Rest is More

Debbie talks about the need to Rest more in this post, as well as encourages all of us to cultivate mindful habits for the everyday.

7 Forests 5 Rivers

In this post I talk about the need for Rest. Can we really think ourselves into resting more?

I also feature some art pieces from my desk, as seen on Instagram.

We are very familiar with the concept of “Less is More” especially with recent trends such as “de-cluttering” and “sparking joy”.

We are told to throw away anything that has fulfilled its journey of usefulness with us, or if it has ceased to justify an existence with us because it no longer makes us happy looking at it.

I am not sure though, that this concept of de-cluttering applies to my own happiness.

As an artist, I typically invest in supplies and materials, and as a CZT these are vital to my profession. I am quite selective, I don’t buy everything I see, I’m not partial to temporary trends (there will always be some art brand…

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Medioevalis, Khadi & Me

In praise of handmade paper.. & more updates from Debbie’s desk ❤

7 Forests 5 Rivers

This post explores some of my favourite papers and two new (to me) tangles I’ve never really played with before…. and other recent updates. 

Medioevalis vs Khadi

I have been a huge fan of Fabriano’s Medioevalis range of paper since my very first pack in 2016 or so and it has remained a consistent favourite for all manner of watercolours, tints and inks. There are truly very few papers on the market here that can hold its own against the Medioevalis, even the Tiepolo (what Zentangle official tiles are made of) has no comparison. The Medioevalis has a very sturdy feel, much sturdier than the Tiepolo , (without coming across as “too stiff” like some other high-end papers) and it also has a unique softness to it, that I find lacking in other watercolour papers.

Recently my Medioevalis preference has found a strong contender in the South Indian Khadi, which…

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In a Constant State of Flux

Fresh updates from Debbie’s desk, current 7F5R challenge and read about the new tangle pattern InaFlux ..

7 Forests 5 Rivers

It seems like all I did was blink and we are already well into June!

Here are some photos and updates of what we’ve been up to….. and it is my pleasure to also introduce my new tangle pattern InaFlux, along with a short backstory in this post.

Tea & Tangle Tuesdays – DreamDex

This Tea & Tangle session two Tuesdays ago, featured Dreamdex as tangle of the day …..only because Stephanie was saying she’d never really gotten the hang of drawing it.

DreamDex is a tangle that features S-shapes on a grid. It is one of the tangles that “found” me, a few years ago..

Anyway, if you like it, you can find the step-outs here.

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#DreamDex was today’s #tangleoftheday at #7f5r ‘s Tea & Tangle Tuesdays 💙 👉🏻👉🏻 .. seen here with tangles Spoken…

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On Slowing Down to Speed Up… & Swaps!

Read on for a little Mindfulness Exercise with Debbie… and some Swap Updates!

7 Forests 5 Rivers

Slowing Down

How fast time goes when Life is good and busy!

Often these days, Stephanie and I have to remind each other to take it easy and be mindful of all our processes.

As we connect and reconnect with each other and the loved ones around us, as we hurry from one task to another, sometimes we even find ourselves in the middle of 3-4 tasks all at once! — we forget to slow down, to breathe and to listen…. We forget the important things and we don’t necessarily hear each other.

Slowing down doesn’t come naturally to a young parent like Stephanie, as little Charlotte grows with leaps and bounds each day.

Slowing down doesn’t come naturally to me either, as I juggle my different work commitments, family, home, as well as the new Studio, all week long. Alas, if someone would only gift me a house-elf or…

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Debbie’s Tea & Tangle Tuesdays

Join Debbie at her brand new Studio at Hongkong Street for Tea & Tangle Tuesdays… read on for more information and details.

7 Forests 5 Rivers

For me, it has been a beautiful journey ……. finding Zentangle, meeting people and building my CZT practice in Singapore. It feels like time has passed at light speed, ever since I became a certified Zentangle teacher in April 2015.

This year another dream has come to fruition as Stephanie and I embark on a new chapter with the setting up of our new Studio. More adventures certainly await!

It is my great pleasure to invite tanglers to join us on Tuesdays for a little tea and tangling session at our little studio at HongKong Street Singapore.

I will facilitate this casual, small group session in the air-conditioned comfort of our Studio. Each participant will get to showcase what they are working on currently (if they like), or view what other people are working on.

Essentially, it is an inclusive, free-for-all sharing session and a great place to ask for suggestions…

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More Adventures Await…

In spite of a really intense few months, with no reprieve in sight, I write with happiness and joy to announce a new collaboration with Stephanie Jennifer CZT of Everything is Art.

Read her latest newsletter here!

A Zentangle Roadshow at Hillion Mall

Join Stephanie Jennifer CZT and myself this February at our first of a kind Zentangle roadshow!

7 Forests 5 Rivers

Come visit our stall at Hillion Mall, Level B1 (located near the escalators going up to the bus terminal) this February!

“Anything is possible…. One step at a time!”

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Shop Update: Festive season pre-orders!

A long-awaited update for our handmade accessories line, including our first-ever pre-order catalogue!

. the 5tudio

Kiara – a whimsical assymetrical piece

It seems like time really flies when one is busy and I feel like I am always behind! Each time I think I am able to get back to some kind of a regular routine, things happen that toss it all into the air again!

Some of our loyal customer-turned-friends have asked me what’s on offer in my shop this festive season and I feel so moved that my humble little label enjoys the love it does.

I have put together our first ever catalogue for pre-orders.

This is the linkto our .pdf catalogue.

Our usual shop policies apply. If you are ordering several pieces please contact me so I may advise on availability, turnaround times as well as bulk discounts.

Please note that all Christmas orders close as follows:-

Singapore – 7 December 2018, to ship by 14 December 2018

International –…

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More Inktober Tangles, and other news..

So… I had this impossible idea that after September, October would be less hectic and more restful! Wishful thinking on my part! On the home front things have not calmed down at all so I have been sneaking in time to tangle where I can, just to balance everything out.

I had to put some of my personal projects on hold, and I have not been keeping up with the Inktober Tangles very well but still – here are some of my recent pieces.

Inktober Tangles

This is my entry for Ginili, Inktober Tangles Day 3, on a round tile. I like it a lot because one of my cats, Dyllis, had spilled paint water on the tile and it was fun to turn it into something beautiful!

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A few weeks ago #dyllisthekat spilled some #watercolor on a round tile i was working on! @havepen_willdraw helped to rescue the bleed a little! Because it’s such a unique piece of 3-way collaboration between my cat, another #CZT and myself, I just had to use it for today’s #inktobertangles entry for #ginili 😂😂😂 swipe 👉🏻 for process photo, tile back photo and video to show how shimmery these watercolors really are 😍😍😍 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #inktober #ink #peerlesswatercolors #gansaitambi #sakura

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 3, 2018 at 12:04am PDT

And here is my entry for Inktober Tangles Day 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11, in my very own Pre-Strung Zentangle Journal from Zentangle.com 🙂

I’ve grown a lot bolder in my art – previously I’d have never dreamt of putting cutter to paper in a sketchbook! For fear of ruining it! I had the impulse to cut out a feathery shape and I am so pleased at the end results, I might just do it again with another pair of pages soon! (Click on the right button in the image below to see a video of the sketchbook.)

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Here’s a look into my #Zentangle #prestrungjournal 💙 this piece which I’ve decided to call ‘The Cabbit Patch’ is my entry for #inktobertangles Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 😂 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #inktober #sakura #tombowdualbrushpens #gansaitambi #papercraft #papercutting #journal #sketchbook #art #hearttangles

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 4, 2018 at 8:22pm PDT

Here is the full page of tangles, tinted by hand, with Tombow Dual Brush Pens 😛 (More photos if you click the right button in the image.)

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Here’s a look into my #Zentangle #prestrungjournal 💙 this piece which I’ve decided to call ‘The Cabbit Patch’ is my entry for #inktobertangles Days 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11 😂 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #inktober #sakura #tombowdualbrushpens #gansaitambi #papercraft #papercutting #journal #sketchbook #art #hearttangles

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 4, 2018 at 8:23pm PDT

This is my entry for Day 9 – Feba, again, hand tinted with Tombow Dual Brush Pens and highlighted with Gansai Tambi Starry Colors.

It turned out to be a very whimsical tile, especially if you consider how bright and intense the original tinting was.

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This Japanese kimono inspired piece is my rendition of #Inktobertangles Day 9, featuring the #tangle Fe-ba. I picked the most challenging tile to work on from a recent tile tinting session, one with colour that wasn’t very well blended. #Tombow #Carmine #Red is super intense and I had to tone it down a couple notches to get the shade I wanted. Swipe 👉🏻 for more photos including tileback 😂 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #inktober #sakura #gansaitambi #tombowdualbrushpens #japaninspired #kimonoinspired

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 8, 2018 at 11:21pm PDT

After this piece, I got suddenly busy and at the time of writing, I have several unfinished Inktober tiles here that I am still working on. Oh well, some is better than none! Haha!

Reto #129 – Ruflz

I managed to squeeze in time to do Reto 129 but have since had to sit out the last two or so because of the busy. This was a fun reto, and I loved it!

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Here’s my take on #retomindandtangle 129 featuring #Ruflz and #inktobertangles Day 2 featuring #Yah 💙 it’s my first time playing with both #tangles ! Hopefully not the last 😂 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #inktobertangles2018 #gamsaitambi #peerlesswatercolors #tombowdualbrushpens #tangledwhatzits

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 2, 2018 at 12:41am PDT

After finishing that piece above, I had a sudden epiphany to try out something with origami paper! It was fun and very quick to do. I haven’t put this on Instagram because it’s meant to be part of a surprise for someone at the end of the year 😉 (And I don’t think she knows of my blog.. at least not yet haha..)

International Swaps

It is a bit surreal that next month will be our 50th swap in the series! I really have no idea where all the time goes!

This outgoing Autumn Gemstone ATC is currently on the way to Germany for the monthly swaps I host on swapbot.com .

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Not very happy with how dark my #zengem turned out, and not happy the droplets didn’t cure well. Didn’t have time to redo it as I would have liked, so it’s #outgoing for the #swap we are hosting on #swapbot this month. Oh well it can be my first #oynx 😂 #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 19, 2018 at 3:56pm PDT

And this delightful mini-accordian-book thingy in a tin was just sent off to Stephanie Jennifer CZT for another of our many swaps and collaborations.

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On one of my #random unplanned rambles in a #scrapbook supplies shop last month, I found this tiny little #accordionbook that came with it’s own adorable tin! I tinted with #tombowdualbrushpens , highlighted with drops of #gansaitambi #bluegold and added #ginili and #crescentmoon with #micron before getting too busy to add more 😂 this little book and #tin has gone to @havepen_willdraw for a #travellingtanglesproject #swap 💙 A sidenote, I only have the 6 #tombowdualbrushpens in the #photo but I’m having heaps and heaps of fun playing and blending (and tinting all kinds of #paper tiles and things) with the resulting #colours ! Goes to show you really don’t need to spend a fortune to create #art ! #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG #sakuracolorproducts

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 19, 2018 at 4:12pm PDT

And ….

I topped off last week with an amazing 101 Zentangle Basics class.

I had a very fulfilling 4 hours with this private group class, and it is always fun to watch people experience Zentangle for the first time!

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Taught an amazing #zentangle basics #class yesterday! Being able to introduce others to this fantastic journey, and to watch as they explore this art method for themselves, is always a meaningful experience 💙 I have taught many classes now, but the joy certainly never gets old. #zentangle #zentangles #hesedetangdoodles #tangles #ゼンタングル #tangledpursuits #CZT #SGCZT #CZTSG

A post shared by Debbie New (@tangled.pursuits) on Oct 20, 2018 at 7:19pm PDT

Till the next blog post…..

Keep calm and tangle on ❤

Hello October – Inktober Tangles & much more

Hello from Singapore!

I haven’t said hello in awhile, so Hello hello!

This year has gone by at light speed, hasn’t it? Suddenly it’s October.

I know I have not been blogging for ages now – things have been so crazy busy but I have decided to try to make time to post more often on my website and blog. Thank you for checking in – I am grateful.

Singapore CZT Masterclass

This year I had the opportunity to organise the SG CZT Masterclass. It is our second year running, and my, what a blast we had!

Here are some photos from the day, as well as snippets from the magnificent CZT gallery that went on display.

Organising this class is rather the highlight of my CZT year as it stretches my planning, budgeting, organising, networking skills.

This year I also got to do a quick sharing on how to teach Whatz-its and how to fit the technique into classes of any duration.

Whatz-its at SG CZT Masterclass 2018

Inktober Tangles

As a challenge to myself to work on more tangles, I have decided to participate in this year’s Inktober Tangles along with Stephanie Jennifer CZT and many other CZTs and  tanglers. Click here for the prompts.

Here is my first Inktober tile featuring Mooka.

Mooka vs. Finery

Lately my memory isn’t that fantastic so I’ve been writing more details on the back of my tiles like this, to help me remember what I used in the piece! Very handy and old school but I am very pleased to have these little reminders 🙂

Reto Mind and Tangle

In September, my classmate from CZT seminar Alicia G. Rey visited me in Singapore. I invited Stephanie along since they were already connected in Facebook and we had a fantastic time together.

Alicia, Stephanie and I ❤

One of the things Alicia introduced me to was her Spanish tangler’s group. She issues a weekly challenge or a ‘reto’ and we all have a go at it as a group. It is a Spanish group but Zentangle is our main language!!

Here are some of the ones I’ve participated in so far. You can find them on social media under the hashtag #retomindandtangle ❤

Reto Mind and Tangle #125 PKok

Reto Mind and Tangle #126 Chence

Reto Mind and Tangle #127 Bubbles

Reto Mind and Tangle #128 Seta

Other recent work…

Aside from being busy hosting the annual Singapore certified Zentangle teachers’ Masterclass, life has been deliciously good. I have been working very hard so in order to balance everything out, I have also been giving myself snippets of time in between everything, just to get creative.

I’ve started to journal again (I say ‘again’ because I remember doing this when I was a teenager!) in the bujo (bullet journal) style. Back then I don’t know what we called it!? Actually I don’t even think there was a proper word for it lol..

Here’s one of the pages, featuring my September highlights in a word or a tangle.

And here is another page I was working on, nearly buried under Alicia’s sketchbook lol.., which I was also tangling in nearly at the same time.

A tangler’s mess :p

More art ahead………..

Finally completed this piece from March!! I don’t think I will ever try this again lol…. It was intimidating and I felt really overwhelmed.

Sometime ago I discovered these crushed seashell nail art flakes at the local $2 shop named Daiso. Naturally, these found their way onto my tiles!! They really are heaps of fun ;3

More nail art flakes – this time on tan tiles. The colour made me recall the Tints on Tan Winter edition… so… here is a little bit of Christmas, 2 months early haha!

Phew! This has been such an image intensive post! That will teach me to disappear from blogging for so long, ha! I have no one to blame lol..

Until the next post! I will leave you with a photo of my art on display at our Masterclass CZT gallery 🙂