Author: JillD

Teacher/Librarian/Writer/Doodler/SCBWI member; Zentangle Art, CZT

“Slow down, you’re moving too fast…”

Diva’s Weekly Tangle Challenge #278 

  • Use Knightstar in a tile
  • My personal challenge: Slow down you’re moving too fast (Bijou agrees)

bijou tiles

It was a happy surprise when I chose a Bijou tile to try Knightstar and the next tile in the stack was one of those lovely “words of wisdom” tiles that come with the boxed set. “Slow Down.” Just what I needed to hear:)

  • (Above) Official Zentangle “Slow Down” Bijou tile and my Bijou tile: Knightstar border around Drupe
  • (Below) 3.5 Tile : Knightstar corners, Zinger, Flux, large Henna Drum, Rounded Rixty, Abundes, a variation of Finery around a fan-like Flux

tileknightstarboarder

My brain couldn’t handle more than Knightstar corners, this time. The grid lay-out concept was winding me up – not slowing me down. I did learn the basics of a new pattern from this challenge, and I think Knightstar makes a cute corner!

 I’m happy to be slowing down. It’s another hot toasty New England day. The air conditioning is on- and there will be no multi-tasking. E-mail, paperwork and dinner will happen – all in good time.

Happy tangling! Jill

 

 

 

 

JillD4 Comments

Squirrel vs. Chipmunk: Tomato Thieves on Trial (or The mistrial of Banana Bread Squirrel)

The trial date: Immediately

Courthouse: Patio garden

Let’s just say this wasn’t a fair trial from the beginning because right away we, my husband and I, blamed the chipmunks. The little striped critters were frequent flyers on our patio, and I was sure that our tomatoes were part of their summer vacation package. They had already built a lovely summer home under our three-season porch. Would a dip in the pool be next? The chipmunk theory held fast for days that is when the little cherry tomatoes were the only ones going missing. Then the big Beefsteaks started to go…

When I say go, I mean – go – gone – ready to file a missing tomato report. No pieces left behind, no half-eaten tomatoes with little toothy impressions in them. The big boys vanished. Our tomato plants left naked and afraid. Who are these Houdini-critters *&%?

Then I remembered an old friend – from a summer reunion of the past-a.k.a. Banana Bread squirrel. A squirrel that had literally gone “nuts” (sorry couldn’t resist) and tried to break through my kitchen window screen to steal a banana bread that I had cooling by the window.

This case was getting bigger, the suspect list longer. So I went undercover: PJs, coffee, cell phone camera, sunglasses…casually stalking the patio. Until one day, the crime went down… sneakysquirrel

Now this could be any squirrel of course, but it’s not. I know in my heart – it is Banana Bread squirrel. As I’ve said, we have a history.

So how to stop this tomato stealing crime? My research didn’t provide me with any answers I want to live with. Here are some: Get a cat, a Border Collie, make some hot pepper concoction, and cage the tomatoes in a chicken-wire prison.

It turns out I am an enabler, and I am just not that attached to my tomatoes. Yes, Banana Bread squirrel, you’ve won – this time. But wait, soon – very soon – I will be baking blueberry muffins (insert evil laugh:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JillDLeave a comment

Running ‘Round in Circles

Diva Challenge #277 Running ‘Round in Circles

The last few weeks, I have been “running ’round in circles” too! Summer is supposed to slow things down, right? 

So it was nice to settle in on a sunny summer afternoon, take on the Diva’s next challenge to a create a tile with circles, and tangle for awhile. Here’s my circle inspired tile with a little of bit of this and a little bit of that, Jetties, Finery, Tipple, Rock n’Roll, Henna Drum… with a touch of Gelly Roll pen.

Happy tangling! Jill 

ZIA Summer Circles

Happy circles

 

 

 

 

JillD5 Comments

Black, White, Red (Pink) Diva Challenge 272

 

Diva Challenge 272:

  • Black and white Zentangle tile and add red
  • Extra challenge have fun and don’t take yourself too seriously! (I needed the extra challenge as you will see below:)

Part of first tile that I liked…

part2

And then PINK happened…

“Arghh, breathe, let it go”

wholetile

The white Gelly Roll and red micron did their own “dance” and the “pink” runneth over! 

  • Tangle life lesson 1:) Pink happens… (note-to-self stay away from red ink and white Gelly Roll pens unless you want pink)
  • Tangle life lesson 2:) Rixty (variations) and Waltz (Diva Dance variation) are very fun to draw, pink or not.
  • Tangle life lesson 3:) There is always another tile to try…

Second tile:

blackandred

  • Munchin and (a rounded fan design, which  may not be an official tangle pattern – I gave a look on Tanglepatterns.com, but still not sure …)
  • When I tangled the rounded fan shape, I was thinking “rounded Munchin/topped with a touch of Crescent Moon.” Since I am a writer, I love to name things. If this one doesn’t have a name, and I were to name it as a tangle, I would call it “Fair Us Wheel” in a nod to Ferris Wheels from amusement parks. Again, not sure, so I am going to defer to part 2 of the Diva’s Challenge and not worry t00 much about its origin at the moment.  

Hope you were seeing red (and not pink) if you took the challenge:)

 

 

 

JillD13 Comments

Zendala FUN

 

 

zen2

Zendala FUN:  Keeping it Zen on a sunny afternoon

Four tangle patterns

Unconstrained by symmetry

N No worries, let it flow one stroke at a time!

As you may know the “Zen,” in Zentangle is the idea that there are no mistakes, just artistic experimentation, fun and flow. So, on a beautiful summer afternoon in New England I had the bonus of a little creative time on my hands (love when this happens:) and I enjoyed creating an asymmetrical Zendala using four patterns Abundes, Poke Root, Sanibelle and Squid, with a Sakura micron 01 and a graphite pencil. B.t.w., Zendala tiles come blank and pre-strung with grayscale strings. I chose a pre-strung floral style pattern for this design.

If you find yourself with a little creative time, why not give a free-flowing Zendala a try:)

Have FUN!

Jill

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JillD2 Comments

Of Cephalopods and Dragons

256px-Octopus_vulgaris
Photo credit

Fighting with dragons while writing a middle grade fantasy novel…

One of the things writers try to avoid are the old played out tropes – unless you can make them fresh- for me I wanted to avoid a classic of many fantasy novels- dragons. Why, because I didn’t think I could make a dragon anew, or if I tried, I would need a huge dose of “dragon Febreze,”(choose your favorite air-freshener here:)  Of course, so many writers had done dragons well in fantasy books for ages. But dragons simply weren’t for me.

In fact, to some degree, I was purposefully avoiding dragons – not wanting to get “tropey,” with my work, yes, but imaginatively speaking, I felt a bit trailed by them, LOL. I was born in the year of the dragon, work in a school that has a dragon mascot and my father worked for a company that used a dragon as its figure head.

Then as often happens when you try to avoid something it comes to you.

My dragon came to me, in the form of Science Friday Cephalopod Week. My writer’s brain billowed in the fascinating  watery world of octopus eyes, jeweled suckers and beautiful brains and whoosh, my water dragon was born. A different dragon that felt fresh to me with a dose of octopus and science air-freshener.

I recently saw the author Elizabeth Gilbert, in an art forum, discuss her book Big Magic Creative Life Beyond Fear. I am a believer in the type of creative magic she describes. Simple connections that creative thinking morphs together when one regularly puts butt in chair.  Who knew the dragon I did not want to include in my middle grade novel would be born on National Cephalopod Week?

 

 

JillDLeave a comment