ha! designs

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Adventure ahead...

It's almost time... Two. More. Days... and my daughters and I head off to Boston to explore for a few days and then.... CZT TRAINING IN PROVIDENCE!!!! I am sooooo excited! I can't believe that the time has finally arrived. When I first signed up for the three of us to attend it seemed like it was so far in the future, I blinked my eyes, and now it's here. YAY!

I wish I would have had more time to complete more zentangles and practice, practice, practice. Some how the time escaped me. I hope I am prepared enough...

I absolutely adore Laura Harm's (the diva) site and weekly challenges although I have not completed many of them to date. (Something to work on!) I think I must be an extra slow tangler... well... I finally finished an entry for the Weekly Challenge #169 : String Theory : Circles. (Please don't mention that it was the challenge 3 WEEKS AGO!!!! I know... I know...) I called it "Galaxies," it seems to go hand in hand with exploring and broadening horizons. All just ahead of me...

Zentangle® : Diva Challenge #169 : "Galaxies"

I have been working (very slowly) through the book, One Zentangle a Day. The Day 14 patterns included Dyon, Keeko, and Chainging. I wanted to include these three patterns in my challenge tile. As I have been learning new patterns I have taken lots of time to play with variations of the patterns. This has been fun although very time consuming. So now I will just work on the basic tangle patterns to get more "under my belt" before training. In the spirit of this plan here is a page from my little moleskin sketchbook. Besides the Day 14 patterns I have included Yincut, Locar, and Verdigogh all tangles from Day 15.

Zentangle® : Tangle Pattern : Practice Page

My plan when I return from training is to post a LOT more often here with new art! I am so excited to start on a new adventure!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Happy Valentangle's Day!

Yippee! I was hoping this would happen... The diva's challenge this week (#154) is to create a "Valentangle!" I absolutely LOVE that term! So cute! So clever! I was hoping a challenge like this would happen because I drew my version of a Valentangle a couple of weeks ago! It was my first time to mess around with the awesome tangle pattern, mak-rah-mee... I enjoyed it so much and look forward to using this pattern in future art. So my Valentangle is also a Monotangle... is that a Valentangle that has mono? No... that wouldn't be good... You definitely need all your energy to celebrate a day like Valentine's Day!

Zentangle® Inspired Art : Tied Up in Knots

I created this tile, "Tied Up in Knots," to use as a Zengo (Bingo style game) Entry Fee for the Yahoo Group, Zentangle Inspired Art. I just joined this group in January and I am enjoying being part of that Zentangle community. (I have a button in my side bar you can click if you want to check it out and join!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful "Valentangle's" Day!

❌⭕️❌⭕️

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Growth...

This month I joined the Yahoo Group, Zentangle® Inspired Art... The group offers a variety of monthly swaps that you can participate in if you would like. I signed up for my very first swap, EVER! This all goes hand in hand with my inspirational word of the year, cultivate. This was a step towards cultivating my art. (More on my word of the year in an upcoming post.) It has been inspirational to look at photos that other members of the group have posted and very nice to be so warmly welcomed...

I decided to sign up for the Beginner Swap as a newbie to Zentangle and this group. It felt like the perfect choice to get my feet wet. The requirement for this swap was to create an artist trading card. I so enjoyed creating the card. It was fun to incorporate a couple of new patterns I've been working on, Chillon and Bales. Here it is, "Mystic Swirls."

So... in reading the details of the swap I saw that it was a nice thought to also send the hostess of the swap some little extra. I decided to draw a second artist trading card as a gift. I wanted to work on my Fengle so I chose that pattern as my base for this card. I titled this one, "Stargazer."

While preparing these cards the group sent out a notification of a Bingo type game you could participate in during the month of February. The game is called, Zengo. Cute, huh?! The entry fee for this was to create an ATC or traditional Zentangle tile using a combination of black, white, pink, and/or red. I decided to complete this tile as well so I could ship everything all together. This is, "Tied Up in Knots."

After completing all three pieces I couldn't just stick them in an envelope without some special packaging. These are my little works of art after all! I wanted them to be showcased! (Plus the fact that I'm ALL about packaging!)

I can't wait for the recipients to get their art cards... :) It feels great to start the year by taking time to cultivate my art and share it with others.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

I DEFINITELY want S'more...

Today has been a little gloomy and cloudy… It's the type of day to bake up a new cookie recipe. I looked through my list of "to try" and knew this would be the one for just this day! It's a Peanut Butter S'more Cookie!!! I don't know if there could be anything better (at least not right now at THIS moment!)! I decided to make them for my ~~family~~ self. Just kidding… I did share! (…not that I wanted too…) Cami definitely wanted S'more too! These cookies are so good they have made the holiday cookie plate rotation for this year… Yummmm…

S'more Cookies

(recipe from Cuisine at home)

Be sure to let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, otherwise the weight of the marshmallows may cause them to sink through the wire rack gaps.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Total time: 25 minutes + baking

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs

1/2 teaspoon EACH baking soda and kosher salt

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (8 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup EACH granulated sugar and packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

24 large marshmallows, halved horizontally

48 Hershey's chocolate bar pieces (4 bars)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Cream butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated. Blend in flour mixture on low speed just until incorporated.
Scoop dough with #60 scoop (about 1 Tbsp.) onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake cookies 4 minutes. Top each with a marshmallow half and bake until golden, 4-5 minutes more. Let cookies rest on baking sheet a few minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Press chocolate pieces on top of cookies and let cool 5 minutes more.

Easy print here!

These cookies were super quick and fun to make! We won't even discuss the how delicious part again… You'll start drooling, you'll get the drool on your keyboard or iPad… Not good… Just go make them!

Leave me a note… Let me know if they were a hit in your home or if you plan on giving them a try!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

I was in a quandary...

The diva posted the weekly challenge.... Would I participate? I had a very busy week ahead... Would I have time? I was a little less nervous after participating in last week's challenge, but still a little anxious about putting my art "out there." I felt like I was in a little bit of a fengle (I think this sounds good... although it doesn't really have a meaning!). All right... enough of the silliness! I am very happy to have learned the two tangles used in this week's challenge : Weekly Challenge #141: DuoTangle - Quandary & Fengle.

Weekly Challenge #141 : "DuoTangle - Fengle/Quandary"

I hope you have a quandary (and fengle) free day, but plenty of time to tangle them!

Monday, October 21, 2013

A whimsical garden...

I have slowly been working my way through the wonderful book by Beckah Krahula, One Zentangle A Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, and Fun (One A Day). It is my official introduction to this art form. I was shopping on Amazon for some micron pens one day when I saw the term "Zentangle" on one of the packages... It prompted me to click some of the book examples... WOW! It intrigued me immediately and the title of the book was exactly what I needed at that moment. I never looked back! Now, I have to admit, I have added quite a few books to my little collection since then. All wonderful! I am definitely taking much longer than one day to do each assignment... I am taking my time and enjoying every single moment!

The past few days (okay, maybe a week!) I've been working on Day 6 which focuses on creating tangleations of tangles you have learned thus far in the book. I LOVED this assignment! So fun!

My sketchbook practice page

The next part of the lesson was to create an ATC tile using some of the tangleations you had created. (This is also the first tile I've done where I incorporated color.) I couldn't help but see elements to a garden in a few of the tangles... a very whimsical garden! So here is my Tangleation Garden...

Tangleation Garden

I think it would be a wonderful, whimsical place to visit. I hope you enjoy visiting it too...

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Anything is possible... one dot at a time...

I had to do it! A little play on the Zentangle logo... I am thrilled to be participating in my very first weekly challenge from iamthediva.blogspot.com. This week is Challenge #140, Monotangle and Pointillism. I decided to use a tangelation of poke root for this challenge. I had envisioned a more complicated piece, but as I worked I decided to keep it very simple. I was excited and nervous to participate. I am so glad I did! Dots of fun! (...that made me smile...)

I happened upon the wonderful art form of tangling just a couple of months ago... I am already head over heels in love! In fact, I have already signed up to attend a seminar next year to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher. Yippee!!

Weekly Challenge #140 : "Monotangle, Pointillism Style"

It has been a very long time since I've taken the time to add to this blog. It's nice to be back!

Monday, July 9, 2012

Day 190 : 07-08-12

Day 190 : 07-08-12, a photo by ha! designs on Flickr.

My tired puppy...

Day 189 : 07-07-12

Day 189 : 07-07-12, a photo by ha! designs on Flickr.

Cami with Adam Sklute (artistic director of Ballet West)! She took Ballet Technique classes from him this week while attending Joffrey Ballet School! She said it was AWESOME! :)