BASIS Flagstaff and wonderful 5th Graders

Combine kindness with kids and what do you get... magic!

Art teacher, Jessalyn Carpino, at BASIS Flagstaff introduced Zentangle to her 5th graders as well as the Tangled Kindness Project.  She challenged her students to link kindness with creativity which lead perfectly into students making Tangled Little Cards.  We are talking nearly 100 students -- that is a lot of Tangle Little Cards entering the world and it makes the Tangled Kindness Project's heart sing!

Here are a few pictures of students working on their Tangled Little Cards... never have you heard an art classroom so quite.  Every student was diligently working on tangles, quotes, and making each card absolutely perfect.  

Little hands making little cards...

Students used some of our favorite tangles!!!  In addition, they had a little inspiration from TanglePatterns.

 

Students were also encouraged to create their own, unique tangles!

Students were thoroughly engaged in the project and proudly admired their work.

Where do you think these Tangled Little Cards will be placed?  They will surely make someone smile!

Ms. Carpino, you are simply amazing!  Thank you for sharing the Tangled Kindness Project with your students.  And thank you, students, for contributing such beautiful cards to the project!  

 

Nestled among sketch books...

This Tangled Little Card seems to be in the perfect artsy location!!

Phoenix AZ

This Tangled Little Card found it's way to the Phoenix Art Museum!!

Browning MT

These Tangled Little Cards found their way to a small town in Glacier County Montana... Browning. 

From the official Browning website, we learn that it is the largest community on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation and is home to nearly 9000 members of the Blackfeet Nation.

Main Street Browning MT

Only thirteen miles West of Browning is an entrance to Glacier National Park.   

One of those Tangled Little Cards ended up in Teeples IGA, the local grocery store...

Teeples IGA, Browning MT

TLC in the COE at NAU

How's that for a title of acronyms!

I was in the COE yesterday while it was completely deserted; what a quiet place without students and faculty.

This Tangled Little Card was left near the front entrance.  Do you think someone will pick it up first thing this morning or will it sit there for others to enjoy until finally someone takes it?

Interestingly, I went back the next morning for an 11:00 meeting; the TLC was still there! 

Remember....

Nevada... Have you seen this tree?!

This is a wonderful story from Sue Williams:

"My husband and I were making our way through the Nevada desert from Wendover, NV to Death Valley when we came upon this tree right by the road.  There were no other trees around, not for what seemed like a hundred miles or so, just desert.  I call it "the giving tree" because people had hung hats, shoes, shirts, mugs, bottles, scarves, and more all over the tree.  I taped one of my cards on a branch.  I was so moved by this experience and so happy I was on that road to see it.  The world may seem like a deserted desert at times but we are surrounded with loving people with kind hearts."

That last sentence is so simple yet it says so much!  I imagine that at times everyone feels like they are in a deserted desert and there is nothing like a speck of kindness to bring about change. This tree radiates with kindness.

What great photos of "the giving tree" -- can you find the Tangled Little Card, before scrolling to the third photo?!

"The Giving Tree" by Sue W.

"The Giving Tree" by Sue W.

"The Giving Tree" by Sue W.

Thank you, Sue, for placing a TLC on this beautiful tree.

San Diego CA

The water feature by the pool inspired the tangle for this Tangled Little Card.

The quote...

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak but their echoes are truly endless."

- Mother Teresa

The Tangled Little Card now awaits by the pool.  Who will pick it up?!

Shreveport LA

My dear friend is in Shreveport right now placing Tangled Little Cards here, there, and everywhere!  And then she emails me to let me know that the cards have been morphed into bookmarks and placed throughout the library!  What a brilliant idea, Bonnie!

Tangled Little Bookmark by Bonnie F.

Tangled Little Bookmark by Bonnie F.

There one sits, waiting to leap into the hands of someone who just selected the next great book to read!

Around Town

Today at Bookman's I was talking to a young woman about her dog.  When she left, I noticed that she put this on a table as she passed by it.  I love that others are sharing artistic acts of random kindness!

Then off to the Aquaplex so the kids could play in the water. I did this Tangled Little Card (even though my only source of ink was a Sharpie!) and left it in the lounge area.

Where will the next Tangled Little Card land; and who will find it?!

Quib freed by Ing....at FHS

When I place a Tangled Little Card I always wonder in who's hands it will land; it may be a student this time!

I tangled this tile while my kids were engaged in swim practice.... at a high school; so this Tangled Little Card sits in the cafeteria waiting.  

Now, knowing that some of my former students attend this school, I will also wonder if I shall hear from one letting me know I got the quote all wrong! The quote should read...

" Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." -- Mark Twain. 

All alone... waiting for someone to walk by and pick it up!

I also posted this....

For some reason, I don't put my chop on the Tangled Little Cards I make.

...on my favorite Zentangle FB group:

 Square One: Purely Zentangle.

If you love Zentangle then you have to check out this group!

A Research Project

There is a research project lerking here...

I went to an appointment and left this Tangled Little Card in the entry of the office building.

Two weeks later I returned for a follow up appointment.  The card was still there!

 
The Tangled Little Card had obviously been moved so perhaps read and enjoyed.  Interesting, huh?!  It was left behind by at least one person... did they obtain enjoyment from the little card and want to leave it there for someone else to find and enjoy?  Why didn't they take it?  I find it fascinating that for two weeks it could have been potentially enjoyed by several, each person leaving it for the next.

I did go back to the office building a week later just to see if the card was still there; it was not.  

Flagstaff AZ

I love a good Chai Latte.  This Tangled Little Card was left at a place in Flagstaff that makes the best Chai Latte... a mix of sweet and spicy!  Do you know where this card was left?!

Sharing the Kindness-- Sue Williams

When I first started this project, I left a Tangled Little Card in a cemetery in New Orleans.  That card was found by Angela Gage who has now passed the passion of spreading kindness via Tangled Little Cards to one of her students, Sue Williams.  Sue's blog is Lighting the Candle, do check it out, her art is gorgeous!

In a July blog post she mentions the Tangled Kindness Project and an upcoming vacation from Ohio to California.  In the post she writes:

"I thought it would be fun to participate in this project and make and leave cards along our journey.  So I now have a purpose to learn this method of art.  Pictured is my first card to take and leave on my journey".  

It is the purpose comment that gives me goose bumps; I am so happy and grateful that the purpose of spreading kindness is enjoyed in this project by others.  Thank you Sue for spreading kindness!  Your work is beautiful and I know that the finders of your Tangled Little Cards will cherish them!

Here is her first Tangled Little Card... who do you think found it?!

Tangled Little Card by Sue Williams

Jordan Valley OR

I have been traveling for the past 4 months placing Tangled Little Cards in random, beautiful, carefully selected, obscure, and wonderful places!  My apologies for neglecting the blog; I will find a balance in traveling and blogging sooner than later... I get so carried away with making placing cards that I don't post.

So, here is the first post in a long time.  

In our Western US travels we over nighted in a Jordan Valley OR.   We have traveled through before but this time opted to stop to experience the Basque culture... and I still don't know how to play Basque handball!  There is a Basque restaurant, the Old Basque Inn, that serves lamb chops with lots of garlic, just how I like it!

OLD BASQUE INN

So, on to Tangled Little Cards.  The hotel we stayed in was pretty... basic. Although it did have great views!

View to the West from our hotel room.

I took this picture of these trucks, well, just because I thought they were pretty cool!  Plus they reminded my kids of the movie Cars which was a bit hit in my family.

View to the South from our hotel.

The morning we left, I placed this Tangled Little Card on the steps near our hotel room.  I always wonder who finds them...

Karma

About 9 months ago, I discovered Zentangle.  It was about that time that I also found a Ben's Bell hanging from a tree near my local library.  The mission of Ben's Bell is simple, admirable, and embraces humanity... 

The mission of Ben's Bells is to inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships and our communities.

Ben's Bell was my muse to start this project.  (One of the contributors to this project has also found a bell.) I felt that I could contribute to spreading kindness, intentionally, by creating and placing Tangled Little Cards in random locations for people to find.  Since January, when the project was started, Tangled Little Cards have traveled the world and people have reported back the profound impact of finding one has had on them.   I feel my mission, in support of Ben's mission, is being accomplished.  

Well, the other day, the most remarkable and profound thing happened.  I found another beautiful Ben's Bell!  I can't begin to express my feelings; amazement (I mean, really, what are the odds?!), joy, surprise, gratification...   By finding that bell, did I receive a "thank you, carry on" or was it just karma?  

The first bell, actually found by my daughter, is hanging in my mother's most beautiful garden.   This bell is hanging on my patio in remembrance that intentional kindness has some serious power and influence!

Thank you Jeannette.

Experimenting

There is a saying; if it isn't broken, why fix it.  Well, our Tangled Little Cards aren't broken and don't need fixing, however, it has been fun experimenting with them!

To make a TLC we use Zentangle tiles,  water color paper (140 lbs or more work best), and recently coasters.  The challenge with coasters is that they absorb, absorb, absorb!  Ink bleeds, the surface is rough so a delicate Micron pen is not a good match, but... coasters seem to work well with Micron Gelly Roll and Glaze pens.  The Glaze pens are fun because they are 3D -- adding a nice effect to any tangle!  Tangling with color allows shading to be done with colored pencils... and the end result is wonderful!  

Then there is the issue of assembling the TLCs.  Regular packaging tapes works well.  The coasters seem to need something a bit more durable however, so our answer has been Duct tape!  

Here are a few Tangles Little Cards done on coasters, with Gelly Roll and Glaze pens, and put together with Duct tape.

 

CT CZT making TLCs like crazy!

There is a Certified Zentangle Teacher, Maureen , in Connecticut that I think is on a mission to get Tangled Little Cards out into the world and into the hands of as many people as possible... a woman after my own heart!  Thank you Maureen!  I know that the people that find these TLCs will appreciate and enjoy them!  The project greatly thanks your efforts and admires your spirit and enthusiasm!

Maureen has been enthusiastically ordering supplies, making Tangled Little Cards, and sending them off to far away places.  Here is a photo of the first three TLCs she made...

Running Meditations

It is responses like this that make my heart sing!!!

I received an email from Rebekah; stating she wrote about her encounter with human kindness here...

Her blog is called Running Meditations. She eloquently shares her story of finding a Tangled Little Card.  I certainly don't know how the card got from Ohio to North Carolina but it is bound to have a wonderful story!  Rebekah and I don't know each other, not when she found the card anyway, but are certainly bonded by kindness. It is so heartfelt that she is leaving it for another to find and enjoy.

So, read her post about the Tangled Little Card she found...

Telling a Story

I carry Tangled Little Cards with me every where I go, including on vacation and travels to here and there.  Recently my family went on a Caribbean Cruise.  I placed Tangled Little Cards in hotels, on the ship, and in every country we visited.  Keeping track of where I placed cards tells a little story.  For example, this card; it reminds me of the splendid day we spent wondering Key West FL.  We stopped in so many galleries, ate key lime pie, and visited Hemingway's house.

Can you find the Tangled Little Card on the window ledge?!

Ginny... Sharing the Kindness

I only started this project in January this year, not even two months ago.  It is exciting how quickly it is growing -- but then again, sharing kindness is pretty cool if I do say so myself!

What is so wonderful is Ginny Stiles, an artist from Florida/Wisconsin, has began what appears to be a mass sharing of kindness!  Thank you Ginny for creating Tangled Little Cards and leaving them in special places!  Do check out her blog... her work is beautiful!

So, it is with giddy happiness that I receive notes from people that are taking the project into their own hands and running with it!

Thank you

Thank you

Thank you

Tangled Little Cards by Ginny Stiles

Read Ginny's post about the Tangled Kindness Project.  

NOLA ~ Ohio ~ Virgin Islands and beyond!

I am so giddy happy; seriously, it is impossible to state how communication from one person (a stranger, even!) can impact someone so deeply!  Just the other day I received an email from an artist, one who found a Tangled Little Card. It is wonderful to think that something  so little can make such a big impact and that something so little can be shared vastly. 

Thank you Angela for believing in the Tangled Kindness Project!  She took it upon herself to make Tangled Little Cards and send them out on their own journeys.

With permission, I share her email; know that it made me cry! At the end of Angela's texts is a photo of the beautiful cards she made.

Kindness is a beautiful thing! 

Hi Amy,

My name is Angela Gage.  I am an artist and I found your card at the Lafayette Cemetery in New Orleans.  My daughter just moved to New Orleans last August.  I have never visited there and I went to visit her in January. She lives in an apartment in the Garden District and we walked to the cemetery.  I know this sounds weird but I was thinking before we got there that I would love to find something in the cemetery. We walked around a bit and then came to the tomb with the pansies in front and I found your card! My daughter looked up the Tangled Kindness Project on her phone and we knew we were allowed to take the card.  It is my favorite souvenir from that city!  I love the whole concept behind your cards.  I showed everyone I could when I got back home to Columbus Ohio.

I work in a wholesale frame shop, where we cut mats also.  My boss and his wife were going to go on vacation to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. I wanted to make a card for them to take and spread the kindness.  I made three cards and they picked one to take with them.  I put the Tangled Kindness Project on the back.  I hope that is ok.

On a separate note, I teach Oil Painting, Drawing and Pastels.  In my Drawing class, we touch on pen and ink. I have never heard of tangled designs.  I have thoroughly enjoyed making this type of artwork.  Normally I am a very realistic artist.  I paint commissioned portraits also.  Doing this artwork is very relaxing.

Thank you so much for your card!!  I really love it!

Angela Gage
  

Tangled Little Cards by Angela Gage