"It's a String Thing" #65 Tiles

Our string this week resembled the mirror image of a fancy letter 'A'.  We used only three tangles and they brought the string to life.
Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Katie Booth who wrote ~

Here is my tile for this week's challenge. I always think Tesali is such a simple and beautiful tangle, so I rarely embellish it. The other two, Pais and Angel Fish are ones I never have used so this was a fun endeavor. 

She also posted it here on her blog.

Tesali is beautifully simple as Katie tangled it here without embellishment.


This is from Lily Moon ~

She created her own tangleation of Tesali and it is elegant.  Note how she carried the dots through all of the tangles.


Sandra sent "many greetings from Germany" along with two tiles ~

The first one uses Pais and Angel Fish and I really used the string 065, allthough it is really difficult to identify it ;-)
For the second one I tangled different variations of Tesali and was really happy to see what you can do with it!
I also posted the to tiles in my blog.

Sandra's shading adds great dimension to the first tile.  The second tile is a wonderful collection of variations of Tesali in each section of the string line.


Carmela said that she is curious every week to see a new String Thing and this one was "again joyfull"~

It is a very happy tile - many lovely detail lines - note the curved ones around Pais.  She also posted it here on her blog.


Kristen Kostelnik Killips said that this felt very aquatic, so she "just went with it" ~

Yes, very aquatic and so much fun!

Cathy Cusson said she "definitely had fun with this one."

It looks as relaxing as it would have been fun to create.  Cathy's shading added even more dimension to her tangles.

Dorothy Allison said, "My dramatic interpretation of Pais, Angel Fish and Tesali surprised me. Without the black filled background the tile lacked life."
Dorothy writes from Adelaide, Australia to say that they are enjoying a hot and early start to their summer season while I write about Fall...that amazes me :)

Dorothy's black background is very dramatic as she pointed out and it shows off her tangles so nicely.


Ilse Lukken wrote ~

This is my contribution to your challenge this week. The result looks a bit messy and busy, but I like the contrast I could put in.
I put this tile on my blog

It looks wonderful.  The detailed and darkened Tesali contrasts nicely with the lighter tangles.


Kirsten Bish wrote ~

Enclosed please find my newest Tangle.
"Moroccan Sea "
I enjoyed Tesali more than I thought I would. I need more practice with Angel Fish.
And Pais is the one that got me thinking about water along with Angel Fish.

Of all the great details in Kirsten's tile, the way she shaded the larger Tesali really stands out.

Karla Smith wrote ~

Beautiful string and 3 beautiful new tangles for me. I really found myself drawn toward and enjoying both Pais and Anglefish. As I began to practice Tesali I had the urge to change it just slightly. I only placed one on the tile - a single poppy to honor Remembrance Day and Veterans Day.

That is a fabulous idea, a wonderful tribute, and a timely reminder.  Thank you, Karla.


Cheryl Stocks wrote ~

...Here's this weeks. It's on my blog here...
It was an interesting set of tangles that at first I thought were too dissimilar, but found them to play very nicely together.

Cheryl made them play especially well together - all three of the tangles have a similar weight to them as she drew them and it is very pleasing to the eye.

Lori Byerly wrote ~

Interesting challenge this week. I struggled with string a bit (couldn't figure out what to do with that sharp angle) but enjoyed using patterns old and new.You can see my tile here as well

Using Pais in "that sharp angle" is very dramatic as is Lori's shading.  Note, too, the detail line on Angel Fish and the added dots to accent Pais.


Caroline Moore said ~

I got a little carried away with Angel Fish on this fun challenge, so that didn’t leave me room to try Tesali. Pais was new to me too, and i really like that one too. Such fun trying your challenges because they are often new tangles for me.
I have my submission posted on my website

Lovely tangles, wonderful Tipple, and a great use of white space make this tile shine.



Susan Theron is one of two participants this week who were fortunate to take a class from the creator of Angel Fish.  She wrote ~

Here is my contribution. Paiz in new to me and I like the versatility of Tesali. I had my one and only lesson from Marizaan van Beek, the creator of Angel Fish. It is a pity that she lives so far from me, because I would have liked to attend more of her lessons. Enjoyed making the tile - as always.

That must have been a treat to tangle with Marizaan and very good of Susan to carry on so well on her own.  She too used a simpler Tesali and it plays well beside the other tangles.


Heike said that Tesali reminds her of " a fence with Calystegia" ~

After looking up an image of that flower, I can see how it would remind her of that.   Heike's variations are neat and crisp and pretty.  The string line stands out as the white space compliments her tangles.


New CZT Lucy Banta wrote ~

Fun patterns this week, challenging string pattern! In the end, I lost sight of the string, which I learned at CZT16 is just fine! :-)

Here's the link to my blog.

Yes, it is!  And isn't it fun to see all of the entries together - some with visible strings and some without and all so beautifully tangled.

Lucy tangles Tesali in Pais - that is wonderful.

Portia Hyde said ~

I am enjoying this! It gets me out of my comfort zone but it’s fun.

So much fun that I did a traditional pentangle and then a second less traditional one but I am still pretty conservative. Maybe I’ll get braver.

Conservative?  Looks very brave to me.  Portia's stark contrast with the deep dark black, detail lines and shading, all blend beautifully in her work.

Sue Jacobs CZT
When I saw the string chosen for this week and the tangles suggested I really didn't know how it was going to work. They just didn't seem like they would go together. So I ended up going minimalist. I used only two of the tangles, and I embraced the white spaces. It turned out that by doing that I could use more shading - which is one of my favorite parts!
It will be on my blog

Sue's tile is minimalist and very striking.  It's simplicity gave way to showcasing her shading and the end result is beautiful.

Janice Johnson wrote, "I am submitting my challenge response for this week. It can also be seen on my blog."

Notice Janice's one large section of Tesali.  She created depth to the middle lines by doubling them and alternating dark and shaded sections.  The addition of sparkle in the lined sections along with shading is a stellar addition.

A very warm welcome to Brooke Provost who wrote ~

So excited, first entry ever! To be concise, in love with zentangle and what it gives to me for the past year now, been loving your blog since the same time! :)including one quick photo of a project that I completed recently of a diy paint chip wall art with a tessali-like pattern. 

Brooke's energy is contagious.  It flows from her pen too as evidenced in her tangles.  The bubbling blue  is effervescent.  

Brooke explained that this project  is very cleverly done with paint chips.

Another warm welcome to first timer Natasja Rijsbergen from the Netherlands.  She wrote ~

I'm new to zentangle and was browsing on the net, and saw your site. I like it very much!!
So I thought let's go ahead and make this string.
Here is my tile. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Natasja sent a very pretty tile.  The line details and shading, aura and tipple are wonderful.  Welcome!


A very warm welcome - as she sent "Summer regards" to Felicity Strohfeldt who wrote this lovely note ~

I’m Felicity Strohfeldt. I live on the west coast of South Africa in a smallish, fishing cum holiday town called Velddrif, 140 km north of the beautiful City of Cape Town. Susan Theron, who has been entering her zentangle artwork for a while now, and I have been friends for more than thirty years! She invited me to participate in a zentangle class at her home in Cape Town about nine months ago. The CZT on the day was Marizaan van Beek! Realise things have progress quite a bit since that day.
I’ve never been one for repetitive patterning, but I must admit I’m totally hooked on zentangle. Finally I’m diving in. Here’s my effort using Pat’s letters of her name. I love flowing, curvy lines and enjoyed using Pais and Angel Fish, both are dramatic and bold patterns. Not so at ease though with Tesali, as I hesitate when it comes to the more rigid patterns, so there’s only a smidgen of it in my tile. Thank you for the weekly challenges that keep us zentangling.

This whole connection is such a treat.  Susan has been a contributor since #55 and it is wonderful to know that Marizaan taught both she and Felicity - it is very much like a reunion to have all three connected here in #65.  

Felicity's tangles are beautifully detailed.  Light and dark spaces compliment and shading is superb.

Ragged Ray wrote ~

Two interesting things that I noticed while drawing this week's tile -

Firstly, how much more confidently I draw Angelfish now, compared to the first time I used it, way back in String Challenge #13! Real proof that practice improves skill and control and comfort.
Secondly, how my string really disappeared this week. I usually end with still a strong sense of where the string is or was, but this week it dissolved a lot. And I'm pleasantly surprised by the look of that. Not sure I could make it happen again, but will look out for it if it does!
Only two of the tangles used, they worked well together, bordering and rising up from within the string. A splash of colour, and I see peculiar lifeforms crawling up and out of the water onto land.

The movement of the tangles is marvelous.  Reading her observations is like taking a deep breath of fresh air - and I do see those lifeforms :)

Christine Forrester said that Tesali took a bit of mastering ~

and master it she did.  She included three variations of the tangle along with Angel Fish and a decorated Pais.

Annie Taylor returns with this note and lovely tile ~

After a lull in doing recent challenges, I didn't want to miss this one. I love the pattern Tesali, which I didn't know - and although I don't feel I've mastered Pais just yet, I think it will be worth working at. Angel Fish is always a lovely one to do, though in this tile, it seems a bit relegated as I was concentrating on the others!

Thanks so much for the challenge. Looking forward, as always, to seeing the completed tiles on Monday!!

Annie's Tesali is terrific - shaded, lined, curved.  Pais appears to pop up and outward.  Note, too, how the dots of Angel Fish follow the loop of the the string.

Ingrid Coventon wrote ~

In the attachment my ST #65 tile..
At first sight of the challenge I thought: how am I going to do this? (this is what I think weekly with every new challenge). I try not to think too much and hope my pencil and pen will guide me. And yes, also this time they did. So I am happy to send in this tile. 

That is a lesson for all of us as we strive to practice tangling.  And just look at the result - it is magnificent.  Of particular note are the variations of line thickness, shading, and dark spaces.


Jane Glotzer wrote ~

...I started with Pais, a tangle I really love, but one I haven't done in a while...since I'm always discovering new ones and new old ones, it's so easy to forget about some older favorites! Just another reason I love your weekly exercise--:) I was thrilled with where that was taking me...but then I moved on to the Tesali tessellations and I thought my left side ended up a little too busy. I used a lighter variation to finish the right side, which balanced it out a little, but I think a lighter touch around my Pais "balloon" on the left would have resulted in a much nicer background for it. Tesali is such a cool pattern though, because you can do so many different things with it!! No room for any Angel Fish, but with a little shading, I'm reasonably happy with my finished duotangle--:)

The photo uploaded at the wrong angle - so as you read Jane's note, the balloon she is referring to is located on the top left of the photo as it appears above.  Her Tesali variations are very pretty and one flows into another with ease.  

From Joya ~

She wrote a note of thanks for the inspirations she gets from the challenges.   She inspires the rest of us with her work week after week.   The tangles are beautiful and are made even more so by her shading.

Sue Agnew
Here's #65. I really enjoyed getting to know Tesali. It's very relaxing to make all those curvy lines (as long as you remember which way to curve!!). It kept surprising me because each repeat of the motif is four times the size of the grid -- so I had to work with a smaller grid than seems intuitive. (I guess I "cheated" because I used a pencil grid -- so call it ZIA.) I like it to look three-dimensional so I did the outlining on one side only (I do that with Schway as well).

Pais was fun too. My first time I used parallel-ish fine lines inside the filled-in stripes (with an attempt at sparkle of course), but when I decided to redo the tile with more Tesali-s, I got "lazy" and used solid black instead.

That is remarkable - in its simplicity and special touches that Sue noted above - just beautiful!

Sharyn Penna said ~

So many tangles, so little time. I always look forward to your prompts...choosing tangles and combinations is still a stumbling block for me. Your prompts solve that dilemma for me.
When I finished this tile all I could think of was effervescence... I think I got a little carried away ... a little tipsy on Tipple. 

Yes, all of that bubbly Tipple fills the tile with energy and blends the tangles together so well.  It is especially wonderful how Sharyn used it to accent Tesali - great idea.

A very warm welcome to Jilly from the UK.  From a boat on which she lives in the UK to be exact.  She said ~

I have been following your blog for a while now ..discovered Zentangle a month ago and am trying to learn..having never drawn anything before apart form scroll doodles which seemed to be all I could manage!
I am in awe of some of the work I see on the internet and in your 'Its a String' thing posts and am sure mine are nowhere near good enough to add…BUT..I felt that I have to push myself with a purpose to improve so I have been tangling the strings for the last 3 weeks and this week I thought... I will submit it..!
As for the tangle I loved learning them all..I found Tesali the hardest..trying to keep my place in the pattern and especially working it behind the others..that is something I find difficult anyway..and I kept getting the top scroll on Angel Fish the wrong way round..very frustrating..but it is all a learning curve and very very enjoyable…my time has never passed so quickly!!

Many things about this are wonderful - from how new Jilly is to tangling, to her beautiful work on her patterns, to her note about time passing so quickly when she was tangling.  Welcome, and please keep up the great work!

Kathryn White said ~

The tangle across the top is a failed start for Tesali. So, it became a creative opportunity. The result looks like a flock of birds to me, so I call it "C-gulls". Perhaps it is already a pattern or tangleation.

Or perhaps she just came up with a new one!  It is yet another illustration (pun intended!) that creative opportunities abound in Zentangle - not mistakes :)

Amd from Kathryn's daughter Tonya ~

Tonya created a masterpiece of tangling here - curves, arua, grey marker for shading, lines of Angel Fish that move from thick to thin, are just a few of the delightful details.  

Joan Delony, CZT wrote ~

I just now got a moment to draw. The only one this week. I love the pattern Tesali and fully intended to use it..
Oh well! I didn't even follow the string. I was having so much fun drawing Pais, I go lost in the process. Angel fish just
seemed to go with it. See it on my blog here.

Another case of the pen leading the tangler - some of my favorite stories. Joan's Pais flows and fills most of the tile - a pretty result for a perfect 'zen' moment.

Annie Buckley said ~

This week I finally committed to doing the challenge, and had to learn all three tangles. I did them on 3.5" squares of printer paper, as I thought I'd be throwing them away! (Silly me.) The experimental "tiles" for Pais and Angel Fish are so pretty I had to save and send them.
I left Tesali unshaded, as it looked like beveled glass. Angel Fish reminds me of falling/fallen leaves, especially with the lacy segments resembling old leaves that are disintegrating. In the challenge "tile," Pais splays out like a peacock's tail.

It was fun to read her note and fun to see her work that accompanied it.  Each one is grand in its own right, especially the third one where all of Annie's appreciation for the tangles comes wonderfully together.  

AND now - the tile for honors this week was sent in 

by Peggy Kohrmann.

Congratulations Peggy!

Peggy has been tangling along with these challenges since "It's a String Thing" # 26. 

She wrote ~

I loved the new tangles and have enjoyed the making of this weeks tile. Each tangle seemed easy and fun to vary.

It seemed that this week I was comparing my first efforts of February to now. Learning to shade and show depth has been the biggest difference. Precision to detail is the same however.

I'll look forward to everyone else's contribution. 

Sue Agnew - also a regular contributor and friend of Peggy's said in her email ~

Thanks so much for doing this weekly challenge! It's a good impetus to sit down and tangle, and it brings people together. Peggy (Kohrmann) posted hers on her Facebook page and several people were in awe ("I could never do that!"). She posted her first tile ever and this week's tile, and there's a striking difference between them, although her first ever tile was pretty darn good.

To the new tangler, we all say "Yes, you can do this!"
Peggy's story is a great lesson and reminder that the more you practice, the more fluid and fun your experience will be and the more confidence you will have as you tangle.

Congratulations, Peggy.  I will be sending a little something in the mail to you.



Thank you to everyone who sent in a tile for the rest of us to enjoy and learn from.

Many thanks to the creative minds behind the string and tangles used this week ~

TanglePattern String 065 by CZT Pat Ferguson

Pais by Mikee Huber
Angel Fish by CZT Marizann van Beek
Tesali by Elena Hadzijaneva

Stop by Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #66!