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 #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!

Zentangle Challenge #228 - Guest Blogger, Cari Sultanik: Organic Tile

This week's Zentangle Challenge is by guest blogger Cari Sultanik, and it is to do a tile using organic or natural tangles. This is what I came up with. Summer is always busy, but it's been super busy and spectacular this year! I got back from CanTangle in Regina just over a week ago, and am still buzzing from adrenalin because of meeting wonderful CZT's, the amazing workshops, and learning so much! So HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!

Zendala Dare #99

My entry for this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. I'm down with a cold after spending a fabulous week in Cuba, but really wanted to participate in this week's Dare. Why is it that I often get sick after a week in the sun? Could it be coming back to colder weather? Or maybe airport germs? Oh well. So I decided to keep it simple, and to choose tangles that are in my comfort zone. I think it needs a bit of something else… maybe colour? I'm going to leave it as it is because I don't have the energy right now to carry on, but maybe I'll look at it again tomorrow.

Zendala Dare #96

This week's Zendala Dare was a challenging one, I thought. Love these dares and challenges though - they make me a bit uncomfortable, yet stimulated. I did the outside bits first, got stuck and was just about to set this particular dare aside when an inspiration came to me during a yoga class (yeah, I know I'm not supposed to let my mind wander…). And so again I'm reminded that it is best to just let the tangles just happen rather to try to plan it all out and try to find new or perfectly complimentary tangles… It doesn't show well in the scan, but the colours are a bit more intense, the printemps has a sepia tone, and there is blue between the flowers and the border. I'm quite happy with this one, and to me it feels like a bit of a rock garden….

Zendala Dare #55

I had fun doing this week's Zendala Dare, in fact, I did two! This template called out to put in Auraknot so I had to do one with it, but I also wanted to do one without. I tried to keep them both fairly simple and used all tangles I love and am familiar with.

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.

Zendala Dare #40 - second entry

I had to try this Zendala Dare template again, and yet again.... I started this tile intending to use Pia, but didn't look at the instructions and of course did it wrong... so I guess it's sort of "rain" but rounded. After that, I just kept on tangling. I wasn't going to post this one but here it is anyway.

My last try of this template and I decided to use Pia (the way I originally intended, and two other tangles I haven't used before: Zin and Boties. Perhaps because the template is quite complex, all three of my tiles took a long time to do - much of it in thought about how to start and what to do next... then especially with the last one, trying to keep lines straight and even. Because I spent so much time on the tiles, I haven't had time to look at every entry yet - I'll try to get them, but may not have time to comment on as many as I like to.

Zentangle Challenge #102 - Duotangle Auraknot/Bunzo

Quick entry for this week's Zentangle Challenge #102 from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. We are to use only the two tangles Auraknot and Bunzo. I LOVE Auraknot, but just like Bunzo - but together? Well.... I'll be very interested in seeing how others have combined these two - quite a challenge Laura! I got my first iphone this week so instead of reading, walking and doing the creative tangling, and sewing that usually takes up a lot of my time, I'm entering and updating my contacts and exploring this new i world. Fun, but initially it sure takes up a lot of time :)

Zentangle Challenge #78 - Auraknot

I filled a couple of pages practicing and trying auraknot. I loved seeing it done in the demo video, but somehow it just didn't seem to want to work well for me. I wasn't going to submit this week because I was frustrated, but last night as I was sitting out on the porch I gave it another try with brown cardstock and pearl gel pens, giving it one more go. Don't love it, but there you go. Unfortunately the gel pens take longer to dry (hence the smudges), but at least I was able to make auraknot look somewhat different. Of course, scanning doesn't show the subtle colors (purple, green, silver, gold). When I have more time (and patience), I'd like to do a border for a ZIA in auraknot, but it's going to take a lot more practice. I loved looking at all the other entries (which I normally don't do before entering) - there are so many fine and brilliant pieces! Sorry I didn't have time this week to comment on more than a few.