Wibble Wobble

November 9, 2017 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 5 Comments

Well, I am a little behind this week. My usual goal is to have a post up by Tuesday afternoon, but here it is, Thursday.

While I have lots of excuses, none of them are all that valid.

But, while I was in my meetings today, I tangled, and I present my version of Wibble by Shawna Martin, the Use My Tangle (UMT) for the Diva Challenge (#340.)

The tile was something I found in my box of prepped backgrounds (on a white Zentangle tile. It had a lot of greens and yellows in it, so that leads me to believe it may be a Color Burst by Ken Oliver. I do so many of these sometimes I can’t remember. Whenever I have my paints out for something, I always “sop up” whatever is left with tiles and let them dry. Makes for an interesting challenge, using colors. I did a lot of rounding here, making it pretty graphic looking. Music notes? Interlocking J’s? I dunno…but I like it.

I tend to tangle my way through training sessions so I pay more attention to what is being presented. It helps my brain focus. I have a little pile of started tiles to finish, as well as some blanks and colored backgrounds. This was a partially started tile:

And this one was sprayed with hibiscus tea through a silicone coaster I found at Daiso (Japanese $1.50 store here in California.)

I feel pretty productive when I do this.

I found a cool new toy from one of my art supply wholesalers…a lap desk/easel! It folds up really nicely, and has a drawer to hold all my pens. I can neaten up bu just closing it up! I’m nearly sold out of the first order, but if enough people like them, I will order more.

Click on the Home button to go to the main web site to order them.
I also got the new White Gelly Rolls sets. I have to say I am really impressed with the ink, which I truly believe is reformulated. I am having a much better time doing fill work with them. And check out those awesome metallic pencils. They look marvelous on black paper (and tiles!)

It’s not too early to give your family a wish list for me to fill up for a great Christmas gift! I am always happy to do special orders, and put together custrom packages.

I may have a few kits left for the Fall Tangles after Saturdays’s class. I did a few more samples…check them out!

After posting this, I feel like I’ve been drawing non-stop all week. Gosh!

And thank you to all my fellow Veterans for your service to our great country. And to my civilian friends, than you for your support. Without you, it would be really hard to serve.

Sometimes, You Just Have to Walk Away…

October 26, 2016 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 11 Comments

Right before I left on my fabulous vacation back in September, I was wearing my super cool Tangle Me Crazy Lotus Mandala t-shirt.

I stopped in at my favorite Japanese market (Myrukai) to pick up dinner and a few groceries on my way back from our very fun Tangle By the Bay retreat. One of those grocery items was my favorite radish kimchi. Well…apparently on the trip home, it got a little shook up. And being a fermented food, it was seeping a little from the pressure in the bottle…and when I opened it (over the sink, of course!) it exploded…all over my t-shirt.

Now…I had planned on taking that t-shirt with me to show off to the European CZT’s at our meet up in Cookham, UK. So I pre-treated it, and washed it…still stained…I did it again…still stained…and one more time…still stained. In utter frustration, I doused it liberally with Spray and Wash stain remover and threw it in the laundry room sink. I was very sad.

So nearly 3 weeks passed, and when we unpacked after the trip, I found myself with a mountain of laundry to do (although we did some it at the laundry mat in Venice…how cool is that?) So I see the shirt in the sink, pick it up, and low and behold, the stains are GONE!

I guess the point here is, If you do the right thing, with the passage of time, everything comes out all right. And…if you want a cool t-shirt like mine, click here…you can buy them at my shop!

Ok, enough of my travails. What you are really here for is to see pretty things!

This week’s Diva Challenge (#290) is a duo tangle of Flux and N’zepple. I love both tangles, and decided to use Flux as my container. And I was being fall-ish with the Renaissance Tan tile (or lazy, because that was what was in my bag and I did not feel like walking upstairs to get a white one…lol.)

And since I didn’t get a post done last week, here is the Leafy Goodness that is Diva Challenge #289!

I am really loving combining quilling with Zentangle. They go together so well. I will be doing a special Christmas quilling design class in December, so be on the look out for that!

We are also up to Gothic Calligraphy at the shop this month, with an ongoing series being taught by Risa Gettler. I was playing around whilst practicing my letters the other day, and playing with Hannah Geddes’ Mandala Template. And this happened.

Well…I couldn’t just leave it like that…and I had a clock I had disassembled in the shop that needed a new face. So now it turned into this:

So long Sons of Anarchy clock…lol.

I did not realize how busy I have been these past 2 weeks until I started writing my post. I started a purge and organize campaign both here at the home studio and the shop, trying to make things more accessible and easier to find. (that, is a long story all of its own!)

I made it through my entire fabric stash so far, dumped all the fabrics I had been holding onto for costuming and what-not, and organized my quilting stash. Emptied out the little used filing cabinet for the bigger pieces.

And folded all the fat quarters into an ArtBin Super Satchel. That felt really GOOD!

And not to be left out, I finally found a container to get all my Gelly Roll Pens in one place.

I will contain this mess!

AND…lastly…I have a pineapple guava tree in my backyard that I planted 3 years ago that has never fruited, until this year. I was blessed with an abundance of fruit, more than we could possibly eat before it spoiled, so I found a recipe and made chutney out of it.

And you cannot have a great chutney without some curry to go with it!

Yum! (and, it was pretty healthy homemade!)

Speaking of healthy, I am walking my fish this week…(Pokemon Go thing…it amuses me.)

And now I need to get back to work…Stay Crazy My Friends!

Tripping Around Tripoli

November 20, 2015November 20, 2015 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 5 Comments

The December schedule is up at the shop. I’ve included lots of times for making its and ornament, and a new series of Kumihimo classes that you can make some wonderful gifts with.

We had our first Mandala Monday this week. Lauren and I will be team teaching, taking turns leading a Mandala exploration each month. I led this month, with freeform Mandalas. We learned to grow them from a seed in the middle, which is pretty cool.

I did mine on a piece of papyrus with the Fudenosuke brush pen and Gelly Roll Glaze.

Next month, Lauren will be teaching her Mandala technique on rocks! Be sure to join us on Monday, December 21, from 6-9. $25 studio fee plus materials.

We also had some fun with Fall Colors this last weekend, exploring the Tints on Tan technique.

There is still time to get in on this fun class, as I have another abbreviated version on Monday, November 23, from 6-9 pm. Includes ALL your materials!

Ok…I’m the first to admit that Tripoli isn’t usually my favorite tangle. But, since the Diva (#244) says use it, I use it. (She’s so mean!) I took a couple of shots at it…First in my Creativity Planner. (Pardon the bleed through, I changed pens this week when I found the MicroPerm was doing this…using the Acurit Waterproof in my planner now.)

Then on an ATC I had colored with Ken Oliver’s Color Bursts with a Japanese calligraphy brush pen.

And then on the funky chalkboard painted ornament. I used mostly Sakura Decorese on this, but tried the PenTouch too (on the Printemps.)

I know it was a bit of a trying week for everyone around the world, with all the chaos and calamity, but I find a lot of peace in mediating in my journal. This is what happened this week.

And, just so he doesn’t feel left out…Bailey decided to ride around on my shoulder most of the evening a few days ago. To put this into perspective…he weighs 15 pounds…

So Namas’cray my friends. Hug your neighbor and keep peace in your hearts.

Gourding Along

November 4, 2015November 5, 2015 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 7 Comments

So…it is only Wednesday! And here I am!

I was on the verge of a major depressive episode yesterday. I haven’t been feeling too good, and it just happens that way sometimes. Not sleeping, etc. and it starts a cycle. But…I put pen to paper…or stick to scratch paper…a number of times yesterday, and managed to thwart it. I love that Zentangle works that way.

I rarely practice tangles before I do them on a tile, but for this week’s Diva Challenge (#242) using the new Official Zentangle tangle Gourdgeous I felt the need to try it out. Just used my fountain pen that I use in my planner (neat Creativity Planner from Kim Anderson at The Purple O on etsy.)

So I felt pretty good about it…and was cleaning off my desk and found the stack of Scratch and Sketch Artist’s Tiles on my desk that I had not previously tried…and gave that a go. They are a bit hard to photo, and they definitely don’t scan well.

So I continued on…doesn’t’ this look like it would make a great pumpkin? I am in Fall mode now that the weather is finally cool enough to wear long pants (although in Southern California, it feels like we skipped directly from Summer in the 90’s to Winter in the 50’s overnight!) So pumpkin it was! Still on a bender with my Derwent Tinted Charcoals.

As I was finishing this up, I glanced up at the walls at the shop, and realized it is absolutely covered in Gourdgeous! Panel curtains from Ikea, rather breaks up a really LONG wall!

So that’s all my Gourdy stuff for the week!

I spent a good amount of time doing some arranging at the shop yesterday, and have some great trinkets ready for Christmas shopping. Journals, ceramics, jewelry (some hand made by me, some hand made in Peru), and ornaments. I will be running some specials on Small Business Saturday if you are in the area and looking for neat gifts and art supplies for giving!

And don’t forget, we have Buttercream cookie class coming up next week!

Namas’cray for now! (The crazy in me recognizes and honors the crazy in you!)

Falling…Behind.

October 23, 2015 ~ CharkatTangles ~ 5 Comments

So…on my day planner, it says to post a blog on Tuesday. Today is Friday! Have you ever had one of those weeks where you constantly felt like you were behind? That has been this week for me. I seem to be racing from one place to the next, and seem to have no time to sit down to tangle. And I really NEED to tangle. It keeps me sane.

This week’s Diva Challenge (#240) is all about Fall. I love Fall. I love the colors, I love that the weather is cooling off (sometimes…not in Southern California that much), and I can eat soup without sweating to death (most of the time.) When I was in Vancouver last month, some of the trees were already beginning to change.

We don’t get that here. They just kind of turn brown and fall off. Green…or Brown…that is all. So I had to make up my own Fall Colors, using the new Tints on Tan – Fall Edition I got in the mail a few weeks ago. I used a lot of creative license on this, with a different leaf, smaller tangles, and a Zendala tile. But I think it tuned out ok!

Speaking of Fall, we have a new class coming up at the shop on November 9th. Teri, who is a Wilton Certified Teacher, is going to show us how to decorate Fall cookies! Check out the details below:

It looks like fun! Call Teri on the number listed to register.

I’ve been getting some other things finished this week. Had a lovely Zentangle 101 Class this week and we tried our hand at N’zepple. When in doubt, add grout! Gold grout is even better.

I also got in some practice time with my alcohol inks. Getting some Christmas items ready for boutiques and holiday sales! Check out this pretty tile:

And this cool glass ornament:

If you are looking to stay “in the know” for all things happening at CharKat’s Creative Insanity, be sure to join our MeetUp group (Zentangle in Wine Country).

Stay Crazy My Friends!