Challenge # 60-Cirquital and Munchins

This week the Diva's challenge involved two tangles...Cirquital and Munchin.  

  

Here are the instructions for Cirquital from Maria and Rick's website.  They are the original "creator's" of Zentangle/ZIAs.  And below are the instructions for Munchin.

If you go to the Zentangle website, you can archive any of their patterns to see how to make them.  Another wonderful website to show how to make hundreds of zentangles is from Linda Farmer.  I use her website all the time when I want a new look to any ZIA.

Challenge #59-Mardi Gras

Challenge # 59- Mardi Gras

Last Monday the Diva chose as our weekly challenge the topic of "Mardi Gras" in honor of the beginning of Lent.  So, although I am posting a little late, here is my zentangle for the week.

When I was a kid I always liked the season of Lent.  I thought Ash Wednesday was very cool....we would go to mass in the morning then go to school.  Being a Catholic in a non-Catholic community...at least being a minority...going to school with my ashes on my forehead was special. I would get a chance to look "different" and an opportunity to explain what it was all about.

Now as an adult, I still like the idea of Lent and Ash Wednesday although I look on it very differently.  I am much broader on my thinking of spirituality and all the whoop to do that goes with organized religion.  I still have great respect for the "good works" I see the Catholic church and a few others doing, but I do not care for the intolerance that I see in so many "christian" faiths including the Catholic Church.  I think I have finally found a "church" with which I can relate....the Unitarian Universalist Church.  Without getting "preachy", I recommend anyone who has had doubts about what is going on in the world today with the Religious Rights groups, etc....check out the UU.  The church I am becoming a member of is Westside UU in Fort Worth, Texas.

Color Challenge for February

These are the fabrics I have chosen to use for the February challenge.

This is the paper pieced block that I made with the February palette...12 inches square.

The Color Challenge button on my sidebar will take you to the Challenge page so you can see what it is all about!  Vicki Welsh, a talented art quilter who dyes her own fabric, is the sponser of the challenge.  Her site has a wealth of information about color theory and other artsy stuff...very interesting!

And I have given up on using photos on my computer to post on my blog..so I have set up a Picasa website account which seems much easier to use!!!

The Versatile Log Cabin

Several years ago I acquired a paper pieced pattern from someone...can't even remember who!  And when I decided to follow the Scrappy Challenge, last month being red, I chose to make up these squares...each being a 2" square and a total of 36.  While deciding which layout to use, I remembered why I love the log cabin!  It is such a versatile block...these are just a few of the layouts you can use.  I know Flavin Glover

uses the log cabin in many of her quilts. If you are not familiar with her (and who isn't) check out her website...fascinating!!!

The layout I chose..adding a black border..total size w/ border 18" square.

Now I just need to decide how to quilt it...I am a little late for the Scrappy Challenge by a couple of weeks...this month is green.  Maybe I can get green done in time for St. Pat's Day in March!!!

Challenge #58-Diamonds

Challenge #58- Diamonds

"It's Valentine's Day..

An occasion to show love.

Should be every day!"

     This week, the Diva gave us the challenge of Diamonds to bring awareness to The Four Diamond Fund.  If you click on the link, you will find the meaning of the fund...very touching cause!!  I had started my ZIA yesterday with the idea of using it for a Valentine....I had done the heart shape and the Sanibelles (last week's challenge which I really like doing) then this morning got on line to see what the Diva had cooked up for us!!  That is when I added the Diamonds.  The Diva got the subject for her challenge from Diana Hirsch who has been involved in the Four Diamonds for quite some time.

     This is the earliest I have ever posted a zentangle challenge tile, so time permitting, I may get another one in of this chosen design!!

Challenge #57-UMT -Sanibelle

Challenge #57 Sanibelle

The Diva's zentangle challenge for this week is created by Tricia Faraone and is named "Sanibelle". The feathery, leafy design is the zentangle chosen. The rest is just what happened as I doodled. And the UMT stands for Use My Tangle.
       My haiku to accompany this design is:

"Tricia's Sanibelle

An unplanned evolution.

Leaves, twigs and a nest!"

block for january

block for january, a photo by arts1plus on Flickr.

Here is one thing I finished this week....my Internet BOM...using the Moda fabric I won a couple years ago from Quilting Arts at the International Quilt Show in Houston.

It Came in the Mail!

A Book from Julie Waldmann

A couple of weeks ago, i was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Julie Waldmann who was notifying me that I was the winner of her latest giveaway. And today, this beautiful book came in the mail!  Now, I do not usually work in reproduction fabrics, but this year, my guild has chosen the theme for our annual quilt show "Memories" and the focus is on '30's fabrics.  I volunteered to be in charge of the Members Challenge Quilt so I think this book will come in very handy!!!  There is also going to be an apron challenge and this book just happens to have an apron pattern!

Although I did not do the "15 Minute Challenge" this week, I did actually get quite a bit of time to spend in my studio.  So I guess I will repost the logo for this challenge and at least post what I can, when I can....starting next week!  And I will have a zentangle challenge to post this week also..I missed last week's from the Diva.

Zentangle-HH (Harris Hospital-6th floor)

Zentangle-HH (Harris Hospital-6th floor), a photo by arts1plus on Flickr.

Last week, I spent several days in a hospital room, watching my husband improve from surgery. We are home now and he is almost back to normal. While there, I kept from going stir crazy by working on a zentangle...this is my creative representation of the hospital, 6th floor...tubes and all...by way of a ZIA!
     Another product that helped my sanity was my Kindle Fire.  I just got it for Christmas and I love it.  I'm not big on cell phones except in emergencies; and I don't have a fancy phone or plan whereby I can take pictures or instantly post on Facebook, but I discovered I can do a great deal on my Kindle if I am in an area with WiFi.  The hospital (which I imagine is pretty common any more) has a guest connection.  So I could surf, check my emails, send emails, etc....and I had a book at hand and could down load some tv shows!! What  a world we live in!!!  I love most of the technology....my mom who has been gone nearly 18 years would also have loved it all...my dad, gone fourteen years, would have hated it!!!!!

New Color Palette Challenge

The New Color Palette Challenge for February

     Vicki Welsh has a beautiful website and is the host of the monthly Color Palette Challenge.  Here are the colors for the month of February.  Aren't they luscious!!!

     I have had to kind of drop out of a couple of challenges you might remember from my side bar, but this is one that I hope to continue.  A few others that I am going to try to continue with are the Sketchbook Challenge, the Diva's zentangle challenge, the Bloggers BOM, and the Scrappy monthly color challenge.  On the last one, I had almost finished my "red" challenge scrappy, but ran out of time (or month) to publish so I  will continue to work on it as an UFO.  This month's color is "green" so maybe I can get it done during this month.  Most of these are just fun to do for me and keep me mentally and creatively challenged.  The final products will probably end up in my guild's silent auction at our annual Quilt Show.
     
      I have been keeping up with all the todo with the Komen/Planned Parenthood debacle!  My kids and I have done the Race for the Cure for about 15 years now.  I had a bit of a dilemma whether to continue this year or not, but as the Komen organization changed their stance on the withdrawal of funds to PP, my dilemma is solved and I will be joining them this spring!