"It's a String Thing" #173 Tiles

Happy Monday to you!

The "Off the Beaten Path" tour turned out to be a very lovely event.  I owe a debt of gratitude to my friends who volunteered to help, fellow artists that participated, and all our cheerful visitors.

We took lots of pictures and I cannot wait to post a little virtual tour.  Since there are tiles to post today and a challenge tomorrow, in lieu of my usual Words of Wisdom, I'll present it on Wednesday. Stay tuned!

This week we combined two tangles that put us in the Christmas spirit.
The first one arrived from Lori Byerly (Washington State) and here on her blog ~

What a lovely Christmas challenge. Verdigogh makes the perfect tree with cruffle ornaments. :)Congrats on getting your house ready for the holidays. :)

Thank you, Lori :)

 Tangled Tidbits -
*spaces left between Verdigogh lines
*shading where the lines overlap



From Julie (North Carolina) ~

Here is my tile for this week's challenge.Not really happy with it but it was relaxing to take some time to unwind and zentangle.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*striped aura
*Cruffle tipped Verdigogh

From Shirley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~

Attached is my drawing for ‘It’s a String Thing - #173

Tangled Tidbits - 

*thick lines of Verdigogh - in two shades of green
*colorful Cruffle baubles

A very warm welcome to Robin Steinbeck (Ohio) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*little ornament tops on Cruffle
*Verdigogh lines narrow at the 'stem'

Robin's name and pin are on our map.  Welcome!

From Aloyna Pakhomova (Toronto, Canada) ~

This challenge is full of holiday mood. Love it! For me the winter holiday is New Year as we don't celebrate Christmas (anyway our Christmas is on January 7 :) ).

Tangled Tidbits -
*Cruffle covered string lines and Cruffle decorations
*Verdigogh 'needles' shaded where they overlap



From Val Steele (Johannesburg, South Africa) ~

I've wanted to do a Verdigogh "feather" for so long, so here are 2 just for good measure. Together with some Cruffle decorations. My husband was so impressed with my feathers and my steady hands.
Thanks for the lovely choices Adele.

Tangled Tidbits -
...very feathery and very steady!
*Tipple filled Cruffle
*shading along center line of Verdigogh



  From Joan Delony (Florida) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*long lines of Verdigogh curve upward at the ends
*varied sizes of Cruffle


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~

A couple of weeks ago someone used scraperfoil paper and I remembered that I had some in a drawer. I think it suits this pattern as the foil looks all twinkly like lights and baubles on a Christmas trees. I hope you can see the sparkles in the photo.

Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkle looks like lights on a tree
*a stack of curvy Cruffle


From Lily Moon (Hungary) ~

Dear Adele, here is my tile for your weekly challenge.
ZenHug

Tangled Tidbits -
*Verdigogh springs from the string lines
*Cruffle changes size as it travels between Verdigogh lines
*soft shading and highlights



From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~

I did it! I found time to tangle before the end of the working week! And I feel better for it.
Just yesterday I sat writing in our garden, held tight in the grip of the first hard frost. My breath was visible and my thoughts were clear. I noticed the leaves that had withered, but slowly came back to life as they thawed. And those that didn't - left browned and done for this year. Later I saw a crow breaking through the ice in the birdbath to get at the water beneath.
Some of that, and more perhaps, are reflected in this tile. On a frosted blue background - Cruffle, which only frustrates me because of my lack of ability to draw decent orbs - so why not make them intentionally not round and then they won't feel wrong! And Verdigogh - if ever there was a tangle to make me slow down, breathe and relax it's this one.
There's a sense of defying gravity about my tile - it's heavier above and spacious beneath - but perhaps that suits the start of December - when that sense of time running out, the year running away looms large.

Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for taking us with you on your tangled adventures, so beautifully worded...
*rounded corners at intersecting lines of Verdigogh
*Cruffle filled corner and accented threads


From Lisette (Switzerland) ~

What a wonderful idea to write hidden words of gratitude behind the tangle! Thank you Adele for this beautiful input. Here is my tile for this weeks IAST. (unfortunately I couldn't make it last week).
Love to everybody.

Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded, white, and black spaces of Cruffle
*Cruffle border



From Renee (Tennessee) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*black background behind a very detailed Verdigogh
*star-like highlights and festive Cruffle


From Jutta Gladnigg (Germany) ~

This week's tile was being drawn in my holidays in the Canaries, Fuerteventura. Verdigogh and Cruffle are nice representatives of the leaves and fruit of the mighty palmtrees which can be seen around here. So this challenge fit in so wonderfully. To capture this I put the tile on a sweet baby palmtree and took the photo.

Tangled Tidbits -
What a lovely place to be inspired, have a wonderful time, Jutta.
*spaces created by Verdigogh in a random pattern of black and white
*degrees of shading add definition and depth



From Hilary Merola (Illinois) ~

I really enjoyed this week's challenge. Neither pattern was new to me, but this the first time I've actually liked my version of Verdigogh! Maybe I just needed more practice. Cruffle is always fun, and it's one of those patterns that always turn out well.
I'm eager to see everyone else's variations. Always inspiring!

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty dots, perfs, and 'berries' accent the tangles
*Cruffle clusters with curls


From Donna (Wisconsin) ~

Ok, here are 2 string thing #173 A little holiday string, and floral. I hope you like them.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*a Cruffle string of lights- how clever!
*larger Cruffle features pretty detail

*Cruffle as a flower center



From Anna Houston, CZT 12 (Armstrong, BC, Canada) ~

This weeks entry. Not very imaginative but so be it.

Tangled Tidbits -
*every line of Verdigogh is aura-ed - amazing.
*dark inner auras of Cruffle and shading add balance



From Lucy Banta, CZT (New Jersey) ~

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

Tangled Tidbits -
*Verdigogh lines spring from Cruffle cluster
*various sizes of Cruffle with darkened spaces between them



From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

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

Tangled Tidbits -
*alternating variations of Cruffle
*whimsical squiggle lines in Verdigogh


From Sharyn Penna (Massachusettes) ~

Such a busy time of year to begin with ... and you travelled to New England and have an art show to prepare for! You are a whirlwind of inspiration!
I love Verdigogh ... it has a mind of its own. And when I draw it, I can almost smell the pine in the air. Mixed with Cruffles ... we're going to see lots of Christmas cards! Can't wait for the tile show!
Cheers to you for your boundless energy! 

Tangled Tidbits -
...and I thought of you while we passed Salve and toured Newport!
*long and intertwining lines of Verdigogh
*Cruffle tucks in and out of Verdigogh - fabulous detail
...lovin' that frame :)


From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina)~

Here is my tile for challenge 173. I liked the string and patterns, but the ideas in my head just didn't make it to my pen and paper. I'm especially looking forward to seeing others' tiles this week.
What a fantastic time it looks like you had at Zenagain! Thank you for sharing photos and stories with us!

Tangled Tidbits -
...I'll post more photos on Thursday...
*similar pattern placement to Sharyn - I love when that happens.
*Cruffle dips behind and then over Verdigogh
*perfs repeat with both tangles



From Karen, The Creative Miss L (Canberra, Australia) and here on her blog ~

Here’s my tile. I use both tangles a lot but never together. It will be interesting to see how other tangles combine them.

Tangled Tidbits -
*curls accent Cruffle

*Verdigogh shaded to one side of the center line

From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~

Attached is my #173 tile. I have included a tangle called Pop’t by Sadelle Wiltshire, CZT. I kind of felt a cruffle’berry’ and popcorn enrobed verdigogh, though it looked a little different in my head…
Best wishes for this coming weekend.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous blending of tangles to create a garland for Verdigogh
*detailed shading, shadowing, and highlights float Verdigogh off the tile



From Audrie Weisenfelder (Tucson, Arizona) ~

Here's my tile for this week. I've been doing most of the String Things, but somehow never got around to posting them. But this week, I promised myself that I would post it. Especially since I started out the week doing my first challenge in black and white on a gray tile, and liked it so much that I decided to use it on all this week's challenges.
As you can see, I turned it sideways; it seemed the right orientation.
You'll also find it on my blog: Purple Butterfly.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderful highlights - (love the gray, too)
*Cruffle 'berries' of Verdigogh



From Michele Wynne (California) and here on her blog ~

Thanks for another fun challenge. Verdigogh is growing on me. I only use it when I'm challenged to and it always generates a touch of anxiety before putting pen to paper but once I get started I find it so enjoyable to draw.
I used the last of an art tissue colored tile that fortunately had a lovely green streak in the perfect spot for Verdigogh.
Thank you for all you do!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty placement of Verdigogh and use of white to highlight
*gem like Cruffle tapers off into perfs



From Jane Glotzer (Boulder, Colorado) ~

...Sorry for the late night submission (but it's a more reasonable time around here!)
Loving my #173...a very simple take on some Verdigogh starting along the string lines and branching out from there--pun intended--:) and a teeny touch of some Cruffle, which I've always loved, but I was very tempted to leave out... I think I am really appreciating simplicity in my tangling because my mosaics are so intensive and complex...it's a very nice balance for me...and with all that empty space I had fun playing around with some shadows, too.
Have a great week...hope your holiday season is off to a fabulous start!
P.S. when you added someone to the map recently, I spied a Jane, so I'm thinking that was me--:) Love what you are doing with that...

 Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, that was you :)
*generous spaces between Verdigogh lines
*just a touch of darkness with the black around Cruffle


From Susan Theron (Velddrif, South Africa) ~

I am not very keen on this one. "Random" tangles is not my forte.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Verdigogh makes a lovely tree - a sweet little ornament teeters above

*two Cruffle variations

From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~

Again I'm a little late this week. Last week you asked us to right down in our string what we are grateful for. I thought why not make it a good habit to do it every week in the challenges. So in this tile I also wrote down what I'm grateful for. Thank you for this suggestion. Nice reading your posts (with pictures) about your marvelous time in the ZenAgain meeting.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for that encouragement to continue that practice.
*layered Verdigogh branches
*Cruffle sizes and placement add sense of depth


From Jennifer Moor (Switzerland) ~

Here's my latest tile. I was delighted you chose Cruffles and Verdigogh - they are both quite delicious to tangle. I first found myself creating a truffle ball suspended by a red ribbon. Then I rotated it and found a very festive Cruffle tree in a magical miniature world!

Tangled Tidbits -
*sweet thoughts for pretty tangles
*Verdigogh springs from a colorful Cruffle cluster



From Patricia (Switzerland) ~

Here is my new tangle. I think of it as"dreaming of summer past"!
Thank you for sharing the photos which are all super.I can imagine just how special the event was.

Tangled Tidbits -
*dots, curls, and various sizes  - so much fun for Cruffle
*thick and thin 'needles' of Verdigogh


From Martina (Austria) ~

Hi Adele, Hi everybody!
These patterns put me in a real Christmas mood...... here is my creation.
Best wishes again from Austria ;-)

Tangled Tidbits -
*outlined border frames the tangles
*dense Cruffle accented with light touches - curls, beads


From Vicki Mitchell, CZT 25 (Moscow, Idaho) ~

Here are my tiles for this week's challenge. It was quite fun, I with the tangles definitely calling the shots. The Verdigogh wanted to be green when I started the first tile, and everything else followed from that. When I picked the Renaissance tile for the second tile, the Verdigoghs wanted to be Bristle Cone Pine limbs,, so they are.
I hope my phone will send this to you. I found most of November's tiles in the "failed to send" folder.

 Oh no, sorry to hear that - glad your photos made it through just fine this time.
Tangled Tidbits -
*Verdigogh floats over a Cruffle filled background

Tangled Tidbits -
*Cruffle inspired middle lines of Verdigogh
*a bit of sparkle makes the tangles shine


And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...


Gabriela Garcia (Alberta, Canada) ~

...I loved this challenge. Verdigoh is one of the patterns that got me hooked into Zentangle, it is so beautiful, organic and elegant while at the same time easy to do and definitely with a Christmas feeling :-) I was so tempted to add more Cruffles or colour into Verdigoh...and then the word "Simplicity" from challenge #170 kept repeating in my head ;-) so I forced myself to stay with black and white and light shading and only a little bit of colour into Cruffle, and I have to say to my surprise I really liked it, normally I tend to over do it, so this is new to me.... I am learning now that sometimes less is more. Thanks Adele!
-Cheers from Canada

Tangled Tidbits -
*wispy lines of Verdigogh at various angles
*sparkled Cruffle, beautiful in coloration, nestle in Verdigogh's lines
*shading were lines overlap


Congratulations Gabriela!

I have a little some thing coming in the mail for you.

A huge thank you to all of the contributors to this week's challenge.
Please know that I appreciate and treasure your kindnesses and encouragements as well. 

Many thanks to Maria Thomas fand Sandy Hunter for the tangles we used this week along with my string:
Verdigogh by Maria Thomas, Zentangle® co-founder

Cruffle by Sandy Hunter, CZT

Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #174!