Zendala Dare #46

Back from Mexico so I'm still under the influence of supposed sun and water (though the weather wasn't great for our week). This week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca gave me the opportunity to use a modified design that I saw in the resorts fountain pools. I also used Cruffle because the two colors sort of made them look like fallen coconuts; Waves since it was so windy the waves were huge on the ocean and even rippled the pool; and Sand swirl, again because of the wind. The tangle Waves is done in a really pretty blue, that unfortunately didn't scan very well. I love the fountain design - here's a picture of the mosaics:

Zentangle Challenge #107

I just got back from a week in Mexico and I didn't think I'd have time to do this weeks challenge. However, in the duty free catalogue on the plane coming home, I noticed this bracelet - and there was "Quandry" linked! Here is a quick tile with Quandry and some evolutions.

Zentangle Challenge #105 - UMT - Dansk

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This week's Zentangle Challenge #105 from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca, is to use the tangle Dansk. I've never used this tangle before so am glad for the challenge to try it. I like this tangle a lot and am very fond of teardrop shapes. So... I decided to add in some other tangles that had or could be adapted to include teardrops, and auras. The Dansk evolved into a sort of rocky waterfall under the rain, which called for a river, and "rainbow" of Paizel, and then needed pop-clouds in the sky. I almost didn't do the challenge this week because I have a craft show this upcoming Sunday and am madly sewing my owls. However, I found myself getting stressed and decided that I needed some "Zen" to get me over the hump. I'm glad I did because this was fun! Thanks again Laura for a wonderful challenge, and to anyone who views, and/or comments. (In Toronto we're hunkering down for a major snowstorm, predicted to be the worst we've had in a few years. Last winter we didn't have much snow at all, so I'm sort of looking forward to it.)

Zendala Dare #43

This week's Zendala Dare (#43) from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca, is to use tangles that make us "feel like and artist" in her lovely template. I LOVE this dare! I never considered myself an "artist" though I have always thought of myself as being creative. Mainly I felt that nothing I could do would rival all the originality I saw out there whether in painting, drawing, sewing, beading... or whatever craft I put my hands to. One of the things so wonderful about Zentangle is that it gives one permission to copy, adapt, and create using the official patterns (and unofficial too, I guess). Even though the patterns are quite specific in their initial drawing, they develop their own personality depending on who draws them, how they fill certain spaces, other tangles they are near, how they are shaded... Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that because of Zentangle, I feel "like an artist"! This first tile I did with Dragonair, Cadent, and Drupe - three of my favorite, first learned tangles that I felt changed how I look at my ablilities.

This second larger tile (6" x 6") is done using Linq (with striping), Golven, Trimonds, and Auraknot - all tangles that I love because no matter how or where I do them, they always look different to me, and it's the shading that really gives them life. Thanks again Erin for a great Dare and making me think about how and why I have special feelings for these particular tangles.