Other Things I do

 Crocheting ... I have been doing this since I taught myself (with the help of my big sister Anne)  in 1997.  I love lace crochet mostly and have made some really large pieces of cotton thread crochet (tablecloths).   These are two little bags I made while sitting in front of the Television last night - can't keep those hands still and if I do they will cease up!

 Crochet fingerless hand mitts - my own pattern - very warm and comfy (secretly my husband wants a pair).

 I also started spinning about two months ago and have been enjoying this ... I have found I love to spin laceweight yarn ... I guess that is because I love to crochet laceweight style.  I have an old Ashford Traditional spinning wheel which I got from a local market ... I am glad it has a nice home where it is appreciated and used a lot.

During July when the Tour de France was on ... Ravelry (an online fibre community) have their Tour de Fleece - everyone spins and challenges themselves on the tour challenges and gives themselves virtual yellow jersey's if they feel they deserve it - all a lot of fun.   This is a little bit of what I did - yes I also have learnt to spin on a spindle which I love.   My spinning has improved a lot - these pictures are of my first lot of spinning.   I am an insomniac and now love to spin in the middle of the night - that rhythmic whirr of the wheel can put me to sleep!

Usually during the weekdays I am a longarm machine quilter and quilt for other people (you can see more at my blog http://purrfectlyquilted.blogspot.com)

I was working during the weekends but found this to be too difficult both physically and mentally - so now I only do around 4 days a week if I can.  One day a week is left for doing chores and things I have to do to keep the house running.  You know what I mean ... cleaning, shopping, washing etc etc.  The older we get, the longer these things take to do.  I am good at procrastination too!

But the weekends are mine to be with my family and play ... I choose between tangling (yes I still do this and will post some more soon);  drawing with coloured pencil and graphite (an old love of mine); crochet (very easy to put down and pick up where you left off even if it was months ago); spinning fibre (a very new love) and I still quilt for myself occasionally and am in the process of putting together some projects at the moment.

In the words of singer James Blunt "My life is brilliant".   Having SLE (lupus) makes me plan my time better (especially around the days I have the heavy drugs) and focus on what is important to me.     So I say make time for the little things that make you smile, even if it is just sharing a minute or two with someone special to you.

So for now I would like to show you one little blog that makes me smile everytime I go and read it .... http://elviestudio.blogspot.com/  I almost guarantee it will make you smile too.  Have fun and tangle some too!   Jane x

My Cat is so sad

This is Jet, you may have seen him before on my blog - this is the face I get when I won't let him eat my crochet thread .... he really wants to run off with the whole lot and bat it around the room.

You may have been wondering...

Hi there ... you may have been wondering where I have been and what I have been up to.

I know this sounds awful but I needed a Zentangle Break.  I have been Zentangled out!   I was writing up and drawing for my Zentangle Book, however, when the publisher sold her business and I was asked to sign a new contract with the new publisher - I declined.  The main reasons are because I felt I didn't want to give my work away for such a low monetary value, although I believe this is normal.  I also didn't want to do "projects".    I just want a book of my art in the Zentangle style, more like a coffee table book.  I have created and modified a number of alphabets all decorated with tangles.  I choose only to use the official Zentangle patterns and my own patterns - with a couple of exceptions and one is BTLjuice by Sandra Bartholomew  (I hope she doesn't mind).  Anyway ... with no publisher ... this project will sit on the backburner almost complete, but with more being added a drawing at a time. 

The other thing is that I am a professional machine quilter and I needed to get back to quilting quilts.  I only like to quilt three or four days a week due to my health restrictions.  If I do too much I get tired and start to get flare ups of my autoimmune disease symptoms...so I have learnt to take it slowly.

You may have noticed, I have also been revisiting my old drawing styles, portraiture in graphite and coloured pencil "painting".   I love pencils ... if I could earn a living from drawing, I would do it full time.  Commission work is hard to find.

So there you have it ... I hope to put up some freebee projects for you guys ... I have a couple of simple cute things you can make to show off your Zentangle drawings and you can share them with your kids too!  So bear with me, I'll be back posting soon.

Cheers for now
Jane

A glimps of Outback Australia

I love the beauty of the Outback ... I took this photograph while I was in New South Wales last week - it says Outback for me.

I hope you have all been tangling away while I have been gone.   Don't you just love Zentangle's new pattern Mooka ... Maria you have done it again!

I hope to have some more of my Zentangles to show you next week.  Happy Tangling for now ... Jane x

Picture Fest of what I have been up to

Obviously I have been Tangling up a storm as usual ... I can't seem to put that pen down .. can you?

I have been playing with my own patterns and official Zentangle patterns ... in my field journal notebook doing borders and letters ... surprise surprise!

 A few full page drawings...

 And some one Tangle pattern borders ... these could be very useful - especially for journaling or scrapbooking!

This pattern is a variant I came up with from the Zentangle pattern "Braze"  and "Striping" 

 This one is using my pattern "Tadpegs"  very cute I think.

 "Knightsbridge" with a little BTL Joose (Sandy Bartholomews pattern)

 This one is full of my patterns and some Zentangle patterns..

A few new ones for me in there too!

 "Betweed" with my "Tadpegs"  ... and if you look closely I have been using a hint of colour ... have you tried the Derwent Graphitint pencils - they are divine ... graphite with pigment ...  I will be using these more and more I think.

 This one is purely "Striping" - an official Zentangle pattern.

 "Knase" also an official Zentangle pattern.

And I have been tidying up sorting my bits into some stackable draw tubs ... very handy with the Dymo tape machine too! 

 And on Australia Day I went fishing with my husband ... beautiful weather and we caught 3 lovely sized Brown Trout.   (Well I supervised as I don't have a fishing licence but I will next time!)

 The first trout...

 What I get to look at while fishing - lol!

I have a captive audience and can talk about anything I like - isn't that funny. 

And no it isn't a Hawthorn supporters beanie that he has on ... he had it years and years ago.

Jet sleeping  on the quilty bits (my quilty bits - test bits that I have been playing with on the quilt machine awhile ago now - so very cat useable).

So happy Tangling for now ... have a lovely weekend everyone.    Cheers Jane x

CZT October

Well it is official - I am enrolled in CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) October training session in Whittinsville Massachusetts USA - I am still pinching myself that I am actually going.   Well have to wait for the passport office to send me my passport and finalise my flight details - but I am going.

The funny thing is that I always wanted to go to the big Quilt Market in Houston - and thought I might go this year or next - but CZT has won out over quilting at the moment - and I really can't justify staying in the USA for three weeks until quilt market at the end of October - I wish I could though.  My family would miss me, I would miss them, and I would not be earning any money - so can't do it!   But next year .... I think I might, I think I will be going to Quilt Market.    It has been 21 years since I have travelled overseas - the last time was when I spent a very good part of 1989 travelling through Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Brussels, Denmark, Swizterland, and worked for three wonderful months in London, England  - whew, remember it like it was yesterday.   

Anyway better get off the  computer and get on with the day ... I have a few things on the go nearly ready for posting to show you all -  fabric zentangles and some new patterns.

Happy Tangling
Jane
x