Tangle a Lampshade?!

Yes, here is more proof that "no surface is safe". 

Years ago, on a visit back home to the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, I purchased a wrought iron table lamp.  It is a smaller version of a floor lamp designed to hold baskets. I hang decorations from it throughout the year and ornaments at Christmastime. 

Searching for a unique way to display my tiles for the CZT®Seminar in Providence last year, I decided to use this lamp.  It had a plain white shade - a perfect canvas for some tangling!

Here are the particulars:

I used a Sharpie extra fine point PAINT marker and once again -  Sandy Bartholmew's book Totally Tangled for inspiration.

Starting from the top band, I used different border patterns and then began in the body of the lampshade.  

As you can see in this picture, I spaced my patterns around the shade leaving room between them.  Once I was satisfied with the amount of 'flowers', I added a few more details to each until the spaces were filled in. 

I found that I had to use a light hand with the Sharpie, careful not to let the pen tip rest on the fabric for too long, or the lines would be too thick for my liking.

I repeated these steps for the bottom band and body of the lampshade. 

I then used a tiny hole punch on my tiles and threaded black ribbon, tied a loop, and hung them on the lamp.  Here is the final result:

Maybe you have a dreary lampshade that could use some sprucing up - give it a new life with some tangles!

 

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Illustration:Adele Bruno, CZT  Paper: 6"x 5.75" Bristol   Pen: Micron 03, 01  Tangle Pattern: Featherfall, Carole Ohl, CZT

This quote made me sigh - I love it!

And couldn't I substitute the word Zentangle® with the word Art and have the same affect?  Yes!  And thus my illustration (pictured above):

The ordinary - namely the elemental stroke that forms the loop on the letter 'y', 

becomes the extraordinary - Featherfall, by Carole Ohl, CZT.

Thank you Rick and Maria, and thank you Carol for the inspiration.  I am grateful to be able to spread the joy!

"It's a String Thing" #5

Tuesday is your good news day!

Sandy Hart, CZT® created this week's string - Tangle Patterns String 006. 

When Sandy first submitted her string to Linda Farmer at Tangle Patterns she wrote, “I love the idea of using other people’s strings… I ask other people to string my tiles sometimes, because mine don’t vary all that much.”

That is a wonderful idea - and Sandy will string our tiles this week!  As a tribute to her, we will use patterns that begin with the letter "H" for Hart.

Once you look over the possibilities on TanglePatterns.com, I think you will be very energized to give this a go.  There is a wealth of tangles under the "H" tab:  Hollibaugh, Huggins, Hurry, Heartvine, High Cs, Hypnotic - just to name a few.

Use String 006 and tangles that begin with the letter "H" and have fun.

If this is your first visit, welcome!  If you are new to Zentangle®, welcome! 

This exercise is for beginner and seasoned tanglers alike.  Use it as an excuse to keep up with your art work, take time for yourself, learn new patterns, share your talent...you get the idea! 

 Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines:

     * Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.          

     *Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin    

                  with the letter(s) indicated                 

     *Work must be completed on Zentangle tiles or on your 3.5" x 3.5" paper      

     * Submit a photo of your tile saved as jpg or         

                  scan your tile (300 dpi) and save as a jpg    

     *Email your jpg file as an attachment to -  brunoadelem@gmail.com    

     *Entries are to be submitted by Saturday evenings     

     *Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays.       

Send in your photos - you never know who you will inspire!

I look forward to your emails. 

"It's a String Thing" #4 Tiles

Oh my goodness, do I have some beautiful tiles to show you.
This weeks' entries came from Montana to South Africa and a few points in between.  It is fascinating that each tile began with the same string line and yet the finished tiles are so delightfully different.

This first tile is from Vicky Brison in Montana. 

 

Notice the way she used Squid starting at the edge of her tile and reaching into the upper corners of her string lines.

 

Vicky just found out about the "It's a String Thing" challenge, and she worked on the previous three as well. They were just too pretty to keep to myself: 

 

Vicky's "It's a String Thing" #1 tile

Vicky's "It's a String Thing" # 2 tile

Vicky's "It's a String Thing" #3 tile
Welcome Vicky - and thank you for sharing your beautiful pieces.

This is the first time ever that Jacqueline Becker from Seattle submitted a tile for challenge.  I can imagine that her work will inspire many tangle enthusiasts out there to do the same.  

She said, "I love sitting by the open window and putting pen to paper. It is so relaxing and peaceful."  It makes her very creative, too!  Thank you for the beautiful tile.

Mindy (of String thing #2 fame) sent in two striking pieces.  Here is the first one:

She used a beautiful selection of tangles.  Notice too, that Mindy adds the nicest touch of shading with a grey marker.

Here is her second tile:

Mindy's wispy lines of Scrolled Feather are so elegant - just beautiful!

This tile was submitted by Carmen Hoffman in Iowa.  She used such a pretty collection of patterns.  This is the first time she has emailed and entry on line and I am grateful that it was for "It's a String Thing".  Your tile is lovely Carmen.

Deanna Spence is back - and this time she added a swatch of color that makes this tile pop.  Her lines and shading on Sand Swirl make it look as though they are in constant motion - gorgeous!

And the tile for this week's honors comes all the way from South Africa:

It was created by Brenda Urbanik.  Brenda is self taught in Zentangle® having no CZT™ in her area.   She has been learning as many patterns as she can before attending the CZT Seminar in November.  Soon she will be spreading the Zentangle joy in her part of the world.  Congratulations, Brenda!   Please email your address to me and I will get a special little something in the mail to you.

Check back tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #5 -  Yay!

 

Fun with Floatfest

I stumbled upon the tangle pattern Floatfest by Carole Ohl, CZT sometime last year.  It remains one of my favorite.  It has the element of cleverness that makes it feel like magic when it all comes together.

Carole Ohl's blog is called Open Seed Arts.  Her work is really lovely.  You may know her as the author of the Tangle-a-Day Calendars and she has them available on her website.

On to the pattern - here are my initial notes about Floatfest as I learned the tangle:

The absolute key to this - when adding arcs - is to 'piggy back' from the previous one.  Sounds simple, but I created quite a tangled mess when I didn't do that :)

 

 On a long flight recently, I had time to play around with this tangle and had fun thinking of variations on the theme.  What if the top of each arc looked a bit like folded ribbon? 

What if the top of each arc was a bit different shape like this?

Or this?

Or this?

 

When I demonstrated this tangle at a recent open studio, Mindy (of 'It's a String Thing" #2 fame!) suggested that the original design could be kept and still have the effect of a fold:

My head is still swimming with possibilities!  Here are a few tiles of mine using some creative license:

I liked how the ribbon effect works on this.  Shading in Hollibaugh fashion added depth.

 

This one is my favorite:

 

For this I combined Carole's Floatfest with Sandy Bartholomew's Pearlz.

 

Many thanks to Carole Ohl, CZT for such a magical tangle pattern!

 

Blog Housekeeping

 

Time for a little blog housekeeping and just like my own housework - I avoid it until it's absolutely necessary!

 

Many of you have written to say that you are unable to leave a comment after reading a post.  The comments disappear after the message is typed and you hit the 'submit' button. 

 

Google blogger says that they are aware of the problem and are working to remedy it. 

 

My apologies for any inconvenience. 

 

In the meantime you can contact me via email.  On the right side of my blog page, under the "It's a Sting Thing" badge, there is place provided to send an email.   Please feel free to use that any time.  I love getting mail. 

 

Hopefully blogger will figure out this problem soon. 

 

Coming tomorrow:  A study on Carole Ohl's pattern Float Fest.  You'll love it!

 

If you haven't finished your "It's a String Thing" #4 tile yet, there is still time.  Keep tangling!

 

 

 

 



 

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Pablo Picasso provides the wisdom for this Wednesday too.

While planning and preparing for our daughter Catherine's twenty-first birthday, I became a bit introspective.  I thought of the time as it passes so quickly, the privilege of parenting - especially such a remarkable girl - the preciousness of life, and I was reminded of this quote and how it influenced my outlook on life at an early age.

I read it for the first time in my first high school art class.  My teacher Sr. Helen David, an extraordinary artist, would occasionally write and illustrate hand-outs for our class.  Oh!  I remember them so well.  She used a mimeograph machine to make the copies and I can still smell that purple ink!  Her art work on the pages captivated me, she illustrated as effortlessly as she printed.

One week Sister wrote about Pablo Picasso and included the quote written above on my illustration.

As an impressionable teenager, those words swirled in my mind and stuck in my heart.  They were sweet, simple, true.  I remember thinking that if something as common as taking a bath and remaining whole was a miracle, then everything about this life we live is truly miraculous. 

And indeed it is. 

I resolved then to be especially appreciative of the gift of each day and the blessings in it. 

Part of the Zentangle® experience involves appreciation - everything from the materials, to the method, to the time and space.   It appeals to me, and to my fellow tangle enthusiasts I'm sure, for that reason. 

Take a bit of time today for yourself and tangle.  Relax, enjoy, and appreciate. 

Take a nice warm bath and be grateful you don't melt!