to go over pretty well - so I thought I would post it here for everyone to try.

Let me know what you think!

Keep Tangling!!