Challenge #258 - UMT - Rautyflex

A little touch of green for spring
Rautyflex, Folds, Crescent Moon, and Auras

This weeks challenge is a UMT (Use My Tangle) challenge with Rautyflex by Kathrin Bendel CZT from Germany. It's a structured tangle which, for me, takes a lot of concentration. This was a chance for me to use the other side of my brain not let myself go as loosely, goosey as I prefer. But great opportunity to stretch my boundaries.

Not totally successful but always fun to challenge myself. Progress, not perfection?

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

Rautyflex gone awry, Betweed, Flux, Tipple

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 #143 - UMT - Cruze by Caren Mlot

This weeks Diva challenge is #143, it's a first Monday of the month Use My Tangle challenge. Cruze by CZT Caren Mlot was chosen, check out her tangle. It's easy to recreate and has a great rhythm. There are many possibilities and variations which makes it a fun tangle. My version definitely isn't perfect... but that's the Zentangle way, right? Just doing it one stroke at a time. I will play with this tangle in the future.

My solution is light and airy solution with just a touch of color. I used a purple micron and the color definitely doesn't pop.

I used Cruze, Printemp swirls, Crescent tangleations, Flux, Betweed, Zinger with lots of Beadz, Auras, and shading.

Catch Up on New Zentangle Well Challenge #135

  Well, Flux, Gum Dropz, Beadz, and some Dangles 

Rick and Marie have come up with another wonderful tangle with so many options and possible variations/tangleations. I found it challenging, but once I got the hang of it, got into the rhthym, and went with it. I look forward to exploring this tangle in the future. I had played with this a couple of weeks ago but never got it scanned in and uploaded.

Challenge #112- Use My Tangle - Tuxedo by LeAnn

The Diva's challenge this week is a Use My Tangle first Monday of the month challenge using LeAnn (Ledenzer) tangle Tuxedo, check out her directions. It's a pretty structured tangle that is not in my comfort zone. So I was a little trepidatious especially  after viewing some of the wonderful solutions for this week. So, I took a deep breathe then jumped in and tried to go with the flow (as is my nature). I just concentrated on the lovely curves and overlaps this tangle creates. My version is wonky and only slightly resembles LeAnn's beautiful tangle, but I enjoyed the process and the exploration. I let it flow and tried to breathe and relax, "there are no mistakes in the Zentangle process" right?

So here it is, sort of, Tuxedo, Lampions, Beadz, Float fest and lots of leaves, Aura's, and Perfs, who knew Check out all the wonderful solutions to this week's challenge at the Diva's site.

Version 2 - Tuxedo with Inapod centers, Hollibaugh
with Flux, Paradox, Crescent Moon,
Spinning Squares, and some Beadz.

Zendala Dare #19

Version 1: Lot's of Mookas', some Beadz, Flux and "Perfs"
add a  little shading and eet  eez complete! (French accent )

Okay, I'm jumping on the Zendala Dare bandwagon! Erin Koetz Olson, CZT of Bright Owl hosts a new Zendala Dare/challenge every Friday, and I'm joining the crowd. She does all the hard work for us and develops and supplies the templates in a variety of sizes and shapes. There is some inspirational work from all the participants, Check it out.

I've been putting this off as long as possible but I need to start working on more Zendalas. I'm all for freedom of tangles and forms so I was apprehensive about the confinement of the template, but this was a lot of fun and the template gives me freedom to play! I basically used the template as a string. Kept very close to the original form but my stuff will never look perfect and pristine. It's organic and wonky and wobbly but I still like the results.

I appreciate all those that have perfect lines and forms but mine doesn't go there.

I want to thank Erin for all her hard work and inspiration. I hope to learn a lot as I add this challenge to my weekly tangling assignments! Whoo-hoo! I enjoy the fact that these two pieces are so different.

Version 2: Paradox, Aura Knot Cross, Hollibaugh,
Sez, Auras, Rounding, and some Meer-Like forms.
I'll spare you the French accent again!

Challenge #80 - Mi2 Explored

 The Diva's challenge this week asks us to explore MI2 created by created by CZT Mimi Lempart. It is a challenging tangle but lot's of fun. It adds a great sophistication to my arsenal of tangles.

I did 3 variations this week. The first exploring the tendrils and enhancing them and adding a little Florz. The second explores a little more contrast of the black negative space and using my white gel pen for accents. The third incorporates Sanibelle, Flux, and some organic textures and leaves, turned out sort of alien-like bird. Kind of fun, but don't stare at the eyes for too long! A fun exercise and helped me feel more comfortable with this versatile tangle.