Something borrowed - something new

They say that one mans trash is another mans treasure (and I'm so NOT saying this is trash by any means) but I think it holds true with a lot of things.  We get used to the same things we use regularly but when we see someone else using something that we used to use, they seem to appreciate it more than we did (because it stopped being special to us).  I think it's that way with tangle patterns too.  I use the same ones over and over but when I deliberately seek out new ones, I have a new love and inspiration for tangling.  That's not to say that I quit loving my "stand bys", but it's refreshing to see new patterns in the work of others.  Tangling (and other tanglers) is a constant inspiration to me and I love learning new patterns!  In whatever you do today, I hope you find new inspiration to give new meaning to what you already are doing.

Lost in Space

For some reason when I see black paper it makes me think of outer space.  I like the look and and feel of these kinds of pieces.  It's like they take on a whole different life of their own.  Like the possibilities are endless and your imagination can run wild.  I hope today you can find what's inside you and put it to paper to give your spirit flight.

Phone vs. Camera

The past couple of days I have been taking my pictures with the camera on my phone.  I know I need to take the battery out of my good camera and charge it (or find the extra battery), but since I'm lazy  so busy I've been trying to make due.  For some reason there seems to be a strange shadowy thing thing on the side of this one which has forced me to rethink my camera strategy.  It's not that I mind the shadow too much, but it's kind of an icky color and doesn't do anything to enhance the finished project.  So I'm off to look for my battery charger.......

Sometimes when I color a piece I like to play with the colors in Photoshop after I upload it.  That's what I did with this one.  The left picture is done with prisma color pencils and gel pen.  The right one almost looks like a nuclear fairy garden but that's OK - it was fun playing!  I hope you have fun playing in your day today!

Challenge 41 - Duo Tangles II

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I'm sorry to say that I just wasn't up for last weeks' challenge.  It's not that I didn't try because I have the many pages of my journal to say otherwise.  I just couldn't get my pinwheel to come together.  SO here we are with a new week and a new challenge - YAY!!!!!!  I'm not sure I care too much for the opus pattern, but I was having a hard time with my hands shaking while I was drawing today.  I will try it again another day.  I almost feel a sense of freedom getting this done (especially on Monday no less) so now my mind can go anywhere it wants to go.  This should be an interesting week.  I hope your week goes like that too!

Something old

I spent the day yesterday with Little Miss Thisorthat and didn't get any drawing done.  So I looked through some of my old drawings (like from January) and saw some things that needed a little tweaking on this piece.  It made me see how much my style has changed since I first started tangling.  Not that it's bad, but just caught me a little off guard.  When I first started I thought tangling was just drawing a series of patterns, but after awhile (and after seeing all the awesome and diverse work from my flickr friends) I realized there are different styles and you have to find your own.  Some days I think I have it figured out and others, well - not so much!  I hope your style shines on this fabulous day!

Dressin up

I'm still trying to attempt the challenge (just not as whole hearted as I started out) but in the meantime, this showed up this morning.  TOTAM was here with me and he thought these looked just liked patterns from different dress shirts.  I'm not sure I totally agree with that, but getting a new perspective is refreshing.  You know how you get in a slump or start to second guess yourself, so it's nice to get someone elses outlook.  Of all of my kids, TOTAM is the most complimentary so I always welcome his opinions. I have a busy day on the books today so I hope your day is full of happy things!

Coming together

I  am admittingly (if thats a real word) having a hard time with this weeks' challenge.  I've made three or four attempts to start it but have not been happy with any of them.  Why is a pinwheel so hard for me????  I wanted to get something posted and since all my free time has been spent doing challenge pieces that haven't turned out, this is my substitution for today.  It was nice to work on something that seemed to come together with ease.  I needed ease!!!

On another note, I'm sure most of you know Molossus, whose life imitates doodles (Sandra Strait) well she is having a giveaway celebrating her 300,000 views to her blog.  It's an awesome giveaway and it closes on October 1.  If you haven't checked her work out, you HAVE to!!!  She's one of the best there is and she is talented is so many mediums - a true inspiration to all (not to mention she's uber nice too)!!  So go check it out and enter.  But let me know if you win!!!

A tisket a tasket

I have to admit that most of my drawings I either see something right off the bat or I don't see anything at all.  Don't get me wrong, when I dont' see anything that's not necessarily a bad thing, I guess I mean to me its just undefined.  This one screamed out BASKETS so what better than a tisket a tasket.  I guess I could have colored it green and yellow then it would have been perfect - he he!!!  Enjoy this awesome Monday!!!

Mish Mash

I couldn't decide on a pattern theme, like all grids or all straight lines, so this is a mish mash of the things that were on my mind.  Kinda scary when you think about it.  We're having fall weather in the mid-west (rain and cold) so we're dragging out the sweaters and sweats.  I guess it's true football weather for us here.  Enjoy your day, whatever you having going on.

More love

This was one of the pieces I started for the challenge that took a quick turn into a different direction.  I'm not unhappy with it, but I don't feel it represented the challenge for me.  There are always so many patterns that I love but when I start putting them together, some go together better than others.  I'm not sure these fit together like I thought they would, but I like the piece anyway.  Regardless of what direction your day goes, I hope you're happy with how it turns out. 

Challenge 39 - All you need is love

I thought when I saw the Challenge for this week it would be easy breezy, BUT I don't know how many drawings I started before I got far enough into this one that I finished it.  Love can be so many different things and as I found out, I love a lot of things!!  First and foremost my family, but also flowers, hearts, quilts, and color (which obviously didn't make it here).  Of course there are tons of other things that I love but how do you draw them???  There are friends, books, certain foods, places (like the beach), websites (I love reading others' blogs) and just too many to name or even draw.  So for today, these are SOME of the things I love!  Maybe tomorrow I'll get to the others.

Color again!

When I finished this tangle some of the patterns seemed to run together, like you couldn't see where one ended or even what the pattern was.  That's why I decided to color it and give it some definition.  At first I wasn't too sure it was working then I finished it and stepped back - I was pleased.  Sometimes I get overwhelmed with the color (like we all do) and other times it's soothing to me.  This was the soothing piece.

On another note I want to say something about our own art. We all tend to be critical of the things we produce but at the same time enjoy the process.  I think that just like in life, its the process that makes it all worth while.  The finished project in the end is going to be a reflection of that.  Therefore, don't be so hard on your art.  It's part of you and it's fabulous!!!  Keep sharing what you love!!!

Spinning round and round

First let me say that I am horrible at staying on task!  I start one project and end up in a completely different room.  One things always leads to something else!  It's like that in my chores, my thoughts and even my speech (which would make since since my brain is like a pin ball game).  The one and only thing I am great about staying on task about is sleep.  I don't require much sleep (5-7 hours usually) but when I lay my head down, the spinning stops and my brain is done!  Of course it starts back up before my feet hit the ground in the morning, but at least I get a couple of hours of nothing (and I mean NOTHING)!  I'm not sure what any of that means except that I hope you are well rested today and can enjoy this awesome day!

Grandma's little helper

Yesterday Little Miss Thisorthat spent the day with me and part of the day we drew.  Each time I would draw something she would say, "grandma let me see".  Then she would either pick the next pattern or say something like you should put a flower here or what can we do next.  I was intrigued by her in active roll in my drawing.  It was a memorable time and one I will forever cherish!  When it was all said and done she was looking for the butterfly she thought should be there, but it never made it to the page.  Instead she drew a butterfly on her paper and was very proud of it.  After having 3 wonderful sons, it's the most awesome thing having a little girl around that interacts so differently than my boys did and I thoroughly love having her around.  Whether it's a well planned event or looking out the window watching the squirrels run along the fence line, please, please, PLEASE make the time to enjoy those you love!

Preclude to this weeks' challenge

I told you yesterday that I had done a trial run piece to this weeks' challenge.  I'm sure I've seen the paradox before, but since I'm not very good with the names of the patterns, I had to review some instructions before trying this one out.  After I got started on it, I really liked it!  It amazed me how by drawing the lines (which didn't look like they were making anything but a mess) ended up looking like this great pattern!  I think I need more work because I would like to be able to make a deliberate pattern, so I'm sure I'll be practicing this pattern more in the coming days/weeks.  I hope you're enjoying awesome fall weather wherever you are!

Challenge 38 - Between a pair of ducks

Since I have never used this pattern before, this proved to be a real challenge for me.  I have to admit that I did a practice run that I will post tomorrow.  I think I like how this turned out, but I like to use more than one pattern in my tangles so this was hard for me to stay within the challenge guidelines this week.  It helped after I did some shading, and I like the pattern, but I think next time I will have to add something else to go along with it.  Thats just a personal preference for myself.  Hope this is a great day for you!

Starting at the bottom

I'm really not sure how this happened, but I started drawing from the bottom and worked up.  I've always been a little unconventional about how I get things done, but this is even a little backwards for me.  I'm one of those wives who's husbands look at them with that cock-eyed look when I'm trying to do something he thinks should be done differently.   Oh well the results is still the same - well usually anyway. Whether your day is an upside down day or a right side up day, I hope it's fabulous!!

No straight lines here

For some reason, when I sat down to draw, I couldn't draw a straight line for my life!  Then it dawned on me that in ZIT there are no rules that say I have to draw a straight line.  It's not like it's this weeks challenge and I'm trying to achieve a certain look.  So I'm just going with it on this piece and just saying this turned out just like I wanted.  Actually it took on a life all it's own and made itself like they usually do.  Now if I could get my vacuum to use itself I would have it made!

Breathing room

Sometimes when I finish a tangle it has a sort of claustrophobic feel to it.  Like there is so much packed into this single sheet of paper that you don't really get a good look at everything.  Since I first started tangling I have the tendency to cram as much as I can get onto the paper I'm working on (don't want to waste paper you know), but I'm finding now (and maybe my eyes are going bad) but sometimes less really is more.  I'm enjoying seeing the paper behind the tangles and it's almost a liberating feeling - like breathing room.  In the US today is the last holiday weekend of the Summer - Labor Day.  I hope whatever you're doing on this last celebrated day of Summer that you're feeling your own breathing room and doing something that makes you smile!

Upside Down

Upside down is how I feel most of the time these days.  It seems like life goes along fairly consistent and pretty well planned out (a plus for an organizer like myself) for a long time and then BAM it changes.  And it's not just one thing (which would have been so much easier) - it's a lot of different things!  Trying to stay on top of the things that are crumbling around you is exhausting!  I have to say that even though my life really is upside down right now, I'm blessed to have an awesome husband (even though circumstances have him miles away), fabulous kids (present and future daughter in laws too of course), a granddaughter who's smile and playful personality could be the cure for world peace, and friends always willing to step in.  My blogging and flickr friends are so inspiring and keep me sane (if that's possible).  I just wanted to say thank you to all of my readers, regardless of how we know each other!  Hugs to you all!!

Getting on a roll

I'm not sure if my blog stalled because I was so incredibly busy and preoccupied (which I think is the case) but maybe it was because I couldn't think of anything to draw???  I guess it could be a combination of being so busy that I couldn't think of anything to draw.  Over the last couple of days I've been scanning through flickr and other websites to get inspiration.  I'm still not done scouring, but at least I feel like I've got new motivation and can at least make some progress.  There are so many new patterns out there and I'm anxious to try them.  Also there are more and more new and awesomely creative people that are tangling and I love looking at their work.  Everything is an inspiration!  If you're a  college football fan then you should be in seventh heaven today.  If you're not, do something that brings joy to you!

Yay! Challenge 37 - Kiss my grids!

Well true to my word - I posted a new drawing and lucky for me it was this weeks' challenge.  I missed last weeks and kicked myself all week long.  First one since I started doing them (boo hoo)!  I probably wanted to do a little more to this one, but Little Miss Thisorthat has been keeping me busy today and since she's napping, I thought I had better get it posted.  Today is an awesome three-day weekend eve, so whatever you have planned this weekend, be safe and enjoy those around you!

Hey there strangers!

I feel like I owe you a huge apology!  I think really feel like i let myself down and you got caught up in my debris.  I made a promise to myself that I was going to post on my blog everyday.  I had never had a blog before and I wanted to use my blog as a platform to show off my zentangles (which I'm still in love love love with!).  My life has become very complicated lately and I haven't had much drawing time, which is why I haven't posted anything.  I'm happy to say that over the last day or so I have been able to get some drawing done and I hope to have something posted tomorrow, and going forward as well. 

I know this blog is more for me than anyone which is why I feel disappointed in myself that I haven't had or made the time to do this thing that I love.  For those of you still hanging in there with me, thank you!!!  Your following and your comments mean the world to me!!!!

Check back tomorrow and I promise you won't be disappointed!!!!  Hugs to you all!!