Traveling Tangles Project

There is a group on Facebook called Travelling Tangles Project and it currently has over 1200 members.  Here is a copy of the description of the group....

Travelling Tangles is a collaborative project that aims to show how the Zentangle® method can bring people from around the world closer to one another. The idea is that you will draw on an original Zentangle tile but only finish the drawing half-way. Then you will send it off to another person for him/her to complete it. In exchange, they too will half finish a tile and send it to you for you to complete. Both you and the other person will then each keep the tile you have received. 

This group is open to everyone- the more the merrier.

How fun is this!  I am starting out slowly, so I don't have too many tiles waiting to be completed, but I definitely wanted to be a part of this tile exchange.  I love to send and get happy mail for all over the world!   I am posting what I have done and received so far, and I hope to have more posts in the near future.

Does this sound fun to you?  If so, join the group, and you too can send and receive happy mail!

It started out with 4 of us at a Coffee Shop.  We each did part of a tile and passed it on to be completed.  I did not get before pics and only got 3 completed ones.
This is also when I joined the FB group.

Pat Mathes/CZT started with the zen gem and tangles Quandu & Tipple
I completed the tile with tangles Betweed, Poke Leaf, Finery, Fife, and Tipple

I started this tile with tangles Ischor & Chainling
CJ Petersen/CZT completed it with Poke Leaf & Yincut

CJ Petersen/CZT started this tile with NZeppel & Fife

I completed it with Knightsbridge, Fescu, Diva Dance, & Zinger

 



 

 

I sent out these 4 tiles next, along with a Bijou tile, and Bijou tile holder.

 

 

Sue B. from Australia completed tile #1

 

 

Sue sent me these beautiful tiles and I completed them.

 

  

 

 

  

Sabrina K. from Finland completed #3 and a Bijou tile  

 

Sabrina send me these beautiful tiles and I completed them

 

 

Michele W. from CA completed tile #4 and a Bijou tile 

 

 

Michele sent me these beautiful tiles to complete.

 

 

Tile # 2 is still waiting to be completed.  I currently have 2 tiles waiting to be completed that I hope to get to soon!  I will do a post when they are done, along with the ones I send out to their creators. 

 

If you are still with me through this long post, I encourage you to join the group, it's a lot of fun! 



 

 

 

 

 

    

 

                                

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

     

DIVA Challenge 290 Duotangle of nZeppel vs. Flux

I love the duotangle challenges from the DIVA!  These are challenges where you can only use two tangles, and in this challenge the tangles are nZeppel and Flux.  I did mine on a tan tile this week because I love adding the white highlights.  It was very hard for me not to add Tipple to around the Flux as I usually do in most cases.  Fun challenge!  Thanks for stopping by and for your lovely comments.  They do mean a lot to me!  Enjoy the rest of your week and upcoming weekend!

DIVA Challenge 289 Leafy Goodness

This week's challenge is a Fall/Autumn theme of doing something with leaves.  Like last week's challenge, I decided to use color since this season is so full of beautiful colors.  We had a CZT play date several week's ago at my house and one of the things we did was to play with alcohol inks.  I had never tried them before and I really enjoyed experimenting with them.  The colors are so vibrant and the textures and blending are so awesome.  So I decided to use these to create my 3 leaves. I did this on Yupo paper (a shiny non porous paper) that works well with alcohol inks.  The colors were so pretty, I almost didn't want to tangle on them! 

Prior to tangling



CZT Art Day alcohol ink play

DIVA Challenge 288 Simply Gourdgeous

While the DIVA is having a touch of early winter up in Canada, we are having a beautiful fall here in Colorado. I love this time of year, with the leaves changing colors, and the crisp cooler air! I haven't used the tangle, Gourdgeous, too often, but it is a fun one to use this time of year.  I hope you are enjoying a wonderful fall, if you live in the northern hemisphere that is! Happy spring, to my friends down under!

Posted with Blogsy

DIVA Challenge 287 Dreamcatcher

The first Monday of the month at the DIVA challenge is for us to use the tangle, Dreamcatcher by Daniel Lamothe. I have never tried this tangle before, and I found it very easy, and can see that it could be very versitle too. The simple steps create a great mandala! Have a wonderful week everyone, and thanks for stopping by! 

 

DIVA Challenge 286 Straight to It

 

This week's challenge is to use only straight lines on your tile. You can use tangles that have only straight lines, or take a tangle that has curvy lines and make it straight. This is harder then it would seem, and it made me realize just how much I do use curvy lines. I decided to make Auraknot with all straight lines (which was hard to do) and then around it I made Printemps (as round a tangle as I could think of) and made it with all straight lines. Good challenge, but bring back the curvy line!

 

 

 

DIVA Challenge #285 Relax, bro!

This week's challenge from the Diva is to do a tile for the sole purpose of relaxation.  I am usually pretty relaxed when I do my tiles, but a lot of times I find myself doing them in front of the TV, while talking with other people, while I am waiting for someone or something, etc.  Not always very zen-like.  So, I took Laura's challenge, and waited this week until I was home alone, when down into my studio, lit a candle, and played Rick's flute CD.  I didn't have wine since it was only 1:00 in the afternoon (maybe I should have waited until the evening, LOL). Besides the candlelight, I had the sunlight coming in the window, which made it possible to actually see what I was doing, and it did make it a relaxing setting.  I liked slowing down, listening to the flute music, and just emptying my mind by just concentrating on my pen strokes.  No hurry, no planning, just the present moment.  Just the way I teach Zentangle.  I took a break from teaching this summer, and this made me realize that I do miss sharing that zen time with students.  Hopefully, I get back in the swing of things soon!  Good challenge, Laura!



Yes, I tangle all over my blotter too!

TANGLES:  Fengle with aura's, Snail

Crazy H

Once in awhile you see a variation of a tangle pattern that just jumps out at you and you know you have to give it a try.  This happened to me for the variation of the tangle, Huggins.  You can find the steps to Huggins on Tangle Patterns, at this link...HUGGINS.  This is one of what we tanglers call an "original tangle pattern", meaning it was developed by someone at Zentangle HQ, in this case Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts (co-founders of Zentangle).  Also, I may be wrong, but I believe it was Maria Thomas who came up with the variation too.  At least, I first saw it in her work.  As always, her work is an inspiration to me to try new things.  I have seen it referred to as random Huggins, Crazy Huggins, and Crazy H (which is my favorite). 

I have always loved the tangle Huggins, so I tried this variation on a tile, and then in a couple of different sketchbooks. I really love playing with this Crazy H!  This tangle became addictive for me, it's so much fun!  It also looks so different depending on the wonky grid you make and what you fill it with.  So you can see, I love Crazy H, and will be playing it with it even more!  Don't say I didn't warn you.....you may fall in love with Crazy H too! 

DIVA Challenge 284 Tripoli Monotangle

This week the challenge from the DIVA is to do the tangle Tripoli as a monotangle.  In other words, as the only tangle on your tile.  I've always had a little bit of trouble with Tripoli, but Laura's tip about trying to keep the spacing between your triangles as uniform as possible, is a lot of help.  In my first tile I filled in my triangles with different patterns, and on the second tile I used the same one.  The more I practice Tripoli the better it gets, but it does take a lot of concentration for me.  Enjoy your weekend! 

DIVA Challenge #283 Centre Square

Another 1st Monday of the month and UMT (use my tangle) feature at the DIVA's blog.  This week we are trying the tangle, Centre Square, by CZT Aleesha Sattva.  This is a very bold pattern, so I tried to keep it on the smaller size and then I ended up with a very busy tile that has lots of movement.  I still love that about Zentangle, no planning and just let it unfold before you.  I am happy with how this one unfolded before my eyes.  Thanks for another fun challenge, Aleesha & Laura! 



DIVA Challenge #282 Spill It

 

The DIVA's challenge this week is to spill something on your tile, let it dry, then tangle.  It can be anything, coffee, tea, watercolor, etc., anything that will leave a splotch.  I spilled some cranberry juice on my tile, but it was so light I could hardly see it, so while it was still wet, I added a drop of yellow food color, then a drop of blue and swirled it around on the splotch.  After it was dry I looked at it and turned it every which way, and hey...I see a tree!  My splotch became a tree!  I added some Printemps for a swirly sky with a gray marker and then added a little bit of sparkly blue with a Metallic Gelly Roll pen.  Fun challenge!  Enjoy the nice long Labor Day weekend everyone!