Zendala Dare # 102: Two in a Row & a New Job

The Bright Owl is on a roll posting two Zendala Dares in a row. She does have a reason to be pleased with her ability to do this as she is starting a new job which allows her to use her Nursing degree. Starting a new job while exciting is also stressful. Hopefully, creating her zendala allowed her to relax a little. This is an interesting template. Kind of fits in with this week's Diva Challenge on simplicity. Last week's template had a multitude of sections. This one had a lot of larger space. Simplicity and  easy are not always synonymous. I actually had more difficulty deciding what to do with this template. I finished this earlier but did not get around to posting it right away. That is probably a good thing as this is one of those tiles that my first reaction was so-so. After letting it set a while and then looking at it again, I am more pleased with it. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Betweed, Cubine, Flux, Shattuck, Blooming Butter with Mak-Rah-Mee, Cadent, Antidots, & Zander.

The shading is done with 2B and 4B pencils. 

The center ring is somewhat inspired by some stacked circles that I have seen on the FB Stacked and Tangled page. Did not really turn out exactly like I envisioned, but that is okay.  Have only looked at The Bright Owl's blog a little. The last I looked there were only a few things posted. I hope more take the time to  do something and post it. I know it is hard and there are more challenges now than when she first started the Zendala Dare. I enjoy doing them and it is different than the other challenges and FB page ideas/focus. Not sure that I will get to every one she posts and will probably have to rotate what I participate in a little. If you have time, check out what others have done at The Bright Owl and try it yourself. 

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

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #226: Guest Blogger - Katie Crommett - Simplicity

This week's Diva Challenge guest blogger is, I think, one of the more recent CZTs Katie Crommett. I guess by newer, she was after my CZT training. I remember seeing her post things though before she went to the training. Any way, her challenge to us is Simplicity. Not sure what things I will see as that can mean different things to different people. She also indicated to use only 2 - 3 tangles at the most. I think I was successful in this challenge. I only used 3 tangles and none of them are particularly complicated. I tried to keep the shading simple also. Here is what I came up with. I hope yolu enjoy it.

Tangles used: Abundies (which mine looks a lot like Narwal), Springkle, & Florz

Shading done with 4B & 2B pencils. 

 I have not looked at many of the things posted so far. A few have shown up in my blog reader. Hoping to get to look at as many of possible over the rest of the week. Would encourage you to check out I am the Diva. Take a risk and try it yourself and post your results on the Diva's blog.

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

Go Tangle !!

Another thing that did not move: Tangled Gift Bags with a Little Color

A couple of years ago I did some gift bags for the office staff. I unfortunately did not take any pictures of them. I am trying to get a variety of things together for some events over the summer. Thought I would do some gift bags again. Have a variety of them but started out with the brown craft paper ones. Tried to add a little color to this rather than just using white highlights.  Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used: Pea-nuckel, Intwine, Dragonair, Antidots, &Chainlea

Highlights and shading done with Prismacolor Premier pencils.

Tried a little different thing with some of the color. The green and blue are a single color then white over the color. If I do it again I may try some layering of colors before I add the white. It is really experimenting trying to get the color tint that you want. The brown is actually the layering I did on one of the recent challenges. I used white but instead of it being the last color it was in the middle. It is Goldenrod, White, and Burnt Ochre. 

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

Go Tangle !!   

Zendala Dare #101: She's Baaaaack !!!

Guess who's baaaaaack? That's right, it is The Bright Owl with Zendala Dare #101. I remember seeing the previous one, but not sure how long ago it was or if I even participated. For a couple years it was one that I participated in regularly and I do enjoy Zendalas. I have to admit that it took a little getting use to. I have not done a lot of Zendalas lately and those that I did were more free hand so I was not dealing with a template. Some would think that having a template would make it easier but there is a little decision making about how you want to use the template. I put the whole template on the tile and just took a little at a time. I started on the outside, then the center and then the middle part and the shading. It really was easier once I decided on the center. Before that I was not sure exactly what I was going to do with the majority of the template. Well enough gabbing. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Verve, Betweed,  Gneiss

Shading done with 4 B pencil

The last I looked there were not a lot of other zendalas posted at The Bright Owl. Hoping that a few more will do something. It is always interesting to see what people do with the templates. Would encourage you to take a look by clicking on the link above. Why not give it a try yourself, even if you do not post it.

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

Go Tangle !! 

Square One Focus Tangle : Munchin

The focus tangle in the Square One, Purely Zentangle® FB page is Munchin. I have used this tangle before, but I have to admit that I have not used it a lot. Not sure why. Probably because there are a couple of other tangles that I use in triangular areas. I also am not sure about using this in a definitive area. I know that strings are suppose to be guidelines but I am more likely to follow them. This is one that I think works better as a free form tangle. Enough said. Here is what I came up with. I hope hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Munchin, Flora, Henna Drum

Shading done with 4B pencil.

Have to work on not making my triangles so similar in size. Have seen a number of creative tiles with this tangle. Looking forward to seeing more. 

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

Go Tangle !!

Diva Challenge #225: Guest Blogger Jen Crutchfield, CZT - Using color

The Diva is having guest bloggers over the summer as she is taking some time off this summer to spend more time with her family. This is the first week of a guest blogger and it is a fellow Indiana CZT. There are, I think, double the number of CZTs in the state from when I got my certification. I think the only area that does not have at least one is the northeast part of the state. But I digress.

The basic Zentangle® format is using black pen and a graphite pencil for shading. that is probably how most start but then they do venture out a little to try something with color. Usually, myself included, if the person does not have much (read any) art background using color is one of those things that causes a little increase in their anxiety. After 4 years of tangling I am more comfortable using color but it is still not something I am totally comfortable with doing. For this challenge I went back and visited one the techniques I first used to add color. This is Maria Browning's embossing technique that she included in her book, Time to Tangle with Color,  and also taught at  Tangle U.  I was not able to attend Tangle U but did talk with some people who did and I also found the brief explanation in her book. before when I used it I used a black tile. I have wanted to try it on other tiles to see how it worked but just have not done it. It seemed to fit well for this challenge. Enough rambling, here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it.

Tangles used : Opsess, Shattuck, Bales

The color is done with Irojiten pencils. The colors are Lettuce Green, Lilac, & Sunset Orange.There is about three layers of each color.

The tangles are done using a Signo Uni-ball 207 Micro pen. I use these at work and when they have run out of ink, I have saved some to use for this purpose. It gives a finer line than the typical embossing tool. 

I have not seen a lot of other things posted yet for this challenge. I plan on going to I am the Diva to see the other pieces submitted. Would strongly encourage you to visit the site also and give the challenge a try, even if you do not decide to post what you do.

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

Go Tangle !!

If It Doesn't Move, Tangle It: River Rocks

Had seen a number of posts of people doing this. One was Annette Carlo at Call it What You Quill. She used a stylus and ink to do hers. I have seen some that I think that were done with paint and a paint brush. It is a special brush as what I have read it is made to do small dots of paint. Not using a lot of other mediums, am not sure what they are called. Looked interesting and thought I would give it a try. Learned a couple of things. The stylus is not easy to use. You also have to be patient and let things dry. If you don't, you smudge or wipe off what you just did. Rocks are not easy to hang on to. I'll add a little more after the picture. Here is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy them.

Materials used: The ink is an acrylic artist's ink that I got at Hobby Lobby. The colors are done with paint pens. Most are extra fine DecoColor paint pens. 

Not sure how many more of them I will do. Will have to wait and see. There are a few other projects that I want to work on. This was an interesting endeavor. 

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

Go Tangle !!