Mum's(y's) the Word

"Mum's the word" is an old English idiom that means to keep quiet, to say nothing of what you've heard.  Pardon me, please, but I am doing just the opposite today.

I am just 'mad crazy' about the tangle pattern Mumsy by Sandy Bartholomew and not shy about saying that Sandy is one of my absolute favorite tangling artists.  Her books - Totally Tangled and Yoga for the Brain - are a constant source of inspiration for me.  I recommend them every chance I get. (You can purchase them from her at  Beez in the Belfry )

Mumsy is one of those patterns that epitomizes the beauty of Zentangle®.  It unfolds magically one stroke at a time. 

Here is the step-out I drew while learning the pattern - 

It begins with a simple center and builds by layering scalloped petals. 

While tangling Mumsy, there have been times when my lines were wavy not smooth, my petals very uneven, lopsided, not at all uniform in size, and so on.  Each time, I pressed on through my perfectionist tendencies and worked through the pattern steps.  EVERY time I was amazed at the results. 

By the time each petal is filled with auras, all the lines I had misgivings about blend in beautifully.

Shading the outer edge of each petal adds such dramatic depth and dimension.

Here is a  sampling of Mumsy in a few monotangles -

 

 

 

 

My hat's off to you Sandy Bartholomew - Mumsy is definitely the word!