"It's a String Thing" #56 TIles

Squares 'ruled the day' for this challenge.  The string line featured a layering of them and most of the tangles began with a square grid.  Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Western Australia's Sara Belmont-Kleingeld.  She wrote, "I have used trivet as a border with tagh and twile... couldn't quite fit in telis and ticking too!"

That was very clever to use one large Trivet as a border and to have squares of Tagh hang from a beaded string.

In the directions for "It's a String Thing" I say to use a many or as few of the suggested patterns as you wish.  Sara demonstrated that so well here.  She used the tangles that fit the string line to her liking.



Kristen Kostelnik Killips wrote ~

 I love your challenges because they are much like using a pre-strung tile & rolling the die from the kit. They force you to try things you might not have picked on your own, as well as let go of any stress that might arise over what tangles to use, etc. at any rate, I definitely learned some new tangles and discovered that I should have done the background tangle first. I started with the small squares and once I got to the big one it was hard to follow the pattern. I still think it turned out nicely, flaws and all!

It did turn out very nicely, especially since there are no flaws in Zentangle®.   And that is such a wonderful description of "It's a String Thing".  May it serve as an inspiration to any reader who hasn't tried the challenge yet.  Thank you, Kristen.

Cheryl Rotnem CZT said,"This was such a great challenge! I liked the blocks in the string. I had never tried Telis or Trivet, but liked them both a lot. Ticking is a favorite of mine, as is Twile."

Not only did she enjoy the process, her tangles are lovely and her shading is wonderful - especially on Telis.

Lori Byerly said ~

This one was quite the challenge for me. It's funny, though, the challenges that are the hardest are generally the ones I end up liking the best. Great string and patterns.  My tile is also published here. 

She framed her variations of Telis with Twile and they are fascinating.  Again, shading plays a crucial role in the look of a tile and Lori's is lovely.


From Juul ~

A terrific Trivet border frames her tile.  Note the way she alternated her aura lines in Ticking, her shading of the single Trivet and the grid free Telis - all so very pretty.

Christine Forrester wrote ~

Please find a response to your lovely tangle challenge I was completely hooked last night trying out several variations.
I have called this one ‘ Imhotep’ because for some reason, I kept thinking about a mummy.

That would be one pretty mummy!  Notice how her shading sets the tangles apart and adds depth.

Dorothy Allison sent this after a long trip through Outback Australia ~

She must have been inspired by her travels.  See how she shaded the center square of Twile and she combined Telis and Ticking  - that was ingenious.



If there was ever a poet of Zentangle, it is Ragged Ray.  She wrote from a "cloudy afternoon" ~

This was one of those challenges that just took me by the hand and led me through it! There was little need for conscious thought, instinct just seemed to show me what tangles to place where, which to lighten, darken, tilt or turn.
The only active thinking was when drawing Twile I noticed that often the original grid lines stand out as straighter and more even than the inner detail lines. By going over them all, and 'wobbling' them a bit the whole tangle looks more unified?
No colour, just pen and pencil and a few little dots of white pen on those eager curls! And I'm still wowed by how three dimensional and tactile tangles can appear once shaded! I never understood the mysterious art of shading until I started Zentangle!

Poetry in word, in thought, in tangle - and the result is a joy to behold.  Sheer joy.

Cheryl Stocks said ~

This week's response to your challenge is posted on my blog...My latest art journal has a heavy focus on frames and borders and the string fit into that perfectly! I got a good vibe from the tangles as there is a fabric feel to some of them. I used them all up again. Overkill, perhaps?

Certainly not "overkill".  Students ask me when will they know they are finished with a tile.  I always say, "When you are satisfied with it."  That brings a smile and confidence as well.

Cheryl's confidence shines through here.  Note the beautiful border is Ticking - very clever.


Carmela said ~

This string thing was with very square lines. i prefer roundings, but after all it turned out well and at the end i liked it to.

I used all the patterns and you can see it on my blog.

Carmela created a very pretty Telis border. Her tile turned out very well and it sounds like it was a pleasant surprise.  That is another good thing about trying new challenges as you tangle - it helps stretch your experience and exposes you to new patterns that just might become favorites.


That is just what happened for K. Bish.  She wrote ~

Enclosed please find my Tangle "Layered".
While I enjoyed the patterns, it was the shading that brought this piece together for me. I think that I tend to lean toward the braided or woven textures. Twile was a find for me.

Shading really created depth in her tangles, especially Ticking.



A very warm welcome to Nagy Ferenc, who signed her note "Üdvözlettel".  That is Hungarian, so it is safe to assume that is where she tangled this ~

~ a very beautifully detailed tile.  Trivet makes a pretty border and her use of Tagh is terrific.

Kia Richardson wrote ~

...I've used the patterns ticking, telis, triads, trumpits and thing in the middle of a thing. I like the airiness of trumpits around the border and tried to balance the heavier patterns of telis and ticking with the lighter triads and the delightfully named thing in the middle of the thing. I haven't used all your suggested tangles, and I hope that is OK.

Yes, very OK!  Her tile is light and airy and lovely.


Annemnarie wrote ~

Thank you for another great challenge. I really enjoyed this one. At first I thought it would be hard with all the straight rectangles, but the tangle you gave us were fit for it. It gave me some pleasant time on Friday evening...

That is a beautiful border of Twile and a she also shaded Ticking two different ways.
She also posted it here on her blog.


Ilse said ~

Participating in your challenge was a proper challenge to me with all these squares in it. I chose three tangle patterns that were new to me: Tagh, Telis and Trivet. I also used Twile, which I had done before and funnily enough that pattern worked out less well than the new ones. It looks sloppy... Apparently I wasn't zen enough at the time, but I think I was afterwards, so that worked for me in the end ;-)

What a delightful description of her process and a happy tile to show for it.  The shaded double Twile border is especially nice.
Ilse also posted her tile here on her blog.

Ingrid Coventon said ~

Here is my contribution for String Thing # 56. It turned out to be a simple but delicate tile. I had fun with the tangles. I already loved and used Ticking and Twile before. The other tangles were new to me and are pretty tangles as well.
As always I look forward every week to seeing what the other participants were doing with the string.

That is so very pretty - large renditions of Trelis and Twile and Tagh tucked playfully in the corners.  Note her shading of the four piece Trivet  - gorgeous!


Nathalie Marinoff said that she is looking forward to seeing all of the other entries this week, and look at her pretty one ~

The patterns play so well with each other here.  She also posted it here on her blog.

Cathy Cusson said ~

I loved this week's challenge even if I just had time to sit and do it today. Twile is one of my favorite tangles - I really considered just doing a monotangle with that one. But decided on using all of them this time. 

Her Trivet border works beautifully with the other, larger drawn tangles and the mix of brown and black work really well together.


Jane Glotzer

This week's challenge was a challenge for me for sure...we've had round swoops and swirls and pointy triangles and now squares! I didn't fit any Ticking in there but the four other T tangles all made it in...I adapted the string slightly, and overlapped some of the squares into the border, creating areas for extra shading, later...I realized after I filled in my very dark background that the first two squares I did, Twile and Trivet weren't able to "float" like the other two, Telis and Tagh, but I still think there's some cool effects in the piece...although honestly, not one of my favorites--:)

Yes, there are some "cool effects" here!  The dark background highlights the tangles beautifully.


Sharyn Penna said that she was in a "black out with a low battery" when she took this photo.  Now, that is determination.  Her photo is a bit fuzzy, but the beauty of her tile shines through ~

She shaded her Trivet like Ingrid did - an idea for the rest of us to use.  Note, too, how her Ticking turns to Tagh - that is very pretty.

Deanna Spence used Trivet as her border ~

She tangled in the squares of the string line and shaded the background.  Her choice of spaces to darken in give her patterns a pop.

Audrie Weisenfelder said that these challenges "really get my brain into gear."

That is a good gear to be in then!  She tangled two very nice variations of Trelis and shaded them just so.  She also posted this here on her blog.  

Peggy Kohrmann wrote ~

I did my first tile and the border of Ticking and Trelis with Trivet in the corners was my first portion. I loved it and then wasn't sure how to fill the inter string. I finally did a large single tangle of Trivet and Twile and then multiples.
Since I had time, I tangled another tile. This time I started in the center and waited to do the border. Ticking had a similar shape as Telis so I blended the two! As is normal now, shading makes a huge difference!

How beautiful!  The border of Trelis with the added detail is just lovely.  
Peggy, a regular contributor, was just able to take her first class with a CZT and she said it made such a difference, especially in understanding step outs of some patterns.

It really does make a difference in your tangled journey to seek out a CZT and take a class - if you are able, please do!


Jackie Becker said that her tile is "almost a monotangle" ~

She added Beadline to her fabulous variations of Twile.  Shading really added to the dimension of her tangles.

Joya sent this pretty tile and said that "...it was a pleasure to fill it!"

... and it is a pleasure to view it, too.  Her variation of Trelis is lovely with its dots , aura, and double curls.


Marita sent greetings from the Netherlands with this note ~

This was fun! I created a lot of grids to create a base for most of the tangles. I felt telis needed some variation to give it more weight, without thinking I created this variation.
I used a very fine tagh as background to complete my tile. But I also used some spacing to give some air to my tile.

...a very fine explosion of Tagh, it is and the dark bits of Ticking and Twile play nicely with it.  

And now...
the tile for honors this week was sent in along with
"hugs and best wishes" by Hungary's Lily Moon ~

Lily's work could be studied for a long time and even more details would be uncovered.  The diamond like dark spaces Tagh, the circle and square centers of Trivet, the pinwheel look of Twile, the pea pod like spaces of Trelis, and the delightful detail in Ticking, are just a few of the masterful details in Lily's tile.
She also posted it here on her blog - do take a look!

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

Many thanks to all of the talented tanglers for you submissions this week.

Thank you to the creative minds for the string and tangles used in "It's a String Thing" #56 ~

TanglePatterns String 057 Bambi Lint via Linda Farmer
Tagh by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas
Telis by Chrissie Frampton
Ticking by JJ La Barbera
Trivet by CZT Nancy Newlin
Twile by Lesley Scott-Gillilan

Stop by tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #57!