“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” ~ Albert Einstein

A few days ago, I got a note from Kelley at TangleUntangled telling me she had nominated my blog for the One Lovely Blog Award.  What a lovely thing to do!  Kelley is a newly minted CZT and has a very lovely blog herself.  A part of being nominated is to share 7 facts about myself and nominate 10 other blogs.  Ten is a big number, but once I reflected on it, kind of small too.  I don’t follow a ton of blogs though my list is much longer than ten.  It was like choosing one child over another since I really love the blogs I do follow.  So, here we go:

7 Facts about Kathy:

  1. I am left handed but have a thinking style that is a blend of both right and left brain.  That makes me unique in the world of interior design.  I have no patience for “dithering” over miniscule nuances – pick one already and move on!
  2. I skipped a grade in school and finished high-school at age sixteen.
  3. I waited until I was 32 years old to go to college for the first time because I was afraid I couldn’t do it.  I earned both degrees with Summa Cum Laude honors.
  4. My English professor at LSU tried to get me change my major to English, but writing was pure torture for me.  Getting beat up in design critiques was much easier.
  5. I love writing my blog because I get to choose the subject and ramble at will.
  6. My black Cairn terrier was my “dream dog.”  He is named Howie Long, for obvious reasons.  He’s a good looking hunk of a dog.

    Howie Long, my handsome hunk of a dog

  7. I am an introvert working in the world of sales and cannot remember names, faces or numbers.  Really.

Now for my 10 Lovely Blog nominees in alphabetical order:

  1. Beez in the Belfry – Sandy is the author of my favorite Zentangle book, Yoga for the Brain.  Sandy writes and I read/buy.  I love that her latest effort, The Tangles of Kells, is an ebook that can live on my iPad.
  2. Enthusiastic Artist – Margaret Bremner has a wonderful way of outlining process and helping her readers to understand how she achieves such amazing art.  Her interview explaining Zentangle is a must read and I share it often.
  3. I am the diva – Certified Zentangle Teacher – Laura invites you into her life and manages to make sure all the tanglers out there get their weekly Diva Challenge fix.  She is a truly amazing young woman and an inspiration to me every time I read her blog whether I get to the challenge or not.
  4. Life Imitates Doodles – Sandy Strait may not be a CZT, but believe me, she is a powerhouse for the art form.  There’s always something good on her blog ranging from new tangles to meticulous product reviews.
  5. Open Seed Arts – I was introduced to Carole’s amazing talent when my friend, Karen, gave me her 2011 calendar as a Christmas gift.  I absolutely love her drawing style – and according to Karen, she’s a rock star beader too!
  6. Sue’s Tangle Trips – Sue Jacobs is so inspiring and shares her knowledge freely.  I have learned and grown as an artist from Sue and her blog.
  7. Tangled Ink Art – Sue Clark’s blog is another feast for the eyes and mind.
  8. TangleUntangled – Kelley’s blog is new, but I have enjoyed every post so far, plus she honored me with one of her ten nominations.  Thanks Kelley.
  9. The Bright Owl – Erin has been rolling out Zendala Dares for quite a while.  She does an amazing job of coming up with Zendala templates and shares them with her readers.  Erin takes the mystery out of working in the round and offers those who struggle with strings a little break every week.

10. WeaveABead – My friend Karen is an amazing bead artist and I love seeing what she’s working on now that I don’t get to see her every day.

Now on to the one big OOPS!  I was really impresses with Margaret’s post Mo’Auraknot.  My wheels were turning when I saw what she did with Sandy Strait’s tangle Exinside and mixing it up with Auraknot.  What I ended up with bears little resemblance to the inspiration, what I had in my head or Sandy’s tangle.  I thought it was time to work on black and plunged in without ever drawing Exinside at all.  First, I find drawing on black with white a real challenge, but hey, I’m pushing my limits.  It was clear by step 3 that I had made a serious misjudgment on scale here.  So, practicing what I preach to all my students, I kept on going.  No mistakes –  make the best of what you have at the moment – just like life.  No do-overs.  So I am sharing this OOPS that really isn’t at all.  I’m pleased with the end result.  Some of my best work has begun with something that went awry and I just kept on fixing it.  That’s one of the most profound aspects of Zentangle.  Think about it the next time you have a tile, or a life event, that you think is an OOPS!