A Few Challenges

     This week's inchie was difficult.  Okay.  I know I say that every week, but I really, really mean it.  Seriously.  What would you do if you were given the challenge to represent the word "street sweeper"?  I am a country girl.  I don't have a lot of city street experiences.  Ah, yes, my good friend google.  Where would I be without you?  So I googled it.  Did you know a street sweeper is also a gun?!  Okay, a naive country girl.  I started to do one large bullet type hole in my inch.  Then I decided since I am not a supporter of anything related to guns, I better go the "clean the sidewalk" kind.  I resorted to just printing the picture - lots of times, again this week - and coloring them all sorts of ways.  The one below is my best, but still not what I would call good. 

Street Sweeper

        There are times when Erin at the Bright Owl gives us a dare that I cannot for the life of me come up with anything unique.  I always love the templates, and I mostly like what I do with them - I just want to be inspired.  The moment this template opened on the computer, my brain flashed "Easter eggs"!  So that had to be the first one I did.  Had to be. 

Easter Basket

   After chasing images of Cadbury eggs, jelly beans, and chocolate bunnies out of my mind, I went on to get more traditional.  This one is kind of simple, but I like it a lot. 

     I really loved this template and had a lot of fun with it as you can see.  Great job, Erin!  I hope all is slowing down a bit for you.
     My prayers and thoughts go out to Diva and her family.  She lost her grandmother this past week.  I am sure she feels the love and prayers of our zentangle community.
   May you have a wonderful and blessed week.  Thanks for your time in dropping by!

Liebster Award!!

   Oh my!  When I got my email from Susan at Scattered I was somewhat awestruck.  Okay, I am aware it isn't the Pulitzer, but I could hardly believe that someone would nominate me for any sort of award.  Thanks a ton, Susan!  I appreciate your thoughts and I love looking at your very cool blog.

About the Award

This award was designed to be a blog award in the pay it forward fashion.  Once you have been nominated, you award it to the 5 blogs that you like that have fewer than 200 followers, to encourage new visitors to their blogs.

Rules for Acceptance

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.  Post the award onto your blog.  Give the award to 5 bloggers who you appreciate and provide you inspiration.  They need to have fewer than 200 followers.  Leave a comment on their blog letting them know that you have given them this award.

My choices for this blog are listed below in no particular order.  Each spot has some wonderful creative ideas for you to enjoy.  Drop by and let them know what a great place they have!  I promise you will be inspired to get creative.

         1. poppiespenpics

         2. tanglefish

         3. precious worke

         4. creative doodling with judy

         5. cardztv

A Bit of Blog History

A little over a year ago, I didn't even know what a blog was.  Oh, I had heard the word, but really never been to one.  I started doing zentangle and came across the Diva's site.  I really wanted to participate in her challenges but didn't know where to begin.  It seemed after some research a blog was the answer.  So I researched some more and was led to blogspot.  It was fairly user friendly - translate that into even "I could do it".  I have always loved to write, keeping journals and books of poems, stories and notes.  This sounded like fun.

Of course I needed a follower.  I really wanted at least one of those little pictures on my blog.  I asked my brother.  He just gave me one of those stares and said "why? I listen to you all day?"  Then I decided to bug people at the school where I work.  I dropped subtle little hints -like, "if you want I will put it on your computer".  Unfortunately, I didn't have money to pay them to let me use their little picture.  Oh well. Then I mentioned it to our assisstant principal.  I don't think I begged.  Well, maybe a tiny bit.  She said she would then she went right into her office and did it!  I had a picture too!  What is really amazing is that she still reads it. She quite often mentions something I said.  Then there were others.  Amazing artists.  People from all over.  Now I don't have thousands of followers like some spots, but everytime I go over to my corner of the internet and see those people I am truly amazed.  And when my views hit the milestone numbers like 500 . . . .1000. . . . I couldn't stop doing my happy dance.  What fun all this this!  So all of that being said, I know the Liebster is sort of like a chain award, but I was thrilled.  I even dashed back into Amy's office to brag about it.  Can you imagine the fuss I will make with the Pulitzer?  Oh my.

Long Weekend

     I love long weekends.  I have relaxed, slept late, made several cards for challenges, posted my inchie, and now both The Bright Owl's and the Diva's challenges posted really early (for me).  I also spent a lot of time at the computer playing the Sims3.  Oooo, did I mention I love long weekends?  Oh yeah!
    I really love Erin's template this week.  It is a really great one.  I probaly will use it several more times.  I like how auraknot just sort of filled the center naturally.  Lots of fun with this one.

    Diva wanted us to use the new tangle "Quandry".  I think I am happy with my tile.  The more I look at it, the better I like it.  I made a few "bobbles" on quandry, but it didn't hurt the flow too much.  Besides I was using one of the official zentangle tiles Dianna sent me in the Friendship Cup and there was no way I was going to "trash" it.  No way.

          Now it is back to early mornings and work tomorrow.  Have a great week and thanks for dropping by.

Inchies Monday - "broom"

     The word this week for our Inchies Monday was "broom".  I had some thoughts, but which way to go?
     My favorite movie of all times is The Wizard of Oz.   I thought about Margaret Hamilton and her broom - the Wicked Witch of the West.
     My brother, Ray, suggested Harry Potter's broom.
     In the end another good movie classic won out - Fantasia.  I love Disney and the Sorceror's Apprentice is one of my favorite scenes.  Now that I had made the decision to use that - how do I make it "pop"?
    I went to the internet (where else?) and printed about 15 inch size pictures of what I wanted.  Then I proceeded to cut out the broom and bucket on about 12 of them.  You heard me screaming right?  Cutting anything that small was slightly nerve wracking! And as if I hadn't tortured my old eyes enough, I cut 5 or six of the tiny bucket and broom bottom.  I do like the way they give the photo depth though.  I just may not be able to hold a glass of water still for awhile!

     Thank you for dropping by and as always I look forward to reading your comments.  Now I think I will grab my pens and do some zentangling - I may need the ZEN right about now!

A Couple of Card Challenges

  A short while back, I discovered CardzTV.  And what a fantastic discovery that was!  If you enjoy card making, check out the link. There are some great videos, some neat stamps for sale, and of course, challenges!  This post is going to cover two challenges.
    The first challenge was to make 3 3x3 Valentines.  I had a lot of fun doing these.  I wish I had had more time to do these for my kiddos at school.  Maybe I will get busy and get them made for next year.  It would be fun and I have a 3 card head start!
    I used my Disney Pooh and Friends cartridge (cricut).  I used an embossing folder for the background - one by Paper Studio.  I cannot remember what cartridge I got the heart border from.

     The second challenge I worked on was to make a Valentine card using a cricut "critter".  Originally, I wanted to use the panda from Pagoda.  But when I saw the cute little panda from Cricut Critters - well, he won out.  Again I embossed the background using the Oriental  Weave folder and made a border with Elegant Edges.  Can you tell I got a Cuttlebug for Christmas?  I am now embossing everything so I get to play with it!

     Thank you for dropping by and I would love for you to leave a comment.  Have a great day.

Year of the Snake

     I love this challenge by Diva.  We were to do a tile to celebrate the year of the snake.  I struggled a bit with getting the snake the right shape - not too skinny.  Once I did that, I then had to decide whether to go with color or not.  I usually prefer the black and white, but I just got 3 new sets of Sakura glaze, jelly and souffle pens.  What's a girl to do?  I had to play with the pens.  So I chose my most red color and went to work.  Ooo, I love that slick red color.  I need more practice playing with them, but I know I am going to love them.  Beware, I could be blasting you with color from now on.

     I am so behind with the Bright Owl dare.  I am going to be down to the wire posting it.  I have worked on it on and off when I have a few minutes, but don't seem to find the time to just to sit and tangle.  Actually I have had about 3 different tangle projects on the desk going at the same time.  Yuck.  I must get settled in and stay with one.  Either way, here it is.  Finally.

     I did manage to get the Blog Friendship Cup in mail this week!  Yahoo!  I had lots of fun deciding on some interesting goodies to send Amy.  Keep a check on her blog and perhaps you can be the next winner of the cup.   One of these days, I am going to get a sketch book and start it off on a journey.  I think it would be fun to send it from person to person collecting tangle art or any other thing some one wanted to put in it.  Would anyone be interested in playing along with that?  It certainly would be a wonderful keepsake when it made it back home to me.  Leave a comment if you might like to play along and I just might get one started.

     My last tangle art was inspired by the artist Piet Mondrian.  The yellow areas are a bit hard to see, but I thought it was kind of fun to play with this idea. Mmmm, maybe Van Gogh or Miro next?
     Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day and thank you for dropping by.

A few cards

     I got to have fun playing with the cricut this weekend and completed two card challenges and I am working on a third one.
     One of the challenges was to make a card or a project using the cricut and have the theme of spring.  Since I love my Teddy Bear Parade cartridge, he had to take center stage as the Easter bunny, ah, bear.  I used a tree from Campin Critters.  Then I tried out some of my new Cuttlebug embossing folders for textures.  Playing around and having fun.

    This spring card challenge was done for Bitten by the Bug 2.  Check out the site for some great card ideas.
      The next card was done for CardzTV.  We needed to make a Valentine using the Cricut.  I chose the Elegant Edges and Picturesque cartridges.   Those are two of my favorites.

     Hope you have a great day and a great Valentine's Day.  Thanks for stopping by and also thanks for your comments.

Happiness Inchie

    What is happiness?  Wow, it is a lot things to different people.  This morning after a torrential rain overnight, my very simple happy was that it was not raining when I had to go to the car to get to work.  Life's simple pleasures. 
     It is hearing that one of my very closest friends is looking at getting out of the hospital and is doing better. 
     It is my job working with the world's best third grade class.
     It is so many things - but perhaps the greatest happy of them all - is "walking in the Sonshine".

     I glued some old ribbon scrap that I loved because of the sparkle onto my inch.  Then I used one of the wonderful beads I won in the eebeads contest just a few weeks ago.

My Inner Artist

     I love Erin's challenge at the Bright Owl this week.  Draw your favorite tangles - the ones that make you feel like an artist.  I have always known I was an artist.  At least deep down, buried under loads of self-confidence problems, I was certain I was one.  I remember in high school, walking by the art room, peering in and being mesmerized by the fascinating things they were doing.  But I was afraid to sign up for an art class.  I wouldn't be good enough.  I read books about art and techniques.  I spent hours with my sketch pads, but I would not acknowledge what a passion art was within me.  I shared projects with people at school and basked in their approval.  Then a few years ago the principal called me in and asked if I would become the art teacher at the new school they were opening.  Whew.  My first response was "no, I can't".  I protested I had never had an art class.  He just sat there and listened to me and when I finally allowed him a chance to speak, he said "but you are what I want."  Within me a tiny spark of artistic confidence began to grow.  For four of the best years of my career, I got to teach art and I had a blast.  I would go back to doing that in a heartbeat - but county finances won't allow for "unnecessary" classes.
     Then I discovered blogging and zentangle.  Oh what a joy that has become.  I feel I am part of an art community.  I remember the first comment I got - about a year ago - I happy danced all over the den!!  A "real" art person saw value in my work!  I was shocked.  Particularly when I went to her blog and saw her stunning work.  My self confidence has steadily grown.  I am grateful to zentangle for that.  I am thankful for every person who takes time to stop by and look.  Now on to the actual art work.
     This week I am have all 3 of my challenges on one post.  School is pretty busy so combining is easier.  I love the entry I did for Bright Owl.  I guess it is just because I love brown tones.  I used some of my favorites - nzeppel (I used to hate this tangle), crescent moon, and one of my absolute favorites -pea nuckle.

   

       Diva wanted us to play around with Margaret Bremner's tangle - Dansk.  I like this one, but I am not sure if I have captured the idea of it.  Guess I keep working.  For my string I used a very large Arabel and then filled it in with other tangles.  I love arabel.  It has become a big favorite of mine.

     This inchie was tough!  The word of the week was "ruin".  I struggled to come up with a unique idea.  Finally my first thought seemed to be the best - "the road to ruin".  Ah well.

     The Blog Friendship Cup will be leaving my house early next week to go to a new home!!  Yahoo!  It will travel to Amy in TN (from Cathy in TN, isn't that neat?!)  We have sent a few emails back and forth and I really do feel like I have made a new friend.  We both are teachers and tanglers!  This was such a great experience.  Head over to her site in a bit and see how she is going to find it a new home.  You just might get to "play".
     Guess I better head out now.  I have a ton of things to do.  The weather is finally pretty - for a while - a certain pooch is wondering why we are not throwing a frisbee, football, soccer ball, anything for him to catch!  Can't believe Lakota will be four years old on Friday.  Oh my.  Time flies.