It's a String Thing Challenge #80

It's a String Thing Challenge #80

String #80

Patterns used: Inaura & Kozy

I know I'm sounding like a broken record but... Whew! what a challenge! Honestly, I was not having fun with either of these patterns. Perhaps it was just me feeling restless and dissatisfied with many things going on this week.

It seems I've developed a pattern of behavior when it comes to these string challenges. I will look at the string and the selected patterns and think "What the heck am I gonna do with this?"...it's a struggle for me initially to wrap my brain around the parameters that at first seem somewhat limiting. In the handful of challenges I've participated in thus far, usually I'm thinking that there are too many patterns. This time I thought too few.

I really liked the string. It immediately brought to mind a cozy cup of coffee and the waves of warmth radiating from it. I thought that with a really thoughtful approach to this, I could ultimately come up with a great design for a blog banner. I gelled with the idea of Kozy emanating from my cup of coffee. I expected this to be nothing short of brilliant.

Well, as I read somewhere a long time ago, "Expectations are disappointments waiting to happen"

I practiced and practiced Kozy and it was one hot mess after another...and once again ( well...several times) thought about taking a pass this week but I kept coming back to this nagging thought: 

THIS is what this blog is all about.

I started the above piece in my "throwaway" sketchbook, a cheapie from the dollar store with pages so thin, the inkier spots will bleed through 3 pages. The paper surface is very smooth so it's great for just warming up, working things out and then I can tear out the pages and throw them away.

This morning I sat down with my coffee at the cafe and opened up the book and thought, well this isn't as bad as I thought it was the other day. Once I got into some of the heavier line work I just kept going and 2 hours later I'm thinking I probably won't have time to commit this to a real tile so for now, a page from my crappy sketchbook...and another tiny triumph!