Challenge #263 - Globular Grid

Fassett, Crescent Moon (Raptors),  Purkisms, Knightsbridge stripes, Auras, and Daizies

Challenge #262 - UMT - Fassett by Lynn Mead

Fassett, Pearlz, Crescent Moon, Purkisms

The Diva's Challenge #262 is a UMT (Use My Tangle) Fassett by Lynn Mead. I've seen this tangle used often but never tried it. It's a great tangle that I will definitely be added to my mac and cheese go to's. Very versatile and the easy to do, has the feel of a structured / grid tangle but lends itself beautifully to the loosey goosey style I prefer.

I decided to go the monotangle route incorporating embellishments of Cresent Moon, lot's of Auras, Rounding, and some Purkisms. I like the balance of the the organic spheres within the architectural feel of Fassett. Fun, fun, fun!

I tried a second version today using Fassett with very different results. I left it ebb and flow and do as it wished... Blooming and growing with a few Mooka thrown in.

Version 2 - Blooming Fassett with Mooka adding the sepia pen

My second is much more delicate, not enough contrast. I used the sepia / brown Sakura 01 with the black micron. I think this would be fun to explore on a Renaissance tile and bump up the contrast.  I want to explore this further.

Thanks Lynn and Laura! Check out the other entries in this week's Diva Challenge.

Challenge #260 - Monotangle: Shattuck, Zendala breakout!

Shattuck breaking out of the box / Zendala

The Diva's Challenge #260 asks us to create a Monotangle using the tangle Shattuck.   A Monotangle is a term the Diva, Laura Harms, coined on her blog for a tile or piece created using only ONE tangle and it's variations.

I chose to go simple and let the little Shattucks curve off the Zendala, breaking free, extending the Shattuck with little Mooka tendrils and a few purk-like embellishments. This piece is not perfect, but I do like the general vibe.

Happy Bunny Day to you.

Challenge #259 - Touch of Irish - Celtic Flower

N'Zeppel, Tipple, Celtic designs, Punzel, Tipple, Leaves, Aura's
and a touch of green

This Diva challenge Laura asks us to bring a touch of Irish to our tile.  Whatever that means to us. I find the Celtic images and designs fascinating so I did a little research and found a great Celtic Flower and chose to use if for inspiration on this challenge.

I used a N'Zeppel, Tipple, Celtic designs, Punzel, Tipple, Leaves, Aura's and a touch of green to nestle this ornate little devil. I think I'm going to try adding some liquid gold leaf at some point, we found out a few weeks ago that metallic doesn't scan well, so, I'll play with that addition later for my own edification.

So Happy St. Pat's Day to you all this week. Check out the Diva's site for other Irish Inspired works.

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 #257 - Guest Post - Oooh Shiny!

Tangled tin can lid, Printemps, Crescent Moon,
Hollibaugh with Mooka / Pod tendrils and
lot's of sparkle and shine (I hope)

The Diva's challenge this week has a guest poster filling in, Amy Broady, CZT from Knoxville, Tennessee. She is celebrating Leap Day (a day that  happens only once every 4 years). So, to celebrate she asks us to make our tangle work Shine! Or gleam. Or glint. Add a special touch. She challenges us to include a METALLIC feature in the tangled art for this week.

I chose to embrace the challenge full tilt, go ALL the way. I tangled a tin can lid using my Staedler permanent pens for the black, and Sakura white and metallic gel pens for the embellishments.

Fun times. For this piece I wanted to make my tangled lid become part of my ZIA. I chose Hollibaugh with Pod extensions, Crescent Moon and lot's of Mooka-like tendrils. Add auras and lots of layers and it is complete.!

I find it difficult to represent the metallic quality with a camera, so I added a closeup detail to show the sparkly quality of this piece. It's done on and 8.5 x 11 sheet.

Close up of detail

Challenge #256: - DuoTangle: Boo*Kee and Artoo

Almost a Duotangle... Artoo and Boo*Kee
with lot's of Auras and embellishments

My New Version - 2/24/2016

Original Version - 8/2/2010
Can you see the Toad?

The Diva's Challenge for this week #227: is to create a piece using two tangles: Artoo and Boo*Kee, Laura developed these two tangles for her boys.  The focus for this challenge was to unite these two tangles in one piece. I tried to let the tangles speak to me and keep it fun and "sunny" for the boys. I tried to incorporate the feel of sunlight and spring in this tile; out of the winter doldrums and into spring. It was a fun challenge and I hope all our efforts bring smiles to these two sweet boys. Here's to a quick  recovery, and health, and smiles for those two cutie pies.

Check out all the wonderful solutions for this challenge.

Challenge #255 -
Ghosts of Tangles Past

I didn't get my piece posted for last week's Diva Challenge #255, so here it is.

When I was first exposed to the Zentangle process in 2010, I became obsessed. Everywhere I went I carried my drawing pad and created a new Zentangle piece several times a week. I scanned in one of my first pieces 8/2/2010. I had titled this piece "Thru the Garden" and tried to incorporate all the things I would experience in a garden. I tended to fill every nook and cranny and began each piece with a familiar object or place to inspire me. 

I was using a Kohinoor Rapidograph pen for most of my work. I was fascinated with line quality, textures and the detail tangling brought to my creative process. No shading.

For my redo, I retained the original string. I scanned in the original piece in and looked over all the elements and chose the ones I was going to keep. My work is now more open the tangles and textures more defined, shading is a Major part of my work

I had written a poem for this piece but I couldn't find the Toad until I looked at the scanned image on screen:
Through the garden,
Walking tall,
I see a Toad,
He's following me,
The Koi in the pond,
Greet me.  

.

Through the Garden 2016 - outline,
without much shading or contrast