Inktober in my Calendar and my new Journal!

Inktober! Mr Jake Parker started this and participants are around the world.  Stephanie Jennifer has made prompts for tanglers and I did participate last year too. Now I decided to make the prompts in my calendar and this suits me very well! But started I couldn´t stop myself trying it on a tile with the first three patterns together: Mooka, Yah (Emily Classon) and Ginilli (Randi Wynne Parry).

Doing so it was much fun and the next thing I had to try was in my new Cappucino-journal.

For once I didn´t use any black micron, just gellypen, white charcoal and graphite. Oh I loved to do this. So I just went on yesterday too:

The color looks different in these pics, because the first one is taken with my iphone and the second is a scanned one. Maybe the iphone pic is more correct! But anyway it is much easier to scan this book than to take photos, so I try to live with this result. I have no intention to make my journal an inktober one, but it was very fun and relaxing. I will not plan, just let it go with the flow!

22nd-24th of September and a Daily tile

I find it so pleasing to revisit strings I have done before and do them more then once! It is a way to see them from other angles each time. This is string no 28 from Tanglepatterns. The patterns on this page are: 3 Loops G (Mina Hsiao), Hexonu (Cherryl Moote), Maryhill (Betsy Wilson), Starmap (Suzanne McNeill), Knightsbridge (Zt), Scallop (Suzanne McNeill), Veez (Margaret Bremner) and Tektonik (Tomás Padròs). Last time I tried this string was in november 2015 and it looked like this:

Hurry, Nipa and a tangle I don´t remember the name of. 

In Square One, the focustangle is Lee Bee (Sue Schneider).I have been playing with it in my sketchbook trying to make it mine.

I am not there yet, but I like this tangle. It can be used as a reticula I think. I have tried it earlier but not really taken it to my heart. Now I definitely have and here is my first tile with it in Square One:

I had some fun with it.....

28th - 30th of July and Poa

Summertangles 28th, 29th and 30th.  So happy Pach (Jody Okava) came by. This was a favourite when I learned it, but now almost forgotten! This tangle is so fun!! And the next one Scallamp (Sarah Uram) is also a happy one! Then came the zenbutton-day. Hm. Though I have tried this I haven´t really been hooked. Why on earth, this is really fun! What made me change my mind was, I started to think about it as a reticula-fragment play. Yes I have read the instructions several times, but it didn´t settle down in me. But pof! All of a sudden I didn´t worry about a thing, not the outcome, just thinking reticula and fragments I liked. This was a happy moment!

Tonight I made my daily tile. I played with Poa (Marion Kreutzweg) in my sketchbook a couple of days ago:

It was quite fun but I wasn´t happy with it. Poa is the focustangle in Square One. Anya Ipsen had made a beautiful tile featuring this pattern. But where is my Poa? Well I trusted the method and picked up an original tile and went on...dots in the corners, penciled line and a string picked from the air... Here is my tile:

I am happy with it. It is all about Poa and fragment C12. The process was the important way to do it. And you know what! As I look at it now, I remember when I was a teenager, wanting to be an artist! There is something in this tile that is similar to what I did then, working on very big drawings in a surrealistic manner!  I was not prepared for this experiance.

25th-30th of June and IAST 249

Arriving home safely from a trip to Östhammar, where we had a wonderful workshop with amazing people, I am able to post again! I start with the calendar:

The summer is in a mighty bloom and this shows in my calendar too! I started with Arc Flower (JJ La Barbera)- a long time no seen, I almost forgot how much I appreciate this pattern! Then I ran into Mumsy (Sandy Steen Bartholomew), with some Purdy (Margaret Bremner) and then Tri-Bee (Beate Winkler). 

On the 28th another flowerlike pattern was the starter: Cyme (Zt). And Cyme went into Daniel Lamothe´s Dreamcatcher! On the 29th I came to Östhammar and of course there was a lot of Rock´n Roll going on!! Giving the birth to Undu (Daniel Lamothe) and Asian Fans (Suzanne McNeill) and then ending with Mookas and Tipple.

I just have to show you the results from the workshop, since it was so lovely! Here are the pics:

Yesterday, before I started my travel back home, Gerd Vading, my hostess and I made a trip to an exhibition outside town. There I saw some wonderful pictures made by two participants of the workshop! These went straight into my heart:

 

Marja Forsberg has made a portrait of Lars Lerin (a Swedish great artist of watercolor). It is a weave, and it has so much of life in it! Here is a closeup:

And her son Leif Forsberg is a great painter. You can see for yourself:

I love the color and the unique expression in these two paintings!

Well, back home I sat down doing the challenge from Adele this week. It is challenge 249 and it is all about getting Abeko (Lynn Shelton Mead) and the Diva Dance into a string. 

The way it went was a little surprise to me, the Abeko totally took care of the rocking Diva Dance! I loved that!

Dublin- new pattern and calendar 25th-27th of January

Chris Titus, the creator of the Square One-groups on Fb has released a new pattern with the help of Lynn Shelton Mead who made the tiles with examples. It is a great pattern, beautiful and fun to draw. Here is my first try:

Dublin is just flowing out of the pen! I love that. Rixties, Eke, Knightsbridge, fragment Y4 and some black orbs wanted to play too. With the permission from Chris Titus: here are the step-outs!

There is a pattern I have wanted to try for quite a long time. I did try it quite long ago, but though I liked the way it came out, I didn´t get it. It´was a pattern I had to think a lot doing it, although it didn´t seem difficult and the strokes were basic... Whirlee, designed by Lynn Shelton Mead. Recently I found her step-outs in her blog, I must have missed that, the step-out I used before didn´t open my eyes like this! The last three days I gave Whirlee a round in my calendar and I can tell it was an experience! I loved it!

It might look like a disorder, since I worked with it like I use to in my sketchbook! But I can see  for myself the progress through the days and I am happy with that!

Calendar 22nd-24th of October and some other things going on.

First about my calendar. As I have been visiting lovely Östhammar and "Ordfestivalen", my time for the calendar wasn´t to much. Returning to it trying to catch up I felt a little bit bored for the first time. Why? Thinking about this I realized that it has to do with routine. To keep up the calendar I think I need the routine; each morning spend some time doing my "day". As I couldn´t do this for a couple of days I lost the motivation a little. But I am back. Yesterday I made the three last days and decided to make it very simple, just doing Dingbatz:

As I had done my three Dingbatz (doesn´t take long to do) I felt like Meer needed to go on a little bit more. I felt like this was ok and yes I could find a satisfaction to make this again. So todays calendarpage I was back into my morning-preparation for the day! 

This blog is not supposed to be about journaling. But I have always liked the thing with journaling. Now I have taken my first steps on the journaling-road and it is great fun. So I want to share my first experiences with you! 

The upper pic, I glued my inspiration (Papertissue!) on the left page. On the below pic you can see my #inktober - #pinktober stuff. The colored paper glued here is made by a friend of mine who makes a lot of Eco-prints!

To the last goodie for today! I finished a travelling tangle from my friend Sue Zanker yesterday. The surface of this tile is made with the shaving-foame technique and now I learned how it should be! The surface was so smooth and gentle to work on! I think I want to try this technique further on because of her lovely result. But I have to get me some odourless shaving foam instead of the one I got from the grocery last try. That one smelled terribly and I couldn´t stand it!  Here is our collaboration:

This is Sue´s lovely start!

And here is my final result. I really enjoyed this! Sue had started with a tangle called Wibble and I went on with C-rependity (Veena Arun), Ginili (Randi Wynne-Perry) and some Fescues. As I tangled on I wanted to get the Wibble more in focus so I added Gold and some watercolor. I loved to do this! Thank´s Sue for the experience! 

16th, 17th and 18th of April

This page starts with the Ressurexion Day! And yes there is the empty tomb!:)

16th of April: Trio (Hanny Nura), Trifle and Beadlines (Margaret Bremner), Cubine, Tipple, and Fescu with Echoing lines.

17th of april: Weben (Idi Lowenherz, Cubine, Pokeroot and Printemps.

18th of April: Weben (Idi L.), Barquillos (Maria Tovar), Balloya (Anya Lothrop), 5CAura (Ina Sonnenmoser), Wheelz (Joyce Block) and Pokeroot.

Weben is a new favourite of mine I think. One thing about this last page. It is so crowded. Lots of tangles and the open spaces, where are they? Maybe they´ll show up some day..... 

The entire calendar-page

From now on I will only publish an entire page. The reason is, that early in my calendar-journey, I felt that I wanted to get the days together and I like what it looks like to see the entire page instaed of one page at a time. 

I have already commented on 10th of March so I leave that. 11th of March I went on with Locar, Cubine and Squid, all official zentangle. Squid is a pattern I haven´t used since I learned it when I started my zentangle-journey. I liked the way it popped up this time. 12th of March I went on with Cubine, Locar and Tipple. I added MI2 (Mimi Lempart) as I needed to practice this beautiful pattern

25 - 26th of February

The Diva´s challenge 304 was all about Way Bop. Way Bop has been seen here and there but no steps to find. It was released in November at the CZT retreat Zen-again and now it is in public at Tanglepatterns.com. So I did want to try it!

I did try it in my sketchbook several times, but I didn´t like the way it went. I felt like I needed some help. So I took my pencil and penciled a circle and divided it like this:

As I did so it was much easier for me to place the "seeds" even. 

I was much more happy about the outcome after that and I found it easier to embellish and make auras. About the 25th: I first made my Way Bop and placed some Hollibaugh in the center of it. Then I went outside the Way Bop but it turned out into Neuron instaed. Susan Kelley Pundt came up with a new name on that: Hollibeuron! I think I like that name!

Today is the 26th. I started off with Ovy (Adam Roades), a Ribbon I like very much, but then Way Bop had to come once again. As there was a little oops it took another direction this time and as I made auras outside it they all of a sudden transformed into Nipa. I liked the way it turned out and that it in some way lived it´s own life out of my control! 

16th and 17th of January and some Romanancy

 

Patterns on the 16th: Tropicana (Kate Ahrens), Lollywimple (Sandy Hunter, Schlingl (Ela Rieger), Yincut (Zt) and Tipple (Zt)

Patterns on the 17th: Tropicana, Schlingl, Puf (Carole Ohl) Florz (Zt) and Striping (Zt)

Yesterday I had to try Maria Thomas inspiring pattern Romanancy! It was so fun, since it was a play with perspective, point of view. I started in my sketchbook as I usually do, drawing a pattern new to me. I will use this further on I belive!

In the sketchbook I used my Lamy fountainpen, so the lines are a little thicker, but the pen glides so smoothly on that surface.I think one of the patterns is Ragz (Christina Vandervlist), the other one is definitely a fragment. 

On the tile there are a lot of lines. Also the patterns Orbs de la Dee (Anneke van Dam) a Beadline (Margaret Bremner) and Tipple.

Fassett II

I am not finished with Fassett! The more I play with it, the more it is talking to me. I started in my sketchbook with my fountainpen today.

I tried string 185, but as I worked Fasset just took over the whole space and the string completely disappeared. But it is there. I tried Lynn Shelton Mead´s suggestions upon how to draw it, but as usual Fassett lives it´s own life! After this I tried the same string on a tile:

This time I outlined the string, to be sure not to lose it. String 185 is shared by Annette Plaga-Lodde and I find it very beautiful to work with. Fassett took another shape and another direction. That is so magical with this pattern, you never know where it takes you! Oh I love this!

A lot of strings and fun!

Now I am back home again afte a few days up in the mountains. We have had such relaxing time, walking, taking things slowly, watching our little dog run for joy out in the wideopen landscape and we are happy she always comes back to us when we call on her! Back in the little cottage we rented we had dinner and went into the sauna! In between I have had my time for tangeling too! Doing that I have worked on my personal challenge with strings. Here they are.

string 175 (Audrie Wiesenfelder). This string was perfect for my first tile in the cottage! After I had done it I saw that this was the picture of our presence there! Not planned but there it was: I see us two adults and our little playful and curious dog. In the wintertime a lots of people come to this place for skiing! There are ski-slopes everywhere! That is what came up in the background of this tile: Slalom (Sandra Strait). The other patterns are Ceil (Sandy Steen Bartholomew) and Beadline (Margaret Bremner).

Next one was done in my Sketchbook. String 176 (Barbara Finwall). Gourdgeous is in the Diva´s challenge this week. I had decided not to bother about challenges during our stay, but this string asked for Gourdgeous! Florez (Andrea Schuman) also joined.

We saw such beautiful North Lights, Aurora Borealis, in the evenings. I belive that is what came out on this black tile! String 177 (Sandra Schubert) with an Abeko-tangleation (Lynn Shelton Mead), Stix (Sandy Steen Bartholomew) and Hibered.

String 178 (Anne Marks). Kathy Barringer´s pattern Antique is the focustangle in Square One. This is almost a monotangle. But Laced (Mary Elisabeth Martin) couldn´t stay away! 

String 179 (Cynthia Gannon). Back home, after I had unpacked our bags, I sat down doing this. Rixties is not a pattern I have been working with so much. But this string begged for it. The other patterns are Printemps, Tipple, Wud (Joni Feddersen) and Laced (Mary Elisabeth Martin). Very often I get back to Wud as a frame. I love how it pops with just a little shading!

Travelling strings

Home again. I have been focusing on my personal challenge: The strings from tanglepattern.com. I find it relaxing and challenging to work on strings that are not my decision. I know there are lots of tanglers that don´t bother about strings or they find them to limiting. So far I will stick to the basic thing with strings. The string for me is not a limit. It is a guidance. I don´t feel stuck. It is like having a start for free. When someone else has made up the string it is the start of the tangling moment in a special way. As I have been on the bus to and from Stockholm, here comes some wobbling lines too!

string 147 by Judyellen Palumbo: Starcrossed (Jenna Black), Printemps, Paradox and Tipple. Starcrossed is a new tangle and it is absolutely a tangle I will come back to! This one I made on the bus with my Lamy fountainpen and in my sketchbook.  

String 148 by Barbara Finwall: This one I made after the funeral of my friend, which was the reason for my trip to Stockholm this time. When I was alone in the night I had to do something to get some relief from all the feelings during the day before I could go to sleep. Tangling was the way to sorten things out and doing so I also could feel grateful that I have had the opportunity to know my friend for so many years. Patterns: Viaduct (Wayne Harlow), LO´s (mine), Ing and Tipple

String 149:A funny string from Grace McIntyre. I didn´t know where to start. But then I decided to go for Ing once more. Ing is the Diva´s challenge this week. I then added Lots a dots (Carole Ohl), Partay (Margaret Bremner) and Florz. Also from my sketchbook, drawn with Lamy fountainpen and micron.

String 150 by Adele Bruno: Most of this tile was finished on the bus. I wanted to draw on a tile, not in my sketchbook. It was more difficult to do this, but using a book under it helped a little. I finished it back home when I added the Cheesecloth (Suzanne McNeill) in the background. As a frame I used Heart Devided (Helen Williams) and the big hearts are Heartstring (Helen Williams) with a Beadline (Margaret Bremner) across it.

Travelling and tangling

It is easy to tangle. You don´t need much. A piece of paper, micron, pencil and a tourtillon. Going on a journey, long or short doesn´t really affect the ability to tangle. Driving a car is not possible though. But sitting in the passengers seat gives a lot of possibilities to tangle. I have made a journey to my father up in north of Sweden, just for a couple of days. We went by car, I didn´t drive and could relax with zentangle.  I worked in my sketchbook, cause it was much easier to hold that, since I didn´t have a table to lean on. I also made some tangles (which I post here) in the night before going to sleep. I don´t need the bumpy roads for tangling, I do that when I don´t have another choice! First my personal challenge; the Strings!

String 140. Drogon (Lily Moon), Maisie (Carla Jennings), Allium (JJ La Barbera), Phuds (Cindy Angtel), Fescu and Tipple.

String 141. Antidots (Anita Roby Lavéry), Chik (Cat Van Royen), Kelp (Nancy Domnauer), Webz (Suzanne McNeill) and Diva Dance.

String 142. Oke (Michele Beauchamp), Orbs-La-Dee (Anneke van Dam), African Artist (Tina Akua Hunziker) and Papyrus (Suzanne McNeill). This one is scanned from my sketchbook.

At last I made one for IAST 157. Two wonderful patterns by Lynn Shelton Mead are in the challenge together with a beautiful string from Adele Bruno.

This is all for now. Now I will go to make some fun with our little dog!