Zentangle Challenge #312 - Coffee, Tea or Me

I used a splash of fuchsia ink, then blew through a straw to get my "stain" string for this week's Zentangle Challenge. (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) I have a few other stained tiles (my favourite being wine stains), so I may just continue and do more… (My apologies in advance for not commenting on posts using Flickr, Instagram, Pinterest, or several others that I can't access without an account or using a password please know that I am looking at your work and enjoying it.)

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 #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.

Zendala Dare #116

I did two Zendala's for this week's Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. Though it doesn't show, the first one was done on a regular Zendala tile, and the second on an 8.5 inch circle. I like the second better because it gave me the opportunity to showcase some tangles that work well in circular spaces. I wanted something to balance the detail of the central orbs and I think Zplode works well. I'm happy with both of these!

Zendala Dare #104

I'm so glad Erin is back with her Zendala Dares (see more at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com). I've missed a couple before this one, but have them set aside for when I have a spare moment. I recently went to CanTangle in Regina, Saskatchewan - AMAZING time - and am working on several projects started there (see my previous blog entry for two examples)! Ok, so this Zendala isn't one of my favourites, so I'll be particularly interested in seeing what others have done with it. I messed up one of the outer bands… but there are no mistakes, so I adapted. Again, so glad to see Erin back with these Zendalas!

Zendala Dare #95

Yeah! Erin of www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com is back with her wonderful Zendala templates! I'm so, so, very happy! These take me longer than other challenges or practices it seems, but I enjoy them so much! My first look at this week's template I saw beehives and well, not much else. But after a bit of thought, and playing around by using the template as a "guideline", this is what I came up with. Yup, I'm happy with it and would love to hear your thoughts. Now to go check out the other entries! So glad to see Erin back!!

Zendala Dare #81

This is my entry for this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca. I just had my first Zentangle Class today and am sort of flying high from it! It was a major success and I'm really happy! One of my students used the phrase when she thanked me: "nurturing my inner artist" WOW! I love that phrase! So, this evening my husband and I sat listening to some good music in front of the fireplace and did "the Dare". (I hope he posts his.) No planning, no hesitating… it just flowed, and I'm quite happy with it.

Zendala Dare #63

When I first saw this weeks zendala template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca, I didn't have a clue what to do with it - no sudden inspirations. So, sitting out on the front porch on a hot sticky afternoon I just let the pen take me where it wanted. Those are the templates that give me the best "Zen". (I tend to over plan and think about which tangles to use...) Whimsical and yet delicate - I'm quite happy with this one.

Zendala Dare #52 (Hollibaugh)

I love this dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca. Every week Erin posts a blog and a template that challenges us. This week, in addition to a template that has circles, she dares us to use it and incorporate it the tangle "hollibaugh". Ok, right away I had an idea, and spent ages trying to figure out how to do it. Got the general outline done and transferred, and was happily working on it when a couple of friends arrived on their bikes with a couple of bottles of wine.... Well, by the time they left I thought better than to continue. However, it's still fairly early so I took a look at what had been submitted so far - and that is NEVER a good idea. Ok, so my original idea of making the given template "the string" wasn't so original, but they way I did was still different from anyone else's. So I decided to finish and post it - no matter how much wine I'd had. Actually, I'm pretty happy with this! Tomorrow, when I take a second look, I might be a bit embarrassed but I hope not. I have drawn out a second template and have another idea of how to tackle it, so we'll see if I have a second entry......... Thanks Erin for another great dare, and thanks to everyone for looking, and commenting if you have the time. Isn't this just the BEST way to spend time?

Zendala Dare #28

My entry for this weeks Zendala Dare by Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca - I'm very happy with the center (pepper), but the rest... well, not so much but only because I had anticipated a different look. I spent way too much time searching for "the perfect" tangles instead of just letting my hand and heart go with the zen flow and so got frustrated. I keep doing this - does anyone else?

Zendala Dare #23

Thanks Erin for another great template for this week's Zendala Dare (thebrightowl.blogspot.ca). Seems like this is a time of changes - the weather, activities, careers, whatever... and so I decided to do tangles that sort of represented pathways from one thing to another - all intersecting, and with little "bumps" on the way. All circled by the ying/yang of life. Not that I'm particularly spiritual, but I do believe that change can be a good thing if approached with a positive attitude, and if it doesn't work out, well, you've learned from it and can often go back, or, further ahead. I just finished reading a fabulous book that sort of ties into all this: "Hector and the Search for Happiness" by Francois Lelord. If you have read and liked "The Petit Prince" and "The Alchemist" - it's sort of along those lines - but about Happiness.

Zendala Dare #6

This is week 6 of the Zendala dare, (http://thebrightowl.blogspot.ca). I started this tile shortly after it was published, but am not happy with it. I started to look at others contributions (never a good idea before posting your own). Mine is too simple, and, I started to try Fife at an angle for the 5 points, but it wasn't working so I quit. Actually, I got them 1/2 done, it's sort of neat that way so I left it. I want to do another, and might, but it's a fabulous week weather wise in Toronto, and the garden, my owls (www.suesowlings.weebly.com), and social calls all take time - even if I'm retired there are only so many hours in a day... I will post again if I do another - good chance as I love doing these Zentangles (thanks Erin!).

Zentangle Challenge #70 - Sepia

The Zentangle Challenge for this week (#70), from "I am the diva" (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com) is to do a zentangle adding the color sepia (or brown). I just received my zendala tile kit so took the opportunity to try this challenge on my first of the pre-printed tiles! I used a sepia 005 Prismacolor, black 01 Micron and a sepia watercolor pencil. To me this tile looks like a winter seed pod bouquet... feels a bit odd since I spent the entire day in my spring garden and winter seems so far away! I love to read your comments, and I appreciate the time it takes to write them. Have a wonderful day.

ZIA - ovals, squares, circles - Zentangle challenge #65

The string for this ZIA was created using three things from the kitchen - a coaster, a martini shaker, and an olive dish - I thought about calling it "wasted martini's", but will save that catchy title for another ZIA. I had barely started when Zentangle Weekly Challenge #65 from "I am the Diva" came out asking us to use the tangle "Huggy Bear". I'd never used it before. I did a traditional tile and submitted that, but though it made me try some variations of Huggy Bear, I wasn't too happy with it. So I added it into this ZIA, and I'm much happier with how it turned out. I didn't try to be too original in variations - I'm working on learning and practicing tangles, rather than stretching creativity. Sometimes when I see how creative others are, I think "why didn't I think of that?". Hopefully that will come after I get better at technique. Love to hear any comments....