tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6873178048704312142024-03-13T14:27:27.301-05:00Designed to CreateMixed-media meanderingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15296230174364225475noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-83849000969639098542014-04-06T21:39:00.001-05:002014-04-06T21:40:51.088-05:00Churchtime TanglesI know a lot of y'all are here because of all the Zentangle things I've posted in the past. I haven't done a lot of tangling recently, but I haven't abandoned it altogether, either. I keep a sketchbook that I take with me to church and tangle in. Whenever I look back at a drawing in this sketchbook I can remember the sermon that was preached at the time!<br />
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Here are two of my churchtime tangles:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0roX2yMiZA/U0INdCtADyI/AAAAAAAAAlU/inVteOGDxz0/s1600/Photo+Apr+06,+20+41+53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0roX2yMiZA/U0INdCtADyI/AAAAAAAAAlU/inVteOGDxz0/s1600/Photo+Apr+06,+20+41+53.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monotangle with some aura-ing. Simple yet effective, both visually and for the purpose of<br />
keeping your mind on the speaker and not everything else it could be thinking about!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K9adTp4ejkI/U0INeGb8b5I/AAAAAAAAAlc/4hA6z8OowB8/s1600/Photo+Apr+06,+20+42+08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K9adTp4ejkI/U0INeGb8b5I/AAAAAAAAAlc/4hA6z8OowB8/s1600/Photo+Apr+06,+20+42+08.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one started out as an experiment with the new tangle, Rixty, <br />
as released in the <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs119/1101168872594/archive/1116831230435.html" target="_blank">Zentangle newsletter</a> a while back. I like it!</td></tr>
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I decided not to shade these - partially because shading is a little too loud for church and partially because I just wanted to leave these as they are.<br />
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I hope this gives you some inspiration! What are some unusual places you've chosen to tangle in?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15296230174364225475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-34675430410888600332014-03-28T00:25:00.000-05:002014-03-28T08:52:02.201-05:00Long Time No SeeThirty thousand page views. I really can't believe it. I leave the blog for eight months and I come back to steady page views, even after all this time! This audience is the best. You - since you're reading this you're the audience - are the best!<br />
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I'm just a dude with a little creativity. A few videos (only three!), a bunch of pictures and words. Who'd'a thunk 30,000 people would be interested in that? Thank you ever so much, dear readers!<br />
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Now, to catch you up on a few things I've been doing. I'm just about to graduate from my community college with an Associates of Applied Science in graphic design - print media. That means I'm in the midst of my final semester for a while, which also means I'm busy branding, painting, studying, and designing, with only about six weeks to go!<br />
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One of my favorite projects to work on so far this semester has been a branding program for a company called Coccinellidae Co. I designed a logo as well as all the collateral (print materials such as business cards, letterhead, postcards and the like) needed for a company. Take a look:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uX7LZpLvfDA/UzT4fbO-GQI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/MXAzA3yXuUI/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uX7LZpLvfDA/UzT4fbO-GQI/AAAAAAAAAhQ/MXAzA3yXuUI/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral2.jpg" height="640" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Business cards and buttons - the cards are squattier than <br />
normal business cards on purpose. It's a very mysterious company, so each card has<br />
a different vintage image as a background. Also see their <a href="http://coccinellidaeco.svbtle.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tburSlJMp_8/UzT4h-RBTuI/AAAAAAAAAhY/2Ekf91tvDPU/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tburSlJMp_8/UzT4h-RBTuI/AAAAAAAAAhY/2Ekf91tvDPU/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral3.jpg" height="640" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Postcards, for mailing out and possibly as Kickstarter awards, <br />
in case the company decides to do a Kickstarter campaign.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6lnPDZ5P6I/UzT4ZhJnQQI/AAAAAAAAAhI/BUUkrCKEV1I/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q6lnPDZ5P6I/UzT4ZhJnQQI/AAAAAAAAAhI/BUUkrCKEV1I/s1600/Coccinellidae_Collateral.jpg" height="640" width="374" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Letterhead. A business isn't a business without letterhead, right?</td></tr>
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I am pursuing a career as a designer for Disney, so it makes sense to make some Disney designs, right? I've done several Disney pieces, including these buttons (I'm on a button kick this semester! If you have a button make you're done with, I want one SO bad and would gladly take it off your hands!) and a poster:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssLa_qWJWcM/UzT7pwh-bQI/AAAAAAAAAhk/dZzQNqo3yzw/s1600/Mock-Ups2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssLa_qWJWcM/UzT7pwh-bQI/AAAAAAAAAhk/dZzQNqo3yzw/s1600/Mock-Ups2.jpg" height="640" width="522" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few snapshots of things I love: Flynn and Rapunzel, Cinderella Castle and the Main Street Station, and Mickey Bars and Dole Whip!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op5V9PPC0BQ/UzT89c25NSI/AAAAAAAAAhs/aH-cjcrIp44/s1600/Chinese_Theatre_Poster-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-op5V9PPC0BQ/UzT89c25NSI/AAAAAAAAAhs/aH-cjcrIp44/s1600/Chinese_Theatre_Poster-01.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Disney plunked down the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat in front of the beautiful facade of the Great Movie Ride. Lot's of people wish they'd remove the hat, including me. So, I designed this poster, playing off the idiom "old hat" for something, well, old.</td></tr>
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I have a painting class this semester too - I've never <i>painted </i>(as in full blown on a canvas with nice paints) before, but I love that this class is required for my major. It's challenging sometimes, but challenge is good. I have two paintings finished so far:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jtif-w8fCm0/UzUEZcI6waI/AAAAAAAAAiI/R2PBtMUM-uA/s1600/IMG_7207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jtif-w8fCm0/UzUEZcI6waI/AAAAAAAAAiI/R2PBtMUM-uA/s1600/IMG_7207.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abstract piece entitled "Soarin'". It was inspired by the orchestral score to the identically named Disney World and Disneyland attraction. 36"x48", acrylic on canvas. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xL9O4356TuY/UzUFTCj5U9I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/MXrrg9pxQtE/s1600/IMG_7438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xL9O4356TuY/UzUFTCj5U9I/AAAAAAAAAiQ/MXrrg9pxQtE/s1600/IMG_7438.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expressionist piece entitled "Kingdom Celebration". This one is based on yet another Disney reference, this time Disney's Tangled. 24"x36", acrylic on canvas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A lot of you are probably wondering if I tangle any more. I do, but with much less frequency than I used to, unfortunately. Although most consider direct eye contact with the preacher on Sunday mornings to be sacrosanct, I've deviated a bit and now tangle in a journal during sermons. I find it helps me to concentrate on the words being spoken, as my brain is less likely to wander. Increased concentration and Zentangling? I call that a win-win!<br />
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One of the things I've loved about running this blog is getting to know some great people! I had the chance to meet another reader, New Zealand-based Karen Taylor, who runs a guerilla art blog titled <a href="http://artshecried.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Artshecried</a>. She has beautiful work on her blog - go check it out! She asked me for an <a href="http://artshecried.blogspot.com/2014/03/5-minutes-of-schmooze-with-guerilla.html" target="_blank">interview</a>, which I happily obliged to!</div>
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I also wanted to let you guys know that I'll be heading out to work at the Walt Disney World Resort once again through the Disney College Program right after I graduate! I'm terribly excited, as this time around I'll be working in an attractions role. I thought my experience the first time was a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but it turns out to be a twice-in-a-lifetime deal, I guess! God is good!</div>
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You'll hear from me again, I promise. It might take another eight months, but you'll hear from me! I may end up posting more to my other blog, <a href="http://collegecasted.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">College Casted</a>, since Disney is just around the corner, but keep an eye out on this blog too.<br />
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Until next time, friends, keep designing and creating!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15296230174364225475noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-41168641361383994212013-07-24T13:35:00.001-05:002013-07-24T13:35:54.501-05:00Chim-Chim-Cher-Ee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
You know when you have an idea for a project and it seems like the best idea you've ever had, and you're grinning from ear to ear thinking about how great it's going to be? You just can't stop thinking about it, and the more you think about it, the better it gets? That's how it was when I started this week's design challenge!</div>
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Similar to my previous design challenge, I randomly chose something to design and a theme to base it on. This time the item was a business card and the theme was Mary Poppins. Mary Poppins is my favorite Disney movie, and with "<a href="http://video.disney.com/watch/trailer-saving-mr-banks-4e130be70eb618c738ea079f?cmp=wdsmp_banks_4d_google_media">Saving Mr. Banks</a>" (a movie about how Walt Disney acquired the rights to Mary Poppins) coming out in December, it seems this challenge has practically perfect timing!</div>
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I started out by deciding that, since Mary Poppins is a magical character and pops up to those who need her most whether they know they need her or not, she doesn't need contact information on her card. The only purpose her business card really serves is to make her look official and to be a memento for the families she helps. The card needed to reflect her grace and charm, but be a bit mysterious. I sketched out multiple ideas, including the card being shaped like her handbag, the design including her measuring tape, and even incorporating her very recognizable hat. I think the flowing curved design I went with most accurately portrays her character.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-es9X6aZCkKU/UeqzMG9hVTI/AAAAAAAABBM/a-jqwOIDbCg/s1600/Mary+Poppins+Business+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-es9X6aZCkKU/UeqzMG9hVTI/AAAAAAAABBM/a-jqwOIDbCg/s640/Mary+Poppins+Business+Card.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course, there are more characters in Mary Poppins than Mary herself, so I made cards for a few of them, too. The famous nanny wouldn't have needed to come to the Banks household if it weren't for Mr. Banks. He's the workaholic banker who finds his life pleasant. He loves his children, but doesn't quite know what's best for them. He's also a muggle, so-to-speak: he lacks the magic that Mary Poppins possesses. His card has all the contact information, and looks very serious. The inward-curved corners and rounded inner area are reminiscent of a bank note (Although I'm not quite sure what the currency would have looked like back then - at the very least it looks like money to modern American eyes). The image of a businessman, down to the bowler hat.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TnY8D3kkKCo/UeqzGyFvFjI/AAAAAAAABBE/xLvRtuDuqyM/s1600/George+Banks+Business+Card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TnY8D3kkKCo/UeqzGyFvFjI/AAAAAAAABBE/xLvRtuDuqyM/s640/George+Banks+Business+Card.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last card is the simplest, and I'm not quite sure I like it. This one is for Bert the chimney sweep/screever/one man band/kite salesman. In the movie, he simply goes by "Bert", with no surname mentioned. Upon researching the original books, I found out that the Bert in the movie is an amalgamation of multiple characters from the Mary Poppins books, one of whom is named Herbert Alfred, which is possibly where the name Bert came from. I chose only one of his many occupations - since he's a magical character like Mary Poppins, maybe his business card inexplicably changes depending on what he's currently doing! Anyway, the concept was to depict his broom, one of those with a long handle and bristles pointing outward in a circle. It ended up being a really difficult thing to depict. The lines I can make in Adobe Illustrator are very precise and perfect, but I really wanted something that looked hand-drawn. If I had a pen-tablet I could probably have come up with something like what I was picturing, but since I don't own one I had to make do. I also couldn't find a font that evoked what I wanted to. Oh well, this is just practice anyway. Take a look:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTm_HScF5So/UeqzRUBaNUI/AAAAAAAABBU/iEIKrzkExG4/s1600/Herbert+Alfred+Business+Card2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTm_HScF5So/UeqzRUBaNUI/AAAAAAAABBU/iEIKrzkExG4/s640/Herbert+Alfred+Business+Card2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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There you have it - business cards for fictional characters. Fun stuff. Until next time, remember "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-13201267032543798262013-07-10T13:01:00.000-05:002013-07-10T13:01:38.781-05:00Pachyderm Postage<div style="text-align: center;">
During the entire first half of 2013 I've designed virtually nothing. And I call myself a graphic designer? I had an excuse, though. Working 24-32 hours per week, mostly in the late nights/early mornings really swiped all of my design time. Plus, wouldn't you rather play in Disney World than sit in a room and design something? Yeah, me too!</div>
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I've worked out a remedy to this situation, though. Over the Summer I will take on design challenges. For each challenge I'll have two days (give or take). The challenges I'm used to have typically come from my classes, with the teacher of the class assigning the project and giving specific details. <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/12/final-finals.html">This blog post</a> and <a href="http://createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/09/love-at-first-byte.html">this blog post</a> are examples of the projects I've been assigned for my graphic design classes. Rather than a teacher giving the challenge, I've decided to give it a random spin. I made a numbered list of things to design (i.e. a postcard, a book cover, a brochure, etc.) and a numbered list of themes (triangles, museum, coffee shop, train, etc.). For each challenge I'll pick out, via <a href="http://www.random.org/">random number generator</a>, an item from the "things to design" list and an item from the "themes" list. Then I'll design something based on those items!</div>
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The first challenge is "postage stamp" and "elephant". I made some sketches - probably not enough, that's something I need to work on - then picked one and created it in Illustrator.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ks29MpbV07k/Ud2duumePOI/AAAAAAAAA_w/bEE1v43lvWw/s1600/Photo+Jul+03,+10+03+57+AM+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ks29MpbV07k/Ud2duumePOI/AAAAAAAAA_w/bEE1v43lvWw/s400/Photo+Jul+03,+10+03+57+AM+(1).jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant sketch. Aww, aren't they cute?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iy-FJaJwlKI/Ud2d43t9yAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/wsgSY5Af63k/s1600/Elephant+Stamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iy-FJaJwlKI/Ud2d43t9yAI/AAAAAAAAA_4/wsgSY5Af63k/s640/Elephant+Stamp.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished design.</td></tr>
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It was great to stretch my design muscles a bit! Overall I like how it turned out - I think the top elephant's ear could use a little tweaking, but I can't pin down how to tweak it. Maybe the right edge needs to not be so straight. I did "cheat" and grab a pre-designed postage stamp border from the Internet. It would have taken forever to make from scratch!</div>
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Want to join in the fun? I'd love to see what you can come up with keeping within the "postage stamp" "elephant" parameters. If you have a blog let me know if you post your design challenge response! If you don't have a blog, why not post a picture of your creation on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DesignedToCreate?ref=hl">Designed to Create Facebook page</a>? Design on, friends!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-25546817743601624282013-07-03T15:22:00.000-05:002013-07-03T15:22:26.272-05:00Orange Bird by an Orange NerdI know, I know. I said that since I was back in Texas from my Florida excursion (see previous blog post) I would post to the blog more often. Summer classes started, and since I was taking two of them my time was taken up by studying. It is my first time taking summer classes - I knew they moved fast, but I didn't expect them to be <i>this </i>fast! One of them is already over with, so now I can blog! Can I get a hoo-rah? Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled blog post:<br />
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Sunshine Tree Terrace. That was one of my favorite places in Walt Disney World. This little counter-service kiosk served deliciously refreshing items to cool you off on a hot Florida day. Ice cream cones, floats, fountain drinks, and the legendary Citrus Swirl are all offered here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tackett_OrangeBird_1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Tackett_OrangeBird_1024x768.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copyright Disney</td></tr>
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See that little bird in the illustration above? He's the real reason I love the Sunshine Tree so much! </div>
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He's known simply as the Orange Bird. I enjoy him not just because of his obvious, overwhelming, cuteness, but also because of the interesting story behind him. </div>
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The Orange Bird was created way back in 1970. The Florida Citrus Commission decided to sponsor the Tropical Serenade (AKA the Tiki Room) pavilion in exchange for a mascot. And so the Orange Bird could be found both in Disney World at the Sunshine Tree Terrace and on packaging and merchandise for the Florida Citrus Commission. He even had a vinyl record with a song written by the Sherman Brothers and sung by Anita Bryant that detailed his backstory.</div>
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Unfortunately the Orange Bird flew the coop when he faded into obscurity, abandoning his post in the Sunshine Tree. He made his return in the early 2000's, however, in Tokyo Disneyland when the Japanese fell in love with him. Then on April 17th, 2012, the little orange underdog was reinstated to the Terrace and returned to merchandise. He's such a neat little character. I'm glad he's back!</div>
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I found and bought the Orange Bird record on Ebay, acquiring a record player shortly thereafter so I could enjoy the musical story of my favorite WDW bird. The album cover is delightfully kitschy, with watercolor branches and flowers surrounding the bright Orange Bird. It occurred to me that the Bird himself would look great in watercolor. Lightbulb!</div>
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Copying the illustration, I began sketching Orange Bird on paper. Here's the progression:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgDUvEOLr0M/UdMwp8zLiKI/AAAAAAAAA-4/3VLFazKobGo/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+11+07+37+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XgDUvEOLr0M/UdMwp8zLiKI/AAAAAAAAA-4/3VLFazKobGo/s640/Photo+Jun+08,+11+07+37+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Initial sketch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kzF27TTXYDI/UdMwqJ_nqBI/AAAAAAAAA_A/tQCzKcla18Q/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+12+27+32+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kzF27TTXYDI/UdMwqJ_nqBI/AAAAAAAAA_A/tQCzKcla18Q/s640/Photo+Jun+08,+12+27+32+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lightened sketch so pencil lines won't show through watercolor.</td></tr>
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Then I broke out the watercolor pencils and began coloring. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onYyMXndLhE/UdMwqHlfWdI/AAAAAAAAA-8/dec1Xnr-754/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+4+40+45+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-onYyMXndLhE/UdMwqHlfWdI/AAAAAAAAA-8/dec1Xnr-754/s640/Photo+Jun+08,+4+40+45+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost there...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6obOQ7IZiVo/UdMwqxTuGbI/AAAAAAAAA_U/T0ab293AQKw/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+5+33+52+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6obOQ7IZiVo/UdMwqxTuGbI/AAAAAAAAA_U/T0ab293AQKw/s640/Photo+Jun+08,+5+33+52+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orange Bird-ception!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wz6EVMV_lx8/UdMwq8u7PZI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/8XgFRRA82_E/s1600/Photo+Jun+08,+5+34+56+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wz6EVMV_lx8/UdMwq8u7PZI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/8XgFRRA82_E/s640/Photo+Jun+08,+5+34+56+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All done.</td></tr>
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Before I knew it, a watercolor Orange Bird appeared! I just love him. Now I'm thinking I need to do a paper-pieced version. Then a digital illustration. He's such a simple character that there are so many opportunities!</div>
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As much as I love my Orange Bird painting, I know there are others who would enjoy him a lot too. So I've decided to sell this picture on Ebay. Here's a link to the auction if you're interested:<br />
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<a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Orange-Bird-Inspired-Watercolor-/251298974679?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a82960bd7">http://www.ebay.com/itm/Disney-Orange-Bird-Inspired-Watercolor-/251298974679?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a82960bd7</a></div>
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I'll be back soon with some things I've been designing! Until then, blessings to you.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-49852966835746784092013-05-25T17:34:00.000-05:002013-05-25T17:38:46.178-05:00A Magical AdventureHi friends! It's been a while, huh? My last blog post was over four months ago in January. That was right before I started working in Walt Disney World...<br />
<br />
Hold up. Did I just say Disney World? Oh yeah, I did! Sorry about that, I still can't really believe it happened!<br />
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You see, I applied for the Disney College Program last fall. I was accepted. I took a semester off school to go have the adventure of working at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida! What an adventure it was.<br />
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Going into it, I had no idea what role I would play in the grand show that is Disney World. Would I like my job? Would I be required to wear an embarrassing costume? The only thing I knew for sure was that I would be working main entrance operations. I prayed that I wouldn't be stuck driving a parking tram or working the entrance to a water park. I mean, those things are fine and good (driving a parking tram might actually be pretty fun!), but it wouldn't be the same as working in one of the parks.<br />
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It was with great, great delight that I learned on the day I checked in to the apartment complex that I would be working main entrance operations at the Magic Kingdom! As things progressed and I completed Traditions and several rounds of training, I discovered my specific roles were Park Greeter and PAC (Parade Audience Control). I also decided, after talking with many people in many different roles, that Magic Kingdom Park Greeter is arguably one of the best roles offered to Disney College Program participants.<br />
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In the Park Greeter role I was generally stationed at a turnstile at the main entrance to the Magic Kingdom. I had a vague idea of what a turnstile was before I started, but just in case you don't know, here's what it looks like:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NS4Nv8RlV1U/UZ-UhGm38MI/AAAAAAAAA8E/5vIc1k0rY8I/s1600/Photo+May+07,+11+06+54+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NS4Nv8RlV1U/UZ-UhGm38MI/AAAAAAAAA8E/5vIc1k0rY8I/s400/Photo+May+07,+11+06+54+AM.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know, those clunky silver things, where you put your<br />
ticket in the slot, put your finger on the scanner, and then<br />
walk through the spinning arm. That's a turnstile!</td></tr>
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Disney is also trying to do away with the turnstiles in favor of a more open, family friendly approach to park entry. They've started transforming the park entry points to these "touchpoints":<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItagwfNX2c8/UZ-VgnTYjHI/AAAAAAAAA8U/UFrWR3tsBVE/s1600/Photo+May+15,+8+55+48+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ItagwfNX2c8/UZ-VgnTYjHI/AAAAAAAAA8U/UFrWR3tsBVE/s400/Photo+May+15,+8+55+48+PM.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry it's all noisy - iPhone camera at night, what would you <br />
expect? I just walked up to take a picture of the touchpoints<br />
as I was leaving the park one night, and seeing as I knew<br />
everyone who was working that night, they decided to make<br />
my picture a little more fun!</td></tr>
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These touchpoints are pretty cool, and make it a lot easier for families (especially families with strollers or wheelchairs) to come into the park. I frequently worked these in addition to the turnstiles.<br />
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There were various other tasks that I performed, especially during a closing shift (they say your CP status, which means College Program, actually stand for "Closing Person", since CPs get lots of closing shifts). Cleaning the turnstiles, putting the covers on, taking out the dirty towels that were used during the day, cleaning the break room. Can you tell I closed a lot? 1am, 2am, even 4am were pretty normal times to get off work.</div>
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The best and most coveted task for Park Greeters is stocking maps in the two tunnels that lead to Main Street, USA. This task involves walking backstage and wheeling out a cart filled with maps. You go to the map racks and make sure they're all filled 3/4 of the way full. If you fill them all the way, when someone grabs a map a whole stack will fall out since they're all squished together. It always was a competition to see who would get the maps task. How I loved seeing maps pop up when getting a new task!<br />
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Here's a photo of me in my Park Greeter costume:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKMKfrtdyg8/UaEnRn8f7PI/AAAAAAAAA8k/JUFFQHjWhzc/s1600/Photo+May+11,+11+58+39+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xKMKfrtdyg8/UaEnRn8f7PI/AAAAAAAAA8k/JUFFQHjWhzc/s400/Photo+May+11,+11+58+39+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm the one on the far right! <br />
These are some of my fellow CPs who frequently closed with me.<br />
From the left: Sarah, Matt, Nichole, Lauren, and I.<br />
You guys are the best!</td></tr>
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My other role was PAC. I was trained on PAC in early February, and I was scheduled four PAC shifts right after training. After those four shifts, I wasn't scheduled another PAC shift until my very last week of the program, in May! I think I was more of a Park Greeter person anyway - but an even mix of the two would have been nice!<br />
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PAC is interesting because for each shift you are put in a different position. There are positions all the way down the parade route, so there are many, many positions. PAC shifts are either PAC South, meaning Main Street all the way up to the Liberty Square bridge, or PAC West, which is Liberty Square to Frontierland.<br />
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The first thing you do on a PAC shift is attend the short pre-parade meeting, usually held two hours before the parade you'll be working. You will be assigned your position for the parade and given any additional info you may need (i.e. whether there are any bands/cheerleader groups preceding the parade, things to look out for, etc.). Then you grab the cart with the stanchions and ropes for your position and wheel it out to the proper location. Once you set them up properly, you wait for the parade. At about five minutes before the parade starts, the PAC team begins clearing the street, ensuring guests are on the sidewalk and no one is standing in front of trashcans, no video camera lights are on, and all guests are behind the appropriate rope and tape lines. During the parade you continue to monitor guests, watching especially for "runners", people who would risk their lives to cross the street or grab a piece of confetti in front of the parade floats. "Risking their lives" may sound like an overstatement, but it really isn't. Would you cross a busy street in front of a gigantic, heavy vehicle driven by someone with limited visibility, even if it was slow-moving? Don't do it! This has been a public safety announcement brought to you by the Walt Disney World PAC team :-)<br />
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But that brings up a good point - PAC is all about guest safety. Unfortunately some guests don't appreciate that. PAC cast members experience a lot of not-so-nice guest interactions from people who don't want to stand in the tape lines, don't want to obey the rules put in place for their safety. That's when you get help from another PAC cast member or a coordinator - and that's also when you bond with your co-workers, backing each other up and working as a team. That's one of the great things about PAC - you really feel like a part of a team, part of a family.<br />
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The PAC costume was my favorite - it's so dapper!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZZD5Sxyzg4/UaEn7GaNsKI/AAAAAAAAA8s/IEkzYw-tLXs/s1600/Photo+May+13,+5+13+51+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PZZD5Sxyzg4/UaEn7GaNsKI/AAAAAAAAA8s/IEkzYw-tLXs/s400/Photo+May+13,+5+13+51+PM.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my good friend "Japanois" Jamie.</td></tr>
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On the West side the ropes are rolled out and in on rolls that people wear:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BBhH-6TidGs/UaEob9m9leI/AAAAAAAAA80/TLaTSvmozzc/s1600/Photo+May+13,+10+52+19+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BBhH-6TidGs/UaEob9m9leI/AAAAAAAAA80/TLaTSvmozzc/s400/Photo+May+13,+10+52+19+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Felicia! Thanks for all your help and reassurance when I rolled!</td></tr>
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I had the position of roller for the first time on my last day of work! I was so thankful to work alongside of experienced PAC cast members who helped me so much during that last day. </div>
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On my days off I would visit the parks with some of the great friends I made! It was always a blast. Some of our exploits included riding Kali River Rapids four times in a row and getting drenched, visiting each of the four parks in one day, a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad marathon (once during Wishes!), visiting Chef Mickey's and laughing our heads off when we took a "family" photo, visiting "The Bench" late one night just to say we did it. So many good memories! Here is some picture evidence:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Tc6UxJy9YA/UaErliSO5bI/AAAAAAAAA9E/ed6LBMsp3h0/s1600/Photo+May+15,+2+09+46+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Tc6UxJy9YA/UaErliSO5bI/AAAAAAAAA9E/ed6LBMsp3h0/s400/Photo+May+15,+2+09+46+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arggh, pirates we be! Me, Anthony, and Dallin. You two rock!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SncMCTezk3M/UaEro47w49I/AAAAAAAAA9M/DD0UqD7TnfY/s1600/Photo+May+08,+5+18+24+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SncMCTezk3M/UaEro47w49I/AAAAAAAAA9M/DD0UqD7TnfY/s400/Photo+May+08,+5+18+24+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We smile even when we are being blown away in a balloon! Angela, Patrick, Robert,<br />
Dallin, Franny, me, Kevin, and Erika. Thanks for such a fun time, y'all!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pkRQFy86Jmg/UaErpIRg-kI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/v4mMoYIzKcw/s1600/Photo+May+16,+8+15+12+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pkRQFy86Jmg/UaErpIRg-kI/AAAAAAAAA9Q/v4mMoYIzKcw/s400/Photo+May+16,+8+15+12+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bench. Erika, Robert, Tori, Dallin, Patrick, and me. We did it!</td></tr>
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Sometimes all my friends would be working, however, and I'd visit the parks alone. I enjoyed this too, but for a different reason. I learned that I photograph things best when I am alone and there is no one to keep up with. Then I have the freedom to really look, experiment with different angles, and draw out the most beauty from a scene. I got some photos that I am very pleased with, especially since I shot exclusively with my iPhone camera! Take a look:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y6r3z34vcd4/UaEuH3qYxkI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Ox4MFFnqEjM/s1600/Photo+Apr+09,+10+43+09+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y6r3z34vcd4/UaEuH3qYxkI/AAAAAAAAA9k/Ox4MFFnqEjM/s640/Photo+Apr+09,+10+43+09+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The facade of the American Adventure pavilion in Epcot.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dLSK8ysVjrA/UaEuJSKCwlI/AAAAAAAAA9s/X_vEkG_NI6c/s1600/Photo+Mar+13,+7+40+03+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dLSK8ysVjrA/UaEuJSKCwlI/AAAAAAAAA9s/X_vEkG_NI6c/s640/Photo+Mar+13,+7+40+03+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom at sunrise.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-khfKbSfFzAk/UaEuK0JhCkI/AAAAAAAAA90/QL614idLQIc/s1600/Photo+Mar+13,+8+01+08+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-khfKbSfFzAk/UaEuK0JhCkI/AAAAAAAAA90/QL614idLQIc/s640/Photo+Mar+13,+8+01+08+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot of Expedition Everest.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vxr0cL72vig/UaEuLZRfWSI/AAAAAAAAA98/GXz7A23eyXw/s1600/Photo+May+06,+3+47+51+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vxr0cL72vig/UaEuLZRfWSI/AAAAAAAAA98/GXz7A23eyXw/s640/Photo+May+06,+3+47+51+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dancers in the Frontierland Hoedown in the Magic Kingdom.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iUXfYHXYA38/UaEuMDBfPYI/AAAAAAAAA-E/gu02ZAsq6Gs/s1600/Photo+May+08,+2+36+27+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iUXfYHXYA38/UaEuMDBfPYI/AAAAAAAAA-E/gu02ZAsq6Gs/s640/Photo+May+08,+2+36+27+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lobby to the Hollywood Tower Hotel in the queue to the Tower of Terror.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GdZx7I91B4/UaEuNVdYKjI/AAAAAAAAA-M/TQqt8GbW9WQ/s1600/Photo+May+15,+8+40+38+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GdZx7I91B4/UaEuNVdYKjI/AAAAAAAAA-M/TQqt8GbW9WQ/s640/Photo+May+15,+8+40+38+AM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.</td></tr>
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I'm thinking about making a sort of coffee table art photo book to sell with some of the photographs from my time in WDW. We'll see how that goes.<br />
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There's one more story I must share. I know this post is running long, but this is a good one:<br />
Almost every day I would take a trip to Magic Kingdom's costuming building to pick up a new costume and return my soiled one. Each time I would pick up the same yellow shirt and blue pants, but I would pass by the rows and rows of other costumes. My favorite attraction in all of Walt Disney World is the Haunted Mansion. That may come as a surprise, but my aesthetic inclinations often lean toward vintage, shabby, distressed styles, so it really is a no-brainer. If I could choose, I would definitely work at the Haunted Mansion. So one day, as I passed a row of Haunted Mansion butler costumes, I wondered "Would it be possible for me to check one of those out, just to try on?" Once I had gathered my courage, I picked out a piece of the costume and brought it through the costume check-out system, anticipating an alarm to go off saying I wasn't authorized to check out the costume. No such alarm rang! The next day I acquired the rest of the costume, and later tried it all on. I actually wore it to the class that I was taking through Disney, since we were allowed to wear our costumes to class. After class I had my roommate take a few pictures. Here's how the best one turned out:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ9sxY8UmJo/UaEyN23h4ZI/AAAAAAAAA-c/tHXP_i2ys3E/s1600/Photo+Apr+23,+5+52+59+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WZ9sxY8UmJo/UaEyN23h4ZI/AAAAAAAAA-c/tHXP_i2ys3E/s640/Photo+Apr+23,+5+52+59+PM.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm a geek, I know. Dreams really do come true at Disney!</td></tr>
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I returned the costume shortly thereafter, of course. Oh how I would love to have taken it home!</div>
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I hope you've gathered from my description of the time I spent as a cast member that it was a phenomenal experience. Any negative happenings were outweighed many times by good ones. I could see God's hand at work in so many things: the roommates I stayed with, the friends He provided, the work, how everything worked out for my family to visit several times, everything! I'm glad to be home, but I can't lie: I am already thinking about doing another college program, along with some of my new friends!<br />
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So there you go. My grand adventure. I plan to get back to more regular blogging here soon. Thanks for reading, folks!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-38820417045071720142013-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:002013-01-11T00:00:04.225-06:00Tangling With Phicops<div style="text-align: center;">
The wonderful Diva over at the I Am the Diva blog has challenged us, the Zentangle community, to our first challenge of the new year! Woot!</div>
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This time the goal of the challenge was to use a new tangle that the Diva's husband, B-rad, invented. It's called <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2013/01/weekly-challenge-101.html">Phicops</a>, and it's a really cool one. Here's what I came up with:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QwTCFw7rtbE/UO8q4lWog-I/AAAAAAAAA7E/V4Krn8GnIwM/s640/blogger-image-617755974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QwTCFw7rtbE/UO8q4lWog-I/AAAAAAAAA7E/V4Krn8GnIwM/s1600/blogger-image-617755974.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2013/01/weekly-challenge-101.html">Phicops</a>, <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-crescent-moon.html">Crescent Moon</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102613150030.html">Beeline</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1110423131079.html">Auraknot</a>, and <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-tipple.html">Tipple</a>.</td></tr>
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Phiclops is really a great tangle. Simple, quick, but you still end up with that "how did I do that?" effect. Shading adds a ton to this tangle - and I mean a TON! I thought my tile was a flop until I shaded it - wow!</div>
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I tried something a little different with the photography this time. Instead of using my DSLR camera, I used my new iPhone's camera and the various apps for photo editing. Not quite as high quality as the "real" camera, but it did work pretty well! </div>
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In case some of you coming over here from the Diva's blog haven't seen it yet, I want to invite you to watch my recently released video, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQsH42kdTB4&feature=share&list=LLW6B6nkqLnUMkKRawLQWF5w">Zentangle in Motion 2</a>. Enjoy!</div>
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Also, I'm just about to begin my adventure in becoming a Walt Disney World cast member, so forgive me if the blog posts are more infrequent. </div>
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Blessings!</div>
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-Zach</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-46158703087068364232013-01-04T00:00:00.000-06:002013-01-04T00:00:00.498-06:00The Book of Zentangle<div style="text-align: center;">
I had an interesting experience a few months ago. I received a book in the mail, and I mentioned it to some co-workers. They were intrigued, so I showed it to them. I didn't think they would give it back! The book was passed around, everyone savoring the beauty found in it, gingerly turning the pages as if afraid of damaging the delicately delightful contents. <a href="http://www.zentangle.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=products.tpl&product_id=150&category_id=14&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=44">The Book of Zentangle</a> is an extraordinary book, one that can be appreciated by both Zentangle "muggles" (non-tanglers) and Zentangle enthusiasts alike.<br />
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<a href="http://www.zentangle.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/The_Book_of_Zent_50719cabac75e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://www.zentangle.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/The_Book_of_Zent_50719cabac75e.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Before I proceed, I must disclose that Rick and Maria sent me my copy of The Book of Zentangle for free to review, but my views on the book remain solely my own. </div>
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Let me start with what the book isn't. It's not at all like any other Zentangle book on the market. It doesn't include a bunch of tangle step-outs, so don't expect that. What it does include is much more spectacular. Nearly every page features a beautifully rendered example of Zentangle, direct from the founders. Not simply the pen-and-ink drawings, but also paintings that interact with the pen-and-ink portions. You'll find tangled insects, seashells, shirt sleeves, windows, and China, just to name a few. Each picture includes a story, so you can see how the inspiration came about, what the meaning is. The written portion of the book is just as inspiring. Rick and Maria cover the basics of Zentangle, explaining the method and tools, and then diving into exercises and projects. Although you may be a veteran tangler, re-learning the basics can be a great way to grow. There may even be a thing or two you didn't know about the basics that you'll pick up. I know I did. My favorite part, and perhaps the most interesting, is the section on the origins of Zentangle. More detailed than anything else out there, it is fascinating to see how the paths of two people crossed, in the process crossing their individual experiences. The result is what we know today as Zentangle. Having this knowledge has deepened my appreciation for what we have today! Rounding out the book are stories from tanglers about how they use Zentangle and other interesting anecdotes, an index of tangle terms, and an excellent list of resources.<br />
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In short, I love this book. I've been tangling for two years and still got a lot out of it. Zentangle has become a community, and you can get lost to the true purpose of it all in the commotion of voices sometimes. This book will bring you back to why you started tangling in the first place. Reinspire you. Excite you. Focus you.<br />
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As they write in the book:<br />
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"Words are fun to play with, and we'll utilize them to bring what we love into focus."<br />
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Rick and Maria clearly had fun playing with words to bring us this book, and it does what they intended: bring what they love into focus.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-6657894181813199782012-12-31T00:00:00.000-06:002012-12-31T00:00:08.742-06:00Zentangle in Motion 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ufV9Dplcr0/UODEhahsYcI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/dKFMiKCaDfo/s1600/463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2ufV9Dplcr0/UODEhahsYcI/AAAAAAAAA6Q/dKFMiKCaDfo/s640/463.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mWJ-og-d7mw/UODEmBFn2zI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/0eE1MLTDXFA/s1600/967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mWJ-og-d7mw/UODEmBFn2zI/AAAAAAAAA6Y/0eE1MLTDXFA/s640/967.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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That's right, faithful readers, newcomers, and everyone in between: Zentangle in Motion 2 is here! I've promised here and there that it was coming, that if I had time I would do it, and I have! I absolutely love how it turned out, and I hope you enjoy it too. So without further ado, I bring to you, <a href="http://goo.gl/2gPDk">Zentangle in Motion 2</a>!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WQsH42kdTB4" width="560"></iframe></div>
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If you remember the original <a href="http://youtu.be/XycPlF2LepA">Zentangle in Motion</a>, you'll remember how choppy it was, especially in comparison with part 2. I sped things up to 12 frames per second, which means each second of the video is comprised of 12 individual photographs. Basically I did a lot more snapping this time around - in fact, a bit too much! On some portions (like the entire "presenting" scene, the cursive "Zentangle", and adding all the lines in <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102566610935.html">Meer</a>), I wanted it to go faster and ended up taking out some pictures to achieve that result. </div>
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Another change between part 1 and part 2 is that I did the Zentangle in part 2 on a 5.5" x 5.5" piece of paper, rather than the standard 3.5" x 3.5" tile. I did make sure to use the same paper as the regular tiles, though. Love that paper!</div>
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I think my favorite parts of the video are when sections fill up with ink, like <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102613150030.html">Beeline</a> and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101948841213.html">Jonqal</a>. Those sections are also among the most mind boggling to produce, since I have to fill in a small section of each shape, snap a picture, fill in a space, snap a picture. But if I wasn't paying attention I'd lose track of which sections I'd already filled in for the current frame, forcing me to look back at the camera screen. But it was worth it!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cmLUOrgYsjg/UODEOrsfgII/AAAAAAAAA6I/JMGYB6wkvNg/s1600/2497.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cmLUOrgYsjg/UODEOrsfgII/AAAAAAAAA6I/JMGYB6wkvNg/s640/2497.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual frame of the finished Zentangle from the video.</td></tr>
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Another interesting difference between 1 and 2 is how I produced it. In part 1 I started with a blank piece of paper and let whatever happened happen, true to Zentangle form. However, pausing to take a picture after <i>every single penstroke </i>allows way too much time to analyze and think about what to do next. It's hard to be sporadic and true to the Zentangle method. I knew something had to change for part 2, so instead of starting from scratch I decided to copy a tangle created specifically for the video. Below you can see the video version and the version I started out with:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYEuXFNx0xo/UODEJHMG5II/AAAAAAAAA6A/rqkS45SaRzA/s1600/DSC_0687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uYEuXFNx0xo/UODEJHMG5II/AAAAAAAAA6A/rqkS45SaRzA/s640/DSC_0687.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The video version is on the left, and the one I started out with is on the right.</td></tr>
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You can see similarities and differences. I find this very interesting: two Zentangles, utilizing the same string, tangles, even the same hand to draw them, and yet they turn out so different.</div>
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I think this method really worked. It allowed me to illustrate a spontaneously derived Zentangle but also gave the advantage of being able to plan it out a bit.<br />
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In upping the quality of the video from number 1 to number 2, I had to make a few more expenditures than I did the first time around. Paper, pens, digital storage devices, and music licenses don't cost much individually, but they do add up. So if you enjoyed the video, would you consider donating to keep things like this coming? I'd truly appreciate it! You'll find the donate button in the left hand sidebar. Also, sharing the video with friends, family, neighbors, and the occasional stranger helps bunches too! Youtube makes it really easy: if you just go to the video on Youtube, you can click the "share" button for a cornucopia of sharing options. Tweet/share/email away!<br />
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As a special thank you for reading, I'm going to throw a contest! Do you throw contests, or is throwing only for parties? I'm just in a throwing mood, so I'll throw the contest whether or not contest throwing is allowed. In any case, here's the contest:<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/3604860/" id="rc-3604860" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script><br />
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You'll be entering to win the ZIA that I created to base the Zentangle in Motion 2 tangle off of (the one on the right in the picture above)!<br />
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And here are the offical rules:<br />
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<b>No purchase necessary. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and be US residents (sorry, folks from elsewhere, but it gets problematic when dealing with other country's sweepstakes laws.) Starts on 12/31/12 12:00 AM Central Time, ends on 1/9/12 at 12:00 AM Central Time. To enter, leave a comment on this blog post with your thoughts about Zentangle in Motion 2, then complete the entry form above. The prize: the original Zentangle Inspired Artwork seen above (the one on the right). The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Winners will be selected by random drawing after contest period is over. Void where prohibited by law.</b><br />
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And there you have it. Zentangle in Motion 2. Once again, thanks for reading, and keep on tangling!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-65553705338714043792012-12-21T00:30:00.000-06:002012-12-21T09:37:12.169-06:00Dance, Dance, Yeah!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Laura Harms, the Diva over at the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/">I am the Diva blog</a>, is celebrating this week! It marks the two year anniversary of the Zentangle challenges she brings us every week, and the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/12/weekly-challenge-100.html">100th such challenge</a>. Congratulations, Laura!</div>
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As an extra special treat, Rick and Maria created a special tangle for the occasion, called Diva Dance. It comes in several variations, including Waltz, Foxtrot, and Rock N' Roll. I love the analogy to dancing! You start with lines, and on the downbeat you add a weight. Weight two three, weight two three. Just like a dance.</div>
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Here is my tile:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVmHqXAi9os/UNNmFHYvAeI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/X86h_Z4vHZg/s1600/DSC_0823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vVmHqXAi9os/UNNmFHYvAeI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/X86h_Z4vHZg/s640/DSC_0823.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-w2.html">W2</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101948841213.html">Jonqal</a>, <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/08/tangle-of-week-hollibaugh.html">Hollibaugh</a>, and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs119/1101168872594/archive/1111895138974.html">Diva Dance</a>.</td></tr>
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I really enjoyed watching the Waltz unfold as paper danced with pen. With Christmas lights all around, I couldn't resist the opportunity to make a bokeh background. Dancing lights and dancing lines.</div>
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Thank you, Diva, for presenting a new challenge each week! I have enjoyed being a part of this community, and am blessed by the welcome I have received. Thanks to everyone who has commented with such lovely words of encouragement. </div>
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Proverbs 25:11</div>
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Like apples of gold in settings of silver</div>
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Is a word spoken in right circumstances.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-45592494997265942662012-12-19T01:00:00.000-06:002012-12-19T01:00:12.808-06:00Final Finals<br />
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Well my dear readers, I'm back! It's been too long - I apologize for the blog break, but it was necessary for me to focus on school. I've finally finalized my final final! At least until next semester...</div>
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To prove to you that I'm not just making excuses, I now present two of my finals. One of the truly wonderful things about being a graphic design major is that you often have final projects instead of final tests. I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be up 'til midnight trimming out my final project than studying 'til midnight for a final test! A blessed thing indeed.</div>
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The first final was for my Digital Publishing class. Assigning us to present a portfolio of our work over the semester, the teacher set the class free to package the digital submissions (stored on a CD, USB drive, or SD card) in an interesting way. I decided right away to use a USB drive, and initially I ordered a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/LE-Metal-Key-Flash-Drive/dp/B006I04AIO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355869234&sr=8-2&keywords=usb+key">key shaped drive</a>. Unfortunately that drive didn't arrive in time, so I ended up with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C6V852/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00">smaller one</a>. Multiple ideas floated around my mind - hollowing out a book with a flash-drive shaped hole, presenting it with a fancy certificate like it was a royal proclamation, etc. Then the light bulb lit up - literally! Since all of the designs I needed to present were the product of their own initial idea, why not package them inside a light bulb? That's how I came up with this:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Fp32PPAYNo/UNDoAvOB-jI/AAAAAAAAA14/6gOQLV5FaT8/s1600/DSC_0695edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Fp32PPAYNo/UNDoAvOB-jI/AAAAAAAAA14/6gOQLV5FaT8/s640/DSC_0695edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19UcQhsvg7Q/UNDoIWRvXgI/AAAAAAAAA2A/2rneVzbH4kc/s1600/DSC_0696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-19UcQhsvg7Q/UNDoIWRvXgI/AAAAAAAAA2A/2rneVzbH4kc/s640/DSC_0696.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I took one of <a href="http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/4-1/4-glass-light-bulb-jar-with-gold-lid-853721/">these light bulb jars</a> from Hobby Lobby, and wired my flash drive to look like the light bulb filament. I also designed a package for it to sit in, just like one you'd see in a store. Continue on for a full 360 degree view.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xzt2LBPtc6k/UNDoP85496I/AAAAAAAAA2I/EXRsx-Qe4gk/s1600/DSC_0697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xzt2LBPtc6k/UNDoP85496I/AAAAAAAAA2I/EXRsx-Qe4gk/s640/DSC_0697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--T2aVTbVJQU/UNDoYdGKRkI/AAAAAAAAA2U/xHw2gCufMT4/s1600/DSC_0698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--T2aVTbVJQU/UNDoYdGKRkI/AAAAAAAAA2U/xHw2gCufMT4/s640/DSC_0698.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've chosen to blur out my last name. You know, for security.</td></tr>
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Bright ideas. Very happy with how this turned out.</div>
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The next project was for Computer Illustration class. The challenge here was to come up with a concept on our own, figure out how to create it, and then implement our design. We'd done several greeting cards with interactive "swinging" elements in the class, and I wanted to try my hand at a Christmas card. These are difficult because almost everything has already been done. Plus I wanted something that looked kind of hip and trendy while still pointing to the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of Jesus Christ. I conquered the first challenge by designing the card as a tri-fold brochure with angled panels - something I've never seen in a Christmas card. To incorporate a modern feel I used flat colors and bold patterns, plus a contemporary color scheme to boot. Here is my solution:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YqrYQxtdTJc/UNDpju4ZZZI/AAAAAAAAA3o/HJALMaCXhqA/s1600/DSC_0819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YqrYQxtdTJc/UNDpju4ZZZI/AAAAAAAAA3o/HJALMaCXhqA/s640/DSC_0819.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This panel photographed really poorly for some reason. It looks much crisper in person!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's our family photo and name I've obscured - you get the idea, though, right?</td></tr>
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Here's a snapshot of what my digital files look like:<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f48H9oxSopA/UND8zlqPkfI/AAAAAAAAA4c/3kFqAXaUG0M/s1600/Capture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-f48H9oxSopA/UND8zlqPkfI/AAAAAAAAA4c/3kFqAXaUG0M/s640/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9N1dpMInAY/UND80PKyTJI/AAAAAAAAA4k/NFsPU6HDDEk/s1600/Capture2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H9N1dpMInAY/UND80PKyTJI/AAAAAAAAA4k/NFsPU6HDDEk/s640/Capture2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back.</td></tr>
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You can certainly see some Zentangle influence in the front panel, huh? If you spot <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102613150030.html">Beeline</a> and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101948841213.html">Jonqal</a>, you're thinking right up my alley. Knowing Zentangle has helped me pass a majority of my college classes, including drawing classes and computer design classes. Yay for Rick, Maria, and all the folks who help bring us Zentangle!<br />
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I have to warn you that I may be taking another leave of absence from blogging soon. If you've been following for a while, you know that I got on the Disney College Program and will be moving to Florida and working in Walt Disney World starting in January. I'm playing blogging by "mouse" ear. One of the things on my list of to-dos while I'm there is to complete a Zentangle while casually sitting on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom (Yes, I am a Disney geek!), so at the very least I will post that here. And just think of all the opportunities for fun backgrounds to the Diva Challenges in Disney World! I've also started a blog specifically for my Disney adventures, which can be found at <a href="http://www.collegecasted.tumblr.com/">www.collegecasted.tumblr.com</a> - come by and visit, and if you have the inclination subscribe to receive email updates. It should be fun!<br />
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Also, Zentangle in Motion part 2 is now officially in the works! Whether or not it will be ready before my Disney departure is still uncertain, however. I'm really excited about it, and I hope to get it made and uploaded ASAP!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-26476463223137733232012-11-15T23:04:00.001-06:002012-11-15T23:04:11.216-06:00Keep Moving Forward<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<b>We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.</b></div>
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<b>-Walt Disney</b></div>
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I was delighted when I saw the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/11/weekly-challenge-95.html">I Am the Diva blog post</a> this week with a challenge from guest poster Courtney Frantz! Courtney (A fellow Texan!) challenged us to create a Zentangle to pay tribute to Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, or Walt Disney. This is very appropriate, for I am not only a big Disney fan (my family has a bathroom that is entirely Disney themed! I brush my teeth every morning under the constant supervision of many Mickeys...), but I'm also gearing up to participate in the Disney College Program (which I wrote about near the end of <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/thread.html">this </a>post). I'm getting very excited as the day draws nearer!<br />
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Ever the oddball, I wanted to do something different and unique with my tile. First off, I pulled up a Disneyland map and a Magic Kingdom map to look for string inspiration. The parade routes really caught my attention, red dotted lines twisting and turning across their respective parks. I wound up tracing those parade routes onto my tile for a string, incorporating the Disney parks that inspire me so much into the Zentangle.<br />
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Next I started tangling, but I didn't use just any tangles. I chose patterns that would correspond to the name "Walt" - <a href="http://blog.suzannemcneill.com/2010/01/19/crafting-in-california.aspx">W2</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1110423131079.html">Auraknot</a>, <a href="http://zentanglefun.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-tangle.html">Laced</a>, and <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-tipple.html">Tipple</a>. I had to use a few more to fill in, but you get the idea. I didn't think about it at the time, but Tipple is perfect for this tile because you can often find hidden Mickeys in it. See if you can spot one (or a bunch!):<br />
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Of course, as an added tribute to Disney, I had to play some Disney music while I was tangling. My all-time favorite Disney song is "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins. Love it!</div>
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Posing my tile with our Mickey photo frame wasn't actually my idea - I have to thank my wonderfully creative mom for coming up with this one!.</div>
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As Walt said, "...keep moving forward..."!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-10805887432991540672012-11-12T00:00:00.000-06:002012-11-13T08:38:36.555-06:00Rustic Beanie: A Yarn Review *This post continues where <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/11/spinterview.html">part one</a> left off*<br />
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In part one, I explained how I chose to purchase yarn from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/222Handspun?ref=usr_faveitems&atr_uid=10066396">222 Handpun Artisan Yarn</a>. This post will be a review of the yarn and a look at what I made with it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A0rT-0bq7PI/UJ7-QM857sI/AAAAAAAAAzw/FgMgtOoxFD8/s1600/DSC_0607edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A0rT-0bq7PI/UJ7-QM857sI/AAAAAAAAAzw/FgMgtOoxFD8/s640/DSC_0607edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was halfway through.</td></tr>
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After inquiring about a custom yarn order, Elysa, owner of 222 Handspun, asked me what colors I was interested in. I sent her links to two pictures for color inspiration: <a href="http://artpropelled.tumblr.com/post/10435845984">Here </a>and <a href="http://design-seeds.com/index.php/home/entry/rusted-tones1">here</a>. I wanted really manly, earthy tones - especially browns and tans, with some gray and cream as well. With that out of the way, I sat back, eagerly anticipating the pictures Elysa promised to send me when the yarn was done. When I saw the yarn for the first time I was very impressed; it was spot on with what I was envisioning and the inspiration photos I sent.<br />
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Now to begin the crocheting. I searched around and found a <a href="http://pardonmychaos-amanda.blogspot.com/2010/03/crochet-simply-slouchy-hat-pattern.html">free slouchy hat pattern</a> - just the look I was going for! Hook flying through the variegated fiber with stitch after stitch, a hat began to take shape. This pattern is unique in that it is crocheted in a tube. Once the tube is long enough, you pinch the top and stitch it closed, forming four points. You turn it inside-out, and voila! A hat!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62E9s5lY2Ac/UJ7-VaYZahI/AAAAAAAAAz8/jTFL82Fda1Q/s1600/DSC_0609edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-62E9s5lY2Ac/UJ7-VaYZahI/AAAAAAAAAz8/jTFL82Fda1Q/s640/DSC_0609edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tube taking shape.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NSXOsigoLiA/UJ7-aR_9r0I/AAAAAAAAA0E/bYy-c02Lwiw/s1600/DSC_0614edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NSXOsigoLiA/UJ7-aR_9r0I/AAAAAAAAA0E/bYy-c02Lwiw/s640/DSC_0614edited.jpg" width="429" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous color! Fabulous texture! *drool*</td></tr>
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And here's what it looks like "finished":<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJlvOIHfV3w/UJ7-EgX8k2I/AAAAAAAAAzg/R-XUles1dNo/s1600/DSC_0089edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FJlvOIHfV3w/UJ7-EgX8k2I/AAAAAAAAAzg/R-XUles1dNo/s640/DSC_0089edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It matches my coat and gloves!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2UFqkCvfCQ/UJ7-K-IkGsI/AAAAAAAAAzo/Ei6ws8ExxFA/s1600/DSC_0097edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E2UFqkCvfCQ/UJ7-K-IkGsI/AAAAAAAAAzo/Ei6ws8ExxFA/s640/DSC_0097edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't this group look cozy?</td></tr>
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I put "finished" in quotations because it IS finished, and yet it isn't. You see, the hat ended up not fitting my head like I wanted it to. I learned that when you crochet with handspun yarn you have to make up for the tightness of the twist by using a hook one or two sizes larger than what is called for. Fortunately I haven't cut the yarn or sewn in the end, so I can undo the hat and re-stitch it. Lesson learned!<br />
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I couldn't be happier with the yarn. Going from store-bought to handspun yarn was a breath of fresh air. The different textures of each of the fibers that make up the yarn were interesting to discover - the cream color is very satiny and smooth, the grayish color is a little more coarse, the rust color is soft and plush, etc. The yarn also varies at times in thickness, creating a more rustic, organic finished piece. I highly recommend 222 Handspun artisan yarn! If you'd like to see some pictures of the yarn spinning in progress, <a href="http://222handspun.com/customer-project-yarn-review/">check out this blog post from 222</a>. It's really cool to see a project go from a pile of loose fibers to a completed hat!<br />
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I do want to point out that 222 Handspun generously discounted the yarn for me in exchange for my review. However, all the opinions I expressed in this and the previous post are my own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-66804526977962953422012-11-09T00:00:00.000-06:002012-11-09T00:00:03.841-06:00Trying On a New Socc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thebrightowl.blogspot.ca/2011/11/ah-ha-moment.html">Socc</a>. A tangle born of an "ah-ha" moment. Wonderfully light and puffy. And the tangle chosen to be the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/11/weekly-challenge-94.html">Diva's weekly challenge</a> this week.</div>
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You may have noticed that when I try a new tangle, I always exclaim over how much I enjoyed it. When I say that, I mean it! It's one of my quirks - I really like to try new things. Tangles, food, music, experiences, hobbies, etc. As long as it isn't directly harmful to my health or out of line with my convictions, I'm game. Last weekend I tried fried alligator and calamari. That was fun! This weekend I'm going to try studying, for my first time. Okay, not really. It will be something along the lines of my four-millionth time. But hey, I've never studied four-million times before, so I guess it really is something new to try!</div>
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Now you know that when I say I had a blast tangling <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/03941636635234590797">Erin Olson's</a> tangle Socc, I am absolutely sincere. I didn't fill in the middles of the sections like Erin does, and I think next time I use Socc I'll do that. I tried to get a fading out effect, where the lines that form Socc become lighter at the edges. Cubine got in on the fading action too. Not sure how successfully I pulled it off, but it is what it is. Take a look:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J89BmS1_sQ8/UJx_5aOsx6I/AAAAAAAAAyo/iEPpqQserco/s1600/DSC_0660.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J89BmS1_sQ8/UJx_5aOsx6I/AAAAAAAAAyo/iEPpqQserco/s640/DSC_0660.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102185392200.html">Cubine</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1111000889671.html">Ix</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1110423131079.html">Auraknot</a>, <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/04/tangle-of-week-crescent-moon.html">Crescent Moon</a>, <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/08/tangle-of-week-hollibaugh.html">Hollibaugh</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101993126719.html">Paradox</a>, and, of course, <a href="http://thebrightowl.blogspot.ca/2011/11/ah-ha-moment.html">Socc</a>.</td></tr>
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I got some funny stares from passersby as I took this photograph. I just tried to look like I knew what I was doing, and that it was perfectly normal for someone to crouch on the ground with an optical light-recording device pressed to one's face. Yup. Normal as seeing Bigfoot in pink and purple polka dot footy pajamas (I love the fact that spell check made me capitalize Bigfoot!).<div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DePsdArPLbw/UJyACnoCTaI/AAAAAAAAAy4/jx3E1hm7o8s/s1600/DSC_0663.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DePsdArPLbw/UJyACnoCTaI/AAAAAAAAAy4/jx3E1hm7o8s/s640/DSC_0663.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
At least I was able to find a manhole-type cover that wasn't in the middle of a street! That would have been interesting...<br />
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Hey, before I sign off, I just wanted to give a quick little reminder that if you'd like to support me in my blogging efforts, there are multiple ways to do it. You can read posts, like you're doing right now! Thanks, by the way. You can comment on posts - it encourages me to keep going! You can tell your friends about the blog. You can even support financially by buying an original piece of art from the <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html">Designed to Create Store</a> or by utilizing the Donate button on the left column. I appreciate you, my readers. Y'all are the best!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-59765726071046250122012-11-07T00:00:00.000-06:002012-11-08T22:53:37.071-06:00Road Trip<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2DtMhzPdeA/UJmXM-vDpSI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/NK9e0gitlaE/s1600/DSC_0104edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o2DtMhzPdeA/UJmXM-vDpSI/AAAAAAAAAwQ/NK9e0gitlaE/s640/DSC_0104edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road Trip</td></tr>
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Whoo! That picture looks like a road trip - pavement stretching as far as the eye can see, overpasses periodically punctuating the desolate landscape, all things draped in the yellow glow of a sunset. For me, that was last weekend! I'm blessed with such a great life!</div>
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My family and I didn't just drive around aimlessly, however. No, we had a definite goal. We traveled the six hours to Fort Worth, Texas to see the <a href="http://seethescrolls.com/">Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit</a> at <a href="http://www.swbts.edu/">Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary</a>. Our church's youth group planned the trip, and we decided to make it a family expedition. We stayed with our wonderful grandparents, who properly spoiled us (thanks Chi Chi and Nana!). While it was only a quick weekend trip, it was a welcome relief to the monotony of school, not to mention a wonderful chance to see an important piece of history - especially since the scrolls are typically kept in Israel. </div>
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Faithful readers may remember how I went on vacation in August and took lots of double- and triple-exposure photographs, where two or three photos are merged into one. I called that post <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/08/sabbatical-doubles.html">Sabbatical Doubles</a>, in case you want to go back and look. In my mind a road trip presents a perfect chance to get artsy with my camera, and this trip was no exception. Sitting in the back seat, my camera pointed out the window at the wonders passing by, I snapped away. Here are some of the results:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUdP3UMvQBw/UJmXWBIPO7I/AAAAAAAAAwc/URIGrpRMJjE/s1600/DSC_0130edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nUdP3UMvQBw/UJmXWBIPO7I/AAAAAAAAAwc/URIGrpRMJjE/s640/DSC_0130edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, I compiled a few photos in Photoshop for this one; it's not straight<br />
out of the camera like the others. But I like it!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Yd-t_lFcLA/UJmXeddLwaI/AAAAAAAAAwk/J7eSDdlP54I/s1600/DSC_0252edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Yd-t_lFcLA/UJmXeddLwaI/AAAAAAAAAwk/J7eSDdlP54I/s640/DSC_0252edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Reminds me of Genesis 1:29:<br />
"Then God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed<br />
that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit <br />
yielding seed...'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jtEBfbUBPg4/UJmXnohLu9I/AAAAAAAAAww/Jgx0f8GihcA/s1600/DSC_0272edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jtEBfbUBPg4/UJmXnohLu9I/AAAAAAAAAww/Jgx0f8GihcA/s640/DSC_0272edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hydrant Ring</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And if those weren't surreal enough, check out the next pictures. Last vacation I stopped snapping when the sun went down. Boy, did I miss out! You can do fun things with a camera at night! Take a look:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkzwxG7s654/UJmXx1emRfI/AAAAAAAAAw4/shSRHh-27j4/s1600/DSC_0292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LkzwxG7s654/UJmXx1emRfI/AAAAAAAAAw4/shSRHh-27j4/s640/DSC_0292.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let There Be Neon Light</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYWCc04n7LM/UJmX8kjZTfI/AAAAAAAAAxE/Sp_QTgvOXsc/s1600/DSC_0293edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nYWCc04n7LM/UJmX8kjZTfI/AAAAAAAAAxE/Sp_QTgvOXsc/s640/DSC_0293edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Web Tunnel</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jqYQ6nLqLs/UJmYGzeaMoI/AAAAAAAAAxM/KNW8YEi7KzQ/s1600/DSC_0294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jqYQ6nLqLs/UJmYGzeaMoI/AAAAAAAAAxM/KNW8YEi7KzQ/s640/DSC_0294.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wave</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eESPlvfkdmI/UJmYST6y5AI/AAAAAAAAAxY/gwIiZRYuA1Y/s1600/DSC_0296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eESPlvfkdmI/UJmYST6y5AI/AAAAAAAAAxY/gwIiZRYuA1Y/s640/DSC_0296.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southwestern Lights</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6t5dBSDkhc/UJmYZxjyS_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/mYad3clUMuE/s1600/DSC_0300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s6t5dBSDkhc/UJmYZxjyS_I/AAAAAAAAAxg/mYad3clUMuE/s640/DSC_0300.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding Neon<br />
See the purple light? That's actually from a travel DVD player,<br />
playing the jellyfish scene of Finding Nemo!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhkovKuFS2I/UJmYil2OSlI/AAAAAAAAAxs/H1K0NUSPrUw/s1600/DSC_0304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HhkovKuFS2I/UJmYil2OSlI/AAAAAAAAAxs/H1K0NUSPrUw/s640/DSC_0304.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald City</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gPu0hCSZD0/UJmYqaGB_vI/AAAAAAAAAx0/AXsNfI4kP64/s1600/DSC_0311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gPu0hCSZD0/UJmYqaGB_vI/AAAAAAAAAx0/AXsNfI4kP64/s640/DSC_0311.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light Up the Night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QHltsFlYFA/UJmY0QkFQQI/AAAAAAAAAyA/66RB1gOGn_w/s1600/DSC_0313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7QHltsFlYFA/UJmY0QkFQQI/AAAAAAAAAyA/66RB1gOGn_w/s640/DSC_0313.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Sine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
These were fun. I developed several different techniques for moving my camera to create interesting light patterns: bobbing it to music, spinning it around, and allowing the car bumps to direct the lens.<br />
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Another interesting fact about these photos is they are the first I have shot in the RAW image format. I had been shooting jpegs, mainly because I previously had no way of editing RAW files. Now that I have added Photoshop to my arsenal of creative tools, I now have RAW capabilities. Just with these photos I am convinced that shooting RAW really is all that it is cracked up to be. The quality of the images just seems better - and they were even easier to edit. The only drawback is the increased file size. I shot nearly 2GB of pictures on our jaunt, and that was only about 250 pictures! Shooting jpegs would have hardly made a dent in 2GB. I guess there are pros and cons to everything. I think I see an external hard drive in my future...<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-63859545931597031902012-11-05T00:00:00.000-06:002012-11-05T10:08:44.171-06:00(Sp)interview<div class="tr_bq">Way back in August I <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-beanie-before-and-after.html">posted </a>about how I taught myself how to crochet. I showed how I used a store-bought yarn to make a hat and felt it, which was really fun. That hat didn't turn out too well, but it did teach me a lot. Shortly thereafter I found another hat pattern that I wanted to try, and I also wanted to try out some different yarn. I looked for and researched yarns, and fell in love with the handspun yarns I saw on Etsy.com. They're so much more unique and interesting than almost anything you can get from your local craft store. After going through and oohing and aahing over each Etsy offering, I finally came to the decision to buy yarn from <a href="http://222handspun.com/">222 Handspun</a>. I contacted Elysa, the owner of the business, to inquire about a custom order. She enthusiastically took on the project of making a beautiful earth-tone skein for me, based on some inspiration pictures I sent her.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm going to review the yarn itself and show you the hat I crocheted with it in a post next week, but I do have a treat to share with you right now! Elysa was kind enough to grant me an e-interview, which I present below. It was so interesting to me to learn about the processes at work behind a handspun yarn - and about the background and creative process of a fiber artist. I hope you enjoy her responses as much as I do!</div><div><br />
</div><blockquote>Zach (That's me!): Tell me a little about yourself (where you grew up, where you live, what other hobbies/interests you have, etc.). </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I'm originally from Barrington, Rhode Island, but I've lived in Northern Virginia for about 16 years. I'm from a pretty artsy family - my Dad is a photographer and my mother is very crafty, so naturally I take after them. I studied photography and do that when I have time. I'm pretty much into anything crafty and have tried everything from soap making to quilting to jewelry making. I'm definitely more of an animal person, and I've volunteered in the past with a no-kill animal shelter and help support spay/neuter and feral cat TNR programs. My dream would be to have a hobby farm with some sheep, alpacas, bunnies, and a white pony (or unicorn if I can get one). I'd also grow flowers and vegetables. In fact, I just recently got in trouble with my Home Owner's Association for growing pumpkins in my front yard. I'm kind of an outlaw gardener I guess.</blockquote><blockquote><br />
Zach: How/when were you introduced to fiber arts? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: When I was a kid, maybe about 8 years old, I attended a summer camp run my a friend of my parents. It was just me and two other kids learning how to garden, weave, make a loom, use natural dyes, and other hippie kind of stuff. It was amazing. I still think back on that experience and how much it influenced me and introduced me to making things by hand and working with natural materials. I was always entranced with weaving and textiles for some reason. My mother had unsuccessfully tried to teach me to knit, so weaving, sewing, and macrame were the things I could do. My mother and the women in her family were good seamstresses and she taught me how to sew. She made lots of clothes for me as a kid and taught me how to sew clothes for my barbie. I wish I still had the poncho and some of the great 70's stuff she crocheted for me. I'm blanket obsessed and one of my biggest fiber-related regrets was giving away a mohair blanket I got at the Blarney Woolen Mills in Ireland to an ex boyfriend.<br />
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Zach: Do you knit or crochet? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: Ha - see answer above! I'm totally dyslexic and have difficulty coordinating left/hand right hand movements and counting or remembering sequentially, so knitting is a huge struggle. I admire people who can do that! But I really don't have time with all my spinning so I'm OK with letting someone else do it. I just wish I could have someone make the designs I have in my head though.<br />
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Zach: Describe the process of yarn making (where you get the material, what type of dye you use, how long the process takes, etc.). </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I buy a lot of wool from local farms in Loudoun County, Virginia or when I go to fiber festivals like Maryland Sheep and Wool. I'm very lucky to have tons of sheep and alpaca farms close by to where I live. Lately I've been lazy and buy a lot of already washed fleece, but when I see a good raw (unwashed greasy fleece) I will take the time to scour it and skirt it which means picking out all the yucky stuff like bugs and dung. I don't think people realize when they buy handspun how much work can go into processing the fiber even before it's spun into yarn. It takes days to wash and dry a fleece which on average is about 5 pounds of fiber. I dye the fiber in a large roaster pan using acid dyes (which is less scary then it sounds). Acid dye is powdered dye that reacts to an acid like vinegar or citric acid and binds to the protein in the fiber. Once the fiber is dyed and rinsed, I set it out to dry. You have to be very careful or wool will felt when agitated or exposed to extreme temperature changes when wet. When everything is dry, I either spin it on my wheel directly from the loose fiber, or I create a batt on my drum carder. Running it through the carding machine into a batt aligns all the fiber in the same direction so it is easier to spin. I spin the fiber on a wheel much in the traditional way spinners have done for centuries. The whole process of creating yarn can take weeks to complete.<br />
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Zach: Do you have a studio? What is your work space like? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I have a spare room which serves as my studio and packing and shipping central. I've completely outgrown my space though. Most of my fiber is organized by color and type into large stackable bins. I just recently sold my first spinning wheel and drum carder to make room for my second generation of equipment.<br />
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Zach: Do you have a "day job"? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I'm a User Experience Designer for an online education company during the day. It's like a Web Designer - I make sure that the site and applications are intuitive and easy to use. I feel lucky because I'm in a creative field for my day job, but my yarn business allows me to do what I want to do and have complete creative control.<br />
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Zach: Where do you find inspiration for the color palettes you spin? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I'm really a color addict but I go through phases. Recently I've been using a lot of neon and it sells very well but sometimes I'd like to use subtle or more natural tones. There are only a few colors that I really just don't like and stay away from like bluish greens (unless it's pale aqua which is my favorite color). I tend to go for unusual colors and contrasting palettes like lavender and orange together or acidic tones like mustard and chartreuse. Sometimes I see palettes in a JCrew catalog or on Pinterest and I try to match my dye to it. I doesn't always come out the same, but I find it gives me a boost in new color direction. Mixing dye is so much fun but it can be tricky to reproduce certain colors. I don't take dye recipe notes even though I know I should.<br />
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Zach: What is your favorite fiber to work with (spinning or knitting/crocheting)? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I love Cormo or any really soft, bouncy wool. I also love mohair for its distinct fuzziness that reminds me of a favorite blanket from childhood. Alpaca is lovely to work with also.<br />
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Zach: What is the best and worst part of the process? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I think the best part might be when I get to see what people make with my yarn and fiber. I love it when someone makes something really wonderful and interprets it into something that I never could have imagined. Just the fact that someone would buy something I made is the most rewarding and validating thing for a creative person like myself. When someone really appreciates the work that went into making it and is willing to spend a bit more for handmade it's the biggest complement.<br />
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Zach: How/when did you get started selling on Etsy? </blockquote><blockquote>Elysa: I've been selling on Etsy for a couple years now but I was a customer long before that. I love to buy handmade and always get inspired by what other people make. I've met some of the coolest people on Etsy and in the fiber community and I think it's a testament to the type of people it attracts.</blockquote><br />
Thank you so much, Elysa, for the great interview! If you have a question for Elysa, I bet I can get her to answer. Just leave the question as a comment below. If Elysa is willing, I may just post the question/answer next week in my yarn review post. Until then....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-36721811177607760092012-11-02T00:00:00.000-05:002012-11-02T09:46:17.403-05:00Snake StringRick and Maria have done it again! The founders of Zentangle released a new tangle last week. It is called <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs119/1101168872594/archive/1111336671154.html">Bunzo</a>, and I absolutely love it!<br />
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The <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-challenge-93.html">Diva's challenge</a> this week was to tangle a tile utilizing Bunzo. I'm always up for trying a new tangle, and since Bunzo consists of only one shape, how hard could it be?<br />
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Here the writer would normally state how difficult the seemingly easy task he just mentioned was, but in this case it actually was that simple, and I'm no normal writer! So if you haven't tried out Bunzo already, go do it! Now!<br />
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Last weekend I was watching my little 3-year-old brother, and he sweetly drew me a picture of our pet snake (the one featured in <a href="http://createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/10/thread.html">this post</a>). It reminded me of a Zentangle string, especially since he drew it on a square piece of paper. So I adapted it into a string for my tile:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mL4OmoMszyg/UJMsRlhTZII/AAAAAAAAAvQ/BuY362FxD7c/s1600/DSC_0102edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mL4OmoMszyg/UJMsRlhTZII/AAAAAAAAAvQ/BuY362FxD7c/s400/DSC_0102edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thank you for the string, Seth!<br />
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I think my enthusiasm for this new tangle is evident in my final tile:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COsBJwb9G5o/UJMsg-hCSsI/AAAAAAAAAvg/uV1fxnHy6x0/s1600/DSC_0123edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-COsBJwb9G5o/UJMsg-hCSsI/AAAAAAAAAvg/uV1fxnHy6x0/s400/DSC_0123edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs119/1101168872594/archive/1111336671154.html">Bunzo</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101993126719.html">Paradox</a>, <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/05/tangle-of-week-knightsbridge.html">Knightsbridge</a>, and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1103321499550.html">Bales</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I mentioned recently on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DesignedToCreate?ref=hl">Designed to Create's Facebook page</a> that I wanted to do some night photography with my Zentangle tiles. Halloween offered the perfect opportunity! Of course, you need some light when you take photographs in the dark, or else you wouldn't be able to see anything. Desiring an unusual light source, I ended up using a candle's flame as my illumination. The long exposures required for the darkness allowed me to play around with the candle, moving it around while the shutter was open. Here is the result:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WOiGNAiXLE/UJMsuhlWXGI/AAAAAAAAAvo/lhfqNY5l5Sc/s1600/DSC_0130edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6WOiGNAiXLE/UJMsuhlWXGI/AAAAAAAAAvo/lhfqNY5l5Sc/s400/DSC_0130edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-60846147379553405282012-10-26T00:00:00.000-05:002012-10-26T11:13:15.037-05:00Falling Stripes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Another fun <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-challenge-92.html">challenge </a>from Laura of the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/">I am the Diva blog</a> this week - stripes, part two! </div>
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I started with a simple striped string, and added one cross-stripe. That cross point was just crying to have an "X" drawn on it, so what better tangle to use than <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102153348334.html">Xyp</a>? I love Xyp - it's one of my comfort tangles. </div>
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I expanded from there with <a href="http://openseedarts.blogspot.com/2010/09/coaster.html">Coaster</a>, another fun one to tangle. Then some <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/05/tangle-of-week-btl-joos.html">Btl Joos</a>-esque things. And finally good old <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102679597538.html">'Nzeppel</a>. They all combine into this tangle that I love! Is that boastful, to say you love your own work? </div>
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Fall has definitely arrived here in Texas - some trees have already lost all their leaves, when only yesterday (literally, not figuratively!) they were full of beautiful brown/yellow/red leaves. We have lots of wind here - I don't know the voracity of the statement, but I have heard it said we're the second windiest city in the U.S. aside from Chicago - and when it decides to blow, it has its way! My leaf picture almost didn't happen. I admired the giant leaf piles (a.k.a. Zentangle backdrops) I passed on my college campus all week, and the day I finally brought my camera to shoot the Zentangle we had a nice-but-inconveniently-timed "moisting" (translation: moist misting) and strong winds. All of the lovely leaf piles were gone! But wait, in that corner over there, could it be? YES! A leaf pile! Perfect...except for the direct sunlight. Now what? If only I had my reflector I could diffuse some of the light. Staring down at the pile in despair, I noticed my shadow falling across the pile...maybe, If I stand just right, I can get my shadow to block the direct light and get some nicely diffused light. Bingo! Voila! Auld lang syne! It worked! And that's the story.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-17494860305377749112012-10-22T01:00:00.000-05:002012-10-22T01:00:10.724-05:00Creator - A PoemIf you've followed my blog for a while, you've read a lot of my writing, primarily my commentary on Zentangle tiles and my other artwork. I don't write poetry very often, but every once in a while inspiration will hit and I'll put some prose on paper. Last week was just one of those times. Here's the story:<br />
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Listening through <a href="http://gungormusic.com/creation-liturgy-crowd-critic-muse-splash/">Gungor's </a>extraordinary new album, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Creation-Liturgy-Live/dp/B009G4364S/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1349574920&sr=8-6">Creation Liturgy</a>, I came to the twelfth track, "We Will Run/He Is Here". Expecting to hear the glorious harmonies of the band members raising their voices in worship, the instrumental lead-in prefaced a spoken verse rather than a sung one. The voice rose with the music, growing in intensity as the words flowed, the spoken word poem unfolding, initially delicate words transforming into an impassioned vocal epic. It was beautiful.<br />
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I researched the track, and discovered the poet performing on the album is <a href="http://amenabrown.com/">Amena Brown</a>, spoken word poet. She toured with Gungor, performing to their musical accompaniment. <a href="http://youtu.be/N07iAJLNCSc">Here</a> is a video of one such performance. I also love her poems <a href="http://youtu.be/nl40wVuCJUA">Resurrection</a> and <a href="http://youtu.be/IFURxgaLxEE">You</a>.<br />
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I'm not sure what got into me, but I decided to try my hand at writing a spoken word poem. 7:00 in the morning, waiting to go in to work, journal out, pen out, mind spilling onto the page. It was awesome - I just uncorked my thoughts and let them flow. I edited it, let a few people read it, edited it some more and then more. Now I'm just going to let it go, release it and see what happens. If you read it thinking of the style in which Amena Brown performs her poems, it makes a lot more sense.<br />
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Creator<br />
He conceived everything you see<br />
Everything that matters<br />
He created matter<br />
He built the world<br />
He composes all your cares, worries, troubles<br />
To build you up<br />
Build to conquer<br />
To conquer death, sin, Satan<br />
That is His aim<br />
To be victorious<br />
He has a plan<br />
A plan of salvation<br />
Of saving<br />
Sanctification<br />
He is the Spotless One<br />
One, because there are none spotless<br />
No, not one but He<br />
He fulfilled the plan<br />
The nails in His hands<br />
Finished a tour of earth<br />
To bring us rebirth<br />
He arose like a rose from a withered seed<br />
Seeing the sun<br />
Being the Son<br />
The wood of that cross would be mine but for Him<br />
The metal of those nails the only medal for my pitiful pursuits of piety<br />
His power displaces my frailty<br />
His blood my iniquity<br />
He arose that I might rise<br />
Beyond the skies<br />
And see His eyes<br />
Bliss<br />
Ravishing the senses<br />
Free from captivity<br />
Free from myself<br />
In the presence of the Almighty I will one day bow<br />
I say that with surety<br />
For He has assured me<br />
That a place in His kingdom is mine<br />
All mine<br />
Because of what He did<br />
How He rose<br />
The price He bid<br />
Buying me freedom, redemption<br />
Satisfying the red<br />
Now no need for the black<br />
Out of that dark and into the light<br />
It is light<br />
His light<br />
Light and peace<br />
Hope<br />
My hope<br />
My peace<br />
Jesus saves.<br />
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Thank you, Jesus, for saving me! Thank you for reading. If you have any comments or tips about the poem, I'd love to hear them! This is my first Monday post in a while, and you can expect more in the weeks to come I have a Zentangle book review in the works, an interview with a yarn spinner and a review of her yarn, more pages from my Sketchbook Project sketchbook to post - Busy busy! Until next time, tangle on.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-89124115866493049392012-10-19T09:27:00.001-05:002012-10-19T09:29:32.058-05:00Thinking Outside the Comfort Zone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Do you like challenges? Or do you shy away from them? I think my answer would be a little of both, depending on the situation. Challenges take you out of your comfort zone, throw you off balance, make you think. They also cause you to grow, improve, and truly live. I can't think of a challenge I haven't come away from without feeling it was worth it and improvement was made.</div>
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This week's <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-challenge-91.html">Zentangle challenge</a> truly challenged me. The Diva asked us to take inspiration from a charity called <a href="http://www.beadsofcourage.org/">Beads of Courage</a>. I think it's an awesome organization, but how do you boil something like that down to black and white, ink and paper? I could have gone the way others were going, and while I loved what I was seeing, it wasn't speaking to me saying "this is what you should do too."</div>
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The essence of the Beads of Courage program is the beads, and the essence of a Zentangle is a string (at the least it's what you build the rest of the tangle on). So I decided to make my string with ball chain to serve as a string of beads. Spontaneously arranging the string and tracing it onto a tile, I was off and running!</div>
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Next I started tangling. I almost completely ignored the string. How dare I! That's what made it all beady! That was the link to the challenge, and I ignored it! You didn't do it right! Do another one, and let no one ever see this tile, ever!</div>
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Deep breath.</div>
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My response: "Whatever, inner critic! Take a hike! It's Zentangle and I can do it however I want! It's my blog, and I can post however I want! Go strive for perfection in your own little black and white world. I'm posting this whether you like it or not!"</div>
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And so I will. Everything tells me I should redo it. Not even post the tile. But this is what came out, and I'm going with it. I'm challenged right now - but guess what? I'm learning something, growing, and feeling alive! After all:</div>
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The further you get away from yourself, the more challenging it is. Not to be in your comfort zone is great fun. </div>
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-Benedict Cumberbatch</div>
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It is great fun. I wonder if "thinking outside of the box" and "stepping out of your comfort zone" correlate. I think they do. Think of that the next time you're thrown a challenge - because new and exciting things happen when you think outside your comfort zone!<br />
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Now I have a little announcement: See that tab right under my blog's header? I started a store - now you can own a piece of the blog by purchasing an original Zentangle tile from me! Enjoy the artwork itself, and then look back through the blog to read the story behind the tangles! I love hearing direct from the artist about their work, and I figure others will too! </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-29434786020708862092012-10-12T10:26:00.001-05:002012-10-12T10:26:12.521-05:00That's It (not!)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, kind viewer, that's my tile for this week. That's it. Have a good one!</div>
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Just kidding. This wouldn't be much of a blog if that's all that I said about my pictures, now would it? Although pictures speak a thousand words, here are a few more to explain the story behind this Zentangle.</div>
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<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-challenge-90.html" target="_blank">Laura Harms' weekly Zentangle challenge #90</a> this week was to use <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2012/05/the-importance-of-strings.html" target="_blank">this string</a> from <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/">tanglepatterns.com</a>. I hadn't realized what a great resource the <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/category/tanglepatterns-strings" target="_blank">Strings</a> section of tanglepatterns.com was! I loved having it already thought out, ready for tangling. I'm definitely going to use their strings more.</div>
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You can kind of see the string in the pictures, but if you were to just look at the tangles you might not think the framework of it all was so simple. I love that about tangling - I never know what the outcome will be, and it's often a seemingly complex design. Not too hard when done one stroke at a time, though!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101900427012.html" target="_blank">Cadent</a>, <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-hollibaugh.html" target="_blank">Hollibaugh</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1103445992126.html" target="_blank">Bronx Cheer</a>, <br />
<a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-crescent-moon.html" target="_blank">Crescent Moon </a>tangleation, and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1103726162070.html" target="_blank">Betweed</a></td></tr>
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I think my favorite thing to do on this one was Betweed. It's so simple but so effective! I also enjoyed changing up Crescent Moon to a triangular shape, rather than sticking with the normal half circle. Now they could be the teeth of a monster, Hershey Kisses, half of an hourglass, or anything else you could think of, just by changing the shape a little! Neat.<br /><br />I'm still considering making a second <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/07/zentangle-in-motion.html" target="_blank">Zentangle in Motion</a> video (click the link if you don't know what I'm talking about), but I want your input. See that poll in the left sidebar, just under my bio? If you wouldn't mind, just check which option you'd like to see me do in a sequel. There's only about a week left to vote, so hop on it! Thanks to all those who have already voiced their opinions!<br />
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Okay, now I've covered everything, and I can, truthfully this time, say: "That's it!"<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-20304194713693782522012-10-05T07:18:00.001-05:002012-10-05T07:18:44.525-05:00Thread<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthediva/7343332364/" target="_blank">Sankegg</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1104275414191.html" target="_blank">Ixorus</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1111000889671.html" target="_blank">Ix</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101993126719.html" target="_blank">Paradox</a>, and <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/08/tangle-of-week-hollibaugh.html" target="_blank">Hollibaugh</a>.</td></tr>
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Do I have your attention now? In case you missed it, that <i>is</i> a Zentangle on a snake. Bet that's the first time you've seen that, huh? I'll explain why there's a snake in the picture later...</div>
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As you might have guessed, I did the tile for the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/10/weekly-challenge-89.html" target="_blank">Diva's Weekly Zentangle Challenge</a>, which was to use the tangle <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamthediva/7343332364/" target="_blank">Sankegg</a>. I enjoyed doing the tangle, but I think I'll require some more practice to really get all "zen" about it. I probably should have added more Sankegg since the whole challenge was to use it, but it wasn't coming to me and I didn't want to force it. This tile was all about lines for me, which has been a theme of my tiles more and more lately. Perhaps there's some deep psychological meaning behind those lines, but I don't know what it is!</div>
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Now for the snake: my sister found and caught two snakes while working on an outdoor service project last week. She loves animals and nature, so she decided to bring the little, aggressive snake and this big, mellow snake home. She released the little snake in the backyard, but this big guy has stayed in a cage. He's really a nice fellow, simply fascinating to watch. Twisting and curling around her arm, curiously muscling up and down, long tongue flicking sporadically. I'm not a huge snake lover (I haven't even mustered the courage to touch this one yet!), but I don't mind them when they're nice like Thread.</div>
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Thread (the snake's given name) reminded me a lot of the threads of hollibaugh running through my tile this week, so I thought I'd break out the camera and unite the two. Clicking that shutter button at just the right moment, I triumphantly photographed this image:</div>
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I <i>love</i> how the fork in the snake's tongue mimics the shape and direction of Sankegg! Too cool.</div>
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Before I bid you adieu, I wanted to say a few things about my video <a href="http://www.createdtodesign.blogspot.com/2012/07/zentangle-in-motion.html" target="_blank">Zentangle in Motion</a>. Ever since Rick and Maria featured it on their blog it has generated so much interest and many, many page views. Folks have even been asking permission to play it in workshops and classes! I'm ecstatic that a video I made almost on a whim two summers ago is playing a part in teaching and entertaining tanglers around the world. Truly a humbling experience.</div>
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I've promised several times to do another video, but with school and other commitments I've been hard pressed to find time. I've had it in my head that I would produce the video after school ends in December and before it begins anew in January. A wrench has been thrown rudely yet wonderfully in the way, however. I found out last week that I was accepted into the Disney College Program for Spring 2013. This means that I will go down to Walt Disney World in Florida, live in an apartment and work as a Main Entrance Operations cast member for five months! Woo hoo! </div>
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I'm sure you can see my dilemma: will I have time between school end and College Program beginning to make a new Zentangle in Motion? It's possible I'll be busy preparing and have no time; though it's equally possible that I'll have all the time in the world. </div>
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I say all of this to ask for your help. If I'm able to produce a new video in that time frame, I want to make it helpful and interesting to as many folks as possible. It's difficult for me to know what you want to see, so I've made a way for you to tell me. Look at the left sidebar, just under my bio. You should see a poll for you to vote in. I'd love to know your opinion on what you'd like to see! I have grand ideas for a video, but they all would involve much effort, sinfully expensive camera equipment, and lots and lots of time. I've come to the realization that I don't need to do something grander, I just need to do something, anything. I've grown in tangling so much between when I made the first video and now, so whatever I end up doing, even if it's very similar to the last one, will be unique and, hopefully, better.</div>
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We'll see how blogging goes when I'm at Disney. I've considered putting this blog on hiatus and starting another blog just about my Disney experience. Would anyone be interested in reading something like that? Let me know in the comments!</div>
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Thanks for making it this far! May your day be blessed.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-77847322483968747022012-09-28T09:45:00.001-05:002012-09-28T09:45:52.460-05:00Unintended Destinations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rnmow5ufumw/UGSEHbex_2I/AAAAAAAAAqA/HhGsm2rwqYI/s1600/DSC_0611edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rnmow5ufumw/UGSEHbex_2I/AAAAAAAAAqA/HhGsm2rwqYI/s400/DSC_0611edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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What is that?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXoEjvxv860/UGSEIX4xmTI/AAAAAAAAAqI/78W9_3Nnsis/s1600/DSC_0612edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RXoEjvxv860/UGSEIX4xmTI/AAAAAAAAAqI/78W9_3Nnsis/s400/DSC_0612edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Is it a Zentangle tile?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GmGKghKazg/UGSEKX2BHhI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/wohwybAhLHU/s1600/DSC_0614edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8GmGKghKazg/UGSEKX2BHhI/AAAAAAAAAqQ/wohwybAhLHU/s400/DSC_0614edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QFBZklpXjuw/UGSELEDFCPI/AAAAAAAAAqY/jyulgvzftJI/s1600/DSC_0615edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QFBZklpXjuw/UGSELEDFCPI/AAAAAAAAAqY/jyulgvzftJI/s400/DSC_0615edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Why, it is!</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYD7PYVUAxs/UGSEL-n-ksI/AAAAAAAAAqg/1WAo7WjYtgw/s1600/DSC_0616edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XYD7PYVUAxs/UGSEL-n-ksI/AAAAAAAAAqg/1WAo7WjYtgw/s400/DSC_0616edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let's get a closer look:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj05Ga_JC9c/UGSEMiun1aI/AAAAAAAAAqo/hY6vg0OjAMM/s1600/DSC_0617edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bj05Ga_JC9c/UGSEMiun1aI/AAAAAAAAAqo/hY6vg0OjAMM/s400/DSC_0617edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9mkl8H2IQbE/UGSENX0C9PI/AAAAAAAAAqw/wpDM2n_6ZGU/s1600/DSC_0623edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9mkl8H2IQbE/UGSENX0C9PI/AAAAAAAAAqw/wpDM2n_6ZGU/s400/DSC_0623edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
My tile for this week's <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekly-challenge-88.html" target="_blank">Zentangle challenge</a> is here! I decided to have fun with the photography this week. The little maintenance building you see in the pictures above is located on the campus of the college I attend. It just so happens that the doorknob is magnetic, and I have a few magnets in my Zentangle kit! Perfect!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v47uDKXNQKk/UGSEN3-6QfI/AAAAAAAAAq4/mqpWw04FI0A/s1600/DSC_0636edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v47uDKXNQKk/UGSEN3-6QfI/AAAAAAAAAq4/mqpWw04FI0A/s400/DSC_0636edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The opportunity this tree provided couldn't be passed up, so I decided to take a photo there too.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv-0EemKQ0U/UGSEPf9oQ7I/AAAAAAAAArA/yDWis972UrY/s1600/DSC_0650edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Cv-0EemKQ0U/UGSEPf9oQ7I/AAAAAAAAArA/yDWis972UrY/s400/DSC_0650edited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangles used: <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1111000889671.html" target="_blank">Ix</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1108651086576.html" target="_blank">Fife</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102613150030.html" target="_blank">Beeline</a>, a variation on <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102656364695.html" target="_blank">Swarm</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1103445992126.html" target="_blank">Bronx Cheer</a>,<br />
<a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101993126719.html" target="_blank">Paradox</a>, <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/05/how-to-draw-crescent-moon.html" target="_blank">Crescent Moon</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101948841213.html" target="_blank">Jonqal</a>, <a href="http://tanglepatterns.com/2010/06/how-to-draw-shattuck.html" target="_blank">Shattuck</a>,<br />
and you might even spot a variation on <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102679597538.html" target="_blank">'Nzeppel</a>.<br />
Whew! That's quite a list...I didn't even realize I used so many!</td></tr>
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I originally intended to just offer a simple straight-on shot, which is what the one on the doorknob is, but if the magnet bothered you, here's another one, sans magnet.</div>
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This is an interesting tile because it wasn't supposed to be for this challenge! I started working on it for the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekly-challenge-86.html" target="_blank">Break Free challenge</a>. It wasn't going well - I didn't particularly care for how it looked, not to mention that I didn't do the Beeline tangle "right" and that the Bronx Cheer is actually hiding one of my early mistakes. The challenge was over, the tile still incomplete, and I never went back to it. At least not until this week. I didn't have any blank tiles with me when I started this week's challenge, but I did have the unfinished "break free" tile. Since the challenge this time was to use the new tangle, Ix, I figured I could simply use the framework I started previously and include this great, fresh tangle.</div>
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So that's what I did. All in all I really like how it turned out. I like the overall composition now, Beeline actually looks pretty good skewed just a bit (who says there's a wrong way to do a pattern? Not me!), and Bronx Cheer hangs out so nicely in the corner. Ix doesn't play a huge role, but it holds its own. I love Ix - definitely one to come back and experiment with. Yet another example that there are no mistakes in Zentangle, only unintended destinations. Oh, and it also shows that shading hides a multitude of "mistakes!"</div>
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I tangled some of this while waiting for my first karate class to begin. It seems so fitting to be Zentangling right before performing martial arts. Both share an Eastern influence. I learned several kicks and punches during the class and the instructor utilized step-by-step demonstrations to teach new techniques, similar to a tangle step-out. They even require a similar level of focus and attentiveness. They seem to go hand-in-hand in many respects. Perhaps I'll plan to tangle before class every time! Whenever I see this tile, memories of that first class resurface: the anticipation of participating in a new experience, the expansion of my comfort zone, the sore muscles afterwards. Sometimes I give away my tiles, while some I deem too precious to let go of. This is one of those tiles I will be keeping, partly because I enjoy looking at it, but partly because of the nostalgic correlation with that first karate class, which was an unintended destination indeed.</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-9555042920894051282012-09-24T00:43:00.000-05:002013-07-10T12:33:37.934-05:00Love at First Byte<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Being away for so long, I forgot what I missed: the beautiful curves, the wondrous mystery, the infinite opportunities for exploration. Her dainty lines, marvelous colors, and fabulous shapes. Don't worry, it's not what you're thinking! I'm praising the attributes of a computer program, known as Adobe Illustrator.</div>
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My relationship with Illustrator began last year when I started college, and its interface came naturally to me. It is similar to other programs I'd used before, so that helped a lot in the learning process. I went through the summer saving up for a laptop to run the program on, and then for the program itself. Finally, just last week, I made the big purchase and downloaded the Adobe Creative Suite, featuring both Illustrator and Photoshop, among other programs. My mind is now aboggle (a word I just made up; kind of like aflame or anew) with the opportunities I now have at my fingertips. From clever photo editing to business card design, the projects are now an endless flow. Currently I'm working on a logo for the blog - I think it's going to be great!</div>
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I want to show you something I designed using Illustrator. In computer illustration class, we were assigned to produce a poster for a big band dance event, entitled "Spring Swing". Part of the challenge was to incorporate at least five images - as you can see I used a guitar, saxaphone, trumpet, trombone, and piano (the middle circle could also be interpreted as a drum for a sixth image!).</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyIw6U4ADlY/UF3olzkyx7I/AAAAAAAAApc/Ce0BAYCxgBY/s1600/Big+Band+Blog+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wyIw6U4ADlY/UF3olzkyx7I/AAAAAAAAApc/Ce0BAYCxgBY/s640/Big+Band+Blog+Poster.jpg" width="502" /></a></div>
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I really enjoyed this project! It fell together surprisingly smoothly, and while there are a few rough areas that could be smoothed out a little, I like the way it turned out. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-687317804870431214.post-45691325373763914382012-09-21T17:14:00.002-05:002012-09-21T17:17:25.119-05:00Peaceful<div style="text-align: center;">
Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. </div>
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John 14:27</div>
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The <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2012/09/weekly-challenge-87.html" target="_blank">Zentangle challenge</a> this week is to tangle a pinwheel for peace, tying in with an organization that encourages the making of these pinwheels for the International Day of Peace, which is today. I decided to follow the template provided in the post, and do a mandala-type design.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J06ojW2YcRQ/UFzddeS9cRI/AAAAAAAAAo4/I9z8E1hdWfI/s1600/EditedZentanglePinwheel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J06ojW2YcRQ/UFzddeS9cRI/AAAAAAAAAo4/I9z8E1hdWfI/s400/EditedZentanglePinwheel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pinwheel. <a href="http://beezinthebelfry.blogspot.com/2009/04/tangle-of-week-crescent-moon.html" target="_blank">Crescent Moons</a>, <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1102185392200.html" target="_blank">Cubine</a>, and <a href="http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1101993126719.html" target="_blank">Paradox</a>.</td></tr>
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It was definitely a peaceful experience, tangling this pinwheel. I did most of it before bed one night, lights turned down low, listening to peaceful music. Rick and Maria, on <a href="http://zentangle.blogspot.com/2012/09/ars-memorativa.html" target="_blank">Blog Zentangle</a>, noted this week how memory is visual, and that for certain Zentangles they remember exactly what was going on when they were tangling. This is certainly the case with my Zentangle this week. When I look at the pinwheel, all I can think of is the beautiful, worshipful music of Gungor that I tangled to, specifically the song "<a href="http://youtu.be/vrbgelwcoPk" target="_blank">You Have Me</a>". Take a minute to click the link and experience this song. The following are the lyrics:</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Out on the farthest edge</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>There in the silence you were there</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>My faith was torn to shreds</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>My heart out of balance</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And you were there</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Always faithful</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Always good</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You still </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Have me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You still have my heart</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I thought I had seen the end everything broken</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>But you were there</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I've wandered at Heaven's gate</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I've made my bed in Hell</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>But you were there still</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You have me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You have me</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>You have my heart completely</i></span></div>
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The lyrics are so simple, yet very moving. Best of all, they indicate the source of true peace: knowing that the Lord of the Universe holds your heart. The greatest feeling in the world.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com10