A Look Back
2023 was a bad year for my Zentangle 'artistic' endeavour early on. Just the thought of having to draw a certain tangle for a running project made me shudder. No kidding. After about 6 months I was sure I, drawing tangles, was beyond the point of no return. Then INKtober came along. I joined INKtober in 2018 and didn't miss a year. Would 2023 end up to be the one I had left out? It took 2 weeks into the project before I actually woke up from my sluggishness and longed - yes, longed! - to put pen to paper. I thoroughly enjoyed picking the tangles from the list, mixing them together and at times messing them up a bit. INKtober 2023 was my first post after the April tiles. .
I have to say, now that I have overcome my lethargy I am a much happier person. I am somebody who needs her daily goals, hours filled with activity. I cannot couch-potato, or sit somewhere quiet and read a book. That affects me negatively. I need to be hands on onto something, to wake up to, and to fill my days.
After INKtober 2023 I caught up with my steady going Refreshers* from Linda Farmer's website. Yes, all published 255 tiles are done. I am now waiting in my starting blocks for the publishing of January's. I am currently working on the missed 2023 Step-Out of the Month tangles. I plan to follow FYI, another challenge I participated in since it started, ...and then there are 3 more challenges waiting for me in January, but they are of a different kind: Yoga. So it will be a very busy January, maybe a bit stressful to get it all done, but I would not want it any other way!!!!
* Anyone else doing those Refreshers on a regular basis?
Refreshers
Refresher #248, published May 12th, features the tangles Icanthis, Sistar, See, Kazuma, and Mintea.
Tangle Patterns: Icanthis, Sistar, See, Kazuma, Mintea
Refresher #249 with tangles Ratoon, Q-Mi, Isla, Bartom, and Eyedazzler was published in June.
Tangle Patterns: Ratoon, Q-Mi, Isla, Bartom, Eyedazzler
Refresher #250 with tangles Aquafleur. Creamy. Threezee, B’Mine, and Shearts was published in July.
Tangle Patterns: Aquafleur. Creamy. Threezee, B’Mine, Shearts
Refresher #251, published August 25, with tangles Assunta, Heartsmeet, Stwist, Edie, and Scape.
Tangle Patterns: Assunta, Heartsmeet, Stwist, Edie, Scape
Refresher #252, published September 8th, with tangles Arukas, Twirlies, Ringrill, Anthem, and Arkand.
Tangle Patterns: Arukas, Twirlies, Ringrill, Anthem, Arkand
Refresher #249 with tangles Ratoon, Q-Mi, Isla, Bartom, and Eyedazzler was published in June.
Tangle Patterns: Ratoon, Q-Mi, Isla, Bartom, Eyedazzler
Refresher #250 with tangles Aquafleur. Creamy. Threezee, B’Mine, and Shearts was published in July.
Refresher #251, published August 25, with tangles Assunta, Heartsmeet, Stwist, Edie, and Scape.
Refresher #252, published September 8th, with tangles Arukas, Twirlies, Ringrill, Anthem, and Arkand.
Refresher #253, published October 13th, with tangles Auraknot, Bertee, Ra-on, Azteka, and Fitzi.
Refresher #254, published November 10th, with tangles Well Well Who, Fontana, Peeks, Jud, and Kadibra.
Refresher #255 published December 8, the last Refresher for 2023. The tangles are: Avreal, Tunnelvizion, Shirley, LiuLiu, and Double Double.
>>> Tanglepatterns.com's Refreshers #1 to #250 you can find via the Refreshers link in the Menu or all Refreshers together in one Google Folder here.
Step-Out of the Month
♻️ Step-Out of the Month July - Azura, a beautiful botanical tangle by Theresa Fessler drawn on
packaging paper.
Hashtags: #azura #sootm #sootmjuly23 #stepoutofthemonth
#conzentric on their FB page.
Tangle Pattern: Azura
♻️ The Azura tile below, drawn on absolutely beautiful packaging paper you usually throw away, was my initial idea, but while working on it I decided that the 'stretched' Azura is better drawn on a longish tile. However, I still wanted to finish the square one and went through 3 (THREE!!!) tries to make it look OK. I added a likely Blattwerk, Tipple and Fescu.
Tangle Pattern: Azura, Blattwerk, Tipple, Fescu
3rd and final Azura tile with the most recognisable Azura tangles. I packed one with Blattwerk and added Coffeebean Flower.
If you want to see a lot of Azura tiles, all in one place, visit Theresa's special Azura only upload page.
♻️ The Azura tile below, drawn on absolutely beautiful packaging paper you usually throw away, was my initial idea, but while working on it I decided that the 'stretched' Azura is better drawn on a longish tile. However, I still wanted to finish the square one and went through 3 (THREE!!!) tries to make it look OK. I added a likely Blattwerk, Tipple and Fescu.
3rd and final Azura tile with the most recognisable Azura tangles. I packed one with Blattwerk and added Coffeebean Flower.
If you want to see a lot of Azura tiles, all in one place, visit Theresa's special Azura only upload page.
ConZENtric's
Step-Out of the Month of June
is Huila by Isabel Wallis. If you are not subscribed to #sootm you find the
stepout to Huila in her Instagram profile.
Publish tile and Hashtags: #huila #sootm #sootmjune23 #stepoutofthemonth
#conzentric on their
FB page.
Tangle Pattern: Huila
Same as above but instead of botanical it is geometrical.
Tangle Pattern: Huila
Same as above but instead of botanical it is geometrical.
Inspired by Zentangle Artists' Video Tutorials
♻️ This tile has been lying in my 'TODO' folder for ages. So end of year means cleanup time and that is what I did and added a reverse design - Rayz outside-in - for good measure. This is a Video Tutorial by AKASKY using the tangle Rayz. Paper used: Packaging paper from the flower market.
♻️ The reversed version as above and injecting some of the Rayz tangles with a bit of Toodles. Paper used: Packaging paper from the flower market. I was really surprised about the 3D effect this tile created. To think that I almost threw the paper out! Unfortunately, there are not too many yellow leaves left (only dull red and dark) and I can't remember which shop used it, else I would hurry to get another plant just to get the paper.
Cardboard Tile Drawing
♻️ My first attempt to draw on cardboard and then pull the paper off to
reveal the wavy part. It was a lot of fun, I have to admit, and not
difficult to draw on at all. Tangles used Bireel Flipped, Taiga,
Printemps and the video tut was by Emiko.
Tangle Patterns: Bireel Flipped, Taiga, Printemps
Time to Kill
A new set of 6 puzzles. #4 is enlarged...just in case you can't read
it. Solutions - as always - right at the end of this post in the
smallest font size so you don't accidentally scroll all the way down
and read the solutions without having had a proper go at them. (I drew
a blank on #3 and I had a different, but - I insist - more accurate
result on #5. I add my result to the bottom answers in ())
Animal Happy Day
How do you get 3 big cached dogs down a step hill without freaking
them out? On one wheel...once you got the team together to trap them
that is.
I wish to all my visitors a great
2024
with much health, wealth, and happinessfor themselves, their families and their friends..
Coal keeping watch over me when I am in the shower.
Well done, sweety, but you'd better keep an eye
out for those snakes I have in my garden.
Oh well!
out for those snakes I have in my garden.
Oh well!
Solution to puzzle above
1 – Many thanks or thanks a lot
2 – Download
3 – No idea
4 – Comfortable
5 – Forty years (42 years - reasoning: each YEARS, YEARS is already
in plural. Should have been only one YEARS or YEAR, YEAR)
6 – Excuse me
