When working on a recent TanglePod episode, where we talk about Winter Tangles, I went through my stash of tiles (hundreds of them!).  They go back to 2013, when I received my first book and supplies as an introduction to Zentangle.  Those first few tiles were really shaky, but I can tell by the notes on the back that I was enjoying the process!

While going through the tiles, I started popping out any unfinished tiles into their own little pile, I don’t know why but they seemed to need their own space. By the time I was finished, I had 83 tiles of various shapes and sizes. Since then as I jump start spring cleaning I have found even more! Some are on the lovely Zentangle 3.5” Fabriano paper, some are cardstock. Most are white but some are buff. A few have watercolor, wine or coffee gracing the background.

That I had this many unfinished tiles surprised me. I felt like I had landed on the Island of Misfit toys like in the Rudolph cartoon. Some of them are just missing shading, some of them look more like scratch paper than a tile. A few look like a tile I was using to demonstrate to a student.  More than one look like perhaps I was frustrated and so set it aside.  All of the tiles are unsigned, and not dated on the back – which I pretty much always do. With this growing pile, my Misfit Tile project was born.

All these unloved, unfinished tiles are now nestled together in a little box, waiting to be finished up. They are tucked in there with a pencil, and green pens. Green Pens?! I decided that I want to remember the original, and be able to see where the new growth on the tiles is placed – so I chose a green Micron 05, and a green/gold Gelly Roll, and a lime green Stabilo fine 0.4.  It is fun to be able to see the original within the completed composition.

We will be talking about this project on an upcoming TanglePod episode – and I hope you will join us in dusting off your unfinished tiles, finding a new way to enhance them and enjoy your tangling practice.