"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!