rip... trip... strip... stripe... oh, yes... Stripes!

A tile created for soul sister, Susan and her man, Keith... with love.

This is (for a change) a purely pictoral blog post,
for The Diva's Weekly Challenge, 

Number 24 : “String Theory version II: Stripes”

Still tangling my way through
my love affair with life!

NonDom - The Movie

Laura set us a great challenge (using our non-dominant hand!).  So this whole tile, from start to finish was done with my left hand.

"NonDom" (click on images to enlarge)

Familiar tools.

Unfamiliar tool.

Due to nerve damage, my left thumb is in a splint...
Yep, great timing, Laura

This is what the string looked like at the beginning.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

And, rather than writing one of my usual long blog posts, I decided to show you what happened this week.  So, this is me, tangling left handed:

To me, this just goes to show that, as Rick and Maria say,  

"Anything is possible... one stroke at a time."™

For some truly inspirational ambidextrous art, most calligraphers have to go no further than our bookshelves, to find one of Arthur Baker's books:

And one of his beautiful bi-directional alphabets!

Footnote: I'm Celebrating three months of blogging!

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Coming up this weekend: Artwork from some of our Tuesday Tanglers!

"Finny's Florets" by Liz

Liz Selkirk, a new member of our family of Tasmanian Tanglers, attended an "Introduction to Zentangle" class (we call them 'playshops') just over 10 days ago.  Her first Zentangle, created at that class, is included here for your enjoyment. Isn't it beautiful!?

© Liz Selkirk, February 2011

That evening, after class, Liz was already drawing the night away – completely captivated by tangling.  She has already produced (in under two weeks!) many lovely Zentangles and ZIA.*  Liz has even invented a new tangle of her own (yes, already!). And – a real treat – she has given me permission to unveil it here on Dreamscribe Designs.  So, without further ado...

In this tiny piece of ZIA (approx 3 x 6 cm, or roughly 1¼ x 2⅜ inches) you can see the first appearance of Liz's new tangle (top right corner!) –  

Finny's Florets

Here is a close-up view from that same piece

Finny's Florets is in the top right corner. (Click to enlarge.)

Finny's Florets, step-by-step

Drawn by Liz Selkirk. (Click on image to enlarge.)

An example of Finny's Florets — in one of Liz's Zentangles.

Here are some other examples of Liz's use of this tangle in Zentangles and ZIA. Check out the beautiful, tiny monograms she created for the covers of photo albums (in which to store Zentangle tiles, of course!).  What a wonderful start to tangling – her very own tangle. 

Sandra Strait (who had a sneak preview when I was planning this post) says it best:  

"...it’s a killer combination, pleasing to the eye, and I know people will love it.  If [Liz] does up the steps, I hope she’ll post it in Freehand Doodle patterns!"  

...and we will, Sandra!

Congratulations, Liz!

You're off to a great start
in the wonderful world of
tangles.

I know Liz would love to receive
comments and feedback 

about Finny's Florets

 from the Zentangle community. 

So, please post your comments,
and I will make sure they
are all passed on to Liz.

Thank you!

(Click on any of the images for a larger view.)

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[My thanks to Sandra, for your invaluable assistance in publishing Liz's new tangle.]

*ZIA = Zentangle inspired art

Canada to Australia... sharing, caring!

A quick post today, just to share my delight!  

I was excited to see a tangled envelope arrive in today's post.  Even more excited to see that it had come all the way from Canada... from Laura!  Here is a photograph of the absolutely stunning tangled card she sent me (and there, in the background, you can see the view from my balcony).

(Click photo to enlarge.)

While I'm here - I'll quickly give you some links to a few more very special posts that I have been meaning to share:

• Yet more wonderful tangle Pencasts from Melissa (Lone Creature) arrived yesterday! It's a real treat to be able to see (online) the tangles, as they emerge from her pen. (If you haven't yet seen these unique online tangle demonstrations, go check them out!  And peruse the rest of her blog while you're there.)
• There was a most beautiful and inspiring post today called Open Hearts from stART, which seemed to me to fit perfectly with this next—
• Gorgeous tangleZENtangle calligraphy by Alphabee Tangles (as a fellow calligrapher, I'm naturally drawn [pun intended] to tangled lettering!) and, since Catherine reminded me of the 'peace' theme—
• A gorgeous 'peace of art' from Carole Ohl who, as it happens, is also the author of one of my fave posts entitled—
• More Than a Metaphor – which includes the beautiful idea that "It's as if each stroke is a pathway to NOW."

Live in the Moment. Be Here Now!

Happy Tangling,

Kit

My own little 'peace of art' – published last year in the book
WordsWork : Calligraphy and Lettering Art of Australia and New Zealand 2009-2010
by the Australian Society of Calligraphers

A shady mug shot!

Yes, I'm milking the 'mug' pun for all it's worth! [grin]  

Here are the final photographs of my ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) mug for Laura's Weekly Challenge this week, using the new tangle, Ixorus. 

Another photo collage of the completed mug.

The (now shaded) insert unfurled.

Close up 1 (showing Ixorus) – before shading

Close up 1 (showing Ixorus) – after shading

Thank you everyone, for the lovely comments and compliments about my mug this week... what a supportive, uplifting community to belong to! 

I am sure the friendship, sharing and generosity of spirit in the world of Zentangle® traces directly back to Maria and Rick's wonderful, 'open hearts' philosophies.  (Not being a writer, I can't think of a better way to word the concept... but I'm sure you all know what I mean).

And thank you to Laura Harms, in particular, for knitting us all together with a myriad of interwebbed (pun intended) threads linking us across the globe.  Even beyond the world of tangles, the wellspring of support for Artoo this week has been Really Very Special.  And some of that magical 'knitting together' will be happening for him inside those spiffy casts he's wearing too, I'm sure. There's certainly a lot of good karma coming back your way from all those bonds of tangly friendship you've been instrumental in creating.

For those of you who asked where to buy 'photograph insert' coffee mugs, I have included a number of USA ('State side') links in the comments section below yesterdays posting. For other areas, a Google search on 'photo insert coffee mug' will lead you in the right direction.

Close up 2 – before shading

Close up 2 – after shading

Yes... suddenly Tasmania, Australia ('isolated, not isolating') doesn't seem quite so far away from all the rest of you.  Down under 'Downunder' is only a keyboard and screen away from each of you. I'm feeling positively girl next doorish. [smile]

I know we've all discovered new tangle buddies, friends, blogs, inspiration, and Community beyond expectation.  (If we could map the connections visually... wow, that would be fun.  Anyone else out there with too much time on their hands who'd like to give it a go?!)

Okay... before I get too carried away...

This 'Wanted' poster is just for Fun (and perhaps because I have too much time on my hands?).  If you enjoy the effect, you can easily create your own, by uploading your photographs at Photofunia (free and fun).  (I did further edit mine in Photoshop slightly, to change the text.)

"Anything is possible, one stroke at a time."™ – It's a LIFE sentence!

Just time for one last photo before I log off (blog off?) for the week.

This is my 'Starry Eyed Surprise' tile (unposted previously, from the challenge in Week 4).  I wasn't happy with it for the longest time.  It still doesn't look particularly Zen to me.  Perhaps even the opposite? I don't know.

So, although it was drawn on an original Zentangle® tile, I'm going to think of it as ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art).  It seems to be the week for ZIA this week. [smiles]

Starry Eyed Surprise, ZIA
(on 3.5" square tile using black & red Pigma Microns)

Namaste!

It's a mug's game!

A very quick blog entry tonight (for the origin of this post's title, read here).  For Laura's Weekly Challenge, both Mel (Lone Creature) and I drew (tangled) coffee mugs. (Travel coffee mugs: a sheet of paper - shown unrolled below - is inserted inside the outer, clear plastic mug cover.)  So, for a change, I did ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) for this Challenge, instead of a traditional Zentangle.

My new coffee mug - every side (finished, shaded pics tomorrow).

I started mine Tuesday (yesterday)... and have only – so far – taken photographs of it *prior* to shading.  But I wanted to share it with you all straight away. I'm really pleased with how it's turned out!  Today I finished all the shading, and I'll post that tomorrow, if I can find some spare blogging time.  

Section of my tangled mug showing Ixorus and an Ixorus tangleation.

Thanks, Laura, for yet another fun challenge.  

The entire tangled insert unrolled.

And I love Ixorus. Betweed may be finally going to take a back seat to this new love affair. You will see that I've used both basic Ixorus and also one of the tangleations* based on the structure of Ixorus - also seen on the Zentangle newsletter.

* "tan-gle-a-tion  (tan-gəl-ā-shən)  noun 1. A noticeable variation of an existing tangle" ← from Zentangle newsletter

Some close-ups of each section of the mug (you can click on any of the photographs below to see larger versions):

 

 

  

Very much looking forward to using my mug out and about.  I suspect it will become a great conversation starter!

Kit's new favourite mug.

Happy Tangling!

Holiday ZIA

Happy Holidays!

Here is one of the 2010 Holiday cards I made this year. As usual, I was scrambling to get everything ready for 25 December. On Thursday afternoon, 23 December, I sat at the table with a card, a Pigma Micron and an idea.

I found a piece of paper with random swirled circles printed on it so, using the tangle, Cadent, I created a string. About 15 minutes later, I had filled the whole page with tangles. I finished by placing the completed ZIA into a lovely door-opening, tri-fold card and tied it off with red ribbon. Next year I have resolved (again) to start making cards in September.

ZIA is "Zentangle® Inspired Art" ‒ it refers to any artwork that is inspired by Zentangles, but doesn't follow the Zentangle format (3½ inch square). Here is the card closed, and standing opened on the table:

Simplicity

Welcome to my second blog post!

I'm participating in a Zentangle Weekly Challenge. If you'd like to check it out, visit the page here. The theme this week is "Simplicity" — so I decided to simplify my string, and do no shading. The tile gradually created itself (as they tend to) and I ended up making a feature of... well... nothing. Simplicity itself. I photographed the tile on the Zentangle kit box — because the beauty and elegance of it also represents 'simplicity' to me.

If you don't know about Zentangle®, do check it out. And watch this space - because my new tangle website will be up and running soon!

Until next week, have a Merry Everything.
Kit