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.

Zentangle Challenge #147 - UMT Boo*Kee

Boo*Kee is an interesting tangle with room for lots of variations. Like it a lot, but not sure I love it. I can't wait to see what others have done. The centre pattern is something I tried to deconstruct from something I saw on a Christmas card (part Flux, part Copada)… but I think I'm going to leave the creating of new tangles to other people - it was not fun.

Zentangle Challenge #146 Duo-tangle using Pea-nuckle and Well

Pea-nuckle is not one of my favorite tangles. At CZT training, Molly walked us through it and it went much better watching her step by step, so I figured it would be fine when I tried it at home…. no…. Although I'm not too unhappy with the way this one went - I kind of like the look of them "ripping" away from each other - I find the tail ends of the "s" get in the way or hang out too much, and I can't get the luscious curve she gets. I'll have to play around with this one more and get over the "imperfections". Well is a beautiful tangle with loads of tangelations or variations. I like it best without the petal step. This is my contribution to this weeks Zentangle Challenge to do a duo-tangle using Pea-nuckle and Well.

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.

Zentangle Challenge #145 - Quib - More tiles

I couldn't stop playing with Quib….

Zentangle Challenge #145 - Quib

This week's Zentangle Challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com is to use the new tangle Quib. Sort of like a ribbony Hollibaugh, except it comes out of and enters a cup or vessel, at least in the step-outs. I'm not sure if it's drawn so the ribbons go off into the unknown like Hollibaugh - does that make it a Hollibaugh variation or a Quib variation? Semantics, maybe… At any rate, quite a neat tangle. I also wanted to try Borbz and the spiral. Like the Borbz, but will have to keep practicing the spiral. It's too small here and though I like the IDEA of Quib coming out of it - I'm not happy with paradox inside the spiral, but I made an error and had to adapt….

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).