"It's a String Thing" #182

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

Last Saturday, I taught a class on layering and combining tangles.  One of the tiles we created combined three tangles accented with aura and Tipple.
Since the theme tied into Valentine's Day, and the results were so pretty, I thought we could give it a go here.

Let's begin with this string inspired by the third letter of the word love - V - a bit simpler than last week's wouldn't you agree? ~

IAST #182 by Adele Bruno, CZT

The tangles we will use include:

Amore and LG - both patterns of mine.
These heart shaped tangles hold a world of possibilities for embellishment.

Opus by Zentangle®
This is such a wonderful tangle sure to be added to your 'Favorite' list.

Feel free to mix in a generous helping of aura and Tipple.

Simply pencil the string line onto your tile and tangle away! 

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and the suggested pattern(s)
* Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or scan your tile (300 dpi or higher) and save as a jpg
*Email your jpg file as an attachment to - brunoadelem@gmail.com
*Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings.
*All tiles are posted on Mondays with one entry highlighted as 'The Tile for Honors'. 

Send in your photos - you will encourage and inspire fellow Zentangle® enthusiasts all over the world.  WHEN YOU SIGN YOUR NAME, PLEASE INCLUDE WHERE YOU LIVE.  
FOR EXAMPLE:   ADELE BRUNO (FLORIDA)

PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary for you to have a blog or website to participate. 
In order to eligible for the drawing, you must send in your completed tile.

If you do have a blog or website, I will add a link upon request. 
Please include the site specific URL. 

I look forward to your emails.
HAVE FUN!

"It's a String Thing" #181 Tiles

Every thing is coming up roses this week as we used a string line inspired by Zen Bud by Daniel O'Brien.

While the string resembled a rose, the results were driven by the given tangles and many unique results flowed from our pens.   Let's take a look ~


The first tile arrived from Lily (Hungary) ~

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

Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkled dots in the black spaces of Flukes
*Pozer filled grid spaces


From Amy Barnickel (Florida) ~

Hi Adele! Happy New Year! I am making good on my new year's resolution to tangle every day. I'm having a lot of fun working toward the reward of tangling. It is helping me keep on track with work because all I really want to do is tangle.
I'm running out of cards again and need to re-stock so I've branched out into other papers for some of my new year's designs. But I really just like the plain old original square tiles, to be honest.

Tangled Tidbits -
Kudos to you Amy for keeping up with your tangling resolution.  I agree, there is no substitute for the original Fabriano tiles.
*detail lines for Puf
*curlicue accents for Pozer


From Nelly (Zürich / Switzerland) ~

First I thought: „Oh my god, this String. It’s nothing for me!“ But then, I had to try it. And that’s what came out. Thank you, Adele, for this challenge. It was a lot of fun.
And thank you for taking me in your community. Now, I am for ever on the tangled map!
Till next week and very cold greetings from Switzerland 

Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, you are forever on the map and forever part of us :)
*varying angles for Flukes
*Pozer shaded in the middle swirl


From Gudrun (Germany, BW) ~ 

Here my tile with yellow and a little orange to brighten the winter days

Tangled Tidbits -
*warm and bright colors to accent the tangles
*down strokes added to the string's spiral


From Kate Ahrens, CZT IX (Minnesota) ~

Attached is my tile for the challenge this week. I managed to work in Pozer and Puf, both new to me tangles, but once I got those in, I just didn't want to add the third... I liked it with the white space, so decided to let it be and add a bit of color, so I went pretty literal on the zen bud string.

Tangled Tidbits -
*pleasing use of white space, color, and shading
*weighted down strokes of the string's spiral


From Renee (Tennessee) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderful detail lines fan out in Flukes and fill the petals of Pozer
*solid black spaces accentuate the Pozer bouquet


From Hilary (Chicago, Illinois) ~

My original plan for this was to feature Puf because I really like the look of it. It can be so dramatic when it's shaded. However, I just couldn't ignore the beautiful string you chose for this week's challenge. So I decided to make that the highlight and painstakingly copied it and drew it with pen. Then I outlined it with Pozer. Afterwards I used a really fine point to draw Puf and Flukes and used them as a kind of wispy background. As always I can't wait to see everyone else's version of this.

Tangled Tidbits -
*'painstakingly' is the key word - and beautiful
*very detailed tangles, small grids, and colorful shading


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~

Puf was a new tangle to me. I like it a lot both when it is in a nice square grid and also the fact that it looks good in irregular spaces. So I filled all the spaces with Puf!

Tangled Tidbits -
*doubled string lines
*squared and elongated Puf filled spaces


From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) ~

I'm not very happy with my tile, but am sending it since I used your Budlite to accent Poser.

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful interpretation of the string and tangles - and I personally love the addition of Budlite :)
*Flukes balances well with Puf


From Trudi (Woodview, Ontario, Canada) ~

When I looked at your string, then the Tangles you wanted to use I said "WHAT???" I did not think it would work at all. I'm sure others will do a very great job but I was surprised I could actually get it to work. You do push us, thank you.

Tangled Tidbits -
I think most of us thought that at first blush - yet look at the wonderful results, just like yours!
*Puf and Flukes change color as they flow through string sections
*light string spiral filled with floating Pozer


From Gabriela Garcia (Alberta, Canada) ~

Thank you Adele for another great challenge! This was my first time drawing "Puf" and "Pozer" and I really enjoyed them!! Both very pretty and relaxing :-)Greetings from Canada

Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkled darker lines of Puf
*Pozer - large, small, singular, and in a cluster



From Karen, The Creative Miss L (Canberra, Australia) ~

I’d forgotten how fun Flukes and Put are to draw.

Tangled Tidbits -
Isn't it nice to get reacquainted with tangles from time to time?
*light field of purple centered Pozer
*alternating string sections of Flukes and Puf


From sra (India) ~

One Pozer, several Pufs and Flukes deconstructed and scattered across the sections of the string. That's my interpretation this time.

Tangled Tidbits -
*large Pozer fills the string's spiral
*alternating directions for Flukes


From Sabine (Germany) and here on her blog ~

here is my entry for this week. Pozer was new to me, but it's a funny tangle. The challenge for me this was to bring the string Zen-Bud together with Pozer, Flukes and Puf. First I didn't enjoyed the result, but now - after two days - I'm satisfied with it. Thank you, Adele, for an other great challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -
It is true that time and distance give us a greater appreciation of our tangles...
*shading and filled spaces of Pozer
*Flukes develops sharp angles as it comes closer to the center string line


From Linda Goncalves (Pennsylvania) ~

I really enjoyed working with these three. I did two versions and am sending the one I like best.

Tangled Tidbits -
*grid free Flukes
*Puf inside Puf with the curves repeating in Pozer


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~

Hello Adele from windy NY...
Attached is my entry for this week. I thought this was a very challenging string..love how you stretch my Zentangle muscles!

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty fields of Pozer and a lightly penciled one, too
*large and small Flukes with deep black centers


From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~

Woo-hoo, this really was a challenge. I saw no other way to do this challenge than to ignore several string lines. Sorry for that! Nevertheless, I am not quite happy with the result.

Tangled Tidbits -
There is no apology needed for that - strings invite change and tangles ensure it :)
*large, light Pozer with darker centers for filler
*weighted string lines and soft shading


From Lin H (Florida) ~

Thanks for another great challenge, Adele. Zen Bud as the string was definitely a challenge for me but I like all three tangle patterns that you chose and once I drew Poser, Pufs and Flukes wanted to fit in around it. I just love those Zen moments when tangling.

Tangled Tidbits -
...and it shows :)
*like Ingrid, Lin used the centers of Pozer as filler.
*just a touch of shaded petal for Pozer and one aura-ed section of Flukes


From Gesine (Germany) ~

I found it really challenging to place the chosen tangles on my tile. Still, it was very interesting to use Zen Bud as a string. Thanks for the challenge!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Flukes swirls around the string's spiral
*darkened spaces between Pozer makes the tangle pop and ties in Flukes


From Kate (United Kingdom) ~

My contribution to this week's challenge. I just couldn't think what to
do with the tangles and string you gave us, but time was running out -
it's almost Sunday here in the UK - so I've just had to put pen to paper and hope for the best!

Tangled Tidbits -
...then you joined in the party with the rest of us :)
*white and dark spaces, doubled string lines, and one large Pozer mark the tile's center
*elongated Puf, shaded at the center points



From Barbara Steyer (Germany) ~

you are so kind to find some special notations to each tile. Thank you for your support! My tile to this weeks challenge:

Tangled Tidbits -
I appreciate being able to post such wonderful work...
* a Pozer laced string spiral
*large, dark centers of Flukes


From Sharon Fite (California) ~

A really interesting string this week! Makes me think of a rosebud wrapped in winter's heavy coat. I'm looking forward to see what everyone does with it.Love the tangles, too. Pozer reminds me of my pink "Debutante" camellia blooming in the backyard.

Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, it does look very cozy.
*Flukes flows along the curved string lines
* billowing Pozer center


From Jane Glotzer (Boulder, Colorado) ~

Well, I guess you like to keep us on our toes--:) This was a string that took some working with, for me...I adapted it a bit by simplifying it here and there, and then went to work...
Started with the fabulous Puf...started to look like a cobweb structure, so I added the connecting lines (later realized it was just like my Betweed application a couple of weeks ago!) Used a piece of Fluke in the spiral part of the string...looks like that may be some other pattern, or part of another pattern, but I love how it spirals around...extended those little threads and shaded...no room for Pozer...that was all I needed for this one--:) Has kind of a dream catcher kind of feel...

Tangled Tidbits -
...it does!
*straight lines on a spiral
*dark centered and tapered Puf



From Candie VanderWilt, CZT (Pennsylvania) ~

Wow, this was a good stretch. Thanks for helping me reach in, around and beyond the string!

Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded aura around Pozer and Flukes
*Pozer shaded in the middle and darkened spaces between them


From Simone Menzel, CZT (Germany) ~

This challenge was very interesting for me. I like ZenBud very much and the filling of this curvy string with grid based Patterns is really a challenge…
I wanted to use a black tile for this challenge, unfortunately the pink gelly roll did not work as I expected, but it does not matter… 

Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted white string lines and soft highlights
*light and dark Pozer


This is my tile...

I began with the two curved sections of the string and filled them with Puf, a very calming tangle.  I added more lines to Puf along the string line for a more scalloped look.
From there, I treated the entire swirl as one large Zen Bud and filled the spiral in with Flukes.
Pozer filled in the body of the bud. My intention was to leave all the white space, but when I held the tile at arms length, I decided it needed something more and I added aura. I spent some wonderfully quiet time shading and this is how it turned out...

From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~

How fun. A string that is a pattern; ingenious. I'll have to try that more often. Not sure I gota handle on Pozer, but I tend more toward the angular, architectural and graphic patterns,and less toward flowers and hearts motifs anyway. Puf has plenty of pasty-time potential and Flukes is always a favorite. In all, a great challenge.
Jonesy's winning tile last week was truly amazing in dimension. And I'm so envious of Mariam (my fellow Californian) and her nesting hummingbirds. Mine just dive-bomb me on the porch if I don't keep the feeders filled!
I am too delighted to be a part of this expanding international community of talented tanglers. Pretty soon you won't have room left for names on your map, Adele. You must be thrilled.

Tangled Tidbits -
I am very thrilled, yes!
*string spiral curves out into a smaller one and repeats in the lower corner
*large, angled and smaller squared Flukes
*a cluster of Pozer to break up the white spaces


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

...Here in the Western Cape we are experiencing the extremes of Summer. There’s has been a very high percentage of veld fires breaking out, that have caused evacuations and the gutting of several historic farm homesteads and precious vineyards in the Paarl, Stellenbosch area this month. This in the middle of the worst drought ever. Our water supply dams are nearly empty and of course the continued fires place even more pressure on the systems. Cape Town metropole has enforced the strictest water restrictions. It was reported in Cape Town that the firefighters were called out to 75 fires last week! Whether this is all due to natural causes or human interference is now being investigated. So, sad. I’m horrified for all the wild creatures that are terrified and burn to death in such times. 

Anyway, to tile 181. At first glance it was an exciting challenge, but when I finally sat down it was a CHALLENGE I love all the patterns and have used them before, so it became how to get my zen going to keep up with curvy Zen Bud string. Took a bit of doing, not liking and then finally zenning. Result? It’s a vase of floral blooms. ? No. it’s a curvaceous figure in a floral gown. ? Not sure, so all of you can decide what you see. Thank s to Beth Snoderly, Carol Ohl and Suzanne Mc Neill for their super zentangle patterns. To you, Adele for the challenging Zen Bud string.

Tangled Tidbits -
It is admirable that you found time to tangle in midst of the trying times there.  I'll pray for rain.
*curved and straight lined Flukes
*three versions of Puf
all presented with wonderful imagery...

From Michele Wynne (California) ~

I'm still in sketchbook (and Primer study) mode so it's taking longer to complete my pages and that's OK. I'm enjoying taking the extra time to get to know variations of the patterns. This was fun trying a couple of variations and layers of depth. I still feel like I could have taken this further outside-the-box;-)
Thank you for all you do.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted lines in Flukes
*patterns alternate in the string spaces - so nice to be able to see them side-by-side


And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...

Shirley from Queensland, Australia ~

Attached is my drawing for this weeks - It’s A String Thing #181
I loved all the patterns you chose Adele, and Carole Oh! Pattern Puf is just magical to draw.

Tangled Tidbits -
*bold contrasts of light and dark
*scalloped string lines
*Pozer spiral center
*pops of Pozer along two border lines

Congratulations, Shirley!


I have a little something 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 the creative minds behind the tangles we used this week along with my string:

Pozer by Beth Snoderly

Puf by Carole Ohl, CZT

Flukes by Zentangle®


Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #182!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.  

~ S. J. Harris

Dinnertime Zendala by Adele Bruno, CZT
Prestrung tile from Zentangle®
O, Taugh, Beadline, Paradox, Bales

When I am asked how I find time to tangle, this quote comes to mind.

Like most relaxing and enjoyable things in life, you just have to make time for them.

Lately, the calm right before the dinner hour is when I have been able to sneak in a bit of tangling.

When I have less time than I'd like to finish a detailed tile, I usually reach for a prestrung Zendala.
Since the string is already drawn and most of the designs welcome tangles that repeat and/or alternate, they require fewer decisions and much less time to complete.

"It's a String Thing" #181

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

We begin with a string that is actually a tangle:  Zen Bud by Daniele O'Brien.  I've drawn one tangle a bit larger than the space ~

IAST #181 String by Adele Bruno, CZT
Based on the tangle Zen Bud by Daniele O'Brien

The tangles we will use include:

Pozer by Beth Snoderly
A flowery tangle to mix with our flowery string.
Puf by Carole Ohl, CZT
As Carole notes on her blog post (Link) about Puf, it is similar to Yincut but when drawn to her step out, it can be added to odd shaped spaces and the result is pleasantly surprising.
Flukes by Zentangle®
Note thatFlukes can be drawn in any direction.  (I usually tangle it with the darkened spaces in the opposite direction of Suzanne McNeill's step out.)


While Zen Bud and the string resemble a flower, your finished tile does not necessarily have to capture that.  As with all tiles, the tangles may lead you in a totally unexpected direction and the string may take on a much different shape and/or look.

Simply pencil the string line onto your tile and tangle away! 

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and the suggested pattern(s)
* Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or scan your tile (300 dpi or higher) and save as a jpg
*Email your jpg file as an attachment to - brunoadelem@gmail.com
*Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings.
*All tiles are posted on Mondays with one entry highlighted as 'The Tile for Honors'. 

Send in your photos - you will encourage and inspire fellow Zentangle® enthusiasts all over the world.  WHEN YOU SIGN YOUR NAME, PLEASE INCLUDE WHERE YOU LIVE.  
FOR EXAMPLE:   ADELE BRUNO (FLORIDA)

PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary for you to have a blog or website to participate. 
In order to eligible for the drawing, you must send in your completed tile.

If you do have a blog or website, I will add a link upon request. 
Please include the site specific URL. 

I look forward to your emails.
HAVE FUN!

"It's a String Thing" #180 Tiles

Happy Monday!  After last week's swirls and curls, this week's tiles are a creative mix of straight lined tangles on a straight lined string.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Jennifer Moor (Switzerland) ~

A shaft of Paradox beams through a starlit galaxy of Fassett which overlays the strong structure of Trimonds. I added many more triangles to the string and love the versatile ways Fassett can be interpreted - this is truly a gem of a tangle! Thank you for introducing me to it.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*glowing white tangles and highlights
*soft shading at Paradox points


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

This challenge looked easy at first but proved to be quite hard. Here is my 3rd tile, which includes lots of white space and white highlights. My earlier attempts were much too crowded for my liking.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Fassett shaded around inner triangles, Trimonds features light and dark shading

*white spaces compliment the tangled ones


From Kate (United Kingdom) ~

My contribution to this week's challenge.Paradox and Fassett went so
well together, but I struggled to find a spot for Trimonds that I was
happy with until I decided to try to blend it gradually into Fassett and
I think I'm happy with the result.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Trimonds flows into Fassett
*one long Paradox in the larger string triangles


From Mariam G (Port Hueneme, California) ~

The sun is out (briefly) here in CA. More rain on the way - Yea! Good time to stay indoors and tangle.
I don't know why, but the straight line patterns give me more grief than others. Finished this bleary-eyed last night...that's what I get for tangling in the dark - HA!
On a side note, our first hummingbird babies of the year hatched yesterday in our atrium (the nest is right over my desk, so watching Mom feed is now going to be a distraction for me - but a good one). This is the third year for this female to return to us and our 'nursery'. How lucky are we?!

Tangled Tidbits -

You are so lucky!  Hummingbirds have long been favorites of mine.  

*small grids for Fassett and Trimonds

*large sections of Paradox 

From Jutta Gladnigg (NRW, Germany) ~

Thank you, Adele, for this week’s cool challenge!
This is another one of my „Paper Tape Sandwiches“ as I call these now.
It feels as if I was doing a skin transplantation when I transfer the tangled paper tape onto a blank but coloured Bijou tile.
Fun and excitement at the same time!

Tangled Tidbits -
Sounds like fun!
*darker shading on the edges of each Fassett
*contrasting light and dark spaces of Trimonds


From Ria Matheussen (Belgium) - Ria's site ~

Thank you for this wonderful challenge. I 'm fond of these three lovely tangles.Here is my contribution for this week.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Trimonds border
*Paradox and Fassett blend and vary in size


From Kathryn Crane-Thielen, CZT (Nova Scotia, Canada) ~

My first entry to your blog site for 2017, now you can pin me to Nova Scotia, Canada on your world map.This was a fun string to do and with my favorite tangles as well. To me, Trimonds is a variation of Cubine and when I saw the small triangles created, I thought that Fassett would go nicely in them.

Tangled Tidbits -
I am happy to add your pin to the map in beautiful Nova Scotia, but we all miss you here in Florida♥
*curved Paradox
*Fasset filled Trimonds


A very warm welcome to Nellie (Zürich / Switzerland) ~

here is my first contribution.With greetings from Switzerland

Tangled Tidbits - *detail lines for Trimonds - Fassett shares the same grid
*darkened tips of Paradox

Welcome to our community and to our tangled map!

From Barbara (Germany) ~

these tangles are not my favorites, but I did my very best to follow the challenge.With very cold greetings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*wide grid for Trimonds and vertical detail lines
*shaded centers for Paradox and Fassett


From Gudrun S. (BW, Germany) ~

Paradox is one of my favorite tangles – I love it so much!
Sunny greetings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*multiple variations of Paradox and Trimonds, too
*Fassett and Paradox blend


From Juul (France) ~

i'm very happy to finish my tile this week... actually I start every week but I don't manage to complete...

Tangled Tidbits -
Welcome back Juul!
*elongated lines of Paradox and Fassett
*Trimonds changes with small and larger grid



From Renee (Tennessee) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*blue Trimonds with dot and line details
*one large Paradox for each string section it occupies


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~

Love a grid pattern! Fassett and Trimonds are new to me so I have spent a lot time of playing with them this week. I ignored the string (sorry!) and just enjoyed the lovely patterns that they make.

Tangled Tidbits -
*one shared grid for all tangles
*little pops of Paradox in Trimonds


From Gabriela Garcia (Alberta, Canada) ~

This was an interesting challenge, it took me quite a while to decide how to even begin, I kept staring at the string not knowing what to do, but at the end it turn out ok and I liked the end result.
Thanks for the challenge Adele, this one was so geometrical that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and that is a good thing! ;-)Greetings from Canada

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful layering of tangles
*highlights, shading, and color add dimension


From Sharyn Penna (Massachusetts ) ~

Knowing today's inauguration of POTUS45 would be a personal struggle, I deliberately chose to tangle through the viewing of history in the making. When I saw Paradox in the prompt (a tangle I love) I decided I'd try Margaret Bremner's variation of adding triangles to the tips (Link) So glad i finally tried my hand at this variation.
After shading, I realized I'd forced light into into an otherwise over-shaded tile. A sense of impending doom over shadowed (ha ha) my tile.Cheers to forcing light ... may it infuse a sense of faith, grace, and hope for the future.

Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted line tips create a pretty Paradox
*Beadline accented Trimonds


From Trudi (Woodview, Ontario, Canada) ~

I've used Paradox a lot but the other two not much, interesting combination! Thanks Adele.

Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded edges of Paradox and Fassett
*large and small Trimonds


From Lynn Gotham (Florida) ~

Thank you for another fun challenge Adele. Trimonds was new to me and really like it.

Tangled Tidbits -
*detail lines accent Trimonds
*center of Paradox blends outward and into Fassett


From Hilary Merola (Chicago) ~

Wow, Adele! 180!!
So impressive!Here's my entry for this week. I could do Paradox all day long, I love seeing what it "magically" turns into. On the other hand, Trimonds had me totally baffled. I really did practice it, but could not do it. So I did just a tiny bit of it, let's call it a Halfmond.

Tangled Tidbits -
That is a clever tangle name.
*long lines repeat in Fassett and Paradox
*shading adds depth to the tangles


From Lisette (Switzerland) ~

Herewith my contribution to IAST 180. I love Paradox and Fassett. Trimonds was new to me and I like it a lot too. It was a pleasure to draw this tile.Greetings from still frozen Switzerland

Tangled Tidbits -
*deep, dark background with floating Trimonds
*Fassett centers and shading add depth


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

Here are my tiles for this week. I have been waffling back and forth about whether I like the color tile better than the black-and-white tile. Neither quite shows the layers I wanted it to; or perhaps my eyes are lying to me. Certainly I don't like my new reading glasses as well as the ones my puppy made off with. I finally got around to photographing the tiles for the last three weeks and posting them on Mosaic. I had last week's tile finished in time, but it didn't get photographed in time. The other two tiles were drawn while I was waiting for last week's challenge to get to my server (a very slow process).

 Tangled Tidbits -
*colorful tangles shaded in the same hue
*multiple lines for each tangle

*Paradox becomes quite dimensional when drawn with so many lines



From Joan Delony, CZT (Florida) ~

I really enjoyed playing with straight lines this week.

Tangled Tidbits -
*a touch of Paradox on each side of a field of Fassett
*Trimond section shaded as a whole


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~

Hope this finds you well. My properly named J tile is attached for the week. Enjoy your weekend!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Paradox lines travel under a section of Trimonds
*each line of Fassett is shaded


From Patricia (Switzerland) ~

I hope you had a good start to the new year. I have missed a few tangle challenges but have admired the work of those who did them!As you can see I used paradox and Fassett . I got carried away by these two!

Tangled Tidbits -
*white and black dots accent Fassett
*Paradox is interwoven with Fassett


From Karin (Germany) ~

wow, this was fun! I love those straight patterns. Now I have got the feeling that I only see triangles
It was just the perfect exercise for “one stroke at a time”Have a nice Weekend!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Trimonds detail lines float
*Paradox flows into Fassett


From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) ~

What a fun challenge this week! Trimonds and Fassett were new to me, but will now be in my regular rotation. I saw a stack of cubes instead of pyramids after I drew Trimonds, so that's how I shaded them.

Tangled Tidbits -
*cubes it is! along with Fassett variations
*shading adds great dimension


From Tina Kirchhübel (Germany)

I love this challenge. For me it is easier to draw straight line patterns than curvy ones. So here the possibilities are endless and you can mix the tangles so beautifully.
And that's why I tangled two tiles. In the first I draw very small but in the second I draw bigger and mixed the tangles a bit. Hope you like it.
I wish you a great weekend. Greetings from Germany

 Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded white spaces alternate with tangle filled ones
*Fassett 'stars'

*Fassett and Paradox tucked into Trimonds



From Rhonda Koplin (Macon, Georgia) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*Paradox filled Trimonds
*Paradox and Fassett mingle



From Michele Wynne (California) ~

I decided to do a sketch book study for this week's challenge. One of the Zentangle inspired Facebook groups I follow is pursuing a course of study from the Zentangle Primer. Though I don't have the book, I'm following along and really enjoying the back-to-basics approach of revisiting old faves and then exploring variations and tangleations.
I really enjoyed playing around with these patterns.Thanks for all you do;-)

Tangled Tidbits -
*shading and sparkle accent the tangles
*detail lines, perfs, aura - lovely details


From Jane (Boulder, Colorado) ~

Wow! all those straight lines after the spirally, swirly ones last week...what a brain rewiring! :)
Used another paper I had previously watercolored...loved all the colors on this one, and knew I wanted to preserve a lot of those areas, so this was the perfect IAST to use it because all the tangles were mainly lines...even used a purple micron to coordinate! Practiced Trimonds in my journal, but couldn't find a place for it in the string to my liking...so it became a duotangle of Rick's Paradox and Fassett...two incredible tangles that have such possibilities for interesting depth and dimension...you can hardly tell where one ends and the next begins...did a touch of shading...ended up with a nice balance of ink, graphite and paint--:)
Have a great week...thanks for your tireless commitment!!

Tangled Tidbits -
and all so pretty in purple!
*small dark triangles repeat in both tangles
*tangles flow into each other


From Holly ("in the snowy Sierras", California) ~

There was a tan tile on my desk, so I drew on it. I've always liked Parodox & Fasset. They started to takeover so Trimonds lost out. Wasn't too happy with this, but after shading it felt better.

Tangled Tidbits -
*curved and weighted lines create a flowing Paradox
*Pokeroot pokes through Fassett


From Sharon Fite (California) ~

This was quite a challenge! So many straight lines -- in the string and the tangles! I'm familiar with Paradox, Trimonds is brand new for me, and I never knew how much fun Fassett is to draw. Thanks for the opportunity, and all the straight line practice.

Tangled Tidbits -
*accented Fassett with shaded centers
*shading and detail lines of Timonds


A very warm welcome to Candie VanderWilt, CZT (Pennsylvania) ~

I have thoroughly enjoyed being a follower for many months, but the time has come to get my feet wet! So, this is my very first tile for IAST. What an immersing challenge with so many edges and lines. In fact, when the tile was finished, I realized I had added too many lines to trimonds - oops. But there are no mistakes, right? So, I held back from a redo...Thank you, Adele, for all you do. It's really quite amazing!

Tangled Tidbits -
*many lines of Paradox and shading between sections adds depth
*pretty balance of patterns and white space
Welcome to our IAST community and to our tangled map, Candie! And a special thank you for your frame purchase, too.

From Shirley (Queensland, Australia) ~

I have attached my drawing for - It’s A String Thing # 180

Tangled Tidbits -

*white centers of Fassett help the tangle blend into Paradox

*Trimonds anchors the middle string section

From Audrie Weisenfelder (Tucson, Arizona) and on her Purple Butterfly ~

Very tired, very late. But here's my challenge tile. I love Paradox, and like Fassett, too. Was so immersed in them that I forgot to try and fit in Trimonds. So this is what you get:

Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted string line
*long lines of Paradox flow into Fassett


From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~

Here is my IAST # 180 tile for this week.

Tangled Tidbits -
*a study in lines - a wonderful study in lines
*Fassett lines blend into Paradox
*smaller grids of Fassett and Trimonds compliment the longer lines of Paradox


From Sabine (Germany) and here on her blog ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*layered sections of tangles - coloring of Fassett changes as they overlap
*background of lined and shaded Trimonds



From Marla Mendenhall (Long Beach, California) ~

Well, I just DARE anyone to say they weren't mesmerized by this week's patterns! Tile 2 is rotated a quarter turn clockwise, but even so the string is in each tile somewhere - trust me - with a few (!) extra lines added, but Paradox and Fassett, both favorites, can just too easily run away with me, and oh what fun when they do. And then you add in the dimensional illusion of Trimonds and pa-pow! Great challenge, Adele. I can never express enough my appreciation for all you do to provide these terrific tangle times for us all. You're the best!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Paradox twists and turns into various sizes of Fassett
*shadow shading

*a Fassett-ed Paradox (center)  I'm in awe!
*Trimonds flower
*wonderful shading



From Simone Menzel, CZT (Germany) and here on her blog ~

thank you so much for chosing my tile for "honours of the week" in IAST#178- I am very proud of it!
I received your letter yesterday. Thank you so much!
I was very happy to see as many tiles with MySwing and I am so glad that many people enjoy it.
Last week I was not able to take part but this week I did it again!
The string and the tangles you chose are so lovely, I had a lot of fun with it.
I decided to draw a Renaissance tile, just to have some more colour dimensions.
The tangles are Paradox (Rick Roberts), Fassett(Lynn Mead CZT) and Trimonds (Jane Monk CZT).I love them all...

Tangled Tidbits -
*highlighted string line and tangles
*Paradox and Fassett blend


From Susan Theron (Velddrif, South Africa) ~

I've looked at other challenges and saw someone's IAST challenge and realised that I have used Trimond in stead of Trimonds. Therefore another tile.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Trimonds pyramid
*touch of weight to the lines of Paradox


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*great angle for Trimonds
*large Fassett fans into Paradox


From Annie Taylor (Spain) ~

A bit of a last minute String Thing this week but I enjoyed the straight lines. Knowing I didn't have a lot of time for shading, I chose to do a white on black tile....is that cheating a bit? Never mind, the process was just what I needed to set me up for the week.

Tangled Tidbits -
...not at all!
*fanned grid filled with Paradox
*Trimonds glows in white


From Joan Omans (Michigan) ~

My apologies for being tardy on this week's IAST submission. It was a balmy 50 degrees in West Michigan yesterday and I took the opportunity to spend it with my daughter exploring a nearby city. The tile I am submitting is my third attempt. There are a couple of things I wish I had done differently, but overall, I'm pleased with how it turned out. I may get the hang of this Zentangle world yet!!!!!

Tangled Tidbits -
You have it, for sure!
*perf filled Fassett and Paradox doubled lines
*pretty Trimonds variation



From Tonya Blankenship (Grundy, Virginia) ~

I really enjoyed this challenge, especially the string (which reminded me of a partial star). I hope everyone has a great week!

Tangled Tidbits -
*bright contrast in the black and white of Trimonds
*Fassett and Paradox variation - so creative!


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

Hope you are well, and ready for your country’s new times.?
Anyway, to this week’s challenge. Paradox and Fassett were not new, but I remember struggling with Paradox by Rick Roberts the first few times I tried it. Like falling off a bicycle, one just has to get back up on the “beast” and try again. This time it was easier and I used it Hollibaugh way in the left pointing triangle. (so, no one knows what’s happening in the hidden section J). Fasset by Lynn Mead. Here I went for different variations to suggest different textures and Trimmond by Jane Monk was new. Another grid! But worked out fine. Felt that all these patterns were becoming overwhelming so tried shadowy paradoxes in two remaining corners. All in all, enjoyable.

Tangled Tidbits -
*shadowed Paradox - great fun
*different tangle variations in each of the string's sections
*great detail and sparkle of Fassett


This is my tile ~

Fassett and Paradox are two of my favorite straight lined tangles and creating this tile proved very relaxing. This was my first introduction to Trimonds and I tucked a bit of Paradox into it. I especially like where Paradox and Fassett meet.

And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...

Jonesy (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

This is my tile for the week. You chose 3 tangles that I truly love, and that are very versatile. I hope I did them justice.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Paradox shaded on each line and each line thickened at the end
*darkened string lines
*Trimonds and Fassett lightly drawn include deep, dark triangles
*spectacular shading
*spectacular highlights

Congratulations, Jonesy!  I have a little something 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  creative minds behind the tangles we used this week along with my string:


Paradox by Rick Roberts 

Trimonds by Jane Monk, CZT

Fassett by Lynn Mead, CZT


Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #181!