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 #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 #244 - Tripoli

Tripoli is an acquaintance that I admire, and am actively trying to make my friend… But I find it difficult, and I stress when dealing with it - not at all Zen-like! As with some friendships, sometimes you have to work at it more than others, and I will be friends with Tripoli… someday. This week's Diva Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com is to use the Tangle Tripoli. I'm glad for this "opportunity" to push myself. My most recent tile, which I quite like, is with the word "Awe", which has become my spirit word in Zentangle. I chose a stone with Awe written on it at CanTangle and it travels with me in my pencil case, and I wrote the word on my arrow project from Camerida. I am in AWE of Rick and Maria and the Zentangle world they have introduced and nurtured. I am in AWE of all the truly wonderful people in the Zentangle Community who just keep on sharing and giving. I am in AWE of the fabulous Zentangle art I see every day. But also, I am in AWE of what I have been able to create and open my heart to! This picture with three tiles on it is of my first three attempts - all have aspects I like, and other aspects… not so much.

Zentangle Challenge #232 - Guest Blogger Holly Atwater with audio instructions

Wow, this was a very different sort of challenge from guest blogger Holly Atwater who is sitting in for Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com this week. I was fortunate to be at CanTangle earlier this summer and experienced an audio meditative instruction done by Molly Hollibaugh, and it was an awesome experience. These audios are somewhat similar but it's a bit different listening on my computer and being able to pause and replay. I did all three audio's. The first one is for Tripoli, and I have to say that I find this one of the most challenging tangles, but with the audio, I think I did a pretty good job! Thanks Holly! The next one is a tangle that Holly called Meatballs, but I think it's on the Zentangle website and Tanglepatterns.com as Nipa? The third I had more trouble following the instructions, but maybe I'd lost some concentration by that point. Oh well, I improvised. Fun challenge, and I'm quite happy!

Zentangle Challenge #226 - Simplicity - Guest Blogger Katie Crommett

This week's Zentangle Challenge is from a guest blogger on Laura's blog (www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca), Katie Crommett, CZT. The theme for this week is "Simplicity". A great choice! I used to be much better at leaving white space and only doing 2-4 tangles on a tile, but I suspect that with the huge number of new to me tangles, I'm crowding in too many new and familiar tangles. It's so good to go back to simple! But of course, I couldn't keep it totally simple and decided it was time again to try a tangle I really struggle with - Tripoli. I'm getting a bit better with the help of Suzanne Wilka's Tripoli tutorial, but I need to practice, practice, practice, and take more time and mindfulness in the drawing. Thanks for bringing me back to a simpler tile, and also to step out of my comfort zone by concentrating on a troubling tangle!

Zentangle Challenge #144 - A Bug's Life

Well, here is my entry for this week's Zentangle Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca. I wasn't going to do this week's challenge because I'm really busy sewing owls for the CBC Christmas Charity Craft Show, and getting ready to give my first Zentangle class. However, I was going through some tiles that I started during the CZT12 training, and found an incomplete Zendala on which I had started practicing Tripoli and Peanuckle. Both of these tangles drive me nuts because I know I should be able to "get" them, but I find them really difficult. Molly showed us, and of course it looks so simple when she does it, and is much simpler when she is standing right there going over step by step with you…. But on my own - it's not pretty (or very zen since I get all worked up). So anyway - there was this incomplete tile just begging for more attention so I picked up my pen and filled in the spots. Then added some ants…. Don't love or even really like this, but I have to admit, it looks better than the incomplete tile I started with (and almost threw out).

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.