This latest edition to my still expanding tangle pattern collection is based on a fabric swatch I came across this morning. The lines connecting the stars are a little random, but are based on the point connecting with two others and the dip between. Varying the star  size and position will also give you a different outcome. Have a go at colouring all the stars one colour and all the triangles in light to dark tones of another…

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The second of my tangle patterns based on the pattern printed the inside of an envelope. Don’t you find patterns in the strangest places? This is much closer to the pattern than my previous attempt, and for those who like to see where my inspiration comes from, here’s a small sample of said envelope inner:

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I recently read an article on how to use the inners of envelopes in collages. You know the ones – those with the printed security pattern that is meant to help obscure the contents. Well this got me thinking, and on receipt of the next missive from the bank, I had a quick look at the pattern inside the envelope. Two tangle patterns resulted, and here’s the first:

By definition this is more like a zentangle pattern than most I have done, as there is a continuous line in step one to form the main pattern, with only ornamentation to finish it off. The arrows show the direction the single line goes, with four motifs shown.

This actually isn’t anything like the pattern in the envelope – that’ll be next weeks release 🙂

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This is the last tangle pattern I’ve based on Islamic art pieces in the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. This originally appeared on a glazed terracotta tile in the Nabu Temple, Borsippa (near Babylon) in around 600-500 BC. It seems that all the doodles we do were being done since way way back when! I found it easier to do the teardrops in the border starting in each corner and looping toward the centre circle, rotating the page for each corner.

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The third of four tangle patterns based on items of Islamic art in the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum. This one is based on glazed tile decoration in the throne room of Nebuchadnezzar II in Babylon, around 605-562 BC. The colour scheme is white daisies on a royal blue background with orange highlights and the centre diamonds in a pale blue. This pattern will repeat well as a border, or keep repeating the diamonds to fill in an area.

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The second of four tangle patterns based on centuries old Islamic art. This one is from the carved stone threshold of a pair of massive gates from the palace of Shalmaneser III at Balawat, dating from 858-824 BC. The cross hatching should make the ‘petals’ appear like pine cones, a common feature of a lot of the patterns, particularly the carved ones. The lilies between the pine cones are an example of another regularly repeated motif.

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This is the first of four tangle patterns based on Islamic design, centuries old, gleaned during a visit to the British Museum and the Victoria & Albert Museum. This pattern comes from a carved design from an Assyrian palace at Nimrud, from about 865-860 BC.

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So called as it is part of the stone carved facade of the Natural History Museum in London, and is flanked by two monkeys. Alternate the flower designs along the rows and columns. Adding the monkeys is an optional extra!

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