Diva Challenge 227 - Guest blogger, Lee Darter and 'Circus Life'

Well here is a different challenge! This week's the Diva's guest blogger is Lee Darter, CZT and she has come up with the ingenious idea of using the circus as inspiration. And she picked us some great tangles to put us in the mood.

Tropicana, by Lady Kate Arhens - and if you're reading Kate, hope things are OK with you, sending big hugs - and Cack by Adele Bruno. Two lovely ladies and two lovely tangles as a start. We were then given the option of adding Fescu, Florz or Linq.  I did two this week, though not sure if either are QUITE as circusy as they could be but they were fun to do. It's hot here and just typing is leaving me feeling 'wrung out'. You may notice my heavy shading this week - sweaty hands help the effect!

The first uses Linq and the second, Florz.

This is upside down from the way I drew it, but I like it better this way.
I don't like that my scanner has removed my subtle shading under Florz though....

Bet we have some real fun entries this week. I will be checking them out during the week. Thank you Lee!

Axxx

Diva Challenge 225 - with Katie Crommett CZT and 'Simplicity'

It's funny really, that most people, when they see a tangled tile, assume that it's taken hours and hours of work and is really complicated to do.  I always find it difficult to explain in words that it's not so complicated and many tiles are started and finished well within the hour. So I was pleased to see that this week's guest contributor to the Diva Challenge, Katie Crommett, decided to focus on this aspect of tangling.

She talks about how there is a lot of emphasis these days on simplifying our lives - but the advice is often complex and creates additional work or expense or just stultifies us.

But not Zentangle. I think it is why I love doing it so much. You can just begin anywhere that there's a space for you to sit, with just a pen and a bit of paper (yes, having tiles is better, but it's not an essential when the mood is upon you, is it?) and, breathing out and in, start with that first, always exciting line. Thank you Katie for focusing us on this aspect.

I chose two tangles - possibly the simplest I could think of - Keeko as the border, and a little fat Btljoos - a very simple version too - taking centre stage.
(OK, so my Keeko didn't quite line up, so there's a single Tipple in there too....) And the rest, I left simply white.

And I enjoyed every second of the ten minutes or so that it took me to do.

Diva Challenge and String Thing 100!

Thank you to Jen Crutchfield, guesting  over on the Diva Challenge this week! She suggested we use colour - in fact, she suggested just two or three - in our tangles this week. Like Jen, I am not a great on for colour, never having had artistic inclinations or tendencies before I began tangling. Some people have great experience with colour and it shows in their work - I'm in awe of the effects that some tanglers achieve with colour. I can't do it - I have tried but it doesn't seem to work for me.

However, I have a little technique that I'm quite happy with. I paint a random background, either on paper or a canvas, with some lovely gouache paints that I once bought for my daughter. Then I tangle on top. It's not awfully good for my pens - they get a bit clogged up as I work, but it seems to be only a 'surface' clog and a bit of scribbling on a different surface, and they work fine again. I haven't noticed any lasting damage or problems, in case you wanted to try it yourself.

I was asked recently to a zendala for a friend and she wanted colour, so this week's challenge seemed like the perfect opportunity. I prepared my canvas with a selection of colours - not awfully well represented here by my photo, but they are nice, trust me - and then drew about three concentric circles as a guide for my zendala. The rest is just how the flow took me.

I need some advice though...the canvas was obviously not square so my zendala only 'fits' in the top part. Should I put something else in the bottom part or leave it as it is? And if I put something in the bottom part, what could that be? A smaller zendala...or two...? A 'reflection' of the top part? Some words.....? Any suggestions gratefully received.

And this week also sees Adele Bruno's String Thing challenge reach its 100th anniversary - the Zentennial!! Well done Adele for keeping this lovely challenge going all this time. I love this one as it produces such a variety of tiles, all with the same remit - a string and a selection of tangles.

For this week, Adele came up with a simple but effect string and also a new tangle based on '100' and I enjoyed it so much, I did two.

The first one was done as I watched 'Mad Max - Road to Fury' and I think the rather gothic, steampunk effects somehow penetrated my unconscious as I was drawing.....

And the second one was done as a sort of antidote to the first!

Do check all the entries out when Adele publishes them on her blog early next week.

Thank you for stopping by! Hope you like what you have seen. (Now I can go and see what other lovely tiles have been entered onto the Diva Challenge!)

Diva Challenge 224 - Tipple

Hurray! I confess I've been waiting for a challenge to do a Tipple monotangle and today is my lucky day!

I think I did this last September whilst waiting for my son to do a round of archery. A pleasant Sunday morning, taking in some good coffee and typical 'tostada' breakfast, which is a good long chunk of toasted baguette, topped with fresh tomato, olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. I could digress further.....but will stop now.

And I've been waiting patiently ever since, knowing that one day it would come.

I enjoyed this SOOOO much and I may well do another before the week is out.

I wish Laura a great summer break - time for family and other fun things - and look forward to the challenges that her guests will set us!

See the other entries over on the Diva's blog or have a go and enter the challenge yourself!

Hmmm... just noticed...no shading! How remiss of me!!

Diva Challenge 222 - Bursting with Pride!

The Diva challenged us to use colour this week. I don't do a lot of colour because I really do like the Zentangles in black and white. OK...that's not entirely true. I think some people have an incredible way with colour and oodles of patience to get just the effect they want.
I don't have that talent or patience. Which is why I prefer black and white....

However, I love a challenge and I also like to demonstrate my support to those who have things a little harder than I do. We should all be able to be proud of who we are, what we do and who we love. So for this week, I have started at the middle and worked outwards in the form of a Zendala. Every 'layer' is a symbol of recognition for every strata in society; each ring of the Zendala is an embrace of our differences; every colour a band of pride for what we can achieve and for our love of each other.

Be different. Be proud. Without you, the world would not be so colourful.

(and thank you Laura.)

Diva Challenge 221 - Beads of Courage

Little Artoo has had a big year. He's looking so grown up recently and is clearly such a sweetie. He's been through a great deal in his short life and has lots and lots of courage. Like all children with serious illnesses, he has had many encounters with hospitals and I think that to receive recognition of his bravery, the Beads of Courage project is a lovely one.

The Diva's Challenge this week is to make a Zentangle pattern using the Beads of Courage as the theme. I remember doing this last year and for a few days, was a bit stuck as to how to do something different. Then I just started and let the Zen lead me!

This is for you, Artoo. Brave, brave boy with a great family who love you. Here's to you and all the other children who have to go through more than we would wish for them.

Axxx

Diva Challenge 219 and Square One - focus tangle, Purk!

Hello again! How the weeks fly by. Loved Laura's running story and the 10k 'STOP' sign! I just wish someone could tell me it would be OK to stop from time to time.....

I won't bore you with the details but my trials this week involve making a teapot costume for my daughter's performance in the school play. They are doing 'Beauty and the Beast' and Romy is Mrs. Potts, the teapot. She has a big singing role and has to look as wonderful as she will sound. I am doing my best and currently sport plasters on my thumb, index and middle fingers in recognition of the work I am putting in behind the scenes!! Makes tangling difficult.

Fortunately, it was a 'straight lines only' challenge on the Diva's blog. Not sure it makes any difference, actually, but I'm prepared to think it might have proved more difficult with some curves to negotiate with my bandaged fingers. It took me a few minutes to remember that one of my own tangles could feature - Skwirl is all straight lines, but with some nifty shading, it gives a subtle hint at circles. I teamed it with Steps, by Helen Williams, and Paradox with an assymetrical nod at Florz in the background.

A great challenge - thank you Laura!

In addition, I managed - before the needles took their toll - a couple of tiles for the Facebook page, Square One - Purely Zentangle. I post them here because I gave both tiles away as little tokens of appreciation. One to a colleague who was nominated for a national award in Human Resources - and she made the top ten! The other to my daughter to wish her good luck in her performance next week.

Here they are - I do so love Purk!!

Underwater Purk

Purk with Nzepple, Aquafleur and
aaargh, the name escapes me but it's by Michele Beauchamp...
A new one to me and I love it!

Thanks for looking. Axxx