Producing a Zentangle

1. I first draw a circle on a piece of drawing paper, 

 using a piece of cardboard which was been cut into a circle. 

I generally use a gel pen 0.5 point.  

The Pilot brand seems to work best for me.

2. Using the pen I take a line for a walk, 

adding more lines to break up the circle into different segments.

3. I then start at a segment which catches my fancy and produce a design that comes 

randomly to my mind.  The design I am using in this segment is one I've used before.

4. I generally finish one segment before I go to another 

(but may come back to it if I want to add changes to the original pattern).

5. I move on to another segment, drawing circles 

as close as possible to make another pattern.

6. I darken the areas around and in between the circles

 to make the circles stand out.

7. Here I decided that the pattern in the first segment that 

I started needed some contrast and so decided to darken parts of it.

8. Working on a third segment and pattern, I decided to use squares 

to guide me in producing another design.

9. This image shows the third segment being complete without the shading.

10. The third segment has some parts shaded in to make the pattern stand out.

11. The fourth segment is given a pattern

 that will add some contrast to the segments around it.

12. The second segment with the circles have been modified

 to make some kind of flower or cookie pattern.

13. The final product after completing the last 4 segments.

Producing your own Misai Kuching tea.

1. Cut stems, leaves and flowers from the Misai Kuching shrub.

2. Close up of the leaves, stems  and flowers of the Misai Kuching shrub. 

Spoilt (those with spots and dirty) leaves are removed

and the stems cut into smaller pieces.

3. Running water on the cut stems, leaves and flowers of the Misai Kuching.

4.  Soaking the leaves, stems and flowers of the Misai Kuching 

as thoroughly as possible.

5. Draining off the water from the first washing.

6. A final soaking before rinsing off the Misai Kuching leaves, stems and flowers.

7. The leaves, stems and flowers of the Misai Kuching 

are spread out on a tray after the final rinse.

7. Draining off the excess water by tilting one corner of the tray.

8. The leaves, stems and flowers on a tray reading for drying in the sun 

for about 3 to 4 days (depending on the amount and intensity of sunlight available.  

Once dry they can be brewed as tea.

9.  This is the first day of drying (but only a few hours 

and the sun was not all that strong).

10. This is the second drying (the sun was again not all that strong).

11.  This is the third day of drying (the sun was stronger).

12. This was the fourth (not necessarily consecutive) day of drying.  

The leaves look pretty dry and starts to become brittle.

 13. Bottling the dried misai kuching leaves, stalks and flowers). 

The salt bottle is just to give an idea of how much misai kuching material

 I managed to get from one shrub of misai kuching.

14. Putting some of the misai kuching into a small pot. 

The amount to put in entirely up to you.

15. After pouring hot water into the pot.

16. The misai kuching tea in the teacup.

17. Looks rather weak but you can put more misai kuching

if you want a stronger brew and a nicer tea colour.  

Have fun making your own misai kuching tea.

I have tried roasting the leaves in the oven to quicken the drying process. 

This gives the tea a slightly roasted taste.

There is a link to a website that describes the properties of Misai Kuching in more scientific terms here:

http://www.mykucingtea.com/Misai%20Kuching-Scientific%20Validation.html

Deleafing a bonsai tree

I recently decided to deleaf the wild lime bonsai tree that I've had 

for more than 20 years (could be older).

1. The wild lime tree with a full crop of leaves.

2. The wild lime tree viewed from its side with its full crop of leaves.

3. The wild lime tree after being partially de-leafed.

4. The wild lime tree after being partially de-leaved (viewed from the side)

5. The wild lime tree after being de-leafed completely.

 6. The wild lime tree after being trimmed and pruned.

7. The wild lime tree after being trimmed and pruned, photographed 

from a slightly different angle from the one above.



8.  New shoots and leaves appearing after a few days.

9. More shoots and leaves after yet a few more days.

 

10. More shoots and leaves after some more days.

11. The above tree photographed about a week or so later.

12. The above tree being photographed at a different angle on the same day as the one in 11 above.

Another Bonsai undergoing the de-leafing process

1. Bonsai to be de-leafed.

2. Same bonsai seen from above (before the de-leafing process)

3. The bonsai in the process of being de-leafed.

4. The bonsai completely de-leafed.

5. A close up of the bonsai after it had been de-leafed.

6. The bonsai after being slightly trimmed.

7. The same bonsai after about 3 weeks.  
Note that flowers have formed.