tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73175118127344078252024-03-13T07:58:53.179-07:00Life in PicturesWhere My Life Meets Art and the Other Way Aroundcstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.comBlogger170125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-71903061413067547052018-07-12T13:10:00.001-07:002018-07-12T13:10:39.960-07:00You Never Know When Inspiration StrikesAs in, goes on strike. Goes underground. Disappears.<br />
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And I didn't want to talk about it.<br />
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Before I knew it, a year passed. And then some.<br />
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So, I tried some ICADs recently. If you're not in on what that's all about, go <a href="https://daisyyellowart.com/vividlife/icad-2018-index" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The prompt was "pinball," so I went in search of same. I found a really (horrible) photograph and doctored it in oh, so many ways. Thankfully, ICAD is intended to be "suggestions," so anything goes. It got me going. That's good.</div>
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This one was a bit more of a stretch. The prompt was "portrait." I wanted something to do with the quote, "Well-behaved women rarely make history." It's wrongly attributed to Marilyn Monroe instead of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. This ICAD is composed of a photograph found on WikiCommons that received a duotone treatment and some other photos that put my extraction techniques to the test. The gingham is from a tutorial on the fabric on GQ.com and toned to match the portrait of Monroe. It brings to mind a quote more likely attributable to her, "It's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." </div>
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I like that idea. And the idea of an index card to play with. Nothing too serious, you know?</div>
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And an <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2018/06/inchie-japan.html" target="_blank">Inchie for "Japan,"</a> composed of various familiar images that invoke the country along with the characters that translate into, "Land of the Rising Sun." Okay, so that Monday was four weeks ago now, but it got the ideas flowing. I'm a little rusty. I really wanted to go with cherry blossoms, but it was having none of it. I love the vibrant red leaves of Japanese maples in autumn, don't you?<br />
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<a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2018/07/inchie-finland.html" target="_blank">I did Finland,</a> too. I found the instructions (destined for the recyclers, except it blew out of the box in the storm last night! You just never know where inspiration will come from, even right in front of you!) to the headlamp that my son just installed in his VW, written in 10 languages. I didn't even understand what was supposedly written in English, but he did a fine job on the repair.<br />
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I just glued some of it into my doodle journal. The first two line are all one word. Isn't that insane?<br />
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That'll do it. Hope you have a brilliant day!<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-48703098284030586602017-05-18T10:33:00.000-07:002017-05-18T10:40:39.355-07:00Here, Have an Apple!<a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2017/05/week-57-garden.html" target="_blank">For the TwobyTwo</a> this week, I took the concept of Eve and that darn apple and gave it a modern twist. In our house, if the man thinks he's been wrongly accused of something, he responds with, "It wasn't me. I wasn't there. It's. Not. My. Fault."<br />
If blame is being dumped on me for something that isn't (entirely) my responsibility, I hold out my hand and say, "Here. Have an apple." Therefore, I give you this photocomposition from public domain, royalty-free, non-attributable images.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Thoroughly Modern Eve</td></tr>
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As a photographer, I am asked occasionally if someone can use a photo I've taken. I am thrilled that anyone would be interested in my work, so I thank them.<br />
Then, it's time for an education. Here, a brief copyright tutorial.<br />
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A photograph is copyrighted material, almost right out of the box anymore. That's because of the digital data that is stored with the image that describes what equipment was used, when (and sometimes where) a photo was taken down to the second, and if set up, who owns all that. It's called metadata, a bunch of binary info hidden in the background. (But, should you want to uphold your rights, you need to make application with your country's copyright office. That part is not automatic).<br />
If you wish, you can pass photos and images into the public domain. That means anybody can use it in any way, shape or form. I call these Gifts to Humanity; others, quite properly, identify them as "freebies," as they are being given away, without compensation. You may find that this is the default mode for your cellie or other "camera." If that's not your intention, make sure to copyright your work. In Photoshop, you can add that to your metadata, a valuable course of action should you post your work on Pinterest, Instagram, Blogger or even eBay.<br />
Watermarks, a digital signature on an image, are another choice, but can be visually distracting.<br />
So, someone wants to use your photograph, say to make a painting. (Anything other than the original is called a "derivative" work). You can ask for a fee-for-use (a license) up-front and/or a royalty payment if and when that painting sells. The license could be under $100, the royalty fee, ten percent. All negotiable.<br />
And, most definitely not "free."<br />
It used to be okay to use another's picture if you changed it at least ten percent, such as taking a color photo and turning it into a black and white. This no longer holds up; just ask the folks at Cycling Magazine that used someone's photograph for a cover (the cyclist was filled in with all black...this was a while back). In that case, permission would have been a LOT cheaper than begging forgiveness in the court of law.<br />
Definitely NOT free.<br />
Then there's proper attribution, letting the public know where the image came from in the first place. If you were to paint Vincent Van Gogh's sunflowers, you would say you painted, "After Van Gogh." In the digital era, you identify who owns the copyright.<br />
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Okay, class, that's enough for today. I could bore you silly with this stuff. Yeah, I'm the kind of geek that reads the US Tax Code for kicks. So, let's get back to something more fun!<br />
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<a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/05/inchie-koala.html" target="_blank">For the EIM</a>, a koala I found on pixabay, a photo sharing site that requires none of that stuff I just prattled on about. Looks like Einstein, doesn't he? Love the "hair!"<br />
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<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/05/weekly-challenge-316.html?m=1" target="_blank">For the Diva</a>, sixteen square-inches of diabolical insomnia-inducing NOT ZEN. The past three nights I've pondered what to do with the striped string thing going on. I am sooooo glad to be finally DONE with this!<br />
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That's Squido, I think (straighten me out if that's not right) weaving in and out of the stripes, with Nipa in graphite.<br />
Oh, the Diva can be evil.<br />
Yeah, have an apple!<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-23551439848723099092017-05-10T17:46:00.002-07:002017-05-10T17:46:57.395-07:00Pink FlamingoI've had many a visit to different parts of Florida and have seen flamingoes. I gather they get their bright coral color from the shrimp they like to eat. I have some photos from those trips, but do I know where they are? Of course not. So I borrowed one from <a href="http://pixabay.com/">pixabay.com</a>, a photo sharing site that lets you use other people's photos. For free. Without attribution or compensation. How that works, I don't know, but I'm giving it a whirl for the EIM.<br />
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We shall see!<br />
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For the Diva, it's a look at Molygon, an official Zentangle tangle from HQ. I started and realized I liked it right here. So I stopped right here.<br />
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I'll probably fidget with it and color it. I'm thinking flowers for Mother's Day here, I guess. And I'm offering it up to you for you to do with it what you want. I'd like to see what you do with it and would appreciate attribution and linkies back to me.<br />
Hope you have a brilliant day!<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-2803066664825246572017-05-03T11:35:00.000-07:002017-05-03T11:37:40.755-07:00RepurposedIt's been freaky busy around here, and only partially in a good way. I have some freelance work to take care of and that's good!<br />
The washing machine quitting in the midst of rinsing spa towels, not so much. It's sitting in the middle of the kitchen, with the lid and back cover off. My handy dandy plumber diagnosed the problem and should have it all swell. Some time next week after the parts arrive.<br />
He also is the proud new owner of a boat that doesn't go. But he knew that when he bought it. He thought he had the problem figured out, installed new parts. We took it to the nearest lake and still no go.<br />
There better not be a third thing that decides not to work right this week. What is it about things in "threes?"<br />
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So I can get back to my normally scheduled craziness, I decided to repurpose some artwork so I can (kind of) keep up with what I've been trying to do.<br />
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For the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2017/05/week-56-ocean.html" target="_blank">TwobyTwo</a>, I offer up this image of the ocean. It's a large needlepoint painting that I did in college. The signature reads 1978. I must've had a lot of free time on my hands and had the patience for such things then.<br />
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For <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/05/inchie-bee.html" target="_blank">the EIM</a>, photographs of my favorite subject matter:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Numero Uno<br />
New River<br />
2005<br />
Copyright, Gustavsen-Stapleton Studios</td></tr>
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That's a close-up from the first digital image I ever took in 2005, so it's named, "Numero Uno." I was pretty reluctant to embrace the technology, but don't you dare take away my camera now!<br />
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And my fave:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dressed in Red<br />
Anthem<br />
2009<br />
Copyright, Gustavsen-Stapleton Studios</td></tr>
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This is a honey bee collecting pollen from a cholla--a nasty, prickly cactus. I call her, "Dressed in Red."<br />
I hope you like what I have to offer this week and don't mind that I borrowed things from around the house. The photographs are for sale, inquire.<br />
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(And as always, be mindful of copyright laws and attribution. Forgiveness gets pricey when lawyers are involved!).<br />
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Thanks for stopping by! Have a brilliant day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-76245528182012880922017-04-18T15:08:00.000-07:002017-04-20T15:01:53.194-07:00Seeing SpotsThis is one of my favorite times of year. The skies are (mostly) clear, the trees have leafed out creating dense shade and/or are working hard on creating next year's harvest of fruit. The pool is almost ready for the first swim of the season.<br />
Pollen is flying everywhere. Everything is some shade of yellow.<br />
And just when I started working on <a href="https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040.pdf" target="_blank">my most creative project</a> of the whole calendar, I caught the flu bug. I thought I was in the clear, but noooooo! So, I sent off the appropriate forms to get extensions on filing all those tax papers. Yes, I waited until the last possible moment, as always.<br />
[Dear Mr. IRS, Please note: I take it as my responsibility to pay my fair share of the tax burden and as such, do not get "creative," if that's what you're thinking. But do tell, what, exactly, does the Paperwork Reduction Act actually "do?" because I'm not seeing it!].<br />
Thus, I'm glad I started working on some of these challenges--am I alone in disliking the word "challenges" to describe the art prompts? There must be a better word--last week or maybe two ago.<br />
Over at EIM, the word is <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/04/inchie-bug.html" target="_blank">ladybug</a>. I like seeing ladybugs as they are known to consume aphids, which attack my roses and some other plants. I can count how many I see each year; I'm up to "one."<br />
My take on the theme:<br />
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I didn't follow the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/04/weekly-challenge-312.html?m=1" target="_blank">Diva</a> to the letter of the law, but rather loosely painted watercolours with some splatter and splotches. Done with Sakura Koi paints and after that dried, my trusty Sharpie:<br />
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Then we get to the TwobyTwo. The keyword is..."key." I didn't take it too literally. If you've stopped by over the past couple months, you may have read about my son and his autism. He is a very fortunate and high functioning young man. What we're trying to do is help him negotiate this new part of his identity (his reaction to the official diagnosis was, "But I don't FEEL different!") as well as put together the pieces of his puzzle that will help him achieve his definition of success in this world.<br />
It's also happens to be Autism Awareness Month and the logo for the <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/" target="_blank">biggest organization</a> working on autism is a blue puzzle piece.<br />
What that means to me is that I'm doing a LOT of reading, everything from biographies of autistics, scientific and medical treatises (is that the plural of the word?) and cookbooks.<br />
And playing with puzzle pieces.<br />
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So there you have my contributions this week. Only fair, the IRS has theirs.<br />
Thanks for visiting, have a brilliant day! Be sure to check out the creativity to be found at the other artist blogs and how they interpret these "challenges."cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-79681363436775628502017-04-06T11:16:00.001-07:002017-04-11T12:13:00.386-07:00Proud as a Peacock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Continuing through the phyla of avian creatures, the EIM word last week was "peacock." I found a box of Derwent Inktense I bought and stored away a few years ago. I knew I had them and I was amused to find the metal box is decorated with a peacock illustration. (I was also amused that Freebird took a similar approach, but with beads! Coincidence? I think not.)<br />
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It was fun to finally crack open and use those pencils! I'll be trying them out again, soon.<br />
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Mostly, I've been getting up to speed on Autism Spectrum Disorder. My son officially received a diagnosis of HFA, or high-functioning, at 26. It also happens to be World Autism Awareness month and April second was the official day to <a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/" target="_blank">Light it up Blue</a> to promote awareness. (Depending on who is looking at the numbers, one person in 68 is autistic. We ALL know someone.).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White House lit up for April 2nd, 2017<br />
Photo copyright: Lincoln Photography<br />
From autismspeaks.org</td></tr>
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I am grateful for the people at <a href="https://www.autismcenter.org/" target="_blank">SARRC</a> in Phoenix who helped us find out what's going on with TJ and have offered a variety of resources to help us help him. He's highly intelligent, especially in matters of mechanical objects (planes, trains and automobiles!) He's working full-time for Walmart and has a temporary assignment at a new location, so meeting new people. I couldn't be happier for him, or more proud.<br />
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One of TJ's favorite games is SIMON. And I chose this for this EIM, parrot, as the game requires you to repeat back, or parrot, a sequence of colored lights. Made with my trusty Photoshop program:<br />
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The <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2017/04/week-54-coin.html" target="_blank">TwobyTwo</a> this week is "coin." I went by way of "coin a phrase", one attributed to Horace (Odes 1.11, 23BC) and the other to Clint Eastwood (Sudden Impact, 1983AD). These are photos I took of brittlebush, a terribly toxic plant that just looks so pretty in bloom.<br />
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I've been following the Diva for the last few weeks and put them all together this week. The challenge this week was to use <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/04/weekly-challenge-311.html" target="_blank">circles and squares</a> for strings. Well, they're in there, really they are. The other things going on are "<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/04/weekly-challenge-310-and-something-new.html?m=1" target="_blank">Frunky</a>," and "<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/03/weekly-challenge-309.html?m=1" target="_blank">Noom."</a> At first I couldn't find the step-outs for that thing and found a weight management app, instead (huh?). So, I call this, "What's in a Name?"<br />
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That's what I have to offer this week. Thanks for stopping by, have a brilliant (and BLUE!) day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-21995756902991111292017-03-20T14:45:00.000-07:002017-03-20T14:48:52.591-07:00For the BirdsThe EIM for the week is "<a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/03/inchie-woodpicker.html" target="_blank">woodpecker</a>." I tried to get a photograph of one that was poking around in a mesquite tree, but even though he's quite colorful, he was very hard to get a good picture of. So I kind of borrowed an image from someone else and made a watercolor out of it.<br />
I recall our home on Cape Cod where we had a very industrious woodpecker. He'd knock out knots in the cedar shakes and leave gooey sweet goodness for ants to find there. The ants would find the sweets, then the woodpecker would have lunch of sap and sugar-coated ants. The bird knew enough to set up shop right under the second-story eaves where we couldn't bother him because we couldn't get close!<br />
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To get caught up, I've included the last few birds--a rooster, who happens to be the mascot for a local egg company (huh?!), a green heron and a bunch of rubber duckies.<br />
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Which means the only thing missing for the inchies is a horse, of course. Just HAD to go in this direction:<br />
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I have to thank my lucky stars that the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/03/weekly-challenge-308.html?m=1" target="_blank">Diva</a> this week chose a simple theme for Zentangle, to stick with tried-and-true tangles rather than fancy or complicated drawing. Headquarters calls it going with the MacnCheese, Ms. Diva Kraft Dinner; we call it, Blue Box, Please! (It might be just the thing for dinner tonight! Every once in a while, it is just right).<br />
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Simple:<br />
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And simpler:<br />
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If you've been wondering what we've been up to, the <a href="https://1xeritas.blogspot.com/2017/03/lifehappens.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> spells it out pretty well. Other than that, it's been a LOT of yardwork! After all the rain (15 inches so far this year!), the sun came out and warmed things up considerably (90s, 32+ Celsius). Everything is growing green and fast; faster than I can weed or trim. At one point, the grass was three feet high! I read in a desert gardening book that March is supposed to be a month of leisure and enjoying the fruits of my labours.<br />
Ha. Ha. Hahahaha!<br />
Thanks for stopping by! Have a brilliant day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-12245380130957958802017-03-14T11:01:00.000-07:002017-03-14T11:01:32.463-07:00Life...HappensI'm sorry I haven't been very communicative lately. It's been very...interesting in our sphere lately.<div>
I really don't wish "interesting" on anybody. </div>
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The year started off with Gil's mom passing and without much further ado, his father quickly followed. They had lived to be 90, but sickness and frailty had become their common visitors. We didn't see them often as they were 2300 miles away, but we were able to see his dad before he died. </div>
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I think they had been married for almost 70 years. </div>
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The task now is to clear out not one, but two homes stocked to the rafters with the accumulation of all that togetherness. Be still my hoarder heart!</div>
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There will be fewer "work" days and more travel in our future. </div>
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Closer to home, my son is being examined for being autistic, or more correctly where on the spectrum of Autistic Spectrum Disorder does he place? He's highly-functioning; he's articulate, he's friendly, he holds a job, he's 26 years-old. We're working with individuals to see if there are state-funded programs that can help TJ. We'll find out later today if he's eligible. (Even if he isn't, there has been the offer to steer us toward other resources, so it's all good). It's been hours of interviews, evaluations and enough paperwork to fell a forest, not to mention the literature I've been consuming on the matter. </div>
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It's been hard to focus. </div>
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But, perhaps, just maybe...</div>
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This little bitty came about from the TwobyTwo prompt of "peppermint." Just the word conjures little candies with red stripes (my favorites are pink with cinnamon, too) or refreshing mojitos (it's been perfect weather for frosty recreational beverages, or FRBs in our house). </div>
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This is not what I call refreshing nor perfect, but you know how the sub-conscience sneaks in and around, right? It's supposed to be swirly with red stripes. And why is the only word that can be read say, "purple?" Made with an encyclopedia entry for peppermint and torn paper painted with nail polish:</div>
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<br />Even though it's nothing like I expected, I like it. I liked the process and the result even if it's nothing like "peppermint!"</div>
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cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-62462261094642191222017-02-15T11:39:00.000-08:002017-02-15T11:41:21.721-08:00Moo!On our first trip West with the kiddos (age 3 and 6, they're now 23 and 26), the youngest saw cattle grazing alongside the road and yelled, "Look! COWS!".<br />
It goes down as one of those crazy road trip tales as the driver took that to mean, "Look out!" and proceeded to do some crazy road trip driving.<br />
We can laugh about that now.<br />
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Now our homestead is nestled in the foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains and our little hamlet is entirely "open range."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THAT is FUNNY!</td></tr>
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That means ranchers can let their animals roam anywhere. That means we can wake to the sound of cows mooing as they graze on the prickly pear cactus just the other side of our fence. It means we often get dangerously close to very large hamburgers with feet while night driving.<br />
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I don't know if you can see that; I tried to approximate what it might look like driving head first into a steer on a country road.<br />
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What does any of this have to do with art? It's the EIM this week, <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/02/inchie-cow.html" target="_blank">"cow."</a><br />
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That's from a child's search and find puzzle book that I found in my stash of piles of magazines. (Yeah, yeah, I need to do the dishes!).<br />
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Elsewhere, the objective is a lot of hearts for Saint Valentine's Day. For <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2017/02/its-string-thing-183.html?m=1" target="_blank">IAST 182</a>:<br />
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For the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/02/weekly-challenge-303.html?m=1" target="_blank">Diva 303</a>, my Valentine to you (I followed Laura's lead and went with the Hefty Hack method:<br />
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And I revisited 302 as I realized that I didn't have the hang of that tangle. At. All.<br />
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(The central tangle reminds me of <a href="https://www.mummenschanz.com/" target="_blank">Mummenschanz</a>, which I saw at the Wang Theater, once upon a time. Have you ever been? They're still performing!)<br />
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I think that's about it, for now. Thanks for dropping by. Be sure to check out all the other artists' blogs, there is so much creativity in the weird wide web.<br />
Hope you have a brilliant day! And watch out for cows!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-51722995548061179212017-02-07T09:56:00.000-08:002017-02-08T12:06:24.271-08:00Proof PositiveI just finished reading a book by Dana White titled, <a href="http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/" target="_blank">"How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind." </a>It's a hilarious take on real-world cleaning strategies. (Spoiler alert: Do the dishes).<br />
I'm sure you're thinking why would anyone as organized as I need to read about home management?<br />
HA!<br />
In reality I'm just a crazy old cat lady hoarder-in-training. I mean, I don't even have one cat yet! I'm not so old! But if there were need of any proof that I have the hoarder thing going on, here is my entry to the <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/02/inchie-pig.html" target="_blank">Every Inchie Monday</a> this week:<br />
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This is a clipping of a child's sweater from the Fall 1999 issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting magazine. I'm not sure why I still have the periodical, my knitting skills are not very, well, skillful. One of these days I'll actually knit a sweater. Maybe. It won't be that one.<br />
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For the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/02/weekly-challenge-302.html?m=1" target="_blank">Diva challenge</a> this week:<br />
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The objective, to use <a href="http://dischdisch.blogspot.ca/2015/08/hamadox.html" target="_blank">Hamadox</a> in a sentence (Ah ha!). Here, I put a few tried and true tangles to work. I'm really enjoying drawing with Prismacolor colored pencils and I'm trying to keep notes of which colors I'm using for future reference. (Yeah, like keeping a knitting magazine that is soooo last century. But, you have to admit, it came in handy this week!).<br />
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My last entry is for the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2017/02/week-50-news.html" target="_blank">TwobyTwo</a>, where the word is "news." I like reading and am grateful that I can access whatever it is I need to know on the Internet. Otherwise, the papers might pile up ad infinitum. It could get out of hand.<br />
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Thanks for stopping by. Have a brilliant day.<br />
I have to go do the dishes now.cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-75697255115890990522017-02-02T12:41:00.000-08:002017-02-03T09:26:18.462-08:00Grand State of MindEveryday brings news. Some of it good, some of it not so much and a lot of it just needs to....be ignored. The last several holiday seasons has brought big, massive and decidedly in the not-so-much category sort of news. <br />
Still, we carry on, don't we?<br />
I, of the optimistic, glass half-full mentality, persevere.<br />
When life hands you a bar coaster, you know just what you're going to do with it. First, you're going to squeeze fresh citrus and blenderize a margarita. Then, you're going to draw. This is what happened when I tackled the Diva's weekly challenge, number 301, a <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2017/01/weekly-challenge-301.html?m=1" target="_blank">Diva Dance/Paradox duotangle</a>:<br />
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This is an improved version, a tackle-it-after-coffee-infusion. An I'm not too worried about what I accomplish today version. It wanted to be a butterfly and butterflies are free.<br />
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At the EIM, the word is <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2017/01/inchie-donkey.html" target="_blank">donkey</a>. Doing some research on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donkey" target="_blank">donkey</a> made my head hurt and I'm not quite sure why I got too carried away with that as I knew right off what I was going to do. South of here, surrounding Lake Pleasant is a very strong population of wild burros (small grey Mexican donkeys). They are cute, but they are a hearty bunch that is overwhelming the environment and native species. You can adopt one through the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/whb/adoption.html" target="_blank">BLM</a>.<br />
And hopefully NOT meet one by accident on the freeway. These signs were installed last year to try to prevent such incidents. (I tilted the sign 45 degrees to make it square instead of diamond-shaped).<br />
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Other than that, there's the TwobyTwo for next week. <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2017/01/what-is-black-and-white.html" target="_blank">The word is "news."</a> Hopefully, it's of the good news variety. I'm working on that, won't you join the fun? Anything can happen there, as long as it fits into a two-inch square.<br />
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Thank you all for visiting and your words of kindness and encouragement. It all makes my heart sing. I can't carry a tune, but my heart seems to know the words.<br />
Have a brilliant day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-54805145898244159522017-01-17T11:45:00.000-08:002017-01-17T16:08:17.485-08:00Out of PracticeIt's not really that I haven't been creating, just not as actively as I'd like. Feeling guilty about that isn't going to help or change the world, but it did lead to not chatting about it. I have a stack of little artworks laying around, mostly tossed into a corner or three when guests came to visit through the holidays.<br />
Then the calendar flipped and things really got out of hand. Let's just say that there is a little order that has come of the chaos. Life can be....interesting, and it helps to embrace that instead of trying to fight it, right?<br />
I was going to start a botanical drawing class, but the instructor wanted a list of art supplies of which I have NONE. Hard to believe that's even possible! But I have the book and am digesting the ideas before I commit to a totally new set of (Faber-Castell) colored pencils. I'm already invested in Prismacolor and Spectrum Noir, isn't that good enough??<br />
I say all that as an introduction to Diva 299 with the latest official Zentangle tangle, Drawings (think: draw wings). Working on light direction, foliage coloration and subtle shading.<br />
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Then there's the EIM that I'm working on. Here we go with the first four of 2017. Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself, but I didn't want to lose that fabric swatch, as I'm bound to do.<br />
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The first one is rabbit (and you never have just one!), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qN72LEQnaU" target="_blank">the hampster dance</a>, a cat who looks as happy about the weather as I do (the cold, the rain! just stay inside!) and the dog (which, for whatever reason, one repeat along the selvage had all green shading. weird).<br />
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The objective at last week's TwobyTwo was happy. Too many ideas were trying to work their way through to the cerebral surface. One of my other goals this year is to tackle Illustrator. Again.<br />
While this was created in Photoshop, some of the methods to make it were borrowed from what I know about Illustrator (slim-to-none). This simple thing took me an hour! UGH.<br />
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With many an apology <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smiley" target="_blank">to all of the artists</a> who have gone before me in this, along with a special nod to Robert Herrick, who may have been the first to use the smiley in text as :) in 1648!<br />
And we think we're so clever!<br />
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If the hamster dance music is driving you as crazy as I: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-diB65scQU" target="_blank">Don't worry, be happy!</a><br />
I bid you a happy and brilliant day! Thanks for dropping by!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-10838160396017491252016-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:002016-11-15T15:17:53.292-08:00It's About TimeImagine if you will.... Oops, wrong show.<br />
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If you are of a certain age, you may remember a short-lived situation-comedy called, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1G-TsdNWGg" target="_blank">"It's about Time."</a> Don't worry if you don't, as many of my friends peer at me warily when I mention it. I've been known to rattle off the theme song as if it were on the telly last night, and it has been fifty years since it aired! Eee ghad!<br />
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At the EIM, the theme this week is <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/11/inchie-wormhole.html" target="_blank">wormhole</a>, a theoretical space-time construct that would allow travel across the universe. So, if we're talking time travel, let's start by going back to 1967:<br />
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Alrighty, then!<br />
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Let's see if I can improve this post ever so slightly with my contributions to the Diva, <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/11/weekly-challenge-292.html?m=1" target="_blank">numbers 292</a> <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/11/weekly-challenge-293.html?m=1" target="_blank">and 293</a>:<br />
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The objectives here were to use "Keeko" as in the top left and "Eazy" as in the bottom right. That was kind of fun. Soon I'll release them into the wild....<br />
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At the TwobyTwo, <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/11/week-44-yarn.html" target="_blank">the theme is yarn</a>. I've been knitting as therapy. (I would prefer to crochet, but it hurts my fingers; they don't quite curl like they did before the accident).<br />
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I'm making washcloths, or they could be used as dishcloths. The yarn is 100 percent cotton and these knit up at ten inches. I'm trying to sell them to help with my hospital bills, if anyone is interested. Email me at 1xeritas@gmail.com and I'll give you the details.<br />
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In different news, what has been captivating my time is making woobies. Through a friend, I found out a clinic at Luke Air Force Base has been looking for blankies. I have a stack almost ready to deliver. I'm so happy they can put these to good use.<br />
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Keeping these fingers VERY BUSY! It's not like I have work to do! HA!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-63160103289881321952016-11-01T10:42:00.001-07:002016-11-01T16:17:23.746-07:00Bingo!Dedicated to Freebird<br />
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If you've been around these parts and you follow links to other challenges, you will find <a href="http://freebirdsinnovations.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Freebird</a> and her beads. But, perhaps, this week, she may be silent as she lost her mother AND her brother in the space of eight days. </div>
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I was thinking of her the other day while I was making spaghetti sauce. She posted a couple weeks ago that she tried a recipe from that weird wide web called the Internet and found it to be just dreadful. Using her creative brain she was able to save that day's dinner by adding some salsa!</div>
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I'm posting my recipe. I never make it exactly the same way, but it seems to get to the same result every time, for me anyway. (NB: there's a reason why I'm not a baker. I mostly wing it in the kitchen with whatever floats my boat that day or whatever I have in the fridge to work with). </div>
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My prayers are with you, Free! And if I could drop in, I'd bring a big tray of lasagna. Food is love and the recipe will just have to do. For now. Just follow <a href="https://1xeritas.blogspot.com/p/food.html" target="_blank">this link</a>!</div>
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Onto other things.</div>
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For the TwobyTwo, for "tangled," I went with a spider and it's web in Loteria fashion. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loter%C3%ADa" target="_blank">Loteria</a> is, essentially, Mexican "Bingo!"<br />
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Loteria card #33 is of La Arana, the spider. Collage with dictionary definition page of "web."<br />
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I guess it could also factor in one of the recent Diva Challenges as she's had <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/10/weekly-challenge-291.html?m=1" target="_blank">spider webs</a> on the brain as well. And I think it is kind of fitting for today, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead" target="_blank">Dia de los Muertos</a>. </div>
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Thank you for stopping by and have a brilliant day!</div>
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cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-88195427721817400922016-10-17T13:07:00.000-07:002016-10-17T15:27:11.706-07:00Look to the Horizon<br />
We're in the midst of full-on fall here in Arizona and the leaves are indeed a-changing. Nothing quite so lovely as Vermont sugar maples here on the homestead (but I can get my fix by running up to the West Fork of Oak Creek in Sedona anytime I get myself moving...). The mulberry trees that provide deep shade in high summer are dropping a tremendous amount of yellow leaves that turn brown before they hit the ground.<br />
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So when <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/10/weekly-challenge-289.html?m=1" target="_blank">the Diva</a> asked all the tangly people to use leaves for inspiration, I steered clear of the front of the house (and the thoughts of having to do all that raking!) and slipped out the back door to the citrus trees, which are evergreen. I used some leaves to create a stencil for some <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=18867211693&searchurl=isbn%3D9781570542077%26sortby%3D17%26n%3D100121503" target="_blank">Eric Carle tissue paper</a> and drew the veins in with my trusted Sharpie. The circles are meant to mimic the concrete walkway between the trees...and perhaps I'll color in the pebbles sometime soon.<br />
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That was just plain fun!<br />
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Then I used the same papers for the<a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/10/inchie-horizon.html" target="_blank"> EIM</a>. The word is "horizon." From our house, we don't see where the land meets the sky quite as we're surrounded on the east and west by 7000 foot mountains (that's over 2100 meters and we're at only about 2000 ft/610 m). Our view looks similar to the inchie on the left I made with tissue and the magazine cut-out on the right. The little artwork in the middle is meant to look like the ocean when the fog rolls in and you can't discern sky from the water, a view I miss from back East.<br />
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The word at the TwobyTwo this week is "quill." Originally, the thought came from porcupines and their nasty barbs.<br />
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Along my way through art challenges and such, I have met three fine quillers in the blogosphere: <a href="http://zoe3265.blogspot.com.au/" target="_blank">Zoe</a>, <a href="http://kiasstuff.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Kia</a> and <a href="http://callitwhatyouquill.blogspot.de/" target="_blank">Annette </a>(and you should check out their work! I'll wait! Their work does a much better job of describing their craft than my words ever will).<br />
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Perhaps, I thought, I'd try my hand at that paper art. Let's just say I'll keep trying!<br />
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While researching for the TwobyTwo, I learned about quillwork, where quills are used to create functional art. I came up with an idea to kind of combine the two art forms--using paper strips instead of those barbs, which are in short supply around here. I don't know what to quite call this. "How to take 250 square inches of paper and reduce it to 4" probably doesn't sound very appealing. But, that's pretty much what I did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_qCppVYjao/WAUq12xh08I/AAAAAAAAGxw/yIXd8mYbka8nRgYOE3k1hbDQDCkuRaXTgCLcB/s1600/quillwork%2Bhorizon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_qCppVYjao/WAUq12xh08I/AAAAAAAAGxw/yIXd8mYbka8nRgYOE3k1hbDQDCkuRaXTgCLcB/s640/quillwork%2Bhorizon.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset with Wrapped Paper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
All the same, I'd do it again. At least, I gained some insight into paper economy.<br />
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<br />
Be sure to check out the various art blog challenges and if the mood suits you, try your hand at the myriad techniques and ideas. There's still time to submit to any of these, particularly the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TwobyTwo!</a><br />
Thanks for stopping by and have a brilliant day!<br />
<br /></div>
cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-70239364798348454252016-10-13T15:26:00.001-07:002016-10-13T15:26:48.336-07:00In the Right DirectionOK.<br />
Are you ready for this? (Probably not).<br />
The EIM word for the week is <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/10/inchie-direction.html" target="_blank">"direction."</a> When I was thinking what to do with this, I started with a compass and veered into moral compass territory for a fleeting moment. Can you hear the brakes squealing?<br />
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There were many ways to go with this, so...here ya go!<br />
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This is One Direction:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qsxxFU0do8U/WAAGU1byoaI/AAAAAAAAGwo/qHH7tv1KavkToVVannNkTKsG2DVuZMxGACLcB/s1600/1D11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qsxxFU0do8U/WAAGU1byoaI/AAAAAAAAGwo/qHH7tv1KavkToVVannNkTKsG2DVuZMxGACLcB/s200/1D11.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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This could be the right direction:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9cSGMmLHRY/WAAGeS45UKI/AAAAAAAAGws/u0i8JIEmE3M4dwT0uCC_J7ifLUqaU_xUQCLcB/s1600/right%2Bturn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d9cSGMmLHRY/WAAGeS45UKI/AAAAAAAAGws/u0i8JIEmE3M4dwT0uCC_J7ifLUqaU_xUQCLcB/s200/right%2Bturn.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VmsV-NnPC80/WAAGriWWPYI/AAAAAAAAGww/5WAXI2IuI9c0dgqiNmzZTSjIHHv4NsgqACLcB/s1600/right-winding-road-sign-x-w1-5r.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VmsV-NnPC80/WAAGriWWPYI/AAAAAAAAGww/5WAXI2IuI9c0dgqiNmzZTSjIHHv4NsgqACLcB/s200/right-winding-road-sign-x-w1-5r.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwY3reRxINw/WAAHCdJgLLI/AAAAAAAAGw0/Jqc8Y5jMwv8RS4Wkr--0R-18oSDQ707qACLcB/s1600/right%2Bturn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AwY3reRxINw/WAAHCdJgLLI/AAAAAAAAGw0/Jqc8Y5jMwv8RS4Wkr--0R-18oSDQ707qACLcB/s200/right%2Bturn.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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And that brings me home!<br />
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I love the squirrely S-turn! Don't you?<br />
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Fall is in the air, which means it's sunny and 90. Leaves are turning early and the citrus is ripening already, two months or more ahead of schedule. I'm not the biggest fan of Hallowe'en, but I'm trying to embrace the excitement for everyone else. Instead of working the seasonal Zentangle challenges, I tried my hand at digital illustrating. Caution: danger zone!<br />
Well, Happy Fall!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocvHvF7IAbQ/WAAJBj54HOI/AAAAAAAAGxE/sWKGA_Nu6VY_tdq4ZvEKMhgf8b4-eH9zQCLcB/s1600/halloween%2Bdoor%2Bproject.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ocvHvF7IAbQ/WAAJBj54HOI/AAAAAAAAGxE/sWKGA_Nu6VY_tdq4ZvEKMhgf8b4-eH9zQCLcB/s320/halloween%2Bdoor%2Bproject.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Notice I left my broom by the door, just like you'd find it here. I parked some pumpkins, too, along with the obligatory bushel of mums. If you think I'm drawing those, you're crazy!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-65597752808335722252016-10-03T11:38:00.000-07:002016-10-03T11:38:33.344-07:00On the EdgeDedicated to <a href="http://www.boomeresque.com/" target="_blank">Suzanne</a>.<br />
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Suzanne asked the blogosphere if we'd ever stood <a href="http://www.boomeresque.com/zentangle-diva-challenge-286-back-from-england-iceland-edition/" target="_blank">"on the edge,</a>" no matter how literal we took that to mean. What a great jumping off point, isn't it?<br />
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What first came to my mind is "The Abyss." No, not <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Abyss" target="_blank">the movie</a>, but that's a good point. There's an overlook by the name that affords a look deep into a portion of the Grand Canyon. Supposedly, you can see rocks 200 million years old or more. If what "they" say about the Canyon that the average person stays a whopping 20 minutes, we're throwing the curve.<br />
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Most people must miss the Abyss since you have to either hike or take the bus to get there. Pity.<br />
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Even better is the view from Toroweap, mostly because of the effort required to get there. It's 60 miles off-road, about three hours from the last bit of pavement; high-clearance vehicle required. The Park Service suggests that you pack an extra spare tire as most drivers pop at least one and to get a tow truck is $2000, if you have cell service at all.<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="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZphlJ-Qyg8/V_Kbn3xHChI/AAAAAAAAGuc/ZEcKvCXsMiIZkdZEEwT1-_gME6Q8wn17wCLcB/s1600/_MG_8825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aZphlJ-Qyg8/V_Kbn3xHChI/AAAAAAAAGuc/ZEcKvCXsMiIZkdZEEwT1-_gME6Q8wn17wCLcB/s320/_MG_8825.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badge of Courage</td></tr>
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My Lexus (2001 RX300 with over 225,000 miles) performed superbly (no flat tires!) thanks to one very able driver (thank you, Gil!). I wish I had a video to send to the company so they can see what that car can really do, but I wish I had better photographs from the viewpoint. Seems as "the" shot is at sunrise and because of the cliff height 3,000 feet above the Colorado, sunrise in summer is around 3 AM.<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="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYOOC_q9z4U/V_KbynJYjsI/AAAAAAAAGug/tUIm8FHtoK8jTm_5SMmYdSlTucuo7bbfACLcB/s1600/sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gYOOC_q9z4U/V_KbynJYjsI/AAAAAAAAGug/tUIm8FHtoK8jTm_5SMmYdSlTucuo7bbfACLcB/s320/sunset.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eight PM</td></tr>
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Missed that by a MILE!<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="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMzzZP7GHcU/V_KcEloiU3I/AAAAAAAAGuk/sTduKgntN3MD27k9ynBjdkaKLX4IReJ7wCLcB/s1600/erica%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bedge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CMzzZP7GHcU/V_KcEloiU3I/AAAAAAAAGuk/sTduKgntN3MD27k9ynBjdkaKLX4IReJ7wCLcB/s320/erica%2Bon%2Bthe%2Bedge.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica on the Edge<br />
Can you find her?</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="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jE5YNKuKon4/V_KcSnsczVI/AAAAAAAAGuo/zrixeyw5B4A8BH4N3-lkd18IE38d8NC5gCLcB/s1600/_MG_8794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jE5YNKuKon4/V_KcSnsczVI/AAAAAAAAGuo/zrixeyw5B4A8BH4N3-lkd18IE38d8NC5gCLcB/s320/_MG_8794.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TJ on the Edge</td></tr>
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Our first glimpse of the Canyon was 20 years ago. I don't know how we did it, but we found a spot where we walked right up to the edge. No sidewalk, no plaques, no guardrails. Just that giant hole in the ground. Took my breath away. That and trying to catch my fearless three year-old daughter from being, well, fearless.<br />
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Everywhere we went in Arizona, she would pick up pebbles and drop them into my camera bag. She was particularly fond of Sedona red sandstone. (Shh! Don't tell anyone). I still fish one out every once in a while.<br />
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That trip put into action wheels that turned in such a manner that here I am, in the Grand Canyon state. If I wanted to, I could be staring into the Abyss by lunch.<br />
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I've been on the edge of my seat.<br />
I've been on the "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn8-4tjPxD8" target="_blank">Edge of Seventeen</a>" (and recently celebrated my fortieth anniversary of same).<br />
I've been hanging on the edge of numerous cliffs in search of <a href="http://www.desertsouthwest.org/travel-southwest/indian-ruins-and-petroglyphs/utah-indian-ruins-petroglyphs/" target="_blank">Indian artifacts</a>.<br />
I've been on the edge of each side of this continent, staring out onto the horizon in all directions.<br />
I've been on the edge of four states all at once.<br />
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I'm on the edge of a new beginning, each and every day.<br />
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So, yes, where have YOU stood, "on the edge?" Be sure to let Suzanne know!<br />
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On your way to Toroweap (or the North Rim or Lake Powell or Monument Valley...), you can take a quick detour to see Dinosaur Tracks on the Navajo Reservation. Which is a great segue to the EIM, "dinosaur," this week:<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-soVip87HuPg/V_Kc7pC8bbI/AAAAAAAAGuw/vXzAfSxP9CIJwu_qk7xUIHxre3T2r22BwCLcB/s1600/dinosaur%2Btracks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-soVip87HuPg/V_Kc7pC8bbI/AAAAAAAAGuw/vXzAfSxP9CIJwu_qk7xUIHxre3T2r22BwCLcB/s200/dinosaur%2Btracks.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Which is also a great segue to <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/10/weekly-challenge-287.html?m=1" target="_blank">the Diva this week</a>. While you are at Dinosaur Tracks, you can visit the little booths set up and purchase a "Dreamcatcher" from the Dine people. Mine is frayed and frazzled. Must've been doing a swell job catching those pesky spirits.<br />
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And "<a href="http://thetanglecorner.blogspot.ca/2016/08/new-tanglereticulum-dreamcatcher.html" target="_blank">Dreamcatcher</a>" by Daniel Lamothe is the tangle focus of the week!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFe6z1VNRts/V_Kgh-GRdCI/AAAAAAAAGvE/2MpIGSPz5aMPbYX4bEtQxlkZzJmrVz6GgCLcB/s1600/diva%2B287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kFe6z1VNRts/V_Kgh-GRdCI/AAAAAAAAGvE/2MpIGSPz5aMPbYX4bEtQxlkZzJmrVz6GgCLcB/s320/diva%2B287.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">The pattern snuck its way into my twinchie this week, too. This wasn't anything like what I wanted to do! Somewhere I have a sheet of copper I was going to emboss, but where, oh where could it be?</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MP8vS2RnfI/V_KgqxMgVfI/AAAAAAAAGvI/eM3_PCx26-AZIudPyKd8B-nThFlyOGDNQCLcB/s1600/copper%2B2x2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9MP8vS2RnfI/V_KgqxMgVfI/AAAAAAAAGvI/eM3_PCx26-AZIudPyKd8B-nThFlyOGDNQCLcB/s320/copper%2B2x2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So I went with a collage of Tim Holtz stickers, copper gimp, gold nail polish pen, copper beads on a light turquoise envelope and paint chips. I think I have to revisit this idea. There's still time to make something else. Indeed, if you're interested, submissions to the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/09/person-place-and-thing.html" target="_blank">TwobyTwo</a> are always welcome!<br />
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Meanwhile, I'm going to see about finding the copper that I must've put in a great place that I'd remember where. Thank you for stopping by. Have a brilliant day!<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-76529184507811608342016-09-29T18:03:00.002-07:002016-09-30T08:16:45.830-07:00You Can't Take it With YouThis past weekend was a birthday celebration, even if we started celebrating it as soon as the calendar flipped to September. There may have been some wine involved, as well as pizza and some Chinese take-out and popcorn and....I got a "free" chocolate chip cookie--one of those humongous skillet things with ice cream and fudge sauce--but I didn't have to worry about it going to waste as my kids plowed through it for me (I don't do chocolate, long story...).<br />
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I did laundry and yoga in equal measure. Painted my fingernails with a pink sparkle polish that makes me smile. I had to take care of some internet business with Yahoo! having some difficulties. I didn't have to cook much, but for some reason there were still plenty of dishes to clean. My daughter gave me flowers and a chance to paint some more and my son gave me a chance to buy some new clothes. The love of my life bestowed upon me all of his abilities--and he has many--as we work on the on-going home improvements. The spa doesn't look so hot, but it is fully operational. That's hot!<br />
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I slept, I ate, I played. And I am blessed. Truly, what more could I ask for?<br />
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A new mind set.<br />
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I am determined not to become one of those hoarder cat ladies and I'm on a tear to get rid of "stuff" I'm just hanging on to. If it doesn't make me happy, out it goes! (Goodwill and others are reaping the benefits. Can't just throw it away, right?)<br />
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I had a very nice briefcase. Black alligator. Stylish. And totally useless. I could get a notebook in it, a pencil or two and NOTHING ELSE! Out it went! I have to wonder if anyone can make use of it.<br />
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Which brings me to the <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/09/inchie-briefcase.html" target="_blank">EIM</a> word for the week: briefcase. Anyone ever make use of the Windows program?<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWrT2a5D9pM/V-24c_uG9gI/AAAAAAAAGt8/1KTbNJJZnG8cDkxgB_Yei-DsCfcEgArlwCLcB/s1600/briefcase-icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XWrT2a5D9pM/V-24c_uG9gI/AAAAAAAAGt8/1KTbNJJZnG8cDkxgB_Yei-DsCfcEgArlwCLcB/s1600/briefcase-icon.png" /></a></div>
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Me, neither.<br />
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I think I did better with the Zentangly things.<br />
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<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/09/weekly-challenge-286.html?m=1" target="_blank">The Diva</a>, to use only straight lines:<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="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YvDBK2_b8pQ/V-246jSZVhI/AAAAAAAAGuA/VpUX4xbleBkVls8gQmKRXluLxYha1vaawCLcB/s1600/diva%2B286%2Bstraighten%2Bup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YvDBK2_b8pQ/V-246jSZVhI/AAAAAAAAGuA/VpUX4xbleBkVls8gQmKRXluLxYha1vaawCLcB/s320/diva%2B286%2Bstraighten%2Bup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Straighten Up</td></tr>
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And the <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/09/its-string-thing-164.html?m=1" target="_blank">IAST</a>:<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="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkXpg3seF8Y/V-25HjdeypI/AAAAAAAAGuI/ugTsMmfqe64qjraOuLHg1tFioe7VZICqgCLcB/s1600/iast%2B164%2Bcatch%2Ba%2Brising%2Bstar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gkXpg3seF8Y/V-25HjdeypI/AAAAAAAAGuI/ugTsMmfqe64qjraOuLHg1tFioe7VZICqgCLcB/s320/iast%2B164%2Bcatch%2Ba%2Brising%2Bstar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catch a Rising Star</td></tr>
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That's what I have to offer this week. Thanks for stopping by.<br />
Have a brilliant day!<br />
<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-61234190957491739982016-09-20T10:51:00.001-07:002016-10-06T16:11:38.427-07:00To Infinity and Beyond!Since Life as we know it can be weird and coincidental, it really was no surprise that the EIM and the 2X2 had similar themes this week. For the TwobyTwo, the word was <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/09/week-40-astronomy.html" target="_blank">"Astronomy."</a><br />
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Since life gets really weird sometimes, I recently received some mail that fit perfectly. </div>
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We're particularly fond of Pluto, even if it was downgraded from full planet status; it was at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff that Pluto's existence was first revealed in 1930. Last year, the New Horizon satellite took close-ups of Pluto before leaving the Solar System and the observatory was in celebration mode all year. (The plastic bead is meant to represent the satellite. Do you think that works? I'm not so sure and haven't committed to it yet!)</div>
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The stamp arrived on mail last week for a different celebration. According to my dad's calculations, I'm going to be 37. I could live with that!</div>
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Over at the EIM, the word is <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/09/inchie-infinity.html" target="_blank">"Infinity."</a> I had nowhere else to go with this one. I pasted Buzz on a photo of the M33, the Triangulum Galaxy. If you're a geek like me, <a href="http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160917.html" target="_blank">APOD</a> is one of my favorite blogs, care of NASA, from whence I found the galaxy photograph.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f0pFmgi6D50/V-FvPR-o0JI/AAAAAAAAGsk/EDbXRXJMPxg9v8Xtk-yxzugixM9Hd7t9ACLcB/s1600/infinity%2Binchie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f0pFmgi6D50/V-FvPR-o0JI/AAAAAAAAGsk/EDbXRXJMPxg9v8Xtk-yxzugixM9Hd7t9ACLcB/s200/infinity%2Binchie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/09/weekly-challenge-285.html?m=1" target="_blank">Over at the Diva</a>, the challenge was to step back, relax and just do the tangle. I stepped into the zone slowly. I gathered some "real" art supplies for a change (Faber Castell Pitt Manga markers and Strathmore paper instead of my usual journal and Sharpies), as part of the intent of Zentangle is to honor the method as well as the materials; to place value on the process and the result.<br />
To experience unmitigated JOY!</div>
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I said some prayers to Rick and Maria, the founders of all things Zentangle and to Laura, the Diva herself. You know? To instill a feeling of gratefulness. I added <a href="http://tanglestreet.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jean</a> next to my list as she was the first CZT I found on-line and how I found the Diva and the EIM. Naturally, I then prayed for <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/filox/" target="_blank">Trillian</a>, the leader of the EIM and the entire pack that tackles teenie artworks on a weekly basis. Then back to all the creatives I've met through Laura.<br />
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Oh! My heart is full to overflowing!<br />
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I poured a cuppa, cleared my desk and was instantly derailed by the antique cuckoo clock that was recently resurrected. The ticking drives me BATTY! (I won't start about the midnight cuckoos)! </div>
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Deep breath. </div>
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I asked the Universe for healing that comes with FOCUS. </div>
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I drew the most complicated string I've ever done because that's the way it wanted to be and the tangles filled the spaces and the world slipped away for just ever so long. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRyzJIj7Lmk/V-Fzjpy8LuI/AAAAAAAAGsw/c2i7A1zuBLo4H4cs6X8s0FNVyJEyePhWQCLcB/s1600/diva%2B285a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LRyzJIj7Lmk/V-Fzjpy8LuI/AAAAAAAAGsw/c2i7A1zuBLo4H4cs6X8s0FNVyJEyePhWQCLcB/s320/diva%2B285a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I reproduced that string and did it the old-fashioned way, for me anyway. Just me and my Sharpie (two, actually, as one was destined for the great Dustbin in the Sky).</div>
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I drew it in this orientation:</div>
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But, when I was done I rotated it and much prefer this direction:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ClU8UlEZUnk/V-F0g64ZZLI/AAAAAAAAGs4/2Wlzi-8rJcMu622D7GEgLwPee_FzMcIYwCLcB/s1600/diva%2B285%2Bb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ClU8UlEZUnk/V-F0g64ZZLI/AAAAAAAAGs4/2Wlzi-8rJcMu622D7GEgLwPee_FzMcIYwCLcB/s320/diva%2B285%2Bb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I "do" this with "Knightsbridge"--checkerboard in Zentanglese-- often JFF*, but this was the first time I restrained myself from filling in EVERY. LAST. CORNER.<br />
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It had reached its "enough-ness." </div>
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Since you were so kind to stop by, I've posted the string in all its glory on the <a href="https://1xeritas.blogspot.com/p/g2h.html" target="_blank">G2H page</a>. Should you decide to use it, show me your handiwork--I'd love to see it!-- and be so kind to link it back to the page where you found it. </div>
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Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a brilliant day! </div>
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* Just for Fun</div>
cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-87900938424958937912016-09-15T13:55:00.001-07:002016-09-15T14:00:36.545-07:00Up in the SkyIn a funny little vignette where life met art this week, a clerk at Wal-Mart asked me, "What is UP?" Among the choices he offered were the ceiling and the sky. My response was, "Superman."<br />
His reaction and that of my son (who I'm sure was wishing he was anywhere else than in my company at that moment) was, in unison, "Okaaaaaay."<br />
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I had already posted my photograph <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/09/inchie-sky.html" target="_blank">for the EIM</a>--and thanks to all who ventured to<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/124963000@N08/29600057686" target="_blank"> my Flickr</a> to see what I did earlier this week!--and was working on some other ideas. There are many ideas for "sky," aren't there?<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-scF7mIcLV9k/V9sDqKlzdDI/AAAAAAAAGrU/qbrcBYxpq5ARys3MnTFTm6C2IdVvOaDigCLcB/s1600/sky%2Binchies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-scF7mIcLV9k/V9sDqKlzdDI/AAAAAAAAGrU/qbrcBYxpq5ARys3MnTFTm6C2IdVvOaDigCLcB/s320/sky%2Binchies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Look! Up in the sky! It's Superman!<br />
I also have the photo I took, one of the Aurora Borealis that I didn't, and a little drawing of trees at sunrise. I have only seen the Aurora once from my home in Massachusetts when it was particularly active, but it wasn't very photogenic. It still was a sight to see.<br />
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When I was in college, I would make these drawings of little trees and color in a very delicate sky. I forgot all about them until I started thinking about ideas for "sky." I don't have any to show you, but I made this new one. I sold a few once upon a time; they must be worth millions by now.<br />
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All right, moving right along....<br />
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<a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/09/weekly-challenge-284.html?m=1" target="_blank">For the Diva</a>, it was a monotangle of Tripoli. I feel about Tripoli the way I do about purple and petunias and purple petunias. If you dropped by last week, you know all about that. So, I attempted to make amends with all of that all at once.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ynFtuoRPd4Y/V9sGnXGfOcI/AAAAAAAAGrY/PUXJ0PlSrUMEL8WKcocDnwkfr4K7HHvBwCLcB/s1600/tripoli%2Bmonotangle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ynFtuoRPd4Y/V9sGnXGfOcI/AAAAAAAAGrY/PUXJ0PlSrUMEL8WKcocDnwkfr4K7HHvBwCLcB/s320/tripoli%2Bmonotangle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then I made this sampler. I keep <a href="https://1xeritas.blogspot.com/2015/07/getting-squirrely.html" target="_blank">this journal page</a> as a reference.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LZ8TpaYpELQ/V9sHC68UjtI/AAAAAAAAGrc/JgdPNJOpFcARY9ia3sAtMFRhtS1__8h4ACLcB/s1600/diva%2Btripoli%2Bsampler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LZ8TpaYpELQ/V9sHC68UjtI/AAAAAAAAGrc/JgdPNJOpFcARY9ia3sAtMFRhtS1__8h4ACLcB/s320/diva%2Btripoli%2Bsampler.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/09/its-string-thing-162.html?m=1" target="_blank">For the IAST</a>, I also drew two; one traditional, one not-so-much.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nvsdrKiO2A/V9sHlkfC2fI/AAAAAAAAGrg/4F2avZXlvAAYMK85_u4o0bA_A15JQWWyACLcB/s1600/iast%2B162a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8nvsdrKiO2A/V9sHlkfC2fI/AAAAAAAAGrg/4F2avZXlvAAYMK85_u4o0bA_A15JQWWyACLcB/s320/iast%2B162a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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That is Faber Castell sepia pens on a light tan Canson paper with purple and lilac Crayola pencils. While you know by now that I generally stay away from purple, it is THE color to go to when working with brown. Something magical happens between those two colours. (Same thing applies to violet eye shadow or mascara and brown eyes. You'll see. If that is too far outside your comfort zone, try navy blue).<br />
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Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to. Follow the links to check out all the other talented artists who follow these challenge blogs. Or try your own hand in it!<br />
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And before you go, one last "sky:"<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOOXzn-VMTw/V9sKHuDb45I/AAAAAAAAGrs/dSkk4UWl4zcwMc8dvsxkCH1gXT6xu2xtwCLcB/s1600/tequila%2Bsunrise1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MOOXzn-VMTw/V9sKHuDb45I/AAAAAAAAGrs/dSkk4UWl4zcwMc8dvsxkCH1gXT6xu2xtwCLcB/s200/tequila%2Bsunrise1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Maybe all your sunrises be Tequila sunny!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-58177746002444100922016-09-08T12:48:00.000-07:002016-09-08T16:02:39.156-07:00Of Petunias and Mice and ThingsI have a funny story about a boatload of purple petunias and ex-in-laws. I just never really found it funny.<br />
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When they were planning a visit, my ex informed me his mother really loved purple petunias. As we were spiffing up the place, I potted up tons of them to decorate the porch and the patios. She had no idea what they were, was not much impressed by the flowers or the effort and barely spent any time outside enjoying the gardens.<br />
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You may really like purple or petunias, but I fall squarely into the camp that finds purple overwhelming and petunias a lot of trouble.<br />
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And all that applies to certain people, too.<br />
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All of which came to mind when "petunia" popped up for the word at EIM:<br />
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This week, it's "Mice."<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VfxO-U9t5U/V9G0H6sQkvI/AAAAAAAAGpM/8yVhRRbC5yolbnYWfquQvvcLZsvte-VLQCLcB/s1600/MICE%2Binchie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_VfxO-U9t5U/V9G0H6sQkvI/AAAAAAAAGpM/8yVhRRbC5yolbnYWfquQvvcLZsvte-VLQCLcB/s200/MICE%2Binchie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The word for the week at <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/09/week-39-jewel.html" target="_blank">the 2 x 2 is "jewel."</a> The toughest part of this black-on-black drawing of a scarab beetle was making it all show up.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8g1weC0ceoo/V9G0utn9uhI/AAAAAAAAGpU/cpMHj5LUNH8oBkGi57MqsA-uJx6A8o_fACLcB/s1600/scarab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8g1weC0ceoo/V9G0utn9uhI/AAAAAAAAGpU/cpMHj5LUNH8oBkGi57MqsA-uJx6A8o_fACLcB/s320/scarab.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I kept the black paper out for <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/09/weekly-challenge-283.html?m=1">the Diva this week</a>, a focus on "Centre Square."<br />
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That's fluorescent gel pen with free-form squares.<br />
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And finally posting <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-challenge-282.html?m=1" target="_blank">last week's</a>:<br />
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That's coffee splotched on there.<br />
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I did <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/08/its-string-thing-160.html?m=1" target="_blank">last week's IAST</a>, too:<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uWeptd3m5fc/V9G4qPI-4eI/AAAAAAAAGpw/_2Lw53Qo99wlJZ3m4HF5D_F71ZxBe5ehgCLcB/s1600/iast%2B160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uWeptd3m5fc/V9G4qPI-4eI/AAAAAAAAGpw/_2Lw53Qo99wlJZ3m4HF5D_F71ZxBe5ehgCLcB/s320/iast%2B160.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The combination of "Fengle" and "Shattuck" naturally lent itself to a starfish and sealife. I was transported to Dunedin, Florida; a glorious trip to the Gulf Coast a few years ago and watching the sunset from the seashell strewn beach.<br />
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<a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/09/its-string-thing-161.html?m=1" target="_blank">For this week</a>, it was a hurricane for inspiration. While my relatives were battling what was left of Hermine, we had Newton. And aftershocks from an earthquake. And a fire. Nothing major, mind you, but it was getting a little too exciting there for a bit.<br />
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Speaking of excitement, this was drawn while waiting in the ER with my daughter for test results. It appears she is the epitome of good health except for some stress-related symptoms. We think she'll be better when she stops eating In-and-Out burgers at 2 AM. (Or, as we found ourselves at Denny's afterwards for Grand Slam breakfasts in the wee hours. It was good. But we are tired).<br />
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Lastly, as <a href="https://1xeritas.blogspot.com/2016/08/swim-with-fishes.html" target="_blank">I had threatened previously</a>, the finished<a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/week-38-poetry.html" target="_blank"> poem to water for that 2 x 2</a>:<br />
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There's a joke in our household about arroyos or desert streams. New River is so new they forgot the water! Arroyos are dry river beds until it rains (And then, watch out!). So, I just HAD to add the "just add water" part. Along with glitter, fabric paint and an antique rhinestone. I can't say if it's an improvement or not; I sure used a bunch of different materials.<br />
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Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoy what I share with you. Please take a moment to check out the other artists that tackle these challenges and perhaps? Try your hand at drawing, collage, zentangle or whatever intrigues you. Especially the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TwobyTwobyTuesday!</a> Next time it's "astronomy."<br />
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While you ponder the stars (or next year's total eclipse of the sun here in the States!), I wish you the "just right" amount of excitement and a brilliant day! ccstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-11689154956970342802016-08-22T17:54:00.001-07:002016-08-23T10:16:14.462-07:00Swim with the FishesIt rained last night. This is unusual as this is monsoon season, where the clouds build all day and then dump water all at once in late afternoon. This was a gentle rain for a few hours in the wee hours of today. It's humid, but cooler than it has been all summer. It means summer as we know it here in the desert is drawing to a close and it'll just be hot for the next couple months.<br />
To me, it means get busy!<br />
This is for last week's <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/08/its-string-thing-158.html?m=1">IAST</a>, an exploration of the new tangle,<a href="http://zenlilymoon.blogspot.com/2016/08/my-new-pattern-drogon-and-other-weekly.html"> Drogon by Lily Moon</a>.<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="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fLgWGiQpYsw/V7iYMYEyOEI/AAAAAAAAGmc/s6U0Bpxh-oAKqgxCZHXY7pGP5-LrFp7SACLcB/s1600/in%2Bplain%2Bsight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fLgWGiQpYsw/V7iYMYEyOEI/AAAAAAAAGmc/s6U0Bpxh-oAKqgxCZHXY7pGP5-LrFp7SACLcB/s320/in%2Bplain%2Bsight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Plain Sight</td></tr>
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Don't you just LOVE her work? It's Gorgeous, with a capital "G."<br />
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And I went back and did the previous <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/08/it-is-tuesday-your-good-news-day-today.html?m=1">IAST</a>, one big <a href="http://atanglersmind.com/introducing-abeko/">"Abeko,"</a> surrounded by Lynn Mead's geometric tangles.<br />
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And this <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-challenge-281.html?m=1">week's Diva</a>, a focus on "ING:"<br />
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For the EIM, <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/08/inchie-dolphin.html">dolphin</a>. This is a swimming bottlenose dolphin. Definitely not a fish.<br />
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Did you see the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37108207">news item</a> last week about the gazillion year-old dolphin that was hiding in a museum? Life is funny that way.<br />
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I was going to draw a swimming pig as dolphins have been called, "sea pigs," but that really wasn't working out. At all. And drawing what is called<a href="http://colganology.blogspot.com/2014/01/sea-pig-love-pig.html"> a sea pig</a> was getting harder. And weirder.<br />
Another time, perhaps?<br />
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We went out on <a href="http://www.bartlettlake.com/">Bartlett Lake</a> last week, rented a boat for a day to celebrate the kids birthdays--they're only two weeks apart (and three years) and it's getting harder to get them together at the same time or to convince them to hang out with old people, now that they're twenty-somethings.<br />
They're more fun to play with, in my mind. At least, the experiences are more interesting.<br />
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We were swimming with a LOT of fish.<br />
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The title for this blog entry comes from where I wanted to go with the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/week-38-poetry.html">TwobyTwo</a>. I really wanted to make a "concrete" poem about... concrete! In New Jersey there's a certain saying about swimming with the fishes that involves concrete, (read: "The Godfather") which is why I couldn't make that work. That thought just derailed all creativity.<br />
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So my next thought was a poem on water. This is what came about:<br />
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It's kind of a political statement on water--a resource that we desperately need and can't keep up with the demand. Here in Arizona, I've seen it not rain for 220 days. I've also been the recipient of 4 inches of rain in an hour. And a flood. So, in the grand scheme of things, everything balances out.<br />
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All the same, water is precious. Use it wisely.<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-27935882665467724982016-08-17T11:22:00.000-07:002016-08-17T11:27:09.407-07:00Six Degrees of SeparationYou've heard of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_degrees_of_separation">"six degrees of separation?</a>" That we're all connected somehow by a friend of a friend in six or fewer steps? According to a recent poll through a Facebook algorithm, with the advent of social media, it's now even less than four.<br />
If you're visiting here, we're one step apart, although we haven't formally made our acquaintance.<br />
You may know of the party game, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Degrees_of_Kevin_Bacon">"Six Degree of Kevin Bacon?"</a> It's kind of a trivia thing where you start with an actor and by association through movies you get to Bacon, with a capital "B," with the fewest steps.<br />
Mr. Bacon doesn't know me from a hill of beans, but I'm closer to him than he may care to think.<br />
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First, my ex' brother played Drew Pigeon opposite Bacon in the movie, "Mystic River." I still haven't seen the movie, but I read the book! Second, my friend's son was producer of the very moving HBO special, "Taking Chance," starring Bacon. Thirdly, the crazy drunks that came up with the game went to my <a href="http://www.albright.edu/index.html">alma mater</a>, long after I graduated, so I've not met them nor have I played their game.<br />
I just know these things. <br />
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Sally, I dedicate this post to you because you like to know things. And you have relatives in Maine.<br />
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So do I. My parents live there. I visited many a time, long before they retired there.<br />
It's a big state, with a lot of wilderness. Logging is big business and so are potatoes. But the best thing is Acadia National Park, which is celebrating its 100th birthday, as is the whole of the National Park System.<br />
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The view of the Atlantic from Cadillac Mountain is awesome and one of the first spots in the US of A to see the sun rise. The crashing surf, the rugged granite rocks, the scent of salt air and spruce.<br />
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Lobster! Need I say more?!<br />
Oh, and it's home to the ONLY fjord in the lower 48, Somes Sound.<br />
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This is important information because "fjord" is the word of the day <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/08/inchie-fjord.html">at the EIM</a>. I've only seen Somes Sound once; I remember the family driving alongside one summer. Tall spruce and firs, granite rock, clear blue skies. (And more lobster).<br />
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Not far from there is Mount Desert Rock lighthouse. It literally sits on a rock.<br />
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There is also a Mount Desert Rock lighthouse<a href="http://lh-lighthouseclub.org/"> here in Arizona</a>. On Lake Havasu are fully functional scale models of famous lighthouses created to aid navigation on the lake. (Lake Havasu is also home to the London Bridge. It migrated).<br />
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You can walk right up to this one, I guess. We have a boat trip on Havasu on our bucket list, to see all the little houses.<br />
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In the meantime, we're watching 16 Tons of Monty Python. We're up to the 10th ton. Or, if we're somewhere with television, the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Are you? There must be a few tangly people watching as the theme at the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-challenge-280.html?m=1">Diva this week</a> is the Olympics. I squeezed three out of the five rings into a square.<br />
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It's more Venn diagram than modern athletics, but I'm not minding it. Consider it a visual representation of just three degrees of separation.<br />
I guess we're not really separated at all.<br />
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<br />cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-28029008209855507102016-08-09T12:43:00.000-07:002016-08-09T12:56:32.534-07:00Of Whales and BirdsI'll start with my contribution to <a href="http://everyinchiemonday2012.blogspot.com/2016/08/inchie-whale.html">the EIM</a>. I had a <a href="http://animal-dream.com/whale.html">whale</a> of a good time finding information about cetaceans, the big mammals of the sea.<br />
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First up, the biblical account of Jonah and the Whale, a detail from the illustration by Everett Henry titled, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick#/media/File:The_voyage_of_the_Pequod.jpg">The Voyage of the Pequod</a>," for the story, "Moby Dick," also known as just, "The Whale," by Herman Melville, the tail end of a whale and an image of a breaching whale.<br />
Did you see the story of the whale they call "<a href="http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/26411/20160809/older-than-the-titanic-105-year-old-killer-whale-named-granny-spotted-in-the-pacific.htm">Granny</a>" in the news this week?<br />
Life can be funny that way, don't you think?<br />
Ah, whale tales all! You can call me Ishmael.<br />
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Moving right along....<br />
Next I tackled the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/week-37-navajo.html">TwobyTwo</a>. The first two drawings are kind of self-explanatory.<br />
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This one requires a bit of back-story. I was in Sedona one day a while back and stopped by <a href="http://www.garlandsrugs.com/collections/navajo-rugs-home">Garlands</a>, a gallery for exceptional Native American jewelry, ceramics and weavings. I saw a beautiful Tree of Life (Bird Pictorial) wall hanging depicting hummingbirds and metallic yarns were used to make those lovely birds shimmer. I knew then that it would haunt me forever that I didn't buy the unusual piece (Navajo like to use only wool from the sheep they raise themselves. Metallic threads are unheard of), but the tag had more zeroes than I had.<br />
Sigh.<br />
So here I've attempted to draw a<a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/week-37-navajo.html"> hummingbird</a> that doesn't look like the Twitter thing:<br />
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I <a href="http://animal-dream.com/hummingbird.html">dream </a>of hummingbirds, which I guess is a good thing.<br />
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Before I let you go, I'll share the <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-challenge-279.html?m=1">Diva challenge</a> piece for the week.<br />
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That's it for now. Thanks so much for stopping by. Have a brilliant day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7317511812734407825.post-86007277251381499102016-08-03T10:41:00.001-07:002016-08-03T11:00:13.762-07:00I'm Melting!It's our rainy season and it hasn't been so much hot as it has been humid. Never did like that much when I lived on the East Coast; I forget how that feels. I look forward to the return of warmer, but drier, weather.<br />
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The weather factored into my thinking for the EIM this week. The word is, "sheep." While I've been doing plenty of my version of counting sheep (I count backwards from 100), I couldn't possibly do something so straight forward. I've been doing a lot of internet searches for the upcoming <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/art-of-dine.html">TwobyTwo</a> and I went with a wooly (sheep = wool) blanket pattern called, "storm:"<br />
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I drew this with markers from this <a href="http://navajorug.com/ght-2212-antique-storm-pattern-pictorial-navajo-rug/">antique blanket for sale</a>. The central design is called a "whirling log," a <a href="https://nativeamericanjewelrytips.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/native-american-symbol-whirling-log-swastika/">sacred symbol</a> for all things good and is no longer used by the Navajo. I think you'll understand why that is so.<br />
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Rain also seeped into <a href="http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/2016/08/weekly-challenge-278.html?m=1">my Diva piece</a>, a chance to try out a new pattern, Knightstar by Daniel Lamothe.<br />
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I can almost hear the corks popping for the celebration at the <a href="http://tickledtotangle.blogspot.com/2016/08/its-string-thing-156-very-happy-third.html?m=1">IAST</a>, Adele's third anniversary:<br />
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Every day is a celebration; bring on the Champagne!<br />
Be sure to see what all the other creatives are dishing up and if the spirit moves you, try out the <a href="http://twobytwobytuesday.blogspot.com/2016/08/art-of-dine.html">TwobyTwo</a>--two-inch art (you have plenty of time)!<br />
Have a brilliant day!cstockshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13595287466138299620noreply@blogger.com17