The String Game

This week's Diva Challenge is to create a string using 2 pencils, held together with a rubber band. I didn't think to take a picture of my string before filling it with tangles, but I think you can figure it out. This was my first try, and there are a few sort of sloppy areas, but I'm sure I will do at least 1 more:

I'm not yet sure if I'll post this one on the challenge site, but be sure to take a look there: iamthediva and enjoy all the great artists' work.

A Change of Direction.

I can't believe that I've been writing this blog, on and off, since January of 2009! When I first began, I was mostly concentrating on my fiber work, and then added some of my glass work. Eventually, I also returned to metalwork after years of not doing any. But as I added more forms of Art and/or Craft, I had less and less time to work on the blog. Now that I've added Zentangles to the mix, I find that I have even less time. 

But I hope to change that. There is a weekly Zentangle challenge, posted by CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) Laura Harms. I have been doing tiles and ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Art) in answer to the challenge for a while now, but have not posted them on the challenge site. Or anywhere else for that matter. But that is going to change. Even if I have nothing else to write about, each week I will post my attempts at the challenge here on my blog. And when I think my challenge pieces are worthwhile, I'll post them on the challenge site: iamthediva

Even when I don't post my work at the challenge site, please go there and see the fabulous art being created by all the talented Tanglers who do meet the challenge weekly.

This was my first  attempt at this week's challenge, which is a Duo Tangle; 

using 2 tangles: Cirquital and Opus

 My next try was a little more elaborate

 Where it lists the filler tangles, on the right, the first one should read Onamato.

Here's the next one 

and one last one, very simple

I have to work on my photography, which is usually OK. For some reason, this time the photos all came out sort of yellowish, and I can't seem to whiten them up no matter what I try.

But this is just a preview. I intend to show my challenge responses each week. I hope you'll be back to see them, and please comment on them, as well. 

In between, I'll still post a bit about glass, fiber, and metalwork. 
Till next week.....................

Here I am Again

Here's a new piece I've been working on. It will be a pendant, but I can't decide which direction looks best. Any thoughts out there?

And I've made another reversible bead for the Copper neckpiece I showed in the last post:

I've been exploring a new format with my Zentangles: Stripes, and I am really enjoying them. Not having to worry about filling entire strings, and being able to just concentrate on the Tangle patterns themselves has been very freeing.

And I tangled my initials;

See you next time!

Catching Up

I'm going to be concentrating on my Zentangles and some jewelry in the next few days, or weeks, depending.....

For starters, I finally finished a project I've had going around in my head for months. The Turquoise in the following pictures are actually glass beads that I have created to look like turquoise. And from the reaction I've received, it looks like it's been successful. 

This one has turquoise-like nuggets hanging from a copper neckpiece. At the moment, it is choker length, but has the capability of being hung from a longer necklace.

 This one has a large, flat,  wire-wrapped bead that can be reversed,

or changed for this bead:

or others to come.

And then there's my addiction to Zentangles. I rented "One Zentangle a Day" in eBook form  from the library, not realizing that it was a 6 week course, and eBook rentals are only good for 3 weeks. I decided it was worth having in my personal library so I ordered it and in a week I was back on course. But don't think I was tangleless during that week. There were always new patterns being introduced, or established ones available online, so I was able to try out new (to me ) ones constantly. I started doing some with white ink on black paper, and like those as well as the black on white. This is a practice sheet I did while learning new patterns:

  Here are 2 Zendalas, 1 on white and 1 on black paper:

and a white and a black tile using the same patterns.

A closer look at a white on black tile.

You can find out more about Zentangles at: Zentangles Blog or at TanglePatterns.com.

It's Been More Than a Few Days.........

Well,  It's Been More Than a Few Days........but I've been busy with Passover preparations and Seder (including out of town guests), Dr. and Physical Therapy appointments, and who knows what else? One of the things that's been bogging me down is my new addiction/obsession: Zentangles. For those of you unfamiliar with Zentangles, it's part art form, and part meditation, hence the name. 

Starting back at Passover, it was a bit more daunting than usual, as my husband has developed an intolerance to eggs. And as anyone knows who has ever experienced Passover (and especially had to cook for it) EVERYTHING has eggs in it: Matzo Balls, Potato Kugel, Stuffing, Baked Goods; you name it. Except for the main course, be it poultry or meat, and the chicken soup, everything else has eggs in it, even the Gefilte Fish. I tried a couple of vegan recipes for matzoh balls, but they were a disaster. So my poor husband ate a lot of matzo (more than usual), and a lot of cheese and sliced turkey breast. And at least he was able to eat a lot of chocolate.

I mentioned doctor and physical therapy appointments. These were the result of a compressed disc affecting a nerve, starting back in mid-December. So you see this has been going on for quite a while now. I couldn't walk; the pain was excruciating. And I usually have a very high threshold of pain, but this hurt so much it really scared me. At first they had me on a medication that didn't seem to alleviate the pain much, but made me very nauseated. For 2 weeks I was unable to eat, and felt so sick that I spent most of the time in bed. I finally stopped that medication, and was given another that works specifically on nerve pain, and it helped a great deal. But not enough to get me up and around on my own. For a while there, my husband was pushing me around on my desk chair (the wheeled kind), and then I started using it like a walker. Finally one day, I realized that I was doing much better, and my husband brought home a cane, which I've used full-time until the last week or 2. Now I can get around without it most of the time; I just have to make sure I don't overdo it. I've seen a surgeon, who ordered the physical therapy, and as long as I continue to improve, or at least don't get any worse, it looks like I can avoid surgery, and/or an epidural, which has been another option I'm not anxious to pursue.

You would think that being housebound for so much of the time, I would have done a lot of fiber work. But the fact is, the first month or so I just couldn't concentrate on anything much, so I got a lot of reading done instead.

But now that I'm back in action, more or less, I have been getting some things done. I've been back at my metals/jewelry class, and done some work there. I would have been further along on my Sunrise Circles Vest, but I ran out of the yarn that I was using around the edges of each circle. I ordered more, but since I bought the original a few years ago, when it came it was a lighter color. But after I sent Mango Moon an email showing the right color, they came through and apparently dyed some up for me that is perfect.  Thanks, Mango Moon. I've now got the whole back finished and sewn together, and 4 more half circles, which will probably work for the sides. 

I've just begun a full circle, which will be the start of the the front.

And, of course, now we come back to the Zentangles. I've become totally addicted to doing these little mini pieces of art. Here are some samples:

Practicing different patterns:

 A completed Zentangle Tile

 A Zendala

 and an ATC (Artist Trading Card)

 That's it for now. I'll try to do some more catching up soon.