"It's a String Thing" #53 Tiles

This week's "String Thing" featured a swirl of a string line and some favorite tangles.  It resulted in great fun for us all.  Let's take a look ~



Lori Byerly sent in the first tile ~

It is wonderfully airy and the large Onomato compliment the dainty Pokeleaf.  Lori also posted her tile here on her blog with the clever title, Glimmer of Hope


Carmela said, "I liked this string very much and also the patterns are nice. I worked with very zennnnnnnnnn, and i loved it."

You can almost see the relaxation in her tile - all those delicate detail lines on Planteen, especially.  She also posted it here on her blog.


Juul said that in France it is raining almost every day now and they are "not at all in 'summer mood'."  Despite that, she created a festive tile ~

She wrote, "...Two of the tangles made me think of the roof of our barn with wine-leaves all over it,so I tried to show that in my tile...."


Anna Houston, CZT wrote ~

Here is my tile for this week. It was a fun one . I took a bit of artistic license with Hurray, I guess it's tangleation. My original effort with this tangle just didn't feel complete. Also my spacing on Onamato was a bit off but it is what it is. As you can see I poke rooted along part of the string, then more and more pokes wanted to join in on the fun so I let them.

That's a happy thought, isn't it? And a very lovely tangleation of Hurray!, too.


Jocelyne Pigeon-Bernier said that she had a lot of fun doing this despite the fact that some of the patterns were new to her.

It appears that it made it even more fun to draw - look at her whimsical take on Pokeleaf.  Many of us will be using that one.


Linda Bladen

Here is my tile for this week's challenge. I was familiar with three of the tangles and enjoyed learning Onamato. This week I must fall back on the mantra that 'there can never be a mistake' because the old brain couldn't handle colouring in alternate petal shapes on Hurray!!

Oh, Linda!  Many of us can relate and appreciate all the more that "there are no mistakes."
Darkening in all of the petal shapes made the tangle look very organic - great for a tangled garden.



Debby Yabczanka said she liked working with all of these tangles and it was "hard to pick a favorite."

That shows in her work.  Her dark Pokeleaf is very striking.


Cheryl Anne Day-Swallow said that this was "another nice string to be creative with."

The fall leaves were created using Pokeleaf
The road was created using Onamato

It is very creative - Onomato is gorgeous the way she colored and shaded it and the individual Pokeleaf is pretty. She included another sweet poem ~

God made the grass – He also made the leaves
Travel the golden road - If you please
The sun and moon always shine - This way no one is left behind
Make sure you leave some time each day - To Zentangle with friends long the way

From Meridiana ~

She ran a pretty Pokeleaf around the border and string line.  She also posted it here on her blog.

Deanna Spence wrote ~

My tile for the week is attached. I really like the way this one came out... Onamato has now been added to my list of favorites! I kept getting confused with Planateen, but that was probably partly because I was trying to put it behind my Pokeleaf. In the end I colored in the leaves to make them pop out a little more and distract a little from the confused areas. I really like the way Planateen looks though so I will have to practice on that one.

Actually, she did Planteen great justice.  She managed to tangle it along curves and keep the integrity of the pattern.  That is fabulous!

From Lily Moon ~

~ beautifully highlighted black pearls of Onomato, swirls of tanlges and shading, and a bit of color, oh my!


Sal said, "Another zendala – oh what fun!" She included the link for a template as well - click here to view.

Sal created yet another zendala by repeating the string line - masterful, isn't it?  Notice how she fit the tangles into her newly created spaces.  That really is fun!

Christine Forrester said that she "really loved this weeks tangle, even the cat helped (hence the Bronx Cherry)."

Her cat created a wonderful creative opportunity.  The Bronx Cheer works well with her other lovely tangles!


Joya said that she "had a lot of fun tangling around with the patterns."

The stacks of Hurray!, the dark back drop of Pokeleaf, and that touch of black with shading on Onomato are just a few of the delightful details.

Sue Agnew wrote ~

Here's my tile for String Thing #53. How much fun to get reacquainted with Onamoto! It was my very first "favorite" tangle and I did it all the time, making saccharine-pretty "jeweled" tiles until I wore out its charm for me. Pokeleaf was one of the tangles I learned at my first Zentangle class, so I've loved it a long time too (although I have always liked the way it looks when others draw it more than when I draw it ... till this week). I indulged myself by sticking to those two tangles. What a pleasure!

Notice how she broke Onomato out of the confines of the linear, in an almost Tipple fashion - that is fabulous.

Janice Johnson featured four large Pokeleaf filled with Planateen ~

~and some wonderful white space.  She also posted it here on her blog.

Annmarie tangled on a piece of her own hand colored paper ~

The white highlights show up very well against the color.  Pokeleaf is very pretty 'hanging' from the center.
She also posted it here on her blog.

After some time away from tangling, Ingrid Coventon is back!

And making up for lost time, I see :)  Her tile is full of marvelous movement.  She used a black curve and pencil to shade Onomato like Joya did and it looks so dimensional.  She also managed Planateen on a curve and she created a fabulous fall of Pokeleaf.

Jenna Wheatman said that Pokeleaf was the only tangle that she had used before ~

~and look what she did with it!  Notice how she spiraled Onomato from the center along with some Planateen.

From Cathy Cusson ~

I began with the idea of using all four tangles . . . but the piece "demanded" I leave it alone and not add the other two. Isn't it annoying when your art work interferes with what you had in mind?! lol! After starting, pokeleaf just seemed to grow wild out of the center - sort of like the kudzu vine that grows every where around here locally.

Actually - she was kidding because that is such a happy thing to have your tangles lead the way - as evidenced by Cathy's tile :)

Donna Flynn wrote, "I enjoyed using Planateen! Thank you providing the opportunity to make art!

It is enjoyable to look at too - so many shaded rows of it.  Onamoto looks like a line of fine jewelry and that pop of red is regal.

Joan Delony wrote ~

This week, I used on two tangles in my drawings: Onomato and Pokeleaf. I drew virtually the same design in both tiles with the tangles reversed. In the second one, where Pokeleaf is on the string line, it reminds me of my previous occupation. Check out my blog to find out more.

Oooh!  This is nice to see side-by-side - and a wonderful idea for an exercise.  Joan just finished two new tangle books that are ready for purchase so do visit her blog and get the scoop.

Sharyn Penna wrote ~

With the start of the new year for your prompts I was so happy to see Onamato--the first tangle I tried. I always get carried away with this pattern, and this prompt was no exception! Thank you for the catch-up posts...let your new year thrive! 

Sharyn inserted a row of Hurray! between rows of Onamoto - and just look what that does to both tangles - gorgeous!

Ken Zotter combined two challenges to create his tile ~

and then added the most pleasant colors.  He writes about it here on his blog.  

Kia Richardson treated us to two tiles and her notes about the process ~

Once again, thank you for the opportunity to tangle with you. After initial difficulties, I finally reached than Zen place where the whole tangle pours out as if it was meant to be. I did one with colour and one without and I can't decide which one I like better...

It pours out as if it was meant to be...Kia's words captured the Zentangle experience.  That is a treat to read and experience.  Choosing between the two tiles would not be possible - so here are both to admire.

Audrie Weisenfelder wrote ~

I really enjoyed this String Thing. I like the string; have used it before and will again, and I really like Pokeleaf and Onomato. As you can see from my tile, and in my blog:, I ended up using only those 2 tangles. I fully intended to try the other 2, but once I got started, I was on a roll and couldn't see any way the other tangles would fit in. So there you have it.

She had a similar experience - how fun!  And so is her tile - Onamoto along the string line and fabulous fields of Pokeleaf.

A warm welcome to Ilse Lukken ~

She features an inviting 'path' of Onamoto topped with a tuft of Pokeleaf.  Ilse also posted her tile here on her blog.

Peggy Kohrmann said~

I loved the simplicity of this string and enjoyed learning three new tangles also. I wasn't sure if I would use Pokeleaf but after drawing Hurray they made up a boundary or edge. Sometime early in my Zentangle experience I had learned Onamato but hadn't made a trading card step out for it so I was pleased to do both. I really like the black shapes and the way they seem to capture the white.
I'll need more practice with Planateen but will enjoy everyone else's and I'm sure learn a better way to finish it.

Notice how she tangled Pokeleaf - a large on top and smaller ones emerging from the lines of Hurray!.  That was a really nice touch.

Kirsten Bish wrote ~

Enclosed please find my Tangle. This was a very fun one in that I really let my brain quiet and fill the space. I loved learning Planteen, and I got a little creative with Onamoto, just having too much fun.

This is doubly inspiring because she has so much fun doing it and she - like so many others this week - let the tangles flow.  She got very creative with Onamoto - notice her Hollibaugh and Paradox inspired versions - very nice!


Jackie Becker also said this was fun~

And she added those black curves along with shading in Onamoto, too, giving them a glass-like appearance.  Notice how her lines for the tangle emerge from the rows of Planateen.  Yummy details!

A very warm welcome to Marita from Holland!  She wrote, "...this is my very first entry (actually it are two entries)! I started doing Zentangle earlier this year. With your weekly challenges I hope to make it a more structural part of my life."

Off to a stunning start, for sure.  Swirls of Onamoto - first filled with tangles, and then left to float in space - both beautiful!

Caroline Moore said ~

 I enjoyed using Planateen and Onomato for the first time - I can see using them many more times. I adore Poke Leaf and Poke Root always, and with this tiny space I tried something new with auras.
I have posted this challenge on my website.

And that is an idea for all of  to try - aura and Pokeleaf mix very well together.  Caroline's variation of Hurray! is very pretty, too.


A very warm welcome to Nathalie Marinoff, CZT ~

There are so many pretty details here - bejeweled string lines of Onamoto, fine lines on Planteen and Pokeleaf.  She also posted it here on her blog.


Jane Glotzer wrote ~

I started with the spiraling Onomato, and gave it some variations...then I thought I might darken the background space, so I penciled a little, just to see what it would look like, and decided I LOVED the grey, so I went with it! (always love that Zentangle magic...) Continued with Pokeleaf, one of my all time favorites, (in the upper right corner first) and then did the "opposite" version in the lower left. Finished off with a little Planateen at the top...what a cool tangle that one is--should probably have used it in a little bit larger space--but I will, next time!

Yes, we all love that Zentangle magic.  The grey is very pretty against the dark circles of Onamoto and that is a clever idea to use the 'opposite version' of a tangle, as she did with Pokeleaf.  

AND now, the the tile selected for honors this week was created by
Ragged Ray from the UK ~

Ragged Ray, once again, treated us to her comments as well as her tile ~

I just used two tangles as they seemed to complement each other and in turn the super string which seems to draw the eye to that central vanishing point. I have a soft spot for Onomato as when I was learning from the book it was the first one where shading really made sense and I was genuinely wowed to see those little orbs suddenly standing out from the tile! And Hurray! is so tactile, like deep quilting!
When I look at the finished tile I think of that phenomenon whereby the water empties down the sink hole in different directions depending on whether you are in the Northern or Southern hemisphere - maybe tanglers should alter the direction of their swirl accordingly?
And as for the two other tangles I didn't use -

I pop them on a second String Thing tile over on my blog - 

It just draws you in, doesn't it? (pun intended!)  She used the point where the string lines meet as a vanishing point for her tangles.  Combined with shading, the effect is pure magic - swirls, distance, depth.
Notice, too, that her double lines for Onamoto flow around the pattern and to the border lines forming the sections she then filled in with Hurray!
 Do stop by her blog to see her second tile - and to read some very thoughtful reflections on tangling.

Congratulations!  I have a little something coming in the mail for you.

Many thanks to all of the talented tanglers who sent in their tiles for all of us to appreciate.

Thank you to the creative minds behind the string and tangles used this week ~

TanglePatterns String 054 by Hope Martin

Hurray! by Agneta Landegren
Onomato by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts
Planateen by Sandra Strait
and
Pokeleaf by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts

Stop back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #54!