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Diva_challenge_247

„UMT: African Artist by Tina-Aukua Hunziker, CTZ“

This weeks challenge # 247  is like every first Monday of the month a Use My Tangle (UMT) challenge, the last one in 2015. This  month it is African Artist by Tina Aukua Hunker, CTZ from Switzerland – the step outs are here on Tina’s blog.

Today we had one of those really rare sunny days und so I spent the whole day gardening. So it was so relaxing and comfy drinking hot tea sitting close to the warm fireplace and tangling after being outside the whole day.

When I got my tiles and started to draw a string there came pictures of those great ornamental make-up of some african tribes and I also had pictures of this beautiful african masks in my mind.The square tile was actually too short for my string. So I decided to tangle 2 tiles, which have both that wonderful African Artist pattern, so they would work each by itself but also belong together.

I think the outcome is somehow a little curious in my eyes and I am not quite sure if I am really pleased with my outcome. But I had a great time doing this tangle, so I am so pleased with that practice and that evening.

Thanks for stopping by and have a nice new and inspiring week.

pattern: Ennies by Zentangle®, Rixty by Zentangle®, Cack by Adele Bruno.

„Guest Post: Monotangle Trees“

This weeks challenge # 246  is a guest post from Dilip Patel the first CZT from India. Dilip and his wife Malathi are one of the rare CZT couples in the world.  I really love this challenge, maybe that is the reason why my Monotangle-Trees run a little out of control and have gone wild:)

The challenge is about creating a Monotangle Tree, so having a whole Zentangle® – Forest with all the trees. What a great idea, that will give a lot of power to the environment.

A single collective directed thought is all it takes to change the world.
Lynne McTaggart

I love nature, and there is a reason why we call it Mother earth! So everyone should show respect and care about. I get most of my creative ideas from trees, they have so many different faces and can tell me so much stories. I go for a walk through the forest almost everyday enjoying every breath.

Well, my tangle made a little bit its one way. I actually just started my mono tangle trees one a light colored background, that was my plan. But somehow my trees had another plan, and some hours and layers of paint later it had a complete different look. So it turned out a ZIA, not my planned Monotangle. I hope that is okay for that challenge. Sometimes my emotions overrun my mind, which I really appreciate, so I am pleased with my outcome, even though I have the feeling, it is not finally done, but it is for this moment.

So thank you Dilip Patel for that inspiring Challenge and thanks to the Diva making it possible.

Diva_245

„Back to Basics – Hollibough“

This weeks challenge # 245  is to use the pattern „Hollibough“ – see step outs  here.

While I started tangling, my husband was looking if the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing-Event is on, which is the Hawaiin Pro contest and the finals of the Championship Tour that takes place from November 12th until December 20th. Unfortunatily is was lay-day.

We like watch to surfcontest, since we mostly have not enough time to go surfing regularly. Since the last years it is limited to surfing on holidays. So I tangled my Hollibough pattern- which I really like and use very often. I thought of having some flowers in my tangle, so I used „Blooming Butter“ designed by Michele Beauchamp, CTZ®. I love that pattern it is so cheerful. When I finished my tangle I added some color to Blooming Butter with my markers and some aquarell to Hollibough.

I looked at my ZIA and I started grining, we were not watching surfing on Hawaii, but now we had hawaiin feeling on my tangle. So I decided to put the word „aloha“ on my tangle and since I mostly have a connotation by looking at things I suddenly remembered the book „Thoughts by the Ocean“ written by Sergio Bambarén I read about 9 years ago. I really love surfing and I am actually not very good in it. Nevertheless when I am in the ocean it is so much easier for me to be in the „here and now“ and to be mindful. But if there comes a wave, I have waited so much for,  I am often too anxious not to be able to handle the situation and instead of catching the wave I let her pass by. Who ever have been in the ocean knows the capriciousness and power of the ocean. However even things I could handle, if I had a little bit more self-confindence in my abilities, frighten me so much that I rather pass a nice wave then having a marvelous ride. The weird thing about it – even though I go out surfing, loving it. Maybe that is my challenge.

Well, the book. So about this 9  years ago, when I was alone in Denmark surfing with my much-loved VW-Surfing-Bus I read the book „Thouhts by the Ocean“. there was one little passage I immadiatly wrote down and pint it over my campingbed.

Should I leave? Was it foolish to attempt such a dangerous set?
Then I hear a voice that always comes to me in moments of trouble:

„Shaun, do not let fear stand in the way of your dreams …. “

Peace fills my soul and I am no longer afraid. I won’t let fear stand in the way of my dreams! […]

What if…. And I finally understand that these „What if’s“ are only in my head. I am confronted by choices every day: in my realstionships, in my job, what food to eat ot what shirt to wear. I now unterstand the importance of making choices without fear; not letting the „what if’s“ stand in my way. Now the „what if..?“ sleeps tucked away in a little corner of my mind, as it should.

And actually I really had forgotten about it until I looked at my tangle. But now I am so thankful that I have it back in my mind and I am looking forward to read that book again.

Thanks for stopping by and have a nice week!

 

„Back to Basics – Hollibough“ (deutsch)

In dieser wöchentlichen challenge # 245  geht es darum, das Pattern Hollibough“ zu nutzen.

Während ich anfing zu tanglen schaute mein Mann, ob der Vans Triple Crown of Surfing-Event statt findet, der als Finale der Championship Tour des Surfens vom 12. November bis 12. Dezember auf Hawaii ausgetragen wird. Leider war aufgrund der Wellenbedingungen „lay-day“, also kein Surfen.

Wir schauen gerne Surfcontests, vor allem seit wir kaum noch selber zum Surfen kommen, die letzen Jahre beschränkte sich unser surfen fast nur noch auf die viel zu wenigen Urlaube. Also tangelte ich mein Hollibough Pattern, das ich sehr mag und auch oft und gerne in meinen Tangles benutze. Ein florales Pattern würde prima dazu passen, dachte ich mir, und entschied mich für „Blooming Butter“ entworfen von Michele Beauchamp, CTZ®. Ich mag das Pattern, weil es so fröhlich ist. Nachdem ich mein Tangle fertig hatte fügte ich noch Farbe hinzu – Blooming Butter wurde mit Markern koloriert und Hollibough bekam einen Aquarellanstrich.

Dann schaute ich auf mein ZIA und musste grinsen, wenn wir schon nicht surfen auf Hawaii schauen konnten, hatte ich nun ein wenig Hawaii-Feeling in meinem Tangle. Deswegen entschied ich mich noch ein Aloha zu platzieren.

Da ich oft plötzliche Assoziationen oder Eingebungen habe wenn ich Dinge betrachte, kam mir plötzlich das Buch von Sergio Bambaren „Die Botschaft des Meeres – Was die Wellen dir erzählen“  in den Sinn, dass ich vor 9 Jahren gelesen hatte. Ich surfe wirklich gerne, obwohl ich kein wirklich guter Surfer bin. Doch wenn ich auf dem Meer sitze dann bin ich achtsam und es ist leichter im Hier und Jetzt zu sein. Dennoch wenn eine Welle kommt- auf die ich ja eigentlich gewartet habe – habe ich plötzlich Angst, dass ich der Situation nicht gewachsen bin. Und wer schon mal im Meer war, weiss wie unberechenbar es sein kann und welche Kraft es hat. Trotzdem, selbst wenn ich diese Situation bewältigen könnte – mit ein wenig mehr Selbstvertrauen in meine Fähigkeiten – bin ich zu ängstlich und lasse die Welle auf die ich so lange gewartet habe an mir vorbeiziehen anstelle auf ihr mit Freude zu surfen. Irgendwie eine komische Sache – dennoch paddel ich  immer wieder raus auf das Meer surfen. Vielleicht ist das meine Herausforderung.

Das Buch. So vor 9 Jahren als ich ein Wochenende alleine in Dänemark surfen war mit meinen geliebten selbstausgebauten Bus habe ich das Buch „Die Botschaft des Meeres“ gelesen. Abgesehen davon, dass es ein grossartiges Buch ist, gab es eine kleine Passage, die ich sofort abschrieb und über mein Campingbett hängte:

… Wäre es nicht pure Dummheit, hier draussen zu bleiben, in dieser gefährlichen Situation?
Und dann hörte ich eine Stimme, die mir in schwierigen Momenten immer geholfen hat:

„Shaun, lass dich nicht von deinen Ängsten daran hindern, deine Träume wahr zu machen!“

Ein innerer Frieden breitet sich in meiner Seele aus. Auf einmal fürchte ich mich nicht mehr. Ich werde mich nicht von meinen Ängsten daran hindern lassen, meine Träume wahr zu machen. […]

Was wäre gewesen, wenn …. Und ich begreife was es mit diesen Worten auf sich hat: Was wäre, wenn… Sie existieren nicht, nicht wirklich, es gibt sie nur in deinem Kopf. Aber eines ist sicher. Im Alltag stehe ich ständig vor Entscheidungen – in meiner Beziehung, bei der Arbeit, bei allem, was ich tue. Und jetzt weiss ich, wie wichtig es ist, dass meine Entscheidungen sich nicht nur auf Ängsten gründen, die nur in meinem Kopf existieren, sondern die Freiheit, die daraus entspringt, dass ich mein Leben mit eigenen Augen betrachte und das „Was wäre, wenn“ nicht zwischen mich und denjenigen treten lasse, der ich sein will, sondern das tue, was mein inneres Selbst mir sagt.
Und das „Was wäre, wen“? Das schlummert, warm eingepackt, in einem kleinen Winkel meiner Seele – und da sollte es auch sein.

Ich hatte wirklich nicht mehr an dieses wundervolle Buch mit seinen viele Weisheiten gedacht, bis ich auf mein Tangle geschaut habe und es mir plötzlich wieder in den Sinn kam, warum auch immer. Dafür bin ich dankbar und freue mich darauf es nochmals zu lesen.

Vielen Dank für Euren Besuch auf meiner Seite!

peace

„We are all connected. What unites us is our common humanity. I don‘t want to oversimplify things – but the suffering of a mother who has lost her child is not dependent on her nationality, ethnicity or religion. White, black, rich, poor, Christian, Muslim or Jew – pain is pain – joy is joy.“ Desmond Tutu

 „Tripoli Triptastic“

This Week again, 2 languages, phew, I guess I need someone doing my other daily work 🙂

The Diva gives us in challenge #244 a great advice for those who find Tripoli difficult – well, so do I. It is more important to make sure that the spaces between my triangles are the same, than hung up on making sure all the triangles are perfect equilateral triangles. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

A big help for me since I failed more than once on Tripoli, because I was so much concentrated in creating all triangles equal that I disregarded the space between. So it didn’t went out to be a harmonic pattern, but rather ended up in a chaos.

What matters is not the isolated entity, but the space between things, the relationship of things – the Bond…Every conflict that occurs – whether between husband and wife, social or racial groups – is resolved only when we can fully see and embrace the space – the Bond – between us.

Lynne McTaggart

The Bond – a fundamental need of human nature – if we wouldn’t have the sense of community the human race would never have survived. So one of our highest value should be cooperation – not competition. But still in todays society and culture the sense for our communal tendencies seems to be getting more and more lost. The feeling to be a lonely person on this lonely planet increases. But we all are a part of an universal energy field ,we are not separated, everything is connected everywhere and all times.

Nevertheless in this world dominates the opinion that we are autonomous people with an education that enforces independence and competition. Western society mostly sees us first of all as individual beings and after that as social beings – that creates separations, leeds to isolation and a maximum of consume. So, the more stuff we have, the more we want to preserve and protected.

But could that be human nature? No! We are cooperating, sympathetic and we are caring, this is in our DNS. We are born to be a community, born to respect each other and to care about each other. That is the way we are connected.

Already Darwin wrote in his first book of human nature that sympathy is the strongest instinct in human nature. We are not as fast or strong as out primate relatives, so we are able to cooperate and take care of others. We sympathize with others – THAT is our nature. If we see someone suffer, we feel it, if we see someone happy, we feel it – it has to do with our mirror neurons. So even science shows us that we are all connected, we never where alone – we are always part of a greater whole.

When we start being conscious and welcome the idea that we are all in one and direct our lifes to it, we can change attitude. If we change our minds and perceptions – the world changes. Everyday and every tiny acts can build over a time a great movement. Why should that happen? It happens because you are concerned, I am concerned, we are concerned.

The truth of who we are is – we are, because we belong!
Desmond Tutu, Erzbischof von Kapstadt

Thanks for taking your time reading! And I recommend the book of Lynne MacTaggart “ The Field : The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe“ and also reading some about Desmond Tutu!

 

„Tripoli Triptastic“(deutsch)

 

Die Diva gibt einen Supertip für diejenigen die Tripoli schwierig finden – also auch für mich! Es ist wichtiger, dass der Raum zwischen den Dreiecken gleich ist als der Versuch, die Dreiecke perfekt gleich zu zeichnen! Danke. Danke. Danke.

Eine große Hilfe, ich bin mehr als einmal gescheitert mit Tripoli, indem ich mich so auf die Gleichheit der Dreiecke konzentriert habe und den Zwischenraum dabei keine Beachtung geschenkt habe. So wurde daraus nicht unbedingt ein harmonisches Muster, sondern endete eher in einem Chaos.

Das was von Bedeutung ist, ist nicht das isolierte Dasein, sondern der Raum zwischen den Dingen, die Beziehung von Dingen zueinander – die Verbundenheit… Jeder Konflikt der erfolgt – egal ob zwischen Ehemann und Ehefrau, Gesellschaftsgruppen oder Rassegruppen – löst sich nur dann auf, wenn wir den Raum – die Verbundenheit – zwischen uns vollkommen sehen und annehmen können.

Lynne McTaggart

Verbundenheit – eine fundamentale Notwendigkeit und Bedürfnis der menschschlichen Natur – denn hätten wir nicht einen Sinn für Gemeinschaft, hätte die Menschheit nicht überleben können. Unser höchsten Werte sollten daher Kooperation sein, nicht Wettbewerb. Doch scheint das Gespür für diesen Gemeinschaftssinn in der heutigen Welt und Kultur verloren zu gehen. das Gefühl ein einsamer, alleingelassenrt Mensch auf diesem Planeten zu sein nimmt zu. Dennoch sind wir alle ein Teil eines universellen Energiefelds und nicht von einander abgegrenzt, alles ist miteinander verbunden, überall und jederzeit.

Trotzdem herrscht in unserer Welt die Vorstellung, dass wir alle voneinander unabhängige Individuen sind, erzogen zur Unabhängigkeit und Wettkampf. Daher tendieren gerade in der westlichen Kultur die Menschen dazu, sich in erster Linie als Individuum zu sehen und erst in zweiter Linie als ein soziales Wesen – das schafft Vereinzelung, führt schnell zur Isolation und maximalen Konsumverhalten. Je mehr wir besitzen, desto mehr wollen wir diesen Besitz erhalten und schützen.

Ist das wirklich die menschliche Natur? Nein! Unsere Genetik ist ausgerichtet auf Kooperation, Mitgefühl und das wir uns umeinander kümmern. Wir sind geboren als Gemeinschaft, geboren um auf uns zu achten, und uns zu kümmern. Das liegt in unserer DNA. Das der Weg wie wir verbunden sind.

Schon Darwin schrieb in seinem ersten Buch über die menschliche Natur, dass Mitgefühl eines der stärksten menschlichsten Instinkte ist. Wir sind nicht mehr so schnell oder so stark wie unsere Vorfahren, aber wir haben die Möglichkeit eine Gemeinschaft zu bilden und uns um andere zu kümmern. Wir fühlen mit anderen mit – DAS liegt in unserer Natur. Wir leiden wenn anderen Leid zugefügt wird und wir freuen uns wenn anderen Gutes widerfährt, dank unserer Spiegelneuronen. Die Wissenschaft zeigt, dass wir alle miteinander verbunden sind und auch schon immer verbunden waren – schon immer als Teil eines großen Ganzen.

Wenn wir beginnen unser Bewusstsein darauf auszurichten und die Idee annehmen, dass wir Eins sind und danach leben, können wir das jetzige Verhalten ändern. Wenn wir unsere Meinung und unsere Sichtweisen ändern – wird die Welt sich verändern. Jedes noch so winzige und gefühlt unbedeutende Handeln eines Einzelnen kann sich mit der Zeit in eine große Bewegung wandeln. Warum das passiert? Weil Du betroffen bist, ich betroffen bin, wir betroffen sind.

Die Wahrheit für unser Sein ist also – das wir zusammengehören!
Desmond Tutu, Erzbischof von Kapstadt

Vielen Dank, dass Ihr Euch Zeit genommen habt. Und wer mehr darüber wissen möchte, dem empfehle ich Lynne McTaggarts Buch “ Das Null-Punktfeld“ und ebenso die Worte von Desmond Tutu.

 

It’s an ODD challenge

What a great idea! Friday we had the 13th of November 2015  –  11/13/15  – so Adele Bruno, CZT™ choose the 11th, 13th, and 15th tangles listed on TanglePatterns.com:

Acrosstick  by Ed Gucker, CZT
Afterglo  by Carole Ohl, CZT
Ahh by Maria Thomas, Zentangle® co-founder

and added in  It’s a String Thing challenge  Joyce Burns’TanglePatterns String 017

 

TanglePatterns-String-017

There we go with a continuous sequence of odd numbers.

When I saw the string and the the pattern my first thought was – interesting, a very organic string and pretty geometric pattern. Adele points out in her blog to keep in mind that string lines are suggestions and to let the patterns lead the way. But I liked the idea to have the contrast between this organic string and the geometric pattern. I had no idea how that could work out  –fortunatily I could free my mind and not thinking about it! So I just started tangling Afterglo. When I finished Afterglo the Ahh’s wanted to dance on the string – Ahhhh! – now I had my patterns following the string. Tangleing Acrosstick on the bottom gives Ahh a nice dancefloor. I think my patterns are happy now and so am I! And of course I like to mention – this week ist also „space“ week. Well this is really pure chance, that this tile has lot of space on the top, it was not my intent – at least not consciously 😉

 

zendala_dare_116

Pattern: Fengle, Dragonair. Snail, Coral-Seeds

In this weeks Zendala Dare Challenge #116  the template was pretty different from the last ones I did, it offert a lot more space. But since I wrote a long article about „space and emptiness“ this week, it fits very well in this week for me. The last Zendalas I tangled, where pretty detailed and also still a little topsy-turvy. So this time I tried to leave more space and using not too much different patterns. Well, I am really pleased with that outcome, I like that it is different to the other ones I did before. For this Zendala I used very nice hand-made paper in creme and for colouring I used Polychromos. I still have to get used to them and pracetise shading. But I like the polochromos on that beautiful paper. They fit very well together and I like experimenting with all those different materials. And most of all I really love tangling Zendalas!

This is Erin’s lovely template she chose this week, and I really love the Zendala she created and the way it turned out! You can see it here – and also all the other fantastic Zendalas that have been created this week!

Mandala105

template created by Erin Koetz Olson, CZT®

So looking forward to Tuesday!

This week – three in one challenge for me.
My Mom asked me to write in English and German and my husband gave me the advice to handwrite the articles first before tipping in the computer – it is more mindful. So I wrote in English – which is not that easy for me – in German (its beneath the English written article) and I wrote both article first with my hands. And of course I tangled my tiles!

„Just a tiny taste“

The challenge is about giving the tile a tiny taste of tangle and trying to leave over half of the tile blank… like 60-70%

The Diva admits: „it’s harder than it looks, at least – it was for me.“ Well, I confirm this statement.

So that makes me think about why this is so challenging for me. Might it be a feeling of imperfection? Or being afraid of having a gap? Sometimes I have the feeling that society today is used to fill every little gap immediatly, not only the gap of time but of materialism, so no emptiness can occur. I guess one reason might be the exessive supply of attraction and glut. But why is emptiness and space so hard to bear? And I cannot exempt myself from that.

If absolutly nothing comes in my mind and I have no ideas I tend to say: There is an absolute emptiness in my mind. Then I sigh, because this situation is irritating. It makes me feel insecure and a little bit of panic raises. Emptiness in my mind, no ideas, no creativity anymore? Phew!

 Do not be frightened by that word „empty“; when there is emptiness then things can happen.

J. Krishnamurti

So, should I accept that space of emptiness, looking what comes up to me – instead of getting my input from the outside world, like getting my inspiration from google and co? Ispiration? Sorry,I mean manipulation. Searching for creativity in the space around me? Does that work? Space and time depends on the observer they are not the reality. I experience the world, like every other does too, with my fife senses. I see forms and colours, nothing else, I smell the smell. I hear the sounds and I feel emotions. Only with the contemplation of thoughts I can smell the flowers, see the trees and hear the birds singing. Moreover there are things happening I cannot describe,  they just happen and touch me, I cannot understand them even though they are so intensive – that is emptiness- that ’s beyond imagination. It is complete stillness of the brain, an extraordanery thing – highly sensitive and completly open without any hindrance.

This moment is a gift, when there is “ nothing“ , everything is possible. Emptiness is energy. Everything needs space to develope. Space is energy.  Space is empty without any shape or time. It is free of judgement and interpretions, either right or wrong, good or bad exists. It is endless without a beginning. I cannot owe it, so I can not loose is. I can move in it, but it is unfathomable.

As soon the inside chaos of thoughts, which push in this space, fade away, you can see the emptiness and the beauty.

So this time I look and the tiles with the beauty of the patterns  in its context of the space around, the existence in its wholeness.

diva_challenge_243_2

„Nur eine winzige Kostprobe“

In dieser challenge geht es darum auf der Kachel nur ein kleines Tangle zu kreieren und zu versuchen mehr als die Hälfte der Kachel leer zu lassen. Die Diva gibt zu, dass es schwerer ist als es aussieht – zumindest war es so für sie. Und das kann ich nur bestätigen.

Das lässt mich darüber nachdenken warum es so eine Herausforderung darstellt. Ist es das Gefühl der Unvollkommenheit der Lückenlosigkeit? Oft habe ich das Gefühl in der heutigen Gesellschaft muss alles bis in die kleinste Ecke gefüllt sein, lückenlos – materiell wie auch zeitlich. Sollte sich zufällig ein kleines Fenster Zeit auftun, so wird es umgehend gestopft, bloß keine Leere entstehen lassen. Problemlos möglich in der heutigen Zeit der Überreizung und des Überangbotes. Aber warum scheint es so schwer Leere und Raum zu ertragen? Und ich kann mich da nicht ausnehmen.

Wenn mir absolut nichts mehr einfällt, ich keine Idee habe dann mache ich gerne die Aussage: Es herrscht absolute Leere in meinem Kopf! Dann seufze ich, denn ich empfinde diesen Zustand als lästig, es verunsichert mich, leichte Panik steigt auf. Leere im Kopf, keine Ideen mehr…puh!

Nur wo Leere ist, kann etwas Neues entstehen

J. Krishnamurti

Doch was ist wenn ich diesen leeren Raum einfach zulasse und mich darin ein wenig umherbewegen, schaue was auf mich zukommt, anstatt mir Input aus der Aussenwelt zu holen, mich von google und co inspirieren zu lassen. Inspirieren? Ich meine natürlich manipulieren. Kreativität in dem Raum um mich herum suchen? Geht das? Raum und auch Zeit hängt vom Beobachter ab, sie sind nicht Wirklichkeit und nicht Realität. Ich erlebe, wie jeder andere auch, die Welt mit meinen fünf Sinnen. Ich sehe Form und Farben, mehr nicht, ich rieche Gerüche, schmecke Geschmack, höre Geräusche und spüre Emotionen. Erst mit dem Einkehren der Gedanken kann ich die Blumen riechen, die Bäume sehen oder die Vögel zwitschern hören. Und dann gibt es noch die Dinge die ich nicht begreife oder beschreiben kann, die einfach so passieren und berühren, die ich aber nicht fassen kann obwohl sie so intensiv sind – das ist die Leere – das was jenseits meiner Vorstellung liegt. Das ist komplette Stille des Geistes, eine außergewöhnliche Sache, hochsensibel und völlig geöffnet ohne Vewehrung.

Diese Momente sind ein Geschenk, denn wo „nichts“ ist, ist alles möglich . Leere ist Energie! Loslassen! Alles braucht Raum, um sich entwickeln zu können! Raum ist Energie. Er ist leer, grenzen-, form- und zeitlos. Er ist frei von Wertung und Interpretation, weder richtig noch falsch, böse oder gut, klein oder gross, er ist unendlich und ohne Anfang, ich kann nicht verlieren, weil ich ihn nicht besitze. Ich kann ihn beschreiten aber nicht beschreiben, er ist unfassbar und unbegreifbar.

Erst wenn das  innere Chaos der Gedanken die sich in den Raum drängen abklingt, dann kann man in die Leere schauen und sehen welche Schönheit sie mit sich bringt.

So betrachte ich auch die Sachen dieser Challenge, das Tangle ist nicht autonom sondern existiert wie alle Dinge in Abhängigkeit seiner Ganzheit. Die Schönheit des Tangles ergibt sich durch den Raum.

 

 

THANKS

It’s easy to give Thanks when your doing it Zendala style!
writes Erin Koetz Olson, CZT about this weeks challenge. So this weeks extra ist to only use tangles that start with the letters T-H-A-N-K-S.

The tangles I used:

T – Tipple by Zentangle®
H – Hollibaugh by Zentangle®
A –  Angel Fish by Marizaan van Beek, CZT®
N – Neit-Lite by Annette Plaga-Lodde
K – Kozy by Marieke van Nimwegen
S –  Scrumble by Jane Monk’s, , CZT®

So November is the time for thanksgiving in USA ans Canada which is similar to our Erntedankfest in Germany. With the Erntedankfest everyone shall be reminded in gratefulness to the crop of agriculture and garden and also that it is not only in the hand of human to have enough food. Crop donations will be shared with the deserving poor an homeless people.So where ever we live and however we are celebrating. It is about THANKS to the EARTH.

We owe the earth our lifes! But nevertheless people are destroying fertile soil with chemicals, fertilizer and other tings ,just to increase the profit – not caring about the microorganism and the damage of the whole cycle.

We need the cycle of life and death. Dead leaves are falling from the trees, decompose on earth into humus – so new life can arise. Everything that dies transforms into something new. So because we love the earth, we have to care that the earth is doing well! We have to give her the opportunitie to resurrect by using organics. Instead of destroying, we all should join the cycle of Life and preserve it.

It is time to get back to nature. Spend time in the garden, put a little grain in the earth – it is such a miracle to see that one little grain has millions of other grains inside, there is so much life in it. You will learn about the cycle and rhythm of nature and you will lern to be patient. To cultivate a garden brings us to back the power of Life, it brings back the connection to earth and its seasons, the natural rhythm which often gets lost in our modern society.

But I think the ones who spend time in being creative or doing their mediative arts like tangling are allready have the awareness that if people don’t  change, everything else won’t change either. We already learned to repossess the moment. Teamwork is much more efficient and healthier than competition – sharing guides us to gratification.

So befriend earth means befriend life!

„New Official Tangle: Gourdgeous“

gourdgeous_diva_242

Zentangle® released their new official tangle „Gourdgeous“ in their newsletter –see the step outs here. So this weeks diva challenge – using Gourdgeous. I was in the mood tangling a little larger and try something new. So I bought some pastel cryons, actually an art medium I am not familiar with and in fact it doesn’t really fit to me. But somehow I had the idea of Gourdgeous being in a warm and earthy atmosphere that fits to thanksgiving. So I choose a brown paper and tried to tangle with the pastel cryons. Since I had no idea how to use them  I just put this powdered pigment somehow on my sheet and started to „paint“ with my fingers! that is fun! It was great to sence the rough paper and the  smooth powder.

So thanks for that challenge and welcome gourdgeous!

Ready. Steady. Go! This week was the start of challenges for me. It’s a String Thing challenge by Adele Bruno, CZT™ really challenged me. I had to struggle with the String!  Adele selected TanglePatterns String 095 by Sandra Hart and the tangles to use beginning  with the letter „C“.

Chartz and
Cadent both by Maria Thomas, Zentangle® co-founder
Cracked by Lori Howe
Confettus by Angie Shade

But not giving up, I finished my tile one stroke at the time and in the end it looked pretty different from the tiles I tangled so far. I stared at it for a long time not quite sure if I am really pleased with it. But it showed me a different side of my options and abilities and for that reason I am definitly pleased with my outcome.

So thanks a lot for that challenge!

 


This is the first time I participate in Zendala Dare #114. Actually it is the first time I created a zendala – so very exciting and challenging for me. I am still tending towards having already an idea for the whole result- but it is getting better to free my mind by every tangle I do. So before I started I took a deep breath and reminded “ one stroke at a time“. And I just started from the middle and tangled one stroke at a time towards the border – listening to Antonín Dvořáks violineconzert with Anne-Sophie Mutter und die Berliner Philharmoniker, simply fantastic. When I finished my Zendala, I was not completly pleased in the first time, I was a little unhappy with using „Bales“ in the end. But after a little break I felt fine with my first zendala including Bales! So I started colouring, I love colouring, and for me coloured Zendalas have a special charm and effect.

So thank you Erin for your wonderfull template for my first Zendala! And I am looking forward to the next ones.

Mandala161

template created by Erin Koetz Olson, CZT®

„Stones and Ceremony“

When I read this challenge on Monday evening just bevor going to bed, I was so excited that I actually couldn’t sleep! Since I was on a very special sculpting-workshop in Denmark with a small group of really lovely and inspiring people, I am so fascinated by stones and there magical power. The workshop happened at a place with a high energy level and we were sculpturing cosmograms. Because it is really difficult for me to describe this concept of earth healing an geomancy  in own words in English here a small extract from Marko Pogačnik’s website:

GEOPUNCTURE CIRCLES is an art-of-life project based upon the experience of lithopuncture and the knowledge of the universal language called “language of the cosmograms”.

Lithopuncture is a method of ecological healing, through which positioning of stones on acupuncture points of the given landscape is combined with the language of cosmograms and the holistic awareness of the Earth as an autonomous and multidimensional microcosm.

Language of cosmograms is an effort to develop such a language that can be perceived not just by humans but also by other beings that do not have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Language of cosmograms is a pictorial language, sometimes a form of body language and always an energy emanating language.

When I read Paula Bramante’s statement:

I love Zentangle because it has nothing to do with verbal language. I also love it, paradoxically, because it has given me another language, a visual language, that allows me to communicate feelings and concepts long hidden since childhood.

the first thought that crossed my mind – I wanted to be at an energy place and give some of that zentangle language to that „stone-personalities“ that are part of the energetic network of the vitalities of landscape.

I decided to make a day off (one of the great benefits beeing my own chef) and going on a excursion. My destination: Noer, a bay at the baltic sea, which is a very energetic place for me. So I packed my bag with my pens, I found three pens that should work on stones, some tea and blanket. Of course I had a companion, Anny my lovely Retriever.

So here my trip starts on an awsome sunny autmn day!

Noer_collage1

Mostly I have to ferry across the Northsea and Balticsea canal in order to get somewhere, I really love it! When other people have cars coming from left or right while standing at the crossroads I have hudge containerships crossing. So when we arrived at the sea, we searched for a place with good energy and settled down with all the equipment. Anny and I went on the search for stones to build our cairn. We had quite a lot choice of stones here.

Noer_collage2

Now I could start tangling the stones at this wonderful place, it was so meditative. The sea gave us an atmospheric sound and the dune grasses where softly bowing in the calm wind. Since it was during the week, we where all by ourselfes with the nature. Anny fell asleep on my leg, while I was tangling.

Noer_collage3

Almost 3 hours I stayed at this place, tangling, drinking tea, staring at the sea and building my tangle-cairn! I was so pleased with that place and my time spending here.

So here is my Diva Challenge #241 tangle-cairn:

cairn

Thank you Diva Challenge #241  and Paula Bramante for that challenge that brought me and Anny such an fantastic and inspiring day!

„Stones and Ceremony“

When I read this challenge on Monday evening just bevor going to bed, I was so excited that I actually couldn’t sleep! Since I was on a very special sculpting-workshop in Denmark with a small group of really lovely and inspiring people, I am so fascinated by stones and there magical power. The workshop happened at a place with a high energy level and we were sculpturing cosmograms. Because it is really difficult for me to describe this concept of earth healing an geomancy  in own words in English here a small extract from Marko Pogačnik’s website:

GEOPUNCTURE CIRCLES is an art-of-life project based upon the experience of lithopuncture and the knowledge of the universal language called “language of the cosmograms”.

Lithopuncture is a method of ecological healing, through which positioning of stones on acupuncture points of the given landscape is combined with the language of cosmograms and the holistic awareness of the Earth as an autonomous and multidimensional microcosm.

Language of cosmograms is an effort to develop such a language that can be perceived not just by humans but also by other beings that do not have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Language of cosmograms is a pictorial language, sometimes a form of body language and always an energy emanating language.

When I read Paula Bramante’s statement:

I love Zentangle because it has nothing to do with verbal language. I also love it, paradoxically, because it has given me another language, a visual language, that allows me to communicate feelings and concepts long hidden since childhood.

the first thought that crossed my mind – I wanted to be at an energy place and give some of that zentangle language to that „stone-personalities“ that are part of the energetic network of the vitalities of landscape.

I decided to make a day off (one of the great benefits beeing my own chef) and going on a excursion. My destination: Noer, a bay at the baltic sea, which is a very energetic place for me. So I packed my bag with my pens, I found three pens that should work on stones, some tea and blanket. Of course I had a companion, Anny my lovely Retriever.

So here my trip starts on an awsome sunny autmn day!

Noer_collage1

Mostly I have to ferry across the Northsea and Balticsea canal in order to get somewhere, I really love it! When other people have cars coming from left or right while standing at the crossroads I have hudge containerships crossing. So when we arrived at the sea, we searched for a place with good energy and settled down with all the equipment. Anny and I went on the search for stones to build our cairn. We had quite a lot choice of stones here.

Noer_collage2

Now I could start tangling the stones at this wonderful place, it was so meditative. The sea gave us an atmospheric sound and the dune grasses where softly bowing in the calm wind. Since it was during the week, we where all by ourselfes with the nature. Anny fell asleep on my leg, while I was tangling.

Noer_collage3

Almost 3 hours I stayed at this place, tangling, drinking tea, staring at the sea and building my tangle-cairn! I was so pleased with that place and my time spending here.

So here is my Diva Challenge #241 tangle-cairn:

cairn

Thank you Diva Challenge #241  and Paula Bramante for that challenge that brought me and Anny such an fantastic and inspiring day!

Birthday Leaves …
…for Artoo!

I really love autumn! It is one of my favorite season, at least if it is a sunny autumn without everyday rain. The falling leaves remind me how important und good it is just to let go and I see the changableness of things. For me it is a good time for reflection. I enjoy walking through the woods with all that colorful leaves. Well, the thing with those leaves is, I can’t find my dog between all that leaves. Golden dog on a golden background.

The morning when I ambled through our garden I collected three different leaves that inspired me.

One leaf from our wine. The leaves are so colorful and have such a beautiful outline. The symbolism of wine refers on one hand to frugality and on the other hand on nourishing power. This might be seen as the source of achievement-orientated society. But also in opposite of this self-discipline, drinking wine might  lead someone to let oneself go. So maybe the wine plant will show us the happy medium.

Pattern: Auraknot, Pendrills

One of my favorite trees is black elder, we have quite a lot in our garden. In the nordic european culture the elder is vitally important. A German fairy tale describes the elder as an intermediary between heaven, earth and netherworld. The elder protects the light of the humans soul and offers people living around the elder a secure sanctuary. So cutting down an elder tree was temporary forbidden in North-Europe. The elder loves being close to human and for that reason it grows very close to the houses. It has mellow smelling flower in the springtime, where you can make syrup from and in Autumn it has beautiful black berries which can be cooked to healthful juice.

Pattern: Cruffle, Nipa, Hibred, Hurry, Cool ‚Sista, Tipple

A symbol for eternalness is the oak tree. When I drive home I am passing through a beautiful small but long alley of old an young oaks. I really enjoy that part of my way and I am grateful to be able to live that way. The oak ist a powerful tree for this people who want to bring higher ideals into the world. The oak tree supports the strength of purpose and constancy for respectable worth. So here is my oak tile

Pattern: Aquafleur, Rixty (Variation)

So now I stopp writing about this beautiful season an go for a walk in my favourite wood on this sunny day with my dog Anny.

„Munchin Play“

This week the challenge is based on Molly Hollibough’s tangle Munchin, which she demonstrates in a video on a black tile.
So far I haven’t tangled on black tiles. One simple reason, I don’t have a black zentangle® tool set; the other reason, if I have to decided on instinct I would decide on the white or renaissance tiles. So I had to smile when I read about the diva’s confession not being a hudge fan of black tiles.

But in order to say something adequate to the black tiles and tangling with a „white“ gelly pen I have to try it. Here in Germany, especially in the countryside, it is not easy to get the original tiles and sakura pens, so I had to improvise with black cardbox paper and another gelly pen-brand.

Now after tangling white (and  gold) on black with a gelly pen, here my résumé: I really thought it would be much more difficult to draw with a gelly pen fine strokes but it really worked good. nevertheless I am actually not a fan of this kind of pen. Certainly I can’t say anything about the black tiles since I didn’t use the originals. But so far my gut instinct was right and still – if I have the decision – I would use white or renaissance tiles. But maybe some day I will like black tiles just as well, because I won’t stop tangling on black tiles. And some day there might be a „wow-effect“.