Zentangle Challenge #296 - UMT: Moowa by Anya Ipsen

This week's challenge from Laura (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is a UMT (Use My Tangle): Moowa by Anya Ipsen.

Zentangle Challenge #294 - Fragments and Reticula

I'm not comfortable with Fragments and Reticula… I think I understand it better since it was well explained and we got to play with it at ZenAgain, but I really don't see the point in some ways. It seems to complicate and add stress, at least for me. When I saw this week's challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca, I actually cringed and thought I'd pass on this one. But then I felt guilty and decided I had to at least try a tile. As it turns out, it was quite fun. I chose the tangle Well, at least the first few steps of it. Here is the fragment (repeated and mirrored, the outline, and the final tile. It's a bit crazy how twisting, turning, different embellishments or shading can change a fragment!

Zentangle Challenge #292 - UMT: Eaxy by Nadine Roller

I had lots of "oooops" and difficulty with Eaxy for this week's I am the Diva challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca). I'll have to give it another try on another tile, but I felt that even though I got lost on this one several times, I'm happy with the end result. Though to me it doesn't look much like a Zentangle tile - more an abstract compilation. The Peaks in the bottom were based on a vintage shirt I saw in a shop - I liked the layered peaks and the lines more open on one side within each peak… yet not always on the same side. (again, I apologize for not commenting on all submissions and do take time to look at and enjoy them. I don't have instagram, Yahoo, or Pinterest (or have to log in each time, which I won't do). And I also don't comment, usually, on posts that have several challenges in one post because although I enjoy seeing what you are up to - I'm specifically looking for the Diva Challenge.

Zentangle Challenge #290 - Duo-Tangle: Flux and 'NZeppel

Here is another wonderful challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca! This week we are to do a Duo-Tangle, using only Flux and 'NZeppel. I LOVE them both, but find that I rarely use Flux - no reason, but I use 'NZeppel a lot! So it was fun to put them together. I almost wasn't going to shade this at all - I quite liked it plain. In the end, I decided to add a bit of graphite, which was fine too, but I rather wish I hadn't… *(I would like to add here that I love to see everyone's interpretation of the challenges, and I try to comment on those that I can. But I don't have an Instagram, or Flickr account, and Pinterest makes me log in each time I want to comment, so to those who post that way, please note that I am enjoying your photos but you won't be getting likes or comments from me. I often also won't comment when someone has posted several challenges on their blog because I just don't have time….)

Zentangle Challenge #286 - Straight to it

The challenge this week from Laura (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is to use straight lines. I chose tangles from one of my step out booklets, but chose tangles that to me also implied some sort of movement. I'm happy with the way this fun challenge turned out - as usual, totally not what I had envisioned when I started with Afterglow! My apologies to those who don't get comments from me. I am looking at most entries when time permits, but I'm not able to comment on Flickr or Instagram photo's, and sometimes don't comment when there is a blog post that covers several challenges. I am looking, and I am enjoying, and I do try to comment when I can.

Zentangle Challenge #285 - Relax, bro.

When we tangle for ourselves, as opposed to tangling for something we are going to publish somewhere for others to see, probably, our tangling is more Zen, more relaxed… And that is the premise for this week's Diva challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) It's true for me sometimes - especially if there is a challenge or focus on a tangle I'm unfamiliar with or don't particularly like. For this tile I took one I had worked on at an outdoor music concert this summer, and really didn't like. The basic tangles I had done were only Betweed, and Molygone. I set the tile aside. (I have a stack of potential tiles to finish…) For this challenge I finished the tile by adding in a few more tangles - the first that came to mind when I looked at a spot, then shaded. I wish I had taken progress photo's: the tile I wasn't happy with, the tile before shading…) I'm happy I kept that tile, and really should go back and touch up my other unfinished, not loved tiles….

Zentangle Challenge #284 - Monotangle to Tripoli

This week's challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca is to do a monotangle of Tripoli. I love Tripoli, but also have a love/hate relationship with it. The part of me that wants things perfect or at least reasonably close doesn't love this tangle because it always goes wonky for me no matter how careful I'm trying to be. On the other hand, I'm loving this challenge, because today I decided to "just do it" and let the pen go where it wants. I was stressing at first because I wasn't liking the initial look, but this is one of those cases that showed me that embracing the imperfections is why Zentangle is so magical. I'm happy with this in the end…. I also want to say here, that I do try to see everyone's entry, and comment on as many as I can. However, I don't do Flickr, or Instagram, or Yahoo, so I can't log in to make comments. Sometimes too I don't read all or comment on a blog post that encompasses several challenges in one post. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy looking and love the work… just so you know...

Zentangle Challenge #283 - UMT - Centre Square

This week's Diva Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is to "Use my Tangle" - Aleesha's Centre Square. I'm not a big fan of lots of filling in, but it can be quite meditative if I could just keep my mind on it. I wanted to play with the shading in this tangle, and it didn't actually go where I thought it might, but it's all good. Aleesha, thanks for the tangle, and Laura, thanks always for doing these challenges and making us go where we might not otherwise venture!

Zentangle Challenge #282 - Spill it!

Oh boy… this one was a challenge for me. Not specifically the tangling (though I had trouble with Tipoli)- but I ruined 4 tiles trying to "spill" stuff on them. Three were too sticky, and one was just… grey. I wanted to do a red wine spill, but didn't want to open a bottle of wine I wasn't in the mood to drink. I found this tile in a pile of "to do something with" tiles, and don't remember what was spilled on it. Anyway, here is my tile for this week's Diva challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca), before and after.

Zentangle Challenge #279 - Duo-Tangle: Meer vs Auraknot

Laura's challenge this week is to use two tangles, Meer and Auraknot in a Duo-Tangle. (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) Not loving this tile but it's getting posted.

Zentangle Challenge #278 - UMT - Knightstar by Daniel Lamothe

This week's Diva Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is to UMT (Use My Tangle): Knightstar by Daniel Lamothe. My first try was using squares that were way too tiny (I should have followed Laura's advice) so that tile was used for further experiments and pen tests… This is what I ended up with, and quite like it. I think Rick's Paradox pairs nicely with Knightstar. It was hard for me to leave the white space, but I'm glad I did.

Zentangle Challenge #277 - Running 'round in Circles

This week's Diva Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is to use circles. I love circles! Especially off-set circles! I coloured with water-colour pencils and the background is from my now favourite pencil set - Graphitint - this one is Juniper. I have rarely used the tangle Sez and enjoyed it so I'll be using it more.

Zentangle Challenge #272: What's Black and White and Red All Over?"

Here is my tile for this week's Diva Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. I had fun with this one!

Zentangle Challenge #268 - A bit-o-black

Love this week's challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca! I'm trying to use more black in rounding, or thickening lines or parts of lines, or as a fill in many of my tiles. This was fun play!

Zentangle Challenge #267 - DuoTangle: Poke Root vs Drupe

I rarely use Poke Root… it's just not one of my favourites. However, I love Drupe! Here is my combination of the two for this week's Diva challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. Today is Laura's birthday too - so Happy Birthday Laura!

Zentangle Challenge #266 - UMT - Crux

This is my tile for this week's Diva Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) to use the tangle Crux. I love this tangle and use it a fair amount. It's a tangle that takes a lot of concentration. I chose to not shade Crux because though it is the focus tangle, I wanted Ruutz to jump out on top. This was done on a white tile - the camera seems to have added some yellow tinge to one side….

Zentangle Challenge #264 - String Theory: Spring into Spring

This is my entry for this week's Diva Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. Using a string that would happen if you stretched out a spring, this is what I ended up with.

Zentangle Challenge #260 - Shattuck monotangle

This week's Diva challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca is to use the tangle Shattuck as a mono tangle. I like Shattuck but haven't used it much - I don't know why. I expect that I will be using it more now. With these two tiles I was playing with making Shattuck grow more layers… it sort of worked the way I thought it would, but if I make the time, I think I'll play around with this a bit more.

Zentangle Challenge #258 - UMT - Rautyflex by Kathrin Bendel

It's been a while since I posted for Laura's Diva Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca), because… well, life just sometimes gets in the way, and lately I'm just not feeling inspired. This week's challenge is to use Kathrin Bendel's tangle: Rautyflex. It's a tangle that requires lots of concentration, but also has opportunity for lots of variations. I used two variations in this tile, and am quite happy with it. Thank you Laura, for making me stretch and giving the motivation to tangle!

Zentangle Challenge #250 -Bringing it back to the Old School

So many new techniques to see and play with, so many posts, so many tangles… It's with relief that each week I do the Square One: Purely Zentangle prompt, and now is the much appreciated challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca to go back to basics with a 3.5" square tile, black micron, and pencil and tortillion, and no planning… just letting the Zen in Zentangle be. So with little thought, I got out my supplies and went to the first 4 tangles that I put in my workbook after taking the basics course in Oct. 2011. I used the basic "Z" string. These are the first tangles that jumped out at me that I wanted to learn. I probably haven't used Flutter Tile more than a couple of times since, and though I love it, it's much easier to do on a page with a grid like my workbook. I also rarely use the basic chaining, and usually take it further to Punzel. This was a good exercise and I might just do another tile with the next 3 or 4 tangles!

Zentangle Challenge #249 - Duotangle Auraknot and Diva Dance

These are two tiles I did for this week's Zentangle Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. The challenge this week is a duo tangle - to use Auraknot and Diva Dance. I started out just fooling around with some scratch tiles I have and liked what happened (other than I mucked up Auraknot a bit). I was also able to fit in a ribbon forming a 5 because this is the 5th anniversary of her posting challenges! My other tile is on a blank coaster. As always, another wonderful challenge!