Whats been going on.

So last post I posted about Martin's death. Well i think it knocked me down more than I thought. Not to mention the kidney stone problem and then not even a week after Martin's death my great uncle Kent passed away very very suddenly. I have just been really lost and sad and in pain the last few weeks. Hopefully today I will get some answers on my kidney stone just really worried that either there isn't one or its something else. And if it is one that i will have to have surgery.

Then Saturday morning i decided why not add to it all. and caught my pinkie toe on the Sheetrock in the hall and broke my toe. :) Yup lets just add to it all. :)

On a positive note Dad's permanent port surgery went just fine. The only bad thing is they did not tell him they were gonna do a nerve block on his arm so when he woke up and could not feel anything he was really really scared. No we just wait for the two months for it to heal then they can start using it.

I found a couple new groups on facebook for Adult coloring. And that has really helped with everything the last few weeks. Since i really dont have a lot of brain function and trying to pick patterns for zentangle I have just been coloring. Some of the groups have some challenges so been doing those. Here is some of what I have been doing.

I did do one zentangle inspired drawing for the fourth of July. :)




For Asma's Coloring group she does a monthly color challenge and an Aroco color challenge. They are both really fun.

In this challenge the Asma posts 4 colors and then the next person has to to the selected drawing in those colors, that person the says four colors for the next person. We are all given the same drawing. This month there were two to choose from. When I got into it the colors were denim blue navy blue sky blue. So here is my entry:

I then decided to do another on and selected the neon pink, orange, red. After all the entries are in Asma put all of our names in the hat and draws a name. You only get one entry no matter how many you do. AND guess what i won this round. By winning you get a free book the Mrs. Asma had published. I am so excited to get the book and play with it.  Here is my second entry and this time i chose the more difficult pattern.

Every month Mrs. Asma also does a color challenge and you use one of her drawings ( you get to choose which one) and use the color pallet. Well here is the color palette and my entry for it. 

In another group I joined "Adult Coloring" they had a competition for the release of a new book that is coming out. I decided what the heck. Did something a little different with this one I saw a tip that said for back grounds use eye shadow. It is kinda hard to see here but the back ground is do with a light blue eye shadow, :) 

Challenge 222 - This one is for Martin.

Well yet another bad week around here. One of my dear friends Martin passed away suddenly this week. It caught me completely off guard. He was so young and will be deeply missed. Here is some pictures of Martin and his husband Bobby. So this week I dedicate this challenge to Martin. I am actually working on another piece to give to Bobby at some point. I still can not really wrap my head around the fact that Martin has left this world. God received an amazing angel and we got a great guardian angel. Martin will be truly missed everyday by a ton of people. I know I will never eat sushi again without thinking of him. He got me to try it for the first time. :)

PS If you have a second I could use some prayers. My dad is having surgery next monday (29th) to install his permanent port for his dialysis. So if you can I would really appreciate it.

 Bobby and Martin on their wedding day

 Martin's smile was always so infectious.

Weekly Challenge #222: "Colours of the Rainbow!"

This week the challenge is to use multi colours - use 'em if you got 'em! 

So in honor of Martin I drew this one up. I think it is missing something but just can decide what else to do. :) I hate when that happens.

Challenge 221 - For my dad (updated)

So I took last weeks challenge and got it framed for my dad for fathers day. I like it hope he does too. :) Just had to share. The gold in the frame really makes the owl look 3d and like i put gold in the wings. Its kinda cool in person. wish pictures did drawings justice.

So I did not like the glass cause it caused such a glare. So I went and got some new glass made for it and it really helped. :) Dad really liked it. 

Challenge 221 - For my dad

Some weeks with this challenge I just cant seem to wrap my head around what I want to do. Nothing comes to me. Then some weeks I read it and BAM!! the idea comes right to me. This week was one of those weeks. I knew as soon as I read the challenge that I wanted to do something for my dad. He has had many many medical problems thru out his life and now is no exception. My father has been struggling the last few months with Kidney failure. He spent 5 weeks in the hospital back in November trying to jump start them and help them out. Well we hoped that the dialysis would be a temporary thing but alias it is not. We found out the first of May that they are not responding and that the dialysis will be permanent. He is scheduled the end of this month for a permanent port to be but in in his arm. I hate for him that it is permanent but at least i will still have my dad.


Weekly Challenge #221: "Beads of Courage" 

SO this week's challenge is to be inspired by Beads of Courage.  Here's last year's challengeif you want to get some ideas.  You could use beads as inspiration for your string, or for inspiration for your tangles, or perhaps you know someone who is being particularly strong and courageous right now and you may be inspired by them! 



So I choose to do something to represent my dad for this challenge. In boy scouts when you go thru what is called Woodbadge you are assigned into a group. Well my dad is an Owl. He has collected owls his whole life and so that immediately jumped into my head. So here is my drawing. I am truly pleased with how it came out. Hope you all like it. I know it is not tangled in the normal way we do but i used the principals I have learned to make it so hope it is ok for the challenge. I wish pictures and scans did the pieces justice. It is so 3d to me and I am really really happy with how it turned out.

Challenge #219

So this week the challenge was:

Weekly Challenge #219: "Straight Lines all the Tines...er, times"

Today's challenge is a fun one.  The challenge is to use ONLY straight lines, and i found it particularly challenging.  I found it interesting to find a way to use the straight lines to create some movement in my tile.

So here is mine hope ya like it.

Challenge #218

So here is my weekly challenge tile. I love white on black but for some reason this one istruggled with an idea. I saw B'dylan the other day on line and like the simplicity of it and wanted to draw it. I thought it would look good on black. Then trying to figure out what else to do. :) So i started with bubbles just to play around. It is simple but i still like it. :)

Here were the instructions:

Weekly Challenge #218: "White on Black on Found"

This week's challenge is an option.

The challenge is to do a white on black tile or zentangle inspired piece of art - using a white pen on black paper.  HOWEVER, i know that not everyone has access to those art tools.  

So, there's also the option of creating a tangled piece on a found object instead or in addition to white on black.

personally, i love the look of the white on black tiles, but i never seem to have the patience for them because there's a lot more 'finessing' of the gel pens, i find.  It seems that the ink will flow better if you almost 'dab' the gel onto the page, and then move very slowly.  Which, in hindsight, may be a good thing when it comes to creating a tile.  I find the white on black to be quite challenging.

Hope ya like it.

Challenge #217

So I am guessing i am into a circle thing right now. Wish I had some circle tiles but i have not bought them yet. :) So here is my design for this weekly challenge. The rules were here:

Weekly Challenge #217: "Duo Tangle - DEX vs BUNZO.... THIRTYFIVE!!"

"so what's with this week's challenge name?" I hear you asking.  I love me a good duotangle,  they're probably my favourite type of challenge because they get people thinking in different ways.

A duotangle is a term coined here at CasaDiva that means a tile or ZIA that is created using ONLY TWO TANGLES and their tangleations. 

So, for this week the challenge is to use ONLY Dex and Bunzo.   

Well here is mine, hope you like it. :)

I'm Back. Challenge 216

I have been away for awhile. Just haven't felt two crafty or creative lately. My dad has been pretty sick again and I haven't been sleeping well. Plus a whole lot of stress at work has just kinda wiped me out lately. But when I saw this challenge I though lets get back into this. :)


Here is the challenge:
Weekly Challenge #216: "UMT - Brella by Bunny Wright, CZT"
This month's tangle is called "'Brella" and it's by fellow Canadian CZT Bunny Wright!!  you can see the step outs for this tangle here


I immediately wondered what it would look like as a sphere shape. So I started playing. Here is what I came up with. I hope you like it. :) The shading didn't show up a whole lot but you can see it some. :)

Challenge 211, 212

So i was not near internet last week when i finished 211. So here it is. :)

And also here is mine for 212.

Weekly Challenge #212: "UMT: Fanz by Susan Goetter"

For those of you who are new, the first Monday of every month is a Use My Tangle Challenge, where the challenge of the week is to use a tangle created by one of you!  If you have a tangle you'd like to submit you can add it here and be sure that it follows the guidelines for submission.

This months submission is from Susan Goetter, called "Fanz" you can see the step outs here

Weekly calendar

Well i am a little behind again. Roxy (seen below) decided that she needed to play with my calendar and mess it up so I had to put it into a notebook. This dog is paper hungry i think. Anyone need a shredder? She is great at it. Me and her have had a ruff couple of weeks she got really sick with a blood infection and then when almost over that she got stung by a bee. Oh it has been crazy.

 Right after vet visit with bee sting to face.

 Took two days for the swelling to go down. still not down here. But lots better.

Sweet and innocent. NOT!!! :)

Challenge 210

This weeks challenge was:

Weekly Challenge #210: "Spiralstring - that's the thing!"

This week's challenge is to use a spiral as your string... I like to come back to a simple spiral string because frankly i find them to be challenging because they don't really close off anywhere.  PLUS they always look so cool.


So I played around a bit with making it look like a weave. Messed that one up and I keep coming back to the pattern "Coil". I hadn't tried drawing it yet so I decided to give it a try and was very happy with the result. I have had a hard time leaving it this way. I think it needs something in the background but at the same time I like the simplicity of it too. :)

One question for you how do you keep your pencil shading from smearing after you are finished. I heard one time to spray with hairspray but was just wondering what you do to set your drawing.

Calendar Update :)

So I missed posting the last two weeks calendar drawings. Oops. :)

The first one I messed up on so I played with some shading. Not even a tangle was just playing. ;)

Challenge 209.2 :)

So I decided to play around and make another one. :)

Challenge #209

Well I think this might be the fastest I have gotten a challenge done I got it done yesterday. :)



Weekly Challenge #209: "Saint Patty's"

i love a holiday themed challenge.  This week's challenge is to GREEN UP your tile. 


Hope you like it. :) I will probably play around some more and make a few more. :)

Challenge #208

Well here is my weekly challenge entry. I cant seem to get the right effect  want but I will stop before I mess it up :).


Weekly Challenge #208: "Duotangle - Cubine vs Pokeroot"

I just love me some duotangle.

A duotangle is a term that originated here on my blog - and it means to use ONLY TWO tangles and their tanglations throughout your tile. 

For this week's challenge please use only Cubine and Pokeroot and their variations. (follow the links for the step outs)

I wanted it to kinda look like a planter or discarded tube with weeds growing out of it. :) I wish before i put black on end i would have drawn some coming out end. Of well. may redo it :)

Thanks for looking,

Vicki

Playing around and Calendars

So I decided to start playing with my calendar every day and tangling it. :) So everyday I tangle that day on the week and the month part of my calendar. I thought this would give me some practice plus a quick reference book when im done. ;) So here is week one for each one. On the weekly one if i use a tangle from someone I place the name of it next to it so i can remember what it is. :)

This tile I did while watching NASCAR on Sunday. :)

Thanks for looking. Have a great week. 

Challenge #207

This weeks challenge was:

Weekly Challenge #207: "UMT - Unbatz by Sandy Hunter, CZT"

You can see the step outs for Unbatz on Sandy's blog here


So here is my entry:

It has been so weird with our weather here the last week. We had freezing fog and no wind which made this phenom available to happen. It was so cool looking.

Challenge #206

This weeks challenge on was interesting we were challenged to step out of our box and create with something we never have before. Watercolor, drawing program something out of the ordinary. So I decided on AutoCAD. :) Any of y'all that know me know I love AutoCAD. So I did a 8x8 tile and just played around with hatches and different tangle patterns. Hope ya like it.


Oh an p.s. Dad got to come home from the hospital. HAPPY DANCE!!!!!

Creation this weekend - dad update

Here is one i made this weekend while at the hospital with dad. He is doing ok right now. They are doing surgery today to take out temporary dialysis catheter and put in a more permanent one. He will then get to move to out patient dialysis and go from there. Thank you all for your continued prayers. I truly appreciate it. We still have a long road ahead of us but we will get there.

Challenge 205

Well this weeks challenge is has to do with the Chinese New Year. Come to find out it is my year. :) So did some research and found this website. It said that my lucky colors were red, purple and brown. Best direction is North and flowers are Primrose. I saw some primrose this weekend and fell in love with the colors. So I tried to recreate it here.

Here is the challenge instructions:

Weekly Challenge #205: "Year of the Goat"
This Thursday is Chinese New Year, and in the Chinese Zodiac 2015 is the Year of the Goat (Or the Sheep, apparently... depending on which website you look at)


Here is my design.

I struggled to make so of it look the way i wanted it to but i do like how my flowers and leaves worked out.

Challenge 204

This has been a really ruff week for me with my dad being so sick. I haven't really felt like drawing or much of anything. BUT with things looking up and my brain working again i decided to draw something up. I have loved for year Celtic drawings and the way they weave in and out. I have recently reunited with a very old friend and we were talking the other night about how we are so entwined with each other and how we feel so at ease and connected with each other. I am truly blessed to have him back in my life and so grateful for him. So when i found this video of Celtic hearts it just screamed to me.

This weeks challenge is:


Weekly Challenge #204: "Valentangle"
I'm not sure who coined the term Valentangle, one of the other CZTs i think - but it's so cute. 

With Valentine's Day just around the corner (HINT: it's Saturday) this week's challenge is to get into the Valentine's Spirit.  You can use a heart as your string, or tangle hearts, or use the colours red white or pink... whatever tickles your fancy!

So here is mine:

Dad update

Dad was placed in the hospital yesterday to try and get some of the built up fluid off of him. They are not sure if he will have to have a shunt put in for dialysis or not but we will have to wait and see. Thank you all for your prayers for my dad I truly appreciate it. I will keep you all posted.

Prayers please

I am asking anyone that follows or looks at my corner to please say a prayer for my dad. Five years ago he had a heart attack and had to have open heart surgery. Well from being diabetic and the heart problems his kidneys are in bad shape. We knew that at the time of his heart surgery and knew that one day they would get worse. He has held steady for 5 years now. But the time has come and he has had a drastic drop in function. He is retaining a lot of fluid and kidneys just cant get it off him. He has had a bad cough since October and just can get rid of it. Come to find out it is this fluid. They did a sonogram on him Friday and we are waiting on the phone call from the dr to tell us what the next step is. So if you could please take just a second and say a prayer for him i would greatly appreciate it. His name is David Gentry. Thanks and love and peace to you all.

My dad (left) and his best friend Dave

Challenge #203

So this weeks challenge from the I am the Diva's blog here 

"Weekly Challenge #203: "UMT - Athitzi by Eleanor Holt"

this week's Use My Tangle challenge is brought to you by Eleanor Holt - and it is called Athitzi.  You can find the step outs for the tangle HERE.

I have to say I struggled with this one and started it over and over many times. Trying different things and different ideas. Finally while waiting for a meeting to start i started playing with this. I must say I am not completely happy with it and feel like something is missing. But I will stop :)

So here it is. :)

Challenge #202

Well with the boss away this week I have really been able to crack down and get caught up on a few things. BUT I did decide to take a little break and work on this weeks challenge. Shhhh don't tell anyone. :) 

So the instructions this week for the I am the Diva's challenge were (her website can be found here):

Weekly Challenge #202: "DuoTangle: Chebucto vs Copada"

This week's challenge is to create a DuoTangle, which is a tile using ONLY the two tangles given.  This week those two tangles are Chebucto and Copada.   This is the first time that the DuoTangle challenge has NOT been two official Zentangle tangles.  These tangles are by my fellow Saskatonian CZT - Margaret Bremner.  (you can find the step outs for these tangles in the links above)

Ok well gotta get back to work. :)

Love and prayers to all.

Vicki

Ruff start to 2015

Well I was hoping 2015 would be a great year. I still think it will be but it has been a ruff start so far.

Not many know I have started a new life style of getting my self healthy. I have needed to do this for a long time but it took me doing it for me. So here we go so far I have lost 15 pounds maybe more. I don't know I quit weighting because the scale to me is the devil. I am really noticing my clothes fit differently and I am really beginning to feel better.

Now to the bad (well some good some bad):

Back in 2013 a very dear friend of mine died of cancer. Charlotte was a great friend that I got to see at our local Gem and Mineral shows and worked for her and her husband Keith for many years. I learned so much about gems and minerals from her and think of her often. The show is just not the same with out her. I decided to grow my hair out and donate it to locks of love in her honor. My father has done this twice now once in her memory and once in my grandfathers memory who also lost his life to cancer. Well it took me almost two years but I got there. On January 8th 2015 I went to a very close friend to get my hair cut. I was very very nervous but Joyce took great care of me.

This is before (actually goes down about 2 more inches):

How much we cut:

After:

Literally while Joyce was cutting my pony tail off I received a text from my father that a life long friend had passed away the night before from his second round with cancer. I was needles to save devastated by the lose of Philip. I have such fond memories of spending time with Philip at Boy Scout functions that I went to with my father. I truly loved Philip. I will never forget when my father was having his heart attack, I know Philip was placed by God to be the nurse on duty. Philip was such a calming presence during that whole day and I know that that was God telling me everything will be ok. Philip's laugh was so unique and so infectious. I know we all have an amazing guardian angel watching over us both by Philip and by Charlotte.

So I will be donating my hair to Locks of Love in Charlotte's and Philip's honor. Two amazing people that were lost to a terrible disease way too soon in their lives.

Charlotte

Philip

I pray that the rest of 2015 is calm and uneventful; and I will continue to better myself. There are some great and amazing people in my life that such great supporters and I hope and pray that I can help them as much as they help me. I love you all so much.