"It's a String Thing" #115 Tiles

Did you ever hear the saying that describes a challenges as trying to fit a square peg into a round hole?
Our task this week can be similarly described as we tried to fit triangular pattens into a round string.

While we did use Cruffle, a round tangle, the other two patterns were triangular in shape.  When they were paired with the circular string, it made for quite a challenge.  You will see that our tanglers rose to the occasion and the tiles are just beautiful.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived form Anita A Westin (Dalarna, Sweden) ~

Here is mine. When I saw the string my first thought was: I cannot make this. But as I started to work with the patterns they made it themselves. Beautiful patterns! I will try this string again I think, because it wasn´t that impossible as I first thought.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Amazing how that happens when tangling, isn't it? - just as the Zentangle® motto says, "Anything is possible one stroke at a time."®
*two variations of Fandance
*swarms of Swarm and pops of Cruffle

This is my tile ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*three variations of Fandance
*Swarm in the center circle and outer crescent
*just a bit of Cruffle, leaving some white space

From Sara Belmont-Kleingeld (Western Australia) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*a spiral of Swarm
*Cruffle center and corners
*stippled background

From Smgg (Taiwan) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*stippled Cruffle
*two variations of Cruffle
*super Swarm

From Lily (Hungary) with "Zenhugs" - 

Tangled Tidbits - 

*her tile is photographed on a fan - pretty compliment to Fandance
*highlights and white dots make the tangles shine
*three variations of Cruffle

From Juul (France) with "lots of love" ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*contrast with bold black and white spaces
*center burst of Fandance
*sun-like arc of Swarm

From Brenda Urbanik (South Africa) ~

Here is my entry for this week. You can also find it on my blog
I find Swarm a bit challenging, just because I think I prefer it looking "neat". So, because I wanted to use it in a border type shape, I actually drew a zig-zag but not letting the points meet, and then I went back and filled the lines. Almost like a "Shattuck" I suppose.
I tried my hand again at a Renaissance Tile. I always love looking at the work other's are doing with these but I do find the paper a bit too soft and almost "hairy", making shading and blending a bit hair raising!
Thank you for being my motivation to continue tangling. Looking forward to the next challenge!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*highlighted and shaded outer Swarm shines
*use of black, brown, and white on the Renaissance tile is beautifully balanced
*two variations of Fandance

From Joanne Faherty (United Kingdom)~

After looking at this for a day and pondering the string, I got stuck in. As I was turning my tile to draw the swarm tangle the stacked moons jumped out at me so that's how i left it. With cruffles nesting in the bottom. I tried both versions of Fandance I think I like the rounded edge ones more.
Happy tangling ( and a very late birthday wishes)

Tangled Tidbits - 

*wonderful use of white space
*shadow and shading add depth
*nesting Cruffle

From Lori Byerly (Washington) ~

Another great challenge! Thanks so much for encouraging us to try out new patterns.
You may see my tile here.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*clever use of the string lines as Cruffle
*wisps of Fandance
*super shading and bits of dark space

From Sarah and Teigr, the corgi ~

Hello from hungrycorgistudio. We've been a bit under the weather but wanted to participate and was feeling the Halloween fun, so we modified the string to one big circle and one small one. I tried the original string and it was a terrible result. So here is our happy contribution. Boo!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*string line converted into Cruffle
*a surprise of  Halloween fun
*white tangles shaded with color

From CZT Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) ~

In all my zenness over String #114, I completely forgot to send my birthday wishes! Glad to hear you had a wonderful celebration!
I had to trace this week's lovely string to finally get it right. I love the crescent shapes. I especially enjoyed shading and highlighting at the end.
This is also on my blog.
Thanks again for your challenges and your thoughtful comments.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*dark to lighter arcs of the tangles
*black centers and background for Cruffle
*touch of highlight for Fandance

From Esther (Switzerland) ~

First of all and a little belated Happy Birthday to you. Best wishes and good luck for the future year with Sunshine and Happy Hours.
Me too, I celebrated my birthday on 18th October. I’ve been one week in Italy, Gardasee, for walking. It was wonderful. That’s why I jump to the String # 115, which you find enclosed.
Thank you for the warm welcome on your Blog at String # 112.
It is only my second String and I’m not quite sure, how to fill the string. Hope to get some feedback from the other participants. This would be very helpful for me.
The tile is published on my Zentangle-BlogThank you for this interesting assignment.

Tangled Tidbits - and a very Happy Birthday to you!
*two variations of Fandance
*shaded background for Cruffle
*dots border the string

From Karina (Perth, Australia) ~

I struggled with this one but I am happy with the results.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*varied line weight on the string lines
*center circle of Swarm
*light and airy Cruffle

From Deb Jacobs (Wisconsin) ~

...thanks for posting this fun challenge. I have not seen or used 2 of the tangles. Loved the rythm of Swarm. Happy Fall!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*aura-ed Swarm
*dark, sparkled orbs between Cruffle
*outer border of Fandance

From Karin (Germany) ~

here is my entry to challenge 115. This time it was a very difficult one for me. Somehow the tile did not come up as I expected.
Maybe the string had too many small spaces that I wanted to fill.
Perhaps I will be pleased a few days later. I am really curious about the other entries you get!
Greetings from Germany!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*pretty Cruffle border
*dark and dashed string lines
*separate orbs of Swarm

From Becky Welty (North Carolina) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Fandance pops out of its grid
*Fandance corners
*Cruffled string sections

From Bhamathi (Bangalore, India) ~

Hi and Thanks for another fun String challenge!
I pick up some new tangles every time I do one of your challenges. I loved Fandance and Swarm..
I put Cruffle in center and Fandance around it. Fandance is a nice and easy tangle to pick.
However, my Swarm didn't come out correctly.. i kept forgetting to turn the tile the correct way.. it sort of went in all directions.. But then nothing's wrong in zentangle.
And this is the link to my blog

Tangled Tidbits - 

*yes, there are only creative opportunities :) and Fandance is glorious in two variations
*doubled string lines
*soft background of Swarm

From Beth G (North Carolina) ~

When I first saw this week's string I thought it looked like a beautiful rose. My daughter and I think my finished tile looks like a spiral galaxy. Funny how that works. Also, I believe I drew Frost Flowers without the sparkle instead of Swarm.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Swarm shaded in the center - lovely lines, too
*dark background of Cruffle compliments the darker Fandance
*free floating Swarm


From Elspeth (Wyoming) ~

Here are a couple versions of this week's challenge. They are attempt 2 and 3. Number one was just too busy! I found this very challenging. It took 3 tries to get Fandance 'right'. The string was actually a bigger challenge for me than the Tangles. But I enjoyed the challenge!!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*fabulous Fandance variations
*aura-ed scalloped edge of Fandance
*circles of Cruffle

From Cathy Cusson ~

This string reminded me of a rose, but I couldn't seem to make the tangles fit the way I had hoped.

Tangled Tidbits -
*delicate Fandance
*floating tangles

*shaded white space

From Sue Agnew (Tucson, Arizona) ~

That was fun! I don't usually get Swarm to "come out even" ... so it was fun to practice, and then I ended up using it in a line instead of a circular shape, oh well. While I was doing Fandance I kind of got into that '60s rock poster lettering style where you distort the letters to fill the space. Cruffle is one of my favorites because it automatically creates a 3-D effect. In Sandy's step-out she shows an example with cute little dangling beads and springy swirls, so I copied that for a finishing touch.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*"springy swirls" - great description and pretty result
*lined and sparkled Fandance
*tapered Cruffle

From CZT Lucy Banta (New Jersey) ~

Here's my tile for this week's challenge. Thanks for the opportunity.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*beautiful blending of Fandance and Swarm
*Cruffle center and string sections
*sparkle and shading

From Irina Romanovsky (Russia) ~
Thank you so much for your challenge!
This string associates with a lovely flower for me, and Cruffle is one of my favourites, so I tried to combine it in my tile.
I hope you like it!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*a lovely ZIA indeed !
*Cruffle petals on the outside and Swarm on the inside
*Fandance graces the leaves center

From Joy (State College, Pennsylvania)~

Loved the endless wrapping of circles and crescents in this string

 Tangled Tidbits -
*"endless" is wonderfully descriptive
*alternating black and white aura in Cruffle
*Fandance details alternate as well



From Joya (Germany) ~

here's my tile for your great challenge. Greetings from germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*Cruffle lined border of Fandance and Swarm - notice how Swarm morphs into Fandance
*darkened string line flows into Swarm
*beautiful shading


From Jane Glotzer (Colorado) ~

Some minor bumps along the road to completing this challenge, but here it is...
I changed up the string a touch and had it go outside the borderline of my "tile" on the left side...started with the probably too obvious Cruffle in the center circle area, but it is one of my all time favorite patterns, too...worked my way to the outer areas, first by adding the light variation of Fandance...my first oops on the right side--:)...then put in the circles for some more Cruffle below, but filled in the Swarm directly above the center first...second oops...didn't leave enough space where the lines meet the next triangular section so my Swarm looks more like Hibred(?) or some other pattern I can't remember the name of...completed the line of Cruffle variations...added the dark (more typical) Fandance, but without the dividing lines, and finished up with my oops version of Swarm--:) (I'll have to go back and give that one another whirl!) Hmmm...shading was a struggle with this one, too...looking forward to seeing what others did...
But actually, in the end, I am happy with how it came out overall! The magic of Zentangle...no mistakes--:)
Have a wonderful week...fall has finally settled in around here and it has been quite beautiful! Love all your tangled pumpkins...hoping to get to some of that myself, too! And wishes for a very Happy Halloween!!

Tangled Tidbits -
*great look to Fandance without the initial triangles
*softly shaded Swarm (Baton is the tangle that keeps coming to mind in its similarity to Swarm)
*pleasing balance of light and dark tangles


From Linda Goncalves (Pennsylvania) ~

I liked working with all three but am not happy with the composition
and the dark to light, even after several tries. I would have to work
with this string some more. I do have ideas for more attempts so that
is good. It was not frustrating. I just could not "see" how to put it
together.

Tangled Tidbits -
*fans of Fandance
*dark lined grid for Swarm
*Cruffled center
All pictured on a Tickled to Tangle frame :) - thank you, Linda!


From Michelle Wynne (California) ~

Thanks for another fun challenge. Loved the string and loved the patterns.

Tangled Tidbits -
*black on white and white on black tangles
*curve of Fandance adds dimension to the outer string arc
*superb shading


From Sharyn Penna (Massachusetts) ~

I have to say, all the pumpkins you've decorated are just so stunning. My husband had a very good year in his garden and we've had several rounds of pumpkin in chili, ice cream, bread, etc. Our pumpkins don't have a chance to be tangled!
This weeks prompt showings will be a great lesson for me as I am still working on finding that balance of light, medium and dark. Swarm is one of those tangles that remains on my meh list ... I will use it, but there are so many other Official Tangles that My hand is more comfortable with. Can't wait to see the menagerie of tiles! 

Tangled Tidbits -
*even if it is on your meh list - it is tangled beautifully
*alternating light and dark of Fandance
*light sections of Cruffle


From Jessie Plouffe (Connecticut) ~

Here is the tile for this week. My first thought about the string was
that it would be very difficult (especially since I had a hard time
drawing it, haha), but I think it makes a very interesting
composition. I was not intending to use brown, but didn't realize I'd
picked up the wrong pen until it was too late!

Tangled Tidbits -
*center brown Cruffle
*Swarm corners with ample white spaces between neighboring Swarm
*sparkled Fandance


From Jenny Hopkins (Australia) ~

Thanks again for another mind-bending challenge. This week I felt rather like I was trying to put a triangular peg in a round hole. I didn't feel that any of the tangles were obviously wanting to go into any of the string spaces. It really came down to putting pen to paper and seeing what happened, in true Zentangle style. And, in true Zentangle style, it is nice to sit back and look at what happened without any planning. Once again, I find myself looking forward to seeing what everybody else came up with.
Thanks for providing such a great forum for sharing. Your dedication is incredible.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Jenny's words made me smile as I read them - very similar to my introduction to this post - and yes, it is always pleasantly surprising to see what unfolds without planning - the magic of this method!
*scalloped edges of Fandance
*beautiful black accents of the Cruffle and Fandance


From Audrie Weisenfelder (Arizona) ~

Hope all is well. We are finally getting some more temperate weather. I have really had it with the heat.
Sending along my tile for #115. As you can see, I only used 2 of the tangles that were offered. I couldn't fit in Swarm no matter what I tried. So I just used Cruffle, and a couple of tangleations of Fandance.
As usual, it's on my blog; Purple Butterfly

Tangled Tidbits -
*two variations of Fandance - wonderfully diverse
*weighted lines of the string line
*Cruffle center and top arc with a shaded background


From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~

I have no words risible nor eloquent for this week's challenge. I simply couldn't see beyond my assumption of what I perceived to be the obvious, and there you have it. I do however want to offer effusive praise and gratitude to all the most talented contributors here who inspire me each week to reach farther and refine my craft (with a special shout-out to Adele and Lily). This is my joy and bliss.

Tangled Tidbits -
*A picture speaks a thousand words, as you know :)
*Cruffle center orb
*alternating string arcs of Fandance and Swarm along with shading give fabulous sense of dimension



From CZT Midori (Florida) ~

... instead of rendering on a smooth, pure white bristol paper sized to apprentice tile (4.5"), i decided to switch to the 'official' zentangle 3.5" tile. i have always preferred a crisp white, smooth surface to draw on as the micron slides effortlessly. BUT, change is good, so i will continue to practice on the standard, toothed tiles...these fabriano tiles are beautiful.
~~~ description:
this week's challenge has been an exercise on angles and spheres.
for 'fan dance' i chose a variation with simple straight lines to echo the lines of 'swarm.' the swirls within the spheres of 'cruffle' also seems to mimic the surrounding linear strokes in its own organic, curvy fashion, perhaps some slightly reminiscent of 'antidots.'

Tangled Tidbits - 

*arua-ed arcs trail off to dotted lines that connect Swam and Cruffle
*marbled Cruffle
*weighted triangular grid of Fandance

From K.Bish (Michigan) ~

Enclosed please find my newest Tangle "Marble World!"
What a fun challenge!
I especially enjoyed learning SWARM a tangle that I hadn't encountered as of yet. FANDANCE is a pretty little tangle, and CURFFLE is always a fun tangle to do!
Thanks for all you do!

Tangled Tidbits -
*more marvelously marbled Cruffle
*alternating black and white versions of Fandance
*light field of Swarm


From Felicity Strohfeldt (South Africa) ~

Hope you are well. Thank you for a great challenge. When I first had a look at the challenge, the first thought was: I love Cruffle by Sandy Hunt and it will work in this week’s string, but how to Fandance and where to Swarm. Decision draw the string and jump in with the favourite Cruffle, such a versatile pattern and the centre of the string enticed me to start there with a big one and a run of half Cruffles on their backs on a black background and a row dancing one after the other. Finished off with a set of full Cruffles on the bottom section of the string. Suddenly it all came together. Fandance by Diane Knauff fanning along the outer band and Swarm by Maria Thomas fitted in perfectly in the band arched over the focus Cruffle. Filled with Tipple and the last touch was some much needed shading. Happy with the end result. Also on my blog.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Cruffle takes center stage - tippled between ever so delicately
*dangling Cruffle
*Fandance and Swarm compliment with their straighter lines


From Elisa (Paris, France) ~

Thanks again for your challenge : it's a great way to discover and practice new patterns. I love Fandance and also enjoyed playing with Swarm. I like Cruffle too but find it more difficult to draw as I don't manage to make my circles round...

Tangled Tidbits -
*what a fun result for Fandance - alternating black and white in mirrored sections
*shaded background of Cruffle
*light and airy Swarm


And now, the tile for honors this week was sent in by
Susan Theron of South Africa ~

What Susan wrote will make you smile ~

My contribution attached. As said on my blog, I got a bit fed up with drawing Swarm, but I think I should have drawn it bigger from the start. Otherwise I've enjoyed the experience. Also on my blog

Tangled Tidbits -
*"Fed up" or not, Swarm makes a lovely lighter background for the tangle-filled string
*Cruffle center circle flows into Fandance
*Fandance is tangled in each of the string's arcs creating very interesting, almost star-like, shapes

Congratulations, Susan!

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

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

Fandance by CZT Diane Knauff
Swarm by Maria Thomas, Zentangle co-founder
TanglePatterns String 116 and Cruffle by CZT Sandy Hunter

To all of our participants this week, a huge thank you for your wonderful artwork.

Check back tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #116!