Zendala Dare #85: Last Dare of the Year

Was excited when I saw the template as could see so many possibilities. That was a part of the challenge. There were so many different tangles that I could think of using, that was not sure what to use. I finally decided to use some tangles that were some of the first one's that I learned and used. As is usual for me, the toughest part about this challenge, besides what tangles to use, is the shading. I am not displeased with it, but not completely satisfied with it either. I hope that the New Year brings many blessings for you and your family. I hope you enjoy this Zendala.

Tangles used: Zander, Shattuck, Zinger

If  you have not all ready been there, would encourage you to go to The Bright Owl and look at the great pieces of art that others have submitted. If I have time, I may try to get a second one done to use some of the other tangles that I was thinking about.  You can also extend a little "Get Well"  wish to Erin as she thinks she may have broken a finger. Many blessings in the New Year and looking forward to participating in the Zendala Dares again next year.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #84: Merry Christmas!!

This was a fun template to work with. I think it was for a couple of reasons. One, there were a lot of possibilities. Second, I returned to the basic Zentangle® method of using tangles and not planning. It again reinforced how the process works. I started out with one tangle and just decided what I would do next. As I was working on it, I had mixed reactions to the results. When I was done, I liked the way that it looked. Here is what I ended up with. I hope you like it. I also want to take the time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Tangles used: Daggerly, Betweed, Flux, Zinger, Paradox, Flora (variation)

I am guessing that due to the holidays, not as many people will be on line and looking at the things submitted by others. If  you have the time, take a few minutes to go to The Bright Owl and look at the neat things others have done.

Thanks for visiting.  As always, comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! and Merry Christmas

Zendala Dare #83: Baby, it's cold out there

I kind of got stuck on this dare. When I read about the added challenge to create something that reminds you of winter, I could not get the the image of the cut-out snowflakes that use to make in school. I may have also been influenced by the 6" of snow that we received the day of the challenge. I considered doing something else like using tangles that the beginning letters spelled snow, but when I was looking at possibilities and the template, nothing quite seemed to fit for me. I am sure that some others would have made it work. I set out trying to put different shapes in the sections. This was different for me as I usually do not have this much fill. When I got done I was not sure how much it resembled a snowflake. I began thinking of some other way to depict winter. All I could think of was color. Blue is the color that usually associate with something cold. I began to use it highlight. I have to say that this is not what I envisioned when I started out, but I am satisfied with the result. Once again the magic of Zentangle® demonstrated. You do not have to start out with an idea and only go in that direction. You can start and let it go where it leads you.

I usually list the tangles that I use, but I did not use tangles in this one. I used my Micron pens, a Gelly Roll white pen and two generic blue colored pencils.

I have not looked at much at The Bright Owl but plan on taking in all the great works that people submit. Would encourage you to do the same. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

Favorite Contemporary/Modern Christmas songs

This is a different post for me. I usually do not post these things on my blog. My original intent was to include this in my Diva Challenge post but did not think of it at the time and I was not sure how to do it. I have since learned how easy it is. I did add it to my post but not sure how many people will see it. Not really sure how many people will see this. These are two of my favorite modern/contemporary Christmas songs. I like  a lot of the traditional carols but these are so different and meaningful. If you have stumbled across this by accident or intentionally, I hope that you will take the time to listen to both of these songs. Enjoy them and I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Diva Challenge #148: "Merry Happy"

Somewhat of an unusual challenge this week as The Diva wanted us to do a tile/ZIA that illustrated how we celebrate the holidays. Coming up with ideas was not hard. What was hard was coming up with something that I thought would accurately depict what is important to me about this holiday, but was within the scope of my limited artistic skills. This was definitely a challenge as my drawing, even more so than my shading, is one of the least developed of my skills. I tried to keep it simple. Because of what I chose to do, I actually used a limited number of tangles. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas  and a Blessed New Year.

Could not decide which picture I liked the best so I decided to post both of them. They are both taken without a flash. The top one is on the auto setting and the bottom one is with manual settings. My camera has some definite limitations on what I can do manually.

Tangles used: Diva Dance, Tipple, Ahh(variation)

If you have not visited I am the Diva to see the other great pieces, I strongly encourage you to do so. There are many fantastic artists that submit things regularly.

Thanks for visiting. As usual, comments are welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.

Had wanted to do this earlier and did not take the time, and did not really think about it too much. There are a lot of traditional Christmas songs that I like, but these are two of my favorite modern/contemporary Christmas songs. If you take the time to listen to them, I hope you enjoy them. The first is from 4 Him. The second is by FISH.

Go Tangle!! and Merry Christmas. 

Road Bike Party 2 - Martyn Ashton

It has been awhile since I have posted anything other than something to do with Zentangle®. Saw this video and thought I would share it. It is fun to watch. Not sure where these guys come up with their ideas. As you can see at the end it is not without risks. Not what I would do during a bike ride but everyone has their own tastes. Hope you enjoy it.

Diva Weekly Challenge #147:"UMT: v. XXIII - Boo*Kee"

This weeks challenge is a UMT (use my tangle) challenge. This week it is using one at the Diva's own tangles that she recently posted. It is called Boo*Kee. Is not a difficult tangle and works well  as a string. could also be used as a border. Was not feeling particularly creative. Am a little zapped from a busy and hectic holiday schedule as well as some other minor issues. Working on the challenge was a little respite. Not sure about this one. Again it is the shading and possibly is too busy. I originally thought about using Keeko as a base, but looked at the Diva's tile again and saw that she used it. Hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Boo*Kee, Florz (variation)

I have not looked at many of the other tiles posted but plan to over the week. If you have not all ready been there would encourage you to go to I am the Diva to look at what others have done. Would also be nice to encourage those that you like by making a comment of what they did.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #146: Duotangle Pea-nuckle/Well

This has been a  busy week. Surprised I was able to get any challenges done. Thought this one would be easier but as usual were unexpected challenges. I did not have my computer with me so I was trying to do it from memory. I thought I had it correct until after I was done and started looking at some of the others. I forgot the second set of lines and just filled in the whole space.  Oh well, will count it as another variation. I also found it difficult to think of ways that these two tangles would "play well together". I had a chance to look at some of the other pieces submitted but did not make a lot of comments. Maybe will be able to do a little later. Hope that everyone, at least in the US & others that celebrated,  had a great Thanksgiving. Here is what I finally came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Used a gray Fabrico marker to shade Well.

If you have not had the opportunity, go to I am the Diva and look at the other great pieces of art. I am hoping to have some time to look at the different pieces.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments as welcome, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Weekly Challenge #145: " New Official Tangle: Quib"

This week did not have to make a choice about which challenge to do, or try to find a way to address both with one tile. Erin was not able to get a Zendala Dare posted. The Diva's challenge involved using a new tangle, Quib. I had used this tangle before on a few things. it is fun to do but sometimes it is difficult to think of how to use it with other tangles. Looking at mine and what Laura did, I think I was more influenced by hers than I thought. I did not look at hers a lot and have not looked at a lot of others because due to the storms that went through on Sunday have not had consistent internet access. I have mixed feelings about this one. I do not dislike it, but the shading is not what I had hoped for. It is not awful, but could probably done more with it. Well it is done. I hope that you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Quib, Knightsbridge (variation), also put in a solo Mak-Rah-Mee variation

If you have not looked at the other tiles on I Am the Diva, strongly suggest that you go look at these.  I hope I have some time to look and comment on the work that others have posted.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #80 & Diva Challenge #144

Did another two for one challenge this week. I thought it would be quicker. I am not sure it was. The Diva Challenge, A Bug's Life was to use the video released by Sakura as inspiration to create a tile. You could use color, hide a bug somewhere, create a tile inspired by nature, or shade the tile using color. The Bright Owl posted a little different template than is usual. It had more open space or fewer sections. That created some interesting challenges.  I did put some "bugs" in mine, kind of. They are a little weird, but chose to use color. All of the color is done with Sakura Metallic Gelly Roll pens. One of the things that adds to a challenge like this is that I feel like I am going back a lot to touch up spaces. Some of this is that the Gelly Roll pens have a larger ball than the Microns and the ink flows differently. That being said, overall I am pleased with the result of this. When I started putting in the color, I was not sure. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Shattuck, 'Nzeppel, Flux, Strircles, 

Was hard to take a picture to get the metallic quality. This is a little dark but the flash as too light.  Probably would help if I had a camera with more pixels, but not going to happen. Have only looked at a few tiles so far, but would encourage you to go to I am the Diva and The Bright Owl to check out the great pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Cards in Color and Black and White using tangles

Have been working on some new things. Here are a couple of cards that I have completed. My plan is to use these as templates and either print them on my computer or have them printed somewhere. The two color ones are a little larger. They are A2 size ( 4.25" x 5.5" ).  The black and white one is A1 size (3.4" x 4.8").  Plan to make more. Not sure if I will do them in black and white or color. May do a variety. Was a little nervous about doing these as was not the same as working on one of the tiles.

Used a micron to do the tangles. The color was done with a combination of Tombow markers and colored pencils.

This was done with Micron 01. The color is mostly Identi-Pen. The Indy-rella was done with a colored Micron 01.

This was done with a Micron 01

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Zendala Dare #79 & Diva Challenge #143: Tribute to Rick and Maria & UMT - Cruze

It has been a busy week so I tried to come up with one item that I could use for both challenges that I usually participate in. I did not have time to do two tiles. The Zendala Dare is to use the template to create a tribute to Rick and Marie. Like a number of other CZTs and Zentangle® enthusiasts, I liked art and wished that I could create things like it. Never thought I could. After being introduced to Zentangle by my sister, I really enjoyed what I was doing and creating. I was able to attend CZT training in 2011 and have enjoyed teaching others since then. I teach it as an art form and I also use it in my clinical practice as a mindfulness exercise. In this tile I chose to use two tangles that I always associate with Rick and Maria. They were actually two of the ones that I first started to work on because I really liked the way they looked. The tangles are Betweed and Paradox. I remember watching the video Maria made and looking at different examples of how she used it. It was so simple but created something so elegant. I was fascinated by Paradox for its simplicity that created a complex image.  That was really the easy part. The hard part was looking at the template and wondering how I could incorporate the UMT in the Diva Dare. The tangle is Cruze. I kept looking at the template and could not decide where or how to start. I finally decided to just start. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

This post is late in the week so I am guessing that most have all ready viewed things on The Bright Owl and I am the Diva.  If not I would encourage you to do so. I am planning on spending some time looking at what others have done. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle!!   

Diva Challenge #142 with shading

I had mentioned in the previous post that I was unsure about shading in color. I decided to take the plunge. I am fairly pleased with the results, particularly on the Featherfall and the Antidots. I used generic colored pencils and did a layering. I put the darker color down first and then put the lighter colors on top. On the blue I used a white color pencil to soften it. I posted the original picture here also so you can see the before and after without having to flip back and forth.  First the one with no shading.

And now the one with the shading. You may have to enlarge it so see the shading better.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Diva Challenge #142: "Comfort/Danger Zone" Part 2

I was not sure if I was going to get this done in time to post. If you saw my original post, I had indicated that I wanted to do a free form of organic tangles on a zendala tile. Whenever I used a zendala tile I always used a template. I do not think this really qualifies as a zendala. The only similarity would be that it started in the center and grew outward. As part of the "danger" I also did this in color. I do not know that I have ever done  a complete tile in color. I did not shade this. I had thought about it but when I looked at it, I felt it would not add a lot. I may decide to do some shading later. That may be a danger plunge as I have not done a lot of shading in color. Well, I do not need to ramble any longer. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Mumsy, Featherfall, Antidots, and Henna Drum.

Make sure you check out all the submissions at I am the Diva. If you are interested I did shade this. Click on the here to see the two together.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

Diva Challenge # 142: " Comfort/Danger Zone"

When I saw what the Challenge was I had a pretty good idea of what direction I would take. I agree with Shelly Beauch's comment that there may be a lot of black tiles. Interestingly enough, I used a black tile with both challenges this week.  The challenges for me with this, more than the black tile, is using color and I have never used a zendala tile without a template. A couple of months ago I read a post by Alice Hendon about free hand zendalas. Like a number of things, I had plans of trying it but never got around to it. This was the push I needed. If you want information about the process, you can go to Alice's blog, The Creator's Leaf to check it out. There are two posts. The previous link goes to the first post. Here is a link to the second one. I did not follow all her steps but it was helpful in starting. If I have time I would like to do one one the white zendala tile and make it solely organic. I was not at a place where I could take pictures of the process at different steps, but you can probably get a general idea of what the template looks like from looking at the gold outlines. I was surprised by how easy the template came together. It was a little harder deciding what tangles to use in each space. The markers were used primarily for fill although I did use it for the Zander variation section. Well enough rambling. I really did enjoy doing this even though my anxiety about how it would turn out was a little elevated. I was pleased with the process and the result. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Rosetta, Tipple, Paradox, Mooka, Zander Betweed, S-pattern flower.

I thought I had put this in the original post, but after reading it more closely it must have been a "senior moment". I used Sakura Gelly Roll Metallic pens. The fill was done with Permapaque Opague Pigment Markers, Metallic Plus Set. Sorry I left this out earlier.

I chose this photo because it did show the colors a little better. Since it was taken with flash, it is almost too bright. I liked the way the center rosetta looked and this was the best representation. 

I am anxious to begin looking at what others have done. I have not looked at them, mostly due to time, as I do not think there would be as much influence as with other challenges. 

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #78

I know that Erin was excited about this template but I have to admit, I was not so much. When I first saw it I did make the association with a spider web and I thought Erin's first one was great. I however just hit a wall. As I looked at it I did not see how I could use tangles in the space provided. I decided to use a black tile so this would limit it also as the gel pens do not make as thin a line. In line with the season, I did add a little spider in the center. The rest was just lines and arcs. I did use a gray Fabrico marker to do some shading. I do not have one of the new soap stones yet. I am not totally disappointed with the result, but definitely did not get as much enjoyment doing this as I usually do. Enough rambling, it is getting late and I need to get to bed. Here is what I finally ended up with. I hope you enjoy it.

I really cannot identify any tangles that I used.

It is early in the week so there are not a lot of things posted yet. Would encourage you to visit The Bright Owl often during the week to see what others have done. I know I am. I am curious to see how others handled this template.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #141: Duo Tangle - Fengle/Quandry

This week's Diva Challenge is to use only the tangles Fengle and Quandry. I have used both of them before and I like them both. I am just not sure how well I can make them play together. I have a fondness for Quandry as this was the tangle introduced at CZT 10 training which I attended. I also like them both because while there is a symmetry to them they are also forgiving in that they do not have to be exact.

I finished with the tile and looked at it after I shaded it. It looked okay but I felt that there was something missing. Was not sure what but I thought about adding color. Since I was not sure how it would turn out, I decided to take a picture so I would have something to post it I did not like it. I decided to post them both. I will let you decide. I am comfortable with both of them. I hope you enjoy them.

The shading did help this one.  

Next is the one with color.  This was done with generic colored pencils. For the quality of the pencils, was pleased with the way that they turned out.

I thought the purple and yellow looked good together.

If you have not all ready done so would encourage you to go to I am the Diva and look at the things that others have done. I only looked at a few, but the ones that I saw where great. 

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle!!

Zendala Dare #77 - Random Acts of Zentangle

This is not going to completely comply with Erin's challenge. I do not have a smart phone and do not typically walk around with my camera. Besides it is not a small version. I also am  not sure when I will be able to drop it off. My plan is leave it a local coffee shop or a book store, but I will not get there until later in the week.  It really depends on which I go to first. It may be too late to post so I am doing it now. Here is a picture of what I did.  I hope the person that finds it enjoys it and I hope you do too.

Tangles used: Beads, Ennies, Shattuck, Flux, S-ploration pattern

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. 

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #140! : "Monotangle, Pointillism style!"

My initial response when I saw this challenge was to take a pass. That did not last long but I have to admit even when I started on it I did not like that I was thinking too much. I thought more about what tangles that I wanted to use or what it would like like than I usually do. Once I got past that it got a little easier. My first tile I decided that I wanted to do something that was either organic or free flowing but was not exactly sure where to start. I had used this technique before to shade tangles but never to create everything on a tile. I was a little apprehensive about starting. I finally did and then just let it flow. The first one was what I would consider a traditional Zentangle® tile. I used tangles but used the pointillism technique. After I got past the initial apprehension it was fun to do. It was more time consuming and at times did not feel as much of the relaxation as I do when I am doing a tile because I was still thinking too much about if I was "doing it right" .
Here is the first one that I did. I hope that you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Phicops, Squid, Antidot, Boing(variation), floral pattern was from the S-ploration activity posted earlier. Used 03 and 05 Microns to do. 

Although I was pleased with the result of the first tile, I still was somewhat inspired by Laura's more free form version. I really wanted to try something. This was harder to get started as I had no idea what to do. When all else fails, return to the basics. What I did was start by doing a frame. I did not do a string but started to work off the the frame and worked a piece/section at a the time. Doing this brought out all my apprehensions and anxieties about doing art. Probably the most difficult section was the spiral. I admire people like LeeAnn and Shelly who do such great jobs in this style. I decided to keep it simple. I did not use tangles, but used basic lines. Once I got started it came together much easier. This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy it. 

If you have not looked at the other things that have been posted on I am the Diva, would encourage you to do so. I have to admit when I saw that LeeAnn was the first to post, I did look at hers as I figured it would demonstrate her usual fabulous style. I was not disappointed but it also set a high standard. My anxiety cranked up a few notches.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #139: UMT v XXI "8s Parte Dos" by Jane Eileen

This was quite the challenge. I remember when I first saw this tangle. It looked interesting and had plans to do it but never quite got around to it. Sorry that I did not. I like the tangle but it will take a lot more practice before I can do it and feel the "Zen". This was work to do this tangle. I got lost a couple of times but decided to push ahead. I do not like to throw out a tile and as in Zentangle® fashion, there are no mistakes, only unplanned opportunities. This was actually a fun one to put in variations and shade. If you follow my posts very often you know that I do not say that often. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Featherfall, Scroll feather, the flower is one from the "S-ploration" exercise I posted about earlier and of course 8s Parte Dos.

Now I plan to spend some time looking at all the great pieces that others have submitted. I only looked at a few before. Will have more time to view slowly and take them in. If you have not all ready, go to I Am the Diva to look at all the pieces submitted.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

Zendala Dare #76

Not getting to this weeks Dare too late. Was intrigued by the template when I first saw it. Decided that I wanted to do something a little different. Was not sure what, but did not want to do my usual thing. Was hard not to fill in all the spaces. Had thought about doing things and fought the urge. Did not change the template a lot but just added something simple.  Probably also worked more at perspective than usual. Am pleased with the result and enjoyed doing it. Hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Tipple, Shattuck, Meer, Fiore

Have not looked at the other things posted on The Bright Owl but plan on doing so during the rest of the week. Would recommend that you do likewise.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #138: "Fun with Borders"

I must live and work in a really dull place. I know that this weeks challenge was to look at things around you that could deconstruct and be borders. Most of what I looked at was pretty boring. What I chose to do is to do combination. The dots are from my laptop. It is where the speakers are. I have a curtain rod in my office that has horizontal lines and reminds me of Zander. What I chose for the rest were tangles that I like and use a lot as borders or strings. Was not feeling real creative so just decided to put them in descending frames. This is what I came up with. Hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Hibred, Demi, Zander, Scrawls, 

If you have not all ready, would encourage you to do to I am the Diva, to look at the creative pieces that others have done. I have not looked at many yet but plan to look at the ones that have been submitted. 

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #75

Very interesting template for this week's dare. I liked it but it was a little more challenging than I anticipated. I have not looked at a lot of the others yet, but those that I have looked gorgeous.  Here is what I came up with. Not thrilled with the shading, buy that is a common occurrence. I hope that you enjoy it.

This is the first I have used the black pearls in a while. Over all was pleased with the way that they turned out. 

If you have not all ready done so, would encourage you to go to The Bright Owl to look at the other pieces of art.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

More tangles on Leather

Here is another quick post. Earlier I had posted some leather wrist bands that I had put some tangles on. Here is a picture of some tangles that I put on some circular leather blanks. I used the same tool that I used on the other. It is a combination blade and modeling spoon. Hope you enjoy them.

Again, wanted to keep things pretty simple. The only one that I am aware is a tangle is the one on the lower left, which is Spiteria.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Weekly Challenge #137: "Duotangle - Knights over Tipple

This is going to be a short post. I was really late in getting this done this week. I also have to get up early in the morning because of a sale being sponsored by the local art association. It will be a long day.  I like both of these tangles, but not sure I did either one justice. Overall I am pleased with the results. I hope you enjoy it.

Tried to think of a number of ways that I could vary Knightsbridge. 

This is so late that most of you have all ready visited I am the Diva to look at the other pieces. If not should really do that by clicking on the above link.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #74

I had really hoped to get this zendala done earlier. I really liked the template and had a couple of ideas of what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, my schedule did not cooperate. I do not remember ever completing a dare so late in the week. I did revert to my usual format with this zendala and used a combination of grid based geometric tangles and organic tangles. I was able to use a number of my favorite or go-to tangles on this one. It was even enjoyable shading this one and I do not say that often. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Paradox, Betweed, Knightsbridge, Flux, Fescu, Chainlea,

Since this is so late, you may have all ready visited The Bright Owl to look at the other zendalas that people have done. If not would strongly encourage you to do so. There are usually some great pieces there. Would encourage you to encourage the artists by commenting on pieces that you like.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Another thing to tangle: Experimenting with leather

Always looking for new things to put tangles on. Saw some leather straps and thought I would give it a try. Did not use the pen on them. Have not tried that yet. Not sure how much it would bleed. Used a blade tool and a modeling spoon. Used a clear finish. May try something else next time.  Kept it pretty simple. The blade is not the easiest to use. Have some round leather blanks that could be used as coasters. May try to use  a pen on one of these to see how it handles the leather. If anyone has had experience with this would be interested in hearing from you. Here is a picture of two straps that I did and the blade tool.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

"S"-Plorations: Playing with a basic stroke

A couple of weeks ago I was "playing" during some down time. Was somewhat inspired by Rick and Maria's newsletter about grid seeds. Was thinking about what would occur if you took one of the basic strokes and began playing with it. Pea-nuckle is such a pattern. The " S" is the basis of the tangle. I thought what else could be done with this stroke. I began playing. Here are some of the things that I came up with. Don't know that some of these have not been done before. If someone knows that they have, please let me know. The one in the lower right corner looks like something I have seen before, but am not sure.

The above is a page from my journal. These are the ones that I was at least marginally satisfied with the way they turned out. There are a couple of other possibilities that I have not come together yet. Plan on playing with it more and seeing what I can come up with. I took a close up of the flower just because it was small and hard to see. Below is a tile where I used one of the patterns. It was for this week's, #136, Diva Challenge. 

    

Would really be interested in seeing what others can come up with. If you come up with something, post a comment and let me know where I can see what you have done. Have to give credit to my sister and fellow CZT for the "S"-Plorations term. I sent some of the early ones to  her and that is what she called it when she responded. You can see her work at Tinkered Art Studio.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !! 

Diva Challenge #136: "Colour Colour Everywhere"

This was an interesting challenge for a number of reasons. The color part was actually the easiest. I really liked the way that the water color wash came out. Unfortunately, it did not photograph well. The browns particularly did not come through as well. I also chose not to do any shading. That is unusual for me. I was thinking of doing more of an organic tile, but this did not end  up this way. There were a combination of tangles.  I think I over thought the tangles. Photographing was the biggest challenge. I think it would have done better with natural light, but there is not a lot of that at 9:30 PM, at least in the Midwest. Maybe if I lived in Alaska. Cannot scan things either. It may have come out better that way. Oh well, this is what I ended up with, I hope you enjoy it.

  

Tangles used: Keeko, Zander(variation), Tierso, Antidots, Cadent, Mooka,

I have not looked at the other things submitted on I am the Diva, but plan to do so. Probably are enough now that it will take me a couple of days to get through all of them. Would encourage you to also go look at all the great pieces that others have done.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #135: New Official Tangle "Well"

This week's challenge is to use the new tangle Well. It is one that has a lot of possibilities and variations.  Was having one of those weeks that struggled trying to come up with something to do. Finally went to tangle patterns and looked at strings. Then started work on Well. Was not sure what I was going to do but then finally made a decision. It will be obvious to you when you see the tangles that I chose. Was overall pleased with this although the shading did not photograph real well. Is not as murky in person. Hope that you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Well, Eye-wa, Lanie, and Lucky

Have not looked at what others have submitted. Did notice that there were a lot. Hope that I have time to look at all of them. Would recommend that you go to I Am the Diva and enjoy them yourself.

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #72 - Through thick and thin

This week's dare had the added challenge of using either an 005 or 08 micron for the entire zendala. This was an easy choice as I do not  have an 08. The largest I have is an 05. It actually would have been a more difficult challenge for me as I do use the 005 on a fairly regular basis. Would be interesting to see what I would have come up with with the larger nib. Was not interested enough however to go out and purchase an 08 just for this challenge. I usually do use one of the larger nibs for fill so that was a challenge to fill with the 005. Also had a little trouble with Midoosa. I did fairly well with math in school, but apparently I am not as good at counting. When I started I thought I counted 10 points. Since it was an even number thought it would be a good opportunity to try this tangle in the middle. Well it was not too far in when I realized that there were not an even number of points. Not being one to just discard a tile I persevered. Oh well. Other than this I was generally pleased with the outcome of this. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Midoosa, Genoa, Munchin, Trimonds, & Zander.

If you have not all ready done so would encourage you to go to The Bright Owl to see what others have submitted. There are always some great pieces. Check back often as things are posted throughout the week.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #134: UMT #XX " Beamz - by Traci F"

Since it is the first Monday of the month the Diva's Challenge is a Use My Tangle challenge. The one that was chosen was Beamz by Traci  F. I remember seeing this tangle before. I am not sure if it was on Flickr or through The Weekly Zentangle Roundup. Either way it is not one that I have not used before. It was interesting to try and incorporate this into a tile. This was one of those tiles that grew on me as I completed more of it. It is not one I am thrilled with and the shading is a little shaky, but over all I am pleased with the process and the end result. I think I would work at making Beamz a little larger the next time that I use it.
I hope you enjoy it.

I ended up taking this with a flash as there was not much natural light by the time that I was finished. That one looked like it was sepia. Unfortunately with the flash, you get a little glare from the graphite. On some areas I used a gray Fabrico marker to give a different coloring than the graphite.

Tangles used: Florz (variation), BeamZ, and Fearcles.

Now I have to make time to go to I am the Diva to look at what others have submitted. Would recommend that you do this also if you have not all ready done so.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!  

Zendala Dare #71

When I first saw the template posted for this week's Zendala Dare, I was intrigued.  I can't say I did not like the template it was just a lot different than what I had seen before. I began getting ideas quickly though as I looked at it. For me the difficulty with Zendalas is the amount of time that it takes to complete them. I can usually do a regular tile in a lot less time. I know that should not be that important a factor, but sometimes it is. This particular one took time because of the line work with very little fill.  It still was fun to do . Was able to work on it while listening to matches in the US Open tennis tournament. Cannot say I watched as I did very little of that as I was working on this. This template was fun to do.  I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Knightsbridge, Paradox, Tipple, Gneiss(variation)

I have not looked at any other Zendalas posted except those Erin had with here post. I can now go to look at what others have come up with. This is always an enjoyable activity. Would encourage you to visit her blog, The Bright Owl frequently  throughout the week to see the amazing things that people are doing.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #133: Tipple - Love it or hate it?"

This was a great challenge. I use Tipple a lot. It is such a relaxing tangle and it is a great fill and embellishment. In deciding what I wanted to do with this challenge I chose to use other tangles that I see as using very simple strokes. Part of this is that my mind is not as creative as someone like Shelly Beauch. I admit I saw what she did as I get a feed on her blog. Her tipple wave is unique and a great piece of art. If you have not been to her blog, would encourage you to do so and see what she does. But I digress. It so happens that most of the tangles I used are also some of my favorites. The only one that I have not used a lot is Hi-Cs. To me these tangles represent some of the basics of Zentangle® in that you use simple structured strokes to create beautiful patterns. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Tipple, Hibred Betweed, Hi-Cs, and Shattuck

I mentioned Shelly Beauch's Tipple creation, but I did not look at a lot of the others before I completed mine. I try not to unless I am really struggling as I do not want to be overly influenced by what others have done.  Now I plan on going to I am the Diva and enjoy what others have done. Would encourage you to also.

Thank for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #132: "Non-Domonotangle"

My first reaction when I saw what this challenge was, was to take a pass. I looked at the tangle that was chosen and thought a little more and decided that since it was a grid based tangle that might make it a little easier. Did not think I could tackle an organic flowing tile with my non-dominant hand. I may not have thought that through completely.  Drawing the string was challenging enough and maybe should have been enough to send me running for the hills. But I pushed ahead. I did remember from when I broke my wrist a number of years ago and I had to learn to print with my left hand that there were certain rotations that just seemed easier to do. So I set out and did have to focus and found myself turning the tile more than I usually do to be able to make the rotations. The more I continued, I was finding new challenges. The grid lines were a little tough. But in some ways I think that trying to do the fill was even tougher. It required a steady hand which I definitely do not have with my left hand. All that being said, I have to say that I was not disappointed with the end result. It definitely took longer to do than it would have with my dominant hand, but I am pleased with it. I hope that you enjoy it.

I have only looked at few other submissions, mostly from people whose blogs show up in my reader. I plan on going to I am the Diva and looking at all of the great art work. Would recommend that you do also.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!  

Zendala Dare #70

This week's Zendala Dare was interesting. I liked the way that the template looked but I did struggle trying to decide what I was going to do. Some of it is that I think there were a number of smaller spaces that made it difficult to use actual tangles. I like line work, but did struggle ( probably obsess) with what to put with it. I tend to think more about doing Zendalas than I do the square tiles anyway. I think I really need to try one using a random string. After seeing Erin's I was also challenged to use one of the black zendala tiles that I have. I have had them a while. While I have used the black square tiles, I have not used any of the zendalas yet. It was a lot more interesting transferring the template, but I managed. Will have to work on that. Not really sure what I think about these. I do not dislike them but they do not evoke any strong connection either. Shading on the black tiles is always a challenge. I used the gray Fabrico marker. I do not have one of the new zenstones. I will probably order some the next time I order things. Here they are. I hope you enjoy them.

I actually did the black one first. Tangles used: Betweed, Shattuck

This was my second attempt. Tangles used: Crescent Moon, Zinger, Purk, 'Nzeppel 

Have not looked at what has been submitted by the others. Since I am getting this posted early in the week, will have to check back regularly. Would suggest that you do the same. There are always some great things posted on The Bright Owl.

Here is a little extra ( I guess it is depending on your perspective). I usually do not post these things but I did have a little time to play last week.  The first is a mini-version of the one line, one breath technique. It was interesting to do. Not sure how much I will play with it. Not really sure what to make of it. Can get lost in the process though.

The second one I was trying out some new things for me. One is that this is a larger size than I usually do. It is 11"x 14" (27 x 35 cm) piece of Strathmore Bristol vellum.  This is also the first time that I used a water color wash. I had seen others examples but never tried it myself. Will probably try on other paper, but this is the pad that I had available. I used my Inktense pencils.

It is not finished yet. I put out all the tangles that I was going to use. Will post later when it is finished. I may do other posts in different stages of completion.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are welcomed, encouraged and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge # 131: "Monotangle - Dex - teria"

This week's Diva Challenge was using the tangle Dex as  monotangle. I like this tangle but it was a challenge to come up with something as a monotangle. The few post I have looked at have expressed similar thoughts. I ended up doing two tiles. This is mostly because I was not thrilled with the first one. I am not sure why. The second one everything just seemed crisper. I chose the circles as I had wanted to practice the sphere technique posted by one of the other CZTs. I think it was Margaret Bremner, but I could be wrong. The ones that I saw other people do I thought looked really great. I still have some work to do on this but was satisfied as a first attempt. Was not as pleased with the way the picture came out. I avoid using the flash because the graphite will "shine". the shading is not as mushy on the actual tile. I hope you enjoy them.

I did use a stencil to make these circles. I do not think I could ever make such uniform circles free hand.  

I have only looked at a few of the other submissions but plan on doing so the rest of the week.  If you have not looked at them would encourage you to go to  I am the Diva and look at what other people  have submitted. 

Thanks for visiting. As always comments are welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Zendala Dare #69

Ever have a template that when you saw it you knew immediately what you wanted to do? That is what happened with this weeks Zendala Dare. Just because you know what you want to do does not mean that the end result is always what you imagined. I am not disappointed with the outcome, it was just different. I knew that I wanted to do Diva Dance and organic tangles. Had a couple of different ideas about the circles but decided quickly on Cruffle. The process was fun. I enjoyed doing it. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Diva Dance, Cruffle, Fescu,  Miscellaneous organic features 

I would encourage you to go to The Bright Owl and look at the other great submissions. If you are looking at this early in the week, check back there often as people submit things through out the week. You do not want to  miss the great pieces that others complete.

Thanks for visiting. As always, comments are encouraged, welcomed and appreciated.

Go Tangle !!

Spinner Board for Zentangle classes

Had been wanting to make one of these for a while and never got around to it. I took some pictures along the way to show how I put it together. I did the reverse of what some did and used the clip board as the top. I did this so I can take it off and use it by itself. But I get ahead of myself. Will attempt to go through the steps with the pictures.

I bought a  ¼" 2' x 4' piece of hardboard. I cut it down to 24" x 20".  This was what I used for the base.

This picture did not turn out well because the hardboard is a dark brown. I essentially found the center of the hardboard by using the square.  I measured to the middle of each side and used the square to draw intersecting lines in the middle.

I then did the same thing on the back of 22" x 25" Tote Clip Board that I purchased at Hobby Lobby(with a 40% off coupon). 

Here is a close up of the lines intersecting and on each axis I marked 3" from the center. I was using a 6" square lazy susan plate

I used these lines to set the plate and then drew around the edge to mark where the plate should be. On the hardboard base I also marked the screw holes.

 These are what I used to attach the lazy susan plate to the base. They are ¼" long. I used these so there were no sharp points protruding behind the board to snag on anything. They are a bit expensive ($.80 each at Lowe's)

I drilled four holes in the hardboard in the circles that I marked for the screws. I then pushed the threaded post through the hole from the back side.

I then flipped the board over, aligned the holes and screwed the plate to the base. (Actually before you screw it down you will want to skip down 2 steps and draw the outline of the plate on the back of the clipboard.)

Since I wanted to be able to remove the tote clipboard I used industrial velcro to attach it to the lazy susan plate. I am trying it in the corners first to see if that will be enough hold. I have more that I can add if need be. I attached the hook side of the velcro to the plate.

I then put the fiber side of the velcro in the corners of the plate outline on the back of the clipboard.  

I then attached the two, and placed it on the easel. This is a picture of the finished product. It is on a table but the legs of the easel extend so it can be on the floor, which is the way that I usually use it when I teach. I did cut down the pad so it would fit on the clip board. It is about 22" x 24" . Next time I will probably cut it a little longer.

Mine is a little different than others as my base is smaller than the tote clipboard. It still rotates on the easel fine. Will have to see how it works when I am teaching. I still have a piece of hardboard left so if I want to make the base larger I can. There is a cut-out in the clipboard for a handle so I am not planning on buying a portfolio case to carry it in. May do that later if I think it is worth it. That would probably be another 40% off purchase (or possibly a nice Christmas present) as they cost about the same as all the materials for the spinner board.

Hope this helps anyone that is looking at making one of these. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me or comment on this post and I will respond as I can.