Golden Molygons

May 8, 2017May 8, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 16 Comments

I have a confession to make. Since TangleU, I have become a bit obsessed with pointed pen tangling. To the point (pun intended) where I have been trying to make it more portable (per a suggestion from Cherryl Moote) by converting a fountain pen. So far, I am still experimenting with this, as I’m not completely happy with how runny the ink seems, so I will be trying different things here until I like it. (Regular fountain pen ink tends to bloop up and if I am not watching it carefully, said bloop ends up on my paper…)

But, when I switched back to my regular dip pen with gouache, it seemed much better.

I am finding the Zentangle tiles a bit tricky, as they seem pretty rough and fibrous. Smoother papers work better for this. So that led me to try some Kuretake Gold Sumi Ink I had on black Artist Tile paper that I cut to a Zendala size. And what better way to practice than on this week’s Diva Challenge (#315) for a foray into Molygon. Molygon was featured on Kitchen Table Tangles with Rick & Maria on the Zentangle Mosaic App this week, and after watching the video, I thought I would give it a shot with my golden ink.

I figured to not do any shading on that, but I may go back later and try it with a gold Pan Pastel and see how that works.

I have been VERY productive busy bee this week. Not only did I get a good portion of my office cleaned up, sorted, and filed, but I finished a few things.

First up, another book from Cherryl Moote’s class at TangleU. The closure is a wooden dolphin that Elaine gave us on the last day as a reminder of the event, so I drilled some holes in him and used some muted turquoise ink to distress him a bit.

I also finished my Visigothic Versals project from the workshop we had with Risa Gettler. I think we may hold it again in the fall, so don’t feel left out.

It is a pretty big piece, so you would have to see it in person.

And today, we had a great meet up with the San Diego Tanglers Friendship group at the Bernardo Winery. Nancy Robinson, CZT, gave us a great tutorial on Zen Gems, and I made this turquoise lovely.

If you would like to see some great examples of how to draw and color these, check out this free download of Tim McCreight’s Practical Jewelry Rendering. Not only does it cover stones like this, but also cut gems, gold, silver, and pearls. And did I mention that it is free?

I did a few more in my journal as well..

And I think I really like the new Dingbatz. So much that I managed to make a giant one on a journal page I was working on in an art journal.

And in addition to all that, I drafted a new logo for the web page, but you will have to wait to see that.

Gotta get to making dinner now!

Return to…Normal?

May 2, 2017May 2, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 10 Comments

Whew. Whenever I travel, I love where I go and what I do, and by the end of my journey, I am always glad to be home. When I travel for TangleU (Continuing Education-thype event for Certified Zentangle Teachers) there is also a euphoria of spending an amount of time with my tribe and kindred spirits. But there is also a Post Conference-Funk that Cherryl Moore so eloquently wrote about here.

I am going through the post-euphoria phase, trying to finish quite a number of unfinished projects, but also pleasantly surprised with that I accomplished. We had so many great classes this year, it was an amazing learning experience, and really pushed my boundaries into a few things I had a previous fear of…like using a pointed dip pen for about anything, much less tangling. But that turned out to be something I really took to!

That was so much fun! Another one was the Pan Pastels. I purchased them quite some time back, and never really quite “got the hang of” working with them. I have a few more pieces to finish of this, but you get the idea.

And I would be remiss if I didn’t again evoke the name of Cherryl Moore, because I spent not one, but 2 classes with her. So far, I have finished one of my journals from her Thursday class.

Leather cover, Arches Text Wove interior. I have one more like that to fold and finish tonite, and then to figure out my finishing for a cute Coptic stitch book with 32 lb bond and a watercolor cover (yes…I will share that when I finish it!)

Nysha Nelson also had a very interesting class, where I actually completed tiles. We looked at different color combinations and shading techniques. It was quite nice to see what differences there were in everyones tiles from the same set of instructions.

Needless to say, I had a great time, and got to share space with some amazing people!

I also got all my Diva Challenges done while I was gone, but didn’t get them posted. So starting with #312 – Coffee, Tea or Me? I spilled out the last drop of wine from my glass and let the tile dry. I tangled it with a purple Pigma Micron PN and shaded with a purple chalk pastel.

And then there was #313 – Earth (Amanda) Day. I have to confess that I took this with me on the trip to work on, and finished it just as that day was announced. The background is Art Graf water soluble pigment/graphite. I used the sepia colored one and water to cover the page, then erased through several different stencils to get the shapes. Tangled with a Pigma Micron PN in sepia and then “colored” with Peerless Watercolors.

It reminds me of the U.S. Forest Servies’ commercials with Woodsy Owl. I think they were in the 1970’s. Woodsy Owl says Give a Hoot…Don’t Pollute!

And finally, this week, #314 – Use My Tangle – Scallamps by Sarah Uram, CZT. I thought this tangle had a lot of potential, so I decided to pair it with some corner Dingbatz that were featured in Kitchen Table Tangles recently.

And I know you want to know about that cute book! That brings me to the 2nd week of my recent trip, after TangleU we headed to Austin, Texas, to spend time with the most adorable G(r)ay Batman on the plant. (He can’t say his “R”s well yet…)

We did lots of fun things; went to Natural Bridges Wildlife Ranch, where we were nearly eaten by an ostrich poking his head in the car, explored a cave at Natural Bridges Caverns, and spent a lot of time in the pool.

But, I also had a side trip to collect on my birthday present. Most of you know that I am rather obsessed with handmade books, so when I saw a segment on Iona Handcrafted Books that someone shared on FaceBook, I knew that was a place I needed to be. Be sure to check out the video on their website, so you can see why I was jazzed!

It smells so good there. I purchased a photo album gift for someone…and 2 books for myself. The smaller one is a “Cub 25” that they do not have listed on the website. It has bamboo paper, and I am finding that it really likes just about any pen I have put to it. And it has enough tooth to shade well, and enough thickness to tangle (or write) on both sides of the paper. It is tangle sized too…which is a fun, but the thicker pages are a bit of a chore to hold open in the smaller format. (read, I will tangle in this every night till I fill it up!)

The smaller book was to hold me over until my big one was finished and I picked it up on the way to the airport (really close by if you are in Austin.) This one is 7.5 x 7.5 inches, has yummy butterscotch leather, a dark brown lace, and a a vintage rosette/back plate from an old door knob on the front flap that has Celtic knots on it. 100 pages of watercolor paper. I can’t wait to take this on our Australia/New Zealand trip this year!

I cannot say enough nice things about these books. All their paper is meant to be used on both sides, so no bleed through even with a fountain pen. I am thrilled!

On the note of what is going on with the shop/website. I am taking some time this month to do a complete reset on both. There is a very limited class schedule this month, and I will post a couple of Open Studio times when I get a minute. The website is in process, and I hope to be live with a whole new and very unique shopping experience for the Zentangle® enthusiast. Bear with me…

Make Stuff…You Will Feel Better!

Square Pegs in Round Holes

April 13, 2017April 13, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 3 Comments

What? I know what you are saying….Char…what happened to the new web site? I can tell you that it is currently under construction, so I will have to blog here for at least the next couple weeks. I probably won’t be making lots of updates to this page, except some final clean ups, but the new site, I am hoping, will be live on May 1. I promise, it will be worth the wait! And a whole NEW shopping experience to boot.

This week’s Diva Challenge (#311) is Circle Square String Theory. Use at least one circle and one square as your string. Cool. So I chose another one of my prided Zendalas, this one a pretty marbled looking one in blue and pink. and traced a Bijou tile, and made a few circles with my trusty Helix Circle Maker (and did the outer ring with it too.) You may have noticed that I am using Celtic knots a lot, as I am further exploring the techniques I teach in Ready or Knot (my Celtic knot kit, available in the store after TangleU.) I also used my Tangle Dice to help me select tangles for the rest of the spaces, as I am getting a bit stuck in a rut of using the same old same old all the time. That was a lot of fun (and another cool thing that will be available in the store after TangleU!)

I think I made my Arc Flower too small, so it was a bit dicey to shade. But a bun organic looking tangle nonetheless.

We had a lovely weekend workshop with Risa Gettler on Dancing Spanish Letters (formerly titled Visigothic Versals.) I am still in progress with my piece, I need to add the art to it, but here is a preview:

I have to say I am really enjoying the creativity of this hand above the others I have learned. I am already plotting out text for an artwork I started 2 years ago and shelved for lack of ability to write words on a page.

We also had a fun meeting of the San Diego Zentangle Friendship Group, where we had some lessons on backgrounds grids and tangles. I whipped out one of my watercolor tiles that had a paint blot on it and did the background in Fife. Good Stuff!

It is smaller than a regular tile, and on watercolor paper. Tangles in Sepia with a sepia Conte Crayon for the border.

ok…back to work for me…have to finish the laundry so I can pack. We are taking off for Florida on Saturday! yay! Next week, I will post from there!

Changes…and Noom

March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 8 Comments

CharKat’s Creative Insanity is about to undergo a drastic reset! I can tell you this will benefit all those of you who wish you could come take classes with me, but live far away…but that’s all I am going to tease!

I attended the Path to Profit Creative Business Summit last weekend, and after almost 2 years in, I finally have a clearer view of what I should be doing for YOU! I highly recommend any creative entrepreneur attend this workshop (there is another one coming up in September!) You really will be doing yourself, and your business, a favor. Minette really knows her stuff, and knows how to find the best business you that will make your business shine and be profitable. And…you get to color and play and be around other creative people…even other Certified Zentangle Teachers!

CZTs From Left to Right: Jean Mackie, Me, Minette Riordan, Ph.D., and Annette Carlo

I may or may not have gotten a little carried away with the tangle Noom this week. Diva Challenge #309 had us using it, and boy did I!

The first example is this lovely Renaissance Tan Zendala that is part of another journal page I am working on. It makes a lovely border, and I honestly was not trying to make my Mooka into an octopus, but it just happened!

Then, while I was finishing up my tiles for the TangleU swap, it worked it’s way in again!

I am really enjoying this tangle. It is so simple, but looks so awesome!

I had a few more cool tiles I did for my journal page I am working on, that I wanted to share too. Mono-tangles (just one tangle on the page) can be very striking, and a great way to practice tangles you are not sure about. And Bijou tiles are an excellent way to carry them off. Even an ATC (Artist Trading Card) size can be less intimidating than doing a whole time sometimes.

Lots to do today! Tangle On!

Mac-n-Cheese, Please!

March 21, 2017March 21, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 7 Comments

Ok…this week is a little light, for a couple reasons. First off, I had to spend a lot of time with this handsome little devil last week:

(The boy, not the guy in the dog suit.) I learned the capacity of a 4-1/2 year old at Disneyland almost out-lasts the adults. (We got there just after 8 a.m. and left as the park was closing at 11 p.m., shopped at the outside store and got in the car at nearly midnight.) “Can we go on one more ride Gammy?” – Sure…the tram to the parking lot…hahaha

Add to that, I was a little under the weather all week. Today is the first day I am feeling marginally human again, can speak above a whisper, and do not appear to be dying. But, I can still hold a pen!

So this week’s Diva Challenge (#308) prompted us to use our “mac-n-cheese” tangle. That is that tangle you got down, that you use in pinches, that is “your thing.” For me, this rotates on occasion. Usually, it is Fengle, Printemps, and Tipple. But this week, I revisited one that I really, really like, and for me, is more meditative than most. That tangle is Bloom, by Helen Williams. Like I did here, I mostly use the random version, rather than the dot grid. because it is just fun to see where it will go.

I went with the shaving foam marbled tile again, because I feel like I wanted another crack at picking the right pen. The Micron wasn’t working so well on it, nor did any other fiber-tipped pen I tried. I could have used a Gelly Roll, but when I reached in my pen bag, out popped my trusty medium nib fountain pen loaded with a Carbon Ink cartridge. And boy, did that do the trick! (Caveat, these tiles are a bit larger than typical Zentangle tiles, so the fatter lines were good, and hey, that’s my style anyway!) I filled in my aura with a gold Metallic Gelly Roll, and then did some rounding in the sharp corners. I do love this tangle. Do pop on over to her website and check it out!

While I still do not have the April schedule up, I want to give you aheads up (again) about a great weekend workshop happening at CharKat’s. Risa Gettler is going to be teaching Visigothic Versals on April 8 & 9. But, you say, I am not a calligrapher (yet!) It is OK! This is a graphic intense hand, laid out on graph paper first, and then transferred to your final project, making it appropriate for all levels of artists.

If you LOVE Zentangle, you will adore this! There is a supply list, although 90% of it will be available for purchase if you do not already have the items in your arsenal. Lunch is included, both days (catered daily by Which Wich, and can meet any dietary need!) The price for this intensive workshop is $120 per person.

If you are from out of the area, never fear, there are accommodations available right across the street, and I am willing to help you get situated, make arrangements, and keep the studio open after class hours for those that want to continue working on their projects.

Space is limited for this workshop…sign up now!

And mark your calendars for May 12 & 26 (in the evening), as I will be finally (yay) teaching a Book Making Workshop. In this 2 part workshop, we will design our books, paint the wooden covers and spine pieces in the first session, and then in the second session, we will assemble (sew!) our books and create our colophons. This is a preliminary example of what we will be doing:

Class will be 2 Fridays, from 6:30-9:00. All the book materials will be provided, but you can bring paints, stencils, or anything else you would like to use. I highly recommend Milk Paint or Chalk Paint (I will have some, but colors are limited to, well, that graphite gray.) $75 per person (bring wine! its Friday nite!)

That’s all for this week. I am off this weekend to a business seminar to learn more about how to entice you to come take classes a the honeycomb hideout so we can stay open!

Make Stuff, You Will Feel Better!

Blank Page Stare…

March 14, 2017March 14, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 9 Comments

You know that feeling…blank with page…where do I start? I had that this morning as I am trying to shake the cobwebs and write. This week, I have to steal the moments to do my work/art related projects, as I am being visited by the most adorable 4 year old I know.

So I am stealing a few moments to share this week’s Diva Challenge (#307). I was treated to a new tangle, Zingo, by Indy and Mazzy (Molly’s Daughters) on a special episode of Kitchen Table Tangles. I followed along on another one of my pretty shaving foam marbled tiles.

Yesterday, we also had a great get together with our Southern California Tangles group. We did a fun exercise of passing the tile, to complete these fun tiles.

Each person started their string with 5 spaces, did the first tangle, and passed the tile. We had 2 groups of five, and it was great fun.

The Celtic Knot class last weekend was great fun, and everyone found my method really easy to learn. If you are sad because you could not be there, take heart. The kit with full instructions IS available! I will make a link later this week (I need to steal a few more minutes to re-edit some corrections into the instructions!)

And we have an awesome weekend workshop coming up with Risa Gettler on Visigothic Versals. Details are on the Calligraphy Page, but here is a sneak peek”

Nat'l Council on Aging- Internt'l Alz-Convention Toronto-Thumb

And now I am being summoned to go color with said 4 year old…

Tangles in a Jar

March 6, 2017March 6, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 10 Comments

Amphora – a tall ancient Greek or Roman jar with two handles and a narrow neck.

Or…this weeks Use My Tangle (UMT) by Lily Moon for the Diva Challenge (#306.) It is a pretty cool tangle, with lots of potential. The tile I used was marbled in shaving foam by my friend and fellow CZT, Annette Carlo. It was too pretty to tangle over the marbly parts, so I left part of it original.

Last week’s postcard winner (by rolling the dice) is Michele Wynn. Drop me an email so I can send it out.

Had a play date with Deborah Pace this week…we made these adorable little books for our joint birthdays.

And while I can’t tell you why…this happened for a journaling prompt I had this week….

I am putting the finishing touches on the Celtic Knot drafting class for this Saturday. It is not too late to sign up, but space is limited. AND…if you are not in the area to join us, do not fret. I will be making it available as a kit after the class!

Marasu Unfurled

March 1, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 12 Comments

Whew…what a weekend! Missed my usual Monday deadline for posting this week’s blog, but I had a good excuse. Started out going to Palm Springs on Friday, where I had lunch with Cherryl Moote while Flyboy did some work around the house for his mom. Then we went over to Morongo Casino & Resort for an evening with Sammy Hagar & The Circle (Michael Anthony from Van Halen, Jason Bonham, son of legendary drummer John Bonham from Led Zeppelin, and Vic Johnson, guitar player from Sammy’s other band, The Wabos.) We splurged and got the VIP experience, and BOY…did we get an experience!

Wow! Sammy is turning 70 in October, but he isn’t missing a beat. The show was AMAZING!

Then we doodled off to Phoenix on Saturday, visited my mom at her assisted living place, and spent a lovely evening in downtown Phoenix. If you re ever in that area, I highly recommend The Arrogant Butcher. Drinks were totally on point, and the food was great, too!

Sunday, after another quick walk around downtown, we headed out to the Goodyear Ballpark to see the Giants play the Reds. It was a beautiful day, and Spring Training remains one of my favorite things to do. You get to be so much closer to the players, and it seems a bit more personal, watching the guys who are trying to make the team.

We spent Sunday night with friends in Surprise, and headed home Monday, with another stop in Palm Springs to finish some things up at Flyboy’s mom’s house.

While he was working, I started on this week’s Diva Challenge (#305.) I have loaded all my pre-prepped and half finished tiles and whatnot into my art bag, so I always have a few things to choose from when I need to start a project. This time, a watercolor postcard that I had sprayed with hibiscus tea through a stencil seemed like a likely candidate for a Duo Tangle of Marasu and Molygon. While I know that Marasu is a coiled image, I thought I would imagine it unfurled…and in as many different ways as I could think of. I kept the Molygon fillers all the same, so they would stand out a bit. Finished off with a purple metallic Gelly Roll and shaded with Stabilo CarbOthello Chalk Pencil.

I think it turned out pretty well. I was also thinking…its a postcard! I should send it to someone. So…I will select a random person from the comments on this post to send it off to!

Back to work, wrapping up the finishing touches on the Celtic Knot instructions. Still room in the class if you can make it, and if you can’t, I will have another surprise for you shortly!

Waybop or Knot

February 21, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 16 Comments

I’ve been working on a “secret” project …putting together files and samples to teach Celtic Knot Drafting on March 11. So this week’s Diva Challenge (#304) was right up my alley, as it involves the new tangle from Zentangle® headquarters called Waybop. I’ve used this a few times already, and really like the interwoven quality of the tangle. I decided to carry on with the February heart theme and play with this. I am dipping into the pile I have of pre-dyed/colored tiles. This one was watercolor sprayed with alcohol while it was still wet. The accent tangle is a deconstructed minimalist Cyme.

And as far as the “secret”…here is a preview – On another one of my pile of colored tiles.

Class is on Saturday, March 11. Space is limited, and it is already filling up, so reserve your spot soon!

I’ve been on a bit of a roll this week, keeping up with both my watercolor class (that ends on March 7th) and my online journaling group (goes all year.) Here is a Zendala I did recently, using one of Jenny Perruzzi’s Zencils for collaging on one of my journal pages.

And…I finally finished this bracelet I started about 3 years ago. I’m shocked that the cats didn’t knock it over and spill the beads in that time frame.

But, alas, I need to get on with my callligraphy practice, and work on the handouts for the Celtic Knots class (yes, there will be handouts!)

Heading out to Palm Springs and Phoenix this weekend. Sammy Hagar at Morongo, visit Mom, and see the Giants play the Reds in a Spring Training game. It’s a rather quick trip, so we won’t be in Arizona long.

Make Stuff…You Will Feel Better!

Quill You Be My Valentine?

February 13, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 11 Comments

Wow! What a week! And other than Flyboy getting called into work this morning, it is shaping up to be another epic week.

Being a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT) makes you part of a really diverse, really cool family, with one common goal. No matter where you are from or what you do, you instantly have community from that one thing. I had the great fortune to meet up with one of my fellow CZTs this week, turning a FaceBook friend into a real-life encounter. Flyboy and I went down to San Diego to have dinner with Suzanne Fluhr and Mr. Excitement himself! And of course, gelato happened.

We started another calligraphy class this week, but I had to do one more Boxed letter for Valentine’s Day!

On Saturday, we started off the day with a lovely Valentine inspired class applying quilling to Zentangle. We explored the basics of quilling, shapes, and building structures. I am pretty certain everyone had fun. There was a lot of laughter going on. And I think some great creativity. I can’t wait to see what they tangle them into!

Of course, I had to finish one of mine quickly for this week’s Diva Challenge (#303). I’m not saying who gets it…but I am pretty sure you can guess.

A few students stayed on for a 2nd class on Black Tiles, so I made that a little Valentine as well. So many cool applications on Black Tiles, and everyone is quite unique!

On Sunday, I took a book making/color pencil on velum class from Helen Schafer Garcia at the San Diego Botanic Garden. While I did get mine fully assembled, I will have to finish my drawings later.

The gardens are beautiful this time of year, with as much rain as we have had, there was no shortage of fun things to draw. I am particularly fond of succulents, for their mandala-like qualities.