"It's a String Thing" #120 Tiles

Thanksgiving is behind us with all of its scrumptious food, company, parades, shopping, and football.
Our grateful hearts remain though, filled to the brim with appreciation for all God's blessings. Gratitude spilled over and onto our tiles this week and they are just beautiful - both the sentiments and the tangles.  As they speak for themselves, "Tangled Tidbits" and the "tile for honors" will return next week.

Let's take a look at our Thanksgiving tiles ~

The first tile arrived from Kate (United Kingdom) ~

It's almost a year since mum died. We miss her dreadfully but are so
grateful for the time we had with her and the love she gave us. So many
hearts on my tangle - so much love for all of us!
Thanksgiving best wishes

From Toby (Oak Park, Illinois) ~

I really loved this challenge-it's the first time I've used Gourdgeous and been happy with the result. I chose to recognize my family in this tile, because the love, warmth and support I get from my family are what keep me going every day. I'm so thankful for my family.

From Sarah and Teigr at hungrycorgistudio (Michigan) ~

Gordeous (sp?) and Lichen are delightful. It was a bit hard squashing those gourds into tight spots on the string but I stuck to it mostly. :)
Happy Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful to be a part of a challenge with such incredible artists. Drawing with all of you makes me a better tangler.

A very warm welcome to Pat Douty (Texas) ~

Here is my first attempt at one of your weekly challenges. I flip flopped the tangles and only used the 2 suggested.

From Victoria (Russia) and here on her blog ~

...This week, you suggested such a wonderful new pattern from Maria - very much wanted to draw it.

From Lori Byerly (Washington) and here on her blog ~

It was great to have a little fall fun with Maria's new pattern gourdeous. Thanks for the weekly challenge that keeps us creative and invites us to use new patterns and strings.

From Tina Kirchhübel (Germany) ~

You asked us to add some words about something or someone we are grateful for on our tile this week. Although we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany I think it's very important to think about the things we have in our lives and to know that we should be grateful for this. The two names on my tile are these of my daughters. I'm very grateful to have two healthy children who are so cheerful and wonderful.
Thank you for this great challenge this week.
Greatings from Germany

From smgg (Taiwan) ~
                 Have a nice day!!!

From Dr. Shazia ~

I am glad to be a part of ur community! chalenging strings!...lovely work by others...got to learn so much....thanx for including my work..it was an honour!
string thing #120

Iam presenting a thanks giving card to my family....whoz everything to me....my support...my strength and my weakness....
i have come across 2 different families...one before marriage n one after marriage...
the upper string reveals a family i was in before marriage..that is wth my parents....i was protective,,,caring...secure..(small gourdgeous inside).was not allowed to explore the world until i reached certain age ( large gourgeous outside)...i had no complaints... i njoyed the phase thoroughly....
next string has got a diffrent experience with my husband and in laws..(no less than my parents)...they set me out to explore things on own...BUT BUT BUT.... they kept monitoring my steps..(which was good as i was scared of doin things on own))
BOTH MY FAMILIES MEAN ALOT TO ME.... howmuch ever i thank them is nothing in comparision for wat they gave me n for wat iam today...
i love journaling wat i draw...it sets my mind free...

From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~

It was an ordinary Thursday here in the UK - but you gave me an opportunity to think for a little while about the things I'm grateful for - and I thank you for that. There are many things I could have put on my tile - but I chose 'words' and 'pictures' because those two are founding components of many of the things that bring the greatest pleasure to my life. Reading and writing and conversation, films and photographs and of course Zentangle.

A simple tile to let those Gourdeous gourds do their work - and in tidying up my pens (a particular pleasure in itself!) I found a rarely used gold pen and popped in a few highlights.
Until next time, thanks for the thanks,

From Linda Goncalves (Pennsylvania) ~

I hope everyone was filled with gratitude this Thanksgiving. I was.
This year we were blessed to have both of our sons home for
Thanksgiving with their families. So this tangle was made with
gratitude and love and needed to be in color.

From Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) ~

Hope that you had a happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for giving a such a sweet and thoughtful challenge this week. With so much to be thankful for, it took a bit of thinking. There's a saying that I try to live by: "Imagine if every morning, you woke up with only what you were grateful for the day before." I am truly blessed, with friends, my health, a loving husband and daughter, a roof over my head, and so much more. But the gold heart of my life is FAMILY.
Peace,

From Karin (Germany) ~

thank you for another great challenge !

First I thougt to add the two words in englisch but when I looked into the dictionary the sounds of the words were not exactly fitting to my emotions so I added them in german.
“Geborgenheit” is translated “safety, concealment or protection”. For me it is just the feeling that nothing harm me when I am together with my boyfriend. That´s why I put the shading all around the pattern “Gourgeos”.
“Fürsorge” is translated “care”.
I think my tile lookes very simple this week but it is just this easiness which makes life so wunderful sometimes!
I hope you have a pleasant and chearful Thanksgiving day!
Greetings from Germany

From Cathy Cusson and here on her blog ~

Sometimes I am envious of the large family Thanksgivings I see on facebook and hear about from friends. When I was younger our gathering was so large we had to eat in shifts (men first, then the ladies, then the children). Now what family I do still have are all so far away. Even so, my brother and I have a wonderful holiday. I took the time to reflect on him and our relationship as I did this tile. He is so much to me - more than I have room for on a tile, but this covers it a bit. He is a special friend.

From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~

In the attachment my ST # 120 tile.
This time I was able to start on time instead of just before closing time. That gives me much more a "zen"feeling. It was very nice to do. Have to practice more on Gourdgeous, but I like this tangle.
With lots of love, and have a blessed week,

From Becky Welty (North Carolina) ~

From Wanda Ambrose (Virginia) ~

First attempt with a black tile!! And white pen (!!!!! Again). And clearly, I seriously got carried away with Lichen. Appreciate that I live in a world where one is free to "get carried away" whenever and wherever they wish. With the understanding of course that everyone is afforded that same freedom!!

From midori , CZT (Florida) ~

i am SO GLAD 'gourgeous' is one of the tangles for this week. i have been 'meaning' to practice this fun tangle but have been putting it off...until NOW. THANK YOU! i followed the curves of the strings to practice this bulbous pattern with fluid strokes. then, free styled 'lychen' with curves, adding roundings at crevices...slightly deviated from the original?

From Audrie Weisenfelder (Arizona) and on her blog - Purple Butterfly ~

Thanks again for all the work you do setting up the String Things. I may not always post my tiles, but I try to do them whenever I can.

From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~

The state of Gratitude is quite Zen. It puts one in the place of openness, harmony and peace.
I am grateful that my husband was released from the hospital for Thanksgiving. I'm grateful that despite this hanging-on cold I had the strength and stamina to get through each new crisis this week. I'm grateful for the plenty of fruits and vegetables available to make some truly awesome dressing and the good sized bird who's sacrifice graced our table. And I'm grateful I found time today to participate in this terrific challenge of fun patterns with all you wonderful, talented people.

Blessings abound.

From Felicity Strohfeldt (South Africa) and here on her blog ~

Thank you also for your beautiful zany Zendala of thanks to each of your zentangle friends! So special to be honoured in this way and what fun and zenny
exercise it was for face, eyes and neck muscles to find one’s name. Brought a smile to my dial.

Thank you for the great challenge. The string by Sandra Croft was ideal one to accommodate your choice of Tangle patterns. Gourdeous by Maria Thomas, took some
practice to create, but came relatively, naturally eventually and Lichen by Jennifer Hohensteiner was great and supplied the lines for my miniature writing.
There you go now, Adele, it’ s your turn for do a simplified exercise programme to see whom I’m thankful for in my life. Have a great week.

From Anita A Westin (Dalarna, Sweden) ~

Here is my entry. I didn´t want to make another pumpkin or garlic out of Gourdeous so I let Lichen be in the middle and had Gourdeous grow around it. It is not a prefect tile but this is how it came out!
Thankfull greetings

And this is my contribution ~

Thank you all for your beautiful sentiments and tangles.

Many thanks to the creative minds behind the string and tangles used in IAST #120 ~

TanglePatterns String 017 by Sabrina Croft

Gourdeous by Maria Thomas, Zentangle® co-founder.  

Lichen by Jennifer Hohensteiner 


Check back tomorrow, December 1st, for "It's a String Thing" #121!