February 2017 Refreshers

And on goes my tangle pattern learning personal challenge. End of yet another month and I had (only) been able to produce 7 plus one duplicate refresher tiles. The last 2 I hurried to get done and it is noticeable. I herewith pledge to not hurry my tiles anymore and not to let a webpage 'unfluence' my good intentions. Wow, that is a big statement. Let's see how far it carries.

February started with tanglepatterns.com's refresher #52. I have to confess that I didn't like henna drum and actually skipped this refresher a few times previously because of it. But then I came across Helen Williams' Henna Drum version for a diva challenge and I fell in love with her henna drum version. Now it is one of my favorites. Thanks, Helen.

Patterns: Beeline, Henna Drum, Cvetic, Maylea, Girdy

Refresher #16. I loooove wist and I don't loooooove lotus pods. Printemps is an all-time favorite pattern of mine. It is ideal to fill spaces or give texture to an otherwise dull pattern and in this particular case to correct mistakes. Somehow that border line on the left coming from the bottom slipped up. So I extended the mistake and filled it with my trusty printemps.

Patterns: Wist, Lotsadots, Printemps, Lotus Pods, Echo

And here yet another mistake. The big black plop was once one of the patterns for the tanglepattern.com refresher #64. The pattern looked so bad I couldn't accept it. So it was either start anew or paint over the misfit.  Now it is a solid and not-so-bad looking base in the tile's design as if planned from the get-go.

Patterns: Zinger, Puffle, Khirkee, Sandswirl, CO2

I made two tiles with the tanglepattern.com refresher #60 patterns. First was the yellow tile and its completion was - OK. But then an idea popped up in my head and the green tile was born - Better. I love scrolled feather with those fine hairlines while I look at it; drawing it is a different matter. Lots of practice sketching precedes the pattern version on a tile.

Patterns:Scrolled Feather, Aura-Leah, Copada, Llilly, Eke

Patterns: Scrolled Feather, Aura-Leah, Copada, Llilly, Eke

Would you believe I had to draw the tangle pattern refresher #57 three times before I could accept the result? Since all five patterns are grid patterns I started my first failure by putting the grids in a string. I am not much into strings/grids, but I thought these patterns are asking for a traditional Zentangle tile execution. The second was one pattern in a grid-string, slainte, the rest free. Still, nope, didn't like it, but it was getting better. So the tile below is refresher #57.v3 and final result: no string! no grids! and albeit no breathtaking achievement, I can live with it. Anyway, I was getting impatient and just wanted to be done with it.

Patterns: Assunta, Sparkool, Fanz, Slaint, Spokes

Tanglepattern.com refresher #59 is maybe not one of my better tiles, but, jeez, do I love the pattern camelia when not in a grid. Again a pattern I can let flow boldly. Similar the Pattern vanity. One of these days I will have to make a monotangle with vanity. The pattern I am least impressed in this refresher is cool beans.

Patterns: Knightsbridge, Camelia, Vanity, Cle, Cool Beans

The last refresher for this month is #7. This is the most hurried one (remember, that wont happen again!!). I wanted to squeeze in one last refresher tile for February. At the snail speed I am going with these refreshers I will be doing them for the next 5 years with new ones coming out every month. Finery is my favorite closely followed by w2.

Patterns: Finery, Shattuck, W2, Voxter, Intersection

Click on the image below to visit all the Refreshers I have done thus far in my flickr album.

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Inspired by... February 2017

I learn many new tangles from the refresher tiles I draw which I find on Linda Farmer's tanglepatterns website. New refreshers are published fortnightly and re-introduce 5 tangles per publication. Oftentimes a tangle fancies its way into my heart and I cannot resist but have to draw a monotile with my new 'favorite' tangle. Other big inspiration sources are youtube videos made by great tangle artists, or an inspirational email from a tangler buddy sails into my inbox. There are tons of great patterns and tile ideas out there on the Internet and I wished I could draw 24/7.

Elata
I found the Elata (by Shazia) tangle when I needed 'e' tangles to fill my 'e' tile in Joey's alphabet letter challenge. I only drew a fraction of the tangle for the challenge, but knew, I had to come back to it and draw some more. It is a beautiful organic tangle, yes, mam.

Patterns: Elata, Knightsbridge, Fescu

Henna Drum
Henna Drum (by Maria Tovar, CZT) is a tangle I learnt to love once I saw Helen Williams beautiful interpretation and drawing of it. Ever since I am a Henna ...eh, Helen Williams fan. OK, Henna Drum as well. I used the same a la Helen Williams Henna Drum style for my refresher tile #52. Needless to say I had to draw a Henna Drum monotile as well to add to my personal Zentangle collection.

Pattern: Henna Drum a la Helen Williams

Wist
Wist (by Michele B. CZT) is an inspiration I came across while drawing the tangle Refresher #16. It is another organic tile I am very fond of.

Pattern: Wist

Aura Leah
Another refresher (#60) tangle introduction, Auro Leah (by Carla du Preez). I pick the refreshers randomly, which adds a little more 'excitement' to the picking. Okay, that is bull, but I noticed that I am not in the same tangle drawing mood all the time. There are days a challenging tangle puts me off, while the next I could kill to get my pen working on it.

Pattern: Aura-Leah - Love the pattern

Pattern: Aura-Leah

Copada
Copada (by Margaret Bremner, CZT) engraved on elephant tusks. The elephant was patiently sitting still for the whole duration of the artwork and has now become completely worthless to poachers. Jupee!!! ... Wishful thinking. However, wouldn't it be nice if it was true?

Here the inspiration came also from the refresher #60.

Pattern: Copada

Flukes and Joki
I used to draw Flukes (by Zentangle) in grids all the time. Didn't think it could be drawn otherwise until I saw a tile, where it was strewn all over the place. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I saw the tile, else I would link to it. Flukes was a pattern choice by Adele Bruno for her It's a string Thing (IAST) challenge #181, the first I partook.

Joki is one of those patterns, I had on the list of patterns to draw since middle October last year. I waited long enough as it is, so here it is and a beauty it is to draw!!! Joki was created by Kim Arts and you can find the step-out on Dawn's website.

Patterns: Flukes broken in tiles, Joki, Tipple

Sweetheart Slide
My take on Sweetheart Slide (by Diane Lackanee, CZT) after I saw it on Michele's site during the letter G challenge. I mentioned in my comment to her that I have to try Sweetheart Slide and so I did. Thanks, Michele, for the intro. Your description of how you attacked and mastered the tangle was a big part that kicked me to try as well.

Pattern: Sweetheart Slide

Waybop
IAST #184 was a Waybop (by Zentangle) challenge. I flunked it. Completely. Didn't practice first and hardly studied it. So it serves me right that I had to do another Waybop tile. This is a combination with my old style of doodling and I am getting closer to the original Waybop tangle.
Thus far, Waybop is  not going anywhere and still resides on my tangle practicing list.

Patterns: Waybop, Printemps, Tipple, Springkle

Camelia
Camelia pattern is a new favorite of mine. Guess who or what inspired me...Helen Williams. Easy, right? Because the wonky grid gave it away. However, this is not an HW pattern, but was created by Anne Marks. Thanks, Anne, for a great tangle and thanks, Helen, for a great wonky grid interpretation.

Pattern: Camelia

W2 and Intersection
W2 (by Suzanne McNeill) is a tile I always confuse with Huggins. They are the same, I bet, but they are not. From what I know W2 has square of rectangle interweaving holes (if I can say that) and with Huggins they are round. W2 was a tangle I 'was forced to learn under duress' (no, I am kidding) for refresher #7. And, for a non-organic tile, I like it.

Intersection (also by Suzanne McNeill) was also for refresher #7, so I thought I throw in my exercise tile just for good measure.

Patterns: W2, with Tipple, Lapin (my own), and some others.

Pattern: Intersection

A word:
I try to accredit the creators of all the tangles and/or the source where I found them. If, however, you notice that I neglected a credit, a credit is misplaced, a link to a source is not working, or any other misplaced information, please let me know either through the contact form on the right/bottom, or leave a comment and I will remedy the carelessness. Much appreciated.

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IAST Challenge 185

This week's IAST tangle challenge, #185, introduced me to 3 patterns I hadn't come across prior. They are Edgar and Flec - love them both - and Wibble. I don't know what to say or do for that matter. My pen just refused to wibble the way I wanted it to wibble and my mind must have been wibbling the whole time. Since wibble had to go on the tile I drew just ONE wibble. And that was even one wibble too much for me. Forgive me, tile, and my sincerest apologies to to Shawna Martin 'cause her illustration of the wibble pattern and wibble sample look absolutely amazing!

Patterns: Edgar, Flec, Wibble

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Alphabet Challenge Letter H

'H'ere we go. MadeByJoey's challenge #153 is all with H. H-string and Hollibaugh pattern with other H patterns (well, at least for me). This time I made it and actually got Joey's h-string working. However, as you will see below, I had to take some safety precautions.

But Here first my capital H tile. The new patterns I used are Hanni and Hoot and maybe you can even sense the joy I Had drawing it.

Patterns: Hollibaugh, Hanni, Hoot

And here Joey's string, the lowercase h. However, this one is all about Trudi’s H. When I checked out her medieval capital H tile I notice something spooky: hollibaugh was missing! I was sure she didn't forget it but something more sinister must have happened. Yes, her tile must have been attacked by space gargoyles hacking her Zentangle tile. You may not be aware – yet – but hacking our Zentangle tiles is their favorite past time closely followed by messing up Zentgangle ideas we have in our mind (I have a long history of those attacks). So I was clever and secured my hollibaugh by wrapping it tightly around boulders. However, when I returned from my coffee break I not only noticed that one of my boulders was almost depleted of hollibaugh, but some of the strings were still sliding off. And then the little feet... Hey, STOP!!!! Hollibaugh was running off all by itself (or brainwashed by those aliens??!!). My heart dropped. In fact, I got so angry; I fetched my hammer and some nails and nailed the h to my tile. Should henna drum ever run away, at least I have the string for proof of an h-tile.

So, all you tanglers out there, beware of hollibaugh (or space gargoyles!). It can grow feet and escape your tile any day, any time. Ask Trudi.

Patterns: Hollibaugh, Henna Drum and nails to secure h

Link to next Alphabet Letter Challenge: I
Link to previous Alphabet Letter Challenge: G

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IAST Challenge 184

These are my two "It's a String Thing" challenge #184  tiles. I have a 3rd one sketched out on my drawing desk, but I was late - again - for sending something to Tickle to Tangle: deadline Saturday...today is Saturday.

The emphasis was on just one pattern, waybop by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, the creator of the Zentangle idea. I haven't had time practicing the new pattern, so if you cannot recognize waybop....

Personally, the tile is too crowded for me. I got carried away in my pattern drawing and when I looked up, I noticed my white spaces had flown out the window.

Patterns: Waybop, Henna Drum, Printemps, Florz, Poke Root, Vitruvius,
Tipple, Springkle, Fescu, Sedgling, Shattuck, Ginili, Quandary

With this tile waybop is hidden even more so! However, my negative space is back.

Patterns: Waybop, Flux, 2/3 Paradox, Mooka, Printemps,
Jetties, Tipple, Fescu

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Alphabet Challenge Letter G

G-String. Yes, we have reached the alphabet string G in MadeByJoey's weekly challenge #152, and what a challenge it was for me. The first two were easy, but then I tried to do Joey homage and use her published challenge tile literally, after all, the motto still is "Finish My Tile" as I recall. And that was the point when things turned topsy-turvy. I did 3 tries and am not happy with either of them. Sorry, Joey, not your fault. I had something in mind with the pattern gottago and it didn't work out.

Here my lowercase g. Can you see the guck....I mean the duck? The new pattern for me was - besides gnarly - graf.

Patterns: Gnarly, Ginili, Graf

This is my gloomy G capital letter and the new pattern was gemma.

Patterns: Gnarly, Garlic Cloves, Gemma

Here my first disaster; the lowercase g looks like a bee. The new pattern I incorporated is G7.

Patterns: Gnarly, Gottago, G7

The second tragedy is my gourd g. Well, I had fun practicing the pattern gourdgeous and probably will practice it a bit more. Although I find it quite difficult to draw, somehow I like it.

Patterns: Gnarly, Gourdgeous, Gottago

....and finally my red calamity, ruin, misadventure tile... my failure par excellence. I didn't even bother to add a new pattern. Just finished with gottago and then gave up.

Patterns: Gnarly, Gottago

Link to next Alphabet Letter Challenge: F
Link to previous Alphabet Letter Challenge: H

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IAST Challenge 183

This is my second contribution to Adele Bruno's Tickle to Tangle weekly "It's A String Thing" challenge - #183. This week the motto is .... surprise, surprise....VALENTINE's day.

The challenges I follow and Linda Farmer's Tanglepatterns.com refreshers I do as a personal challenge on a weekly schedule keep me busy and I love every 'tile to tangle' of it. Thanks, Adele.

Patterns:Zenith, Caught

Then I tried to make lots of hearts on a brown tile using only a red pen....That turned out flat and boring. So I added some white and a bit of black to give it at least some contrast. I also changed the spike in Zenith to hearts and drew segments of Caught in the surrounding hearts.

Patterns:Zenith, Caught

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Alphabet Challenge Letter F

This is my contribution to MadeByJoey's weekly Alphabet Challenge. We have reached letter F and, as is my custom, I made a capital and a lowercase 'F'.

I love learning new patterns and Joey with her weekly challenges gives me yet another opportunity to delve into an Internet search for patterns I haven't done yet. From the start of this challenge I committed myself to use at least ONE new pattern. In the F challenge the new patterns are fasad by Helena and fandango by Vicki Bassett.

Thanks, Joey!

So, here we go with the capital F letter...

Patterns: Festune, Fife, Fandango, Fescu

...and this is the lowercase f.

Patterns: Festune, Fasad, Fescu

Link to next Alphabet Letter Challenge: G
Link to previous Alphabet Letter Challenge: E

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IAST Challenge 182

This week's It's a String Thing challenge is all about hearts for the upcoming Valentine's Day. And this week I was actually early enough to send it in - my first contribution.

Patterns: Amore, LG, Opus (heavily fragmented)

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Alphabet Challenge Letter E

MadeByJoey letter challenge #150 is all about the letter E. The required E-pattern is one I hadn't done yet, the organic El Prada.

My first try was my own lowercase 'e' string which turned out to have a stark resemblance to a whale. (If you ever have to draw a whale, draw a lowercase 'e'.) While I was sketching out the string and the patterns I thought of Lori at All Things Tangled and her bold but simple, clean, perfect, and outstanding style that always reminds me of "Less is sometimes More".

Patterns: El Prada, Elata

My second E completes my tradition of capital and lowercase letters.

Patterns: El Prada, E-Ivy

And then I honored Joey's 'e' string. However, I got so caught up in drawing all those little elf hats, I didn't notice that the string got almost lost in the background. Oh well.

Patterns: El Prada, Elfhats

Just when I was ready to upload this page I happened to come across a new E-pattern that grabbed my attention: EAXY by Nadine Roller in Koeln, Germany. On first look it seemed easy, but don't be fooled. My tip: follow her instructions to a T and don't try to use an eraser if you sketch the pattern before finalizing it on the tile.

Patterns: El Prada, Eaxy and an elephant head for the letter e

Link to next Alphabet Letter Challenge: F
Link to previous Alphabet Letter Challenge: D

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