Monotangle Challenge #4

Roys 4th challenge uses the pattern Indy Rella. I enjoyed this one very much.

Diva Challenge #111

This challenge definitely helped me get more comfortable doing the MOOKA tangle. The outcome is BLAHHHHHHHHHH but I enjoyed the learning process.

Zendala Dare #50

Before and after shading the Zendala Dare. I enjoyed this one.

Monotangle Challenge #3

It's a template Monotangle this go around. Pretty 3D looking huh? Sweet!  Here's the before and after shading.

Zendala Dare #49

I really enjoyed this one!  Since I love defined lines...or strings....I excel at zendalas.  My fingers still hurt though...but I do realize what causes the pain. It is indeed holding the pen with a kung fu grip. ugh.

Diva Challenge #110

The Diva's challenge this week was to tangle "outside of the box." Since I'm new to Zentangle...most things are out of my box. I have a hard time tangling without a string...so this is my NO STRING tangle.  I don't like it. I know i know...I'm hard on myself....but I feel like my work is much better when contained. you know? 

Oh and I also have a tangling injury.  Here is what I posted on my Facebook,

I was wondering if my pain is due to my obsessive drawing these days...and if anyone else has the same pain. My index finger knuckle on my right hand closest to my hand KILLS when touched or bent. Doesn't hurt when i crack that knuckle how I normally would by bending it sideways, only when bent in the way the knuckle bends. my left hand has the same pain, but MUCH less. Its been progressively getting worse over the last 2 weeks. Thoughts?I got laid off in December. Its definitely not urgent enough to need to see someone right now...but i thought maybe someone else had the same issues if they drew a whole bunch. I crochet, so i know the chronic pains us "hookers" get...like left wrist pain, but this one is new. If I'm doing the dishes and say I'm washing a bowl with the sponge and sweeping the inside. If my knuckle hits the inside of the bowl, HUGE pain. Kinda like if I had punched a wall a few days ago as hard as I could. Its like a bruise I cant see! SOOO frustrating! My best friend is also doctor, and so is her husband, but they live in Oregon. (I'm in TX) My cousin I live with is an RN, and she thinks its arthritis. and yes...I'm a tight gripper. learning to grip lightly...may be challenging. ugh!

So here is my OUTSIDE of the box challenge!

Monotangle Challenge #2

Ray's challenge is to change up the paradox. WELL, I suck at the paradox WITHOUT changing it up....so I used this challenge to do the paradox multiple times to really just get better at it. I'm EH about this one. I'm wrinkling my nose up at the paradox.  Maybe one day Ill like this pattern.

Butterfly Tile

I started following a facebook page called "Support baby Easton Friedel" months ago. He is a baby born with an awful disease EB. Below is what his facebook says about him and his EB diagnosis. Due to me following baby Easton I began to then follow other kids with EB on facebook. One of them is Ian Swarr. Ian is a spunky almost 15 yr old who is a strong EB fighter. Because of that.....he wants to be a fireman. He loves all things firefighting. Oh and below youll read why...but EB kids are dubbed "butterfly children" because their skin is as fragile as butterflies wings. So I drew up a Zentangle in a Butterfly string to send to Ian. He loves mail, and homemade gifts, so I thought he might like my buttertangle. :-)

He was quickly diagnosed with a severe form of Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). EB is a rare genetic skin disease (affecting only 1 out of 50,000 births). In this condition, there is a defect in the connective tissue of the skin and mucous membranes that causes the skin to be so fragile that the slightest friction, minor injury, heat, rubbing, or scratching causes severe blistering —inside (such as the mouth, stomach, esophagus) and outside the body. These blisters can cause serious, sometimes fatal problems, when they become infected. The systemic and repetitive nature of the blistering leads to blindness, swallowing and breathing difficulties, scarring, infection, disfigurement, disability and dehydration. Ultimately, such devastating effects can produce a high rate of mortality. In fact, 87% of babies born with one of the more severe forms of EB do not live more than 12 months. There is NO cure for this horrific disease. Sufferers of EB have compared the sores with third-degree burns. They live in unthinkable pain.

With skin as fragile as butterfly wings, EB patients are dubbed “Butterfly Children." On the outside, physical wounds and limitations brought on by this disorder prevent them from normal daily activities enjoyed by other children. On the inside, their dreams are the same as any child who loves, plays, learns and grows despite the pain and impediment caused by their disease.

The following is what it’s like to be diagnosed with one of the more severe forms of EB:

Imagine…

•a child with painful wounds similar to burns covering most of his or her body.
•having to wrap each tiny little infant finger with Vaseline gauze and then cover it with gauze to prevent the hand from scarring, webbing and contracting.
•never being able to hold your child tight because if you did, their skin would blister or shear off.
•a child who will never know what it’s like to run, skip or jump, or to play games with other children because even the slightest physical contact will injure his or her skin.
•a child who screams out each time it is bathed because the water touching its open wounds creates incredible pain.
•a diet of only liquids or soft foods because blistering and scarring occur in the esophagus.
•an active baby with his knees soaked in blood from the normal act of crawling.
•a teenager with stumps for hands, the affected fingers scarred/healed together.

Diva Challenge #109

I'm not very happy with this....so I may do another one. I definitely haven't mastered this new design. Gosh am I anal. :-)

Zendala Dare #48

My first Zendala challenge. I Like it!

Monotangle challenge #1 with shading

Here is an update to my last post, I shaded my tangle. I really enjoyed this one!

Monotangles #1

Roy at Mindful Creations has started a new challenge...and since I can't say NO to a challenge.....here is my take on his first one. I haven't shaded it yet, but its 5:11 am so I thought I should go to bed. I will shade it tomorrow.

Diva Challenge 108

This week the challenge is to use a "UMT." That means USE MY TANGLE. Jane made this tangle called "Whyz." I haven't learned to tangle "outside of the box" if you know what I mean....I'm a literal thinker. So a lot of my tangles are going to be somewhat obvious until I step outside of my comfort zone. Enjoy!