Welcome to BLOG Zentangle. To learn about Zentangle, visit our website, read our free newsletters, take a class with a local Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT), and best of all . . . create your own!


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Stuck Up!

Maria writes:

I have received a couple of letters recently that said:
"What on earth am I supposed to do with all these Zentangle tiles once I have drawn them?" 
Well, I never have thought this might actually be a problem (as you'll soon see).

Maybe if I carved life-size birds out of wood, after carving 50 or so I might wonder where to put them, but not a 3 1/2" square of paper.

Since we already have sooooo much stuff on the walls, we are having to get really creative as to where to put them. But it's fun. Sorta like it's the hunt for the "perfect" pair of boots that makes the day interesting, not the purchase.

While I can understand that it might not be feasible to frame and hang every one of your tiles, it may be fun to have your favorite ones hanging around and interchange them often . . . giving yourself time and opportunity to appreciate your new-found artistic self.

So, here, my friends, are a few suggestions on what you do. Get stuck up. I mean, literally. There's this stuff called "mounting putty" or "removable adhesive putty" that is super sticky but not so sticky that it destroys stuff when you take it down. And it does not (as far as I can tell) destroy your Zentangle tile. This stuff sticks to pretty much anything. And because a tile weighs almost nothing, it hold fast and you don't need to use much.

I stick tiles to the walls, mirrors, furniture, car windows, inside the glass on glass cabinets, bathrooms, stick them on top of the glass on other framed pieces that you might be a bit tired of (this is actually pretty cool), kitchen cabinets, refrigerators, windows . . . you get the idea.

 You can see the putty because the tile is on the inside. This is a tile that was sent to us by an avid tangler.


 We use this everywhere.



 Old pictures get new life!



 Often gravity is sufficient. 
Or wedge one in a frame, . . .



 . . . in between mandolin strings . . .




 . . . or inside a car lantern found in Rick's dad's basement whose windows were exactly 3.5 inches square!



Well, one other thing I like to do with my tiles is give them away!

Let us know what you do with your Zentangle tiles and we'll send a gift* to one of you lovely commenters!

What's your story?


Click images for larger views.

* Bijou insists we send a Tinful of Bijou Tiles!

55 comments:

Paula (PEP) said...

I use my tiles to make cards for friends - they tend to go down ever so well & some people actually now put in requests for a Zentangle card!
Paula (PEP)

kayred said...

I use my tiles in frames, gift tags and bookmarks. I also like them on my desk at work. I have even left them around town in unusual places hoping someone would find them and smile.....

Min White (CZT) said...

I often get talking to strangers in malls and fellow travellers on flights, because they ask about what I'm tangling. Those cards get turned into instant business cards - my name down one edge, email down another, workshops business name down a third, and 'just for you' down the fourth side :-) People are amazed that you'd give them something handmade.

Anonymous said...

I put round tangles in acrylic coasters for holiday gifts. I tangle white gift bags and stars for a holiday swag. I glue small ones to the tops of glass jars in which I put battery tea lights. I tangled tennis shoes for my granddaughter also.

Carol said...

I laminate my tiles and use them as little coasters.

Suzanne Witt said...

Instead of an Art Journal (which seems to be very popular right now), I have a blank journal that I put my Zentangles in. After all Zentangles are art. I have decorated the cover with a Zentangle (of course) and I love it! It is great having them all in one place, and I love looking through it and seeing the various Zens I have done. I like to show it off to others, too!

Linda Fine said...

Some of my tiles are displayed in wire card holders. I have two different card holders and they each hold about 12 tiles. I also have a few single clip, place card holders that I have a tile clipped in so I can have a tile anywhere in the house!

Tracey A said...

I too laminate them, organise them into 'sets' and give them away as a small (but very personal) gift inside a simple paper or cardboard wallet (also tangled of course).
Bookmarks for the members, of my book club group.
Curve them around the inside of jars of 'bits'n'bobs'for a bit of interest.
Mounted on the front of cards.
Favourites are put in a small photo album and placed as a small 'coffee table book'
Scattered about the walls of my study with blutack to make me smile and give me inspiration.
Popped in a small photo frame and displayed among photos.
Just given to family and friends (sometimes with a little affirmation or message on the back)to show they're in your thoughts.
Oh the possibilities...!

Webster said...

I put mine, doubled back to back, in a 3 1/2" plastic bag that seals and put them all in a big flat basket on my coffee table. They always get a good going-through, and make for a great conversation piece!

Jan Brandt said...

My favorite display is in my studio. I found a lovely piece of dried Manzanita which I laid sideways on a shelf. I tucked a few tiles in wherever they would stay and hung a couple more with copper wire ornament hangers from tiny branches. I also hung my name tag from Seminar. A few rocks from Lake Tahoe complete the scene ... which ALWAYS makes me pause, smile and appreciate. :)

Renata said...

I love to leave them around -- in the library, in a coffee shop, at the airport, on a park bench -- and hope somebody sees one, takes it home and gets a bit of joy from it.

Anne's tangle blog said...

The last tile I made is always right next to me on my desk and like Suzanne Witt (see above) I glue them in blank notebooks. Have a lot of those by now. Now and then I put one in a frame and hang it wherever I see a free spot.

LynnK said...

Besides the ones I put in a mixed-media journal, I have framed them, used them as gifts, and in handmade cards to send others. Recently, I've scanned them into my computer to create fabric through Spoonflower. The fabric is awesome and I use it in several projects!

Laura said...

Besides putting tiles with photo corners in Art Journals. I have file binders with sleeves designed for holding tiles.
One is ATC size for holding 120pcs. One is square tile size holding 120 pcs. One binder is holding 30 Zendalas.

Ellen said...

I have them on display everywhere! Zendala's fit very nicely in cd-cases and I have them standing on a low bookcase, holding them in place with the sticky molding. I also use them in my classes: have them in plastic sleeves on a table so everyone can have a peek. I have also framed some and sold them at an artfair.

Gina said...

I would make mobiles out of them, then sell them on Etsy.

Sarah Hluchy said...

I have a scrapbook for my tiles, so I would know where they were and wouldn't have to put them away or throw them away. Right now I have a sketchbook/journal that I tangle in to settle down if I get anxious. That sketchbook I will keep when it's full and pass it down to my children.

Debbie said...

I print out monthly calendars (found just by googling) that fit perfectly in an acrylic frame on my desk. I choose a different Zentangle for each month, which serves as the "picture" above each month.

g3 said...

I asked you this very question at the CZT XV training, Maria, and you said "BluTack." I had never heard of the stuff, but now, two months hence, I am on my second package of the wonderful stuff and my door posts are adorned with a myriad of tangled tiles. I love to look at them displayed this way and every visitor to my home spends a long time admiring them and asking questions about Zentangle. I've been wanting to thank you for this terrific suggestion, Maria, and now have the perfect forum for doing so.

Anonymous said...

I use my tiles as "tuck ins" for my cards and letters. Everyone loves getting something unexpected in their card or letter.

g3 said...

p.s. A package of Blu Tack on Amazon Prime is under $8. And, once you use it to hang up a tile, it is super easy to take the tile down, if you need to, without leaving a trace. I found this out when I had to take some down to be photographed (gulp!) for the cover of our local Arts and Crafts brochure! They are now back on the door posts after their fifteen minutes of fame!

Chris said...

I use my tiles for greeting cards, and I make rectangles that are Artist Trading Cards. Recently, I have started to sgraffitto zentangle designs on clay that has been coated with a black or colored slip.
Chris

Chai said...

I like to find interesting picture frames at garage sales, add my tile to them and use them as gifts. Instantly framed original artwork!
Have a creative life and tangle on!

Unknown said...

I have only just started to learn zentangle, so right now I dont show mine to anyone yet. I just keep them in my sketch book. I have a few on tiles that are tucked into the picture frame of my needlepoint taht won a second place ribbon at the Los Angeles County Fair in2007. (Hey it looks like zentangles too!). So I read the other comments, and I too do scrapbooks, cardmakimg, family tree research with my cousin and more other crafts than Ii have space for here, I think that it is now time to start to combine them. I want to make a bragbook and travel kit. Something small enough to take on the go, and see where it taks me. Who knows maybe even become a CZT in 2015?

Maggibee said...

Like one or two others, give them away to friends or people who need just a little reminder that I care and I also have albums, which are nice to revisit every now and then. I've just started an album especially for the I Am The Diva challenge tiles. (With a Tangle pattern cover, of course.

that cat said...

my tangles are all around! there is at least one of something i have tangled on in each cubicle in my office. my coworkers pout if i give to one and not to EVERYONE so i pass them around. for myself i have a journal called "fun with paper-tape" that i put all of my masterpieces in. i work in the medical field and i absolutely love the feel and tooth of medical papertape so i have an entire book of little bits of tape. and i am a big fan of "abandoned art" and i leave them around different places. i love the new little bijou tiles!! thanks lacey

Unknown said...

I have photo cubes for displaying my favorites, but right from the beginning, I mostly give my Zentangles away. Recipients seem to especially like the ones that include their names, and that I make as a prayer card. The focus during tangling is on the person and the results are often surprising. One gal, on a retreat I attended, ran to get her business card and show me her logo - because I had included a similar design on her card. She thought that was amazingly serendipitous. I said, "That's the Zen part!"

Unknown said...

(note 2) I also "upcycle" old clocks, and make 1 1/4 magnets that are very popular.

Anonymous said...

I have a bulletin board at school that I share my work, and work of some of the students in my room. I leave random acts of zentangle, RAZ's in various places. A photo cube, mini easels, plus one of the lovely zentangle black wooden boxes at home. A couple of display books for classes, and I gift them sometimes too.
Kate Ahrens CZT

Sue said...

I display one on a mini easel and attach others to the front of blank notecards. Often I'll try to personalize the tile for that person by using their initial, bday date, etc. When I have been an overnight guest, I like to leave one in the host's guest room and write a thank you on the back. I've thought about making a mobile from them, but haven't yet.

Anonymous said...

I keep some in a small photo album to show them off. I also use them as bookmarks, gift tags, in cards. They are great to post on a wall to cover a hole or other unsightly mark. I used an old artificial pine wreath added some black and white ribbon, pinecones, and Tiles to make my own Zentangle Wreath. It is an eye-catching for classes. I have yet to make ornaments or place cards with the ATC as R & M demonstrated during the "12 days of Christmas" So many inspiring ideas.
Melissa, CZT6
mwcahn@ptd.net

alei said...

I like to hang them around in the kitchen and in my office (very good to remind me during the day to practice zen and mindfullness espacially on a busy day !), use them as bookmarks etc. I give them away sometimes, and I started a blog to post all my cards. So I always can have a look to all my cards, and I put a little story on the blog for each card, so I can remember where/when/why I created it or gave it away.

Anonymous said...

I buy inexpensive "floating" frames and center the tangle in the frame. When I'm tired of one tangle, I can easily replace the one in the frame with a new one.

Sarah said...

Great ideas. I keep mine (mostly) in a photo album, using the slots to for each tile. I love the idea of sticking them on surfaces with putty or similar.

Ginny Stiles said...

For $8 on Amazon.com you get those clip photo hanger mobiles. Hang 20 (10 clips back to back) and they float in the wind in your kitchen, over your studio desk, on the summer porch. Change often. GREAT gifts.

Barb Burgess, CZT said...

I am a cancer patient at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL. That is originally where I started doing Zentangles, so I like to bring a photo book (that I got on a cruise in Bonaire) and let people look through it and give them one to take. I have left them in many places, as Random Acts of Zentangle. I also frame some and use a lot on my greeting cards that I make. The gallery where I teach, wants me to start selling them, framed (especially the ZIAs). I buy wooden frames from Michaels that have an opening of 3 ½ x 3 ½". I paint them black and put my tiles in the frames...instant gift. Many of my framed pieces are donated to different charities for fundraising events.

Cris Letourneau, CZT said...

Wow! Thank you for this post and to your wonderful readers for all of their great suggestions. I get this question all of the time as well and now I have some terrific answers. I have metal walls in my Zen Den and use tiny magnets to hang them all over the walls for inspiration. I also just discovered some pocket pages that perfectly fit Zentangle tiles so I can organize them into binders. (After 4+ years of almost daily tangling, I am running out of wall space!) Also, I found tiny easels at Wal Mart for $1. They are perfect for displaying Zendalas.

Anonymous said...

I string several tiles together with black coat thread. It makes a lovely wall hanging.

Jennifer Sparrow said...

I recently cleaned out a closet and found lots of old cassette tape cases. I use them like little easels. (You can also use them to hold business cards.) I can put 8 or so tiles in, and change them as I wish.
I also make greeting cards with the tiles. I use the adhesive photo corners in black to mount them, so that they can be displayed later.

Diane Lithgow said...

I am just learning so all mine are in a little art journal at the moment. just practising this still

Jane A. said...

I like to keep mine in a journal that I carry along to show my classes when I teach. I am always on the lookout for beautiful and unusual little frames, and I display these throughout my home and on my desk at work.

Dsgnermom said...

I have mine in a binder and I flip through them periodically to admire my work. I know that sounds a little stuck up. Zentangle has been a part of a healing process for me in recovering from brain surgery. Seeing what I've done helps me to think more about the positive I can accomplish than what isn't 100% healed.

I'm so thankful for you, my CZT and this method!

BarbS said...

I also laminate mine and keep a stack in my office as coasters for patients' drinks. Some that I especially like I keep in a binder to admire or use for inspiration on a "dry" day.

Dana said...

Great ideas!
I've turned mine into greeting cards - birthdays/thank you's/etc - everyone always loves them!

Infinite Kitten said...

I make note cards from some, bookmarks, will often stick one in with a customer's order (I make jewelry, weaving, handspun yarn). I do mono-tangles on the backs of my business cards. At a restaurant I go to regularly, I often draw while I'm waiting for my meal, and if the waitress comments on it (thankfully always positive -- I've become "that art lady"), I'll usually leave one for her WITH a tip, of course. And lately I've taken to doing "abandoned art". Just leaving them somewhere in public with a note to take it and give it a good home.

Unknown said...

I have bought black postcards and when I travel, I place Zentangle on the postcards and mail them to my friends and family. When I return home they are more interested in the postcard then my destination. H. Shepherd CZT14

Debbie's World said...

I often bring my "stuff" with me and tangle while waiting at the doctors' offices. The staff ask me about them and I let them pick any they want. The staffs are often unappreciated and undervalued, so they very excited to receive these.

Unknown said...

I have given away tiles or tangled Styrofoam cups (trying out tangling on more dimensional objects, for practice, and there an awful lot of styrofoam cups used each day!) that someone really admired, and they are so touched by the gesture. I have a growing totem pole of cups I haven't given away yet. LOL. I have tangled tiles and/or ATCs for birthdays and Thank yous or personal gestures of appreciation. I am also putting some tangled tiles (or other art supports) into a book I am doing for the Sketchbook project. I am creative. I will think of other uses and displays.

Karen said...

Oh my gosh thank you. For YEARS my mom has referred to mounting putty as "dumdum" and I have not been able to find dumdum anywhere ever. She did give me a roll of it once (that had no label)... they are old mariners who used it to tack stuff down on the boat. I just added some to my Amazon cart. xo

Chriss said...

I like to use my tangled cards for birthdays etc. I usually attach a tile on the front and then do a personal tangled message on the inside. They are much loved and collected by my family and friends. Love it!

zokhi said...

i usually give mine away, but I have kept a ton,too! Right now I am making 27 for the Kairos Outside Ministry. This is a ministry for women who have a husband, child, father, brother or any signifigant other incarcerated. There is a weekend of pure love given to these ladies, and each will get a tangle with a word, Hope/ Believe/ ,etc. within the tangle. The weekend is two weeks away, so I'm hard at "Zenning" to get them ready. It is truly a labor of love for them.

Amy L. Smith, CZT said...

I turn my tiles into Tangled Little Cards and place them here, there, and every where! Every Tangled Little Card includes a quote about kindness and is placed in the world for someone to find, with love from the Tangled Kindness Project... tangledkindnessproject.blogspot.com.

Ankita said...

Oh! that is beautiful! I tried my first zentangle today!

Anonymous said...

i want to thank ULOKO for bringing back my ex husband, we broke up for more than 4 YEARS and he told me that he never want to see me in his life again. i love him so much to the extend that i could not do any thing again, i was confused and depress due to the love i had for him.i did everything i could do to have him come back to me but all went in vain. so i decided to contact a spell caster, i did not believe in spell casting i just want to try it may be it would work out for me. i contacted ULOKO for help, he told me that he have to cast a love spell on him, i told him to start it. after 4 days my husband called me and started to apologize for leaving me and also he told me that he still love me. i was very happy and i thank ULOKO for helping me get back my ex husband back to my LIFE. His spell is the the greatest all over the world, it was the love spell he cast on my ex that make him come back to me. all you ladies who want their ex husband back i want you to contact ULOKO at the following email address and get all your problem solve..No problem is too big for him to solve..you can contact him via email ulokolovespell@gmail.com .

Unknown said...

After being in relationship with her for seven years,she broke up with me, I did everything possible to bring her back but all was in vain, I wanted her back so much because of the love I have for her, I begged her with everything, I made promises but she refused. I explained my problem to someone online and she suggested that I should rather contact a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring her back but I am the type that never believed in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, and he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, it was around 4pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all she said was that she was so sorry for everything that happened, that she wanted me to return to him, that she loves me so much. I was so happy and went to her, that was how we started living together happily again. Since then, I have made promise that anybody I know that have a relationship problem, I would be of help to such person by referring him or her to the only real and powerful spell caster who helped me with my own problem and who is different from all the fake ones out there. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, his email: kakabuspiritualhome@gmail.com you can email him if you need his assistance in your relationship or anything,you can also reach him on phone on +2347080352739 CAN NEVER STOP TALKING ABOUT YOU SIR HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS: kakabuspiritualhome@gmail.com CONTACT HIM NOW FOR SOLUTION TO ALL YOUR PROBLEM