Zendala Dare #109

This is for this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. I really like this template, but agree with her that the outside parts seemed a bit awkward, so I added in lines to make leaf-like petals around the edge. I haven't used Ixorus or Braze in a really long time, and I'm glad I re-discovered them! Not liking the way I shaded Braze because it doesn't look like I wanted it to, but then again, it has a very different look and that's one of the great things about Zentangle - NO MISTAKES - and it's ever so forgiving and surprising! This tile is done on white water-colour paper, but looks blue in the photo - I wish it was blue; the photo looks better! I'm off to Glasgow and Belfast for the next week and a bit, so I'm going to miss next week's challenge, and may not have time to view and comment on the entries until I get back. That's the thing about traveling… I love it, but dearly miss the Zentangle time, and of course, my cats….

Zendala Dare #108

I LOVE Zendala's! and here is this week's from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com I changed this one a bit - took out two circles. This was done on an ink stained tile.

Zentangle Challenge #219 - Straight lines - tile #3

This is my third tile done for this week's Zentangle Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com. In my first submission I used Hollibaugh as a string and filled in the bands with tangles; this time I've left the bands empty and filled in the spaces behind. I also used two tangles I've never attempted before - Zuan Shi and Juke. I'm having fun with this challenge!

Zendala Dare #57 - Tangled Time #3 - It's five o'clock somewhere (second entry)

This is my second entry to this week's Zendala Dare. I'm sure I'm not the only one who finds that once I start to tangle, time takes on a new dimension and usually flies by. I also find that other things that needed doing seem suddenly less important. So, I am working on a series of "Tangled Time" clock Zendala's that indicate that time becomes confused and or elastic once I put pen to paper. This is my third, and there is an added twist to this one. The three tangles at the 5, 6, and 7 o'clock placement are in honour of cocktail hour (it's five o'clock somewhere, as Jimmy Buffet sings). The tangles I've used in these positions are wine inspired tangles created by Linda Farmer: Chard, Rose, and Gewurtz. (I'm still waiting for Merlot to be created...). This was fun and maybe will inspire those of you out there who are good at coming up with new tangles to design tangles for some cocktails like martini's, gimlets, mojito's... ha, ha!

Zendala Dare #50

Interesting template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca. I could see so many things I wanted to do, but after I had drawn it out, I realized I'd missed a couple of lines and voila - there was a pinwheel. I used a sepia pen to add contrast, and though it's hard to see in the scan, a pale blue watercolor pencil for the background. My copy of the book "Made in the Shade" by Cris Letourneau just came in the mail today, so I'm going to bundle up, and sit in the sun in the back yard with a tea, my Zentangle kit, and enjoy this spring-like afternoon!

Zentangle Challenge #91 - Beads of Courage

This week's Zentangle Challenge (from www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) is for the charity Beads for Courage. Children collect beads that they get for getting through things like doctor's appointments, needles, tests, achievements... What a wonderful visual way of seeing how much they've been through. This challenge reminded that at one time (actually, 3-4 decades ago) I had wanted to create a wall - hanging that was made with macrame and would be a sort of a diary. I had envisioned that each string would be a day, each knot would represent something like weather or how I was feeling, and I would also add beads to represent events such as a date or an outing with friends. The wall hanging never got done, and I had forgotten all about it until I read Diva's post. That was the inspiration for my design using "Beads of Courage".

Zendala Dare #21

Here is my contribution to Erin's Zendala Challenge which can be found at http://thebrightowl.blogspot.ca/ I haven't been doing much Zentangle over the past few weeks, other than just trying to keep up with new tangles being posted and adding them to my workbook. It's been a fabulous summer filled with travels, gardening, crafting, reading, and spending lots and lots of time with friends and family. I don't know how I managed when I worked, but now that I'm retired, I'm busier than ever (in a good way)! In this dare I used one new to me tangle (Keenies), and a new to me variation of Bilt, and Ixorus. I would have liked a bit of color in this, but couldn't figure out how to add a touch without potentially ruining it, so I just shaded. Shading shows up better in the original than when it's scanned.

Zentangle Challenge #74 - Eccentric Circles

The Zentangle Challenge (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca) for this week is to draw "eccentric" circles for our string. I decided that instead of drawing irregular circles, I would draw circles (ovals) in one direction, then draw some others in another direction. This led me to wanting to "weave' the lines. I've used two new to me tangles, Purk and Wartz. I'm not entirely happy with this, especially Bilt which didn't turn out or float the way I wanted it to; and it's rather hard to see how the circles interweave. Oh well - at least I learned two new tangles. Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to post comments - they are much appreciated. Have a good rest of the week.

Zendala Dare #4 - Mexico

Erin at the "The Bright Owl" http://thebrightowl.blogspot.ca (for some reason I can't provide the direct link) has provided us with templates of a mandala to tangle as part of her Zendala dare. This week she has also asked us to use a theme of Mexico and/or Ocean. Erin has been on a Mexican cruise and thus the inspiration! Love this "dare" as my husband and I didn't get away on a Mexican vacation this year so I went back to some photo's of our trips to Mexico over the past three years and it brought back so many memories! I love the colors of Mexico, in nature and art and clothes and buildings.... I couldn't get sombrero's out of my mind while I was tangling... so I've added some in as part of the border. Thanks Erin - great dare!

Zentangle Challenge #61

Zentangle weekly challenge #61 is to use the tangle "Golven" I love it! This is a tangle that is quite versatile and can be very detailed, or left quite simple; can be used as a border, or to fill a space... I was working on a ZIA of overlapping ovals and when this challenge came up, I decided to add this tangle, so I've included the ZIA as well.