Diva Challenge 100!!!

This week's challenge marks number 100 - Congratulations Laura and thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for Zentangle enthusiats around the globe.  To mark the occasion Rick and Maria, Zentangle founders have created a new tangle pattern - Diva Dance.  The instructions for Diva Dance can be found on Laura's blog here.

It's been my good fortune to have started with the very first Challenge - could any of us have imagined the many creative places this would take us.   What's amazing is to see each week's entries - everyone starts with the same prompt yet each entry is unique, inspiring and exquisite. A Zentangle feast.

This time of the year I'm busy making gifts, many are Zentangle inspired, so my entry this week is one of gifts I made - it's a basic fold envelope for a "big" but small sized gift - made using bristol vellum.  Funny thing - the last challenge of 2011 was also a handmade gift box.

100th Challenge

click image for larger view

Folded - Front View

Folded - Backside

 Unfolded

Diva Challenge #98 UMT Keenees

The first Monday of the month is UMT (use my tangle).  This weeks UMT - Keenees was created by Donna Hornsby, CZT from Texas.

click image for larger view

Diva Challenge 97 No Strings Attached

The challenge this week - create a Zentangle or ZIA without using the string to get started.  Since I mostly work without a string it didn't feel all that challenging until I decided to mix it up a bit and impose a few other challenges for myself.  Decided to work up something using some of the steampunk images and patterns I've been seeing others use.  Talk about being outside one's comfort zone.  Did find a few patterns that I liked but not sure how to put it all together so just put pen to paper and got going.  Another way I challenged myself - shade using gray pens instead of pencil.  I think it has possibilities but will need more practice with a variety of pens.  When I scanned the it the shading looks like I just drew wider lines - can't really see that it's gray.  The scan produced an image that was very black and white - too much white and not enough contrast - looked very boring and blah so dropped it into picmonkey and added some texture.  Very different way of working on a challenge.  Not sure it's my favorite but it's not all bad either.

No Strings Attached

click image for larger view - if you dare with this one lol!