Tips For Tangling 63Y

One of the three tangles used in last week's "It's a String Thing" #122 was CZT Hsin-Ya Hsu's 63Y.
For many of us, it proved to be quite challenging.
In looking over the original step outs, I've come with an alternative as well as a few
Tips for Tangling ~

Be sure to visit Hsin-Ya Hsu's original step out on TanglePatterns - click here to view.  She includes some beautiful ways to embellish the tangle.

Just last week, this kitchen was featured on the Houzz website - click here to view the full story.

                  

Contemporary Kitchen by London Architects & Building Designers Trevor Brown Architect


The back splash is tiled.  The author describes the tile as "kite shaped" - isn't that interesting?

Enjoy mastering this unique pattern!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Revisited

Perhaps the best 

Yuletide decoration 

is being wreathed in smiles. 

                                                                       ~Author Unknown

Tangled Ornament by Sindy P, CZT

This gift from my friend Sindy made me smile.  

She bought this tin ornament already painted and added tangles to the white areas.  Isn't it beautiful?

It is also a wonderful idea to pass along.  Use a ready-made decoration and add a touch of tangles to and create a one-of-a-kind gift.

Thank you Sindy P!



First published December, 2014.

"It's a String Thing" #123

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

We begin this week with TanglePatterns String 123 by Kim English ~

Copyrighted image used with permission by TanglePatterns.com 

With the Holidays upon us, we will keep it simple this week with just two patterns:

Daviso by Katie Crommett, CZT   This pattern is reminiscent of a Star of David - very appropriate for the season.

Holiday Ornaments by Suzanne McNeill, CZT  A wonderful tangle to "deck the halls".  

Step outs for these patterns can be found by clicking on their names or by visiting TanglePatterns.

Simply pencil the string line onto your tile and tangle away! Keep in mind that string lines are suggestions and let the patterns lead the way.

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin or contain the letter(s) indicated
* 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.
*Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays. 

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" #122 Tiles

Our tree themed #121 challenge continued on this week with the evergreen inspired tangle Verdigogh by Maria Thomas.
We paired it with two other patterns that both shared a 'Y' in their step out.

Some participants reported that 63Y was especially challenging.   

On Thursday I will post "Tips for Tangling 63Y".  

I've come up with an alternative step out and I am confident it will make drawing the pattern much more 'zen' like to draw. 

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

The first arrived from Bhamathi (Bangalore, India) and here on her blog ~

Thanks for another fun to do challenge. It was 30 minutes of pure bliss!!
I had never done Kuke before but its a easy-to-remember tangle. I had given up on doing 63Y. I never get it right, so I decided to do just one of it!
I have used colors again and this time some glitter too. But I could not get the glitter to show up in the photo clearly.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*63Y filled Verdigogh circle

*multiple, colorful Kuke

It is good to have both photos to see the lovely sheen of the glitter.

This is my tile ~

I began with a single Verdigogh branch fully intending to add more along the string line.  Once it was completed, I changed my mind and let it stand alone.  My lines for 63Y followed the curve of the string and one large Kuke filled in the circle.

From Sarah (Michigan) and Teigr the corgi at hungrycorgistudio ~

Here is my entry for this week. We could choose three tangles, but I chose just one. I stayed in the string too!
I'm beginning to understand tangling and ability to do certain things. I'm not multi-dimensional, will never contort a tangle or make it 'shine' the way others do, but my flat, well loved tangles tell the story of someone who loves the art of it and that is beautiful in itself.
I do get discouraged and wish sometimes I could do what others do, but what we each do brings something beautiful to the table. Maybe just a curve in a line, maybe a drop shadow. Seeing what we do together is a really enjoyable and lovely.
Thanks,

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty aura and shading
*varied line weight
Sarah's sentiments are beautifully stated.  They echo the Bijou-isms that Rick and Maria are publishing for the 12 days of Christmas on the Zentangle® blog.  They are very good reading and wonderful reminders of the magic and joy of Zentangle - www.zentangle.blogspot.com


From CZT Lucy Banta (New Jersey) ~

Hope you're enjoying the Christmas season! Here's my tile for the week.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*pretty stack of Kuke

*sparkled berries throughout

From Michele Wynne (California) -

Here's challenge #122 and what a challenge it was! "63Y" vexed me to no end but I persevered. I went back and looked at Linda Farmer's tip of using a zig-zag within the diamonds. It was the key to unlocking this for me.
Once I started the tile though "Verdigogh" had other ideas;-) I wrote a bit about it here on my blog.
Thanks again for another challenging challenge!

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Kuke and 63Y filled circles

*lovely layers of Verdigogh

From Cathy Cusson ~

I kept it very simple as everything else is quite hectic! My classroom is buzzing with Christmas art and projects! So I needed very simple and relaxing.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*simple, relaxing, and elegant
*aura-ed Verdigogh


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

Nice strings, nice patterns!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*a pop of Kuke in the corner
*shading and sparkled berries of Verdigogh


From Hilary Merola  (Chicago, Illinois) ~

My first attempt was cluttered and chaotic, so I went for something a bit less busy. Naturally I think it's a little too opened and airy, but I still like how it turned out! Kuke and 63Y were both new to me, but I plan on using them a lot.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Pokeroot-like tips of Verdigogh
*wonderful Kuke flowers

From smgg (Tiawan) ~

Have a nice day!!

Tangled Tidbits -
*multiple variations of 63Y
*Verdigogh tipped with Kuke


From Anita A Westin (Dalarna, Sweden) ~

First of all: What a lovely string! I will use it more than one time! I´ve not tried Kuke before. I liked it and wanted to keep it in focus, so I left the gridpattern behind! This is what came out. With a little web instead.

Tangled Tidbits -
*clever take on 63Y
*Verdigogh string line with Kuke orbs


From Joan Delony, CZT (Florida) ~

I am attending a 3 day glass workshop and couldn't sleep because my brain is buzzing with ideas. Tangling helped me focus and relax so I could finally get some sleep before my brain starts whirring again.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*wispy Verdigogh
*dark, sparkled ribbon - an elegant hanger for a Kuke ornament


From Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) ~

I almost had a meltdown when I saw this!!! (63-Y. Does it every time.) But I pulled my zentangle self together instead. I think I pulled off the 63-Y, but mostly by drawing rather than repeated steps :( Thanks for a fun challenge and your hilarious Words of Wisdom!

Tangled Tidbits -
*three variations of 63Y
*layers of Verdigogh looked plucked from a tree


From Kate (United Kingdom) -

My contribution to this week's challenge, looking forward to seeing how
everyone's done!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Verdigogh berries repeat in Kuke
*fabulous 63Y

From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) -

Here is my tile for this week's challenge. Thanks for the fun!

Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded string line adds a layered look
*Kuke repeats in 63Y - very clever

From Wanda Amorose (Chesapeake, Virginia) -

This is my attempt at #122. It seems the busier I am during the week, the busier my tangle turns out. As I always say, life long learning, and loving it!! The countdown to Christmas certainly in full force!!

Tangled Tidbits -
*mulit-colored Verdigogh
*a burst of Verdigogh from the string's circle


From Karin (Germany) -

I already knew “Verdigogh” and I think it keeps the Christmas Spirit alive as you intended.
I wanted to tangle 63y ​ as a Background to the branches of Verdigogh but at the end there was no place left. Very sad. Too much Kuke
Greetings from Germany!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Kuke border - what a great idea!
*shaded string line with Verdigogh sprigs throughout


From Becky Welty (North Carolina) -

When I saw the tangles we were supposed to use, I immediately thought of a Christmas tree, ornaments, and snow. Happy Holidays everyone!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful 63Y 'snowflakes'
*colorful Kuke ornaments


From Jessie Plouffe (Connecticut) -

Here is my submission for this week. I decided to use the shading mostly as a third tone, rather than to add dimension.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Kuke pops with the shaded spaces
*Verdigogh peeks from behind the string line


From Karina L'Estrelle (Perth, Australia) -

I found Verdigogh difficult to draw but loved this challenge.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*contrasting large and small 63Y with Kuke loops in the larger one
*string circle of Verdigogh


From Susan Theron (South Africa) -

I loved this challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely flower-like variation of 63Y
*overlapping Verdigogh


From Elisa (Paris, France) -

Here's my tile for challenge 122. I had fun letting each tangle kind of melt into its neighbor. All patterns were new to me. I enjoyed Kuke and 63Y and will certainly play with them again!

Tangled Tidbits -
*neighboring tangles "melt" into each other - a very lovely description
*four gorgeous variations of 63Y


From Deepti (India) ~

Thank you for your comments on my Christmas tree using Aquafleur. It was a delight to see the other entries as well.
Attached with this email is my attempt at this week's It's a string thing. I do realize that I am two days too late.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous use of Tipple
*Pokeroot tips for Verdigogh


And now... the tile for honors this week...was sent in by ~
Joanne Faherty from The United Kingdom!

Jaonne wrote ~

Hi Adele, loved this weeks its a string thing. I already knew verdigogh and kuke, so that left my to learn 63Y , it took a while to get my head around this but followed the alternative step outs doing zigzag for the 'Y' part and then joining it up. Still a bit wonky but better :) then the little black pearls sneaked in all over the place. I like this tile though 

Tangled Tidbits -
*feathery look for Verdigogh
*four orbs of Kuke feature four variations
*back drop of 63Y
*black sparkled berries of Verdigogh spill over to the rest of the tile
*sublime shading

Congratulations, Joanne!  I have a little something coming in the mail for you.


Many thanks to the artists who sent in their beautiful tiles this week.  I know that this is a very busy time of year and am happy to read that this challenge provided a much needed break - an excuse to slow down and enjoy some creative time.

Special thanks to the artists behind the patterns we enjoyed using along with my string ~

Verdigogh by Zentangle® co-founder Maria Thomas

Kuke by CZT Katy Abbott

63Y by CZT Hsin-Ya Hsu

Stop back tomorrow afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #123!

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom Revisited

...and a little ZIA love...

ZIA Snowman Ornament, Adele Bruno, CZT

This cute little guy is the ornament I made for my husband this year.  I have given him an ornament for most of the thirty Christmases that we've been together.  Some have been purchased, but most of them I have made - each one capturing something sentimental about the previous year.

This year I've combined two things:  my love of all things Zentangle® and a sentiment that made me laugh out loud when I read it.

While shopping this past week, I came across a plaque that pictured a wilting snowman and these witty and charmingly universal words:

It's not an official family gathering until someone has a melt down.

Isn't that so true?!  Picture little ones up to their ears in wrapping paper - exhausted, removed from their usual routine.  Or newlyweds trying to satisfy each side of the family while clinging to time for themselves.  Moms cooking, baking, and entertaining.  Dads being forced to read directions and assemble toys large and small. It's inevitable - someone is bound to have a meltdown.

Reading this just put my whole holiday is perspective and put a smile on my face. Christmas will be Christmas and  for the happiest of reasons - that we are together in proximity or in spirit, that we give simply for the joy it brings, that we take time to tell our friends and family we love them and we care, that our hearts are full of the gratitude, joy, and peace because of Christ's birth.

So bring on the cookies and the carols, the presents and the parties, the shopping and the shipping, the memories and yes, the meltdowns! 

ENJOY!

Project particulars:

Purchased unfinished 2.5" wooden snowman

Acrylic paint - white, grey, red

Gelly Roll white pen

Sakura Identi-Pen

Originally posted December, 2013.

"It's a String Thing" #122

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

We begin this 122nd challenge with TanglePatterns String 122.  It happens to be one of mine and I thank Linda Farmer for publishing it on her site:

This week's tangles include:

Verdigogh by Zentangle® co-founder Maria Thomas
As a carry over from last week's tree theme, this evergreen inspired tangle will keep us in the Christmas spirit.

Kuke by CZT Katy Abbott
The circle of this string is just begging for a tangle this pretty.  Then again, it can blossom in any space.  It will be fun to see where it shines on each tile.

63Y by CZT Hsin-Ya Hsu
In my search for a grid based pattern to compliment Verdigogh and Kuke, this looked very appealing.

Use as many or as few of these tangles as you wish.

Simply pencil the string line onto your tile and tangle away! Keep in mind that string lines are suggestions and let the patterns lead the way.

Here are the (Not so) Official Guidelines: 
* Challenges are posted on Tuesdays.
*Use the string posted for the week and patterns that begin or contain the letter(s) indicated
* 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.
*Photos and 'Best of Show' are posted on Mondays. 

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" #121 Tiles

This week we tangled our way into the Christmas spirit with a triangular shaped string and filled it with Maria Thomas' elegant Auqafleur pattern.

Grab a cup of cheer and enjoy these festive tiles from around the world.

The first arrived from CZT Joan Delony (Florida) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*beautiful contrast between the thick, black lines and thinner red detail lines
*delicate touches added in sparkle, shading, and dots


From Sarah at hungarycorgistudio (Michigan) ~

Hope I did this half way decent! It's a lot to fit into a tree! It was great practice and is an amazing tangle. Thanks! 

and a few days later...

Just thought I'd 'give' you a tree I'd been practicing on on a dreary day. The green was fun.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*aura-ed spaces between lines of Aquafleur

*pretty green paper on one and green marker on the other

From smgg (Taiwan) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*variety of line embellishments - sparkle, stipple, dots

*soft shading

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

My tree looks quite simple, but nice to me :-)
I'm curious what other tanglers created!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*consistent tangle variation yields a gorgeous tree
*shaded background makes the white spaces pop


From Bhamathi (Bangalore, India) and here on her blog ~

Thanks for another fun challenge! This week has all been about monotangle trees. CZT Dilip Patel who is my teacher happened to host the Guest challenge on Diva's blog. It too was to create a monotangle tree..
Lovely coincidence right!! :)
Coming to my tile, I started off and drew the Aquafleur. But felt like using some color. And then before I knew it, my whole tree was colored.. And its not a monotangle tile either.. I ended up adding some Ahh, CO2 , Diva dance to make it more festive.. Also a letter 'S' border..
I got carried away and you can't blame me!!

I do love when that happens :)

 Tangled Tidbits -
*white sparkle shows up beautifully against the greens
*colors add to the festive feel


From Kathi (New Jersey) ~

I am not sure my Aquafleurs quite make the grade, but the result is festive, none the less!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Aquafleur "makes the grade" because you tangled it :)
*pops of Printemps ornaments


A very warm welcome to Hilary Merola (Chicago, Illinois) ~

...Up until this past July I never even knew what a Zentangle was. But thanks to you and so many others, I've been learning and practicing.
I know my work and my photography isn't the same quality as what I see in your weekly challenge. But I'm sending it to you anyway, just as a thank you for all the inspiration you provide.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season...

Kudos to you for joining in!  We all learn from each other and I am sure you are inspiring many tanglers to do the same.

 Tangled Tidbits -
* perfs decorate Aquafleur lines
*shading unites the individual tangles


From Joanne Faherty (United Kingdom) ~

I love aquafleur but it doesn't come out as pretty as carole's one I can see how that has been stuck in your head its beautiful. This is my second try this week wasnt to happy with how the first came out. I like this one esp with the touches of gold gel pen 

 Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous take on the string - left as white space with an Aqufleur background
*lovely touches of gold


From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) ~

Here is my tile for this week's challenge. I had never tried Aquafleur before. I really love the tangle, although I think mine looks more like peppermint candies. But that's fitting for the season so it all works out.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*Tippled back drop for Aquafleur
*wispy lines soften the edges


From Kate (United Kingdom) ~

My contribution to this weeks tangle challenge - I've added red and a
touch of silver to give a more festive touch!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*swirling Auquafleur
*pretty shading and red perfs


A very warm welcome to Deepti Jois (Bangalore, India) ~

I saw your challenge posted by Bhamathi Pai on the Zentangle India Facebook page.

Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely layering of the tangle
*an Aquafleur package under the tree


From Victoria (St. Petersburg, Russia) and here on her blog ~

Challenge on this week appeared to me complicated. I dearly love Aquafleur...
But a lot of this pattern in the sizes of the tiles, and even in the triangle - it's very small and hard work.
It's late, I realized that it was better to take a large sheet of paper.
In general, turned, in my opinion, very "heavy" picture.
I draw the tree first, and then decided to make the night sky around, but I turned fireworks :)

 Tangled Tidbits -
*mesmerizing orb filled spaces of Aquafleur
*superb sparkle throughout


From Cathy Cusson ~

I was not sure I could use aquafleur as a “filler”, but I loved doing it!! This is something i will try again (and again). So neat to use a tangle in a way that is not something I am used to.

Tangled Tidbits - 

*green sparkled Aquafleur
*softness added with just a touch of shading

From Sara Belmont-Kleingeld (Western Australia) ~

This was a quick and easy one so I did two!

 Tangled Tidbits -
*elegant simplicity in both variations
*shading adds roundness


From Karin (Germany) ~

this is my entry to challenge no. 121!
I really like “Aquafleur”! I had not used it more then once per tile but it was absolutely amazing how this tile developed…
To be on the safe side I took a picture in black and white before colouring the pattern because I didn´t know if I would like colours… but I do!
I wish you a homely second sunday of Advent!
Greetings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits - 

*a wonderful opportunity to see progression in a tangle
* fine lines and color make the tangle shine

From Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) ~

Happy Saturday! "Work on Aquafleur" was on the top of this week's to-do list. I knew I needed a lot of practice in order to make a Christmas tree with it! Well, as you can see, I never got to practice! Instead, I dove right in this morning, not wanting to leave a string thing hanging! I promise you I'll keep working on it! I didn't really understand how Maria manages to have it swirl in on itself at the end, but upon a second look, I think I see now. Hindsight's 20/20! 

Tangled Tidbits -
*best advice for tangling is to "dive right in" - well done!
*softly shaded string lines and sparkled Aquafleur


From Juul (France) ~

Chère Adèle
Finally I send you a tile. But I know it is not finished again. The last weeks I always started but couldn't really finish so I didn't send you anything.....but that doesn't feel good so now I send you what I have...
....right now the sun is going down and I see a marvelous red sky with silhouettes of leafless trees. Beautiful!

Tangled Tidbits -
*uniquely beautiful take on the string line and tangle
*added dimension as Aquafleur wraps around the string


From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~

Oh, how I loved every minute tangling this tile! But it's a pity the colors don't show up as they are. The baubles were drawn in dark red with a glitter gelly roll pen. The star has it's shine too, but you don't see it. I tried to make several pictures to capture the glittery effect, but sorry, I did not succeed. You have to imagine the glitters yourself.

Thank you so much for this fun moment.

Have a blessed week, with lots of love!

 Tangled Tidbits ~
*Aquafleur is shaded from the center and dots trail off at the tangle's edges
*curves of Aquafleur lines seem to hold the glittery baubles


From Sidney Kapinos (Virginia) and here on her blog ~

I loved this week's string thing challenge! Aquafleur has been one of those elusive tangles for me — a difficult one to learn how to draw. I have tried it any number of times and never felt like I had it right.Your challenge was what I needed as motivation to practice the pattern enough to make a nice Aquafleur tile. Plus I also like the Christmas tree theme.
As always, thank you so much for hosting the weekly challenges. I look forward to seeing all of the entries each week, and to reading your excellent Tangled Tidbits.
Best wishes for a joyous holiday season,

 Tangled Tidbits -
*alternating - and very festive - red and green layers of Aquafleur
*Aquafleur spaces are defined with a black line


From Wanda Amrose (Virginia) ~

Hi, from Chesapeake, Va.
With Christmas quickly approaching, this weeks challenge was a lot of fun.
It was very relaxing in between Christmas shopping, gift wrapping and decorating, to work on the Christmas Tree.
As always, a work in progress!!
Hope everyone is doing well as the holidays are busy times.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty use of aura
*pops of red and deep shading


From Linda Goncalves (Pennsylvania) ~

 I had a lot of fun this week with this one.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderful shapes of Aquafleur
*added details of line, perf, color, and shading


From CZT midori (Florida) ~

'though my rendition of aquafleur is short of 'fleurs', imagine them in their budding stages, still retaining the essence of its original tangle. so, my noel tree looks like a cupcake?!...frosted with snowy sugar... peace and joy

Tangled Tidbits - 

*simple and ever so elegant swaths of Aquafleur

*a touch of sparkled baubles all topped with a shining Ahh

From Audrie Weisenfelder (Tucson, Arizona) and here on her blog ~

This turned out to be an unusual but fun challenge. Aquafleur is another one of my favorites; so I really enjoyed doing it. I played around with it for a while, and finally came up with something I kind of like.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous depth created with shading and sparkle
*straight string lines contrast with graceful curves of the tangle


From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~

Zentangle. It's in my heart, it's in my brain. It's in my blood. I'm obsessed (or is it possessed). Life interrupts my daily schedule and I go for a couple days without drawing. Bingo. I wake in the middle of the night from a dream about tangling: where to put this pattern or that, which pen to choose, another line, more shading. Then I just have to draw, and the flat tire on the car can wait.
This was a wonderful challenge this week. I wish I'd had more time to perfect my stroke and play with different treatments for Aquafleur, but life happens. At least I got one tile completed, and I'm quite pleased with the result.
(And I love when numbers align, too. Maybe we're sisters of different mothers, eh?)

Once again, Marla's words ring true.  I think that it is a safe bet to say that we all share the same obsession/possession!

Tangled Tidbits ~

*lush layers of Aquafleur - details just at the tips and through the centers
*perfs bubble out and into the starry sky


From Shazz (India) ~

HELLO ALL..... here is a single aqua fluer!!!...looking like a christmas tree..... i am printing this on a photopaper for my sons 2nd bday, which is on christmas....these days i have a great interest of incorporating gems and falling leaves in my zen art.
thanx for the opportunity...
have fun with zen

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Auafleur emerges from the string point downward
*a party of streamers and leaves in the background
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to your little one!

From Karina L'Estrelle (Perth, Australia) ~

Tangled Tidbits - 

*curved tangle inside a straight edged one
*little dots make a big impact

From Annie Taylor (Spain) ~

Sorry it's been a while since I took part, though I never fail to check the weekly challenge and enjoy all the lovely entries.

I really like this week's challenge and remember the incredible original tree done by Carole. I was delighted to have your instructions and am very pleased with how mine has turned out even if it doesn't reach Carole's standard. I will continue practicing and enjoying the process in true Zentangle fashion.

Getting into the Christmas spirit too, although here in sunny Spain, there's much less hype than in the US and the UK. It's busy olive picking season and not the most frivolous of times.

 Tangled Tidbits -
*shading stands out on the gorgeous gold toned paper
*highlights run the length of the tangles black lines


From Susan Theron (South Africa) and here on her blog ~

Here is my contribution. I had to add some sparkle in the form of Ahh (Zentangle)! I sometime have difficulty with Aquafleur, especially in such small spaces. 

Tangled Tidbits -

*multiple fine lines
*superb sparkle and shading

From Sharyn Penna (Massachusetts) ~

I love the ornament step out and can't wait to create one for our tree. You make it look so easy!
It's crazy how we put ideas aside and forget to return to them. This week's prompt is one I've thought of doing since I saw Carole Ohl's masterpiece and CZT Tricia Farone's beautiful Aquafleur heart here. Your prompt triggered my memory ... I borrowed Tricia's technique in the center of my tree. I love how Aquafleur takes control of the thought process. Mooka jumps out at the in-betweens along with tiny orbs.
This prompt took the pressure off of creating the card I was going to send out this year ... I'll put it away for safe keeping and will send my response to this week's prompt instead. You're the best! Cheers!

Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderful wrap around effect - and thank you for the reference
*stipple, tipple, Mooka, added line weight, and a Zinger topper - fantastic!


From Elisa (Paris, France) ~

I really loved your Christmas tree challenge, even though I still struggle to master the aquafleur pattern !
I could not refrain from adding a few shiny red decorations and a kind of star at the top !
Zen regards...

Tangled Tidbits -
*such personality for a tangle! - simply sweet
*an Aquafleur trunk, tree, and star


From Becky Welty (North Carolina) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*a beautiful Christmas Zendala
*festive touch added with color - green lines and shading


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

Thank you for a challenging challenge this week. My attempt needed some good Aquafleur practice, before I got started.
I had an enjoyable experience with Maria’s beautiful tangle and couldn’t resist adding Xmas-red by Lin Chiu and multi-coloured Christmas lights.

Tangled Tidbits -
*a very colorful, celebratory ZIA
*billowing Aquafleur with added perfs, sparkle and shading


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

Thank you for another wonderful challenge. I've not used "Aquafleur" before. I love it, but it demands lots of practice. I was heavily influenced and inspired by Carol Ohl's beautiful tree and went with a little larger format. My tree's a bit lop-sided, but I guess that just adds to its whimsy;-)

Tangled Tidbits - 

*Aquafleur shines with sparkle and blue shading

*gorgeous, glassy, gem inspired perfs

This is my tile ~
I wanted to keep the tangle very light and added Gelly Roll metallic gold touches.

And now, the tile for honors this week was sent in by
 Lily from Hungary
with a "zenhug" and can also be found here on her post ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*sublime shading - notice how the tree appears to tilt up from the paper
*elegant swirls of Aquafleur
*festive strings of red perfs stand out against the subtle touches of green and brown\
*gold filled Ahh stars

Thank you all for spreading the Christmas cheer this week by sending in your precious art work.

Many thanks to Zentangle® co-founder Maria Thomas for the tangle Aquafleur.

Stop by tomorrow for "It's a String Thing" #122!