" Initial String " - Challenge #162

Great theme for this week's challenge.  Simple, easy and not much to think about!  We are to use our initials as our string.

My lower case initials follow a circle contour.....

Traditional Zentangle on tan cardstock - Sakura Micron Black #01; graphite shading...

...and this is the pencil string

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Happy tangling....

...and thank you for visiting.

~

 

CBS Sunday Morning

The Zentangle community is on a mission to share with the world the benefits of the Zentangle method.  "Zentangle is an easy-to-learn, relaxing and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns" *

In the spirit of continuing to communicate this artistry along with its meditative benefits, the Zentangle community has joined forces to introduce the CBS Sunday Morning News Show to our founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.

 

 

Don't you just love a fun adventure??

Thank you, Maria & Rick!

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    Happy tangling.....

 

" Curvy GridLock " - Diva Challenge #156

I am lovin' the theme of this weekly challenge........Gridlock!!! 
Love to do grids.  Really do.

A grid (according to zen-moi) is a line group of teenie-weenie little strings just waiting for the same teenie-weenie little pattern to be penned inside each teenie-weenie little space.  What could be more Zen than that????  And the shading is the cherry on top!  (okay, a teenie-weenie little cherry on top!)

Oohhmmm.



ZIA - Bristol 4"x6" - Sakura Micron black 01; graphite shading

Happy tangling...

.... and thank you for visiting!

~

 

It's a String Thing #27

This week we are using string #33 found here on the TanglePatterns site.  All the pattern choices to create this Zentangle® or ZIA begin with the letter "E".  Adele at Tickled to Tangle always finds a connection between the assigned tangles and the string.  She comes up with some great connecting-stories! 

I used a tangelation of the official Zentangle pattern called Ennies.

It's a String Thing #27

Happy tangling!
...and thank you for visiting.
~
 

 

" Aquafleur " - Challenge #152

'Aquafleur':  water flower; flower of water; watercolor.  This is a new tangle by Zentangle® HQ....... bold, delicate, flowing - and oh, so lovely.  (find strep-out here)  And the challenge, for this week #152, is to use 'Aquafleur' on a Zentangle tile or in a ZIA.

ZIA - tan paper, Sakura Microns black and brown (sepia tone) #01; graphite shading; white pastels

There are some knock-out beautiful 'Aquafleur' compositions on the Diva's website.  
Hope you will have a look.....
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Happy tangling.....
.....and thank you for visiting!

~
 

 

" Twenty-Fourteen " - Challenge #149

Guidelines for this Weekly Challenge are to use New Year - or 2014 - as the theme.

I'll drink to that!!  Sláinte!!!!!

Bookimark - Sakura Micron Black & Brown #01; Prismacolor pencils; graphite shading.

Wishing you all a year of happy challenges from our favorite Diva, Ms. Laura!

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Happy tangling.....

.....and thank you for visiting!

~

 

It's a String Thing #21

Adele Bruno has a great blog about art and Zentangle®.  She has been posting 'string' challenges for a few months, and they are certainly an interesting addition to the many Zentangle-related games/challenges/swaps & inspirations that have been keeping "us tanglers" motivated!  (although we don't usually need a whole lot of convincing to sit-and-tangle-awhile, if you now what I mean!)

For this challenge, String # 21 is to be used with the following tangles: Struzzle, Sugarcane, Summer Sitter, Sundoo & Sunflower. (Strings and tangles are found on Linda Farmer's wonderful "Tangle Patterns" site).

                                                               ~

This is my first attempt at It's a String Thing challenge, and, man-o-man, it was fun!  My tile (below) is rotated 180° vs. the string sample (above).  (I think that's  
allowed........?!?!?)
                                   

Traditional Zentangle Tile 3.5" sq.

Hope you will check out  Adele's site for more information about It's a String Thing. 

 ~

Happy tangling.....

.....and thank you for visiting!

~

 

Zendala Dare #85 & Happy New Year

The Bright Owl has started off the new year with an unusually interesting zendala template.  I had lots of fun with it - albiet, unconventional. 

Zendala - Sakura Microns Brown & Black; PrismaColor Pencils on tinted tan paper

If you have not yet seen Erin's Zendala, take a look here.  It is gorgeous!

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Happy tangling...

....thank you for visiting and commenting.  I do appreciate hearing from you.

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" Happy, Merry " - Weekly Challenge #148

Merry Christmas!  ...and  Happy Holidays!

ZIA - Bristol Smooth; Sakura Micron Black 01; Soft Pastels; Koi Watercolors; PrismaColor Pencils

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Happy tangling......
.... and thank you for visiting my pages during the past 12 months. 
I appreciate your comments and the creative inspirations from all of you.
I am truly grateful.
 Tricia
~
.... and remembering Mom

 

" PeaNuckle & Well " Duo-Tangle - Challenge #146

Gobble.  I am thankful to be back to the tangling arena on this beautiful sun-shiny day. 

Happy Thanksgiving week to you.  And Happy Hanukkah.  No school today, so the children are happy!  Black Friday has arrived on a blustery New England wind, and Christmas preparations have officially begun.  Hallelujah!

This week's challenge from the Diva is a duo-tangle:  Well & PeaNuckle.  The tangle Well is so fun, with simple line-shifting, curving variations.  Lots of fun to play with. 

PeaNuckle, on the other hand, has me baffled.  But it's okay to be baffled while tangling!!  The element of surprise looms beyond the completion of each stroke, and it makes the process of tangling more artistically exciting.  (I really. had. to. pay. attention. to. each. line. direction.)   Ommmmmmmmm ~



Traditional Zentangle on Renaissance tile - Sakura Microns Black and Brown; graphite shading;
white charcoal highlights.

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 Happy tangling....

.... and thank you for visiting!

 

~

Happy Birthday, Hon!  I love you!!!

 

~

 

" Knights over Tipple " - DuoTangle - Challenge #137

Interesting challenge from the Diva:  tangle only Knightsbridge and Tipple together on your tile/ZIA..... and let's see what ya get........
"Knights over (or under?) Tipple".

ZIA-Bristol 5"x7" - Sakura Micron Black 01/25mm; graphite shading

This challenge was real-l-ly fun! 

~

In an upcoming post, I will show you a cool tangled project by my extrodinarily talented granddaughter, Mia.  She tangled her Daddy's bass guitar.  Want a peek.......?

♫

♫ ♫ ♫

 

Happy tangling....!!

and thanks for visiting....

 

Zendala Dare 73

Great mandala template for this week's challenge.  And, Erin, the points did not interfere (at all) with my tangles.  I really did get lost in the maze of this design.

Zendala 73

Thank you, Erin.

Happy tangling...

... and thank you for visiting.

 

" Beamz " - Diva UMT Challenge #134

This tangle design, Beamz, (created by Traci F.) was a lot of fun, once I got the hang of it.  Because there are a variety of ways to draw the design, it needs repitition (IMHO) to understand the "concept".  (Workin' on it, Gibbs!)

Be sure to check out all the other fantasticly creative Beamz Challenge art on the Diva's website.

ZIA 6" sq. Bristol - Sakura Microns 01/25mm black and brown; graphite shading

Thank you Traci and Laura.

And, Laura, congratulations on winning that beautiful Nikon camera in the photo contest!  How very fabulous.  So happy for you.

~

Happy tangling....

... and thank you for visiting!

~

 

Zendala Dare 70

This week's mandala template is lovely.  Again.  Another winner, Erin!

I jumped out of the box by not obsessing about completely filling an area with a tangle, allowing negative space to circle around the pen strokes and using the opportunity to add simple shading. 

Remember the lesson on how to make a "bubble" in the middle of a tangle?  (or some refer to it as a "water droplet" or "dew drop")....  Well, the outer orbs and circles on this template is where I made an attempt at that technique. 

▼  Hope someone (Enthusiastic Artist *hint hint*) will do an indepth tutorial on the bubble/dew drop technique, and which tangles enhance the bubble quality vs. tangles to avoid.  I, obviously, don't get it!!  lol




Zendala Dare 70

 

Margaret, the Enthusiastic Artist, is awesome.  She has done wonderful in-depth tutorials on Cadent and Paradox... and other great creative artistic information.  Hope you'll visit her site.

 

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Peace - and happy tangling.

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Zendala Dare 69

"Pop Goes the Weasel"!  That's the children's song that popped into my head when I saw Erin's mandala template for this week!  Why?  LOL.... it's a mystery to me. 

I've been smiling and humming that song for 3 days!

Zendala Dare 69

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Zendala Dare 68

The theme for this Zendala Dare is "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", which = black and white in my land of Zendala.  I love the look of white ink on black paper.  I have experimented with many brands of white ink and white gel pens, but I don't like the way the pen lays down the white ink and the thickness of the white lines. 

My "perfect white pen" would be as perfect as the Sakura Micron Black Pigment Pens (#01) (that I love to use), preferably a fine nib, #01 or #02. 

Even though I struggled with the white ink on this tile, I really did enjoy the mandala template.  And, yes, I was able to enjoy the moment while tangling the black on white.  Another great challenge, Erin.


Zendala Dare 68

If you have had a good experience with a pen that delivers an opaque line of fine/narrow white ink, (other than a dip-pen), I'd love to hear from you. 

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Happy tangling...

... and thank you for visiting.

 ~

" String Theory " 0- Challenge #129

I used to really, really like tangling within 'pre-strung' strings..... but somewhere along my  Zentangle Journey, it has become a not-so-favorite method-of-choice.  Or maybe it just depends on the mood-of-the-day.  After all, tangling those weekly mandala designs (Zendala Dare) is pretty exciting.  At least it has peaked my interest for now.  Sometimes I feel claustrophobic and don't want to be confined to a small area designated by a string.  I just want be loosy-goosy and pop out-of-the-box with curving, lingering, random lines exuding from the tip of my pen.  The pen does all the work.

This week, the Diva's challenge is to work with a predetermined string.  Oy.  This is going to be a challenge.  "What can I possibly do with this?", I thought. 

So, I moaned and groaned (for a brief nano-second!) - until I remembered a very cool, brandy-new tangle that I found and fell in love with this week (on line).  I have been so anxious to test-drive it, and this predetermined string challenge is the perfect time to give it a go.  Once again, the Universe has come to my rescue!!

Because I don't remember the name of this cool new tangle, I was unable to locate it!   So, I put my pen into 1st gear and proceeded from memory.... (always a risky venture!)   I'm happy with how that tangle looks, but the tile as a whole..........eh.

If you should happen to know/find the name of the tangle in the two- teardrop areas on the tile below, please enlighten me!   (Many thanks, in advance.)

ZIA-4" square bristol; Sakura Micron Black #01; graphite shading; crackled rubber stamp/platinum ink background
 

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Happy tangling,

... and thank you for visiting.

~

 

Zendala Dare 67

Erin has designed a very angular template for this challenge.  Yes, it was challenging, but also fun.  That's what counts for me.

Zendala Dare 67

Thanks, Erin.  Interesting template.

Happy tangling!

~

" Two Pencil String " - Challenge #128

The Diva has offered the Two Pencil String challenge in the past... I believe it was Weekly Challenge #2 in March, 2011!  (Yes, Laura, we sure have come a long way since then.)  I think I was not yet familiar with Laura's weekly challenges, so I missed it. 

Glad to be part of the Two Pencil String challenge this time. 


ZIA - Sakura Micron Black #01/.25mm; graphite shading; rubber stamp; PrismaColor Pencils

Happy tangling...

... and thank you for visiting.

~

 

Zendala Dare #66

Mariet has created a lovely zendala template for this week's challenge. 




Zendala Dare #66 ~ Printemps & Golven










Dare Template #66



Happy tangling! 

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