Zentangles for Friends

This is for my friend Linda D.  She lost her friend, Dale.  I made her a tile using tangles that spell out his name: Drupe, Assunta, Looby Loo, and Ekk.

This one is for my friend Kathy D. who is going through some really tuff stuff.  I spelled her name using:  Krli Q, Auraknot, Tuftid, Heartvine, and Yincut.

My prayers go out for both of these fine ladies.

Too Good To Be Truman Book Review

This is a great read if you're wanting something that is funny with a touch of revenge against the arrogant.  Go to Amazon.com for a complete description of the book.  I was sent a copy by Chris Well for a fair and honest review.  The following is that review.  Thank you, Chris, for the book.  I look forward to the next one.

I enjoyed the story about this troubled newspaper columnist. The situations that were thrust upon him were very laughable. In the beginning of the book, I tired quickly of the predictable dialogue. But either the dialogue got better or I didn't mind it so much. If you like stories where revenge is played out against the arrogant, then you will enjoy this book. I enjoy mysteries and I enjoy humor. Though the humor here is mostly slapstick, that's ok. I'm a product of the 50's and 60's. When I first started reading this book, I was reminded of Sgt. Friday on Dragnet (The dialogue was just as corny there, too). Lately, I've been very disappointed in Kindle books. They either don't translate well from the paper version of the book or editing is hitting a new low. I will stop reading a book if there are too many errors. In this book, however, I think I only found a couple of errors. There was a missing word in the last chapter. That's what being a slow reader will do for you. All the errors jump out at you. All in all, this book was an enjoyable, easy read.

A Great Book about a Great Place ~ Mackinac Island

I know the focus of this blog is my Zentangle.  But when I read a good book, I like to share.  Go to amazon.com for the synaposis of the book.  My review is below.

I love Mackinac Island more that I like Historical Romance.  But this book has me loving both.  The descriptions of the island take me back there, even if it is another time period.  I can still see the Grand Hotel and imagine all the ladies in their finery.  I also found the descriptions of the time period interesting.  Society had certain rules for men and women to abide by.  I’m so glad I didn’t live back then.  I would constantly be in trouble for being a free thinker.

            In the last third of the book, Elena is properly introduced to the man her mother hopes she will marry to save the family from the poor house.  Elena and Chase had formed a friendship based on neither one revealing the whole truth about who they really were.  They each thought the other was in much lower station in life than they really were.  So, when they were properly introduced,  they both thought the other had deceived them.  They both vowed never to see each other again.  But deep in their hearts, they longed for the other.  The author could have drawn out this tension for a major part of the book, but she didn’t.  The resolution came about in a timely manner, and the ending was quite wonderful.  My favorite character was Chase’s mother.  She was the crème of society, yet very down to earth.  She was so different from the other women in that she would not tolerate gossip, which was the main entertainment for most women back in the day.  It was through her that a lot of healing between the characters took place.

            The other thing I like about this book was the fact that I didn’t find any errors.  It was so pleasant to not be jarred with a wrong word or misplaced sentence part.  When I consider a book, I look at the reviews.  If a review mentions that there were a lot of typos, I won’t read it~~even if it’s a great story.  My sunbonnet is off to Melanie Dobson and Summerside Press for a great read.

Wonderful Zentangle Class

It never ceases to amaze me that the students out shine the teacher in these classes.  At least, my students do.  I just haven't totally gotten the hang of tangling on a big board.  But I get better each time.  I had invited about 20 people to come and three wonderful girls showed up.  It was to be a two-hour class, but it stretched to three.  No one was in a hurry, and everyone had a great time.  They really got it that it was about the experience.  However, their work was beautiful.  Here is a picture of their work:

We did a third tile after this picture was taken of Rick's Paradox.  They all had fun with that one.  One of the guests is a counselor, so she analyzed one of the tiles.  I thought it was very telling about the person.  So all you counselors out there, this can also be a tool for your counseling tool chest.

Here are the lovely ladies with their works of art.  One said she couldn't be creative at all.  Another said she could not draw at all.  Of course, the youngest lady had no doubts she could do it.  Aw, the innocents of youth.  Thank you ladies for allowing me to show you how very talented you are. 

HAPPY TANGLING!



Chaddar the Chipmunk

Pendleton Christian Church in Indiana is doing the VBS, Sky.  They asked me to contruct the costume, Chaddar the chipmunk, for this event.  I told them, "Sure, no problem."  I said this without seeing the pattern.  The pattern was poorly written, which added to my frustration.  This is the first time I've made a costume like this and probably the last time.  I'm thankful to the Lord that it did turn out cute.  My husband really hams it up in the pictures.  I hope you enjoy it.

Cute tail, Chaddar!

What are you pointing at, Chaddar?

OK, Chadder, the grin does not make you scary.

PRIZE OF MY HEART Book Review

Not only do I use Zentangle to Cherish Life, but I also love to read.   Please enjoy the following book review:

Captain Brogan Talvis is searching for his son who was "disposed of" by his late wife.  She gave him no clue where the boy was taken.  He adored his son but realized too late that his life at sea drove his wife to extreme actions.  He believes that his son is still alive, and because of his own past, wants to find his lost son.  It has taken him three years, but he believes he has finally found him in the home of a shipbuilder in the small New England town of Duxboro, Massachusetts. The ensuing events lead the good Captain on a roller coaster of emotions and battles with his Lord.  Lorena, the shipbuilder's daughter, captures his heart early on.  She is the only mother figure the boy knows.  This only complicates his mission of retrieving his son from the only home the boy has known.

This is a Christian, historical romance.  I usually don't choose historical romance because I'm not really a history buff.  But this book doesn't shove the history part down your throat.  The author described things as they related to that time in history.  Perhaps other historical authors also do this.  Like I said, I haven't read that much in the historical genre. The references to the Captain's faith was not overdone either.

What I really liked about this book was how the author gave you bits and pieces throughout the book of the characters' backgrounds.  You didn't have to wait until the last chapter for it all to make sense.  But by giving you little details at a time, you could better understand why the characters acted the way they did.  A lot of times, the ending of books is so obvious that you don't want to read the last chapter.  But as all the hidden truths are revealed, the reader can't be certain what actions the Captain will take.  The ending may not be a surprise, but the resolution to all the "secrets" is satisfying.

I received this book free from the publisher by responding to a Facebook post.  I would like to thank the publisher, Bethany House, for the opportunity to read and review PRIZE OF MY HEART.

In Loving Memory of Ally Gill

Ally Gill came into our lives in 1998 as a very small puppy.  We had no idea at the time how our lives would be changed.

See those precious eyes.  They could melt your heart in a second.  She belonged to Tony and Marianna, but it wasn't long until she worked her way into our hearts.  She was just a small ball of fur and energy.  We thought she would never grow out of her puppy phase, but she finally did.  We kept her own food and water bowl at our house and plenty of toys for her.

As an older dog, she loved her Christmas presents.  She really tore into them.

She even like to wear Christmas bows in her hair.

She loved to romp in the snow!

Tony and Marianna even had a birthday party in her honor.

Of course, only her closest friends were invited for the festivities.  What fun they all had.

She was your typical camera hog.  She'd always look up at you as if to say, "Take my picture, Grandma."

She loved it when Grandpa would play with her in the yard and rub her belly.

When she came to visit, she didn't like the hardwood floors, so she would patiently wait unit I finished my sewing so we could play.

Waiting for her portion of turkey was always a favorite activity of hers. Actually, eating the turkey was the favorite part.

We believe she had a stroke on Wednesday, May 30th.  That was the beginning of a quick, humane end for her.  On Friday, her dearest friends came to love on her and say good-bye.  I laid on the floor with her for hours just petting her and telling her I loved her and what a good puppy she was.  Saturday morning, Jerry and I accompanied her with Tony and Marianna to the vet.  It was to be her last visit.  Although Friday she couldn't stand without assistance, she refused to be carried into the vet's.  She squirmed out of the blanket to walk into the building with assistance and dignity.  She went to doggie heaven in peace surrounded in love.

Ally was such a gentle, good dog.  The tears have slowed, but we will never forget this wonderful part of our lives.

Quilt Show Is Over!

Wow!  What an exhausting four days!  Last Wednesday, I set up my booth at the Redbud Quilters’ Guild Quilt Show.  That day wasn’t so bad.  Thursday, I spent almost 12 hours as scribe (the person who writes down all the judge’s comments) for over 100 items.  I learned a lot, but what a long day!  Friday was the first day of the show.  I was at the show for over 11 hours that day.  Saturday was a shorter day for the show, and it was very slow.  I was only there for about 7 ½ hours.  From there I went to a fund raising dinner at my church.  So the day ended up being very long also.  But I did get to plant many seeds for classes and, hopefully, educated people on the value of Zentangle.  Let me just say that the money I took in on sales I spent on fabric.  So I broke even, right?  I really need to show more self control.  Below are some pictures of my display and the products that I had available.  I had to laugh at one person after she walked away from my table.  She said I wasn’t charging enough for my earrings.  But she still didn’t buy any of them.  Well, I have a good stock for the bazaars in the Fall.  Now maybe I can find the time to tangle for the different challenges that are out there.

Quilt Show Appearance and Note Cards Available

On May 18^th and 19^th, I will have a booth at the Anderson, IN, Redbud Quilters’ Guild quilt show.  I hope to talk with many about the benefits of focus and relaxation that Zentangle® can offer the quilter.  I will, of course, have product to sell.  I have also made some note cards that will be sold in packs of five.  I will have a variety pack and packs of cards of the same design.  I hope you like the designs.  If you would like to order some, let me know.

The bottom picture is on the back of my cards.

I Dared to do the Dare from The Bright Owl

The Bright Owl is issuing a Zendala Dare each week.  I hope to participate as much as I can.  She gives us the string for the Zendala, and we are free to create!  In creating Zentangles or Zendalas, you aren't necessarily concerned about the outcome.  It's the process that counts.  This is my first Zendala with a string.  The tangles used are: Gneiss, Paradox, Tuftid, Mooka, and Ahh.

What an enjoyable challenge.

Quilters Turn Into Tanglers

After the April 5th meeting of the Redbud Quilters' Guild in Anderson, IN, I had the privilege to give a class to four very talented ladies.  We had a grand time.  The one thing I really appreciated about them was that they embraced the fact that in Zentangle there are no mistakes, just more possiblilites.  I think they did a fantastic job and had a great time.  Hope you like their tiles.

I'm still trying to learn how to take an effective picture.  I'll get better.  I was just so impressed at how good they all did.  Thank you ladies for a great afternoon!

Zendala Fun

Sandy Hunter, CZT, sent some of us Zendalas to tangle for her.  She will be posting them soon.  She sent me a blank tile.  I had to come up with the string on my own.  That was not as easy as I had hoped.  I think it turned out pretty good for a first try.  I took Suzanne McNeil's advice and didn't "pre-plan" it.  It just happened.  Amazing.

Wall Hanging for the Living Room

I finally finished the wall hanging for the living room.  The pattern is Shade Cascade and can be found on the Blank Quilting website.  At one time it was a free pattern and may still be.  I was excited how it turned out.  The blues tone down the really blue wall, the greens bring out the greens in the rugs in the room, and the browns match the brown leather furniture.  The wall hanging really makes the whole room seem more "homey".  The background wall slightly washed out in the picture.  Actually it's more the color of the medium blue in the wall hanging.

Bahamas K-Love Cruise

We are back from our week on the Norwegian Sky cruise ship.  It was this year's K-Love cruise.  Wow! ~~the stars, both in the sky and on stage.  We had a concert on stage in the theater and one by the pool every night.  What an experience!  We spent some extra time in Miami with our son who lives down there.  He took us to South Beach a couple of days.  Interesting.  That's all I've got to say about that.  We had a great time with our friends.  Our small group (five couples in all) went on this cruise.  As you might imagine, each dinner was a hoot!  I have to say, this small group is a lot of fun and definately ornery!  I did manage to get a couple of tiles drawn while sitting by the pool.  I hope you like them.

And this one for all of you who are my Valentines!

Hope your Valentine's Day is full of love!

Note Cards

I'm really into making note cards for me to use.  This first one is for a baby shower.  I worked long and hard on it.  Just hoping it doesn't end up in the trash.  If it does, it does.

The next card I will be using to thank all who were so kind to us when my husband's sister past away.

Valentine's Day is coming up.  I can't wait to see what comes out of my pen for that.

First class of non-family Members

My friends and I were supposed to have a Girls' Get-Away Weekend.  But circumstances prevented it.  But we had a great time on a Saturday afternoon.  I think they did an awesome job!

Jamie, Chrissy, (me in the back), and Stacy had a great time and were so proud of their creation.

You, too, can be happy creators of Zentangle.  Just message me, and I'll contact you about a class.

New Sewing Machine

My husband really out did himself (again) this Christmas.  I received a very "state of the art" quilting sewing maching.  I'm so excited!  It took a while to set it up because I wanted to "clean" out my studio.  I've tucked my previous machine (which I will still use on occasion) back into its cabinet and the new one sits ready to use.  Below are a couple of pictures of my clean studio.  Look quick.  I think I may tackle a quilt today.

OK, I'm not showing the corner that my computer sits in.  It's still somewhat messy.  There is only so much a girl can do.  Right?