"It's a String Thing" #21

Happy Tuesday - and the last day of 2013!

Just think...it will be next year when I post the results of today's challenge - a wonderful way to welcome 2014.

With most of the holidays' festivities behind us, we are going to jump back into using more tangles with our strings.  The string for this week comes to us via Linda Farmer and was created by
Sue Zanker -

The challenge and the string number match this week - hurray!

In honor of Sue we will use the first five tangles on page three of the 'S' section on Linda Farmer's Tangle Patterns.  Click here for that direct link.

You may use as few or as many of the tangles as you wish.  Your choices include:

Struzzle by Jo Newsham
Sugarcane by CZT Suzanne McNeill
Summer Sitter by Karry Heun
Sundoo by CZT Jane MacKugler
Sunflower by Anne Marks

There is no need to trace the suggested string line - it is, after all, a suggestion - just pencil it onto your tile and tangle away.

This exercise is for beginner and seasoned tanglers alike.  Use it as an excuse to keep up with your art work, take time for yourself, learn new patterns, share your talent...

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines:

     * Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.          

     *Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin    

                  with the letter(s) indicated                 

     *Work must be completed on Zentangle tiles or on your 3.5" x 3.5" paper      

     * Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or         

                  scan your tile (300 dpi) and save as a jpg    

     *Email your jpg file as an attachment to -  brunoadelem@gmail.com    

     *Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings.     

     *Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays.       

 

Send in your photos - you will encourage and inspire fellow Zentangle enthusiasts all over the world.
PLEASE NOTE:  I will add a link to your blog or web site with your tile photo if you wish.

I look forward to your emails.

"It's a String Thing" #20 Tiles

Annie Taylor described this challenge as a "lovely and quite wintery String Thing".  I agree and must say that it felt like Christmas each time an email arrived for this week's challenge.  The tiles are all so festive.  Let's take a look -

This is from Ingrid Coventon from the Netherlands:

Ingrid wrote that she suffered a stroke years ago at an early age and is still recovering.  Aside from having limited energy she says, "My head is still in chaos, my hands are shaking.  It's difficult to focus and I feel very off center, but I felt the need to tangle and rediscover myself.  I just had to start, and this is the result." 

Now, this truly is a Christmas gift to the rest of us - to hear your story, see your work, and to be inspired by your tenacity and talent.  Thank you Ingrid. 

 

Vicky Brison outlined the string and tangled from there -

She said that she "originally did one (using Afterglo) that stayed behind the string" but she didn't like the way it "restricted the 'star' quality" of the tangle so she "did it again and let the star have some leg room...much better!"   She alternated light and dark spaces in the center of the tangle as well - a really nice touch.  

 

Audrie Wiesenfelder sent in two tiles:

 

Audrie also featured her tiles on her blog.  You can click here to see her lovely work!  Audrie closed her email with this greeting that made me smile.  Read it, smile, and pass it on -

 

Have a Healthy, Happy, Peaceful (and Prosperous wouldn't hurt) New Year, and may the worst day of this coming year be no worse than the best day of this past one.

Thank you, Audrie.
 

Annie Taylor said that the string reminded her of a mountain top -

 

Annie described her work as "a rather half-hearted attempt" (though that doesn't show) but she felt she had to do something after loosing her precious dog just before Christmas.  She said that she "found the calm of Zentangle has been good" for her.  It is a lovely tile and especially good to know that tangling brought comfort to you.

You can click here to view Annie's beautiful blog.

 

Annemarie - also from the Netherlands - sent this:

 

She also has a wonderful blog and you can click here to view this tile on her site.  She said that she initially use a different tangle - AA's by Judy Murphy instead of  Ahh, but was able to go back and insert them.  It made for a wonderful tile as well as a reminder that in Zentagle there are no mistakes - just creative opportunities - and this is very creative!
 

Joan Delony submitted this pretty tile -

She created a very delicate look to both patterns and the shading along the rounded string line and border make the tile glow.

 

Sue Green created a winter wonderland with her tile:

She said that she tried "a lot of Afterglos together" and "kept returning to a single one adorned with Ahh's".  Working on a black tile with white pen she achieved such a beautiful, wintery feel.

 

Sue Agnew said that she doesn't remember on who's blog she first read about tangle mash-ups, but one of the examples combined Afterglo and Cadent.  She liked it so much that she rarely uses one pattern without the other.  So she said that she "mashed Afterglo and Ahh and came up with this..."

 

I think you may have to give it a name, Sue.  It's fabulous!

Sue followed up a few days later with this tile:

 She said that this one "looks more like evergreen and snowflakes!  No spiders!" - too funny!

 

Jackie Becker's email echoed many a reader's thoughts:  "Things have been so busy and hectic...but today I needed a rest..."  And so she tangled!

What a wonderful effect she created by adapting Afterglo to the string line.  It appears magnified against the rest of the tangles - so very nice!

 

CZT Brenda Urbanik created this fanciful tile -

It's so light and airy and pretty!

You can click here to see this posted on her creative blog.

Deanna Spence created this pretty tile:

It's so festive and by shading the 'valleys' of Afterglo the tangle took on a beautiful sense of dimension.  The darkened center of the tangle is a nice touch too.

CZT Sue Jacobs sent two tiles.  For the first one she inserted Ahh into a larger Afterglo:

 

She said she wasn't very happy with it - it was just kind of 'meh' she said, so she tangled again.  This time she used "multiple Afterglo's".

                                     

Sue said that she was much happier with the second tile - "Plus, I love the shading of course."  She too shaded the 'valleys' of Afterglo and the effect is just beautiful!

 

CZT Kim Winebrenner sent in this lovely tile:

What a magical feel she created here.  She used several variations of the tangles and varied her shading on Afterglo - details that add to the wintery beauty of her work.

 

CZT Cheryl Rotnem said that she always has loved Ahh...

but this was the first time she used Afterglo and it gave her "some fits"!  Well, it doesn't show because both tangles came together very nicely on her tile.

 

Cathy Cusson sent in these two wonderful tiles:

She writes, "Believe it or not the string was there!  I used it merely for a guide then took off in my own direction."  HURRAY for Cathy!  That is the purpose of strings - thank you for the lovely reminder!

 

And the tile set aside for honors this week was submitted by

CZT Diana Schreur - 

She said that she loves the pattern Ahh, used it in her Christams cards, and said that she was "still in the Ahh-mood so this tile was a lot of fun to do." 

Notice how she added the tangles to her sting lines - the delicate Ahh as well as the more weighted Afterglo.  It's so light, airy and festive.
Thank you, Diana, for keeping us all in an Ahh-mood :)

I have a little some thing coming in the mail for you.
 

 

Many thanks again to:
Anne Marks via Linda Farmer for String 028
Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts for Ahh
and
Carole Ohl for Afterglo

AND especially for all of the talented tanglers who submitted their glorious work and heartfelt notes. 

Check back tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #21!  


Please feel free to leave a comment in the space provided below.If you would like to hear from me, please use the email box located on the right.Thank you!

 

 

Ahh's and Afterglo

That title even sounds inviting doesn't it?!

In light of the "It's a String Thing" challenge this week, I am posting notes from my pattern notebook on the two tangles that we are using - Ahh and Afterglo.

Ahh is an official Zentangle® pattern from Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.   It illustrates beautifully what shading can do for a tangle:

Afterglo by Carole Ohl is misleading at first glance - at least it was to me.  I initially thought that the lines emanating from the center were drawn first and the zigzagged auras added last. 

You can see from this step out, that by adding the 'rays' after the zigzags, Carole creates a really unique effect:

These are my personal notes about the tangle patterns.  You can reference the patterns here on Linda Farmer's Tangle Patterns website for more information.

Have fun and do try your hand at "It's a String Thing" #20.  You will find all of the details in Thursday's post below.


Please feel free to leave a comment in the space provided below.
If you prefer to hear from me directly, please use the email box located to the right.
Thank you!

"It's a String Thing" #20

Happy One Day After Christmas!

This week our challenge time frame is adjusted just a bit because of the holidays, so I will happily accept submissions through Sunday.

We begin with String 028 as posted on Tangle Patterns and created by Anne Marks:

 

 

In honor of Anne, we will use two tangle patterns that begin with the letter "A" : 

 

Ahh - an official Zentangle® pattern  and

 

Afterglo by Carole Ohl

 

Both tangles have a festive feel and seem just right for the time of year.

 

The step outs for these patterns can be found here on Linda Farmer's fabulous Tangle Patterns.

 

As Linda suggests when she first published String 028 - remember string lines are suggestions so just "free hand the shapes onto your tile as best you can" and tangle away!

 

 

This exercise is for beginner and seasoned tanglers alike.  Use it as an excuse to keep up with your art work, take time for yourself, learn new patterns, share your talent...

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines:

     * Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.          

     *Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin    

                  with the letter(s) indicated                 

     *Work must be completed on Zentangle tiles or on your 3.5" x 3.5" paper      

     * Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or         

                  scan your tile (300 dpi) and save as a jpg    

     *Email your jpg file as an attachment to -  brunoadelem@gmail.com    

     *Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings.     

     *Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays.       

 

Send in your photos - you will encourage and inspire fellow Zentangle enthusiasts all over the world.
PLEASE NOTE:  I will add a link to your blog or web site with you tile photo if you wish.

I look forward to your emails.

 

 



Merry Christmas

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas

which is HOPE,

the spirit of Christmas

which is PEACE,

and the heart of Christmas

which is LOVE.

                                                                                                          ~Ada V. Hendricks

"It's a String Thing" Christmas Eve 2013

It is Tuesday and truly your Good News day!

In honor of the happy days ahead, the challenge this week will be posted on Thursday, December 26 and extended to Sunday, December 29.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of how we have come to celebrate Christmas on our street.
Seven years ago, I approached our neighbor Walt about doing a decorating project for our entire street - to make story boards for the Christmas story and have our neighbors display them in their yards.

In typical Walt fashion, he provided the materials, manpower to cut the boards to my pattern, and supplied most of the lights to illuminate them.  My husband figured out a way to fit them all on our back porch so neighbors could stop in to help paint the outlines and illustrations.  I painted the lettering to keep the message uniform.

There are a total of 24 boards that contain verses from the second chapter of St. Luke's gospel. Most of the houses on our street have one displayed on the front lawn.

There are many blessings that have come from this tradition - people from all faith backgrounds participate, a steady stream of cars come by in the evenings, children read aloud to their families, vans from nursing homes and churches come through.  It has united our street.

Here is a photo of me with the twenty-fourth sign in the sequence just to give you a sense of the scale:

And here are the signs freshly varnished and set up in Walt's driveway before they were placed in the yards:

 ...and one set up next door:

Christmas blessings to everyone from our street to yours!

"It's a String Thing(less)" #19 Tiles

"Oh what fun it is..."

I put out last week's challenge very sure that in the midst of this "most wonderful time of the year", the most passionate of tanglers would respond - and here they are!

Joan Delony said that she is taking time to tangle everyday because it "keeps her sane".  Look at these Christmas treats from her:

After Joan sent the third tile, I told her that she could have her own greeting card company!  Her lettering has a happy feel and she has a delicate touch with her pen.  Just lovely.

Sue Agnew said that she used this challenge as an opportunity to use one of her favorite grid-based tangles, Dex.  She said, "First I imagined a grid, with the circles being transparent and showing the grid through, if that makes sense.  It didn't come out looking like I'd expected (looks like soccer balls), so then I tried showing the entire grid with opaque holiday garlands in front of it."

She also went on to say that, "Holiday Garland was much easier once I realized that you don't have to stack the circles diagonally- you can stack them vertically/horizontally and then just connect them diagonally!"

Thank you Sue, those two tangles look beautiful together.

Now this is exciting - the next tile is from Annmarie, a talented tangler from the Netherlands.

A You can click here to see this tile posted on her blog.  She has a wonderful collection of work and it's an honor to have her join us.

Sue Jacobs said that she "ran with the ornament idea" and created a sampler of tangles.  She had fun creating this - 

What a fun and festive tile it is!  The stippled background makes the tangled ornaments really stand out and see the holly popping through - what a treat.

A very warm welcome to Sue Green.  She said that she loved how the "1940/50's Christmas Ornaments so jumped right in with them."

What a happy thought - that they just jumped right into her tangles.  It's such a colorful treat.

A huge thank you for sending in your tangles during such a happy, busy time.

As a special treat, I am going to send a little some thing to all five holiday tanglers this week.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas ZIA Cookie Ornaments

Gingerbread is huge at our house during Christmastime.   I love the smell of it baking, its beautiful reddish brown color and how it contrasts with pure white icing, and the comforting taste of it with a cup of tea...YUM!

This year I found some ready made gingerbread cookies at IKEA complete with a little hole at the top of each for hanging on a tree.  I whipped up some royal icing and with some Zentangle® inspiration, decorated them.  This is what they look like on our tree -

More ZIA Christmas fun!  ENJOY!

More ZIA Christmas Cheer

It is so intriguing to find out how other artists discover Zentangle® and how they use it in their corner of the world.  One such tangler is Jenna Wheatman from the UK.
 
Over the last few months, Jenna has become a regular contributor to the weekly challenge here on my blog.  With each submission I learned a bit more about her: she lives in the UK, is self-taught in the Zentangle® method, owns a business, is not fond of capital letters(smile), writes a blog...Finally, I just asked her straight out if she would send me a little bio and allow me to write about her.   This is what she sent:

I'm 29 and run my own sports injury clinic in Scarborough UK , I also spend alot of time training for my sport which is athletics specifically the hammer throw (people are always surprised by this as i'm only 5ft 1" and size 10 UK) and get to represent my county, Yorkshire. My work and sport are very demanding on the body and mind and i am always looking for arts and crafts i can do to relax. My first addiction was kimekomi. Then it was bathbombs which has turned into a small business. I have never been into drawing as such, i found i could copy draw quite well when i was younger but never did anything with it as my free style was terrible.

I got into zentangle when my mum (who is very into card making, especially stamping and holds a saturday craft session) got some zentangle christmas tree stamps about 2 months ago, with this she also got the book zentangle basics. I had a go and now have my Christmas cards sorted. I then thought i better/needed to find out more and learn some tangles, thats when i found the diva challenges and a few weeks later your, its a string thing. I think there are only 3 certified zentangle teachers in the uk and all are miles away down south from where i live, so i use the challenges to learn and get inspiration. 

 If it was not for finding zentangle i would not have such great ideas for presents this Christmas, i think i may have gone a bit over board but i have enjoyed every minute and can not quite believe i have created what i have. I have made a candle, 3 aprons, some bangles and i have just done some t-shirts. My art work has improved so much within the last few months even my hand writing is better.

Here are the photos that she included of her beautiful work: 

 

 

She also sent three links to view her tangled creations on her blog:  click here to see the aprons and t-shirt, and to see her work on candles ("very early work before she knew what Zentangle was") , and to see what she calls 'zenfolding'.

I am exhausted and amazed just trying to keep up with what Jenna has going on and what she creates.  It is just astounding to think that she has gleaned her Zentangle knowledge from books and internet sources without the benefit of a class. 

The Zentangle method has a way of bringing out the best in people who practice it:  confidence, enthusiasm, determination, a deeper artistic sense...just to name a few.

Congratulations to you Jenna, for all of the above.   Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring the rest of us!  Merry Christmas!


Please feel free to leave a comment in the space below.
If you would like to hear from me, please use the email box located to the right.
Thank you!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom...

and a little ZIA love...

ZIA Snowman Ornament,  Adele Bruno, CZT

This cute little guy is the ornament I made for my husband this year.  I have given him an ornament for most of the thirty Christmases that we've been together.  Some have been purchased, but most of them I have made - each one capturing something sentimental about the previous year.

This year I've combined two things:  my love of all things Zentangle® and a sentiment that made me laugh out loud when I read it.

While shopping this past week, I came across a plaque that pictured a wilting snowman and these witty and charmingly universal words:

It's not an official family gathering until someone has a melt down.

Isn't that so true?!  Picture little ones up to their ears in wrapping paper - exhausted, removed from their usual routine.  Or newlyweds trying to satisfy each side of the family while clinging to time for themselves.  Moms cooking, baking, and entertaining.  Dads being forced to read directions and assemble toys large and small. It's inevitable - someone is bound to have a meltdown.

Reading this just put my whole holiday is perspective and put a smile on my face. Christmas will be Christmas and  for the happiest of reasons - that we are together in proximity or in spirit, that we give simply for the joy it brings, that we take time to tell our friends and family we love them and we care, that our hearts are full of the gratitude, joy, and peace because of Christ's birth.

So bring on the cookies and the carols, the presents and the parties, the shopping and the shipping, the memories and yes, the meltdowns! 

ENJOY!

Project particulars:

Purchased unfinished 2.5" wooden snowman

Acrylic paint - white, grey, red

Gelly Roll white pen

Sakura Identi-Pen

"It's a String(less) Thing" #19

It is your good news day - a week away from Christmas Eve!

I promised a simple challenge this week and so it is...

This is big news - and perhaps a new Zentangle® term - because we are going STRING-LESS this week.  "Oh, what fun..." 

We are using CZT, Suzanne McNiell's Holiday Ornaments tangle pattern in the spirit of the season. 

You can find it here on Tangle Patterns.  Be sure to follow the links that Linda Farmer includes to see Suzanne's step out as well as her variation of the tangle she calls Holiday Garland.

You may also want to make up your own variation of the tangle.  The possibilities for filling in the 'ornaments' with your favorite tangles could make for a fun afternoon :)

Use as few or as many of the Holiday Ornaments as you wish on your tile.

If this is your first visit, welcome!  If you are new to Zentangle®, welcome! 

This exercise is for beginner and seasoned tanglers alike.  Use it as an excuse to keep up with your art work, take time for yourself, learn new patterns, share your talent...

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines:

     * Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.          

     *Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin    

                  with the letter(s) indicated                 

     *Work must be completed on Zentangle tiles or on your 3.5" x 3.5" paper      

     * Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or         

                  scan your tile (300 dpi) and save as a jpg    

     *Email your jpg file as an attachment to -  brunoadelem@gmail.com    

     *Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings.     

     *Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays.       

 

Send in your photos - you will encourage and inspire fellow Zentangle enthusiasts all over the world.
PLEASE NOTE:  I will add a link to your blog or web site with you tile photo if you wish.

I look forward to your emails.

"It's a String Thing" # 18 Tiles

Oh what fun it is...

...to see the results of this week's challenge!

The first tiles arrived from Jenna Wheatman -

Jenna captured her tile before and after she added color.  She layered Verdigogh with a poem for the her holiday wishes.  It's beautiful.
Jenna has a wonderful blog and you can see more of her work by clicking here.

Jackie Becker has a party going on with her Verdigogh -

She said that initially she was excited to see the simplicity of the string and the tangle this week and had a"grand vision of an elegant minimalist tangle."  She surprised herself when this "came out"!  It's a wonderful take on the tangle and it captures the Christmas cheer!

Ragged Ray's tile is multi-layered.  She writes, "Lovely Verdigogh - such an encouraging tangle, the more random it comes out the more natural it looks!"

She added that as she readies for Christmas, she is making gift tags and that "has no doubt influenced my tile this week!"  The details in this are just so lovely - the layering, dark background, touch of red - delightful!

Sue Agnew said that Verdigogh is one of her favorite patterns and it shows:

 It is remarkable how she created the tangle from the center making it appear like all one line.  These are just such happy tiles - every little detail is happiness.  Thank you for the treat, Sue!

Cathy Cusson has a light and lovely touch with Verdigogh  - 

She added delicate and wispy tangles to her background and the result is so very pretty.  Her shading adds just the right touch too.  

Audrie Weisenfelder chose a winter-y  blue paper and used Metallic Gelly Roll pens:

She mentioned that her second tile was a "bit heavy handed" but sent it along anyway.  Thank you for sending it!  It has an almost stained glass look to it with the thicker lines and added color - very seasonal.
The photos do not do the metallic pens justice, but the sparkle and shine of them must be very pretty in person.

Vicky Brison's tile just looks like fun -  

She added a variety of tangles to Verdigogh and was reminded of her garden when she finished - her frozen garden she adds. Brrr!   This tile looks like the promise of Spring when you consider the harsh winter is here for some!

Mindy says that good things come in three's - and indeed they do:   

She has three accompanying patterns here for Verdigogh  - each with a lovely rounded look to compliment the main tangle.  Mindy has a way of adding dimension with the simplest of lines.  Notice how her 'branches' of  Verdigogh appear to bend and tuck - thank you Mindy!  


Joan Delony is the artist behind the tiles set aside for honors this week -

She sent in the first one early in the week and a few days later another arrived.  There is an elegance to her lines in Veridgogh that draws the eye to view the tangle as a whole not so much the individual lines.  She added a touch of Christmas cheer to each and the results are simply elegant.

Thank you, Joan.   I'll be sending a little something in the mail to you.

Thank you to all the talented tanglers who sent in their work this week for the rest of us to learn from AND enjoy.

Thank you to Linda Farmer for her wonderful collection of patterns and strings and to Maria Thomas for the lovely Verdigogh.

I will be posting "It's a String Thing" #19 tomorrow.  It will be fun and festive - and just simple and relaxing enough to fit into your busy week, I promise!

Feel free to leave a message in the space below.
If you would like to hear from me, please use the email box located to the right.
Thank you!