Come sail with me... this is the first announcement of the Alaska Cruise that will feature Patti Hempen and me next May. It is not too early to sign up. Read on... besides seeing beautiful scenery, you'll have classes with Patti and me throughout the cruise. Reserve your place today!

“See Magnificent Alaska”

May 17 - 24, 2014

Bonnie Browning and Patti Hempen will amaze you with "Zentangle®" and "Creative Symmetry"!

Bonnie, The Quilting Tangler, will show you that Zentangle is an easy-to-learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It's Art that Anyone CAN Do!

Patti will show you how to create an amazingly fun, beautiful, and unique work of art using her world-famous Free-Form Symmetry technique!

Please join this delightful duo on NCL's beautiful Jewel for a week of learning, fun, and exploring Alaska.

Contact Cruise Consultants of North TX for booking details. Gloria Cook can be reached at

817-371-5329, toll free at 888-719-7698 or via email: gloria@cruise-consultants.com

This will be the view from your balcony stateroom as we cruise the inside passage.  

This fabulous Alaska cruise vacation begins when you arrive at SeaTac Airport. Think about arriving a day early in Seattle for a fun-filled afternoon and evening, checking out the local attractions before transferring to the Seattle Cruise Terminal Saturday morning to begin our week-long adventure.   Class fees are $540 per person and this price includes everything you will need for a great week with  professional, knowledgeable, and talented educators. Please read their bios and check out their websites to see samples of their skills.  www.bonniebrowning.com and www.pattihempen.com

Pricing for cruising on Norwegian’s Jewel is based on double occupancy:

Inside staterooms from $749 per person + taxes
Ocean view staterooms from $879 per person + taxes
Balcony staterooms from $1409 per person + taxes

A deposit of $300 will hold your cabin. Balance due 90 days prior to departure.

Gratuities not included. No fuel surcharge exists at this time; however, Norwegian Cruise Line has reserved the right to reinstate this charge under certain conditions.

For those who are interested, a monthly payment schedule is available. 
Just let Gloria know if this appeals to you.

It's an experience of a lifetime - make your plans now to join us!

CZT Hideaway 2013 - Wooded Glen, Indiana

This past weekend I attended the CZT (Certified Zentangle Teacher) Hideaway 2013 at a fantastic resort and conference center in Indiana. Wayne and I drove there on Thursday. I'll let my photos show you the resort and what we did there...

  

The sign at the entrance of this 587 acre resort and conference center.

 You drive over this covered bridge as you enter the resort.

 

The lobby of the conference center

 

Thursday night we exchanged tangled boxes.

I received this wonderful house that was tangled by Peg Farmer.

 

Each morning as we opened the curtains to our room, we could see the wild turkeys walking past.

 

We hiked on the Zen-Trail and tangled as we went.

 

There was a bench at each station that told us the name of a tangle to use

or we sometimes had a choice.

 

The collage of our Zen-Trail tangles.

 

This jake spent a lot of time fanning his feathers for the ladies.

 

Here he is again, with some of the rest of the rafter.

 

 

Leslie Scott-Gillilan, Bonnie Browning, Angie Gamble

My photo with the organizers of CZT Hideaway 2013.

 

One of the lodges on the property. There were four groups - some scientists, a scrapbooking group, a sewing group, and our Zentangle group - in different lodges. We all ate in the conference center... and the food was really good.

 

This young deer bid us adieu as Wayne and I left the resort.

 

A fun, relaxing weekend. I worked on my next book on Quilted Tangles, and enjoyed the camaraderie with many of the CZT's that I previously only knew through our CZT Facebook pages. Let's do this again! 

 



A Special Gift for You for National Quilting Day

 

Dear Quilting Friend,

International Quilt Day is just around the corner, and as a featured artist on a past episode of The Quilt Show, (www.thequiltshow.com) I wanted to let you know about a gift that Alex and Ricky have put together for quilters around the world.  

Beginning on Friday, March 16 through Sunday, March 18, everyone who signs on to The Quilt Show will have free access to over 140 of their internet shows, including my episode #609.  You can watch the shows, check out the great tutorials, browse the gallery of over 19,900 member quilts, visit the forum for answers to the most burning quilt questions and lots, lots more. And if you missed my show, you can see it now.

You can also enter the TQS prize drawing with fantastic prizes from companies we know and love like Bernina, Gammill, Superior Threads, AccuQuilt, C and T Publishing, RJR Fabric, and Ricky and Alex will have gift baskets to give away too.  The grand prize is a new BERNINA 550QE sewing machine!

I wanted to make you aware of this amazing event so you can take advantage of everything this exciting weekend has to offer without leaving home and all for free.

Don’t hesitate to share this email with your quilting friends, fellow guild members, social networking friends and local quilt shops so that they don’t miss out on this fun weekend.  And feel free to post an abbreviated version of the details on your Facebook page.  I want everyone to know about this amazing 3-day celebration of all things quilting.

So check in at www.thequiltshow.com on Friday, March 15, and enjoy the shows and exploring The Quilt Show website and all it has to offer!  And I’d love to have you view my show, episode #609.

Happy Quilting Day...

Bonnie Browning

It's Saturday

Today was my shopping day - a trip to Hayes Shoe Store to buy a new pair of shoes for the upcoming quilt shows. Always need to make sure we take care of our feet at the shows. Those concrete floors can be killers for your feet. We always tell our staff to dress to the ankles and make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes. For me, that has been my Birkenstock sandals, but this time I'm trying a pair of SAS sandals. They felt like I could put them on and wear them all day immediately. I'll be wearing them to work now to make sure they will feel good all day long.

The shoe store was very close to Michael's so I stopped there to browse a bit. You know I am working on a book on Zentangles and I found something new to try. I'll just give you a hint - it involves gold leaf. Can't wait to try my idea out. Our office is working on a group challenge quilt and I needed some small piping so the next stop was at Hobby Lobby.

And then Hobby Lobby was very close to Dillard's and I've had a Christmas gift card for Dillard's from Wayne's sister, Kathi, that I hadn't used yet, so I stopped and bought a new outfit there. And if you know me at all, you can guess what color it is. Yep, you guessed it - black pants, light aqua top, and black shirt that can be worn as a jacket. It's lightweight so will make a nice new outfit for spring.

By now, Wayne and I needed a treat so we stopped by DQ for a Blizzard and drove down to the riverfront to eat it. Paducah sits on the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers and there was a lot of barge traffic going on today so I snapped a few photos. And right now my blog won't let me upload my photos... so I'll try to show them to you next time.

Anyway, we enjoyed sitting on the riverfront and watching the barges go by. A lady brought a big bag of bread and fed the gulls. I thought sure one was going to land on her head as she tossed the bread pieces this way and that way. They literally surrounded her. It was bright and sunny and a nice day to enjoy the river. There are always couples sitting on the benches and families who wander down close to the water. Often there are fisherman along the bank too, but not today.

Then it was time to go home. Shortly after we unloaded our packages, Andi Reynolds called to say she was bringing over some warm, homemade pretzels. They were yummy. I've never tried making pretzels. These were soft and warm and tasted lots better than the hard, dry pretzels I usually eat.

I just posted two new books on my website: www.bonniebrowning.com. AQS has revised two of my books and reissued them - Easy Paper Piecing; and Triangles at Play (by Phyllis Miller and me). They are $12.95 each and only $10.36 if you are an AQS member. You'll find ordering information on my website under the Books tab.

And now, the day is nearly done. Think I'll read a while...

Bonnie B

Christmas 2012 Memories

It's always fun to go home for Christmas. I have finally sorted out my Christmas photos and have put together an album of some of them so you can keep up with the family.

Enjoy!

Click this Link!

The Dervish Dancers of Cairo

Jenny Bowker wanted me to see the Al-Tanoura Troupe of Dervish Musicians and Dancers at the Wikalat Al-Ghouri in Cairo, and I loved seeing them.

They were very talented musicians, and they are self-taught using traditional musical instruments. The dancers were beyond belief. The man in green in the first photos danced in a circle for 35 minutes. He had two removable circular skirts that were removed and twirled during the performance. I'm still not sure how they managed to twirl them in every imaginable direction without losing a beat. Next came three dancers whose skirts never touched even though they moved about the entire floor.

I've put together some of my photos to give you an idea of their program. The music is called Caravan to Cairo - very similar to the music they played.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

Here is the link:  http://smilebox.com/playBlog/4d7a51314e7a63774f44593d0d0a&blogview=true

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes...Yes!

Snickerdoodle cookies are among my favorites. But cupcakes are all the rage right now.
Well, then it's time to try making some Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. Ymmmmmm!

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Cupcakes
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening or butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
5 egg whites
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper baking cup in each cup of 24 regular-size muffin tin.
In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
In large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, about 1/3 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about 1/3 of mixture at a time, and milk, about 1/2 at a time, beating just until blended.
Divide batter evening among muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks to cool. Frost with Cinnamon Frosting.

Cinnamon Frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 T. vanilla
2 to 4 T. milk
In large bowl, mix powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and the butter with electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in enough remaining milk, 1 teaspoon at a time to make frosting smooth and spreadable.
Frost cupcakes. In small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; sprinkle over frosted cupcakes.

Makes the house smell like Christmas!
Enjoy.
Bonnie B

Wayne and I will be in Paducah for Thanksgiving. I'll be working on projects for my next book on Quilted Tangles... and of course, we'll have turkey and dressing, along with our favorite cranberry salad (it has marshmallows and whipped cream in it - how can that not be good). It's one of our favorite ways to serve cranberries. In fact, I'll just share the recipe here and you can make it too. You should make it the day before... so that's one salad done ahead of time.

Bonnie's Cranberry Salad
1 pkg. fresh cranberries (freeze them to chop easier)
1 c. sugar
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
Dash of salt
1 pkg. miniature marshmallows
1/2 pt. whipping cream, whipped
1 c. celery, chopped
1 c. nuts, chopped (pecans or walnuts)

Run the frozen cranberries through the food processor or blender until finely chopped. Place shopped berries in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar, drained pineapple, and salt. Stir and let sit for an hour or so to let the sugar dissolve. Stir in celery, nuts, and marshmallows. Whip cream and fold into mixture. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Great with ham or turkey.

This recipe and others from the famous Kirkland cooks are available in Cooking with the Kirklands: A Collection of Recipes from Mary Kirkland, her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The cookbook is $15 plus $3 shipping - let me know if you want a copy. Send email to: bbquilter@gmail.com.

And so, we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

Happy Veteran's Day...

Good Morning and Happy Veteran's Day! I'll start today's post with a Thank You to my husband Wayne and all who have or are serving our country in military service. We appreciate you and your commitment to helping to keep our country safe.

On the quilting side, here is a post by Gayle Thomas of Canada that I thought you would enjoy. .

Quilt by Gayle Thomas, National Film Board of Canada

A salute to flags flying free... Bonnie B

Fun at the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines

We had a lot of fun at the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines... here are some photos from the show. Can you guess who those legs in the center belong to?

This photo album customized with Smilebox

Grand Rapids, Then Family Reunion

It has been a very busy two weeks. We held our first show in Grand Rapids at the DeVos Place Convention Center. Wow... what a wonderful facility. We have 21,500 people attend this first show. There were 900 quilts on display including exhibits from Japan and Egypt. Two of the Tentmakers of Cairo came to the show to demonstrate their applique art - it was amazing to watch there hands. They were like machines they moved so fast. Tarek even showed some of the quilters how he could stitch blindfolded - yes, he appliqued with a blindfold over his eyes. AQS was the first quilt show to give away a car. One lucky quilter won this snazzy little red Ford Focus, complete with quilted decals on the sides and hood.

Then we had a family reunion here in Paducah over Labor Day. It was fun to have Mom Kirkland, my brother Gerry and his wife Carol, sister Karen, and youngest sister Marcia and her husband Don all here for the weekend. We showed them a little of Paducah. Started with a trip to Hancocks where we bought some fabric - of course. Then had lunch at Flamingo Row, followed by a visit to the National Quilt Museum. After a little rest, we went to Patti's Restaurant in Grand Rivers for dinner. x Then on Sunday, Wayne cooked a turkey on the grill and we have some home-made potato salad, baked beans,and scalloped corn. Later in the afternoon, we topped that off with some pie from Patti's - coconut cream with the mile-high meringue, and peach with a pecan crumb topping and vanilla ice cream. I gave a quilt show with quilts in my collection - some I made and others I've bought at auctions and online. And, they didn't even get to see all of them. Also showed them some of my Zentangle Art - the subject of my next book, Quilted Tangles.

It sure was fun to catch up on many of the things we all are doing. Before everyone I left, I pulled out my camera to snap a group photo... and don't you know it, I can never remember how to do that self-timed shot and had to look it up in my manual. They laugh because I do that every time. And so, here we are... on Labor Day 2012.

Now It's Time to Vote for Favorite Blog

Now it is time to VOTE for your favorite Zentangle Blog - we have our own category now. Just click on the link below and vote... and of course, I hope you are voting for my blog!

Zentangle and More

It's been hot here in Kentucky, but that made it even bettern to stay inside and teach a class at the Grace Episcopal Church here in Kentucky. Everyone caught on to drawing the tangles quickly and we finished three tiles and two ATC-sized tiles in a morning class.

Here's a photo of their work:

Next, I will be giving a demonstration on Zentangle at the AQS Quilt Show at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids, MI, August 24 in the My Quilt Place Room. Stop by and see how easy it is to tangle.

Then in October, I'll be giving a lecture on Zentangle at the AQS Quilt Show in Des Moines, IA, October 3-6.

You can always contact me at bbquilter@gmail.com if you'd like me to come do some classes for your group. Learn how to add some pzazz to your background fills with Zentangle designs. I'm working on a book too to share more designs and ways to use them. See how Zentangle can reduce stress in your life, add a creative art to your bag of tricks to use in your quilting, scrapbooking, and other arts, and learn just how much fun it is to create - one line at a time!

Bonnie B - The Quilting Tangler

My Blog has been Nominated!

I just received a notice that my blog has been nominated for: 2012 Fascination Award Emblems: Zentangle Teacher Blogs The Fascination Awards are an annual collection of the web’s most inspirational and thought-provoking blogs.

Decorah Eagles have Three Eggs!

Decorah's Mom and Dad eagles now have three eggs in the nest, so they are busy taking turns sitting on the eggs. The incubation will take about one month.

Here is the link to the site that has had more than 1.6 million views already. School children all over the world are getting to keep up with the eagles at this site. What a great way to see nature at its best.

HERE is the link to the eagle site.

The Decorah Eagles have One Egg

Watch this video about the Decorah Eagles - it's some footage from last year, and Lesson 101 on nest building. Thanks to Bob Anderson and the Raptor Resource Project - what a great piece.

Then CLICK HERE to go see the eagles today - they have egg #1 in the nest now.