Tickled To Tangle

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

We begin today with TanglePatterns String 129 by Nancy Smith ~

Copyrighted image used with permission by TanglePatterns.com

The straight lines and angles are a nice contrast from last week's curvy string.

The string also begs for simplicity, so let's concentrate on just two tangles:

Hypnotic by Elena Hadzijaneva
Click here for my Tips for Tangling Hypnotic.

Paradox by Rick Roberts, Zentangle® co-founder
From this link, Linda Farmer provides four links for more information on this pretty pattern.
Click here for my Tips for Tangling Paradox.

Use one or both tangles. Use the string as is, or divide it into smaller string sections.

To access step outs for the patterns, click on their names or visit TanglePatterns.com.

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!

This week we began IAST #127 with a string by Lily Moon, paired with four pretty tangles.
The cache of tiles submitted is just spectacular.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Switzerland. A very warm welcome to Silvia Kunz ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded (O) looks translucent
*sparkled light and dark Printemps in the center

From Sarah (Michigan) and here on her blog ~

Beautiful choices for tangles! My only problem was contorting them into this amazing string! Wow! I did bits and pieces in some parts. Feels like a tangle of spare parts somewhat. But I got inspired and even did a bit of shading. Great week and great challenge!

Tangled Tidbits-

* (O) dots repeat in Printemps
*Zonked peeps through in a swirl

From Joanne Faherty (United Kingdom) ~

Thanks for this weeks its a string thing. Great tangles and string, had fun doing this and sat down after doing step outs in my trusty tangle book, I only ever do this the once before drawing :). There wasn't a plan in my head today, sometimes I like to think about where to put things. I really like O and I'll be using I again ( hopefully slightly neater) and hadn't seen it before. Love the way zonked looks too when its all lined up properly mines a wonky zonk, but I don't mind lol :D

Tangled Tidbits -
*...it's a great "wonky Zonk"!
*alternating white and tangled spaces

From Lily Moon (Hungary) with "zenhugs" ~

first of all thank you that you've chosen mine string - I'm honored!
And now, here is my tile for this challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -

*two large Puchong embrace the center Zonked circle

*Zonked shaded through the center yields amazing depth - and a hint of and underlying Zonked in a soft grey

From Hilary Merola (Italy) ~

Greetings from Italy. We're spending the winter in Rome, but I'm definitely planning on keeping up with your challenges.
I loved everything about this project. The string is beautiful on its own, and you chose some delightful tangles!

Tangled Tidbits -

*multiple aura in Zonked - notice the sparkle

*lighter Puchong through a darkly shaded Printemps

From Juul (France) ~

Chère Adèle
Here is my tile # 127. Very nice tangles with a very "full" string!
Thank you so much for all the work you do for our stringthings....

Tangled Tidbits -
*multiple sizes of Puchong
*wonderful contrasts - light/dark, lined/solid, round/straight

From Talia Maynard (United Kingdom) ~

I hope you're having a good week. Winter has truly arrived over here so I reckon it's a lot nicer where you are! But it does mean nice cozy evenings spent under a blanket with a pen! :-)
Here's my completed tile. I got a bit carried away with this one. I liked all the different tangles so much that I wanted to include them all so it became a bit of a squash in that many-sectioned string.
Looking forward to seeing everyone else's work.

Tangled Tidbits -

*large and small (O) in the center - very eye catching

*great variation of Zonked with the shaded aura

From smgg (Taiwan) ~

Have a nice day!!!

Tangled Tidbits -

*sparkled Zonked, Puchong, and Printemps

*Puchong string lines

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

My attempt at this week’s challenge doesn’t use all the Tangles. I wanted to keep the Yin/Yang element of the string in focus so tried to keep the tile uncluttered. The little Tangles in the white space are meant to be escaping pieces of Zonked. Zonked is new to me and is something I’m keen to experiment more with.

Tangled Tidbits -

*angular Zonked

*pretty white highlights

From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~

... I tried something a little different with Printemps, a way to weave them into each other a bit - in the style of some tangles that escape my mind at the moment! I kind of like how it looks. And Puchong took me by surprise, once I gave it a wobble and managed to hide the centre line I like it a lot! Zonked always reminds me of the gills of mushrooms. They don't all gel together that well, but it's not out and out war!

Tangled Tidbits -

*Printemps woven with the string line - fabulous!
*clever variation of Puchong

A very warm welcome to Michaela Bizuga (Germany) ~

I just discovered Zentangle last monday, so I am very new to this. In fact #127 is my 7th tile so please be gentle with me :)

Tangled Tidbits -

We are only positive and encouraging here - welcome :)

*tops of Puchong shine

*(O) between a light and darker Printemps

From Michele Wynne (California) ~

This week, Coffee & Creativity went on a Back to Basics tangent inspired by the Diva~ "One pen, one pencil, one tile, one ceremony"
This tile turned out to be the most Zen of week. I didn't plan or over-think it as I usually do. After penciling in the string and a little practice with the 2 patterns that were new to me, (O) and Puchong, I plunged in with Printemps. and then moved on to the next space and arranged the next pattern to fit the space. The result is a bit busy but this sure was relaxing and made most enjoyable by the treat of an official tile;-)
Thanks for everything you do here,

Tangled Tidbits -
*curved grid for Zonked
*deep shading adds roundness and depth

A very warm welcome to Susan (United Kingdom) ~

Finally did one of your challenges! Here is my version of number 127. Thank you for introducing me to Puchong, which I enjoyed using.

Tangled Tidbits -

*Pretty swirls of Puchong

*creative variation of (O) in the center circle

A warm welcome to CZT Trish O'Leary ~

Hi Adele - This was a tough one but loved it! You are certainly keeping us sharp and happy. Thanks for all you do.

Tangled Tidbits -
*white and black Printemps
*from the center outward, the tangles grow in size

From Jessie Plouffe (Connecticut) ~

Here's my submission for this week's challenge! It's a bit busy, but I like it.

Tangled Tidbits -
*uniformed size of the tangles give the tile a pleasing look
*soft shading adds depth and differentiation of tangled spaces

From Lucy Banta, CZT (New Jersey) and here on her blog ~

Fun tangles this week! I enjoyed using and practicing all of them. Your Printemps Zendala is stunning.
Have a good week. Thank you for another fun week of Zentangle practice!

Tangled Tidbits -
*elongated Zonked looks rounded especially where the lines do not match up
*dots from (O) used to fill in string spaces

From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) ~

Here is my tile for ST 127. Several of these patterns were new to me, and I like how they blend together.

Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderful layers of one large Zonked
*billowing Printemps

From Deb Jacobs (Michigan) ~

Thanks for the fun challenge. I loved the new to me Tangles. I practiced all of them but didn't use Zonked in my tile...just didn't find a place for it. Can't wait to see the other tiles...I like that just as much as creating my own. Have a wonderful week!

Tangled Tidbits -
I think we would all agree with that sentiment - and that says a lot!
*curly beginning of Puchong cluster
*multiple aura lines for (O)

From Christiane (Germany) ~

...greetings from Germany and thanks for this sophisticated challenge. It was hard to put the patterns in these little spaces. In addition, three patterns were completely new to me. But I did it and I'm quite happy with it.

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty repeat of the tangles - they come and go with the string sections
*Printemps pops

From Esther (Switzerland) and here on her blog ~

A beautiful string you chose for this challenge! I gave my best because all patterns are new to me and I’m still new to draw Zentangle.
Thank you!

Tangled Tidbits -
*curved (O)
*complimentary light and dark Zonked and Puchong

From Deepti Jos (India) ~

Here is my tile for this week's challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -
*large, lovely Zonked and smaller versions beside it
*black/white circles in Puchong

From Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) and here on her blog ~

Thanks for this week's challenge! And thanks for the helpful tips on tangling Printemps. Spinny patterns always try me! (I regress to PE class, where I would tumble out of control whenever we had to do somersaults!) ...
Have a great week!

Tangled Tidbits -
...love that visual :)
*Zonked turned Florz
*light version of (O) and shading to define middle string circle

From Ingird (The Netherlands) ~

Again just my tile, with lots of love!
Have a blessed week.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Zonked shines with dark center sections and even aura
*hearts formed with Puchong

From Henrike Bratz (Germany) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*(O) in an (O) filled with Printemps
*dots of (O) follow the string line and cast a lovely shadow

From Sally (Massachusetts) ~

This week's challenge was a lot of fun except for trying to fit zonked into what I had started, so only one zonk made it!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Printemp topped Puchong
*intersecting (O) all blended together with shading

From Cathy Cusson ~

One of my favorite go to tangles is zonked. It just really appeals to me. So any chance I get to use it I jump on it. I saw an obvious yin yang in the center, but I could not seem to figure out how to make that work, so I sort of ignored and let the plant like pu chong take over.

Tangled Tidbits -
*Zonked grids move with the string's curves
*Puchong 'grows' through the center

From CZT Judy Wanner (Pennsylvania) ~

I also spy one of your frames....love them.....magnets best ever too!
Okay, call this one a cheater! Took a quick way....because chores are calling me. I forgot to "tuck in" my Printemps too. I guess at 73 (ouch!), that comes with the privilege of all the wisdom I have gained....bahaha!

Tangled Tidbits -
Actually, this is a perfect example of taking time to tangle. While we may pour over tangles from time to time, the ceremony of creating a tile is meant to take twenty to thirty minutes and give that 'zen' time to an otherwise busy day. Great reminder. Thank you, Judy :)
*rounded and sparkled Zonked
*Puchong center string line and shaded string sections

From Simone (Germany) ~

Today I had a little spare time and decided to take part at the IAST challenge again.
I follow your blog and the IAST every week and I am impressed about the lots of fantastic tiles!
Besides of Printemps this week`s patterns are new to me, so it was a real challenge for me.
I love the string with the yin/yang.
This is my contribution to IAST this week
Many greetings from Germany!

Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted lines of Printemps compliment Zonked
*wisps of (O) and Puchong

From Anita Westin (Sweden) ~

Wonderful patterns together with this string! My day has been so messy, but working on this was so relaxing. Thanks for a great challenge!

Tangled Tidbits -
*gem-like circles of Puchong, beautifully shaded and highlighted
*Puchong border

From Cheryl Stocks (Arizona) ~

From sunny Arizona! A photo of my sketch book.

Tangled Tidbits -
*C curves of (O) touch - a pretty variation
*checkerboard Zonked

From Karin (Germany) ~

this is my entry to no. 127.
Somehow it really looks better after shading. It is not my best tile but I finished it just in time, so I can send it to you
Greetings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*elongated (O)
*Zonked grids change direction in the center circle

From Kate (United Kingdom) ~

My contribution to what turned out to be a very 'challenging' challenge
for me !

Tangled Tidbits -
*Puchong swirls give the feeling of movement
*two sizes and densities of Printemps in the center circle

From Jean Beckstrom (Alabama) ~

Challenge String 127 with Puchong, "O", Printemps, and Zonked.
O and Zonked were new to me. I fretted all week how these seemingly large tangles would fit into the intricate string. Saturday morning I tackled it so I would not miss a challenge. Somehow I managed it and surprised myself happily! Thanks for the challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -
*simply beautiful take on the tangles and string
*superb shading - and shadowing of Pushong

From Lori Byerly (Washington State) and here on her blog ~

Thanks again for all your hard work in setting up a weekly challenge. I enjoy being challenged to use new strings and patterns.

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty pieces of Puchong as the circles of (O)
*string line curves cleverly carried through with the tangles

From Jami (Ohio) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*magnifying glass look to the center string sections
*sprinkle of Printemps along the dark, sparkled string lines

From Linda Goncalves (Pennsylvania) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
...I spy another Tickled to Tangle frame :)
*Zonked border
*varying sizes of layered Puchong

From Becky Welty (North Carolina) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*streamers of beautifully shaded Puchong
*delicate (O)

From Jenny Hopkins (Australia) ~

One of the nice things about participating in your weekly challenges is learning new tangles. It is a great way to help resist the temptation of sticking with the old favourites and, instead, expanding our repertoire a little each week. Thank you for keeping me out of a rut. I am not sure that I have done any of the new tangles justice this week but I will play around with them some more.

Tangled Tidbits -
*checkerboard Zonked
*bubbly center of sparkled Printemps

From Jane Glotzer (Colorado) ~

Thought there was going to be too much going on with the busy string (but I do love all things Lily Moon...what an amazing artist!) and all of the recommended tangles, but I ended up using 3 out of 4 and was very surprised--:) Started with some Zonked on both sides...a bit of variation...some funky areas top left, but we'll just ignore those...then saw the opportunity for Puchong along the string line, which is something I rarely do...Printemps was just airy enough to be able to fill those last spaces, leaving the center circle empty. Shading adds some depth and it is busy, definitely, but still cool--:)

Tangled Tidbits -
...very cool!
*two variations of Zonked - different curved looked achieved in each
*large Puchong, lined and shaded

From Lisa Preston (Georgia) ~

I really liked this challenge! Zonked is one of my favorite tangles! I wasn't sure about Puchong until I started drawing it and I really liked it. I didn't use a lot of it, but I definitely will use it again in the future.

Tangled Tidbits -
*curved grids for Zonked - beautiful lines
*Printemps and Puchong along string lines

From CZT midori (Florida) ~

after i had 'zonked' (quite literally) out on the couch,
i got recharged enough to create this tangling. somehow, i had rendered a variation of 'o' combining 'printemp.' the weekly challenge allows me to just get up, step out my comfort zone...then relax and really appreciate the process.

Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous combination of tangles in (O) and Printemps
*offset lines in the neighboring squares of Zonked
*varying line width of Puchong

From Peggy Kohrmann (Colorado) ~

I decided that I must begin the new year by coming back to String Thing. I've missed you, tangling and being challenged by learning new strings and tangles.
Here is String Thing 127 with (O) and Zonked. Somehow Printemps and Puchong didn't come to play. I enjoyed the quiet and getting back to something that I love. Thank you for the challenge.

Tangled Tidbits -
...welcome back!
*curved and straight, large and smaller grids for Zonked
*large (O) center

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

Let me also say tile 127 is the first zentangle I’ve attempted in 6 weeks! It was challenging. Felt weird to sit down and get the juices flowing again. Anyway of course it was therapeutically and challenging as always. I love Lily Moon’s work, so was excited to try and give my take on her String 12. Then when I had a peak at the 4 tangle patterns my mind boggle - what to do with them? I love Printemps by Maria, so it as the focus of the tile was a must. Puchong by Michelle Lin is such a delicate pattern, so after some thinking, I decided to use it to accentuate the string line. O by Mei Hua Teng, in two of the wings compliment the Printemp focus. Zonk by Barbara Finwall, really zonked me out, so apologies.
But I was pleasantly surprised with my first tile in 6 weeks, hope productivity will soon be on the rise. Thank you for challenging all us every week.

Tangled Tidbits -

*right angled Zonked - great variation!

*nest of Printemps and Puchong along the string lines

From Rhonda Koplin (Georgia) ~

I’ve decided to use a journal for the challenges and have included my “practice” page and thought I’d share in case others would like to do the same. The tangle ‘(O)’ is not my friend! I will make a few copies to color and shade at a later date.

Tangled Tidbits -
...wonderful idea, thank you for sharing your journal pages.
*spiraling Puchong changes as it crosses the sting sections
*Tipple filled (O) and Puchong

From Susan Theron (South Africa) ~

Thanks again for the Printemps tips. It will take a lot of practice to look like your Wednesday words of wisdom!

Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty variation of Puchong - lined circles, large and small dots, shaded ( )
*two variations of Zonked

From Marla Mendenhall (Califronia) ~

I LOVE Zonked! Maximum visual output for minimal and simple design input. I just wish my execution could have done it better justice.
True confession time. After finishing tile #1 I had a thought: The yin/yang symbol is actually halves in inverse, one black with a white dot, one white with a black dot. SO... with Photoshop I 'cut out' the bottom half of the circle, inverted (reversed) the colors and pasted it over, thus creating tile #2. Let's call it a creative (and expedient) alternative to obtaining an objective, rather than cheating, okay? I really just wanted to see how it would look, and I think it's cool.
Thanks once again for inspiring a fun week of tangling.

...I think it's cool that Marla can figure out how to do that!!!

Tangled Tidbits -
*Zonked backgrounds on square and diamond shaped grids
*cone shape effect of Puchong
*band of (O) with equally weighted circles and C strokes
*bubbling layers of Printemps

And now...the tile for honors this week...was sent in by...

Tina Kirchhübel of Germany
(and here on her blog ) ~

From the first moment I love this string but I didn't know how to keep this patterns in it. I wanted to use all 4 patterns but had no idea. So I just started without any plan with Zonked and drawed a lighter and a darker version for the Yin and Yang - effect. And then one stroke came to another and this is now my result for this week's challenge.
Greatings from Germany

Tangled Tidbits -
*Ying/Yang of the string line repeats in the patterns as they mirror black and white, light and dark
*Tangles change in density and color as they fill in the string spaces
*sparkle and shading
*pleasing use of white space

Congratulations, Tina!

I have a little some thing coming in the mail for you.

It is such a gift to learn from each other in this creative community.
Many thanks to the talented tanglers who sent in their tiles this week.

Thank you to the creative minds behind the string and tangles we so enjoyed ~

TanglePatterns String #127 by Lily Moon
Puchong by CZT Michelle Lim
(O) by Damy (Mei Hua Teng
Printemps by Maria Thomas, Zentangle® co-founder
Zonked by Barbara Finwall

Check back tomorrow afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #128!

Pages

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

"It's a String Thing" #128

Monday, January 18, 2016

"It's a String Thing" #127 Tiles