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