Diva Challenge #269: "New Official Tangle: Ellish"

This week's Diva Challenge is almost like a UMT challenge. The Diva chose to highlight the newest tangle coming from Zentangle® HQ, Ellish. This is an interesting tangle. The basic pattern is not that challenging. Much like Paradox and Auraknot, it helps to keep track of where you are with the auras/lines.  For me one of the challenges was to come up with a way to connect and grow it. This served a dual purpose as I had taught the tangle to a class a couple of weeks ago but had not played much with it yet. I told them when I demonstrated it, I was not sure of how it could be grown. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Ellish, Tipple, Indy-rella. 

The shading was done with HB, 2B, and 4B pencils

One of the other challenges with this tile was how to shade it. The more I look at it, I am getting a little  more comfortable with it, but still a little uncertain. 

I have not looked at any of the other pieces posted. Hope to get to it soon. If you have not looked at the posts at I am the Diva, strongly recommend that you do so. Also would encourage you to try it yourself, even if you do not post it on the site.

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

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #268: " A-bit-o-black"

Had some time to try this week's challenge. It was interesting to me. The challenge was to add a little more black to the tile. At first I thought it might be an easy tile to do. I was wrong. But I persevered. Chose some tangles that I usually just shade or I did them in reverse. The end result was okay. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Cadent, Jetties, Genoa, Tipple, and Betweed

Shading done with a 2B pencil. I also used a white Gelly Roll to outline the Tipple.

I started with the Tipple. I am so use to not filling this in that I was not thinking about leaving some space in between them so it did not look like a large black blob.  Was not sure exactly sure what to do but came up with outlining them with the white Gelly Roll.  

I have not looked at what others have done. I saw one that showed up in my blog reader but that is it. Hoping to have time to look at more of the posts. If you have not done so, would recommend that you visit 

I am the Diva and look at the great pieces that others have done. Would also recommend that you go ahead and try your own tile. You do not have to post it, but that is part of the fun.

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

Go Tangle !! 

Trying some new things: Zen-gems

One of the newer trends has been the creation of the Zen-gems. It has now progress to the point where there are some folks who are trying to duplicate actual gem stones. Being a "little late to the party", I just recently began trying to make them. My primary motivation was to have a new activity for classes. I did some before the class and some during the class to show people the process. I was not totally pleased with either of those attempts. I finally had a chance to try again. I actually completed the color part a couple of weeks ago but never got around to finishing the setting. Seemed there was always something else that seemed to be a higher priority. I finally was able to get to them. Here is what I came up  with. I hope you enjoy them.

The yellow/orange one was done with Faber-Castell water color pencils. The blue was done with Loew-Cornell colored pencils. The latter are not an expensive pen. With the water color pencils, I did add some more color after I had used water to initially blend the colors. I made sure that they were dry before adding more water color. Used a small heat tool to do this. 

With the Loew-Cornell pencils used the white to blend and smooth the colors. It did leave a little bit of texture but I think that added to the overall effect. 

Here are some of the places I looked to get ideas of how to do them. Not sure that I used any of them exclusiively but they were all helpful. 

These first 2 are by Kae Yoishno. She was one of the first to  post pictures and explain how she had done them.

Here is one by Chris Titus. She illustrates her process.

The last one I am going to list is by Anki Helgor

This last one is the longest of the 3 but it is informative.

   Couple of things that I learned in doing these. You do need to slow down., At least I do. If I rush, I do not   like the result. I did learn some nice techniques in blending colored pencils. I have used PrismaColor pencils   and have used the blending pencil for those. The blender did not work with these pencils. Using a lighter        color to blend is discussed and illustrated in the last video listed.

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

    Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #276: "DuoTangle - Poke Root vs. Drupe"

Found a  little time here at the end of the week to get a tile done for this week's Diva Challenge. This challenge is to use two tangles, Poke Root and Drupe, in your tile. Figured this would be one that would be less time consuming than other challenges. Of course the other part of the challenge is to decide how to have these two tangles dance with each other. I have not looked at any other ones so not sure what others have done. I kept it pretty simple. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Poke Root, Drupe

Shading done with HB pencil, and PrismaColor 10% Warm Grey and 20% Cool Grey pencils.

Have a lot going on this weekend but hope to get a chance to look at what others have posted on I am the Diva. There is always some great art. I encourage anyone that has not gone there and looked, to do so.

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

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #265: "Stripes"

I have not been able to participate in many of the recent Diva Challenges. When I saw this week's, I thought that this was doable with the time I had. Unfortunately, it was not until the weekend. I finally did get it finished. I have not looked at many of the other posts. Most of what I have seen are ones that show up in my blog reader. This is a fun challenge as there is a lot of opportunity for variation. Usually the results are very interesting.

At one point I thought of doing something a little different, like Huggins. Decided I did not really have the time to do this so I went with a more traditional approach. I did at least vary it a little by making the stripes curvy. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used (top to bottom): Tipple, Munchin, Cubine, Shattuck, Keys(?), Tropicana, & 'Nzeppel.

Shading was done with HB and 2B pencils.

 Put the question mark as I am not sure what the name of this pattern is. I have seen it used and wanted to try something different. 

As I said, I have not seen many of the other posts. I am hoping to get a chance to look at as many as I can. Would recommend that you take the opportunity to visit I am the Diva and look at the creative things that people have posted. 

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

Go Tangle !!