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 #115 + use tangles that start with (all or some) letters: THANKS

I wasn't too fond of this week's Zendala Challenge from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com, because I thought there were too many spaces and awkward ones at that…. But I try to do all of the Dares, and I was frankly quite surprised and pleased with my end result with this one. Goes to reinforce that you never know where Zentangle is going to take you! I initially wanted to use tangles for all the letters in the word "THANKS" (which was part of this week's dare), but I decided to stop without using an H or an N, and I'm happy that I left the open space! I'm not sure why it looks like the paper is blue - it's not - it's off-white water-colour paper; but I kind of like it blue!

Zendala Dare #114

Another great template this week from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. Not one of my favourite end products, but I had fun with the colour. And at least it's on time; last weeks entry went in late. I've been busy preparing for a new set of Zentangle classes, and finishing up a few of the many projects from Camerida (a wonderful weekend spent at the studio of Chris Titus in Wyoming, N.Y. with 25 Canadian and American CZT's)! I've been using this blog only for Zentangle challenges and Dares, but I'm thinking that I should be writing about the other wonderful Zentangle adventures I've been on this year: Tropical Tangle Garden with Cherryl Moote in Elora, Ontario, CanTangle in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Camerida in Wyoming, N.Y. Stay tuned ….

Zendala Dare #113

My entry for last week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com is late because I've been down with bronchitis, and most of my artistic energy has been used getting ready for a couple of classes, and finishing a couple of the fantastic projects from our weekend in the state of N.Y. at Camerida. Without more chatter, here is my entry:

Zendala Dare #112

This is my tile for Erin's Zendala Dare (www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com). Love the template, but I didn't have much time to play with it. I really like the blue in 'Nzeppel and want to do more with blue… I see some on Renaissance tiles, and I'd love to try that! I'm off to Wyoming, N.Y. tomorrow to attend a CZT get together called Camerida. I'm so excited and nervous!

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.

Zendala Dare #107

I had fun with this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. I had a tile that was coloured with inks I'm experimenting with; and I wanted to try unbalance a Zendala yet keep to the template. PorFin didn't turn out quite the way it's supposed to, or the way I wanted it to… but the strokes are all there :)

Zendala Dare #106

I love Copada and this is what happened when I saw this week's Zendala from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. I used black, blue and sepia microns, a pencil, and blue and sepia chalk pencils for shading.

Zendala Dare #105

I admit that I didn't like this template for the Zendala Dare (www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com)

this week when I first saw it, sorry Erin. However, as with a lot of Zentangle, once I got going and things started looking so very different as I let the pen and, in this case the pencil shading, take over, well, I started to enjoy it! Thanks Erin, again, for making me step outside my comfort zone!

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 #100 !! Wow, 100 Zendala's - so wonderful!

This is my celebratory contribution to the 100th zendala template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. I haven't done every zendala, but pretty close, and many I've used several times. I love playing with the templates. Sometimes Erin adds in a twist, and she was subtle about this one - encouraging us to celebrate. So with Easter coming up next weekend, I decided that this template was great for easter eggs, and jelly beans in a sort of basket. I had intended to do something more with the 5 Copada-like things on the outside, but they weren't speaking to me so I left them as is… Happy Easter everyone, and happy spring!

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 #97

This is my Zendala for this week's Zendala Dare from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com. Another challenging zendala… what to do with all those tear-drop shapes? Take a look at her blog to see the template. I'm really trying hard not to pre-plan to use certain tangles, and trying not to anticipate which tangle "goes with" another tangle. I also trying to get back to leaving white space - I used to be more comfortable with it, but seem to be getting into the habit of trying to fill everything in… In this Zendala I used the first and next tangles that crossed my mind, stopped before I really wanted to, but am glad I did, - and so, here you go!

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 #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 #94 - Happy

Welcome back! After a break, Erin is back with her weekly Zendala Dare (www.thebrightowl.blogspot.com), and I'm really really HAPPY about this! I've had a bit of a lost mojo for Zentangle in the past few months myself. Not feeling the Zen, not feeling the motivation… And yet, when I talk about or teach Zentangle, I feel just as enthused, just not satisfied with any of my own work. When I first saw this template, I thought it looked too busy, but as soon as I transferred it onto paper, I kept getting ideas. My first attempt is using favourite tangles, simple design, and on a 9x10 sheet. Big and not too complicated, and I'm HAPPY with it. (The scanner brought out some extra smudges that I don't notice on the original, so try to ignore those.) I'd like to do another regular tile size using tangles with the letters in the word HAPPY, so maybe there will be another entry from me. But first I want to do the weekly Zentangle Dare which came out today and hopefully Erin's coming back will also facilitate my returned mojo! Cheers everyone!

Zendala Dare #92

I really like the template from Erin at www.thebrightowl.blogspot.ca this week. But when I started to transfer it into the lovely journal we got at CZT training, I felt the page was calling out for a bit more… this is the result, and I'm quite happy with it. I haven't used Fengle in a long time, nor Blooming-butter.

Zendala Dare.#90 - Happy Birthday! - favourite ? tangles

This week's Zendala Dare has the added request from Erin that we use our favourite tangles in honour of her birthday. Not an easy thing to do for me since I have many, many favourites, and even my absolute favourites change frequently. Some days I favour grids, some days, something more organic. Some days I force myself to tangle when I'm just not in the mood, and then if I'm not happy with the result, a particular tangle may take on disfavour for a while… So. This one is for Erin - Happy Birthday Erin! The Heartstring is for the love of Zentangle and all that Erin gives, and gives, and gives. 'Nzeppel was really hard for me to understand, but once I got it, I've had hours of fun with it. And Gneiss - well it worked here, and I love how it is so simple but has such huge impact. I wanted to do another Zendala this week, because there are a few more tangles I would like to use on this template, but it's not going to happen. Now I'm off to look at others work. (And Erin, I didn't get a chance to comment on your blog post about the fellow who just wanted the templates and nothing else - so I just want to say, WE LOVE YOU! KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING, 'CAUSE YOU DO IT SO WELL!)

Zendala Dare #83 - Baby, it's cold out there!

I like this Zendala template a lot, but my end result isn't what I anticipated, as usually happens! I was trying to make a wreath, some ornaments, and snow swirling… I should know better than to make it try to look like something in particular. I'm not unhappy with this, and it was the first time using Floo, which I really like. It looks a bit cool in the centre, but maybe has the anticipation of spring in the outer wreath? I used water colour pencils for the colour.