IAST Thank You Zendala by Adele Bruno, CZT The names of 466 IASThingers from around the world who have kindly contributed over the years. I hope you have as much fun looking for your names as I did writing them in this sea of fellow gifted tanglers. G.K. Chesterton wrote, "I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder." My heart is filled with gratitude for all of you, for making these six years of IAST possible, for keeping my enthusiasm for "all things tangled" keen, and for building up this positive and encouraging communit ..read more

It is ironic that weather has much to do about this tardy post. Here in Florida we are as prepared as possible for the uncertain weather that Dorian, the latest hurricane, is due to bring.  Lots and lots of prayers are needed for those already feeling its wrath. I have been "under the weather" as the saying goes with some uncertain health challenges, but am confident that I will be back in good health very soon. Today, though, we have a celebration of birthday tiles and greetings to share so we will stay focused on all that is positive - as we always do! Let's take a look ~ The first tile ..read more

It's Tuesday, your good news day! "It's a String Thing" challenges began on August 13, 2013, which means we have a birthday to celebrate! 6 years,  302 strings,  nearly 1,000 tangles,  9,000+ tiles, and  hundreds and 100's of "It's a String Thingers" from 36 different countries -  and we are still going strong.   Congratulations! That calls for a celebration, doesn't it? Let's begin with our traditional birthday string, this time with six candles ~ As with past years, this is my step out for drawing the string in one continuous line.  Please pencil in the string (pictured in Step 4) in a ..read more

This week we were able to concentrate on one beautiful new tangle by Nadine Roller, CZT (Germany), Gelijoy. Reminiscent of ivy, it is a wonderfully organic tangle that was readily adapted to the black/white contrasts that Zentangle's new Project Pack #6 featured.  Let's take a look ~ The first tile arrived from Moblue (Bremen, Germany) ~ ...my honest congratulations on 300 times IAST challenge. Even though I am only a short while with you, I have already learned so much here! All the more it saddens me to have missed the deadline for the anniversary issue. So that this may not happen again ..read more

It's Tuesday, your good news day! After that fabulous display of tiles for our landmark 300th IAST (I am still soaking it all in!), let's take a bit of a deep breath this week and concentrate on just one tangle -  the new Gelijoy by frequent IASThinger, Nadine Roller, CZT from Germany. Here is our string ~ IAST #301 String by Adele Bruno, CZTGiven the organic nature of this tangle, the string is optional - see how it works for you. The direct link to Gelijoy can be found here ~ Gelijoy by Nadine Roller, CZT (and also here on TanglePatterns) When I saw this tangle, I was immediately drawn ..read more

Happy 300th "It's a String Thing" to all  "It's a String Thingers"* far and wide!  It is a pleasure to present the tiles for this grand celebration.  We used a string inspired by the numeral 300 along with my new Ada and tangles from IAST #100 and #200.  Each tile is a treasure and the loving sentiments that accompanied them are gifts in themselves.  Thank you all. Let's take a look ~ The first tile arrived from Gale Sherman, CZT (Tucson, Arizona) ~ I'm so sorry I don't have longer to work on this special 300th IAST tile. It is simple, but heartfelt. I got the email instructions today and ..read more

It's Tuesday, your good news day! If you missed last week's prompt, there is still plenty of time to join in our 300th challenge.  Click here for all of the delightful details.  Entries are due Saturday, August 10. As the tiles are arriving for our banner IAST #300 celebration, the variations of Ada are simply too fun to wait another week to view. I have compiled the first ten into a Tips for Tangling page here for your inspiration and enjoyment. Each variation is recreated from a tile of the artist listed.  Hat's off to and a big THANK YOU to all of you! Try these out for yourself, perha ..read more

It's Tuesday, your good news day! It is also the 300th time I have greeted you with those words.  Three hundred IAST prompts and a world wide community of tanglers later and we are still going strong.  How exciting! I remain grateful to you and humbled by your enthusiasm, participation, interest, and sharing of this passion for all things tangled. To mark our milestone, I have been saving my latest tangle (and the story of its inspiration) to include in the festivities and have a themed string ready as well. Adding to the celebration, please permit me to tell you about a personal milestone ..read more

Our string and tangles this week paid tribute to the fiftieth anniversary of the moon landing.  Not only are the tiles illuminating, the memories shared are sweet reminders of its impact around the world. The first tile arrived from Kathy Millard (British Columbia, Canada) ~ Great fun! The string and tangles really fit together for me. I had fun creating the night sky with our beautiful moon. I used tinted charcoals (one of my favourites) to shade and give a hint of the night sky. From Sue Leslie, CZT (New Mexico) ~ Hard to believe it’s been 50 years since the ‘Man on the Moon’ adventure ..read more