Pie recipe, quote

Quote of the day...."Love your parents. We are all so busy growing up, that we forget their aging too. Don't take the days for granted and make each moment count."

When Bob and I were first married our house had a concord grape vine in the back yard.  My wonderful Mother-in-law not only helped me make and can grape jelly each year, she also introduced me to "grape pie".  The recipe was in an old edition of a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I try to make at least one pie each year; not only because it tastes so good, but it also brings back memories of my Mother-in-law.   I've discovered that most people look at me quizzically when I mention grape pie, and they always wonder how I get rid of all those seeds!                I encourage you to try one -  it is delicious.

Quote, zendala challenge

Challege, quote

	Morpheus: You have to let it all go,  Fear, doubt, and disbelief. Free your mind.

This weeks challenge from "The Diva"


Weekly Challenge #86 "Break Free!"

"A traditional Zentangle begins with dots, border, string - and often times, the string stays inside the border we drew, containing our work to the inside of our tiles.


I often find myself enamored with those tiles that seem to extend off the tile - and  sometimes i forget that one of the wonderful parts of learning the rules when it comes to art, is learning when and how to break them.

This week, the challenge is to break free of your border! To create a tile or ZIA where SOME element of your work goes beyond the border and stretches or expands out, free from constraints!!  "



Here's two that I drew for the challenge:

Quote, Zendala Dare #22

This weeks zendala blank form:







This is my finished zendala:

Challenge 85, quote

Zendala Dare #21, quote

Today is Labor Day, the last hurrah of the summer.  We are so lucky to have the freedoms we have here in America.  Take time to reflect on your blessings.

This is my zendala for this weeks challenge:

Glass centerpieces, quote

For some reason, I've been thinking of Halloween lately.  Normally I'm not "into" halloween so much but this year - well here's some centerpieces I've done this past week:

 I cut off the top of the pumpkin when I took the photo - but you get the idea.  The centerpiece is made from glass bowls, plates and goblets.  The pumpkin was purchased at Hobby Lobby, and the leaves were some I had from last year.

 The witch was purchased at Gordmans Dept. store;  more glass bowls and plates.

                                                                                             I've revealed the third centerpiece before the decorations were added.  This one is made of glass plates, a glass vase, a glass bowl and a glass jar I had "saved".  The stuffed pumpkin and leaves were leftover decorations from last year.

Last, but not least is the glue I used to put them all together.    I purchased it at JoAnn's and it will glue almost anything - wood, glass, fabric, paper, etc.  I should purchase stock in the company before I recommended it because if you try it you will probably like it as much as I do.

btw, some of the vases, glasses and plates I already had, but the Goodwill store is a great place to find the clear glass plates, bowls, goblets, etc.  But don't buy them all, as I will want to make more of these.

Also, I didn't attach any of the decorations permanently as I will change the decorations around and on the centerpieces for each season.  I can't wait to put together some for Christmas.

They would make great gifts as well - I plan on taking one to my brother's house when we go for Thanksgiving dinner this year.  A nice host(est) gift wouldn't you say!

Challenge 84, quote, tangle pattern Dazl

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.
Luther Burbank

This weeks challenge from The Diva was to close your eyes and draw your "string" and create a zentangle from the string.  When  I drew mine (above) I finally turned it upside down before I "saw" the beginnings of a cart - and I went from there.  The wheels of the cart are my own tangle pattern called "Dazl" which is posted under tangle patterns here on my blog.

Zendala dare #20, quote

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. -  Mae West

zentangles, quote

The essence of all art is to have pleasure in giving pleasure.
Dale Carnegie

Hopefully my zentangles will bring pleasure to prospective purchasers soon..  Beginning Sept. 8th, my art along with art from fellow members of our local FibR group will be on display and for sale a local art store in downtown Lafayette, In.   The store is called "Something Special".   I've been busy for several weeks now, drawing and framing my pictures.  Here's a sample of some:

 

Quilted wallhanging, quote

Family is not an important thing, it's everything.
Michael J. Fox

This year my brother celebrated a milestone birthday, so I made a wall hanging for him:

It was a simple project as it was a printed panel, all I did was add the four borders around the edge, but it turned out beautifully.  The colors are so vibrant.

 

Weekly Challenge #83: DuoTangle v. V: Assunta/Mooka, quote

There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties or you alter yourself meeting them.

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-Phyllis Bottome


I think I did a little of both in meeting the difficulty of this weeks challenge from "The Diva".

Both these tangle patterns were difficult for me to master and at first I thought I'd even skip this week. But, I swallowed hard, took pen in hand and here's the results.  I'm not completely satisfied with either, so I had to overcome another difficulty -- if I would put them on my blog to share or not. 

zentangle, quote

Have you ever observed a humming-bird moving about in an aerial dance among the flowers - a living prismatic gem.... it is a creature of such fairy-like loveliness as to mock all description.  ~W.H. Hudson, Green Mansions

Zendala challenge, quote

Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.
Jonathan Swift

 

3 dragonflies & a butterfly, quote

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.
Henry David Thoreau

 

“A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”~Charles Spurgeon, British preacher

Weekly Challenge #82: UMT v. VII "Brayd", quote

"The little dissatisfaction which every artist feels at the end of a work forms the germ of a new work."

- Berthold Auerbach

Quote, zentangles

Life is not about what I've done, should have done or what I could have done. It's about what I can do and what I will do.     -unknown


Today is such a beautiful day!   I just felt like drawing dragonflies:

Enjoy!

Zendela Dare 17, quote

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.
Henry David Thoreau

Here's my zendela for this week's challenge:

If you'd like to check out all the entries, click on this link:

http://thebrightowl.blogspot.com/

Challenge#80, quote, life

"Life's what happens while you're making other plans."       -unknown


Life certainly has taken me away from my blog for several weeks now.  First my brother was hospitilized, then my daughter was hospitilized and then my granddaughter was in a car accident and broke her femor bone in 4 places and was hospitilized.  For about three weeks I practically camped out at various hospitals!  All are out now, and things are looking up for them.

Now I'm finally getting back to making a zentangle for "The Diva's" weekly challenge #80.  This week's challenge is to use the tangle pattern M2 by Mimi Lemport.  And it was a challenge as I'd never tried this pattern before. (It's the pattern on the left side of my zentangle).

Challenge #77

The tangle is called "Fiore di Pietro", and it's created by Rho Densmore, CZT.  Fiore di Pietro is a beautiful loving tribute to Rho's brother in law.  Please read her words on her blog and see the instructions there as well.

The above quote from The Diva's blog describes this weeks challenge much better than I could ever say.

Here's my finished zentangle tile using her tangle design.  Rho, you certainly have my permission to use and/or copy my zentangle in any way you prefer:

Zendala #12, quote

Age becomes reality when you hear someone refer to that attractive young woman standing next to the woman in the green dress, and you find that you're the one in the green dress.
Lois Wyse

 

Home

This weeks challenge by The Diva is to create a zentangle tile reflecting what home means to you.  Home can mean your country, state, city, back yard, etc.   Like potato chips, I couldn't stop at just one:

This zentangle represents my home state of Indiana and the Indy 500 mile race which is run each Memorial Day. 

 This tile reflects the dragonflies which visit our yard.  My husband grew up on a farm in Southern Indiana and dragonflies bring back memories of his childhood on the farm.




This tile represents the flowers along our front walk leading to our front door.



This one reflects the fact that the weather has been so hot and dry in our area this summer that I'm shedding a tear as I water the plants trying to help them survive.

And last but certainly not least this reflects my hubby.  I love it when he comes home from the office, sheds his tie and we spend time together.
He's also the one who tends to our flowers and yard.









My zentangle for my country - the USA, will be posted on the 4th of July! 

Quote, The Diva's challenge

"It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll; I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."    -William Ernest Henley


Another Monday, another challenge from The Diva; use the pattern cadent and variations.  Cadent is one of my favorite tangle patterns!   Here's my challenge:

Zentangle Challenge #74, quote

"Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known."
Oscar Wilde

This weeks challenge by The Diva is to create a zentangle using eccentric circles.

 

Mandala Challenge, quote

"The perfect journey is circular - the joy of departure and the joy of return."     -unknown

This week is the 9th week of madala challenges by The Bright Owl.  This one was more difficult for me and I'm not sure I'm completely satisfied with the result. 

Challenge, quote, Birthday fun!

How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?   -unknown

This week has been a very busy week.  Yesterday was my birthday and my family and friends have made my entire week special.  I've enjoyed lunch with a friend each day, dinner with family on two nights and a special trip to the Apple Store to purchase my new IPad!

Due to all my activities, I'm a little late in posting the Diva's challenge this week which is to use the tangle pattern named "Bridgen".

As for the quote of the day, I think I would choose my current age.  Even though I'm a "senior citizen", I am pleased with where I am and how I've gotten here. 

Zendala Dare, quote

"Nobody has ever measured how much a heart can hold."   -Zelda Fitzgerald

Another Friday - already!  The zendala dare this week by The Bright Owl blog is to create the zendala using tangle patterns starting with the letters L-O-V-E.

These are the patterns I used in my zendala:

Lacy (in the corners)
Onamito (in the hearts)
Vortex (in the circles)
Emingle (in the background)

All the tangle patterns can be found in the website "TanglePatterns.com" and there's a direct link here on my blog.