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!  

 

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.

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.

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...

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

Seattle WA

The first requested shipment of Tangled Little Cards are on their way to the Pacific Northwest!  Makes me excited to think of where they will be placed, who will find them, and what their reaction will be?!

Thank you Linda for the request; enjoy spreading the kindness!

The picture is a  little blurry but the Tangled Little Cards are bound to make someone smile!

The Muse -- Ben's Bell

The idea for this project originated when my daughter found a Ben's Bell.    

We were returning library books to the outside drop box.  In a nearby tree my daughter noticed something hanging in the tree and inquired what's that.  It was a beautiful bell!  The note attached to the bell indicated that we should take it home and enjoy it.  To describe the overwhelming feeling of humanity is impossible!  She was overjoyed with her discovery and rather than wanting to take it home she suggested that it hang in her Nana and Grandpa Blue's garden -- after all it is a magical place, the perfect place for such a bell!  

Ben's Bell in Grandpa Blue and Nana's Garden.

Ben's Bell hanging in the garden... a beautiful place for a beautiful bell!

Finding the bell was the muse for this project.  The feelings of love and joy that finding this bell generated won't be forgotten and we want to contribute to spreading kindness in our own little tangled way.

Quote on Every Little Card

On every little card there will be a quote... this is one of my favorite.


 "Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world."

-- Desmund Tutu