New tangle pattern Smokestack & The Cookie Bookie Notebook

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while are familiar with the Daycraft Cookie Bookie Notebook.  I reviewed it just about a year ago.  It's one of my favorite notebooks, and I've wanted to buy more from their line of products, but they have been difficult to find, even online.

Yesterday, I received an email from Daycraft letting me know two things--they have launched a new website that offers their products with free worldwide shipping and the Cookie Bookie notebook will soon be available in more colors! 

I'm ecstatic!

All the items are priced in Hong Kong Dollars (HKD), but if you google Currency Conversion you should be able to get a close approximation of the price in your own currency.

One of the reasons I love my Cookie Bookie is the rich orange color of the pages--it is light enough that you get a clear line with black ink pens, yet it's dark enough that white gel pens almost glow.  I can't wait to see what other colors become available!

To honor this occasion, I decided to share the pattern steps that I had created for use with my recent 3D drawing of the Titanic.  That drawing ended up going in a different direction than I had originally planned, and I saved the pattern for a later time.  (Please note that I turn my Zentangle® around as I draw, so the pattern is shown on its side in the drawing above.

I'm going to rate this pattern as difficult, because I think many people will struggle trying to get the loops perfect.  When they try this the first time, they may well look at the result in disgust and give up.  I hope that doesn't happen for too many.  With many patterns, (as it is with life) you need to fail at it a time or two before you can get it right.  

Tips that might help:  Go slow.  Relax and don't worry about perfection. Before starting each step, look at where the lines ended in the previous step, and use them as a guide.  In my drawing above, I darkened in the centers.  You can use this to even out your loops.  Even after you get the pattern down, it helps to practice it a few times on scrap paper before using it in a Zentangle®.  This is because you develop a rhythm when it you draw it, and practice helps get the rhythm going.