Zendala Dare #78

Ok, this is not my favorite template and I almost didn't do this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca. Then, when I was browsing through my books of tangles I saw Loopy and decided I wanted to try it - and this was, I thought, a great template for it. That's how it started, and it's my favourite part of this Zendala. Slink isn't quite right, but that's ok, I'll know better for next time I try it. What I have found very interesting in my tile and other's that have been posted, is the variety and differences that we have all come up with for such a simple (for lack of a better descriptive word) design! Yeah Zentangle!!!! Thanks Erin.

Zentangle Challenge #142 - Comfort/Danger Zone

This week's Zentangle Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca is to take a look at what our comfort and "danger" zone are - what we tend to gravitate to or avoid. I had to think about this one - there is a lot about Zentangle that takes me out of my comfort zone, but is ultimately so rewarding that it's not really a "danger" area for me. However, it occurred to me as I was sorting through my Zentangle paraphernalia that my real danger area might be those tiles or projects that got started and never finished … for any number of reasons. So I chose one of my unfinished ZIA's and here it is. This was left over from the challenge that asked us to use a stencil. I had traced the holes from my laundry basket on a piece of pumpkin coloured card stock, but once I got started and made my first "mistake", I lost focus and interest. But I kept the barely started piece, so there must have been something about it that caught my attention. Once I went back to it, I couldn't put it down, so it just goes to show that it's worth hanging on to those unfinished projects and trying them again later. (Sort of like books - it might not appeal to you now, but I find that at a different time, not always, you might just be in the right head space to get into it). I'm glad this challenge got me back to the unfinished pile - there is more there to explore! Thanks Laura.

Zentangle Challenge #141 - Duo-tangle: Fengle & Quandry

I'm happy to announce that I'm now a CZT (from CZT12)! My husband and I drove from Toronto, taking a leisurely, picturesque route through Vermont to Providence, then after the course, spent a few days in Cape Cod, then drove back through New York State. We had stunning weather, interesting and beautiful scenery, good conversations, wonderful food and accommodations... But the highlight for me was the CZT course! Rick and Maria and family were amazing teachers/mentors; the course, hotel, food was fabulous beyond my expectations; and other "students" from all over the world were fun, interesting, lovely people! I'm even more enthusiastic about Zentangle than I was before I went. Highly recommended if you haven't done it yet. So, this is my entry for this week's Zentangle Challenge (from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca). This challenge is to do a tile using the two tangles Fengle and Quandry. Fengle, I love... Quandry - not so much. Like Tripoli, I think Quandry looks wonderful when others do it, but I keep getting out of the pattern and lost. I know it's a tangle that I need to keep trying - so thanks again for another challenge that takes me out of my comfort zone. It's all good!

Zendala Dare #77 - Random Acts of Zentangle

Well, I can very happily announce that I am now a CZT, having been a part of the wonderful CZT 12 group. It was a wonderful and fulfilling few days - an experience that I would highly recommend to anyone who can arrange to do it! And now, here is my entry for Zendala Dare #77 using the template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca. Erin added in the added part of the dare that we leave our tile somewhere... Great idea! At first I was excited... then I found it was hard to realize I had to just leave my tile to some fate... then I got all bogged down on where was the "perfect" place to leave it (sigh)... Needing some air, I went for a walk and took the tile with me looking for inspiration. Very quickly I passed a bus shelter and thought ah-ha! So there it sits, hopefully someone will enjoy this tile. It actually looks a bit creepy to me when I look at it on the computer - very halloweenish!

Zendala Dare #76

Well I sure enjoyed this particular template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca! I made a few changes to the template, and used a new to me tangle from Sue Jacobs - Zaturn, which I LOVE! I hope I did it justice! Moving Day is another of my favourites though I think it is more effective on a larger scale than broken into the diamonds here. I don't often use colour, but it was crying out for something and "blue" seemed to add just the subtle tone I wanted. I'm quite happy with this one.

Zentangle Challenge #138 - Fun with Borders

I love Zentangle because it gives me the chance to put pre designed patterns together in a creative way, and to sometimes come up with a different tangleation or way of presenting it. I'm not so good at seeing a pattern in everyday things and reinterpreting them, and frankly am not so interested in doing that. I have played with a couple of patterns over the past year that could, I suppose, be a new tangle, but as I said, it's not something I've spent much time or energy on. So this challenge was a real challenge for me. However when I was out for a walk yesterday I concentrated on looking around me and finding potential patterns and borders - much to my surprise, they are everywhere! When I got home, I found a pattern on a towel that caught my attention, and so I tangled on a piece of watercolor paper I've cut into Zentangle bookmarks. The pattern is very similar to the band across the bottom, and then I played with some variations and embellishments. Don't love the bookmark, but it is rather a cool pattern.