"It's a String Thing" #49

Tenth Anniversary String with Bunzo, Rain, and N'Zeppel

This week was the tenth anniversary of Zentangle.  That's pretty cool.  To celebrate, Adele designed a string in the shape of the number ten.  She asked us to choose our favorite patterns to tangle with.  That means this week's challenge results will be fun to see because there will be so many different patterns.

When I look at a string sometimes I immediately know what I want to do with it and sometimes it takes a while.  This was one of the immediate times.  As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted the number 10 to be negative space.

I started looking through my pattern book.  I wasn't planning to use favorites, just what I thought fit well.  As it turns out, I did use three of my favorites because they were the ones that fit.  This is the first time I've used Rain with the aura only on one side. 

It's also the first time I've added sparkle afterward by adding white instead of just leaving white as I tangled in the first place.  I really like how the sparkle turned out and am grateful to have that option.  Too often I get done with a piece and then decide I should have put sparkle here or there.  This way, I still can.

I'm very much a fan of free-form N'Zeppel.  I almost never use it in a straight grid anymore.  I love the way it seems to go under the 1 space.  Isn't it cool the difference shading makes?

Father's Day Gift for My Husband

With N'Zeppel

I made this tile for my husband, who also tangles, for Father's Day.  I also added a nice note to the back.  Lots more emotional connection in this than there might appear, but that's just for us!

"It's a String Thing" #48

String 046 with Pippin, Purk, and Printemps

I totally had a plan in mind when I started this tile; almost none of my original plan ended up in the piece.  I started with Pippin in each of the two loops.  Then it all took off on its own.  A few more Pippin.  A single, straight line of Purk.  And many small Printemps.  I love the way it turned out.  I think it has kind of a Moroccan feel to it (which I could never do on purpose, only accidentally).

 

On a side note, I just couldn't make myself use Prestwood (another pattern suggested for this challenge).  I had a hysterectomy last week and every time I look at Prestwood I see a bunch of uteruses squished up next to each other.  I'm pretty sure that pattern is ruined for me forever, which is sad because it's a nice pattern.  I guess timing really is everything.

"It's a String Thing" #44

String 044 with Neuron, Navaho, N'Zeppel, Nipa

This one came together so quickly and I really like the results.  I used a wavy Neuron grid over the top of the original string (string 044).  Then I worked to stay true to both. 
 

I added extra weight to the original string line to bring it out more because I really like it.  The patterns were used in spaces created by the original string but within the framework of the Neuron grid.  So each of the petals of the original string have Navaho in them, but it starts and bends and curves along with the Neuron grid.  Nipa in the center does the same, although I let N'Zeppel in the surrounding parts fit those spaces a little less true to the Neuron grid.  I used a heavier pen for N'Zeppel to bring it out a bit, too.  Then I shaded several of the Neuron spaces to bring extra attention to that aspect, even though the "squares" of Neuron spread into multiple patterns.  Then a little extra shading around the inside of the petal pieces for just a little more pop!
 

This is one of my favorites!

"It's a String Thing" #42

 String 038 with Knightsbridge

I had all sorts of ideas for tangleations of Knightsbridge, but then ended up going traditional.  Funny how what's in my head is almost never what ends up on the page.

 

Now, you might want to call the string line pattern Btl Joos.  But since the challenge was a monotangle of Knightsbridge, let's call it a long, single row of Knightsbridge, okay?

 

Diva Challenge #168

Variations of Rain with Msst, before shading

Variations of Rain with Msst, after shading

I'm still finding my way with shading.  I wanted to see the two together, before and after.  I still like both of them equally I think.  But there is definitely more depth to the shaded one.

I really like my tangles when they are stark black and white contrast, without the grey.  Since I don't feel like I know what I'm doing with shading I am always worried to add it; I don't want to ruin something I like.  But if I don't try, I won't learn.  I guess mistakes are necessary to grow.

I hate mistakes.

"It's a String Thing" #41

String 026 - River, Riverstones, and Ripples (variation)

I'm not thrilled with my efforts this time, but I learned a few things.  Mistakes are part of growing, right?

 

I used Riverstones without the river part.  I've done it before.  Maybe it's because I'm from the desert.  I don't know.  It just didn't seem to fit.  Sometimes just the stones are enough.

 

But what I learned from was when I tried to do Ripples.  I penciled in lines parallel to the legs of the M shape in the original string.  These created diamonds.  I planned to do traditional Ripples in these diamonds (which I didn't), but erase the pencil lines afterward so there was no visible grid (which I did).  I started putting the S shapes in the diamonds.  Suddenly I noticed I had done one of the S shapes backwards.  At first I got frustrated.  I didn't want to start over, but I also hate mistakes.  In order to fix it I ended up using S shapes both directions, overlapping, in each diamond.  Then I added just a single loop off the center where the two S shapes crossed and filled it black (rather than the multiple loops of varying shades).  It looks very different from the original Ripples, but it's kind of a fun design.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll use it again sometime.

 

So mostly I learned to be forgiving of my mistakes and look for new options when they happen.  Very Zentangle.