Every Inchie Monday: Sheep

      Back to short and sweet posts!  School work has crept in.  That's okay.  I really am excited about this year.  Lots of positive things happening.  One of my favorite people in the entire world will be at our school once a month (or even more) to meet and assist us.  She restores my energy.  I had left last year so beat up - emotionally.  Just the thought of her positive energy will help that.  Not to mention I get my same group back this year and they were awesome kiddos.  I love this group!
      Our word for the week is sheep.  Since I have spent many an hour counting those lovely mammals, this came to my mind. 

       Now off to cut some more things for my classroom.  I love being able to use the cricut for that.  It makes class decoration so easy.  I will try to post some pictures when everything is finished.  Take care and have a wonderful week!!

What no title??

    I love to write.  I enjoy writing my blog among other things.  However I struggle with titles.  When I was doing the daily challenge at Susy Mosh's site last year, titles were easy - Day 1, Day 2 . . .  I didn't say creative, I said easy.
    Growing up I spent a lot of time at Papa's farm (well, it was next door to our house).  Along side one of his many gardens was this fence of sorts.  There was a wire fence, but it was mostly brush and growth.  Each morning you could step outside and see these gorgeous flowers blooming all over the fence.  Reds, blues, whites, and purples.  By the heat of the day, they were gone, only to repeat the next day.  Hence their name morning glories.  Yesterday when we went outside to play some with Lakota we saw some of these beauties along our fence.  Only white for now.  They were a pleasant reminder of home.

     Every Inchie Monday's word was underground.  I chose to put a few ants in my underground.  Ants are such fascinating creatures.  My morning devotional has had lots of articles about the ant lately.  I think I would like an ant farm for my classroom.  I probably won't get one, but it could be fun.

     Sometimes when a string or a challenge is posted I can agonize for days trying to figure out what to do.  Not this one.  Made by Joey's challenge posted another circular string.  The moment I saw it I knew it had to be "fengle", especially when she said it reminded her of a starfish at her place.  So I drew fengle over the string and then added "pearly" twisting around it.  I am very pleased with this one.

      If you enjoy tangling, you need (if you haven't) to rush over to Pattern Collections.  This site has everything a tangler could need.  But most importantly - to me - is the total ease of load times and navigation.  It is an awesome site.  The reason I brought this up is Diva's challenge this week.  We had to use a circular string.  So I went to my new favorite site and looked up circle tangles.  That is one of the best things about this site - all the tangles are sorted in a variety of ways - alphabetically, author, framework and more.  So I went to the circles page, drew some circles with my compass on my tile and then just chose tangles from this page only.  These are only a few.  There were lots more to chose from.  Lots.

     I love the challenges over at Diane Clancy's site. Our three letters this week was QO and K.  I searched the sites and my notebook and chose to use quandary, knotz, and oolong.  Just a tiny bit of color for interest.

   This last tile is for the daily Facebook challenge (again Pattern Collections).  The tangle was nymph, which I love because it is like nzeppel - one of my favorites.

    Thanks for dropping by.  Next week I will be preparing for my little ones to come.  I get so excited about seeing them.  It is especially sweet this year because they were mine last year (we loop and have them 2 years in a row).  Have a wonderful week!

 

One More Week - OUCH!

   One week from today I will not be sitting in my comfy clothes and playing on my computer, though truthfully, I was working on my second math unit.  I will not have gotten up at 10 and played fetch in the back yard.  I will not have done those restful things I love so much.  I will have spent the day moving furniture and cleaning my dust filled classroom.  Ah well, I am blessed to have a job I do love so much even if I really do wish it could start at 10, okay 9 at least.  Anything but 6!!!
     Every Inchie Monday's word was spiral.  (Like my summer spiraling away - alright, I will stop whining)  I kept mine simple - just a spiral. 

      Diane Clancy had us use the letters U#X to find tangles.  I chose to use xadent, up and across, xenso, 4 corners and 100.  I also used the string #137 from Tangle Patterns. 

     Pattern Collections has started a tangle a day to focus on.  I know I won't be able to keep up with this in a few days, but when I can it should be fun.  The tangle for yesterday was plum-lei.  I debated on color, but black and white won out.

     Putting the tangle b'twined on a circular string was a bit of a challenge.  Made by Joey gave us a good one this time.  I stuck with it and actually really love this tile.  Didn't think I would at first.

     Now off to do . . . something.  I think dinner is calling me for the moment.  I have got to spend some time getting the decorations done for my classroom door.  The problem is - I have no idea what to do.  I am sure it will "hit" me.  At least I hope so.  We shall see.
     Thank you for dropping by and I love reading your comments.  I always go and look at the art work on other sites but don't often have the time to comment on all of them.  So I truly appreciate the time you take to share a bit of sunshine with me. 

A Peaceful Rain

     Finally some rain this week.  Not a lot.  Not close to what we need.  But still, rain.  I was so thankful for the little we did get.  I almost went out and played in the rain.  Instead I worked on Every Inchie Monday's word for the week, which was  . . . rain!  What a lead in, huh?

     Diane Clancey's challenge was to use the letters BHT.  I chose all new tangles to me as an extra challenge - binaer, hamsix, and triline.  Trying the new tangles were fun.

     Due to all the unrest in the states this past week, both Joey's and Diva's challenges had to do with peace.  Not surprising.  It has become a scary world we live in.  I was a child in the 60's and thought all the issues of race were behind us.  Or at least hoped so.  And for a while I think they were.  What happened?  The purpose of this blog is not to wax political.  I don't do that very well anyway.  But it does give you reason to stop and think.  I miss the simpler, more peaceful times of my childhood.  (Not in any way denying the turmoil of those days, but merely saying I was a child then and less aware).  Sort of funny that as I "tangle" my brain becomes more "untangled", isn't it?
      Joey's string was the peace symbol and we had to use the tangle "organic".   Never used that one, but I will again.  I almost considered adding strings and dangles underneath to make it a dreamcatcher.  I may still yet as it really reminds me of one.

      Diva' guest blogger, Suzanne Fluhr, asked us to use the theme "Give Peace A Chance".  Since I had just finished the peace sign, I wanted something different.  I chose blue for the fallen police officers and a butterfly.  The butterfly just because it is such a peaceful gentle creature.  (and I really like them).   I had colored the butterfly all wrong in my opinion so I took a metallic pen and covered it over.  I like it much better.

     Did I mention last time that I changed my plan for my classroom decoration?  I spent hours (and then some) the first of the summer cutting and planning on a garden theme.  Then due to a meeting I went to and some inspiration there, I changed my mind - a nature trail.  Our school mascot is the trailblazer.  So while I am happier with the change, I hate I spent so much time with the garden theme only to discard it.
     Thank you for dropping by and I hope your corner of the world is peaceful and happy and blessed!  Hugs to you!

This Week's Creativity

    When I found this quote by A.A.Milne, I knew I had to use it somehow.  My dream is to retire soon.  It made me think of all the jobs I could have had and how much I dearly love the one I do.  Teaching is a passion as well as a profession.  I have spent time this summer preparing and planning for this coming year.  I enjoy it.  When the time comes that I can retire (and I hope that will be soon), this quote speaks to my heart.

     While I have the tangle "girdy" in my notebook, I don't remember ever using it.  So it was like using a new tangle for Made by Joey's challenge this week.  I combined it with Hollibaugh, another rarely used tangle.

     How could I get creative with the Inchie challenge?  The word was computer.  My brother and I brainstormed ideas (he works with computers all the time).  I thought about a brain.  Then I decided a pencil is a good "first" computer.  Probably my favorite one too!

     I read a blog article by Joanne Fink about painting butterflies.  Then I went off to her site - a totally inspiring awesome place to visit.  If you want to watch some great videos and read some very cool articles, go to Zenspirations.  You will come away inspired.  After I tried one of her butterflies using my Koi watercolor pens, I just played on the paper.  (Also if you speak French and I am horribly wrong on my translation, be gentle, I am learning).

     Could not stop with the backgrounds using the Koi markers.  For Diane Clancy's challenge, I used the tangles - angelfish, antidots, yuan, and kelp. 

     Then on to Diva's challenge, "My Country Tis of Thee".  Another Koi background using the US's colors, then some arukas stars to top it off.

      Going to be connected to my Cricut for a while.  I need to get all the bulletin boards and "stuff" cut for my classroom.  I have enjoyed this summer beyond measure.  After the rather difficult year I had, just to chill and do what I wanted to do was nice.  I also have been trying to psych myself up to deal with some of the issues.  (And praying they are not going to resurface).  Either way, I will hopefully be ready. 
      Thank you for dropping by to say hello.  I hope you are having a blessed day!!