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Thursday, May 31, 2018

Button, Button, Who Has the Button?

Ever since "It's a String Thing" #243 featured Zenbuttons, I have been totally taken with them. 

Early this week I purchased a child's art kit complete with a battery operated little spinning disc thingy - a technical term, to be sure! 

I kept the spinning disc, along with an array of markers and gel pens, set up in my studio space and worked on them a bit at a time.   For several days I explored how best to make colorful and gradated bases for Zenbuttons.  

Watching colors spin can be mesmerizing but I found it best in little doses or the room spun as well.

In the midst of a multitude of colorful combinations, I grabbed a silver pen and three shades of warm gray Tombow markers.  
This was the result ~


Ooh, I liked this one.  It had light and dark spaces, some sense of shading of the inner and outer rims of the circular sections, and shimmery silver rings.  At just under 3" wide, it was just small enough for a relaxing time tangling.
When I added fragments, very little shading was needed.  Just a touch of white charcoal pencil and voila! 
Gradations of Gray 
(2.75" in diameter)
Zenbutton by Adele Bruno, CZT

These little treasures are truly magical.  

To view CZT Marguerite Samama's zenButton instructions, click here.
To view Zenbuttons from around the world made for "It's a String Thing" #243, click here.


















Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom

Every house where love abides
And friendship is a guest,
Is surely home, and home sweet home
For there the heart can rest.
                                                                                        ~Henry Van Dyke



Dorian's Fairy Garden House
by Adele Bruno, CZT
Created for Dorian Eng, CZT to celebrate the completion of our new book: Fairy Garden Houses

Materials: Bijou and zendala tiles, Prismacolor pencils, Black Micron 01




Tuesday, May 29, 2018

"It's a String Thing" #245


It's Tuesday, your good news day!

Just two more days until the end of this very merry month of May - already.
June arrives on Friday and I must confess that I have been looking forward to it for weeks.
Why the anticipation?
Of all things, here in the United States, it is National Donut Day.

I have been drooling at the thought of a good splurge, ready to give up any self-discipline for the sake of this tasty celebration.  It wasn't until I did a bit of research that I found that National Donut Day really has historical roots and that this year marks its 101st anniversary.  It is quite a sweet history, too.

Here is a video from YouTube that covers a brief introduction and a highlight from last year's celebration ~


It ties in so nicely with our Memorial Day IAST #244 from last week, doesn't it?

All this talk of a sweet treat led to this string ~
IAST #245 String by Adele Bruno, CZT
...donuts, donut holes, eclairs, cinnamon rolls...YUM!

The tangles we will use include ~

Stircles by Molly Hollibaugh, CZT
This is a high contrast tangle.  Scroll down the page passed the step out to view Maria and Molly's examples of using tangles to fill Stircles spaces.

Tattle by Milde Weiss, CZT
This tangle looks like sprinkles.  Donuts - and life - are better with sprinkles.

C-bun by Esther Piszczek, CZT
This was just too good to pass up. (Pun intended!)


While I've had donuts on my mind for way too long and I referenced them here, there is no obligation to resemble the tasty treat in your tangling.

Note: Across the United States, many sweet shops will offer free donuts on Friday - enjoy one if you can and have a happy time tangling!


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.






Monday, May 28, 2018

"It's a String Thing" #244 Tiles

A very happy Memorial Day to you and yours.

For IAST #244 we anticipated this holiday with a star shaped string and the ever stellar tangle, Auraknot.  The result is a remarkable tribute from around the world.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Toby (Montréal, Quebec, Canada) ~
I really loved this challenge! Auraknot is one of those tangles I rarely think to use on my own, but always enjoy when I do use it. And working on this tile really got me into a calm, zen space--which as a new mother is not something that happens to me very often! Thank you so much for this challenge and all the work and creativity you put into it-I find it inspiring even when I don't have time to participate myself!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Congratulations on being a new mom - what a sweet blessing for you!
*layers of starry Auraknot float over the string space
*string space is like a frosted window into the stars - a beautiful effect



From Sally Whiteman (New Zealand) ~
Attached is my tile for this weeks challenge. What a lovely idea to remember the fallen.
I put the red poppies in to remember Gallipoli where my grandfather fought for the ANZAC's
 Tangled Tidbits -
*loving tribute with touches of red
*detailed shading, wonderful depth



From Lily (Hungary) ~
...here is my tile for your weekly challenge.
Zenhug
 Tangled Tidbits -
*fabulous mix of tangles, stunning colors against black and white
*sparkled and shimmering Auraknot


From Ria Matheussen, CZT (Belgium) ~
For this challenge I have used a template with a star in the middle. I used this template before, a few years ago when I started to tangle...but I had chosen for different patterns.
Besides Auraknot, you can see a mix of Meer and S-Pod, Sindoo, Beadlines, Indy Relly, Tipple and a lot of little stripes. I have made the open spaces black with a brushpen.
I always enjoye drawing in the round and it was nice to see this result (that I prefer) next to the one that I have made in the beginning.
Send you warm regards from Belgium and thank you very much for another wonderful challenge!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty center, middle, and outer details
*deep black border spaces, colorful tangles, all highlight arced lines of Auraknot


From Angie Gittles, CZT 29 (Maryland) ~
Auraknot and Henna Drum
 Tangled Tidbits -
*complimentarty mix of straight line and curve
*angular Auraknot inner lines


From Lisette (Switzerland) ~
...herewith my contribution to Auraknot. I added Shattuck and Irradial, shaded with pencils.
Thank you and a big hug
 Tangled Tidbits -
*sparkled Irradial adds burst of movement to Auraknot
*thin to thick to thinner aura



From Gale Sherman (Tucson, Arizona) ~
This was a great challenge for reflecting on war, peace and the price we all pay when peace fails. Since I'm a child of the 60s I think an homage to Picasso's 1949 Dove of Peace image accurately portrays my continued hope for worldwide peace on this US Memorial Day weekend.
Tangled Tidbits - 
*wonderful juxtaposition of images
*patriotic Auraknot


From Lynn G (Florida) ~
Hope you and your family have a “dry” Memorial Day weekend.
Thank you for another fun challenge.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*flowery finery surround for Auraknot
*beautiful shades of blue


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~

Tangled Tidbits -
*six pointed Auraknot center - love it on a zendala
*perfs spin off to the border



From Lin H, CZT (Florida) ~
Thanks for your challenge, Adele. The red, white and blue on my tile are in honor of our Memorial Day celebration, of course. The flags from Xplode represent those that we put on our Veterans’ graves this holiday to recognize and remember their service to our country. Here’s to a nice holiday weekend!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*perf lined patriotic Auraknot
*explosion of Xplode (Thank you for the reminder of this 'perfect for the occasion' tangle!)



From ARHuel (Arizona) ~
I added a reverse log cabin background to my Auraknot star.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*...and that adds a wonderfully layered look
*consistent aura spacing accents line direction


From Pat (Washington State) ~
Memorial Day and in remembrance for those that lost their lives.

Tangled Tidbits -
*black ribbon reminder
*highlights shine in colorful Auraknot star and strips



From Shelly St. John (Redwood City, California) ~
I really enjoyed working with the auraknot. I added a bit of color to spice it up a bit.
Tangled Tidbits - 
*color and deep black spaces for spice :)
*rounded outer aura for Auraknot



From Sue Leslie (New Mexico) ~
Happy Memorial Weekend. Thanks for a fun tile. As I did mine I thought of many family and friends that served in the military that are no longer with us. Some who died in service and some who lived a full life after their service. And the many veterans that are still with us. Thanks to all of them including my father, a grandfather and an uncle (now gone), a brother, my husband and several friends (who are still with me, and I am so thankful for that). Here’s to the Red, White and Blue and all the military stars of our country and in my life. Grateful for everyone of them past and present.

 Tangled Tidbits - 
That was beautifully said, Sue, thank you.
*delicately lined red Auraknot
*Ahh filled background


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~
Lovely challenge to return to the simple Auraknot. I like the way the
pattern repeats and you can nestle one inside the other.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*nestled tangles - how fun!
*shaded angles



From Karin (Germany) ~
this is my entry to the newest challenge.
It is really relaxing to tangle this pattern… just turn the tile and draw another line! At the end I liked to add some bubbles in the back.
Greetings from sunny Germany!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*weighted initial lines and rounded corners - fabulous depth
*shaded border and bubbles


From Jutta Gladnigg, CZT (Germany) ~
When I was drawing this IAST challenge the song I had been playing on the guitar over and over again in the Sixties invaded my mind…How many times must the cannon balls fly…
before they’re forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind. The answer is blowin’ in the wind… (Bob Dylan)
 Tangled Tidbits -
*glorious color, tangles, shading, and highlights
*bursting field of Raindotty



From Di (Western Australia) ~
Greetings Adele from a welcoming wet part of my world! It's the first rain of the season and from now on our dry brown earth will transform into cool greenery and stay with us for a few months.
This week I send you two very different tiles. The first auraknot wanted to be all curves and points, and I enhanced it by pointing pokeroot to the pointy ends of the entwined and stretched out looking back piece. I love its symmetry. I wanted the second tile to be covered in lines and discovered Ragged Ray's deceptively simple Clob pattern. Hers looks so much better than mine and studying it, I can see how I can make improvements.
I hope you enjoy your public holiday on Monday!

Tangled Tidbits -
*interwoven curvy and straight lined Auraknot

*irregular aura widths  - awesome look for Auraknot



From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~
Tangles used: Auraknot, Breach (YuRu Chen), Veezy (Margaret McKerihan), Winflo (Nadine Roller). Love all these patterns. Lots of fun!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely mix of curvy tangles compliment Auraknot
*sparkly sparkle and pops of blues and pinks



From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~
Here is my tile IAST # 244 for this week.
Have a good Memorial Day to everybody.
With lots of love.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*elegant Mooka accents
*soft shading - tangles gradually darken outward (Is that O I spy?!)



From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~
I enjoyed again to draw for your wonderful challenge this week. Auraknot is one of my favorite patterns. I drew two versions, one in a more geometrical way, another combined with flowery patterns. This one you can find on my blog under the link...
A wonderful weekend for you and your family!
A warm Thank you and best wishes from Germany
 Tangled Tidbits -
*awesome angles, lines, light and dark spaces
*straight, long lined Auraknot


From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~
What a wonderful way to honor our veterans and their families.
Auraknot is a beautiful tangle, commemorating for some of us, the land of the free and the home of the brave!
Thanks to all!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*Auraknot lines form ribbons
*stars and Printemps and beautiful coloring



From Nor'dzin (Wales, United Kingdom) ~
Thank you for this interesting challenge. I often feel my tiles end up too busy, and I have been happy to leave this one looking more spacious. I have bought the fairy garden houses pdf and am looking forward to making some. I’d quite like to use something waterproof so they really can live in the garden and be available for the fairies -- wouldn’t that be fun. I’ll send photos when I get round to it.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Oh my goodness, that would be wonderful.  Thank you for ordering the book and I look forward to seeing your Fairy Houses.
*intertwined, sparkled ribbon
*wavy lined Auraknot


This is my tile ~
I've tucked it in here because my approach was similar to Nor'dzin's and three tiles in a row have ribbons :) I love when that happens.
After watching Rick and Maria's video, the idea of a ribbon laced through Auraknot sounded like fun. It may have looked better just a bit thicker, or perhaps having my aura lines a bit wider...



From Sharon Fite (California) ~
Auraknot?!! How could I have forgotten you for so long? Without meaning to, it's probably been a year or more since I've used this tangle. Thanks for the reminder, Adele! And thanks to this tutorial from Donna Castaldi of Mainely Tangles blog (LINK) for a lovely way to intertwine Auraknot and Mooka. I used a 6x6 tan tile with a 01 black micron, 0.3 Copic sepia multiliner, white gelly roll, red chalk and white chalk pencils, and a Gloven border. Happy Memorial Day, Everyone!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for that link to Donna's Auraknot/Mooka - it is a great idea.
* marvelous melding of Mooka and Auraknot
*white highlights for Mooka and Gloven



From Kate (United Kingdom) ~
A contribution to this week's challenge, with best wishes
 Tangled Tidbits -
*delightful depth created with perf tipped lines running under sparkled ribbon
*sparkled perfs repeat in Auraknot center and points


From Cyndee Pelley (Oklahoma) and here on her blog ~
Greetings from Oklahoma!
Busy end of school days made this simple lovely Tangle the perfect challenge for this week! I accidentally, on purpose, embellished this with your first initial in mind! "A" happy accident!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, I love it!
*initial Auraknot lines wrap around each other
*rounded corners, wonderful tangle filled spaces


From Heather Temple (Killingworth, Connecticut) ~
Not one of my favorites but it’s a busy weekend. Thanks!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Love that colorful pencil backdrop!
*Auraknot stars on the flag's field of blue
*shading accents the waves



From Audrie Weisenfelder (Arizona) and here on her blog ~
Hi, Adele, here I am again. It's been a while since I've done any challenges, much less posted them.
But here's my answer to Challenge #244. I did a 5 point Auraknot, added a layer of Betweed, and then a layer of Auras.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Welcome back Audrie - so good to hear from you!
*weighted initial Auraknot lines
*lovely layers of line and aura


From Shirley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~
Attached is my Tile for ‘It’s A string Thing #244’ challenge.
This is my piece in appreciation for those who lost their lives in the military service to our country.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*a very touching tribute
*intertwining circle and repeating Auraknot lines


From Gabi (Germany) ~
What a nice chance to use AURAKNOT - it’s such a beautiful and meditative pattern which sometimes reminds me to X-Mas :))
Did a combination with some of my favourite patterns such as SHATTUK and KEEKO.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, like a star of Bethlehem...
*deep black border peeks out from curves of Shattuck
*Auraknot rises above a Keeko background



From Aileen (Singapore) ~
Hope I'm not too late!
Thanks for another great challenge!
Rainbows and raindrops in sunny Singapore
 Tangled Tidbits -
*a Paradox rainbow center for Auraknot - and awesome overlapping perfs
*penciled Paradox flows from Auraknot lines


From Isle Lukken (The Netherlands) and here on her blog ~
Oops, I forgot to send in my entry... Hopefully I’m not too late, but if I am at least I had fun drawing it! ;-)
 Tangled Tidbits -
Not too late!
*a star in a star as two tangles mingle brilliantly
*shaded perfs fill each Auraknot space



And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...


 Jane (Dorking, Surrey, United Kingdom) !

Jane wrote ~
So pleased to read you had a good week, I love your words of wisdom too!
In this challenge thanks for reminding us of all those we should remember, who gave their lives for our freedom.
Auraknot is one of my favourite tangles - there are so many! I had fun adding ruutz, printemps, pixiose, sandswirl, so good!!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*stellar layering and mix of tangles
*light, medium, and dark spaces
*Ruutz reaches passed the black border and off the tile

Congratulations, Jane!

Thank you to Maria Thomas for her awesome Auraknot tangle.

My thanks to all of you for sending in your sweet thoughts and beautiful tiles.
We hold dear those who sacrificed their lives so that we can live in the glorious freedoms we enjoy.
Happiest of Memorial Days to you.

Check back Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #245!






Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Wednesday's Words of Wisdom


People usually are the happiest at home.
                                                                                                             ~William Shakespeare



...and who could not be happy in a Fairy Garden House? 
Lin H., CZT (Florida) sent in these photos of her enchanting abode.  Enjoy!





Thank you, Lin!



Tuesday, May 22, 2018

"It's a String Thing" #244

It's Tuesday, your good news day!

Looking at the week ahead, in the United States we will celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 28.  It is a day set aside to remember and honor those who died in military service to our country.  

My grandmother used to refer to this day as "Decoration Day".  I later learned that the practice of decorating the graves of those lost, dating back to the late 1800's, is where that name originated.  In 1971, Memorial Day became an official observance in the United States designated to be celebrated every year on the last Monday of May.

I did a little research and found that similar holidays are celebrated around the world.  Here is a short list:

Remembrance Day in England
Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand
Dodenherdenking in The Netherlands
Armistice Day in Belgium
Volkstrauertag in Germany

While we do not all celebrate at the same time, we do share an appreciation for the brave men and women who have given their lives in service to our countries.

To mark this great day, let's begin with a star-like string ~

IAST #244 String by Adele Bruno, CZT

Then, let's revisit the classic tangle Auraknot - a tangle that Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas introduced in 2012.  (They demonstrated it at the CZT training I attended that same year.)

Click here to view the write up about Auraknot on TanglePatterns.  In addition to a link to the Zentangle® newsletter, there is a link to a video demonstration by Maria.  

Feel free to simply create a monotangle, embellish it to your heart's desire, and/or add more tangles to your tile - whatever you wish.

This string has five points, if you are tangling away and find that your Auraknot is asking for more, by all means, follow that lead.  The string is just a suggestion, not a 'hard and fast' obligation.  

Have fun!

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.





Monday, May 21, 2018

"It's a String Thing" #243 Tiles

Isn't this a treat to have back-to-back IAST Tiles posted?  

Yesterday our Mother's Day tiles were displayed (Click here to view if you missed them.) and today our batch of buttons - zenbuttons to be exact.  Like me, I am sure you will be amazed at the beauty of each and the variety among them.

Let's take a look ~

The first tile arrived from Lynn G. (Florida) ~
Thought I would put a little Royal flair on this weeks challenge
 Tangled Tidbits -
*a beautiful red Royal nod :)
*mid line curves follow the string curves


From Baafke (The Netherlands) ~
This -Iast- was so much fun to do.
I made a few and they were all different.
That's what I like about zentangle.
It is always a surprise how the final result will be!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*diagonal fragments add dimension
*pretty pop of color and shimmery highlight


From Hilary (Rome, Italy) ~
I’m so glad you “made” us do this, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have been brave enough to try! Mine turned out a bit wobbly, but I still like it. It’s a great technique, and I’m eager to try some more of these.
Tangled Tidbits -
*alternating colors, curved and straight lined fragments
*thick bands of highlights and deep shading


Following Hilary's note, I've got a confession.  Sometimes I put a challenge up knowing that it will nudge me to try something new as well.  Such was the case with these remarkable zenbuttons. 
Sindy P, CZT gave me the start of one a few weeks ago.  It was created on a spinning disc with markers - perfect for this IAST ~
Marguerite's zenbutton directions were very detailed and I found it quite amazing that once I let go of trying too hard to make it 'just so' and got into the usual rhythm of tangling, I was hooked.  The only thing I added to the finished piece was a bit of white charcoal pencil highlight.


From Jutta Gladnigg, CZT (NRW, Germany) ~
It was in the fall of 2017 that I drew my first ‚Zenbutton‘. I was attending the European CZT Gathering (ECZTG 2017) in an awesome castle in Montabaur, Germany. One of the classes was held by Marguerite Samama, who introduced us into her beautiful ‚Zenbuttons‘. Her class and the final mosaic of all the tiles were great. So it’s cool that now her famous buttons and her tutorial have found entry into tanglepatterns.com and into your IAST challenge. Thank you again, Marguerite, and thank you, Adele!
Tangled Tidbits -
How exciting to have learned from Marguerite herself and in a lovely castle!  If you have her contact information, perhaps you could send her the link here to our zenbuttons.  Thank you for telling us about your time there.
*beautiful fragment and background colors
*cone shaped fragments add depth and roundness


From Sally Whiteman (New Zealand) ~
Attached is my tile for the 243 challenge.
I used a white charcoal pencil for highlighting which I wasn't really happy with. I would try an ordinary white pencil next time.
I found this challenge very interesting.
Many thanks for the weekly challenge, it is much appreciated.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely contrasts of light and dark
*triangular spaces in outer ring create a star effect
Tip:  I found that the white charcoal pencil took very little blending.  You may want to try adding one un-blended line in the middle of each of the highlights. 


From Lisette (Switzerland) ~
I just love Zenbuttons, therefore this challenge was a pure pleasure. Thank you so much!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*pretty color combinations and fragments
*gem center and wisps of color to surround


From Aileen (Singapore) ~
Thank you for another amazing challenge. I've never heard of zen buttons till reading your post and I'm glad I now have! Thank you!

Tangled Tidbits - 
*beautiful mix of tangles and fragments
*sections darken from light center outward


From Trudi (Woodview, Ontario, Canada) ~
Greetings Adele! I can't believe how much I enjoyed this Challenge for one of the first times it turned out better than in my head! Although I've got to admit I really didn't have a lot in my head to start other than the little mooka like sort of cross between C5 and F4, the F4 which I used in the outside ring as well as more mookas. It just felt very zen as it just grew. I used coloured pencils and gel pens with my micron pen.
Thanks for making me try things I might not have. :)
 Tangled Tidbits -
*a glorious start to your zenbutton collection!
*curved lines, color and sparkle add great dimension


From Jody Genovese, CZT (New York) ~
So this week’s entry is acting as double duty. I received a Traveling Tangles Project tile from Anoeska Waardenburg, a fellow CZT from the Netherlands, with something she called a spundala as she ‘spun’ the colors onto the tile with ecoline markers somehow. I thought that would make a great start for a zenbutton. She tangled the centerpiece, which I embellished a little and then I followed Marguerite’s instructions to add the breaks to the yellow and orange rings for the fragments. This is really a fun thing to do and I knocked off two birds with one stone as they say :o)
 Tangled Tidbits  -
*each circle is anchored by a darker fragment or line
*highlights follow the curved center lines in the outer fragments


From Shirley Wohlsen (Queensland, Australia) ~
Attached is my Tile for ‘It’s A String Thing #243” Challenge
Wonderful idea for a Tile, excited to see all the different Zenbuttons.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*curvy fragments, deep middle ring, visible cross lines - fabulous details
*highlights add even more curvy-ness



From Marloes Vis van Heemst (The Netherlands) ~
What a pleasure to draw this challenge! My first zenbutton, but I'm sure there will follow more! And how nice it was to draw my with lines on black. I used, beside a white one, a black colorpensil for shading.

Tangled Tidbits -
*a stunning look - white on black
*highlight shines on the white tangles



From Margarete Gilge (Germany) and here on her blog ~
again I enjoyed your last challenge very much. I never drew a zenbutton before. It was very interesting to look after fitting patterns. My second version you can find on my blog ...Thank you very much for your comittement, your great ideas and this wonderful experience!
Happy Pentecost days and best wishes from Germany
 Tangled Tidbits -
...and to you and yours, as well!
*intricate fragments and coloring
*Printemp filled perfs in the outer circle


From Susie (Thailand) ~
I send you 2 buttons because just sending you the one with the shine (all Zenbuttons have a shine, don't they) would be cheating. I made the mistake using colored pencils on my toilet roll paper, which rendered my white charcoal pen and my white color pencil ineffective. Lesson learnt!
Thanks for this all round great challenge, Adele.
Enjoy watching the wedding.
Attached 1 shiny Zenbutton assisted by Photoshop and 1 rather bleak looking Zenbutton without the shine.

 Tangled Tidbits -
I did enjoy watching the wedding, didn't you?!  Thank you for the recycling idea, too!
*white highlight lines for each fragment provide great contrast
*added shine makes an already pretty zenbutton glow


From Ragged Ray (United Kingdom) ~
I love the Zenbutton thing - I discovered it just before the Easter weekend and spent a few happy days making mini ones while I practiced the technique. But here for you is my first full size Zenbutton - done in Renaissance colours. If we ever needed proof of the power of shading there truly is a magic transformation when you add the pencil and chalk to these!
 Tangled Tidbits -
That is very well said - "there truly is a magic transformation."
*beautifully mirrored, aura-ed and line filled spaces in the outer circle - nice touch with the bump-outs
*shading in the very center for added depth


From Susan (United Kingdom) ~
What a great challenge. I love drawing Zendalas but I haven’t seen Zenbuttons before. I drew it quite big and used a thick pen for my first attempt. Also pleased you liked my Hollibaugh photo, and thanks for sharing it on your blog.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Yes, that tree was a find, thank you for sharing it with us.
*pretty perf outlines
*weighted lines


From Sra (India) ~
I went a bit crazy over the Zenbuttons. In the tan tile, the inking of the circles seem to have prevented the appearance of the separation/tucking in of the middle circle into the biggest one. So I did a white tile and that seemed more successful but the white pencil didn’t work there so did a blue shading. Then I did yet another to see where it would take me. I feel I haven’t achieved a raised and rounded effect despite using curvy and wavy fragments. Any tips!?
Thanks and have a nice week ahead!


 Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely fragment selections and combinations
*beautiful variety of paper and color
A few Tips:  Shade in proportion to the highlights.  i.e. If your outer edges are darkened a bit more, the highlights will stand out as well.  Highlight in the very middle of each circle, blend very lightly if at all. 


From Ria Matheussen, CZT (Belgium) and here on her blog ~
After a short break in wonderful Switserland, I'm glad to be back home. (in my next blogpost of June, I will publish a few pictures of this beautiful and safe country in the heart of Europe)
In my post of Mai, I have drawn already a zenbuttom on a tan tile, filled with the fragments F16, B15, H1, D23 and my own Zimba. A white charcoal gives a nice glance but I find out that it is difficult to do on spaces, coloured with ordinary colourpencils. That is why I kept it simple and used only pens. I have to buy a few more coloured pens to bring more variation...
Anyway, working with reticula and fragments is a different way of drawing but I'm a great fan and I thank you for this pleasant challenge.
I'm very curious to see the other entries, but I'm sure, they all will look great!...
Greetings from sunny Belgium
 Tangled Tidbits -
*outer circle fragments have a mid line that flows with the curve - notice how the highlight runs in line with it
*alternating brown and black spaces are striking
I look forward to your photos of Switzerland!


From Ingrid (The Netherlands) ~
Here is my IAST # 243 tile for this week.
This was great fun to do. After drawing the zenbutton it all looked very flat. Then, after shading with the graphite pencil and the highlights with the white pencil, the magic happened. Wow.
Thank you Adele so much for this wonderful challenge.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*your deep shading and bright highlights accent that magic
*gorgeous coloring of the fragments



From VenaC (Whitby, Ontario, Canada) ~
I'm not sure if the patterns I used can be classed as fragments, but I hope so. The patterns I have used starting in the middle ... Citrus (Adele Bruno). Next ring ... Trimond (Beth Snoderly), Jalousie (Stephanie Kukla), Trelina (Eni Oken). Outer ring ... Trimonds (Jane Monk), Kiss (Katie Booth), Ozzie (Linda Dawson), 4 Corner Corolla (Susie Ng). I enjoyed looking for and then doing all these patterns. I meant to mention your table last week but sent my tile off before I looked at your blog. It is a beautiful table. I too use a door as my art table but is it just a flat hollow core door which now has legs. It is amazing what a lot of lovely usable space a door provides. Glad you had all kinds of celebrations for Mother's Day, Adele. Sounded like a fun time.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, Vena.  I am happy to know that we both work on a door-able :)
*fabulous mix of tangles for each section - love that middle one!
*deep shading compliments the highlights


From Gale Sherman (Arizona) ~
I'm not very good at following directions. When I read your challenge I was already working on a squared variation of Zenbuttons which Deb Huntington had inspired me to make after her post on the Mosaic app. And then I was inspired by Lynn Mead to make a "Crazy Zenbutton" by one of her posts. And now the time to send you my entry for this week's challenge is fast approaching. I want to thank both of those artists and Marguerite Samama for getting us going on a new branch of Zentangle. I love using reticulas and fragments and all of these structural variation are great fun to work with! And, of course, thank you for all you do.
 Tangled Tidbits -
This is fun because you are not the only squared button today!
*Crescent Moon and aura in each of the three sections
*pretty mix of pink, purple, and black and varied line weight



From Jane Rhea (Indiana) ~
My very first zenbutton! I figured I’d stick to black and white this first time out of the gate. Thank you, Marguerite S., for the wonderful directions, to Linda F. for making them easy to find, and to you, Adele, for your enthusiasm and continuing to give us opportunities to grow. Smiles all around!
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for the smiles!
 *denser line concentration in the middle section accents the middle and outer circles
*bold fragment designs


From Thekla (Germany) ~
this was a suprising Challenge this week. I used first time the pink micron and a inspiration I get from the mosaic app when I saw a tile of Susan Yeo. So I tangle a bit out of the box and you see here my result...
Thanks for your Inspirations to do something different from daily experiences.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*lines wrap around and over - so very pretty in pink
*center fragment lines run through to the middle section


From Jane (Dorking, United Kingdom) ~
I absolutely love drawing zenbuttons so I couldn't let the opportunity to do another pass me by! These are such fun to draw, a welcome challenge! Thank you.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*bold Flukes fragment repeats in two sections
*pretty touches of brown and blue


From Susie (St. Louis, Missouri) ~
When it comes to shading, I never know when to quit. I shouldn’t have put any blue on
anything except the center and I shouldn’t have outlined the outside.
 Tangled Tidbits -
But it is wonderful as is!
*glowing gem center, blue accents carry through
*sparkled aura



From Karen Herstowski (Atlanta, Georgia) ~
This was so much fun. I love the “Button” idea.
I chose 3 patterns:
Center: Tripoli by Rick & Maria
Middle ring: Monotangle5 - creator unknown. Each diagonal line in the center is one pattern, I used them back-to-back to get the triangle look.
Outside ring: ??? I can’t find any info in this one………
Thanks to all who created these Tangles and to Adele for this wonderful idea!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*yummy combination of line and pattern
*stunning design in the outer circle


From Pat (Washington State) ~
I think this is my second zenbutton. While it came out a little too dark, I had a lot of fun with it! Will definitely do more of these.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*deeply colored spaces, beautifully highlighted
*gorgeous gem center and metallic dotted aura



From ARHuelsenbeck (Arizona) ~
Fun challenge! I tried out some patterns suggested in Alice Hendon’s Zentangle All Around FB group: Button, Tonga, and Soul Star. I think my zenbutton looks like fine china!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*detailed tangles (like fine china!)
*large Button center - very appropriate


From Cyndee Pelley (Oklahoma) and here on her blog ~
Hello Adele from Oklahoma, Where the ugly heat and humidity have arrived! With tornadoes at night and the heat in the day, misery is my name! Luckily, indoor tanglling is the perfect sport for me! I thoroughly enjoyed the Zenbutton challenge! I have so many versions I'm working on! I need one of Genevieve Crabbe's wonderful mandala stencils!
Here are my 2 tiles, because one was not enough!


Tangled Tidbits - 
Stay cool and safe up there!
*beautifully colored buttons feature light and heavier highlighting
*green gem center and four accent triangular gems to match - lovely highlighting


From Sharon Fite (California) ~
Thank you for this wonderful challenge, Adele! Even if I had found Marguerite Samama's tutorial on my own, I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to try it on my own. And I love it! So many variations possible. Planning to try a blue on white version that will look like a piece of beautiful delftware.
 Tangled Tidbits -
The blue would be beautiful.
*shades of gray, pops of deep red
*center fragment cluster repeats outward



From Sue Leslie (New Mexico) ~
Happy Mid May and yea to zenbutton tutorials with Marguerite. Was inspired to try a square one, so here it is. Even tho you suggested the round string I couldn’t help but play with a new one after reading the tutorials. I did this one on a very pale lavender textured card stock so created a little different shading texture too. Thanks for what you, Linda, and all the others do for inspiring so many of us to explore more in the wonderful world of Zentangle. Love seeing all the variations of the IAST’s every week and know this one will be amazing.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*wonderfully large center, small middle, and medium sized outer square
*rounded corner fragments



From Ute (East Frisia, Germany) and here on her blog ~
here is my submission to your It’s a String Thing challenge.
For me it was the first time making a Zenbutton.
It was a long time ago, that I contributed something to your challenge. However I did create some tiles (especially remembering the gratitude tile on thanksgiving … ) with your suggestions over the last months but didn’t publish it. Thanks again for your inspiration.
Happy Pentecost to you and your family.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you, and to you too!  Welcome back :)
*light and lovely fragments, pretty touches of highlight
*Printemps center spiral



From Nor'dzin (Wales, United Kingdom) ~
Thank you for the challenge this week. I had seen these circular zentangles and thought how brilliant they were, so it is great to now know how they are created.
 Tangled Tidbits -
*rounded aura lines repeat in each section - great use of white space, too
*similar, yet unique fragments in each section



From Felicity Strohfeldt (South Africa) and here on her blog ~
Hope all are well. Here the skies threaten us every now and again, but all we get is sprinkling or two.
Anyway, to this week’s Zenbutton. A lovely creative idea and it was an enjoyable creative interlude. I watched the fairy tale wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle all Saturdaylong, so I decided to dedicate my Zenbutton effort to the happy couple and their beautiful ceremony. Sincere congratulation to them and here’s wishing them a long and happy life together. I chose Diamond Heart by Ginny Lu, Knightsbridge by Donna Lacey, Queen’s Crown by Suzanne McNeill, Cayke by Rose Brown Heartfully by Helen Williams and D5 Seed grid. Obviously the first five tangles are about royalty, love and enjoying cake (cayke). All very celebratory tangles and ideal to celebrate the Royal Wedding.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Wasn't that the most beautiful royal wedding?
*wonderfully thought out and detailed tangles for the occasion
*octagonal center with bright white spaces



From Nova Belle (Texas) ~
...I don't have any kind of white pen to overlay, so I did it without a shine, then added a bit of shine with an editing program. I'm not really sure which I like better, but the tile itself looks just fine hanging up with the others.
Thanks for all your hard work! I hope you had a good week, and a great mother's day.

Tangled Tidbits -
Thank you for the good wishes - and to you too.
*fragment lines flow in and around other fragments
*positive and negative versions of the same fragment (center section)
Thanks for sending in both versions.


From  Karen Buse (Califronia) ~
Radial symmetry is my comfort mode so this one was right up my alley. I used fragments of Well, Inapod, Olluan, Maria's Flux and a fan-thingy. It seemed to be acceptable to use tools on this challenge so I constructed the concentric circles and the radial eighths. I ended up using three different pen weights: 005, 01 and 03. I also did a second tile where I was trying to use a wavy line as the reticulum for the outer ring but got carried away and lost the layers of the button. You can see that one here - (link).
 Tangled Tidbits -
*gorgeous finishes to the fragments using the different pen sizes - adds so much depth
*dark, sparkled perfs, dots, and detail lines throughout



From Sharyn Penna, CZT (Massachusetts) ~
Marguerite Samama shared a joyful circle in her zenbutton tutorial ... it is very timely.
My mandala is dedicated to CZT Cris Letourneau, her daughter Birdie, and their close family friend, CZT Sonya Yencer, my zenbutton features the following tangles …
CENTER: Soul Star by Sonya Yencer, CZT featured in a video created 5/8/18 by Melinda Barlow, CZT (Link)
SQUARE FRAGMENTS: Hideaway by CZT Cris Letourneau (Link)
TRIANGLE FRAGMENTS: Undiala by Birdie Letourneau (Link)
When I saw Melinda’s video, and learned of the origin and meaning of Soul Star, I knew I had to create a tile to offer my support to Cris, Birdie, and Sonya; I have followed and been inspired by Cris’ blog and books for quite a few years.
I am always comforted from my favorite quote on joy and sorrow by Khalil Gibran:
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.
May Cris, Birdie, and Sonya find strength and comfort in their circle of joy: family ties, close friendships, healing hearts, and the heart-felt tangle that is Soul Star.
 Tangled Tidbits -
Amen. And thank you for that, Sharyn.
*mid line of the fragment follows the arc of the circle - highlights run along it
*white dots repeat in all fragments and the center tangle



From Di (Western, Australia) ~
Please forgive me that I'm late with this tile. It's for my dear Dad, who passed away a few days ago. I drew it for him and it will go with him in his grave. Dad occasionally liked to draw but never had enough time for it, amongst his commitments and other hobbies.
Wishing you all the very best from Australia,
 Tangled Tidbits -
So very sorry for your loss, Di.  This is a lovely tribute for your dad.
*alternating tangle, fragments, and tangle filled circles
*deep shading in graphite and in red


From Judy Wanner, CZT (Pennsylvania) ~
Zenbutton sure was fun, very fun! No, I did not use a purple pen, just a dark brown one. Surprised me!
 Tangled Tidbits -
*bright highlights and deep coloring - wonderful contrasts
*large perf center complimented by the smaller perf outline



And now...

the tile for honors this week...

was sent in by...


Lily from Hungary ~

Dear Adele here is my tile for your weekly challenge.
Zenhug:

Tangled Tidbits -
*lovely curves, shading, highlight, and center pearl make this rise up from the paper
*wonderful balance of brown and black in aura-ed line sections - the highlights give them a lacquered finish

Congratulations, Lily!


Many thanks to CZT Marguerite Samama (The Netherlands) for generously sharing her zenbutton idea and to Lina Farmer for spreading the word on TanglePatterns.  (Click here to view.)


Check back on Tuesday afternoon for "It's a String Thing" #244!