Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Every moment is a fresh beginning.

                                                                                                                   ~T. S. Eliot

Tile by Felicity Strohfeldt (South Africa)
Completed for IAST #236

"It's a String Thing" #240

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

On CZT Margaret Bremner's latest post, she introduces the concept of "Floating Cubine".  An intriguing idea with absolutely wonderful results as Margaret illustrates.

Click here see how she achieves even greater depth to this magical tangle by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts.

Let's use Cubine this week - and a few other tangles - along with this string ~

IAST String #240 by Adele Bruno, CZT

The tangles we will use include ~

Elirob by Judy Murphy
This is one of the newer tangles on TanglePatterns and Margaret uses it in one of her example tiles for Floating Cubine.  Let's give it a try, too.

Flukes by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts
I tend to tangle this in the opposite direction of the step out on TanglePatterns.  It shows the aura  facing downward - either way, that tangle is beautiful.

Cubine by Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts
Click here for Margaret Bremner's tutorial on Cubine.

Won't this be FUN?!

Just pencil in the string - keeping in mind that it is a suggestion - and let the tangles lead the way.

Enjoy!

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and some or all of the suggested patterns
* 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 for IAST are to be submitted by Saturday evening of the week issued
*Photos, notes, and the 'Tile for Honors' are (usually) posted on the following Monday 

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. 

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.

"It's a String Thing" #239 Tiles

Here's hoping your week is off to a great start.

There is big news here as we have added the 35th country to our Tangled Map, isn't that amazing?  Take a guess as to which one, and read on to find out if you are correct.

Too add to the good news, Dorian Eng, CZT, and I have just published our third "Tiny Tangled Houses" book - "Fairy Garden Houses".  You can click on the cover photo (in column to the right) for more information.
At the end of this post, I will randomly choose a name from our participants to win a free download of the eBook - good luck!

Let's take a look at this week's results ~

The first tile arrived from Amy L (Connecticut) ~

I found Tupuk’s lack of regularity challenging, so opted for Flec and Fassett instead, and went pretty simple. This was the first time for both tangles, but I enjoyed them both. I thought there wasn’t enough contrast so colored in the smallest “rocks” in flec. I am loving these challenges and stretching my tangling! Thanks so much!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*touch of black in Flec
*evenly spaced Fasset and light center triangles - a lovely look



From Lily (Hungary) and here on her blog ~

...here is my tile for your weekly challenge.
Zenhug

 Tangled Tidbits -
*brilliant gem in the string loop
*white dots accent each tangle - glorious coloring, shading, and highlights


From Gale Sherman (Tucson, Arizona) ~

Recently, I've been having fun making my studio (and hands) very messy with mono printing, lemon juice, tissue paper dying, various pens, pencils, acrylic paints, etc. I drew this week's string with a Speedball 2mm black Elegant Writer and moved the ink with a wet brush. For tangling I turned the tile on it's side and and went to work with various Microns and Tom Bow pens. I liked all the patterns, but had the most fun with Tupuk tonight. You can see I went a bit wild there... Thank you for another great challenge!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*colorful variations of Tupuk
*color, light, and dark give sense that the tangles are layered



From Hilary (Italy) ~

I’m sure you were delighted with all the great examples of your pattern Mack. I know I really enjoyed seeing them and I know it’s going to be a very popular tangle.
Here’s my tile for this week. I'm not happy with how it turned out since I just couldn’t get the patterns to work well together. Oh well, that’s how it goes sometimes!
Hope all is well with you. We’re still enjoying the bright sunshine here in Salerno.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Flec string lines and Flec tucked into Tupuk
*touch of purple highlights the Renaissance colors


From Jutta Gladnigg, CZT (NRW, Germany) ~

Some days ago I had distressed a blank tile with brusho colours and yellow ink. This IAST 239-string seemed to be quite fitting for the accidental colour distribution on that specific tile.
By the way - I had intended to use ‘flec’ around the ‘orbs’, but when I had finally finished around midnight suddenly some hours later there came a thought in the middle of the night... Have I used all the suggested patterns? I went through them in my mind only to find that one was missing... so this time the emphasis is on those other two beautiful patterns. So fun again! Thank you all!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*a beautiful explosion of color and tangle
*glowing white highlights and dots


A very warm welcome to Sally Whiteman from New Zealand.   Sally is the first tangler to join IAST from New Zealand.  Hooray!  (Was New Zealand your guess? - if so, let us know in the comment section below.)  Sally wrote:

Good morning
I discovered you website a couple of weeks ago and subscribed to get the string thing emailed.
What a fascinating challenge and the variety of tiles is amazing.
I hope mine is good enough to be displayed as I am self taught because there are very few CZT's in New Zealand.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Each tile is a masterpiece, thank you for sending in yours and many compliments for learning on your own.
*clusters of Tupuk
*touch of color and shading for a pretty Fassett

Welcome to our IAST community, Sally.  Your name, your red pin, and New Zealand are now on our
Tangled Map!

From Shirley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~

Attached is my Tile for ‘It’s A String Thing # 239’ Challenge.
Many Thanks, Adele.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Fassett in two fabulous variations
*plump Flec shaded on both sides


From Baafke (The Netherlands) ~

Flec reminds me of our wonderful holiday in Norway.
Greetings from Baafke from a sunny Netherlands!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*dark middle and top layers of Flec - lovely pop of color, too
*wavy lined take off of Fassett


From Ria Matheussen, CZT (Belgium) and Tupuk's creator ~

It was a nice surprise to discover that Tupuk was included in your challenge of this week. I do appreciate that very much.
As always, but now especially, I'm curious to see the entries of the other tanglers. With every challenge, I learn something.
I have chosen to draw on grey paper. I have used a black pen and coloured the tile with purple, pink and blue colourpencils.
This was a special challenge for me and I enjoyed it very much. I wish everyone succes!
Thank you Adele, for this wonderful challenge and for all the work you do, every week again,
Warm regards from Belgium

 Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful blue glass-like Tupuk
*Fassett glows in shades of purple


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*each orb of Tupuk uniquely different
*dotted dark center for Fassett



From Henrike Bratz, CZT (Germany) and here on her blog ~

it’s been far too long since I last sent you a tile. So here is mine for #239. Some more Information is...on my blog
I hope I can make it more often again in the future!!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Welcome back!!
*stunning Tupuk along the string line, aura-ed and shaded
*light and lovely Fassett for Tupuk to float above



From Susan (United Kingdom) ~

Spring has finally arrived after a very long winter and it’s now hotter than summer! Nice to sit and tangle in the sunshine.

Tangled Tidbits -

Happy Spring!

*Flec stacks along the border and string line

*Fassett's deep centers add contrast

From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom), creator of Flec ~

Thank you for picking my tangle to feature in the challenge this week. It also reminded me of the fact that I rarely use my own tangles. I wonder why that is? I wonder if I'm the only one? I know that somewhere I have a sheet of Flec ideas, but I can't find it - never mind. I draw a stack of repeating Flec, rounded instead of aura-ed this time. It was lovely to work with Ria's Tupuk - a single line, stippled (a technique I remembered earlier this week). And Fassett, which makes me smile - I remember how hard I found it the first times I drew it, the amount of concentration it demanded. And now it seems to flow so easily from my pen. That's what happens with Zentangle - we absorb the knowledge, the technique, the pen control. And before we know it we can do things that still surprise us!
The sun is shining, it's been a few glorious days of unseasonably warm weather. What a change from the last time I emailed you!

 Tangled Tidbits -
...beautifully expressed, thank you!
*weighted lines, shading, and highlights add even more roundness to Flec
*stippled Tupuk and Fassett medallions - fabulous!


From Lin H, CZT (Florida) ~

I really like Tupuk, which was new for me, and while I just followed the string with it this time, I hope to do more with it in the future. I’ve always liked Flec and Fassett and really enjoyed your challenge with them. As always, I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s results.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*dark line, different shapes but similar light/dark coloring for Tupuk
*thicker lined top orbs of Flec, shaded center ones - pretty variation
Love that frame!


From Mariam G. (Port Hueneme, California) ~

Thank you for introducing me to Tupuk - what a cute little tangle he is! (makes me think of 60's style outer-space drawings, a bit)
Looking forward to the new book, it looks like a lot of fun!
Have a Happy Earth Day

 Tangled Tidbits -
*soft blue, soft shading, shine against lovely white spaces
*each Tupuk orb unique


From Lynn G (Florida) ~

Thank you for another challenge Adele. I must admit I found it very challenging.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Tupuk springs form Flec string lines - love the white, black contrast
*tangles float above the thin lined Fassett background



From Nor'dzin (Wales, United Kingdom) ~

Thank you for challenge #239. I did not know 'Fassett'. What a great tangle! I think it will become a favourite. We have had a wonderful warm and sunny week in South Wales and my tulips are glorious.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Such good news of Spring!
*fun shapes for Tupuk
*Fassett lines flow with the spaces and dashes form the border


From Tabitha (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) ~

Here's my submission for # 239. As usual, it's went nothing like as planned. lol I had also realized that I hadn't even included any Mack in last week's challenge, so I added it to this one. :) I have actively avoided Fassett for the longest time because I just couldn't get my lines steady enough for it to look right, so it's encouraging to me that I think I finally got it! :)

 Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, you did :)
*Tupuk dangles feature tapering center lines that end in curls
*beautiful shading throughout
Fassett and Mack work well together (I will certainly try that out!)



From Juul (France) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*black surround of Flec angled by Fassett
*sparkled dark orbs finish Flec beautifully
So happy you are well and back to tangling, Juul.


From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~

I stuck to the string, but I should have given this more thought. I am not too fond of this one but time has run out to do another. Your fairy houses are very cute, Adele.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Vena.  This is a beautiful tile.
*Tupuk comes alive in color, pattern, highlight, and shading
*small clusters of Fassett beautifully shaded


From Susie (Thailand) ~

Attached please find a tile. I tried to cohesively link (can you say that?) the 3 tangles you tickled us with this week, but I ended up having one here, one there and the 3rd creeping along the bottom. But I admit, I like Flec as a flower.
Still, love your challenge and thus show my appreciation by sending you my cohesiveless contribution.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Let's call it a clever collection  - it's wonderful.
*Flec, very pretty as a flower
*Tupuk middle line threads its way through the orbs


From Jane (Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom) ~

Thanks again for another interesting, fun and absorbing challenge and such a different combination of tangles. I particularly liked discovering Flec. I added some drama by inking in the Tupuk. Fassett I know but haven't used much.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*dark Tupuk, wonderful contrast
*Flec loop sans aura - shaded loop above appears to rise from it


From Laurel Davis, CZT (New York) ~

Thanks for another fun challenge, Adele!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Fassett corners - so creative!
*highlights add roundness to Flec and accent lovely Tupuk variations beautifully


From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*thick lined Flec moves through the string loops
*lovely details - lined border spaces, weighted string line, thin mid line of Tupuk

From Gabi (Germany) ~

Whole week I was trying to get it ALL on a tile... and finally did what Rick recommends at Kitchen Table Tangle: I used TranZending. Now the string follows the tangle...
Not a real masterpiece but finally satisfying :))
I‘m very curious to see what the others have done with this!

Tangled Tidbits -
...a masterpiece, indeed.
*Tupuk runs along the center lines of Fassett
*pops of color against bold, black spaces, and tranzending string line - striking!



From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~

this week I draw three versions of your challenge. I send you the second one. The others one can find on my blog...
I enjoyed drawing this interesting challenge very much because I didn’t combine the patterns yet. Thank you for your inspiration!
Best wishes from Germany!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*curvy, flowing mix of tangles with a Tupuk top

*Fassett springs Mooka-like curls

From Jane (Boulder, Colorado) ~

And my IAST 239 is so cute--:) When I saw the suggested tangles, I immediately thought mine would probably be a Fassett monotangle because I love that pattern and all that it can do--but in the end, this one really led me. I started playing around with the very fun Tupuk on the bottom string line and before I knew it, I had a whole cosmic clothesline collection--:) Tried filling in some of the spaces with Fassett, but liked the emptiness more...almost left it just as it was, but ended up adding the little Fassett portal up top so she could be represented...no space for Flec, today.

 Tangled Tidbits -
A "cosmic clothesline collection" - that is awesome.
*fabulous details for Tupuk
*four strand Tupuk variation drawn only with orbs



From Sharyn Penna, CZT (Massachusetts) ~

Hats off to Ria for a stunning new tangle ... and to you for creating a playful string ... and for choosing to two tangles that compliment Tupuk perfectly.
Cheers!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*sublime shading, smooth and elegant
*Flec stacks fitted into Fassett spaces - wonderful idea
*tangles seem to float over a field of deep black


From Trudi (Woodview, Ontario, Canada) ~

...feeling better this week but I still almost missed the deadline!
Fun Tangles I used shading and just a hint of blue on the Flec. Thank you for the Challenge.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Glad to know you are feeling better!
*Flec covered string line with a hint of blue
*pretty Fassett variation features irregular line spacing


From Shelly (Redwood City, California) ~

I really enjoyed learning these 3 new tangles. Thanks again!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded inner triangles of Fassett
*string loops - one Flec and one striped and sparkled


From Jennifer St. John (San Mateo, California) ~

I had fun integrating this week's tangles with some of my other favorites. Looking forward to next week's challenge.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*dainty lines of fun filled Tupuk
*bold tipped Flec follows the string line


From Cyndee Pelley (Oklahoma) and here on her blog ~

I loved the challenge this week! I always love Lynn Mead's wonderful Fassett, but Ria's Tupuk and Jem Miller's Flec were new to me. I loved them both! I hope the weather in Florida makes more sense than here! We've had both snow and 90's back to back in the last 2 weeks. Now it's just cold and rainy!
I wish you and your readers many blessings! See you next week!

 Tangled Tidbits -
It is rainy but warm here - still trying to will some of this rain over to Felicity in South Africa!
*Flec and Tupuk merge - just beautiful lines and details for Tupuk
*shading and highlights give Flec incredible dimension


From Sharon Fite (California) ~

Thanks for exposure to Tupuk and the repeat on Flec. I love Fassett, one of my go-to tangles. I like making all triangles and drawing the connecting lines all at one time and watching the final imagine appear. I added Tripoli and N'zeppel for good measure. Your Fairy Garden Houses look adorable! Wishing you much success with this latest book!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you!
*layers of fun finishes for Tupuk
*Flec string lines, aura-ed and shaded


This is my tile ~

I began this with a Flec border, then drew Tupuk along the string line. Once I decorated and darkened that, all hope of maintaining the string's original orientation vanished. The grid for Fassett, even though I thought it was large enough, got busy quickly so I left some of the spaces blank and others filled with just a few lines and one holds a bit of Flec.

And now...

the winner of the random drawing...

is...

Karen Herstowski from Atlanta, Georgia!


Congratulations, Karen.
I will email you the information.

Many thanks to everyone for sending in your beautiful tiles, they inspire and motivate the rest of us!

Thank you to the artists whose tangles we used this week ~

Tupuk by Ria Matheussen, CZT

Flec by Jem Miller

Fassett  by Lynn Mead, CZT

Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #240!

Introducing Fairy Garden Houses

Our book is ready!

Dorian Eng, CZT, and I are pleased to announce that the third book in our "Tiny Tangled Houses" series is now available for purchase.

In it you will find detailed instructions, tangle step outs, "Tips for Tangling", colorful examples, and plenty of inspiration to create your own fairy garden houses.

The mushrooms pictured on the covers of the book (photo below) are one of the garden details featured in the book.  Can you guess what they are made from?  I think you will be amazed when you find out!

While our houses are constructed from traditional Zentagle® tiles, these sweet little homes can be made with paper of similar weight. (Templates provided.)

Here is the direct link to order your copy ~ Fairy Garden Houses

We sincerely hope that you enjoy creating these whimsical abodes as much as we do. 💗

Just Days Away...

Ready for some exciting news?!

The newest eBook in "Tiny Tangled House" series will be available in just two days,
Sunday, April 22.

CZT Dorian Eng and I have teamed up to create "Fairy Garden Houses" - a book we truly hope that you will find as charming, whimsical, and inventive as we do.

We have been working on the final edits, tying to contain our excitement, but it is overflowing so I just had to show you a bit of it. 💗

Here is a little sneak peek at the cover ~

I am very partial, but isn't it so dear?!  Inside we have included templates, instructions, step outs, examples - everything you need to create these tiny treasures (and more!) using traditional tiles or the paper of your choice.

I will post more information Sunday, April 22nd.  Until then, have a happy weekend! 

"It's a String Thing" #239

It is Tuesday, your good news day!

Monday's IAST featuring my new tangle Mack just posted today, so if you missed viewing those glorious tiles, click here.

This week's challenge is inspired by CZT Ria Matheussen's latest tangle, Tupuk.  It was featured on the March 2nd post of TanglePatterns (link to follow).

Let's begin with this string ~

IAST #239 String by Adele Bruno, CZT

The tangles we will use include ~

Tupuk by Ria Matheussen, CZT
What fun to use a tangle designed by Ria, a frequent contributor to IAST.  Ria takes time to leave the nicest, encouraging comments on many tangled blogs.  It will be a treat to treat her!

Flec by Jem Miller
This tangle is similar in its inspiration, but different in its nature.  It will compliment Tupuk well.
This is the second time we've used Flec in a challenge, a tangle by IAST VIP, Ragged Ray.

Fassett  by Lynn Mead, CZT
Ria used Fassett in one of her examples, so I thought it would be a good idea to include it here.  It is always a 'fan favorite' - and one of mine, too!

As with all our IAST adventures, simply pencil in the string keeping in mind that it is a suggestion, and let the tangles lead the way.

Enjoy!

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and some or all of the suggested patterns
* 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 for IAST are to be submitted by Saturday evening of the week issued
*Photos, notes, and the 'Tile for Honors' are (usually) posted on the following Monday 

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. 

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.

"It's a String Thing" #238 Tiles

What a fabulous week this was as emails came through every day with spectacular tiles featuring my new tangle Mack.  It is such an incredible perk I am afforded in hosting IAST, isn't it?!
I am one grateful tangler...

The first tile arrived from Western Australia - Di wrote ~

The mornings are starting to feel a little cooler here in Australia - some mornings are not t-shirt weather anymore.
Mack is a fabulous tangle, full of endless combinations of patterns and angles. Upon seeing Mack, it being such a symmetrical pattern, I almost immediately knew I wanted to experiment with negative imaging. I particularly wanted to see how shapes would change when black met black and white met white and I achieved that somewhat, but for that to fully occur I would have had to eliminate the demarcation lines in the diamond shaped centre, and I had already inked them in. It gives me an opportunity to explore more with this pattern in the future.
If I look at this image for too long, I get dizzy.
Adele, do you recognize one of the tangles in the centre section? Your orange tree is still yielding fruit!
Thanks for heaps of fun with Mack.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for that sweet thought!
*striking black and white contrasts
*angled outer lines


From Jane (Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom) ~

Thanks for the preview of your fab new tangle with such a great step out and lots of variations. Your attention to detail is admirable! I will certainly try #mack again as a monotangle as I love to use a wonky grid. This time however I framed it with #shard and added lots of rounding.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Jane.
*remarkable results with rounding
*highlighted frame - as though Shard is under glass - accents Mack beautifully


From Ria Matheussen, CZT (Belgium) ~

Congratulations with your new pattern.
It is a very interesting tangle with lots of possibilities. I used it in a few different ways on this tile with also Mack as a string.
I have chosen for a combination of Mack, Featuring Ribbon and Sea Weed.
Almost I delivered a black/white tile but at the end I couldn't resist to add a little accent of fresh green.
Thanks again Adele for a wonderful challenge that I enjoyed very much.
Warm regards from Belgium

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Ria.
*varying direction and beautiful finishes for Mack
*pretty pops of green, shading, and highlights


From Nor'dzin (Wales, United Kingdom) ~

Thank you for the interesting new tangle. I’m not entirely happy with my tile this week, but here it is anyway. Thank you and good wishes to everyone.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Nor'dzin
*Mack in Mack - how fun!
*spiral provides contrast in color and line



From Baafke (The Netherlands) ~

Congratulations on your beautiful new tangle!
I really enjoyed making this tile.
And I am very curious about all the results.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*radiating grid lines from a center Mack - wonderful wonky-ness!
*string line highlighted in yellow and tangles reach to the edge of the tile


From Shirley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~

Wow! What a super Tangle is ‘Mack’ I love it Adele, there are so many wonderful variations possible,
I can’t wait to see everyone’s Tiles. I have submitted two entries, the second one being the expansion of the tangle I drew.
Thank you so much for your new tangle Adele

Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Shirley.
*tangles in each Mack section move from light to dark and accent the widening lines

*elegant lines, shading, and tangles - so crisp!



From Hilary (Italy) ~

Greetings from sunny Italy! We are staying in Salerno and it really is sunny, such a nice change from what we left in Chicago.
Congratulations on your new pattern! It’s a great one, with so many mesmerizing possibilities. I tried it this way, but I kept thinking about other ways I could be doing it. Those are the best patterns!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Hilary, the Italian sun shines in your tangles.
*beautiful Renaissance tile and coloring
*shading and highlights together add great depth


From Lisette (Switzerland) ~

Thank you so much for your new pattern! Herewith my entry for IAST #238. I had a lot of fun although I usually prefer wavy lines. It’s always a challenge to leave your comfort zone.
Hugs from Switzerland (finally Spring is coming)

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Lisette.
*stunning Mack variation enhanced with orbs and lines
*wonky grid for Mack looks like its lifting off the paper



From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~

This tile is in gold and green, the team colours of the Humboldt Broncos and is in memory of the 16 young lives lost as they were on their way to an ice hockey match in rural Saskatchewan when their bus was hit by a big truck last Friday. Canada is in mourning. Flags are flying at half mast and hockey sticks are being placed in public places and also on front porches of private homes. May their parents, family and friends find the strength to get through this. I can't end this post on such a somber note. The catkins are for the first little fuzzy "flowers" of spring. The lilacs have buds and the green leaves of the tulips and daffodils are popping up. I like your tangle Adele, but I did find it needed a lot of concentration. The string is a bit hidden, but I did start off with it.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for the mention and tribute those lost in the terrible tragedy.
*large dark center spaces for Mack
*colorful surrounding tangles compliment Mack


From Ilse Lukken (The Netherlands) and here on her blog ~

Somehow I didn’t participate in your challenge for a while, but I’m back :-)
Mack was quite a discovery ;-) and it inspirerend me to add patterns that also have straight lines and black little squares.
The combination with Flukes and Capeangle is maybe a little dizzying ;-) but I like the result, which is on my blog as well

 Tangled Tidbits -
Welcome back, Isle!
*line thickness, direction, spacing - all wonderfully changing from grid section to grid section
*shading accents angles


From Lynn G (Florida) ~

Absolutely love Mack! I trimmed with some Mehndi.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Lynn.
*so many glorious details and accents for Mack and beautiful Mehndi
*three small corner Mack



From Mariam G (Port Hueneme, California) ~

I love your new tangle 'Mack'. So much fun to play with that I rather lost control of it all! Can't wait to incorporate it into more scenarios. Thank you for the pattern and for the challenge. Oh, and happy Friday the 13th!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Mariam.
*lined, lightly penciled, and boldly penned sections of Mack
*Mack border direction flows from the upper left corner


From Susie (Thailand) ~

I love that new tangle of yours. I instantly had to try it out in a wonky grid, partial, overlapping, with a different kind of stroke....and then I realized, I forgot to draw the real Mack. I promise (! cross my heart and hope to die!) I will do so on a later tile. So attached my packaging Mack monotile.
Thanks for this wonderful challenge, Adele, and Mack!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Susie - as the host on an old television show used to say, "Will the real Mack please stand up?"
*Mack variations shine with highlights and golden hues
*wonderful deep black sections


From Jutta Gladnigg, CZT (NRW, Germany) ~

Thank you, Adele, for introducing us to ‚Mack‘, a new member of your great pattern family!
My tile this week remains unshaded, nevertheless at close sight there are different 3D-perspectives to be recognized.
I was inspired to this by the latest art exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, “Pictures without Shadows“.
As explained there the paintings do not have shadows because what they show is independent of the real world and has an existence of its own.
Those pictures represent a state beyond time.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Jutta.
*cheerful colors mixed with white and black spaces - love that inspiration
*larger, independent triangles mix with large and small Mack



From Laurel Davis, CZT (New York) ~

Congratulations on designing this fabulous new tangle! I love grid designs and this one is so bold and dramatic. What fun!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you Laurel - this looks like fun!
*bold and colorful Mack - lovely contrast of color against black and white
*larger Mack divided by random lines - very dramatic


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

The black and white tile is way too busy, so I decided to try another. I’m not sure I like it. Before I shaded it, it was OK, then I kept darkening the shading a little at a time, then was too dark so I added a touch of white. EH!!
Oh well, always next week...

Tangled Tidbits - 

*three pretty variations of Mack - can't even pick a favorite!

*open triangles give the illusion that the vertical lines of Mack tuck under the horizontal ones

From Lin H, CZT (Florida) ~

Adele, I love your new tangle pattern, Mack. Was fun embellishing it with other tangles like Barberpole by Suzanne McNeill, plus an original pattern Emingle and some orbs. Thanks for sharing Mack!

Tangled Tidbits - 

Thank you, Lin.

*bold, elegant, beautifully embellished Mack

*softly blended shading

From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~

Mack is a wonderful pattern. I enjoyed to play with it and so I drew three versions. I send you the second one, the two others you can find on my blog...
Thank you very much for this interesting challenge!
Best wishes from Germany

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Margarete.
*pretty tangles fill Mack spaces
*clusters of smaller, embellished Mack in each of the string's sections


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~

I really enjoyed working with your new tangle/fragment. I’ve been playing with fragments a bit lately so the timing was perfect.
A happy birthday to your brother! It’s a great honor to have a tangle named for you.
Sending warm wishes your way!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Jody.
*highlighted penciled Mack border frames the center grid - so dimensional!
*grid of bold Mack with larger single Mack center


From Jane (Boulder, Colorado) ~

A very simple version of IAST #238 with your very fun, very dimensional Mack...the striped kind below and and the inked kind above...and that's about it--:)
...Thanks for everything zentangly, always!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*shading add dimension along the long lines
*airy lined Mack


From Cyndee Pelley (Oklahoma) and here on her blog ~

Thanks for another great challenge! I thoroughly enjoyed playing with Mack! When playing with wonky grid I couldn't find a solution that pleased me, however when doing my tile I had a true Zentangle moment with a mistake. Because I kept drawing, reminding myself of the "no mistakes, only opportunities" rule. I know this rule but internally I still make "mistakes". Yesterday, after the "opportunity", I forged on and behold as I worked, the opportunity presented itself. I swear, my adrenaline spiked when I realized the perfect solution was there. A true opportunity. What a moment for me! Mack is a great Tangle and I can't wait to use it as I move forward!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for that wonderful reminder, Cyndee!
*tangle filled lines of Mack
*golden tangles glow with highlights

*blue layer of Mack rises over the embellished Mack below

*wonderful shading, overlapping, color, and highlights

From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~

You have hit a new tangle design pinnacle with Mack!! I LOVE THIS TANGLE !!!
This was a real challenge. When I did it straight I got it fairly quickly, BUT when I decided to do it on a wonky grid, that was a different story. It was so difficult to keep track of the pattern components. Took me several attempts to begin to see what was before me without getting confused. Grids are not the easiest patterns for me. There are still incongruities in the pattern. It was so much fun.
Love the way it turned out. I used a pattern on the upper center called Diskbee by Beate Wilkinson which is a great filler. The lobes in the left triad, are a pattern of mine that I use often. It is similar to something I saw Rick Roberts do in a tutorial a while ago. They remind me of slightly filled balloons. It is not an official Zentangle pattern but I refer to it as “Balloonies”.
Thanks so much for such a challenging and very engaging pattern.
You have so much talent!!

Tangled Tidbits - 

Thank you, Karen.  Balloonies come alive with color and shading, don't they?  

*wonky and wonderful Mack - in brown and black (Looks like a minty confection, doesn't it?!)

*silvery shading ties the string sections together, not to mention the corner details

From Tabitha Bedoukian (Montreal, Canada) ~

Lovely new tangle. I look forward to trying it out in it's more "regular" form! I'm not really a straight line kind of girl, so I tried to make sure that at least some of them remained straight. ;) I used the tangles Jalousie, Florez tangleation, headlines, Olé and Eddy/Henna Drum combo.
As a ballroom dancer, I also enjoyed your reference to the Waltz, which is still one of my favourite dances. I have always thought of the waltz as a curvaceous dance, but you have shown me otherwise. In the basic step, we create a box in our steps, and this is definitely a "box" tangle! Bonus! :D
I enjoyed this one. Thank you for all you do!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Oooh!  Thank you for that waltz connection, Tabitha.
*beautiful tangles mirror in the smaller string sections
*fancy tangles fill the larger string section
*wavy border makes an elegant frame


From Renee (Austin, Texas) ~

Well - Mack and I tangled but I am not sure who won. This is my first time back for a String Thing Challenge in many months. I have missed it.

 Tangled Tidbits -
And we've missed you - thank you for the smile, we'll declare you the winner!
*pleasing balance of size, color, black and white
*dot and dash aura


From Sra (India) ~

Here’s my entry for the week.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*four large Mack filled with tangles, pretty blues and greys
*lovely shading on perfs and throughout


From Sharon Fite (California) ~

Fun with Mack! So much so, I needed two tiles. As I was working on the first tile, I wanted to get out my striped fabric, cut it up, and re-sew into lots of triangles and then squares. As I was working hard on keeping those lines straight, I began wondering what Mack would look like with intentional wavy lines. So the second tile has a wavy Mack variation, along with Diva Dance and Squid. That's when you know you've got a really good tangle -- adaptability in lots of formats. Thanks for the inspiration, Adele!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Sharon.
*multiple variations of Mack - a Mack quilt!
*shading in select elements adds emphasis

*wonderfully wavy Mack flows effortlessly into neighboring tangles


A very warm welcome to ARHuelsenbeck from Arizona ~

Hi, Adele! Here’s my offering for this week’s challenge. I did a straight set in order to get good practice on the tangle. Lovely pattern, but by the time I got to the shading stage, my eyes were about done in! Kind of a kaleidoscopic effect. Reminds me of quilt blocks pieced out of two different striped fabrics. Hmm. Now I want to make that quilt…

 Tangled Tidbits -
You will have to meet up with Sharon and quilt!
*mesmerizing, detailed grid of Mack
*shading adds wonderful depth
I found a spot where your name fit on our Tangled Map - welcome to the IAST community!

From Verena (Germany) ~

Really enjoy your new tangle. It is so wonderful and really relaxing. It is like meditation by doing the single lines....one, two, tree.... Mack will be in my top ten tangles.
Best wishes from very Sunny Germany.

 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you so much Verena.
*captivating juxtaposition of lined, large and small Mack
*each Mack shaded to accent a different element


From Sharyn Penna, CZT (Massachusetts) ~

A few years ago my brother passed away ... his nickname among his friends was Mac. Your tangle warms my heart!!!
I used Mack as a fractal in a single orientation throughout the tile. I dressed it with perks; added Knightsbridge; gave a curved grid to the large section. This is one versatile tangle who promises vast interpretations!
I can see it as a celebration of patriotism... red, white, blue ... so it’s appropriate that Mack was presented this week! Monday is Boston’s state holiday, Patriot’s Day (Paul Revere’s Ride) marked by the annual Boston Marathon which has become a worldwide symbol of physical and spiritual resilience.
So, cheers to you, and to all that is good ... Mack lends strength this tangled world!

 Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, cheers to all that is good - thank you for that, Sharyn.  I will always remember your brother and mine when I draw this now.
*fabulous fragments accented with orbs and squares
*curved, bold lined fragments look like a standing stack of Mack


From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~

I hope this is a case of better late than never! Not as much time as I would have liked this week. But getting to know Mack has been a joy. Such calming precision in those lines. I need to know Mack better before I start wild variations. So a simple tile - with a main section of basic Mack, with one Cubine moment, and then a band of Beadlined Mack. A wild application of graphite. And there we are. I hope you like it! And I can't wait to see where others take it to!

Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Jem.
*breathtaking beauty of line and shading
*rounding of the lines on the outer rims - an incredible enhancing of the tangle



From Sue Agnew (Tucson, Arizona) ~

My sister has been here visiting and time got away from us this weekend, so I know I'm past the deadline, but I couldn't miss sending you a tile with Mack. How funny is it that last week (knowing you were working on a new tangle but not knowing anything about it) I sent you a scan of a table runner at Crate & Barrel that's made up of squares subdivided into twos, threes, and fours. Mack takes a different approach than the Crate & Barrel design, but the beginning thought is the same. My sister and I did go to the nearby Crate & Barrel store and found both a pillow and a napkin with that pattern, but still couldn't determine the motifs' repeat (and the sales associate thought we were nuts). The thing I like about Mack is it's folded-ness (like a pocket square), so I tried to retain that, rather than mirroring the fragments which creates an "op" effect.
Congratulations on your new tangle!

Thank you Sue, it was a happy coincidence.

Here is the photo Sue sent of the pattern referred to in her note ~ quite a beautiful pattern, isn't it?

 Tangled Tidbits -
*...and those fragments fill in a line space
*sparkled lines and detail lines


From Gabi (Germany) ~

Thanks for that challenge and the new pattern :))
I don’t like grid patterns and so my first thought was: what a f.... ascinating pattern.
But surprise: so logical and easy in construction and a nice by-the-way 3D-effect so I did the pattern without any variations. Made three different versions but this is my favourite one (posted the others at Instagram).
Sunny greetings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits - 

So very happy to know that Mack won you over.

*bold and beautifully shaded Mack

*sparkled Printemps with a dotted reverse under the clever curls

Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic responses to Mack - my heart is full. 

Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #239!