Diva #277 - Running around in circles

This week's Diva challenge

The challenge this week was to draw inspiration from circles. Here's my tile. If you visit my blog later in the week there will be more tiles for this challenge.

Zentangle Primer

I've been doing more work in my Primer Journal. This week I tackled the front cover. The border features tangle fragments that I saw on Adele Bruno's site recently, plus squill, ellish, skye, rixty, tripoli, flux, florz and shattuck, with a few bunzo-esque pieces thrown in. The gems have some extra sparkle courtesy of a couple of layers of Mod Podge.

ZIA 3D paper shapes

On the weekend I went to a craft fair at my local art centre. One of the stalls that caught my eye and imagination was by Altapapercraft. They had a display of 3D images made from cardboard pyramids. 
You need to go to their instagram or facebook page to appreciate. I can't adequately describe their work. http://altapapercraft.com/

You could buy the artworks already assembled and framed or you buy their kits and try it at home. I bought two of their kits and have spent much of Monday drawing over them and converting them into ZIA.

Here's my 3D star and 3D fish. I already had box-ish frames. Just took out the ZIA that were in them before, added some pretty background card, tangling the backing card and viola. 

Cake decorating continues

Here's my latest attempt at this edible art. I've found that my work colleagues are quite happy to eat the results.

Have a great week and thanks for your comments.

Miss L

Diva #276 - moving tangles

This week's Diva challenge is to tangle while moving. I don't have a tile like that or an opportunity to create one - I have only a 10 minute car ride to work and I'm the driver. However, I do have a page of my Zentangle Primer Journal that I worked on at an airport. 

I started the page at Melbourne Airport on my way to Tasmania to draw with Shelly Beauch, I addded to it during the week, and then did some more while waiting at Melbourne Airport for my delayed return flight to Canberra. 


Here's the tile and my selfie, primer opened and pen in hand.

You might notice the pressure garment on my left hand. It extends all the way up my arm, is a relic of having cancer and is something I have to wear every time I fly. It prevents me getting lymphedema. 

Zentangle Primer and Journal

I've had some pretty nice comments about my use of the ZT Primer journal - both on this blog and on the ZT mosaic app. Remember that there are no mistakes in Zentangle. Don't let the loveliness of the journal stop you from using it and making it your own. The journal is meant to DRAW IN. 

Here's one of my recent drawings, based on the image on page 46 of the Primer. My favourite tangle in this is Shattuck - I've learnt how to vary the weight of my pen lines in it, which is something I've not been confident to do before. 

Tasmania trip

Readers of this blog would know that I love to travel, and I'm enjoying travelling solo sometimes. My recent trip was to Tasmania. 


Here's some photos. Photos were mostly taken in the Bay of Fires region in the NE Tasmania.

Have a great week. 

Miss L

Diva #275 - Give peace a chance

Winter weather update

We have snow. We don't get snow in Canberra very often and when we do it quickly melts. It also creates lots of excitement.

My daughter Moo leaves for work before 6am so she's been keeping her car in the garage to avoid having to de-ice. This morning she would have had to de-snow.

Here's my car outside at 6am this morning.

Here's our backyard at 9am.

Miss L

Diva #275

This week's Diva challenge asks us to reflect on the recent events in the USA. Black lives matter.

I chose to use organic tangles around a peace sign. Tangles used were Verdigogh, Tamisolo and Iza.

Drawing with Shelly Beauch

Last week I travelled to Tasmania (over 700kms away) to spend a couple of days improving my drawing skills with the delightful and generous Shelly Beauch.

We spend most of the second day working on an Opus tile sampler, where Shelly showed me new tangles and helped me draw some older ones. Here's my Opus tile.

I did lots of other drawing last week, some of which you can find on the Zentangle Mosaic App.

Zen Gems

Zen Gems are something I've seen lots of and tried but without success. Some in person tuition has changed that. Here's a collection of Zen Gems that I created yesterday, complete with plenty of tangling to enhance them and to link each 'tile'. 

Zentangle Primer

My Zentangle Primer and workbook arrived just before I travelled to Tasmania. The book is packed with inspiration and ways to develop and extend your Tangling skills. I spent hours with it, particularly in airports waiting for delayed flights. 

Here's my name plate.

Have a great week.

Miss L

Diva #275 - Give peace a chance

This week's Diva challenge asks us to reflect on the recent events in the USA. Black lives matter.

I chose to use organic tangles around a peace sign. Tangles used were Verdigogh, Tamisolo and Iza.

Drawing with Shelly Beauch

Last week I travelled to Tasmania (over 700kms away) to spend a couple of days improving my drawing skills with the delightful and generous Shelly Beauch.

We spend most of the second day working on an Opus tile sampler, where Shelly showed me new tangles and helped me draw some older ones. Here's my Opus tile.

I did lots of other drawing last week, some of which you can find on the Zentangle Mosaic App.

Zen Gems

Zen Gems are something I've seen lots of and tried but without success. Some in person tuition has changed that. Here's a collection of Zen Gems that I created yesterday, complete with plenty of tangling to enhance them and to link each 'tile'. 

Zentangle Primer

My Zentangle Primer and workbook arrived just before I travelled to Tasmania. The book is packed with inspiration and ways to develop and extend your Tangling skills. I spent hours with it, particularly in airports waiting for delayed flights. 

Here's my name plate.

Have a great week.

Miss L

Diva #274 - My Country

This week the Diva asked us to create a tile inspired by our country or our country's flag. This was hard for me. While I love my country, I think our flag is out-dated and represents the past. So, I designed a new flag.

My flag is a combination of the current Australian flag and the Australian Aboriginal flag. Google them both and you'll see what I've tried to do. My tile is not the best quality. Read on to see why.

(OMG - this is bad, new version to come!)

Here's my second attempt at this week's Diva challenge. I've used the national colours of green and gold in my imagining of a new Australian flag. My flag includes the stars of the Southern Cross. I tangled over the top of the flag with tangles that I've been practicing/learning this week.

Cheers from Tasmania.

Tangling with Shelly Beauch

Lucky, lucky me. I've spent the last two days drawing with the wonderful Shelly Beauch CZT. I also spent a couple of hours drawing last night. The tip of my pen finger is worn out, hence the not so great tile above.

Anyway ......

Yesterday we worked on several different standard size tiles, working on tangles that are new to me, refining my techniques and Shelly teaching me how to do Zen Gems using grey Copic markers as the base. 

I cannot stress enough the value of working in person with a CZT. It will take me ages to process and practice what I've learnt over the last two days. Priceless learning. And a whole lot of fun.

Here's one of the tiles. I'm VERY pleased with this. That afternoon I went to the art store and bought my own small set of these markers.

This morning we warmed up by creating the cover of a notebook before spending the day on an Opus tile.

The Opus tiles are not finished but here's Shelly working on hers.

Tomorrow my adventures take me to the remote(ish) NE of Tasmania for a few days of walking, sight seeing and drawing. 

Have a great week.

Miss L