Scrapbookers Anonymous & More



I have been very fortunate over the last several months, for the opportunity to teach a monthly Zentangle class at an independent scrapbook store here in Winnipeg.  The store is run by a feisty, but adorable little Yorkshire Terrier named Daisy, with the help of her owner Marilyn Whatman.  It's called Scrapbookers Anonymous & More and it's tucked away on Portage Avenue between Advance Electronics and Yamaha Music.


You can find great scrapbook and card-making supplies in the newly re-organized store, including Memory Box dies and Tattered Lace magazines. Marilyn and her staff are a crafty bunch, who are happy to share their expertise to help you make your scrapbooks and cards truly specialThey might even be convinced to make the scrapbook for you! 

They also hold an annual 'garage sale' in the summer and a retreat in the Spring and Fall.


Marilyn offers all kinds of classes and clubs and crops to indulge your creative "addictions", and hang out with like-minded crafters.  Once a month folks even gather to make Cards for CharityHer store is a friendly place, where the kettle is ready for tea and Daisy is ready for a belly-rub!


Travelling Tangles

One of the (many) Zentangle-related Facebook Groups I belong to is called the Travelling Tangles ProjectIt was started in February of this year by Stephanie Jennifer, a CZT in Singapore, and has already grown to over 1,000 members around the world!
It is a collaborative project with a very cool concept; you begin tangling on a tile then send it, unfinished, to another tangler for them to complete, while they send one to you to finish.  Individuals can post to the group looking for people to swap with them, and there is also a themed group-swap every month as well.


I've been "lurking" in this group for several months, just enjoying the inspiration (and a bit of intimidation) of all the beautiful and imaginative tangling.  I finally decided to join in the fun, and signed up for the group-swap this month.  Emboldened by that leap-of-faith, I also decided to swap two tiles with fellow Canadian CZT, Laura Harms (if you don't already do Laura's weekly challenges, you must check them out on her blog: I am the Diva).

I don't know about you, but I just LOVE to get mail.  Real mail.  The kind you can hear and touch and smell.  The kind that makes that crinkly-paper sound when you open it, instead of an electronic, computer-ding.  The kind that gets delivered by a human being, just once a day, like something special; instead of every hour.  Happy mail - not the kind that wants my money.  So part of the draw to this group, for me, was to be able to send and receive that kind of mail.

Tangled Inklings, Carol Graham

I started two tiles to send to Laura.  I used one of the tiles I had 'boiled' with leaves I'd gathered from the lane, and tangled the pattern 'Mak-rah-mee' in the centre, leaving the ends open for Laura to do with as she pleased.  On the other tile, I did dots, border, string and filled in two of the sections with 'Flux' and a 'Hollibaugh' tangleation.

Look what she did with them - aren't they gorgeous! 
Tangled Inklings, Carol Graham
Tangled Inklings, Carol Graham

Tangled Inklings, Carol Graham
And sure enough - happy mail arrived for me!  Laura used the "Hefty Hack" technique to colour her tiles.  The blue one made me think of a fancy necklace, and I thought of the patterns 'Showgirl' and 'Mooka' (that one looked better in my head than it did on the tile, lol).  And for the 'Coral-coloured' one, I continued her spirals and used  'Salo'...with a little added sparkle and bling (the glittery gel pen I used for the black pearls doesn't show up very well in the photo)


Tangled Inklings, Carol Graham
 

I put my tile for the September group-swap in the mail today.  It's off to its new home in the USA.  Since the theme this month was "Fall", I used another 'boiled' tile with leaf images on it.  I started it with a kind of tangleation of 'Cubine', and can't wait to see how Laura Story will finish it.

I will update this post when I receive and complete the tile I'll get in return.
This was a whole lot of fun, and I highly recommend this group.  Jump right in and swap if you're braver than me, or just sit back and enjoy the eye-candy in your Facebook feed for awhile.  It's a pretty awesome way to challenge yourself a little, and to meet fellow tanglers around the world!





Zendala Class 31 August 2016


I do so love doing small classes in my Zen Den!

Five of my favourite tanglers gathered on Wednesday afternoon to create Zentangle Inspired Mandalas, known as Zendalas.  From simple free-form designs, to Seed of Life and Torus patterns - these gals did a beautiful job.

Some sent me pictures of their finished Zendalas.  Look what these WIP grew up to be . . . 


I just love the depth that Alyson created here - its like you could fall down into one of those holes!  And her signature splash of colour finishes it off so nicely.
 



Those beautiful white and black pearls look great nestled in a Paradox border - one of Maureen's favourite patterns!