Happy New Year

I wish everyone a new year full of surprises and may all your dreams come true in 2012!

Happy Christmas

May your Christmas be happy, bright and filled with laughter and joy. Keep safe and healthy this holiday season and hopefully you will have some special time to tangle!

Given

This week, The Diva has suggested we "Give" our tile to someone. I have given this tile to my daughter's partner's Mum. Sharing is a special feature of Zentangle.  We share our art, ideas,  memories and some things that happen in our lives. Earlier this year Darryn (our Katy's partner) went through the challenge of a kidney and pancreas transplant, he has recovered well and doesn't complain if he has a bit of a setback. Darryn is sharing his life with our gorgeous grandchildren, we can see that he adores them and we really appreciate all that he does.

There's a R-Umble in the Jungle

Size: A4    21cm x 29cm     (8" x 11")

Enjoyment

Last Christmas a good friend gave me a diary with a quote for each week. I was just flicking back through the pages and especially like this quote.
Wealth lies not in what we have, but in what we enjoy - anon.

Size: 24cm x 30cm (9 1/2 "x 11 1/2")
Click on to enlarge.

Let sleeping snakes lie

Tasmania's weather is warming up and after our spring rain the garden is flourishing. I should be out pulling weeds and snipping. The water in the frog pond hasn't dried up yet and my latest Zentangle just reminded me of what might be lurking down under the bushes waiting for lunch.

Fife

The Diva's challenge #51 is to explore Zentangle's new official tangle called fife. There are a couple of ways to draw fife, I wanted to follow the alternating alignment steps but try and curve around a circle. It took quite a bit of focus to keep a smooth flow. A creative challenge, thanks Laura.

Hurry it's Zander

Hurry it's Zander with Dyon, Onamato, Yincut, Jetties and Vitruvius!

What a party!



Biggify

Challenge #50 by The Diva this week stretched my tangles to a new size. Biggify is like magnify or make large or just plain big! Vitruvius is in the bottom corner, next is finery and a tangelation of zander and finished at the top with sedgling. Thanks laura.

A bit on the side

Which side?

Sideways, upside down, on the down side, on the sunny side, sunny side up, inside out, closed side, open side. In the sidecar, on the sideboard, sideshow, sidelong, sidestep, side by side, beside, sidetracked.

Is it on the right side?

Red Thread

Challenge #49 brings awareness to The Red Thread Promise. Cris from Tangled Up In Art is on the quest to help.
From the outside in I have used quabog and punzel (which is becoming another favourite), along with the new fife. Both ways of drawing fife are mixed together here for a bit of variety.



 

From Here To There 1,2,3,4

It's quite a journey travelling from here to there. Surprises pop out or hide away, waiting to be found. There is something new around every bend and turn. Sometimes it's easy to be lost amongst the whirl and swirl of time. A trip down memory lane reminds us to stop and take a breath. Tommorrow will arrive soon enough. Leave the heavy baggage behind, pack light and enjoy the ride, take in the view. Once in a while a challenge might test the water, look up, a life line may be on the horizon. Tread carefully, slow down, appreciate the path and be grateful for the small unexpected sights.

Life is full of surprises just like a Zentangle.  

From Here to There 3,4

The colouring is with Faber-Castell's Pitt artist brush pens. Margaret's  gingham looks like a picnic in the spring with that touch of blue.

Tomorrow I will post the complete 4 piece (Zentangle Inspired Art) ensemble.

From Here To There 1,2

Here are numbers 1 and 2 of a 4 piece Zentangle Inspired Art ensemble. Each piece is drawn on A4 bamboo paper (8" x 11").

Tri-shapes

Challenge #48.

Sue Clark at Tangled Ink Art has provided us with the uncomplicated idea of a string using a square, a circle and a triangle. Sometimes we can turn the simplest of things into complications... no not me I like ease and relaxation with a touch of sparkle. I thought it was a great chance to try the beautiful new black Zentangle tiles. The gelly roll pen flowed nicely with just the gentlest touch. Luckily the charcoal pencil arrived yesterday in my 'box of very good things' from Zentangle. Oh what a sparkly kind of day!
Thanks Sue.

Popsicles

Popsicles grew from the Certified Zentangle Teacher Seminar as my homework but the right name didn't pop into my head. It looks like a poppy flower and so fitted well into The Diva's Challenge for Rememberance Day. Looking up poppy names I found Iceland poppy ....icy....poppies.....Tada....Popsicles! Although Paul thought they looked a bit like the hot mud craters in Yellowstone National Park.

The circle string can be quite wobbly.

Lest We Forget

#47. Poppies for Rememberance Day. I have quite a few of The Diva's challengers to catch up with, she always guides us in the right direction with ideas and thoughtful inspiration.
Thanks Laura.

Home

Santa Monica

We are at the airport waiting for our flight home. Paul is flicking through his camera at all the great photos. We have spent our last day at Santa Monica, for a change of pace we hired bicycles and rode along to Venice Beach and sat in the sun.

Paul's Comments:

I have learnt to stay on the right side of the road.

I have learnt to stay clear away from American politics in the pub.

I have learnt a little about American football and baseball.

I have learnt not to get to close to a buffalo.

I have learnt Park Rangers don't always drive marked cars.

I have learnt draught beer does not come in a bottle.

I have also learnt that the GPS (we bought on sale) is not always right.

Salt Lake City

Twelve states across America, 3,480 miles in 14 days!

Safe in Salt Lake City! Paul has driven brilliantly!

Fortunately we have had great weather, travelling in the RV has been a fabulous experience. We have loved meeting so many friendly people, enjoyed the excitement of New York, the passion and inspiration in Providence at the Zentangle seminar and the thrill of the open road driving across the country.

Snow on the mountains and bags packed.

Yellowstone National Park

Buffalos, snow and Old Faithful!

We spent a couple of days with cameras at the ready for what ever animals we could see, plenty of buffalos and antelope but we didn't see a bear. There were only 3 campgrounds open in the park and the ranger suggested we go to Mammoth Hot Springs up North. On our way we stopped to see the famous geyser Old Faithful erupt, it spurts at about 90 minute intervals give or take 10 minutes.

The hill behind the campground was large and just the shape of a huge mammoth. Deer roamed casually around the hot springs. We woke to a slight frost and to our delight as we drove around the loop and south the snow fall during the night was spectacular with steam from the springs adding to the amazing scenery.

The next night we spent at Jackson Hole, a popular ski resort village. We went out to dinner and Leon Russsel was playing at the Centre for the Arts so 'great balls of fire' we joined the locals for a night of rock and roll.

When I 1st saw these arches made from antlers on each corner of the town square I thought 'Oh dear' but the deer's antlers naturally fall of every spring. The boy scouts collect them, then have a large charity auction.

Cowboy Country

I have had a little time to tangle of an evening and we have made it, way out west. Yesterday we stopped at the famous motorbike rally town of Sturgis. Every August about half a million motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the world gather and ride the fabulous roads around the Blackhills. It is very quiet at this time of year but at least we could wander around the museum and shops with ease.

Next stop was the cowboy town of Deadwood, rich in the wild west history of Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok. We had lunch at an old hotel and check out the beer!

Just on sunset we drove up and around Devils Tower, America's 1st National Monument, a huge stone pillar, it is the core of a volcano and sacred to the American Indians.

There was a campground close by which looked quite deserted and fortunately the caretaker was happy for us to stay the night as long as we didn't need the restrooms. Glad our RV has a beaut heater, fabulous hot shower, good toilet and everything we need.

Today we ventured over the Big Horn Mountain Range, Wyoming, to Cody, Buffalo Bill territory.

The weather is quite mild but there is snow on the mountains, we hope the roads are clear for the next couple of days to explore Yellowstone National Park.

The Great American Road Trip

All along Interstate 90 were signs about the Corn Palace at Mitchell, intrigued we made a stop, the whole building which is a community and sporting venue is decorated each year with corn cobs, stalks and grasses from the region. This seasonal event has been happening for over 100 years. A Tangler's delight!

We have continued into the Badlands, the roads and scenery are picturesque with the changing colours from desert to the green and gold of the trees in the Blackhills of South Dakota. We have seen the small prairie dogs dart down their holes, deer grazing on the side of the road, even a large buck with beautiful antlers. Last night 3 huge bison just roaming calmly while people stopped to take photos.

Luckily the weather has been good to us, we woke one morning to a slight frost, with a clear sunrise, gorgeous! Yesterday we were able to miss the rain while admiring the amazing carvings on Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse.

As we came into Rapid City last night just on dark we spotted a campground with the most wonderful view over the city, perfect except for the 'Closed for the season' sign!! Ok the GPS guided us to another campground 2 miles down the road but no, that was completely gone so we settled down in a Baptist Church car park, safe and quiet.

Fields of Gold

Our 1st 2 nights on the road were spent in Travel Plazas, large flash truck stops. They are very clean with everything you need. The 2nd Travel Plaza even had power plug ins, it cost $20.00 but good for charging up our gadgets (like the computer).

Paul is driving well in the traffic, he drove straight through the centre of Chicago. We parked on a parking meter to go into the Navy Pier area and had to pay with the credit card, that was a 1st!

Although we did have a hiccup coming into Milwakee, I entered a camping ground address into the GPS but when we arrived a 6 lane Freeway had been built right through the middle, all we could see was a broken gate! It was dark at this stage so we stopped the night in a Bank carpark, we had a 24 hr MacDonalds on one side and a drive through ATM on the other, luckily it was quiet and no problem.

A photo of our RV in the Harley-Davidson Museum carpark in Milwaukee, we spent half the day looking about. We had planned to be here in 2003 for the H-D 100th Anniversary but that didn't

happen. We actually had a better look because back then the whole place would have been crowded. Amazing how things are meant to be!!!

Today we crossed the Mississippi River and drove most of the day through thousands of acres of corn fields across the southern part of Minnesota. The area must look stunningly lush and green in the summer. I love the old barns and farm houses. Some of the signs along the roadside are fun to read but I'm not quick enough with camera, one advertised an 'Adult Shop and Bakery' that's OK, I've heard many folks say they are off to the bakery for a tart!

Tonight we are just east of Sioux Falls in a lovely camping ground looking over a lake. It's a bit to cold to get the camp chairs out but the wine is good and we are warm inside.

It's Official!

What a day and celebration!


Plenty of tangling and official business, photographs, more tangling, more laughs and wonderful friendships formed.
I know I wasn't the only one feeling emotional and thrilled about receiving our gorgeous certificates.



With Kit (also from Tasmania), Rick and Maria.

CZT7 in full swing!

The Hotel Providence a buzz with tangle talk, our lessons are taken in the beautiful ballroom. We all chatter and compare notes and tangles until Rick and Maria step up and all is quiet.

You can feel the appreciation and gratitude from everyone, our passion is shared and is flowing out and around the hotel and into the dining room. Tonight our waitress had a peep in the Zentangle shop and now she has been bitten by the Zentangle bug too.

What a treat it is to actually chat (in real life) with these lovely ladies....Tricia, Lori and Linda.

It's all go!

Name tags and seminar bags were passed out as we introduced ourselves. So many faces that we recognised from small internet photos. Hugs and smiles as we finally met and connected names to faces. After dinner and a glass of bubbly with pomegranate juice we spent a lovely evening admiring each others Zentangle art work and special pieces created by Maria.

Providence

I knew we were at the right place when the Hotel Providence front door opened, we were greeted by an especially large Zentangle tile. WOW!!

Early this morning while waiting for the train at Penn Station, Paul was sitting with our bags while I ordered coffee. He must have looked as though he was guarding all his worldly goods because a very kind lady came over and offered him $5.00.

And no he didn't take it.

The train from New York to Providence takes about three and a half hours through beautiful coastal towns.

Our room is very flash and comfortable, quite a few happy Tanglers have arrived and we have met Maria and Rick, they so very friendly. What a treat!!

Greenwich Village

Saturday was perfect for a stroll around Greenwich Village, sunshine and feeling relaxed. We stopped at Caffe Reggio, an Italian coffee shop with a very exotic atmosphere. It had the most interesting toilet, a small narrow green door and was like walking into a cupboard I suppose that's where 'water closet' comes from. Paul had the biggest coffee and the New York Cheesecake, the best for sure, it was the smoothest with a lovely meringue topping.

Later in the afternoon I wandered up 5th Ave on my own for a bit of window shopping and came across this window with a bright display of beautiful floor mats.

We finished the day with a meal at the BB King Bar and Grill, another late night.

Today we were in the right place at the right time with a visit to see Grand Central Station, that was WOW! When coming out we could hear very loud band music. It was a parade for Spanish speaking South American communities, all were dressed in their native costumes and looking spectacular.

Our last day here has been quite hot but we still walked about to soak up the sounds, sights and smells of New York City, the buildings are incredible with beautiful ornate features, not a space is spared. One of the bus tour guides said that you can even buy air space now so you can build ontop of other buildings. It's all WOW!!

Early night, big day tomorrow....we are off to Providence.