My take on 'tangle

I have never figured this blogger thing out and when I put up all these "Zentangle" photos, I thought I should make use of this empty space since I have trouble moving the photos around. This zentangle stuff is making patterns, one stroke at a time. It breaks them down into easy strokes and even someone like me who can't draw, can make stunning things - at least I am pleased with them. The materials I used are ones that I had. I felt the tiles when I was at a show and they are similar to drink coasters - they are nice and thick. I have scads of Gina K white card stock since that is what I used to learn copic coloring on. I tried lots of things in the beginning. The ink sits on the top and doesn't blend super well, but it doesn't bleed either. I use it when I can't put something behind. It doesn't bleed thru either. I do a huge amount of blending now and when you get too much ink on the Gina K, it builds up and shines. Do not like that. But I did learn how the ink works very well. I went from that to Staples card stock which is fairly thin but if you are careful, blends great. I use the simply smooth (which I now think is made by Bazzil) or xpressit which is the

copic cardstock.
For these zentangles, since I didn't realize they would come out so good, I used the staples card stock as it is so cheap and I have lots of it for making card bases. I use it for about everything. I have found that my favorite pen to use is the new sharpie pen. I have lots of the Sakura pens left over from my quilting days and I like them but I like the Sharpies more. They are about half the price, too. Maybe even less. You can get online and find instructions for about all the patterns that are official. There are even some you tubes. I find its much better for me to start with someone else figuring out how best to make that pattern. As I copy it into my book (will tell you shortly), I have the chance to make notes and write better ways for me to make the pattern. Like direction I am drawing - maybe bottom up works better.
So any of you who follow me, know I keep notebooks for my supplies. I have a notebook for my stamps which is organized by type - flower, people, words, things, animals.

I have a notebook for my dies. That is organized by type and on the page I have where I keep that particular die. I am still not thrilled with my die storage as I need to keep everything moveable. So this notebook  for the zentangle patterns is just a blank one that I have drawn the patterns in. I could have used a notebook - looseleaf but I started with a little blank book that would be handy to travel with. Go to www.tanglepatterns.com and splurge a tiny bit and buy their electronic book of patterns. It works so nicely and takes all that looking online for patterns away. You click on a picture of the pattern you want, it takes you online to where it shows you step by step. I am only in the "c"'s! I do look ahead for patterns when I am filling shapes in though. This one is a very inexpensive art.The shading on all of these was done with pencil. I don't know why they photographed so oddly. I am going to post some of my cards for Operation Write Home. I made quite a few lately and need about 15 more to fill my box so I can send them. I am thinking of making Christmas cards next. I think that deadline is in

October sometime. I took photos of most of them. There are some very similar to others, so I didn't take photos. Hugs to you all, Barb F