Molly Bee's Attic

This week's Diva challenge was wicked fun. It was to use Anya Ipsen's tangle pattern Moowa  which I like very much. It reminds me of Tess Imobersteg's Breakers pattern that I use a lot. I couldn't decide if Moowa looked more like water to me or plants, so I tried both. In the first one I tried for water splashing up on the wharf.  In the second one, I added it with Mooka to make a kelp forest for an octopus I had drawn preciously in my sketch book and had left unfinished. Lucky because I like the kelp forest a lot.  Thanks again Laura for a wonderful challenge and Anya for a great tile to add to my arsenal!

Update: 12-1-16 THIS is what I was trying for in the Diva Challenge This is one of those times I'm sorry that I promised to put the first challenge tile I completed up-come what may. My intentions were pure but this baby came out a muddled mess. I wanted to do a straight grid with 4 'loose' fragment tiles floating on top. I still think the concept is sound and may try it with another fragment pattern. Picking a 3-D fragment like Cubine was a mistake. It all smooshed together into a mess. You're not having a bad acid flashback...it just looks that way-complete with lousy lighting, creased and smudged paper and my thumb. I didn't clean it up-why bother?  Avert your eyes. Save yourself In other news, I kind of like this one. It's just from my doodle book but I was in a spring/summer mood on a rainy autumn night! Onward and upward....

I haven't written for a while. We've been spending every possible second outside enjoying the unusually warm November weather. This week's Diva Challenge brought me inside though. It was to use the tangle pattern " Keeko " which is one that I use quite a bit. I forgot to put 'stars' in my Dex windows like I had usually do, but for better for worse, here it is: I'm still semi-obsessed with trying to make 'ripped/flipper paper' but haven't nailed it yet.  This is the last thing I see before I leave the house each morning. Sad puppy. Wadded up in the corner of the big chair. The minute the door closes, he hops down, plays and naps with Cooper, but for whatever reason feels he has to make me feel like scum just before I leave to start me day!  Probably because he has been out and about with me in the warm weather a lot the past few weeks. I expect once the winter cold really hits, he will be perfectly content to stay in his wa...

Yay! The last week of Inktober. It is fun, but the pressure of HAVING to do a tile every day, gets to me after a while!  I'm glad I did it though.  October 25 This was also the Diva Challenge for last week. To use only two tangle patterns. nZepple (the grid) and Flux (the leaves). October 26 Not being 100% happy with yesterday's stab at the Diva Challenge, I tried again. October 27 And Again. This proving that I should quit while I'm ahead. Blech! October 28 But I never learn so I took one last stab at it. Enough! October 29 Spring thoughts on an autumn day. October 30 Watching the movie 'Victor Frankenstein' (which was unexpectedly awesome...Harry Potter was in it!) I think that may be where all of the wheels and cogs came from! October 31 Rumor has it that Moose wanted a canine-themed tile.  I  really phoned this one it. I had to be up early this morning to get it in since I work all day and will be busy all ...

I did two more challenge pieces last night, partly because I wasn't wild about the first one and secondly because I won't be able to do my Inktober thing tomorrow so I'm filing one ahead.  After close consideration, I've decided that I don't like these tiles either and the reason is Flux. I use this tangle rarely because it isn't in my top 50  favorites... which is a weird juxtaposition with nZepple which is probably my #1-Go To pattern. C'est La Vive! Inktober 26 and Diva Challenge Flux as a string Inktober 27  nZeppel as a fill for Flux. 

This week's Diva Challenge was to use the Nzepple and Flux patters as a duotangle. Not really happy with this one, and the graphite really flared for the carmera, but I always post my first effort so for better or worse, here it is. I think I'll have another go at it tonight for Inktober and see if I can do it more justice. In other news, the Merino Silk yarn I won online came yesterday. It is softer than unborn baby panda pelts! Can't wait to turn it into a scarf or cowl! I couldn't get to it last night since I had Moose napping on my shoulder. Tends to paralyze the  left arm a bit, but totally worth it to have his Darth Vader like snores DIRECTLY in my ear! What a little sweetie!

October 17 Playing with shadows and I love the daisy pattern. October 18 Diva Challenge was to use a leaf.  October 19 Trying to get that 'ripped open to see what's underneath' thing going. Failed miserably. October 20 Wonder if I can draw a zipper. Brother Dan says this looks like an L.L. Bean vest. I'll take it! October 21 A pop of color October 22 Using 'Mooka' as a string. October 23 I don't know whataheck is going on here! October 24 Friends don't let friends tangle at 4:15 AM!

This week's Diva Challenge was to add a leaf in some way, shape or form to your tangle to celebrate autumn.  I couldn't find any good leaves to trace-most of them were wizzled up, so I just free-handed the maple leaf-hence it's wonkiness. But in completing this exercise, I have taught you two new words: wizzled and wonkiness, so my work here is done.  I also get to use this for my October 18th Inktober entry so it's all good! Thanks for another great challenge Diva!

October 10-Saw lots or wild cranberry bushes on my walks lately. Reminds me of the bush we always had outside the house that was filled with birds.  October 11-This was a Diva Challenge piece that I'm not thrilled with. White on black is not my forte, note is the Gourd-geous tangle pattern.  October 12- Decided to try a bit more color this week so used a pan-pastelled  and used blue pens. I like it more than the one above! :-) October 13-Decided to have a go at color AND using only patterns that I had created: Crystal, Obad and Cherryfield. October 14-And this is why I don't use color much. I don't know when to stop. Again using only my patterns though: Lyfe, Whittier and Katahdin October 15-A quicky bookmark done at my WiTAC meeting. I like it when I can manage to not cram so much in every available space. It's something I can't do very often. The siren's pull to put something in those little 'Bale' squares was...

Rick and Maria have introduced a new, official Zentangle pattern called 'Gourd' and the Diva Challenge this week is to us it in a tangle. This is really quick and crude, but I worked all day yesterday and then volunteered at the barn after so I didn't have a lot of time and needed to get the challenge and Inktober 11 done, so be kind: Moose has been doing so well. It's like he's always lived at the house. The only thing is, he gets chilly, being from down South and all, so I had to knit him a sweater. This is just the prototype out of some yarn I had kicking around. The one I'm knitting now is Packer colors and has more of a turtleneck. He loves to wear it and prances when he has it on. To really test it though, we hopped in the car and went to the lake last weekend. The sun in his eyes makes it dicey, but for better or worse, Dog Is My CoPilot The sweater worked really well when we walked across the causeway but it was a little warm for b...

I'm participating in Inktober 2016. I did in 2014 but missed last year because I was traveling. Inktober is a global phenomenon where artists draw an ink drawing every day in October and post it to the Inktober site. The reason is two fold; to get yourself in the habit of practicing  art daily and to see how if the work has evolved over a month's time. Here are my pieces for the first 8 days. October 1, 2016 Based on a design by Chris Letourneau October 2, 2016 Using Punkin vine tangle which will be our challenge pattern at WitAC next Saturday October 3, 2016 More Punkin' vine October 5, 2016 Diva Challenge tile using Daniel LeMothe's 'Dream Catcher' pattern October 6, 2016 Daisy Gemz October 7, 2016 Steampunk piece done on a background I stenciled with pan pastels. October 8, 2016 Just using new tangles I'd never used before.  October 9, 2016 Wonky because I was watching the debate!