While Erin was taking some much needed time off, we were missing the Zendala Dare each week. Well, the wait is over - Erin is back and the dare this week included the theme of happy. Erin left the interpretation of that theme up to us. Yay!!!!!
This is the zendala template she provided us with. With the theme in mind, the first thing I thought of when I saw the template was . . . minions!!! Cause they make me very happy!
So I started laying down lines within the template, which I traced onto a blank zendala. I knew those little round orbs around the outside were the shape I needed for little minion heads and I just took off running from there.
Admittedly, at this point my little guys were looking a lot like Homer Simpson heads, but they just don't make me happy. (Homer Simpson wearing a gas mask!)
More lines, and the minions started taking shape.
Once I got everything drawn, I pulled out the copics and started filling in some colors. And singing . . .
It might seem crazy what I'm about to say
Sunshine she's here, you can take a break
I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space
With the air, like I don't care, baby, by the way
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like a room without a roof
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you know what happiness is to you
Because I'm happy
Clap along if you feel like that's what you wanna do.
Well, you get the idea, but just in case you don't - I am also including the youtube video of Pharrell Williams singing Happy, featuring the Minions - which makes me incredibly happy!
If you want to see how everyone else interpreted the theme Happy, click the link here and visit The Bright Owl. Because I'm happy . . .
Yesterday I showed you the start of this 11" x 14" piece I'm working on. This is destined to be cut down into fifteen separate ATCs for a swap I am participating in. In this one view you can see three brand new tangles - merryweather, stella, and crezn't. These pink links will take you to step-outs for two of those. Stella hasn't been released (I don't think). It is the pretty poinsettia looking flower in the center.
This bold band across the middle is something I made up. I was trying to draw Caren Mlot's new tangle spokesand got lost in the first two steps. It isn't a hard tangle, I just wasn't paying attention. So I just kept drawing and that dark band from lower left to upper right is what I came up with. You can also see some printemps, Sandy Hunter's cruffle, cirquital, Sandy Bartholomew's msst, Jane MacKugler's henna drum, knase, and a few random other tangles.
In this photo you see more of merryweather and crezn't. The fan shaped tangle near the top right is called S Wich Blade and it's by Carol Ottaway. She's an awesome artist, you should check out her blog here. That dark wavy line and circle tangle is beanpodz from Neil Burley. A little footlites, more stella, a little munchin, and a variation of rain.
I hope to finish this up today. Still having some issues today with creativity, but trying to push through. Trying to find my groove once more. Thank you to everyone who sent me warm wishes and encouraging words, and thank you to those who offered to pray for me. You are loved and appreciated!
So, in our postcard swap we are allowed to use up to three tangles. I don't always remember, but I think I was close on most of them so far. Hahaha! I love Margaret Bremner's copada tangle and wanted to use it right across the center of the card. It hit me about halfway through that I could do a double row, then turn the centers into a variation of inapod. Then I realized that inapod + copada = ina-pada. Pretty cool! So that's like either one or two tangles, depending on how you view it. Then I topped it off with msst. Don't remember who I sent this one out to, but it's already in the mail and on its way. Hopefully it will be very happy in its new home :).
Really just playing around with some of my favorite tangles. There are two of them that I don't even know the names of, but I use them often. So, I should probably figure that out!
And once again, I realized that I forgot to shade. Shading really does make an incredible difference, adding depth and dimension. Some of the shading is done with a pencil and tortillion. Other parts are shaded with a light grey colored Pitt artist pen. At this point I probably couldn't tell you which is which. You should get your pen and tile out and draw something. You'll be glad you did!
Tangle Patterns gave us Margaret Bremner's string this week for our 20th challenge! Shaped like the number four - I had a bit of a mental block with this tangle. I kept wanting to do things in sets of four. What I ended up with was a little bit of Indyrella, some Msst, hollibaugh, and crescent moon. Getting back to the basics. Here's what we started with.
Why don't you head on over to Tangle Patterns, grab the string, and post a tile of your own!
Tangle Patterns' String 007 - I decided to go with a music theme. I was just flipping through some pages of patterns and this is what I came up with. I don't typically leave a bunch of white space, but I kind of liked it this time. Patterns: Msst, melody, variation of puff, and I threw in a keyboard :). This is the string Linda gave us to work with. The string was shared by Mirjam Baart of Holland. I basically rotated the string and went to work. To photograph my tile for post, I went to my sheet music and pulled this one out. I got this music from a great aunt when she passed away. She had some great sheet music! and a pump organ that she played. This is probably my favorite piece. I love to play this on the piano. In case you can't tell that it's old from the photo - here's the copyright section from the first page. Copyright 1939!
If you'd like to participate with the string challenge, visit Linda Farmer's page - Tangle Patterns - here.
I don't like being behind and I don't want to skip a challenge. I have a list of what I need to do and I'm knocking them out one-by-one. This is my first response to last week's zendala dare at The Bright Owl. Actually, it was my second response, but my favorite so I'm pushing it to the front of the line :). As far as patterns - I used paradox and made up the rest. Then I watercolored with derwent inktense pencils - my favorite art supply at the moment. This is how things work. Erin at The Bright Owl posts a blank zendala each Friday, then we take it and create a work of art with it! Above is the blank she gave us this week. This was my first response. Recently I hit the junkpot at Michael's. On the clearance row they had some scrapbook supplies. And in that bin were packages of 60 (I think it's 60) round tiles. I bought a package of all white tiles and a package of various colored tiles for $0.99 each. Once you add in tax, it cost me about $2.00 to be able to create 120 works of art :). What a deal! So, for this zendala I used a hot pink tile and the patterns weave, skein, vortex, and Msst. Check out all our art contributions here at The Bright Owl. It isn't too late to add one of your own!
Last week, Tangles and Stuff offered a journal prompt to make a tangle sampler, using your own tangles, new-to-you tangles, or ones you hadn't used in awhile. I had never done a tangle sampler before, so I really enjoyed this! I used a whole bunch of tangles - buttercup, krust, sippy, Msst, knase, beaded, hurly burly, zedbra, zuan shi, pickets, vache1, linQ, and cellu. All but one of these patterns were totally new to me. Of course I had to add some color and some sparkle with Pitt markers and At You Spica pens. So much fun! This is what drawing looks like to me. My journal (in this case a smash journal,) a pencil, a stump, microns, and a bowl of Frosted Cheerios and dried cranberries! Yummo!
Tangles and Stuff seems to offer a different journal prompt each week. You can check it out here! And join us next week!
It's Zendala Dare time again. Zendala Dare #4, actually. On Friday, Erin posted this zendala for us to tangle. Well, when I looked at it, the first idea that popped to mind was surfboards! So, you might ask if I'm a surfer. Hahaha! I watched Surf's Up - the movie, does that count? Actually, I'm a little old for that sport, but I do love the ocean! I started by drawing the version above. I like it, but I thought it needed some color. Surfboards are typically colorful! So I used my Derwent Inktense Pencils and a waterbrush to add some color! Can't you just feel the sand between your toes? Patterns are Btl Joos, cootie, pepper, Msst, sunz (my own pattern), and some free-hand waves. A zentangle-inspired offering. If you want to check out some incredible zendalas, head on over to the Bright Owl here, perhaps you would like to draw one of your own.
Over at the Bright Owl, Erin is hosting a Zendala Dare each week. She provides us with the template, which we then tangle and post to her blog. This is the template Erin gave us to work with this week. I started with the center and worked my way to the outer ring. Patterns I used were: crescent moon, weave, paradox, Msst, lokomotive, pearlz, and coral. This week's template really challenged me. It kept reminding me of McDonald's! and their french fries which I haven't had in months! Hungry!!! So, I decided the cups looked more like cups of hot chocolate! Which I can have - on occasion!
Check out Erin's blog here and see what everyone else has posted! Maybe you'd consider joining us in the Zendala Dare!
