Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Refreshing Beginnings

I have wanted to start a blog for years, but there has always been something in the way. Either homework took too long, my room wasn't tidy, or I was too lazy to put in any actual effort. At last I have decided to dive into the blogosphere by initiating my blog, ZenTiced. I am using the realm of Zentangle® to structure this endeavor as I have recently become the world's youngest CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher), and I have been practicing for over two years. I sincerely hope that I will keep ZenTiced alive with fresh posts periodically just as I hope to achieve my other goals for the upcoming school year.



Yesterday, I took the first major step in starting Zentangle Club at my school. I had a table at our annual club fair filled with examples and resources. I am grateful to have had about 40 people sign up, more than I had even hoped for. Of course, we have to wait and see how many keep with it. My sponsor is my school's revered learning specialist. We think that Zentangle will mesh well with our school community because it will counteract the stress of the academic environment. I owe much thanks to my mom, Amy Broady, for setting up the fabulous display; it attracted a lot of kids and even teachers. We were also blessed with sunshine, although it made our backs sweaty and our free chocolate melt. I'll do my best to post pictures later, but I must check with my school first.
I love how my mom described my tile: "fizzy".
The green looks like sea foam.

Doesn't it feel good when the back of
your tile looks exactly how you wanted?
Here is my submission the Diva's challenge this week. We were supposed to incorporate tipple as a major component of our piece(s). I broke away from my typical route and used white, green, and black on black. Introducing Zentangle at my school seemed a perfect occasion to break out my green Metallic Gelly Roll pen I received at training. I actually didn't have a black Gelly Roll or other pen that would work on the dark tile, so I used a combination of navy and silver Sakura glaze pens for the shiny look. I wish those dark details showed up in the scan—they form neat teardrop shapes. (If you highlight the picture, you can see them a lot better.) I also used the "black" to mirror the white stippling on the inside of the green orb border. The Zendalas are really magical; they elevate even the simplest of designs to a visually intriguing level. The black also makes the tile pop because of the contrast. I did have to trace over my orbs to make them opaque, but the extra effort was worth it. I hope to do more work on black in the future.

Overall, the past few days have been really enjoyable for me. I kicked-off the week with an in-class summer reading essay, but it went smoothly. I am still giddy from a white-water rafting trip with my peers Saturday. Each year, the entire sophomore class at my school goes rafting on the Ocoee River. Recent showers had raised the water level to uncommon highs, making the adventure a little more technical but a lot more exciting. Each raft seated six students plus a guide. I sat in the action row in the very front with my new friend Courtney. Our guide directed from the back and told us we did a fine job leading our boat. "General John" made sure we were safe but had a great time. Every now and then, he would cheerfully say/sing "We be raftin'". Our journey culminated with an intentional crash into a concrete pillar on the left side of the river. We wondered how in the world we would navigate around the obstacle until BOOM . . .we bounced right off and farther into the raft with shrieks of laughter. I wish I could replay those few hours with friends forever, but, alas, I have no such ability. At the very least, I can repeat the memory in my head whenever I want. Plus, isn't being a once-in-a-lifetime event what makes moments like this extraordinary?

22 comments:

  1. Beautiful work on the Diva Challenge, Caroline, and welcome to the ranks of CZTs!
    Kelley Kelly (also a CZT but much, much more ancient!)

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  2. Beautiful job Caroline! Welcome to the CZT ranks. I know that your mom is head-over-heels proud of you and rightfully so. Best of luck with your Zentangle Club!
    Sherry C
    CZT 9

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  3. Love your tile! I really want to do some black Zendalas!

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  4. wonderful done, your black tile.
    enjoy your blog and keep going!

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  5. Beautiful zendala! A great interpretation of this challenge!

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  6. I am speechless!! This is entirely beautiful!

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  7. Beautiful work, I love your fuzzy Zendala! The school program sounds so exciting, I look forward to seeing more!

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  8. Love you new blog Caroline, and can't wait to hear more about your Zentangle® club at school.
    Bonnie B - The Quilting Tangler
    CZT #7

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  9. Your Zendala looks great. Had not done the black on black before but I like the way it looks. Saw about your school club on FB. Hope it goes well. Keep every one posted. Donald W CZT 10

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  10. Congratulations on becoming a CZT and on your new blog! Wonderful entry for the Diva's challenge, excellent writing, WOW on all accounts!

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  11. Hi Caroline, I was one of your mom's classmates at CZT #4. Congratulations on earning your CZT, and on your new blog. Love the bubble Zendala!

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  12. Hi caroline, congrats on your CZT training, very awesome! Your zendala is effervescent :D and I love it! I did enjoy seeing the enlargement where I could see more detail. Good luck with your blog, I will be following you :)

    And in case you didn't already know it . . . Your mom totally rocks!!!

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  13. Congratulations on your blog Caroline, and on becoming a CZT!
    Your Zentangle Club is sure to be a great success. Wonderful zendala! I look forward to seeing more posts.
    Kathy Barringer CZT10.

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  14. Congrats. on becoming CZT
    I like your tile

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  15. Welcome to the world of blogging, you may find it a little addictive ;) your tile is stunning!!

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  16. Congrats on your CZT status! Enjoy your club at school. I am a teacher and use it with my kids, and they all love it so I am sure your club will be great! Beautiful tile too!

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  17. Thank's everyone for the support! I love reading the comments and will keep my blog updated with Zentangle Club's progress,

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  18. Wonderful tile! I love the colors, and the composition

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  19. Gorgeous, I love the soft colours - looking forward to seeing more of your work and congratulations on being certified. Happy blogging:)

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  20. Lovely work and congrats on becoming a CZT - and a wave hi to you Mom also a classmate from #4

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