With the New Year in full swing, it is such a pleasure to welcome new artists, relish our invaluable regulars, and reunite with some dear old friends. Marla, in her note below asks, "Didjamissme?"
"Youbetcha!" is my answer. It's so good to be together again.
The combinations created with the same string line and just three tangles are all so deliciously different. Let's take a look ~
"Youbetcha!" is my answer. It's so good to be together again.
The combinations created with the same string line and just three tangles are all so deliciously different. Let's take a look ~
The first tile is mine. Yes, it was part New Year's resolution, but it was also the immediate connection I felt to the string and patterns. It is the result of a wonderfully relaxing time tangling.
The next tile arrived from smgg (Taiwan) ~
*each string section tangled differently
*a brown and black Phorz variation
From Sandra (Germany) and here on her blog ~
thank you so much for this wonderful challenge :-) I loved the string so much and the pattern Pop-cloud is one of my favourite!
I had a lot of fun to tangle the tile for this challenge :-)
*wonderful contrasts of light and dark
*shading makes Pop-cloud pop
From Cheryl Stocks (Arizona) ~
Here's my response for this week's String Thing. I tried this a couple ways and they all looked suspiciously alike. This one has the most detail and contrast and fewest mistakes (That Phroz can be a bugger, although it always brings great dimension to the work).
Have a brilliant New Year!
*just the tops of Pop-cloud peek through
*added dimension to Phorz with shading
From Juul (France) ~
here is my contribution....it happens to be a monotangle!
Tangled Tidbits -
*marvelous monotangle
*alternating white, black, and lined sections of Phorz
From Annie Taylor (Spain) ~
Another fun tangle to do this week. I am not too happy with how my Phroz has turned out...it doesn´t really do justice to such a brilliant tangle ( I should have divided my triangles up a bit more)....but I did enjoy doing the other two even though I didn´t expect to like them very much. Always interesting to see what happens during the tangling process.
I'm sure there'll be some great entries this week and I look forward to seeing them!
*aura-ed and shaded string line curves
*striped and sparkled Pop-cloud
From Jean Beckstrom (Alabama) ~
All tangles were new to me and I looked them up. I dreaded starting this one, but I settled right into it and enjoyed it very much. These are now my new favorites.
Thanks again for the challenge,
...isn't it delightful how that happens when tangling?
*elongated triangles of Phorz
*rounded puffs of Pop-cloud
From Joanne Faherty (United Kingdom) ~
Here is my its a string thing 126 I had only done phroz before so the other 2 were new I like pop cloud now I've the hang of it.
I went for the obvious in the string this time, then broke out my new watercolours for some colour and it ended up as a night time scene. :)
*beautiful ZIA with the addition of color
*light centers of Phroz and Pop-cloud
From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~
,,,to my first challenge tile of the year. I used a thicker pen, and wish I hadn't, but never mind! I liked how the tangles gelled together, feeding into each other, contrasting and complimenting, although 4fun lost most of its identity in the process. Pop-cloud is so comforting to draw, and those little kicks at the end of the line make for a great shading opportunity! I'll be using that one again!
Here's to fun and tangles, and challenge and fresh ink, and blank paper, and friendship across an ocean!
...and cheers to all the good things listed!
*repeated sparkled arua
*Pop-cloud centered on the tips of the string's points
From Sarah (Michigan) and here on her blog ~
Left this one black and white with two tangles. I really enjoyed what our choices were to pick from! Interesting string. The possibilities are endless with what they come up with!
Tangled Tidbits -
*shaded center points of Phorz
*puffy Pop-cloud wonderfully shaded
From Jennifer Sparrow (North Carolina) ~
This week's was definitely a challenge! These tangles did not want to play well with me!!! I ignored them for a few days, until my husband gave me that look that says, "You're not gonna give up, are you?" So, I sat down and, within 30 minutes, had finished my work! I've posted it on my blog, as well. Anything is possible, one stroke at a time. So important to remember.
Thanks, as always, for your generosity and inspiration.
Tangled Tidbits -
...the magic of tangling continues...
*very clever morphing of tangle lines where Pop-cloud and Phroz meet
*black centers of Phorz compliment the lighter patterns
From Anita A Westin (Dalarna, Sweden) ~
Here is my entry for string 126. Phroz and Pop-Cloud joined at once. But 4-Fun didn´t want to play this time. So this is what came out!
Warm regards from cold winter in Dalarna!
...love the imagery of a tangle not wanting to play :)
*marvelous depth of shading
*perf and dots are eye catching
Thank you for this week's challenge. Pop-Cloud was a very good choice. I had a lot of fun to tangle it and I think it could become one of my favorite patterns. Here is my entry for this week.
Greatings from Germany
*center string sections broken down in to smaller ones and filled with Phorz
*elongated Pop-cloud - a great variation
From Deb Jacobs (Tichigan, Wisconsin) ~
Loved this string &the new to me Tangles. I must admit I was more than a little intimidated by Phroz until the step out gave me insight. We are having our first string of frozen tundra weather here in Packer country...ugh! But spring is just around the corner!! Have a great weekend and thanks, as always, for your time & inspiration. I can never decide which is my favorite - String Thing challenges or Wednesday Words of Wisdom.
*alternating variations of the tangles
*white space and shading highlight the patterns
From Beth Gaughan (North Carolina) ~
Here is my tile for ST 126. I tried a tile using all three patterns, but liked this monotangle better.
*pretty Phroz center variation alternates light and dark
*string curved lines continue to the edges of the tile
From Karen aka The Creative Miss L (Australia) and here on her blog ~
Ahhhh! This week’s challenge was so hard! I like each individual Tangle but I don’t know how to get them to talk to each other. I am looking forward to seeing what other Tanglers make of it, which is part of the fun of participating in this particular challenge. I have to trust myself to produce something, post it and then wait to see what others have done.
Thanks again for pushing my boundaries (I think!).
Your alternate step out for Pop Cloud made all the difference. I let it form the string and then filled in the spaces with Phroz and 4Fun.
Here’s my updated version.
...It is a treat to see two takes on the challenge - and to read the difference a bit of time and Tips for Tangling made.
*light and dark versions of Phorz
*shaded centers give Phroz depth
From CZT Margaret Bremner (Saskatchewan, Canada) ~
Attached are three submissions for your 'frost' string. I had wanted to try Phroz for some time, have already used Pop Cloud on occasion, and hadn't seen 4Fun before.
The white tile is the first I did, which gave me ideas for others... :P
I thought it would be interesting in white on black, and used zentstone shavings for the highlighting.
The blue one is really variations of Phroz and 4Fun, but I was having fun!
*various distance between lines in Phorz as well as shaded and black center triangles
*shading gives the illusion of peering through the clouds
From Heidi Sue (Utah) ~
a terrific string. I want to play with it some more, so I may send another piece later. In this one, I found myself really drawn into Phroz. It's cool, how the triangles morph into six sided beveled crystal looking things. 4fun reminds me of the wishing stones my dad taught me about...find a gray stone with a white line through it. Spit on it. Toss it and make a wish.
Thanks for a fun challenge! I enjoyed it a lot
...I threw a few of those myself!
*center concentration of Phroz - shading accents the crystal looking aspect
*larger black curves for 4fun
From Talia Maynard (United Kingdom) ~
I haven't done much tangling lately; I felt like I'd completely lost my mojo with it. But I really wanted to get back into the swing of it as I do find it relaxing.
So here's my attempt at this week's string. I really like the contrast between the straight angles and curves of this one. I love tangling Phroz. It really does feel Zen once you get going!
*multiple sizes of Phroz - love the various sizes of triangles it yielded
*4fun fitted to the string lines
From Kirsten Bish (Northern Michigan) ~
Enclosed please find my newest Tangle "Future Gazing". I am gifting it to a friend who is retiring from 30+years with the forest service.
I loved this challenge. I really got into all the angles and such with PHROZ. Cool tangle. I will use it again for sure! 4 FUN is another tangle I had fun with this week. But, the surprise for me was how much I enjoyed POP CLOUD. so much so that I'm planning on doing a mono tangle with it maybe including it in one of my "opus" pieces.
Thanks so much for the challenge.
*center burst of Phorz
*pretty blending of 4fun and Pop-cloud
From Karin (Germany) ~
Thank you for the tips for tangling Pop-Cloud. This time I saw them before I began tangling I really liked “Phroz” but I needed a lot of time to do it. Perhaps I should take more space for it the next time.
Greetings from Germany
*alternating white and Phroz string sections
*darkened spaces behind and around Pop-cloud
From Jami (Ohio) ~
I had a lot of fun with this challenge. I love the tangle Phroz because it is just like Fasset, ends up looking fantastic no matter which way it wanders. Pop Cloud on the other hand kept me quite busy just trying to make it look right. I cannot wait to see what everyone else has come up with.
*wonderfully dark Phroz
*varied line weight of Pop-cloud
From Kate (United Kingdom) ~
When I saw this week's string and tangles I had absolutely no idea where
to start. Throughout the week I've picked up my pencil then put it down
again, leaving it 'til later. Today there was no later - I made a start
and things finally came together! So at the last minute (here in the UK
it's Saturday evening!) here is my contribution to your challenge!
*very center of Phorz ringed with 4fun
*black centers of Pop-cloud
From CZT Judy Wanner (Pennsylvania) ~
Had lots of fun with my brief version of 4 Fun. Always have liked Phroz. Pop-Cloud pretty nifty too and I will be using it another time.
Love, love Mia's art (link). You need to frame it and thanks for sharing with us.
...I spy Judy's tile on one of my frames :)
*very clever use of 4fun arcs in the string line points and curves
*shading make Phroz shine
From Ingird (The Netherlands) ~
With lots of love and have blessed week.
*spiraled centers of Phroz - great variation!
*detailed 4fun - varied line width, larger black arcs
From Sally (Massachusetts) ~
It has been a long time since I have completed a string challenge and I feel very out of practice having not done any zantangling for a while. I finally completed a square and even though I am not real happy with it I am sending hoping that I can get back into the routine of having Zentangle as part of my days.
*delightful detail lines around Pop-cloud
*pieces of the tangles free float
From Jane Glotzer (Boulder, Colorado) ~
Here is my entry for #126...I think the string lent itself well to fit inside a circle and when I began I was sure I would be using all three suggested tangles--who doesn't love 4Fun--tangling or otherwise--:) but as you can see, I ended up with a Phroz monotangle. First, I used a piece of the center areas to create the triangles for Phroz, and then extended the string lines all the way to the border and did another piece of Phroz along the outside. I didn't get the cool interlocking snowflake effect with the singular star shaped centerpiece, but I like its simplicity. Added the linework to the border sections, and then decided I needed the empty space, so that left no room for any other tangles! A bit of shading...and I love how it came out! Adored having my family around last month, but I'm glad to be back to my Zentangle routine--:)
Have a wonderful week!
Thanks for all you do!
Tangled Tidbits -
...this would make a great mosaic pattern, Jane :)
*Phroz centers are black and lined
*Phorz outer sections created by the string arcs
A very warm welcome to Jeannette Bisbee (Ontario, Canada) who will become a CZT in June! ~
I have long admired the amazing submissions you get for your Tickled to Tangle challenge. I have often thought of submitting one, but each time I find a way of 'not getting it done' and missing the weekly deadline.
This year I am attending the CZT Seminar #24 in June, and as my New Year's resolution I decided to begin participating. I missed the first one, but I finally have this week's for you just in time.....Saturday night.
Thank you for all the hard work you do organizing this process and keeping it on track. I feel blessed to participate.
*sparkling gold accents and background for Pop-cloud
*alternating middle sections of Phroz and 4fun
From Jessie Plouffe (Connecticut) ~
I have been busy and haven't participated in the last few challenges, but I'm trying to get back in the game!
*fluffy layers of Pop-cloud
*4fun layered center surrounded by a lovely shaded centered Phorz
From Becky Welty (North Carolina) ~
Tangled Tidbits -
*aura-ed outer lines of Phorz continue on and compliment the curved lines of Pop-cloud
*black triangles of Phroz anchor the center
*black triangles of Phroz anchor the center
From Sue Agnew (Tucson, Arizona)~
This week I ended up using only two of the tangles, Phroz and Pop-cloud. For this particular "assignment" I found it worked better to do the outside of Pop-cloud and work in. I'm not sure that it really needed sparkle, but of course I had to try. When I first learned Zentangle I didn't like pencil shading because it was "too messy," so I bought Pitt pens in the cold grey series. Then when I started doing String Thing I could see that sometimes pencil shading works much better because it's more subtle. On this one I happened to use both ... I used the Pitt pens to shadow the background Pop-clouds, and I used a darker Pitt pen to fill in the Phroz spaces. Then I wondered about shading one side of the "bars" of Phroz to indicate three-dimension, so I tried it with pencil, thinking I could erase it if I didn't like it. By then it was night and I was using artificial light and couldn't tell any more. So here it is.
Thank you for this fun weekly exercise!
Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkled Pop-cloud - lovely!
*large center Phroz, elegantly shaded
*large center Phroz, elegantly shaded
From Jenny Hopkins (Australia) ~
Happy New Year from me. I have finally managed to complete a challenge AND send it in. It has been a good week to tangle here because, while many places around the country are experiencing devastating bushfires, we have had local flooding as about 300 mm (12 inches) of rain fell in a day. Luckily, we are dry and the sun is shining again but others aren't as fortunate.
This week you picked three very interesting tangles and an equally interesting string. I kept seeing different things in the patterns as they took shape. Thank you again for the amazing energy that you put into every week. It is truly appreciated.
Tangled Tidbits -
...hoping for more clear skies...
*sparkled and shaded layers of Pop-cloud
*thick and thin outer string line
*thick and thin outer string line
From CZT midori (Florida)~
aloha! well, i almost felt like i was feeling the pacific
island breeze, by the time i had finished rendering 'phroz' and started stroking 'pop-cloud' and '4 fun.'
btw, curious how my 'phroz' kind of evolved on my zendala... mahalo!
*sensational zendala created with the string and tangles
*lighter Pop-cloud tops the darker Phroz and denser 4fun complete with dark perfs
From Marla Mendenhall (California) ~
She's BAAAACK! (Didjamissme?)
Now that the seasonal chaos is over, I'm trying to resume to "normal". I checked in each week to see the enchanting challenge tiles, but make one myself ... not a chance. I so didn't zen through the holidays. Rather than enjoying the process I stressed about everything, from wrapping presents to family visits to making myworld famous stuffing. Sometime around the middle of this week I was ready to celebrate but oops, missed it. Maybe next year ...(And I say that every year too.)
This week it was so cold here (hey, 40's and 50's in southern California IS cold to those of us with thin blood and broken heaters) that Phroz had a double meaning, as in my fingers as I tried to draw. And wearing gloves ... hilarious. Fortunately all the patterns were very forgiving and lots of fun, and while the tile is upside down I really did follow the string and was amazed at the result.
Glad to join in again. Happy new year to one and all!
Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous line weight added to the outlying 4fun and Pop-cloud
*Phroz "grows" larger as it spreads out from the center
*Phroz "grows" larger as it spreads out from the center
From Michele Wynne (California) ~
I hope I'm not too late, I had a few technical difficulties trying to get this photographed and it's still a bit of a blur... Anyhoo...
Thanks again for another challenging challenge. Even though it's not required to use all of the patterns, I make it a personal challenge to "make it work". I wasn't as successful this time. I had a clear vision for Popcloud and Phroz but no matter how I tried I couldn't get "4fun" in there with any finesse, though I managed to work it into a little signature block in the corner;-) I wrote a little more about it in my blog this week.
Thanks again for all you do here.
*deeply shaded center of Phroz
*just a peek of 4fun and an outer ring of Pop-cloud
From Susan Theron (South Africa) ~
This was difficult tangles to use in the string, but I enjoyed the challenge.
*grand use of 4fun as a border
*center string section of all three tangles
From Elisa (Paris, France) ~
First of all, Happy New Year !
I missed a couple of challenges due to my very busy holidays, but now I am back to zentangle business !
I really loved the string you gave us, as well as the patterns which were all new to me.
I enjoyed this relaxing moment of drawing a tile before starting a new busy week.
I'm looking forward to the next challenge...
Zen regards
*very complimentary value of 4fun and Phorz
*lines through the white space seem to point to the wonderfully rounded Pop-cloud
From Sharyn Penna (Massachusetts) ~
I couldn't think of a way to mix all three tangles together, especially after I chilled with Phroz. Such a fun tangle to play with ... I'll definitely be working it into future tiles.
Thank you for always offering such intriguing prompts. Cheers!
*weighted lines for the center of Phroz - and Phorz tucked into the string points
*billowing Pop-cloud
From Rhonda Koplin (Georgia) ~
Tangled Tidbits -
*light and airy Phroz variation
*4fun fitted to the string curves creates a border
And now...the tile for honors...was sent in by...
Henrike Bratz of Germany (and here on her blog) !
Henrike wrote:
snow and rain on frozen ground! Horrible weather, so I spent the morning tangling.
With the given string and patterns it would have been an inviting and quite obvious possibility to fill the middle section with phroz and surround the star-like pattern with pop-cloud and 4fun.
But today I felt that I definitely didn’t want to take the obvious choice. So I just tangled away without much of a plan. I explored different variations of all the three pattens and in the end the tile looked very(!) lively and full of motion. There seemed to be too much of everything but little structure. Shading made the difference, which is what I had hoped for. I’m now very pleased. I din’t sign the tile yet because I couldn’t decide which way to turn it. It works in every direction.
I especially cherished the process of tangling this tile! It gave me some thoughts about my current situation in life – not wanting to take the most simple choice, the value of just playing around without a plan, being surprised about the beauty of the results, structure only showing on second sight.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your weekly challenge again!!
Happy tangling!!!!!
Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkle and striped and shaded sections of Pop-cloud
*a study in Phorz - from the bare grid, to equidistant lines, to a variance in width, to only one inside aura line...not to mention a variety in shading
*4fun grows throughout the tile and is finished off with sparkle and detail lines
To top it off, Henrike draws (pun intended!) a metaphor for life from her experience creating this tile.
Congratulations, Henrike!
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 126 by Judiellen Palumbo
Phroz by CZT Lynn Meade
Pop-cloud by Carla Du Preez
4Fun by CZT Mina Hsiao
Check back tomorrow afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #127!
