I’m calling today “Frugal Friday” because I have a couple of great tips by fellow tanglers to share with you.
And who doesn’t like to find ways to be frugal?
1. MICRON SURGERY
The first tip is how to squeeze a little more life out of your Micron Pens.
Nib of a Sakura Micron 01 Pen
As you may know, when you’re not using them Microns should always be stored flat (i.e., horizontally, not vertically). This prevents the ink from pooling at the bottom of the pen and creating one nasty and messy surprise when you uncap it.
Also the “nib” is actually a delicate, thin plastic tube that requires a very light touch. If you haven’t seen those tips before, please see this article here on the site.
At CZT Kathy Redmond’s training seminar, Zentangle® co-founder Rick Roberts demonstrated how to perform surgery on a Micron to coax a little more mileage out of it.
As a result of what she learned, Kathy posted a step-by-step tutorial on her blog entitled “Long Live My Sakura Pen!” In it she shows exactly how to take apart the pens and reverse the sponge that stores and delivers the ink. Kathy writes,
Even if you follow all this advice [about how to store and use the Microns], there will come a time when your pen really does run out of ink. You will notice scratchy lines and some skipping – sometimes I like the look, but not always. There is a way to get a little more mileage out of your Sakura pen.
Here’s the link to Kathy’s tutorial. Honestly, I like to be frugal but that’s not an operation I relish undertaking. I’d undoubtedly end up covered in the ink that was left in the pen. Nevertheless I know there are many of you who like to become one with their tools, and now you have the information to have at it!
2. MAKING YOUR OWN TORTILLIONS (BLENDING STUMPS)
Tangler Lora Morris alerted me to this video on making your own blending stumps, and she also very thoughtfully provided a downloadable template for your convenience. Many thanks, Lora.
Here’s the video, and here’s Lora’s template.
Lora writes, “If you want to make a thicker Blending Stump, roll one or more pieces together. Getting the angle right takes practice, but you learn pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t.” You can get different effects with different paper stock too.
Please let me know in the comments if these tips were useful for you! And feel free to share your own too.
Oh, and enjoy these tangling gems …
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The Tangle Refresher series, aka Buried Treasure, spotlights hidden tangle gems from the past. It can remind you of tangles you might not have used for a while or introduce you to some you haven’t come across yet.
Here are five more tangle pattern gems and a Tangle Refresher from a year (or two) ago for your tangling pleasure. Remember to check out the “More Good Stuff” links below too. Zenful tangling!
BTW as you visit these tangles please Tweet or “like” them on Facebook so they get shared with a wider audience. Sharing links are on the left side of each pattern’s page. Thanks!
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XYP |
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Plates |
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Nine Patch |
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Riki Tiki |
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Triadz |
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Tangle Refresher 60 |
More good stuff …
- Exploring the elegance of Zentangle in a larger format
- How to draw three types of grids for your Zentangles
- New to Zentangle®? The Official Zentangle Kit has everything you need to get started, including a great DVD tutorial by Zentangle co-founder Maria Thomas.
- Everything you need to know about creating Zentangle-Inspired Art or Products
- Free Interweave eBook – Know Your Rights: Copyright 101 for crafters and artists
- Tangle Pattern Refreshers – the entire Buried Treasure series.
- Find more tutorials on TanglePatterns by visiting the TUTORIALS tab on the pink alphabetic menu bar
- Find a CZT near you – the link to the list of Certified Zentangle Teachers is located in the left sidebar of the site under the heading SOURCE WEBSITES. Interested in becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher (CZT®)? Here’s more information.
- Linda’s List of Zentangle-original tangles — THE tangles to learn first if you’re new to Zentangle.
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October 17, 2014 | 
More like this: 
Just discovered this tip on Micron surgery and I have a couple of 01 pens I’ll experiment with. Thanks, your Refreshers are a bonus with all the extra info!!
Linda, when I discovered Zentangle, I dug out a Sakura Micron pen I had used about 10 years before when I was doing a newsletter for a group I belonged to. To my delight, it is an 01, and to my amazement, it still worked! So that, a Dixon #2 (HB) plain old regular school pencil, and some tiles I cut from a book of 140 lb watercolor paper I found at Walmart is what I started tangling with.
The pen lasted through several tiles, then began to show signs of running out of ink. I had found your site and this tip on Micron Surgery, and tried it. It worked beautifully, and I even stayed clean! The surgery is really easy. Just take it slow and don’t use a lot of force. Treat the nib end very gently, and don’t use any more pressure on the needle nose pliers than is necessary to hold it gently.
Try it–you’ll like it!
Happy tangling!
I want to unsubscribe please. I can’t find the link on here. I haven’t done zentangle for years as my hands are too arthritic now to hold pens
Hi Jennifer, sorry to hear about your arthritis, unfortunately it’s a widespread affliction. There are devices available to make holding pens and pencils more comfortable so you might like to check those out.
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Best wishes!