Zen Doodle Name Art

I'm calling this Zen Doodle Name Art. It was really fun to make. Affiliate links below.  

Zen Doodle Name Art

Materials:

• drawing paper
• ink pads
• blending brushes
• repositionable letter stickers
• black fineliner

Steps: 

Use the letter stickers to spell your name on a piece of paper. The ones I put in the supply list above are repositionable, so you'll be able to remove them later. If you use something else, like I did, stick them to your pant leg a few times to remove some of the adhesive before putting them on the paper. Otherwise you risk tearing the paper when you remove them. 

Use the blending brushes to cover all of the exposed paper with color. I used three colors, but you can obviously do whatever you want. 

Carefully remove the stickers. 

Now fill in each letter with a different pattern. 

That's all there is to it! I love projects like this for groups, because the finished designs will look completely different from one another. Enjoy!

Tournament of Champions VI

We did something really cool back in September 2024. We were in the audience for Tournament of Champions VI. 

Tournament of Champions VI (affiliate link)

This was the fourth time that Steve and I were able to participate in filming a TV show. We were volunteers on Mythbusters in 2012 and 2013 and Restaurant Impossible in 2021 and we absolutely loved each experience. (Jeopardy in January 2025 was #5!) Tournament of Champions films in Windsor, about an hour from where we live. When I saw the call for audience members, I jumped on it immediately. We love the show and are rabid Food Network fans. And since Trevor had turned 18 and college hadn't started up yet, he was able to join us! 

We weren't allowed to take any pictures anywhere on set, so I was thrilled when Guy Fieri took a selfie with the audience and air-dropped it to all of us. I was expecting to have to do screen captures of the episode itself in order to get any photos to scrapbook. This was so much better! 

We were in the audience for two battles, with very strict instructions not to say anything until the episode aired. So from September 11 to March 2, we kept our mouths shut. It was so exciting when "our" episode was on and we were finally able to talk about our experience. And there was no missing us in the audience - there was one camera that stayed on the audience the whole time, so I'd guessed that we'd appear on screen. Quite a few times, as it turned out!

As I said, we watched two battles. The first was the #2 seed Adam Sobel versus the #7 seed Adriana Urbina. The randomizer gave them little neck clams as the protein, broccolini for produce, a blow torch for the equipment, smashed for the style, and black tea for the wildcard ingredient. Adam Sobel was the winner. The second battle pitted #1 seed Antonia Lofaso against #8 seed Maria Mazon. The randomizer delivered chicken breasts, leeks, a donut pan, herbaceous as the style, and yellow mustard. Antonia Lofaso won that battle. Commentators were Justin Warner, as expected, and Tiffani Faison, who was new to the job. The previous commentator, Simon Majumdar, was there; but it wasn't until the episode aired that we learned  that his new job is to interview the judges after each round. The judges were Wolfgang Puck, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Maneet Chauhan. 

We had a great time watching the battles and seeing everything that goes on behind-the-scenes. There's so much that goes into making a TV show go smoothly. It was great fun seeing chefs that we admire and have watched for so many years. Guy is just as much of a character in person as he appears on TV, if not more. Whenever the cameras stopped rolling, he was interacting with the audience, telling us jokes and anecdotes. All in all, it was a fantastic experience.

Quirky Collages to Color: Carousel Horse

I wanted to give the Ohuhu Halawa colored pencils another go, so I used them to color another super fun image from Quirky Collages to Color. This time, I colored a carousel horse, made up of all sorts of toys and games and other miscellaneous stuff. 

How many of the 60 hidden items can you spot? I'm the one who colored it and some of them are still hard for me to find!

 

Once again, I enjoyed working with the Ohuhu colored pencils. They hold a nice sharp point, which is great for coloring the tiny spaces in this collage. The color selection is great. Because they are oil-based, they don't blend as easily as the wax-based Prismacolors I usually use, but that wasn't really an issue with this image. In the future, I can see myself using both sets of colored pencils in order to take advantage of the best features of each. 

The Best and Worst of the 50 State Quarters, Part 5

This is the fifth (and final) post rating the designs of each of the 50 state quarters. I suggest starting with the first post, which gives the background and explains my grading criteria. This time I'm looking at the 5 quarters from Year 9 (2007) and Year 10 (2008). 

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2007 - Year 9 of the 50 State Quarters Program

Montana is the third state to feature a bison (this time, a skull). The skull hangs over the Montana landscape and the state nickname. I’m not a fan. A skull, the symbol of death? That seems as inviting to newcomers as the flags of Alabama and Florida. Aesthetics 1.5, representation 2, education 0.5, for a total of 4. 

Washington’s quarter shows a salmon breaching in front of Mount Rainier. It also includes the state nickname. It’s an interesting and dynamic design. Aesthetics 4, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 8.5. 

Idaho’s quarter features a peregrine falcon, an outline of the state with the capital city marked with a star, and the state motto (‘May it be Forever’). Not only is the peregrine falcon the state raptor, but it is a symbol of one of the most successful conservation efforts of all time. Visit the World Center of Birds of Prey to see their work in action! While I appreciate the symbols they chose, the design itself is out of balance. I would have put a large Idaho on the left and a slightly smaller falcon on the right, facing into the state instead of looming over it. Aesthetics 2.5, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 7. 

 

Wyoming’s quarter features a bucking horse and rider, along with the state nickname. This design is really plain. While most of the quarters have depth and detail in the images, Wyoming’s has a silhouette. It would be much more interesting and vibrant if the details were in place. I’d also like to see the state flower or something similar in the space in the bottom right. Aesthetics 1.5, representation 2.5, education 1, for a total of 5.  

Utah’s quarter features two trains moving toward the golden spike that linked the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, with the mountains in the background. I love the ‘Crossroads of the West’ theme and the level of detail in this quarter is fantastic. Aesthetics 5, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 9.5. 

My winner for the penultimate year was Utah, followed by Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and then Montana. On to the final year!

2008 - Year 10 of the 50 State Quarters Program

Oklahoma's quarter features the state bird (Scissortail Flycatcher) flying over the state wildflower (the Indian Blanket). This is a really nice design and highlights the most distinctive feature of the bird. I like the balance and the scale. Aesthetics 5, representation 4.5, education 1, for a total of 9.5. 

New Mexico’s quarter features the Zia sun symbol over a topographical outline of the state. The state nickname is squeezed into the bottom left. The balance on this quarter is terrible. There are so many ways you could improve this design by shifting things around to give each element its own space. Aesthetics 1, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 5.5.

Arizona's quarter portrays two different landscapes found in the state: the Grand Canyon and the Sonoran desert, home of the Saguaro cactus. The two scenes are divided by a banner containing the state nickname. I love this quarter. It is a beautiful, thoughtful design. It represents the state perfectly. Aesthetics 5, representation 4, education 1, for a total of 10. 

Alaska's quarter features a grizzly bear catching salmon. The design also includes the North Star and the inscription 'The Great Land.' This is the translation of the Aleut name for Alaska. This is another gorgeous quarter that can't be improved. Aesthetics 5, representation 4, education 1, for a total of 10. 

Hawaii’s quarter features King Kamehameha I gesturing toward the eight major Hawaiian Islands. It also includes the state motto, which translates to 'The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.' I'm not crazy about this quarter. While I appreciate including an element of Hawaii's history, putting a representative of an overthrown monarchy on a coin is a strange choice. Also, Hawaii is arguably the most beautiful state and none of that beauty is on this quarter. Aesthetics 2.5, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 7. 

My favorite quarters from the final year are Arizona and Alaska, followed closely by Oklahoma. Next is Hawaii and then New Mexico. 

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I gave a perfect 10 to three quarters: Nevada (Year 8), Arizona (Year 10), and Alaska (Year 10). There were some standout quarters from the earlier years, like South Carolina (Year 2) and Tennessee (Year 4), but overall the quarters got better as the years went on. The highest average score was from Year 8. Of course, all of this is just my opinion. If you have other thoughts, please let me know in the comments.

I learned a lot more about the state quarters as I was researching them to put this series together. I'll be putting together a list of Fun Facts from the 50 State Quarters Program, so be looking for that soon.  

The Best and Worst of the 50 State Quarters, Part 4

This is my fourth post rating the designs of each of the 50 state quarters. I suggest starting with the first post, which gives the background and explains the criteria I'm using to for grading. This time I'm looking at the 5 quarters from Year 7 (2005) and Year 8 (2006). 

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2005 - Year 7 of the 50 State Quarters Program

California’s quarter features John Muir, Half Dome, and a California condor. It's impossible to sum up a state like California in a single quarter, but I think this was a good attempt. It's an attractive, well-balanced design. Aesthetics 4.5, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 9. 

 

The Minnesota quarter leans into their nickname, Land of 10,000 Lakes. The design includes fishermen, a loon (their state bird), and an outline of the state. Again, it's an attractive design that is well-balanced and represents the state well. Aesthetics 4.5, representation 4, education 1, for a total of 9.5.

Oregon's quarter features Crater Lake, the deepest lake in the United States. It's the only national park in Oregon, so it's a good choice for the quarter. But the beauty of Crater Lake is in its colors, which are obviously not on a minted coin. Aesthetics 3.5, representation 3, education 1, for a total of 7.5.

The Kansas quarter features the state animal (bison) and state flower (sunflower). I would have added taller sunflowers to better fill the space. (Fun fact: Sunflowers can grow up to 15 feet tall!) Aesthetics 3.5, representation 3.5, education 1, for a total of 8. 

The West Virginia quarter depicts New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Just like with Oregon, I feel like it's a good choice to feature one of the state's most beautiful locations, but that a lot of the beauty is lost without color and at such a small scale. Aesthetics 3, representation 3, education 1, for a total of 7. 

After the somewhat disappointing designs of 2004, it's nice to see much better choices for 2005. My top quarter was Minnesota, followed by California, Kansas, Oregon, and West Virginia. 

2006 - Year 8 of the 50 State Quarters Program

The Nevada quarter includes wild mustangs, snow-capped mountains, sagebrush (the state flower), and the state nickname. I love this quarter. The design is interesting and attractive. It includes numerous features of Nevada. I wouldn't change a thing. Aesthetics 5, representation 4, education 1, total 10. 

Nebraska's quarter features Chimney Rock, with an ox-drawn covered wagon carrying pioneers. The quarter is well-designed and interesting. While numerous states fall along the Oregon Trail and could have used the covered wagon design, it is uniquely Nebraskan by including Chimney Rock. Aesthetics 4.5, representation 3.5, education 1, total 9. 

The Colorado quarter features the Rocky Mountains and the inscription “Colorful Colorado.” It's a nice enough design, but it's a questionable choice use a piece of artwork that is entirely silver to highlight how colorful your state is. I would have gone with the other nickname, the Centennial State. Aesthetics 4, representation 3, education 0.5, for a total of 7.5. 

North Dakota is the second state to feature bison. They are pictured in front of a sunset over the Badlands. This is another nice quarter. The design is interesting and well-balanced and represents the state well. Aesthetics 4.5, representation 4, education 0.5, for a total of 9. 

The South Dakota quarter has the state bird, a Chinese ring-necked pheasant, flying over Mount Rushmore, with heads of wheat acting as borders. Personally, when I think of South Dakota, I think of pronghorns and prairie dogs and ton bales first, but these are fine symbols of the state now. Aesthetics 4, representation 4, education 0.5, for an 8.5. 

My winner for this year's batch of quarters is Nevada, followed by Nebraska and North Dakota, then South Dakota and Colorado. These quarters have the highest average score so far. Tomorrow we'll see if either Year 9 or Year 10 does even better.