Challenge #183 - UMT, X-Did" by Annette Carlo

X-Ing tangleations on ribbons of  Hollibaugh

This is the first Monday of the month and it's a Use My Tangle challenge. Annette Carlo has the featured tangle this month with "X-Did". It's a geometric pattern, which are not my favorite, but adding some geometric lines worked for me. I found it fascinating to play with this tangle and see where the tangleations would take me. It was much more enjoyable than I expected.

To see the step-outs for "X-did" by Annette Carlo, click here.

I tried to work with the basic structure of the tangle and  then stretch and bend the envelop a bit. Fun to look at and explore what those lovely little triangle shapes and overlapping lines can turn into.

V2 - X-Ing tangelation with some Beadz, floral
Purk pearls, Crescent moon loops and leaves

The first version seemed to work using lot's of overlapping ribbons of Hollibaugh, adding texture to the overlapping lines with X-Ding, some shading contrast and touches of Auraknot seemed to work well in the structure of this tile.

My second version I tried exploring the structure and it reminded me of a stained glass window, added some thickening and rounding in the style of Betweed, some floral accents, Black Beadz, Crescent loops, Purk Pearls, and organic leaf shapes. I tried to concentrate on the interaction of each tangle with the next to form a cohesive structure. It feels like a bejeweled crown with an art deco quality. Adding a few curves puts an interesting twist to this tangle.

Check out the other submissions for this week on the Diva's site.

V3 - X-Ing line play

Challenge #182 - Stripes

Version 1 - ING variations, Knightsbridge, Flux, Crescent Moon,
Hollibaugh, Tipple, with lots of shading and auras

The Diva's challenge this week #182 asks us to do Stripes, a great way of layering tangles next to each other. No straight lines for me but letting each tangle "spoon" with the next. I used several variations of ING, Printemps, Crescent Moon, Knightbridge, Flux, Hollibaugh, and Tipple. I tried to play each tangle off the next. I feel the beauty of the tangling process is allowing the tangles to "dance together". I'm pleased with this busy little ZIA.

For my second attempt I used my bar coaster circle tiles. I kept it pretty simple, a few hollibaugh-ribbons overlapping, kept the top simple since underneath my focus was emulating the feel of Army stripes. One of my best friends, Suzy, has a son in the Army, so this is an ode to Justin and his army life. I just wanted to focus on the feel of those Army stripes. Scanning the tile on the camouflage background seemed appropriate.

Version 2 - A couple of Hollibaugh ribbon stripes,
with the Army Stripes inspiration shapes

Check out all the wonderful submissions for this weeks Diva challenge.

Challenge #181 - Water

Bijou's cousins? Sanibelle, Printemps, Dansk, using the W string,
lot's of auras and swirls and Emily Dickinson poem
"I could not drink it sweet"

The Diva's challenge #181 asks us to use water as our inspiration. I chose to focus on the letter W as my string and then try and emulate the movement of water, ripples, spirals, transparencies, I added lot's of swirls in the fashion on Printemps, a Dansk variation, auras, and swirls, and the lovely colors of my Inktense watercolor pencils; blue green, purple, and a touch of burgundy.

For my background I tried resist technique using my white gel pen as a resist and layering my pencils and wash over the white pen once dry. The blogs I've read say to leave the gel pens overnight, not happening... I still like the effect. It's subtle and watery but I'm sure if I follow the longer drying time next time it will be more effective, but I'm not a patient tangler.

I added Emily Dickinsons "I could not drink it sweet", as a texture in my swirl, not well done but I love the effect of her swirling words.

Then as I was looking at all the lovely swirls and water I begin seeing Bijou's cousins appearing. Oh those little devils... little antennae peeking throughout, my oh my, that little Bijou's influence is everywhere!

Water: ING tangelation, Sanibelle, Zenplosion Folds,
White gel pen, Inktense watercolor pencils,
and lot's of shading and line work

I'm really into this water challenge so I continued my journey. My second version uses the same process of white gel background for resist, laying color over top. I let this one sit a little longer to dry and that seemed to help the batik effect I was trying to achieve.

I began using the new tangle ING through the center as a beginning, it morphed and changed and turned into a curvy durvy little cone shaped shell/coral that just screamed for some Zenplosion folds growth. Once I added the texture lines I saw beautiful shells so I decided to add the pink just like Conch and scallop shells. Sanibelle was a great enhancement and continued the water theme beautifully. I texturized my background with white gel pen and then added color to my final version.

Bijou's cousin appeared here also, after all it's water and shells what more do I need to say?

3 views, original line drawing, enhanced line and shading added,
Final version color added (which brings out the white gel pen resist in the background)

Challenge #180 - "UMT" MacDee by Anneke Van Dam

Fracus, MacDee, Pressed Wood, Float Fest, Tipple, Beadz, Mooka,
Betweed, Printemps, Shattuck, lot's of Auras, embellishing, and shading.
Used white chalk pencil, and white gel pens for highlights and
brown and black Sakura micron pens on a great tan card stock.

This weeks Diva challenge #180, is a UMT (Use My Tangle) challenge and features MacDee by Anneke Van Dam. It's a straight forward tangle that makes great textures and backgrounds. I can't see this as a "featured" tangle but it is very versatile and can be applied in many different applications and creates a good backdrop.

I played with MacDee and created 4 separate Quadrants using one string that encompassed all four sections. It's a Bijou sort of solution but all four 2" x 2" quadrants are kept together. The main tile area is aprox 4x4". I don't like using a straight edge so I free formed the division, drew a string on top and started tangling. This is a very busy little ZIA but it was fun to play off each section. I think it needed the open area in the center to give it some breathing space. I don't know if it's totally successful, but as always, I enjoyed the process.

I used tan paper with white gel pen and white charcoal pencil accents. The brown micron really works beautifully on this paper and seemed to go with the plaid background. Each section contains a hint of MacDee or at least elements of MacDee, morphed and varied, of course. I initially created this tile with Fracus on the bottom left corner, but after I scanned it upside down, I realized it worked better rotated 90 degrees clockwise. Isn't that always the way works when I surrender to the Zentangle process. No preconceived ideas or outcomes, I let the tangles talk to me. After all, I am a Zentangle Zealot! (term coined at our 2011 CZT Training #6)

Frame featuring Betweed, Paradox, Mooka, Printemps, Hollibaugh,
Tipple, MacDee, and some Fracas just for fun!

This frame inspired by Maria Thomas' work features the group of fabulous women who took my class last week. We concentrated on Paradox (fans and twists), Betweed, Mooka, threw in a little Printemps, and Hollibaugh. I tangled the heck out a frame to showcase all the tangles we were practicing.
It was a crazy night (we had to move our class location), but they were all troopers. We found the "Zen" within the chaos. Thanks ladies, it was a fabulous class and now they are officially Zentangle Zealots!

My Zentangle Zealots class logo

Even though it was
a hectic evening I had a wonderful time visiting with old friends and meeting new. Great group. I want to thank the Saline Library for their help.

Check out all the great entries at the Diva's site this week. 

Challenge #179 - Be like Bijou

4-in-one
Care for a slice?
Mooka, Printemps, Flux, Starburst tangleattion,
Dex variation with lot's of shading, rounding, and auras

The Diva's Challenge for week #179 asks us to be like Bijou. Bijou is a fascinating tiny little  artist that joined the Zentangle family straight from France. He works with smaller 2" tiles so now Zentangle offers these wonderful little two inch tile beauties. His work is amazing and thoughtful, he embodies the one stroke at a time meditative process of Zentangle. Rick and Maria talk about him and their new partnership on their porch in the current Zentangle newsletter. Laura also interviewed him and features on this week's challenge, check it out.

I love the smaller format and decided to veer off a bit but keep within the "letter" of this weeks challenge. I just received some 4" round beer coasters that I ordered to test with my micron pens for tangling. They aren't as nice as the Beautiful Zendala tiles I order from Zentangle, but they are fun to play with. My microns bleed a bit because they are so porous and the paper is pretty "toothy", but one stroke at a time, relaxing, and breathing made the process work.
 

Severed pieces - violent no?

Anywho... that is what spurned the direction for my Zentangle inspired pieces for last two weeks of challenges. I divided the circle in fours (free form) so measurements are not exact, but I think it worked for this challenge. I took each section and made it a separate little work area, tiles within a tile? Divided my circle and went to town.  The outside is 2" so I thought I was playing fairly, right? It's a great way to focus on one tangle at a time. What fun. I may use this size format when I show examples of various tangles in my classes once I demonstrate them. Thanks Laura and Bijou! Check out Bijou-isms, a very talented snail!

When I was a kid I had a pet slug (it's just a snail without a shell). My mother thought it was a little weird but I really enjoyed carrying him around on my blue plastic school loose leaf. I found him fascinating and loved the shiny little trail he left on my book (it was a short lived relationship). He returned to the grass in the yard after a day of bonding. I don't believe he was from any exotic country. Mine was a boy, no name, just "slimy".  Here's a picture of me and my cousin Warren with a frog, I was quite the nature gal. Slimy came a little later... 

Challenge #178 - Duotangle by the Letter!
Was a little scattered last week so I didn't get these posted. So here are my catch-ups! Again, keeping to the basic essence of the challenge. Since my Zentangle "chop" /signature is DOB, I used that as my string and went from there. Used the 4" coasters for this one also. A round for everyone!!!!

4" Circle Intials - DOB as a string
First (left) Pole, Tipple, Dex tangleation,
Second (right) Dex tangleation, and OLF tangleations, with some shading, Tipple, and Auras

Challenge #176 and 177 - BYOB by Amy Broady, CZT and Truffle by Caroline Broady, CZT

Coffee, Cherry juice, Truffle, Trivoli, and some Mooka fronds

I combined two Diva challenges in one this week. Since Laura has been away traveling guest hosts have taken on these two challenge weeks, what fun! The two guest hosts are mother and daughter what a perfect time to combine two challenges. Week 176 is hosted by (mom) Amy Broady , CZT from Tennesee. Amy asks us to (BYOB) Bring Our Own Beverages. I chose coffee (with soy milk) my morning life's blood, and some cherry juice from the beautiful cherries a friend brought me from Traverse City. Cherries stain my fingers so why not my tile, spread that lovely burgundy color around.

For challenge 177 guest host (daughter) Caroline Brody, CZT 11 features her tangle pattern truffle which she developed at her CZT training seminar in June 2013, it was inspired by some wallpaper at the Hotel Providence. It's so fun to see the original wallpaper inspiration for this tangle seeing others process is such a gift. This is a lovely little tangle just ripe for tangleations.

I "applied" by coffee stain using an old paint brush and then took the still wet cherry pit and used it to apply cherry juice. That created my basic background and string guide. Once I allowed my tile to dry I picked up my trusty micron and tangled away. I then used more coffee and cherry juice to enhance my tangles, added some white gel pen, and shading. Very fun, I will definitely will try this again and apply more black contrast to my next attempt. I'm happy with this organic decorative solution but I'll go further next time.

Challenge #175 - UMT - Crux by Henrike Bratz

Crux with Tipple and Lot's of Shading

This week's Diva Challenge #174 is a Use My Tangle (UMT) week. Henrike Bratz pattern Crux was chosen by random selection. It's been a while since I've jumped in and played, so this was such fun. Crux is great because it can be taken as a very structured geometric tangle or, as I chose to go, organic and curvy. I kept is simple (monotangle) and really enjoyed the experience. Very fun.

It is also wonderful to read about Laura's experience at CZT 15 training in Providence, RI. It brings me back to my wonderful, life changing CZT 6 training at Oakhurst in Whitinsville. Met so many great people and the experience Filled my creative cup. If you have the opportunity to attend, DO, it's the BEST creative experience you can have. Wonderful people, creative juices flowing, an all-around positive experience. I love being a CZT.

212 Basics Class Tiles

I had a Basics Class this week at the 212 Arts Center in Saline. There were seven in attendance and we had a blast.We even played with Sakura Metallic Gel pens and black paper.  Hopefully all of them are part of the tribe we call the "Zentangle Zealots".  Here are their first tiles. What fun, Great job guys!

Check out all the other wonderful submissions for this week's challenge at the Diva's site.

Bunzo Exploration

Bunzo with variations on tan, a few tendrils,
some Auras, and some Printemps embellishments

One of tangles I've been asked to work on in my Beyond Basics Class is Bunzo. It's not a tangle I often use, so it was fun to explore some of the many possibilities of this undulating little beauty.

Working on Tan paper added another fun dimension to the entire process, the tan adds an additional color to my tangling repertoire. A little white gel pen and it's complete.

Challenge #168 - Tangelation Nation - Rain and Others

Rain tangelations, with Hollibaugh, shading, White Gel Pen,
Beadz, and lot's of Auras!

This weeks Diva's challenge is #168! I can't believe I've been out of the challenge loop for so long. I've been working on stuff just not posting or participating. It feels good to be back in the fold again.
This week is Laura's birthday and she chose Tangleation Nation to celebrate her birthday week with  "RAIN" and all the fun tangleations we can come up with. What a lovely way to celebrate and a Happy B-Day to the Diva.

Rain is a very simple tangle that lends itself beautifully to oh so many tangleations.

I chose to play up the curves and Aura the heck out of Rain. It turned out taking on a pointy little Crescent Moon flair in the main focus area. Straight lines are not my thing, but these little triangles allow themselves to bend and morph into lovely organic shapes. It feels like it's spinning into the atmosphere.

I used some wonderful tan paper I found at our recycle place in the area called the Scrap Box. Companies and individual donate all kinds of kool stuff. You can buy paper by the inch and it's quite a deal. Whenever I visit the Scrap Box I have my trusty Microns in hand to test the quality of the papers available. This paper has the rich look of the Zentangle Renaissance Tiles and I love the subtle way my white Gel Pen adds luster and pop. I want to get some sepia pens and start playing with that on tan papers and Renaissance tiles. This just adds one more dimension to the black and white.

Challenge #156 - Curvy Gridlock and #155 - A Little White Space

Grid-based, Knightsbridge, Copada, MI2
Scrolls, Beadz and strings, and
Molding

The Diva's Challenge for week #156 asks us to create a Curvy Grid-based work. I don't usually use many grid-based structured tangles but I'm always up for a challenge.  I used MI2, Florz, Copada, Knightsbridge, some beadz and baubles, curves and rolls. Then I added lots of shading and volume play. I'm not a grid gal, but adding the curves made it much more palatable for me.

I wasn't able to make comments this week because of my computer. This piece took me many days to complete but I'm happy with the results. I used a simple string and then penciled in a grid for reference. I began tangling my little centered egg shape, then worked on the right side with beginning with MI2. The molding tangles developed from the grid, I just divided, auraed and repeated. Not sure if it's an official tangle.

This piece was much more involved than my usual process. It is grid-based but not very "structured". Organic is always my end result but I used a confined organic to keep to the letter of for this challenge.

My second piece is from last week's #155 - "A Little White Space" open-space challenge. My computer has been wonky so I didn't get it posted last week. I am very comfortable with open spaces in my work. I think it gives my pieces breathing room. I love to let the viewers mind/eye complete the spaces, not filling every nook and cranny is my preference. I get involved in so much of the detail when I work. I love the textures, shading and levels we can create with the Zentangle process and our beautiful tangles so leaving open space, for me, is very important. Check out the Diva's site for more wonderful work and join in one of the Diva's challenges yourself.

Hollibaugh, Knightsbridge border, Beadz, Tipple
Lot's of contrast and shading

Challenge #154 - Valentangle

The Diva's challenge for week #154 and she's all about Valentines Day. She asks us to create a Valentangle", great term, no? I chose to embrace hearts and of course red. My heart is a play on Maria's new tangle Aquafleur with some Knightsbridge stripes, lot's of hearts, and some Printemps with lot's of Auraknot texture. I used my wonderful Derwent Inktense pencils to add a touch of red and yummy texture with my white gel pen. I'm so pleased that my Printemp spirals magically turned into wonderful little rose bouquets when I added a wash of red to the centers.

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. Hope it's sweet and full of wonderful loving thoughts, hugs, and Zentangles!

Check out all the other wonderful work for this week's challenge at the Diva's site.

Challenge #153 - "Use My Tangle" - Jailed Johnny

The Diva's challenge for week #153 is a UMT (Use My Tangle) challenge featuring Jailed Johnny - by Sadelle Wiltshire, CZT.

This tangle allows user to apply lot's of variations. I definitely kept to the letter, not taking it literally, but used the basic elements. Check out her step out instructions. Nice tangle Sadelle!

I used tanglepatterns.com string pattern #90 and went the basic Monotangle route, nestling Jailed Johnny tangleations in bed's of Tipple, shading, and line work.. Try it, you'll like it.

Click here to check out all the wonderful contributions for this week's challenge here.

Challenge #151 - String Theory: Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day

The week's Diva's challenge  #151 features the Moebius Syndrome Foundation's logo as our focus/string. Laura has featured this particular challenge for the last three years to bring awareness to her son Artoo's condition. This is my third year for the Moebius challenge. I so appreciate the fact that her weekly challenge have opened my eyes to this condition. It's been an honor to follow her fabulous little guys journey through his life and being able to share his challenges.

Artoo told his mom that he wants to be a Palaeontologist when he grows up, so this one's for you little guy. A few Dinosaurs to help bring awareness to this syndrome and help his heart smile! Tomorrow is MSAD (Moebius Syndrome Awareness Day). Check out the Diva's site to see all the wonderful contributions for this week.

Challenge #150 - One Little Word - Maitri

 

The Diva's challenge this week asks us to choose a word that will guide us for 2014. I chose the Maitri; a Sanskript word meaning Gentle loving kindness towards oneself, feeling at home with one's own mind and body. I think the only way to pursue goals is to recognize where we are and be comfortable with ourselves. If I don't like me then why should anyone else? I do want to pursue my higher self and creativity and I think that the only way I am able to change is if I recognize where I'm beginning.

Being open, creative, loving, kind, having gratitude for all you have, pursuing a higher purpose is my goal for the new year.

Challenge #149 - The New Year, 2014

Challenge #149 , the first Monday of 2014, a New Year, New Challenges, New Opportunities to enhance and grow our creative muscles. The Diva's challenge this week asks us to feature the New Year, 2014. Thanks again Diva, I know it's going to be a great new year. Here is my wish for all of you, Happy New Year!