Home again, home again, jiggety-jig! Yes, I’m back in Windsor after a whirlwind trip across the continent to San Jose, California for BlogHer ’14. I had an absolutely FABULOUS time at the conference (more on that at a later date), and am now slowly returning to my regular routine – which, of course, will include plenty of tangling (just as soon as I can finish unpacking, catching up on laundry, clearing my Inbox, and so on)!
Before I get into today’s Tangled Tuesday post, though, I want to say a special thank you to the five wonderful bloggers who shared their words here on Alphabet Salad as guest posts while I was away. If you haven’t already read and commented on these wonderful pieces, it’s never too late – I invite you to check them out!
- 10 Easy Ways to Buy Happiness by Vidya Sury
- 10 Outdoorsy Things to Do in Sydney, Australia by Sanch
- If My Keyboard Could Talk by Cathy Graham
- On Being a Misfit by Elaine Kehoe
- Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License? by Robin R. Talbott
Now, on to the latest edition of Tangled Tuesday!
Tangling Goodies
Even though I doubted I’d have time to use them, I did bring some tangling supplies with me to the conference. Always be prepared, right? But of course my instincts were correct, and I didn’t even find a moment to look at them! (True to form, I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t brought them I’d have been dying to do some tangling!)
Still, it does inspire me to share a couple of items which, while not specifically tangling-related, are handy little tools you might want to include in your on-the-go drawing arsenal.
The first is called a journal bandolier, which is a stretchy band that fits snugly around your sketchbook and holds your pens, pencils, and so on. If you read the fine print on my picture you’ll see that I bought mine from a shop called cleverhands.net; unfortunately, though, their web site no longer appears to be up and running. But never fear! If you’re interested in buying something similar for yourself, it looks as though several Etsy sellers have stepped up to offer their own version of the product.

I’ve already written about two of the other items in my photo – Moleskine sketchbooks and blending stumps. The one I haven’t yet mentioned, though, is the handiest thing ever – a pencil with a KUM® POP-Line Sharpener at one end and an eraser at the other. Adding this all-in-one tool to a bandolier along with my other drawing supplies completely eliminates the need to carry a pencil case, which is exactly what I was trying to do – now I can just grab my sketchbook with its full bandolier and go. Highly recommended!
New Tangles
I’m afraid I didn’t add anything new to my tangle repertoire this week, but I’m sure there will be something next time!
Tangling-in-Progress
I’m still in the early stages of the letter “L” in my alphabet series – here’s hoping I’m able to find some time to finish it off this week.
Finished Projects
In last week’s post I alluded to a pre-BlogHer ’14 project I’d started. See, I’d been trying to think of something tangled I could wear or carry while at the conference – something that would be a good conversation piece to help give a visual explanation (beyond my Ten Thousand Tangles business cards) of tangling. When a friend directed me to a post about tangled sneakers, and strongly encouraged me to do some of my own, I couldn’t resist! I picked up some plain white canvas sneakers…

…and a couple of Sharpie permanent laundry markers…

…and got to it! It wasn’t too difficult, though it did take awhile to get used to working on a three-dimensional project, and also to draw my designs larger than I normally do to allow for bleeding. Still, I think the project turned out rather well, all things considered – here are a few shots to give you an idea of how the sneakers looked when I was done with them.




Unfortunately – best laid plans and all – I didn’t actually end up wearing them to the conference. I brought them with me, and wore them for most of Thursday while wandering San Jose with three blogging friends, but found them far too hot to bear and ended up buying an inexpensive pair of cute sandals to wear instead. (Of course the sandals gave me blisters, but at least my feet were cool!) Still, it was a fun project, and I’m glad I tackled it – it was a great experience to expand my horizons by working on a surface with shape and dimension.
Coming Soon
This week’s tangling goals include:
- Carry on with my Zenletter collection.
- Continue adding products to Ten Thousand Tangles.
- Create pieces for new sponsors.
- Photograph my previously-completed set of four Zendalas and set up listings to sell the originals in my as-yet-to-be-opened Etsy store.
P.S.
Previous posts in this series are all tagged Tangled Tuesday.
For background on how I discovered and got involved in Zentangle, and links to further information and resources, check out my blog post For the love of tangling.
You can browse my entire tangle gallery at Ten Thousand Tangles.
And, if you’re interested in having a little piece of my art for yourself, please click on the GoFundMe button below for more information and also visit my Zazzle shop Ten Thousand Tangles. (Pssst… links to my international Ten Thousand Tangles shops are in the Alphabet Salad sidebar – just click on the appropriate flag and you’ll get to the place you need to be!)
1 The Zentangle® Method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is copyrighted. Zentangle® is a registered trademark of Zentangle, Inc. Learn more at zentangle.com.

Twitter: kebbabutton
July 29, 2014
Laurel, I’m visiting from the UBC. Now you’ve inspired me: I want to go to a BlogHer conference! I’ve been reading about Zentangle, since Minette Riordan is into it. And now I see you are also. Fascinating art form. And I love what you did with the sneakers!
Kebba Buckley Button recently posted… Upbeat Living: Your Ruthless Friends
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you for the compliment! And if you are ever able to get to a BlogHer conference, I totally encourage you to do so – they’re wonderful. 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Hey Laurel
WOWZA – you are supremely talented. Have I subscribed to your blog yet? If not, I am remedying it right away #HUGSSS
Keep tangling 😉
LOTS of love
Kitto
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you so much! 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Twitter: RamblinGarden
July 29, 2014
Have you thought about selling those shoes? Those are absolutely wonderful. (and I commented on the guest post “On Being a Misfit” – my husband has a different problem, yet one that is related- speaking of shoes.)
Alana recently posted… How A Journey of 1000 Steps Begins – Part 1
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
My husband said the same thing, Alana! I really need to get on with setting up my Etsy shop so that I have the option of doing just that.
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Laurel, welcome home! I’m glad you had a good time and I chuckled in empathy at your shoe problems. I can NEVER – and I mean NEVER find any good-looking (or good-looking tangled) shoes – everything gives me blisters or too hot or smush my ties. If I can’t wear my Keens to something, I don’t go!!
But I bet for that one day in San Jose, you caught the attention of many a passerby with your clever tennies. I bet customers all over town are walking into shoe stores trying to describe those cool black ‘n whites some awesome babe was rockin’.
Thanks for the tips on the supplies; the bandolier looks like a great little holder.
Sammy D recently posted… Chihuly at Denver Botanic Gardens
Sammy, my guest post here for Laurel is about my own problem finding shoes and how, in a world of so much supposed choice, many of us are being left with no choices at all.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
LOL, I guess you never know, right?! I should put my money where my mouth is and actually make some for my soon-to-be-created Etsy shop. 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
I just love those shoes! I don’t know how you could get those lines so precise while working in 3D. Incidentally, I just started my own tangling practice today, and one of the ones I did was Frond, which I see you did on your heel. I love it–such a pretty form.
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
So glad you’re getting started, Elaine – hope you’re enjoying it! I actually had a tough time with the lines because the pen was thicker than I’m used to and it kept bleeding on the canvas. But I’m glad they at least appear precise! 😉
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
wow!! The shoes look great! 🙂
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Those sneakers have transformed!!!! Thanks for the little peek into the ‘behind-the-scenes’ of tangling 🙂
Fab recently posted… Review: Omved Daily Night Foot Oil
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
You’re welcome!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Twitter: jayantatewari
July 30, 2014
Beautiful creations on the canvas shoes…Your tangles are superb.
Jayanta Tewari recently posted… Where is the End ?
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you so much!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Twitter: Wordwrights, Ink
July 30, 2014
Welcome back! Looking forward to hearing about your BlogHer ’14 experiences! And love, love, love those sneakers!
Diane recently posted… Passing the Torch
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you, Diane!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
woww they look supercool and super chic 😀 Loved the creativity 😀
Rajlakshmi recently posted… Drabble: The Mark
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you so much!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Welcome Back!! And those sneakers are so lovely. I’m a bit jealous of your work right now, but I’ll get over it. 🙂
Life Breath Present recently posted… My Story of Being a Spiritual Misfit
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you very much. 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Twitter: SusanF_mt
July 30, 2014
I love, love, love the sneakers! They are enticing me to want to try tangling – but I have committed all my free time to figuring out the blogging process for now. Thanks for sharing the photos – you do really beautiful work!
Susan – ofeverymoment recently posted… Encounter With an Electric Fence
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you, and you’re most welcome! It’ll always be there if you ever decide you want to give it a try. 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Guest Post – Insecurity: the Fine Print of Creative License?
Twitter: luxganzon
July 30, 2014
how artistic! so envious.
Lux recently posted… Day 29: Have A Quiet Moment On A Chair
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 30, 2014
Thank you so much! 🙂
Laurel Regan recently posted… Blogger Awards – Catching Up, Once Again
Twitter: vidyasury
July 31, 2014
Welcome back Laurel! Waiting to hear about your experiences at BlogHer – so glad you had a great time!
😀 Those canvas shoes look so smart! I felt a twinge of covetousness!
Thank you for the mention! <3
Vidya Sury recently posted… How Are You Investing Your Time?
Twitter: alphabetsalad
July 31, 2014
Thanks so much, Vidya!
Laurel Regan recently posted… Blogger Awards – Catching Up, Once Again
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