Challenge #141 - Duotangle - Fengle & Quandry

Duotangle; Fengle & Quandry
A little line work, pointillism and it's done!

Weekly Challenge #139 and 140 - UMT 8's and Pointillism with a Tangle Viewer

Pointellism with Crescent Moon, Hollibaugh.
Zinger, Flux, and some leaves

Challenge #140 - Pointellism:  I often use dots and lines for shading on my tiles so I thought this Challenge would be no big deal. Making the entire tile with dots really makes me think in a whole new way, the way to get from point A to point B is... many dots. I used a variety of size pens which helps give a little depth and graduation in greys, What a lot of dots to create this tile and boy were my hands screaming.

It's always fun to look at techniques and challenge ourselves as creative individuals. I used Crescent Moon, that reached out into Hollibaugh, added some Flux, Zingers and Leaves. I found that doubling up on my dotted lines gave the feel of shadows. This was a great exercise, thanks for a another fun challenge Diva.

Tangle Viewers:
I created some Tangle Viewers using the paint chip samplers I got at Lowes. They have an interesting finish and smooth coating that takes the micron pen strokes beautifully, because of the coating the pen strokes will smear if not affixed with  workable spray fixative. Once sprayed, its stable and no movement or smearing of micron lines!

The "Tangle Viewer" is a great way to focus in on details in my tile. The little window is a very effective tool to zero in on small details and areas in a tile. The Zentangle process talks about looking at the big picture and viewing your tile from all directions, no ups or downs but being able to isolate sections to study details is a good thing. I'm going to use these in my classes to give students a closer look at section details.

Tangle Viewers, one black and white,
one color with little leaves berries and little"windows"

I'm also including my Challenge #139 tiles from last weeks' UMT challenge of 8s Parte Dos" by Jane Eileen. I completed these last week but never got around to posting them.

This was not a tangle I would have attempted without this challenge to spurn me on. This tangle was hard to get into, finding the rhythm and flow of this tangle was difficult for me. There was more thought and concentration than I look for in a tangle. But once I tried it a few times it did grow on me.

The way I found the rythm and flow was by looking for the shapes rather than trying to figure out the diagonal line portion. It's much easier for me to see shapes.

My first version went a little wonky but I combined it with some fun tangles and it seemed to flow well. Allium, Betweed, and Mooka added and the final was pleasing.

I felt more comfortable with 8s on my second version, there was the ease and flow I look for when working the Zentangle process. Once I got through my initial frustation I was able to really look at the tangle and find it's flow.
  

Version on - 8's gone a little wonky, added Betweed,
Mooka, Allium, and Shattuck

Version two - 8's in the rythm, added some Knightsbridge,
Mooka, Tipple, Fescue and black!

Challenge #138 - Fun with Borders

Spikey Wire, Chains, and Baubles

Twigs, Leaves, and Embellishments

 Diva's challenge for week #138 is titled Fun with Borders and is sponsored our Zentangle founder's Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas. Their Zentangle Blog post this week focused on finding inspiration in everything around us and borders.Check out their blog post.

I found my inspiration in wire and metal on the first tile. I love old, rusty barbed wire. Not the new shiny stuff, but the bent-up wonky wire you can find in old farm fields, craggy and weathered from years of exposure to the elements. I also love wire, twisted, hammered, shaped into lovely jewels. My sister Nancy is a wire jeweler and has exposed me to many fun techniques and beautiful wire creations. She has a studio and we have spent many an hour hammering and shaping wire.

That's my inspiration, my bauble is fashioned after one of my sister's wonky metal wrapped beads that I find particularly inspirational. That and some of the chains she has shared with me.

I've been working on deconstructing Spikey Wire and realized some of my studies had the look and feel of grapevines. I also love twigs, grapevines, and leaves - yet another inspiration!

On my first tile I added some color with my wonderful Derwent Inktense pencils. I like the juxtaposition of the hard wire against the soft hues of the pencils. Hard and soft, they play beautifully together!

The second tile is twigalicious with luscious little plump leaves sprouting throughout. I embellished it with a curvy twisted ornamental decorative string.

Spikey Wire Process Studies and Variations

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 #137 - Knights Over Tipple

Tipple and Knightsbridge with a little
ribbon "sewn" through

This week's Diva Challenge for week #137 is to do a Duotangle (phrased coined by the Diva) using Tipple and Knightsbridge, two of my go-to tangles... so eazy peezy? A little more challenging than I expected. I chose to go big and bold, another go-to for me, and work on the line quality and shading. I think I like the result, it's got lot's of movement and the shading was a blast. I really enjoy the contrast of hard and soft using these 2 tangles.

Notice how neat my sewing is? I sew with my pen, much safer than a needle and thread!

To check out other work go to the Diva's site. It's always great to see all the wonderful variety and creativity for each week's challenge . Thanks Diva, another fun one!

Tried another version of this week's challenge with a few variations on the theme of Tipple and Knightbridge. Kept the line quality a little more consistent to see what happened. Use a zig-zag string for a different feel. A web is just the structure of KB without the checkerboard, right? After all, Halloween is just around the corner...

Version Two
Variations on a theme...

Challenge #134 - "Use My Tangle" is Beamz by Traci F

Version one - lot's of curves, Crescent Moon,
Printemps, Mooka tendrils, orbs, and stuff

Version two - Beamz and Mooka,
with a little Float Fest and Tipple floating through

This weeks Diva Challenge #134 is a UMT challenge featuring Traci F's tangle Beamz. This tangle seemed a little out of my comfort zone with it's straight lines, but once I really got into it, it lent itself beautifully to the organic, curvy lines that I gravitate towards. By ignoring the straight lines and getting into the string creation it was actually fun to play with!

I took this tangle and then ran with the curves, and window effects I saw emerging. Windows are such a great device, we see into them and through them. The premise of creating many windows/squares with one line is really drew me in. It's like eating potato chips... you can't draw just one. I paired this tangle with a weak attempt of the new Zentangle tangle Well in the first tile, added some Crescent Moon, Tipple, Auras, shading and curves and I like the completed tile.

In my second version I paired Beamz with Mooka. I love how the Mooka tendrils curve and undulate through Beamz, lot's of line work and shading and the final ZIA was a blast to create!

Check out the other postings for this challenge. It's so much fun to see how differently everyone interprets this tangle, lot's of possibilities.

Challenge #133 - Tipple, I LOVE It!

It's so nice to be back into the Diva's challenge and using one of my favorite tangles, Tipple. I have definitely have a love relationship with this wonderful little orb full of goodness and curves. It makes me feel happy and centered like I'm getting back into the flow.

I began with a simple string and, of course, Tipple, added some Printemps, Auras, Betweed, Hollibaugh, and swirls. I relaxed, smiled, and breathed. Lovely, soothing, mind-relaxing tangling.

Last night it became dark early and the upcoming change of season loomed in the horizon. I decided to add a little green to my tile to enhance and encourage the lengthening of Summer and stave off the impending winter gloom. Water, flow and green things were my focus.

So Happy to be back in the nurturing fold of the Zentangle community and the Diva's challenge! Sitting here with my pens and pencils, ahhh....

Dex with Tipple, Hollibaugh, and line work

Trying to do a little catch-up and get back in the Groooove. Combined Tipple with a little Dex for Challenge #131, it's not a monotangle but a great opportunity to play with Dex. I don't usually use structured tangles, much more of an organic gal, so this was a great opportunity.

Tipple is so versatile, makes a great background fill/texture, especially when I keep it light and sketchy.

Two very different feels. In the first tile Tipple is the "star", the second, it works as a great supporting player. What a great little tangle!