Happy Groundhogs Day!

So.. the groundhog saw his shadow.
That means 6 more weeks of winter. Blah. Double BLAH. I am tired of snow.
We are getting quite a bit of the lovely white stuff at the moment, so I guess I'll prepare to hibernate for the next 6 weeks.
(Here in Western NY it's more like another 3 months of winter)

Let's perk things up!
I promised a prize would go out to someone who joined in and here we go!

These sweet little Bijou tiles are going to go to JLJohnson!
Please send me your address via email  so I can get these out to you! Lots more little treats will be coming in the upcoming months!

I have a secret package that will be going out as well in the next couple days too! The winner of my "Use the good stuff" bonus is Heather (who mainly posts for the challenge over on Instagram) but made sure to post on that post for us! Heather, please send me your mailing info so that I can send our your package too!

Today I caught up on Laura's challenges over on I am a Diva with 201 and 202 as well as got my Square One challenge too. 

202- Chebucto vs Copada
Not a fan of Chebucto, no matter how many times I practice it, I just don't love it. 

203- UMT-Athitzi was the challenge. I really liked it! I think this will become a go to
I combined it with Quandry for the Square One challenge as well. 

The first of the month is always a UMT so I always try to dive into those. I like learning something new! 

I'm having a hard time fitting all the things in that I want to be doing into my daily posts, so I think I'll try and do some more combining.

I love the language of Zentangle. 

Speak in tangles

That's how I first started "speaking" with Rick and Maria. Tangles and patterns are universal . . . literally. Take a look at my shell. Now, look at a galaxy. See a pattern?

Use your good stuff

I have boxes and cabinets filled with things i have never used..and I can't really tell you why. Becuase I'm waiting for something I think.
No more.
I'm going to pull out all my stuff and try and use a ton of it this year, what I don't, I will either sell and buy things I love and will use or I will give away to someone who might actually love and appreciate it. :)
The other day in one of the groups I participate in, I posted something. It's been pretty popular and I'm glad that it reached the audience it has, but I want to pass it around a little more, because I think it's really very important.
I've cleaned it up a little and made a few additional notes, but pretty much, here it is.

I've seen something a lot in groups and online discussion groups lately. I want to share something with you,  not because I am a CZT (though I am) or because I want to sell you something (you have a million options for that and unless you live close to me I'd direct you to someone closer anyway) so I really have NOTHING to gain by what I am about to say.
But it's in the spirit of Zentangle so I think it belongs here.

Use the good stuff.

Don't save your good paper for the day you feel your work is "good enough" because you never will. You'll always wait until you are "a little better" or you've "perfected that tangle"
Don't practice on scraps, don't treat your work as insignificant. That makes me sad.
Use the best you can.
If that's a piece of notebook paper because that's all you have, fine... but if you have choices, find paper YOU love.
It doesn't have to be Zentangle tiles... unless those are what you love. I mean.. I ADORE them, but that's MY personal preference because it's beautiful and make me happy to just hold them in my hands.
You might love Bristol. If that's your favorite USE BRISTOL!
Find a pen that works for you. Maybe you want something refillable, maybe the smell of sharpies makes you happy, maybe you like the way Pitts flow, maybe microns work for you. Good! Use what works FOR YOU.

Part of the joy of Zentangle is the play of the ink against the paper. Microns and tiles were selected to teach with because they work nicely together, they don't smear a lot, the color is deep and rich and beautiful and it's a JOY to lay the ink down on the paper. It really is. There are a lot of tools out there that will play nicely together. Each stroke feels like an event when you are using tools you love.
Whatever your tools ARE, they should be ones that make you ENJOY what you are doing.
Coloring in shouldn't feel like a chore, it should be part of the fun. The tools you use should be selected with that in mind. It doesn't have to be expensive. You can find a sketchbook to practice in with good paper for a couple dollars. I draw almost constantly and I only go through 1 pen or so a month. I can invest a couple dollars in that.
Truly if in your heart of hearts you know you truly can't afford any pen... reach out to me.
I'm not going to just pass out hundreds of pens, but if someone wants to create art and they can't afford the $3 for a pen, I will find a way to help them get one.
If you love crayons, use crayons. But use what you love. Use your good stuff, don't save it for someday, because someday might never come.

My favorite responses to that (and there have been a lot) were the ones where people shared that they were going to do that, that they took it to heart and that it inspired them to take it outside their art as well.
Go get a glass of your favorite beverage in something beautiful that you've been saving til you had company. You and your family are certainly as good as company. :) Make dinner tonight and use your fancy plates, even if you have leftovers.

My Gram used to tell me, make each day a memory. :) I've been forgetting that myself.

In the spirit of using things you love... I have a small  carepackage of things I no longer love or need. It's a surprise box of goodies... so I'm not going to tell you what's in it... but this is a little bonus contest for the month.
(I'll give everyone til the end of Jan)
Post your entry on here, show me something using your good stuff. It doesn't even have to be a creation with your good stuff... It can be a china cup, or your favorite boots, or whatever you want.

Leave me a comment completing this sentence...
I know I'm worth using my good _____________________.

Winner will be chosen at random on Jan 31st by one of my minions. :)