Autumn Challenges

It appears that everyone on the planet has autumn on the calendar, and yes, elsewhere this time of year means "fall" (in the Northern latitudes). Here in the desert Southwest we're just getting out of "Inferno" and heading into just "Hot." Autumn is yet a couple months away.
Some recent travels to Northern AZ and Southern Utah reminded me, that yes, it is September and leaves turn pretty colors, while we're still almost entirely green (which is in itself an anomoly as the monsoon season has been, ahem, generous in its offerings this summer) in the heart of Arizona.
Thus far, I've only really completed one of those challenges, the It's a String Thing 59:

 

The patterns are Oke by Michele Beauch and Meringue by Kelley Kelly on a string by Adele Bruno, the mastermind behind the String Thing. Clever. I added some acorns (and the ubiquitous Tipple) on the bar coaster. The pencil shading has already rubbed off, but I like the medium, working in the round.

Thanks for taking a look see; hopefully I'll finish up those other autumny ideas before autumn actually arrives here! 

Diva Zendala

Oh, joy! The rural mail carrier brought prezzies from Amazon today: a set of Faber-Castell Manga series PITT pens and a stack of round bar coasters to draw on.
So, break out the new art supplies and go to work on this week's Diva Challenge! The parameter this week was to create a duotangle with Phicops and the Diva's Dance, patterns by and for the Harms, the couple behind the Diva's blog. This is my response:

I'm sure this may have worked out better if I had not hand-drawn the geometry of the mandala, but that's part of the charm of all this, the quirkiness of line and pattern (this is such a far cry from my former self who would've gone bonkers over a wonky line or anything out of square or place). I added a bunch of perfs (circles) and if some of them happen to look like "Black Pearls," that's how it goes.
The coaster paper doesn't like to be worked too hard; filling in black spots was kind of a chore. They are thick and absorbent, as they should be. I don't know how functional these coasters will be if I actually used them for drinks, we shall have to find out soon (although, I think this is too pretty to use!).
For now, it's hatches to batten down as another hurricane is headed to Arizona. Oh, joy!