Riding on the coattails of that last paragraph, i'm going to coyly bat my longish eyelashes at you all and gently direct your attention to the 'donate' button on the right there. Let me be perfectly clear that you DO NOT have to donate in order to participate. Not at all. This is gonna keep on truckin' no matter what. But, if you DO feel that you'd like to support my little endeavour in a small way, i'd really appreciate it. With the amazing turn out of participants, i am rapidly using up my free image hosting space and putting more time into it than i anticipated.
okay, moving on:
i have now upgraded my Linkey Membership (thanks to those of you who have already donated!!) - and what does that mean? Well, essentially it means that the linkey machines stay active now, even after the challenge is over and the slideshow is posted! So, you can go back and add your blog to the list if you're late to the game. cool, no? I'm also working on a 'button' for you to display on your blogs! woo hoo!!
and now the challenge:
Starry Eyed Surprise!
play this video for a wicked song: "Starry Eyed Surprise" By Paul Oakenfold
First of all, i love this song. It always me think of summer time, and we just got, like 4" of snow yesterday. Second of all, i love stars. I like astrology. I have a tattoo on the inside of my right wrist of the sign for Taurus (which i am)... and Third, i found the title of that song to be really fitting to Zentangle, because its always a surprise, what your tile will end up looking like.
So.
Stars. What does that mean? A string? a feeling? A tangle/pattern? Some other thing i haven't even thought of?
When my husband and i celebrated our 5 year anniversary in 2009, we designed 'matching' tattoos.
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well, for starter's - the five pointed star = five years of wedded bliss. The spiral = it goes on forever, it's also based on the PHI ratio 1:1.6180339 etc, which occurs EVERYWHERE in nature; in flowers, in trees, in human body - the Phi ratio can also be found in the pentagram (strictly meaning the five sided star - not anything spooky), if you look at b-rad's tattoo, you can see the triangles decrease in size in a spiral, theoretically going on forever, always 1:1.6180339 smaller than the next.
That being said;
B-rad chose to have his star depicting all the intersecting lines and triangles to be more black and white, cut and dry, mathmatical, no frills. Just like him.
I chose to have my star be open and used blue shading to highlight the negative space of the star, making it pop! - also to make it more ethereal; highlighting my love of astrology. Also, a little more feminine and pretty. Just like me.
okay, all of that being said, i created a Zentangle® based on our tattoo design, and i loved it so much that i did two!
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i kind of like how one is so light and the other is so dark.
I also kind of like how my oldest son wanted to hold my "zentango" so i could take a picture. he's such a good helper... :|
And another 'also', the secret to my first star is the star shaped cookie cutter that i got for Christmas from my Sister in Law. ;)
sooooo........what will you create this week?
If you have a blog, add the site-specific URL where your tile is posted to the linkey machine below! Don't forget to link back here so that others can join in the fun! (if you don't know how do find this, you can see my half assed tutorial here)
If you don't have a blog but still want to participate, you can email your tile to me and i will post it here. (See the contact tab above for my email address)
The deadline for each weekly challenge Saturday night so that i can round everyone up by Sunday. What this means is that i will stop adding tiles to the slideshow on Sunday. You're still more than welcome to do the challenges and add your name to the linkey machine.
I'm also going to try to be more diligent with the linkey machine - by editing out the ones that don't work, the doubles, the links that lead to nowhere, the links that go just to blog home pages (this is why we need those site specific urls), and the spam. And there is some spam. :(
Have a great week everyone!
Cool challenge and great story! Will keep an eye out for the button for the blog… (I use Inlinkz for blog linking up - don't know if it is cheaper than Mr. Linky - but I thought I would mention it…).
ReplyDeleteNot sure if I did the linking or not. I'll figure it out someday. 8-}
ReplyDeleteToday (Mon) I posted some of my thoughts about he on-going challenge you've started. Thanks so much!
Think I got the linking thing right this time, had a perfect morning to tangle, we are all snowed in here in SC...it only takes a few flakes for the town to shut down. Great story Laura and a fun challenge. I love the single star one you made with the swirl trail, it's very soft and dreamy.
ReplyDeleteI too love stars will love this challenge. I have been doing the other challenges but never posted, bad girl. I have been teaching at my local Library sence returning from training in Whitesville in October.
ReplyDeleteLove your challenge I am sharing them with my classes at the local library. Thanks Tons.
Newbie here! :]
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying I LOVE that song. I've heard it on tv/movies somewhere, right? Never google'd to find out but thank you for sharing it because now I know! ha.
I'm Kimberley but aka Kimmie online. I found out about zentangle over the summer [getting online through my phone] and I've been hooked on since. I didn't have internet for several months until now but I've been tangling away offline. I even started an album for them recently. I'm doing one (or sometimes even more, it depends on the time I have) everyday!
Starting these challenges have made me even MORE excited to make them. I especially love the "eyes wide shut" because it definitely allows me to just do whatever and REALLY express myself, rather than calculating what should I do.
I've had an account with blogger for a while but I've never really got it going, especially with LIFE happening, but everything happens for a reason and I'm excited to start sharing!
Well my Starry Eyed Surprise - is no real stars LOL
ReplyDeleteSo, what I am finding out as I follow along on these challenges is that I have to read enough to get the challenge idea and then avoid the temptation to look at both Laura's work and at the work of the people who post before I get to the challenge (and who CLEARLY are up WAY EARLY in the morning!)
ReplyDeleteMy star is different... one of my attempts at tangling off the tile...
I love your little one holding the "zentango". TOo cute. Fun challenge! Great song!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another great idea! I submitted a tangle I just finished but think I might need to be tangling more... stars like company, right?
ReplyDeleteThis was a fun challenge and I was so excited to get to use 1 of my Star stencils.
ReplyDeleteI love this post, your stary tangles and your tattoo! I'll be back with my tangle!
ReplyDeleteLaura, please take my first submission out...the link didn't work so I reposted it. Thank you. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks Laura for the interesting ideas about your tattoo, I love the swirling around your tangled star!
ReplyDeleteSo, are you going to add to your tattoo as your years add up?
ReplyDeleteHappy tangling everyone!
5 ★★★★★ for this heavenly challenge
ReplyDeleteHi all... I posted my starry Zentangle. I had no idea where it was going when I started, and once I got going, I had to change course because of a "mistake". Still, I'm happy with the result.
ReplyDeleteI love you big star with all the swirls! The picture of your little one holding the tangle is so cute! Thanks again, Laura for all the work.
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura for another great idea. This 'stary challenge' was fun to do and flew easily out of my pen. No thinking, just tangling. And it was suddenly done! It took just a few minutes of tangling, another few for shading and then 'a star was born' ;-)!
ReplyDeleteLove your stars and the reason for tattooing too!
great tiles,beautifully done and what a cute little helper !!!thank you again!!!
ReplyDeleteI am late, but just discovered your challenge last night. I love it. Thanks so much for the ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis was an exciting challenge, though I didn't really like or understand the music. Nevertheless, was so into the zen of the process yesterday when the phone rang, that I nearly had heart failure! Thanks for the story about the tattoos, have always wanted one. Yours is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAdded mine to the links… Thank you for hosting these challenges. It's like that kick in the pants to creativity and inspiration that we all sometimes need! You rock!!!
ReplyDeleteAnother fun challenge Laura - these make me step out of my confort zone sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your story and the song. It inspired me to tangle a quilt block. Thanks for all your work for this great challenge!
ReplyDeleteAn interesting challenge. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI posted Challenge #1, #2, #3 and #4 to my blog and flickr today.
ReplyDeleteLinda Farmer on Tanglepattern.com also came up with a challenge that I will finish tonight.
These Challenges are fun and I'm waiting for Challenge #5.
@cookie your links contine to not work when i click on them can you email them to me??
ReplyDeleteAnother fun challenge....Thanks Laura!
ReplyDeleteA challenging challenge to my star-loving mind!Thank you for the inspiration and challenge!!
ReplyDeleteLinked! :)
ReplyDeleteThis has been a lot of fun!
Most challenging one so far for me, but still enjoying the process. Not sure I liked it enough to post it here, but then that's not a true challenge is it - if you only post the ones you like?
ReplyDeletei really enjoyed creating this
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see everyone's designs! I didn't look at anyone else's before I did mine.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is amazing - look at all the people coming out and sharing - Laura, what have you started?? :-D
ReplyDeleteUGH...I got here eventually! Love your story and concept for this week Laura! I love your tiles :D
ReplyDeleteLook, I made a Blog, just so I could link to you!
ReplyDeleteAs usual, the entries are terrific and inspiring.
ReplyDeleteArrrgh!! This one is a Challenge all right, Laura. It's been doing my head in all week. [LOL] I think I have (finally) a beginning. Tonight, I figured out what was driving me nutty about the song though: the beginning of it (and the background melody) remind me of Harry Nilsson: Everybody's Talkin' [LOL] (I'll be late... but I'll be posting!) [grin]
ReplyDeleteP.S. ♥ your Weekly Challenge button - it's on my blog tonight :-)
ReplyDeleteOk, so I woke up this morning with a Starry Eyed Surprise earworm! I think I like it:)
ReplyDeleteI love the button linking to this site. I understand grabbing the code for the button but where do I put it on my Blogger page. What widget holds the code?
ReplyDeleteFINALLY found time to tangle on Orbs - wow! This was a cool challenge! I hope your week is easing up and your boys are doing well. Remember - it's the hardest best job you'll ever have! (((hugs))) <- just cuz you seemed to need 'em!
ReplyDeleteLaura, thanks for giving us this challenge, even in the midst of a stormy week for you. Hope the warm vibes of peace and calm coming your way has sustained you and given you a realization that you have a community of friends who care. We also really enjoy the opportunity you have given us to share not only with you, but with each other.
ReplyDeletei had to fight literalism in this one and i actually had a few false starts. but i really like where i ended up!
ReplyDeleteI really liked this challenge!
ReplyDeleteLove your tattoos. I really like your tile for this! Mine is a starry eyed surprised -- done when I was exhausted. Hope it works for the theme :) I've gotten five challenges done and will be working on both ends until I get em all done. Am enjoying myself. Thank you for these challenges.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this is working right. Hope I can get my blog up to date on my new fun thing. Zentangles!!!
ReplyDeleteJoining in late... love your tattoos!
ReplyDeletegreat challenge and was a stretch for me to get this one done!
ReplyDeleteThis one was fun. I love the tattoos you guys got.
ReplyDeleteLoved it! I am having a great time doing these challenges. Makes me think and have fun. ~~tangled terrie lynn
ReplyDeleteStars are special for me too. I was happy to see this one and it made me happy to complete it!
ReplyDelete