Friday, February 4, 2011

Displaying your Zentangles


Zentangles have been accumulating in my house. And they have been popping up in multiple places. So I knew it was time to figure out how to display them. I've already got a number in a binder but I wanted to keep some out to show off.

First I found a photo cube. This one happens to be one I had sitting in my closet. The pictures that were in it were pictures from the 60's. (I was a youngster then - really!) It has one big piece of foam in the middle that holds the photos in place. I was happy to see that it fit my Zentangles nicely. There are now similar photo cubes that are sold at Michaels stores. Sometimes they are on a shelf way up high so get an employee if you can't find them yourself.

At Christmas I received a set of glass drink coasters and a wooden holder for the coasters. I really that it too was the right size for my Zentangles. Actually it is a little wide but that gives me room to put a pen alongside my tiles. The coaster holder has space for LOTS of tiles. I actually didn't have enough to fill it so I keep extra tiles in the back so I can create whenever the mood strikes. A friend reminded me that it is better to store your pens flat. I had forgotten. I will store my pens to the side ONLY if they are flat as pictured.

I went on a search on the internet to find similar items and found quite a selection.  I would first suggest that you do a search around your own home for similar items! Maybe you will find them in a discount or secondhand store too.

I would love to hear any other display ideas you have come up with. Please add your ideas to the comments.

19 comments:

  1. Sue, your tangles are really beautiful. I'm glad you found ways to display them in your home. Thank you for commenting on my post. I guess I didn't realize that Zentangles® had definite design patterns. I was just doing my own designs, thinking that's what it was all about. I love the flower looking designs that you use. I find some tangles online look positively sinister.

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  2. Sue, I too have to find a good way to show my tangles. I work in sketchbooks and on letter size paper so I have many "lovely" stacks on my shelves. I'm going to look for one of those cubes to display my current favorites. I see you've been busy posting the steps to the tangles you've created. They are great. Are you taking the CZT training at the end of this month also? If so, I look forward to meeting you.
    Danni O'Brien

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  3. Sue, I actually trace the size of a tile, fitting two per page in a moleskin watercolor sketchbook. I use the remaining space around the finished tangle to: note whose tangles I am using, what is happening that day - ever so briefly, date & my initials/CZT-4. I carry tiles in my handbag & will add them to the sketchbook using photo corners. I have to force myself to keep the tiles to be only created with the black pigmy pen - 75% are colored with derwent ink intense color pencils. Holly, CZT-4

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    1. holly - this is a great idea. i love my mokeskines - i've been adhering my tiles into a watercolor book, but it makes it so thick! this is a better idea. thanks! (and i'm liking picturing your black pigmy pen :))

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  4. This is so funny, Sue. Just last week (before seeing this blog) I had found my old 60's photo cube and had put my tangle tiles in it! What a hoot. Mine, though, can also store tiles inside (not a foam block).

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  5. I found a wonderful plexiglass box at The Container Store in Houston that is great to sit on my coffee table. It holds lots of Zentangle tiles and the one on top keeps changing as I produce more tiles. Perhaps this store has an online option for buying.

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  6. I'm a kid and i love Zen tangles and i found that i can tape my Zen tangles to my cards and it still shows the number and picture i like to show them off when i play cards

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  7. Playing card shaped tiles would be an awesome notion!

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  8. Zentangle decorated playing cards! What a great idea. You'd have to figure out a way to keep the tangle patterns from smudging from messy fingers...I am just imagining people eating at the card table playing with the cards... Sue, I also love your artwork! I immediately noticed the tangled tile in the coaster. Very pretty! Thank you for sharing.

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    1. they have some online options now for making playing cards. my son made a set for his wife. he did the artwork - every card could be different or the same - and they printed them.

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  9. I've got a couple of the photocubes from Michaels - I love them. If you can get 3 X 3 clear acrylic magnets, Zentangle tiles fit in them perfectly (Michaels has them, but they're cheaper to get at the dollar store if you can find them). I have a set of 9 prestrung ensemble set that looks great in the magnets! They're great for gifts too - small, easy & fun to look at :)

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  10. I also recoomend folding a photo cube out of index cards, as shown here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxMgiqIhiz0&feature=relmfu
    After completing one cube, do a 3 inch square zentangle in the ceter of 6 more cards and fold them with the flaps facing inwards, solid zentangled surface to the outside. Slot the flaps in to each of the faces (like a cover), and you now have a nice solid tangled surface on each face. another video here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_PrLoZBEbM

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  11. I have a lot of Zentangles now. I have some displayed in picture frames I bought from Michael's. They are 3 and 3/4" square and come in black so are perfect for Zentangles. They have a stand on them as well. The Item No. at Michael's is 159185 83885-2010-07. They were just under $10. each though. Some I got on sale. I also have quite a few photo albums for 4" x 6" that are black and hold 2 per page. I have quite a few of those now. I purchased those at London Drugs and Wallmart. Some Zentangles I have made into greeting cards and glued them onto note cards.

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  12. One idea I am in the process of making is to get templates for "Platonic Solids" see my Pinterest Boards. These are Cubes pyramids and many other interesting shapes which you can print onto white card and then after Tangling can make up to the finished shape and keep in a bowl. For the templates and also for pictures of finished product I have copied from see my Boards on Pinterest (Sue Southam)

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  13. That's a cool idea to use a coaster holder! I've been putting them in a 12x12 scrapbook, using photo corners to hold them in place. Of course, that takes a little time -- time that I'd rather be tangling -- so sometimes they pile up in the pocket of the scrapbook until I make time to put them in.

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  14. Scan your tangle creation and save in computer. Upload to companys that print photo cards. ie. Shutter fly. Still learning sent angle, can't wait until I have 52 tiles.


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