Tangle with N-B-V

I used the tangles Navaho, BeeLine and Vercut for Diane and Carolien's challenge this week.

The Diva's Weekly Challenge #229

The challenge this week at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com is from guest blogger, Sandy Hunter CZT - to make the negative space a focus of the tangle. I traced that favourite hexagonal button for my string and drew lines to the edge of the tile. Then, in trying to simplify a little I decided to use two patterns (Tipple and Diva dance). Though simple doesn't mean fast in this case!

The colouring fun has now begun!

It was my birthday last Saturday. Happy Birthday to me! I planned a fairly low key day as I knew I would be tired following three days of challenging work and Brianna returning early from a week-long camp at Canberra. A yummy cheesecake for afternoon tea was a great addition to the day!

One of my presents was a beautiful colouring book from my sisters. I'm a little late in joining the current craze but really appreciate receiving this book as a present. Wonderful to look at, even if you never plan to colour any of the pictures!

I also got a smaller colouring book from Alysha.

On Monday, in a continuation of birthday celebrations, I went to an art shop with my to-be sister in law to treat myself to some coloured pencils or pens. I couldn't decide and hey, it was my birthday so I now have both.

I haven't had a lot of time to colour this week but have made a start. I love the vibrant colour of the pens.

 

The colouring fun has now begun!

 

This is a six word Saturday post. To see how others describe their week or part thereof in six words go to www.showmyface.com. 

Tangle with B-E-Z

I used my Sakura Pigma Micron 08 for this week's challenge from Diane and Carolien. I'm quite a fan of the thicker lines. The tangles I chose to use are BB, Eke and Zedbra.

Tangle with S-P-V

I enjoyed this one. I chose Schway for S, Pokeleaf for P and Vache 1 for V. And lots of fill patterns and shades. 

This is for Diane and Carolien's Weekly Zentangle Challenge. Now it's time to think about next week's challenge - to use patterns beginning with B, E and Z. 

The Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenge #227

Another guest blogger with another great challenge this week at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com. The guest blogger is Lee Darter, CZT and the challenge is Circus Life - to use the tangles Cack (by Adele Bruno), Tropicana (by Kate Ahrens) and either Florz, Fescu or Linq (by Lara Williams).

I felt like this week's challenge needed some colour. Here's my tile with Cack, Tropicana and Florz.

Tangle with U-N-I

I was a little confused when I was choosing patterns for this week's challenge from Diane and Carolien. I am trying to first use original zentangle patterns listed on www.tanglepatterns.com. I noticed there is only one listed for U (Umble) and as we have been through the whole alphabet with this challenge already I thought I must have used it. Then I worked out there it has only been made available on the internet since the challenge including U. Last time I chose the pattern Unyun. I have used Umble before but not as part of this particular challenge so I used it, along with Ing and Nzeppel. Three of the original tangle patterns for me this week! Ing was a lot more fun than I imagined it would be.

Tangle with X-G-K

This week's letters for Diane and Carolien's Weekly Zentangle Challenge are X,G and K. I'm still making my way through original tangles and chose Keeko for K. For X and G there were no original tangles that I haven't already done for this challenge so I had to look further afield. I chose Girdy by Karl Stewart for G. What a great one! I'll certainly be using it again. For X I chose Xenso by Sue Clark, CZT. Another interesting one and worth some more practice I think. 

5 poems in 5 days - Day 5

It's the final day of the poetry challenge I have been participating in on Facebook as well as here. Today's poem was written a couple of years ago about events more than 19 years ago. It was published last year in Ochre, an anthology by the Ochre Coast Poets. 

I love you already 

Pregnancy test in the post 
spots of blood in the night 
talk of the flying doctor 

A bumpy road 
and a car full of strangers 
hours without words 

Voices outside 
the window 
of a motel room 

Alone 
with an air conditioner
and the hope of you 

Repetitive reading 
of signs and symptoms
fear so loud 

Another day 
stark, gray walls 
a bladder too full 

Blip blip blip 
on a screen 
reassurance 

In this moment 
all is well 
future unknown 


I chose to start the challenge on the 14th of July so the fifth day would be today, my daughter's birthday. 

This post is doubling as my post for Six Word Saturday - 

Happy Birthday to my fabulous daughter!!!

Today is also my Grandma's birthday. My day 1 poem in this challenge was about her. She was born on this day in 1918 which is also the day that Nelson Mandela was born!

My grandma holding Alysha

5 poems in 5 days - Day 4

I was excited and honoured to win first prize in the poetry section of the Positive Words Short Story and Poetry competition 2014 for my poem, Mosaic opportunity. 

Mosaic opportunity 

I chose 

from dusty shelves saucers without cups 

a lone salt shaker 

teapots missing lids 

wobbly stacks of plates 

each piece unique 

leftovers 

My heart, my mind 

I search through the rubble 

Smooth and shiny 

or dull and dappled 

beetroot reds and sunshine yellows 

the sparkle of a golden rim 

I imagine 

the breaking of the old 

to form something new 

The chosen will soon hold 

just a trace of its former purpose 

I watch as she wraps 

newspaper around my purchase 

layer after layer 

I almost tell her not to do her job 

that the breakage she aims to prevent 

is no concern 

I am not buying a plate 

or a saucer 

or a teapot missing a lid 

but the possibility of what could be