ZIA for a Fabulous Friday

I love the feel and shape and size of a Zendala® tile.  There is a sort of soothing assurance when I begin drawing on one - as if it says, "Go ahead, make your first mark, I promise you'll be pleased with the outcome."

ZIA by Adele Bruno, CZT

Armed with that confidence, I drew a five petaled flower just slightly off center on this Zendala tile.  I repeated the shape around the tile, turning the tile often.  Stems 'grew' from the center bloom to each additional one.

I added just a touch of detail to each and with a little shading - voilá - a bit of ZIA happiness for a fabulous Friday!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Little Fractivity To Brighten Your Day

Fractivity...

The term popped up on the Fractal Foundation's website (click here to visit) and in my new found fascination with all things fractal, it has become part of my vocabulary...fractivity - the sound of it makes me smile.

This one page free download is available on the foundation's site along with other fascinating and free resources.

Isn't it amazing to think that rivers, lightening bolts, blood vessels, even hurricanes are fractals found in nature?

And of course, TREES.  That's what I've been playing with and as promised here is a smattering of my notes about these addicting treasures to draw ~

Fractivity by Adele Bruno, CZT

Fractivity Continued, Adele Bruno, CZT

As my notes indicate, fractal trees use a repeating pattern of the same initial shape - or line configuration.  Each additional layer sprouts into the same pattern only on a smaller scale.

A tree is finished when you are pleased with its shape and size.

On another note...

A reader referred to last Thursday's post about fractals (click here to view) as my "fractal rant."  Oh!  I had such a good laugh over that, thank you.  I've calmed down a bit in the week I've had to play with them - some small consolation for lost time :)

Try your hand at some FRACTIVITY today.  

A word of caution though - it can be habit forming!

Real Life Strings by Sindy P, CZT

A very biased book review, if I may...

Since last June, when Sindy P first attended one of my Zentangle® basics classes, we have become fast friends and creative sounding boards for each other.

When she asked to meet for coffee last September to discuss how her two interests - Zentangle and photography meshed into one fabulous idea, we both knew something special was to come of it.

The idea was that photographs could be used as string lines when tangling - how fun!

With unparalleled energy and determination, Sindy compiled a gorgeous collection of her photographs from around the world and in her words "made them as tangle-friendly as possible".  

The result is her innovative new book Real Life Strings.  Hot off the press and ready for fellow tangle enthusiasts.

Real Life Strings by Sindy P, CZT - Cover photo

Sindy organized her book into four to five page sections that begin with a collage of her photographs, where they were taken, and a short note of explanation.  Each section's photographs are then presented on single pages, cropped and adjusted meticulously by Sindy to make them as inviting as possible to tangle. She knew they were 'book ready' when they made her hand "itchy to pick up a Micron and tangle!"

Here is the happy author presenting her book to a class for the first time -

Author Sindy P, CZT

The journey to publishing Real Life Strings has been a long and glorious ride.  Sindy researched, consulted, worked tirelessly, and in the process has become quite the ambassador for the Zentangle method.

I must confess that even though I followed the book from idea to print, it wasn't until I actually picked up REAL LIFE STRINGS and began to use it as Sindy intended,  that I really came to appreciate - and absolutely love - her project fully.

Early this week, in anticipation of waiting in several doctor's offices, I packed a big bag with tangled projects and supplies including Real Life Strings.  When I pulled into the first appointment in the wee hours of the morning, too fatigued to carry a big bag, I grabbed Sindy's book and a Micron and left the rest behind in the car.

I sat in the waiting area of the doctor's office and happily found the experience of using her book to be everything she intended.

From my use of her book that day - and since - I not only wholeheartedly recommend
Real Life Strings because my friend wrote it, I wholeheartedly recommend this book because it is....

CAPTIVATING - the photographs and the locations where they were taken
INVITING - the cover is thickly, lusciously laminated
CHUNKY - at 6 1/2" x 5 1/2 " and at just a smidgen over 1/2" thick - it has a great feel!
TANGLE READY - with the string lines already determined through the photographs, the only thing left to do is tangle away
MICRON FRIENDLY - the heavyweight paper is perfect for tangling
PORTABLE - it fits neatly in a purse, in your hand, in your glove compartment, any where
STURDY - the thick red spiral binding along with the laminated cover, prove to be all that is needed for support when tangling a page, no other surface necessary!
VERSATILE - pages can either remain intact or removed for gifting or framing
FUN - above all it is FUN - absolute FUN to play with

This is the first page I tangled - also one of my favorite photos in the book -

Tangeled page from Real Life Strings, by Sindy P, CZT - Adele Bruno, CZT

The fact that this picture featured a lady bug on Sindy's rear view mirror, and because we often refer to Crescent Moon as lady bugs, I chose to use Crescent Moon in the white space.  As Sindy suggests in the beginning of her book, I used a white Gelly Roll pen in the darker spaces.

It was wonderfully helpful to have the picture collage to refer to after I finished my tangles - another of Sindy's thoughtful details.  I could compare what the photograph looked like before I began tangling to when I was through. (top right)

Copyrighted image used with permission from Sindy P, CZT

In no time, I completed two more...

This light fixture in Berkley, California, screamed for Fassett -

Tangeled page from Real Life Strings, by Sindy P, CZT - Adele Bruno, CZT

and this bridge detail in Central Park, New York, was flattered to be bedecked with Mooka -

Tangeled page from Real Life Strings, by Sindy P, CZT - Adele Bruno, CZT

Sindy's book is available for purchase at Real Life Strings.  Order one - you'll love it!

You can contact her at HelloSindy@RealLifeStrings.com

AND she has a Facebook page set up for tanglers to send in photos of their finished pages - Facebook.com/RealLifeStrings    It will be exciting to see what other tanglers do with the pages.  

Next week the "It's a String Thing" #30 will feature a page from Sindy's book - so check back on Tuesday to see which one!!

In conclusion, while my book review my be biased (as my subtitle suggests), it is non-the-less true and honest and I wholeheartedly recommend it to my fellow tangle enthusiasts!

"It's a String Thing" #29

It's Tuesday and the good news is...we will be "catchin' some Z's".  Not of the sleepy kind, mind you, but of the tangle pattern kind - although a good night's sleep does sound inviting, doesn't it?!

"It's a String Thing" # 29 begins with Courtney Franz's String 027 from TanglePatterns.com and pictured here with Linda Farmer's kind permission.

Copyrighted image used with permission from TanglePatterns.com  

In honor of Courtney, we will use tangle patterns that begin with 'Z' - the last letter of her name.

They include:

Zinger, an official Zentangle® pattern
Z-trick by Yamit Fridman
Zedbra by CZTs Margaret Bremner and Laura Harms
Zin by CZT Linda Farmer

This is also exciting because Courtney Franz, as you will read on TanglePatterns, sometimes takes her inspiration for strings from photographs.

With that in mind -  my blog post tomorrow will feature Sindy P's exciting new book
Real Life Strings.  You won't want to miss it!

Have fun with this challenge - it is for 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...

The patterns and step outs can be found here on TanglePatterns. Use as few or as many as you wish.

Simply pencil the string line onto your tile and tangle away!

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines:
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin or contain 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 or higher) 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" #28 Tiles

This week's challenge entries are chock full of tangle deliciousness - one more yummy than the next.  The string line was loopy and most of the tangles were grid based - a challenge indeed!


CZT Anna Houston said that it "was a challenge for sure."  She added a few tangleations of her own and managed a beautiful blend.

She said that her tile was "a very bland, flat tile" until she started shading.  "Then it came to life a bit.  Funny how that happens, isn't it?", she added.

Yes, it is - especially when a tile is shaded by Anna.

Cheryl Anne Day-Swallow sent in a very colorful tile - 

She described it this way:

The little plants provide shelter for the little snail and spider. In life, we have rain, or difficulties, but there always seems to be a silver lining from the Lord. So I named this completed challenge piece, Silver Lining during the Storm.
The raindrops, snail, spider and border all have silver highlights which stand up off the paper a little and shines when the light hits it just right. (sorry, its hard to see that part via email).

The patterns take on a new look with her lively colors.

CZT Anne Hathaway dubbed this her "Learn New Things" tile!

She said that she loves Jetties but had never tried the other patterns.  She got so absorbed in Jetties that she went right into Aquafluer.  Realizing the tangles were prescribed, she dubbed that tangle "Jeauquafleur" - now that's a prime example of a "creative opportunity:!!

You can find this tile and other beautiful work of Ann's here on her blog.

Ann closed her note with this sweet sentiment -
"Thanks for the Sting Thing! I love it, and always look and ooh and ahh even when I can't participate!"


Debra Phillips said that she has been following the weekly submissions and enjoys "seeing such diversity and creativity."  This is the first time she has had a chance to participate.

She said she loves to Zentangle because, unlike her other artistic interests that take a lot of time, she is "able to work on it a little at a time and still feel creative."  

Welcome Debra - and may I add that a friend of Sue Agnew's is a friend of ours :)

Joan Delony worked on several tiles this week - and this was her favorite:

Her Jetties have beautiful dimension, sparkle, and shading.  The varied size creates the feel of distance as well.

A very warm welcome to Sherrill Herron.  This is her first submission too - 

Her ribbon-like Jessicup string line along with the smattering of Jelly Roll and Jetties makes for a wonderful tile.

CZT Sue Jacobs, in working with Jemz, came up with a beautiful variation.  She writes:

It was fun finding some tangles I hadn't used before. I also had some fun with the Jemz pattern. When I had it started I realized my squares where the lines crossed wasn't big enough. So I went back and made those shapes bigger. As I was doing it I noticed that I seemed to be creating more gems within the Jems. So I left it and didn't fill it in as it shows in the step out.

Isn't that fabulous?!  Her Jetties and Jelly Roll have a 'gravity free' look to them, happily floating here and there.


Sharyn said that her tile looked all "medium" to her...but there is a very nice balance of contrasts here - 

She added a just a touch of sepia ink.  The way she nestled Jetties and Jelly Roll in the loopy sections of her string is really lovely - especially where they are huddled together.  She also included thin and thick lines on her along her Jessicup string line.

Jenna Wheatman has a knack for blending tangles like none other.  Although her note said that she "could not get these tangles to gel at all" - her finished tile tells a different tale:

It takes a few long looks to see how she combined her patterns into this lovely outcome.  It is just amazing.

Cathy Cusson took this opportunity to concentrate on three of the tangles that she hasn't used "all that much, if at all."

She not only use Jessicup on her string line, but she added rows of it and Jeewels.  She added lines, dots, and shading to her wonderful creation.


Charlotte Carpentier said that she loves her "little pops of color (metallic Gelly Roll pens).

Oh, this is lovely indeed!  The shades of blue and green compliment the black and white of her tile.  Shaded just so, her Jelly Rolls and Jetties pop off the page!

Anne Marie said that she liked this challenge a lot - and it shows...

Her Jessicup, used in an over-sized fashion, look almost nautical, especially as they flow over the darkened areas surrounding Jelly Roll.  She added great interest by leaving that white space right in the middle of all those happy Jetties.
Annemarie also pictured her tile here on her blog.

Ingrid Covington sent along this terrific tile -

She described it as "messy" and "not very balanced in patterns and black and white."
A case can be made for just the opposite.  She achieved a lovely balance with the grey the shading provides. It is a very energetic piece as her patterns seem to be moving and almost blowing in the wind.


Annie Taylor said that she really liked the tangles and the string but had a harder time getting them to mesh together.

Again, the finished product is happier than the tangler realizes!  Her rows of Jessicup, shaded where they meet are lovely.  And what a great idea to use three single, large Jetties.

Celeste Hickey said that she just let her mind go and did what she "felt was right in each space."  She also likes to add color to her tiles, but this time it seemed "just right without it."

It's gorgeous!  Her kind note ended with these words - "Thank you for the challenges.  It helps me push myself further and discover that I can create some pretty cool art :)" - VERY cool art, Celeste!


Rhonda Koplin's tile is very eye-catching.

The clusters of Jetties and Jelly Roll with the added green really stand out.  She cleverly tucked Jetties into Jeewels  too.
Rhonda, though not as happy with her tile as she wanted to be, sent it along anyway.  She wrote:

There's no such thing as mistakes in Zentangle, so I've decided to send my tangles even though it's not my favorite. Love the tangles, just not my layout. But this feeling reminds me to put myself in my students' place!

Thank you for leading by example!


Brenda Urbanik said that this was the first time she tangled a string line itself...

She really liked the tangles and accented them beautifully with a bit of sepia.  She decided there "was a little too much white space and added auras."  She also added shading to her auras and the finished tile is very striking!

Audrie Wiesenfelder tangled along her string line as well -

She filled in her loops and darkened the negative spaces.  She boldly left the outer white spaces alone.  The result is very dynamic and dimensional.  Her string line looks almost as though it is on end, standing tall.
Audrie's tile is also posted here on her blog.

When Vicky Brison first wrote this week, she was so busy in her yarn shop with projects and deadlines that she didn't think she would be able to finish a tile for the challenge.

She sent these photos of her knitting project, adding that it was a bit ZIA in nature -

And it is!

By the end of the week Vicky wrote to say that she "had to put the knitting down" and she tangled - a "nice rest from marathon knitting" she said...

She describes this as "quite dynamic" - and it is!!  Her camera did not capture the depth of it she said, but it can easily be imagined.  So many variations of tangles - and the white spaces left (a nod to the Diva's challenge this week) all add up to magnificent!


Cheryl Rotnem said that she loved this challenge -

She had never worked with Jemz before and really had fun with it.  She added lovely details and shading to her tile too.


Joyce Evans quietly slipped this pretty tile in -

She has some really nice details in her work, especially the single large Jelly Roll with the inner scalloped trim and the sparkle on Jetties - delightful!  A very warm welcome to you Joyce.


Peggy Khormann said that all of the tangles this week were new to her.  She also said that she noticed the use of "open space" in other tiles from last week's challenge.  She added, "I felt like open space was appropriate for me."

(This is especially good to hear because Peggy - without the benefit of a CZT in her area - is self taught. Studying the work of others through this challenge is very helpful - to Peggy and to all of us!)

What wonderful white space she has here too.  Her take on Jemz, using a singular line of them, is a great idea.

Peggy also sent this photo that I just had to post despite it being out of focus.  She was at a business meeting and one of the women there was wearing this "gorgeous dress".  Peggy writes, "Yep, it's Paradox."  How fun is that?!!

Lonett said that this string reminded her of swinging ribbon - "Therefore I used Jessicup and Jeewels as swinging ribbons here."

Thanks to her wonderful shading, the Jessicup string loop rises from the Jemz 'floor' and Jetties seem to be falling off the ribbon line and piling up.
Lonett also has her tile pictured here on her blog.


A N D now...after all of that tangled goodness... 
the tile honored this week was submitted by Ragged Ray.
                                       

She writes:

After playing with the tangles for a bit it was Jemz that I kept coming back to, and so I went with a monotangle - laying Jemz over my entire tile, and then just filling it differently in the various string sections. I liked the idea of the string looking like a string - just dropped onto a tiled floor - but perhaps a magic string, with everything it touches becoming slightly altered! I like the result - although it's clearly hard to get those fine parallels lines for the string even throughout!

It is a marvelous monotangle.

She has a second tile pictured here on her eloquently written blog.

Congratulations to you.  I have a little some thing coming in the mail to commemorate the day.

Thank you to all of the talented tanglers for your inspiring stories and work.



Thank you to the creative minds behind the string and tangle patterns used in this challenge.

String 014 by Joyce Blodgett, kindness of Linda Farmer at TanglePatterns.com

Jeewels by Livia Chua
Jelly Roll by Suzanne McNiell, CZT
Jemz by Maragret Bremner
Jessicup by Connie Taylor
Jetties, an official Zentangle® pattern
Check back tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #29 !!

I've Been Robbed!

That's how I felt when I read Marie Browning's book Time to Tangle with Colors.  On page 38 she describes fractal trees and ferns.  Fractals?

How is it possible that I had never heard of them before?  How is it possible that I've lived this long and never came across them before?  How is is possible that I've been drawing trees for decades and I never knew of such a thing?

I've been robbed!

The only thing left to do is make up for lost time.  I've been penning fractal trees on every piece of paper within reach, showing anyone who will indulge me.  About sixty percent of the time I hear, "Yes, I love fractals - been drawing them for years."

Where have I been?!


Learning something new is very invigorating though, and fractal trees have quickly moved up on my list of favorite things to draw.

My tile du jour is a thank you to Marie for enlightening me - and for her wonderful book, too!

Adele Bruno, CZT

If you, like me, are new to this whole concept, I will post my notes about fractals along with a few more examples on Thursday.

Enjoy your weekend - and take some time to tangle!

What a Great Class!

What a great group of students at the Art House this morning!

We had such a wonderful time visiting and tangling.

Here is a collage of the first tiles of the day -

February 20, 2014  Zentangle® Basics Class Collage,  Adele Bruno, CZT

Thank you all so much for coming and for your good company.  Keep tangling - you are off to a fabulous start!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

ZIA tile by Adele Bruno, CZT

I've always loved this saying attributed to Mae West and it came to mind today when I sat down to tangle.


If there ever could be such a thing as "too much"  Zentangle®, then it most certainly would be a wonderful thing!

"It's a String Thing" #28

It's Tuesday!

And your good news for the day is String 014 by Joyce Blodgett.  It is pictured here through the kindness of Linda Farmer at TanglePatterns.com.

Copyrighted used with permission from TanglePatterns.com

After last week's straight-lined string - this loopy, flowing one will be a nice change of pace.

In honor of JoycE we will use tangle patterns that begin with the letters 'JE'.

They include:

Jeewels by Livia Chua
Jelly Roll by Suzanne McNiell, CZT
Jemz by Maragret Bremner  (Be sure to follow the links to see her step out and examples.)
Jessicup by Connie Taylor
Jetties, an official Zentangle® pattern

The patterns and step outs can be found here on TanglePatterns.  Use as few or as many as you wish.

Simply pencil the string line 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 or contain
       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 or higher) 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" #27 Tiles

In keeping with the quilt-like graphics for the Winter Olympics, this week's challenge used a string line that divided the tile into nine square sections.  There were nine tangle patterns to choose from - as few as one or as many as nine could be used.  Let's take a look!  

Vicky Brison said that she "branded" her quilt with the Olympic rings -

She also mentioned that it was difficult to get good definition to her patterns in the small spaces.  She managed very well though.  Her Efilys anchors the four corners and the double Eke makes a great border.
It's also impressive that she colored the rings in correctly - how many times have you looked at that logo and remembered the color order?!

Cathy Cusson used her snow days (again!) to tangle -

She said that she liked this string and most of the tangles she used with "varying degrees of comfort."  She added, "It's windy and snowy here and my quilt got caught blowing in the breeze."  Isn't that fun?!


When Joan Delony submitted this with a few words about not having a good 'vibe' with it and closed by adding that she had a second tile coming -

She was more pleased with her second tile -

A few days later, she wrote this note -

I couldn't stand it! I kept thinking about the challenge and the tangle patterns. A patchwork quilt is a group of fabrics where the designs and colors are alternated with a third fabric in the center. So I had to create that just to feel satisfied. I "stitched" my pieces together with Eke!
Choose the tile out of the 3 you want to post. Thanks.

How could I choose?!  Her tiles illustrate a process that many of us can relate to - especially when she mentioned that she "just couldn't stand it!"...all in a very positive way, of course!

Cheryl Anne Day-Swallow wrote - 

What a blessing to watch the Olympics and work on Challenge number 27.
I choose to use one of Jennifer Hohensteiners variations on Exis. And Embellish by Molossus, but instead of flowers in the center, I included snowflakes. The gray color is actually silver but it did not show up well. 

What a great ZIA piece - and a nice keepsake to remember these winter games.  It's beautiful.

Ragged Ray wrote this about her experience tangling -

Attached is my tile for this week's challenge. It was fun to have a very straight and regular string for a change. I liked the quilt idea and didn't want to lose that in my finished piece. I also really liked the repeated shape in Eye-wa and wanted to carry that further. And also I liked the black and white extremes in Eye-wa and Equerre. Perhaps it was no surprise that with so much hope and intention going into the tile it didn't quite live up to expectation. Once I'd finished the initial drawing the tangles all jarred with one another! But then something happened - I went in heavy with my shading - really piling the pencil on - and seemingly by magic it all came together.

Yes, it did come together beautifully.  See how she used Eke and Echoism to create similar shapes?  She also completed another tile and posted it here on her blog along with a lovely write-up.



Fellow Britt Jenna Wheatman had a similar experience with her challenge - 

Jenna writes -

Here is this weeks entry, boy was this out of my comfort zone. I like to try and make tangles flow and create combined variations but taking your inspiration of patchwork from the winter Olympics I tried to recapture this, as I have been glued to the tv since it started. It is most likely the most colourful tile i have ever created using spectrum noir pens. I can't say I got into the zentangle flow with this tile as it felt awkward to do but I was pleasantly suprised by the end outcome.

And there again is the encouraging theme - continue on in your tangling, follow the steps, and in the end the magic unfolds!

Jenna used a lovely variety of patterns and the added 'stitching' and color make for a gorgeous tile.


CZT Anna Houston said that she was only inspired to use two of the suggested tangles this week - 

She added that she "kind of liked it anyways."  A checkerboard of Efilys and Emingle topped off with a bit of aura, stipple, and shading - it's fabulous!


Sue Jacobs penciled her string line onto a Zendala tile - 

She writes -

I decided to use this string on a zendala tile to see what would happen. Once I had that in I decided to go with symmetry and balance so that's why I choose a tangle that had a lot of darks, Equerre versus Echoism, that was lighter and airier. The ennies in the middle seemed to balance it out.

What a great idea - not only for the balance she describes, but also the curve of her string line combined with the shading of Echoism - beautiful!

Robin Grosland said that most of these patterns were unfamiliar to her - 

She also added that it was "fun to get to know them better."  What a treat for us that she did!

See how she used Eke to aura Echoism?  And in Equerre she tangled Eye-wa and Eke?  Thank you Robin for those ideas - I know what I'll be doing this afternoon!

Sue Agnew said that she used the 'Puf' technique on some of Emingle -

The result is an "interesting striped triangle effect."  Another wonderful idea!

Look closely at her middle row to see what she means. She struck diagonal lines from the center of each Emingle to the outside corners and the result really is magical.

As if that wasn't clever enough - check out Eke in the center square where she 'signed' her name :)


Charlotte Carpentier said that after she laid out Eke and Elifys, she "couldn't figure out what to do" with what she had, so she "just went with two of the tangles."

She added, "I think I like it."  What's not to love about this?!

Charlotte used brown to aura Efilys for a pretty accent.  The aura gives depth and movement to the tangle.  The double Eke - like Vicky's - with the darkened loops and shading adds the perfect border.

Ingrid Coventon writes - "My tile turned out to be a very simple one, but in all it’s simplicity I loved to do it." 

Ingrid darkened the very center of Emingle and by shading it on a diagonal made it very eye-catching.

In all its simplicity, it is beautiful.

Annemarie sent along her tile for the week with a note that it is also posted here on her blog.

She used a pleasant mix of tangle patterns, adding darkened spaces to them for balance.  The triangular 'starting points' in Emingle are a really nice touch.

Annie Taylor lives in a remote part of Spain - with no television.  She said that she looked on the internet to reference the "lovely quilty banners used at the Winter Olympics."  She described them as "really gorgeous" - and they are.

She went on to say -

I enjoyed playing this one really straight and just using each tangle in a different segment of the string. Quite a few of the tangles were new to me, though I've always had a soft spot for Efilys...

I'm not a quilter but if I was I'd love to make a Zentangle one! I'm sure there are some clever people out there who have made one already.

In addition to her lovely tangles, Annie's shading and highlights finish them off beautifully.

Lonett A described her process this way - 

For my tile I used the tangles Efilys, Eke, Ennies (without bubbles) and Equerre.
First I had to familiarize myself with 6 new tangles. Currently I knew Echoism and Ennies only. At first sight I liked Efilys and Equerre very much.
But Eke appeared not interesting for me at first. But after practice I realized that Eke is a lovely tangle. Especially I like to use it as a small ribbon or border.
Therefore I like your weekly challenge very much. I learn new tangles which I wouldn´t use usually.

And that is very heartwarming because it is all part of the goal for these challenges - to learn tangles that you might not otherwise - and hopefully become so comfortable with them that they become part of your repertoire.

Ingrid used an overlapping of Efilys for a very creative focal point - and each one is tangled just a bit differently.  She also used Efilys in the center of Ennies.  More fun for the rest of us to try!

Jackie Becker chose just two tangles for her tile as well...

...with wonderful results!

She said that Ennies got lost with the darkened Equerre in the four corners. To remedy that, she darkened in the border of Ennies and achieved the balance she was looking for - isn't it lovely?

Here is Amy Curtis' creation - 

She writes, "Here is my tangle for this week! I just received an order I placed on Amazon for some pearlescent paints, and I really enjoyed adding them to this tangle. I love the way it "pops".

It really does!  Another very clever detail in Amy's work is the Efilys that emerges from the center section.

Sharyn Penna's tile is another example of blended tangles -

She managed what looks like a mix of Eye-wa, Eke, and Emingle - love it!  The Ennies in the middle of Efilys is another one that will fill my afternoon :)

CZT  Brenda Urbanik said that the heat in her part of South Africa has been 'unbearable' - if we could only spread a little bit of that around to our friends up north!

Brenda - along with her tile - described her challenge with string lines.  She said that she "never seems to listen to the string" and wonders if that is a "bad thing."  Absolutely not.  Strings are simply suggestions - pure and simple.  There is no obligation attached to a string :)

As she tangled, this is how her tangles meshed...

And this is how she ended her note -

I have to own up and admit that I normally erase any visible string lines from my tiles (it's the OCD in me), but I decided to leave it in this time as a reminder to myself that I don't allow the string to limit the places my pen wants to explore.

Thank you, Brenda for that priceless gift of a thought.  A sentiment that all tanglers can take to heart...do leave yourself  'open to the places that your pen wants to explore.'

Tricia Faraone sent in this captivating tile - 

She gave Ennies an elegance to make us all sit up and take notice.  Is it the way she aura-ed both sides of the border, added detail in each, shaded beautifully, accented with delicate scrolls?  It must be all of the above!  It is striking.

Tricia's tile is also posted here on her blog.

CZT Jacque Solomon sent in her tile just in time -

She said that it was "loads of fun."  It looks like it was - a very happy tile indeed!  A very warm welcome to you, Jacque.

A N D the tile set aside for honors this week belongs to 
CZT Diana Schreur.  Congratulations, Diana!

Along with "Greetz from the Netherlands" Diana wrote:

 At first I didn't want to participate, because I just don't like the string. It is to geometric for me. I love curvy lines and strings. But then I saw what tangles we could use, and there was Echoism, one of my favorites. So I was hooked. I had to participate. And with the first echoisme on my tile I was surprised about how it turned and I was glad that I participated. Thanks for taking my by my hand, to step out of my comfort zone!

Her Echoism is lovely and lace-y, aura-ed just so, and it fills in the spaces of her string line in such an imaginative way.  She managed to blend Ennies as a fluid, graceful compliment to her main tangle and that little bit of shading makes a big impact.

Diana's note is encouraging too - such a good example of what happens when you 'go out of your comfort zone' and try new things - especially in Zentangle as that is when, more often than not, MAGIC happens!

Diana posted her tile here on her blog as well.

Congratulations, Diana.  I will be sending you a little something in the mail to commemorate the day.

My heartfelt thanks to the talented tanglers for sharing their beautiful artwork -as well as their inspiring thoughts - with us this week.

Many thanks to the creative minds behind the string and tangle patterns used in "It's a String Thing" #27:

String 033 by Esther Episzczek pictured with permission from Linda Farmer

Echo by Sue Clark, CZT  

Efilys by Sandra Strait

5 official Zentangle® patterns:
Echoism 
Eke 
Emingle  
Ennies      
Eye-wa

and
Equerre - by Genevieve Crabe, CZT 

ENJOY the Olympics and stop in tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #28!