This gorgeous little album is made of two parts: the Becky Higgins 4x4 inches album, and the 2x2 inches plastic pockets. It's the cutest thing! Make sure to get a lot of pages, since each page only fits 8 bijou tiles (4 in front, 4 in the back). 

I love all Becky Higgins photo products, their binders are strong and well made, and the pages are beautifully clear (you get the pages separately). My only complaint is that the spacing of their ring binders is odd, so once you get into their products, you can't just get generic pages to fit unless you punch the pages yourself with a small hand held puncher. Still, the quality is much superior to anything else I've tried. Get it here.

These clear plastic fit 6x8 inches binders from Becky Higgins, and have two partitions, fitting 4x6 photos. The quality of the plastic is much superior to other generic album photo pages, and their albums are so nice. However -- the opening to slip in the photo is at the top, which makes it a bit annoying that the photos can slip right off if you're not careful. In most cases the photo stays put because of friction, but still. Get it here

This is an alternative to the bijou punch (which has been discontinued). This punch creates these cute scalloped squares, which measure a little less than 2" on the sides (2.5 inches diagonally. 

The squares a little smaller than the bijous as you can see in the picture, but they fit in the coin collector sleeves! 
Get the punch here.

I use these 8x8 faux-leather albums by Becky Higgins to store my FINISHED TILES. These can hold four 4-inch tiles, and I like these better than the Zentangle specific albums because I sometimes use 4x4 tiles I cut out of paper myself instead of just the official 3.5 inch tiles. 

These Becky Higgins plastic pages have 4 sleeves which fit 4x4 inch tiles. I like to use these for my finished tiles better than using Zentangle specific, since they fit both 3.5 and 4 inch tiles. I don't like the inserts, but I couldn't find the pages without them, so I just remove them. 

These coin collector plastic pages fit 2x2 inch bijou tiles PERFECTLY. And the pages fit regular Letter size 3-ring binders, so you don't have to get the fancy album. There are other brands out there, but this one is made of very good transparent plastic and I have bought them twice already. 

This 2x2 punch from beckyhiggins.com is ideal to save some money and create small samples, thumbnails of tangles. They fit perfectly into 2x2 coin collector pages. I recommend using bristol paper or card stock.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS ITEM IS DISCONTINUED!!!!

If you can find it at Michaels, you're in luck. Let me know if you can find a similar 2x2 inch punch. Keep in mind that most punches are measured in DIAGONAL, which is not the right size. 

The wonderful and helpful Jenny Perruzzi from Acadia Laser Creations created this set of stencils for my Step-out recipe cards. They will fit on 6x4 cards, with three different layouts for you to choose. Get it here

My vision has deteriorated over the years due to harsh chemo and also aging. Glasses and head magnifiers weren't doing the trick! I finally found something I like, it's a magnifier glass that also has a lamp. I'm super pleased with it. Get it here. 

Sometimes you need to seal the work first in order to continue adding more. For example, sometimes colored pencils can bleed the color onto Gems when adding the white highlights. Another example is when you've used so much colored pencil on the paper that it has lost its "tooth" (grain).

If you need to continue working on the piece, use a "workable fixative", that is, a spray that creates more tooth and allows you to continue working. This is different than a "Final fixative", which is used to seal off the work when it's done.

This is my favorite brand, it works beautifully and does not yellow (as far as I can tell). Get it here.

This is a fixative when you want to stop your coloring or shading from fading or brushing off. It can also help if you feel that the paper has lost its tooth. Get it here. 

This is the inking pen most commonly used by tangler, and somewhat endorsed by Zentangle, Inc. The ink is very high quality, archival grade, and the price of the pens is very reasonable. 

The only thing that bothers me is the numbering convention. Their 01 pen is NOT 0.1mm, but yet 0.25mm. I don't know why they did it like that. 
Get this pack here. 

The Copic fineliners are some of my favorite inking pens: they are made with the very superior pigment ink from Copic, and the pen is heavy and substantial, feels really well balanced. They are a bit on the expensive side, so if you want to get only one to try it out, then get the 0.1mm. 

The good thing about this pen is that you can get a replacement cartridge when the ink runs out:

Copic Multiliner Replacement Cartridge

Keep in mind that although these are wonderfully substantial pens and feel great to draw with, it is a high tech piece of equipment: if you tend to be heavy handed, you can flatten the nibs (like I have done countless times). The good thing is that you can replace them!

Also keep in mind that this particular pen might get clogged if you draw over colored pencil.

If you really want a thinner 0.1mm (true size) pen but are hesitant in spending on the Copics, then go with the Staedtler Liner. One of my favorite pens, the ink is beautiful, and the tip is very reliable, doesn't clog easily over other medium as the copics. Keep in mind that at this size, all pens have a tendency to clog a tiny bit when drawn over other media!

Get it here

This pen is for the ultimate light hand artist: a mere 0.03mm, it produces the thinnest and most delicate lines. I like this pen because the barrel is only slightly thicker than other disposable pens, making it more comfortable to use. Get it here

I love these fineliners because they are TRULY 0.05mm -- super fine -- and come in a variety of colors. Good for really tiny detailed work. 

Get it here

These are my newfound love: the gray pigment is not as strong as the black ink and allows for very subtle shading and softer lines than the black. This are only available in disposable pens, but in a good range of thin nib widths. Get it here

This is the ultimate tangling tool: archival, waterproof ink disposable pen by Sakura. I've tested many other pens, but what I like about it is that it's permanent and will not come off or smear if you use water media over it. Keep in mind that although the number of the product says "01", it is NOT 0.1mm, the nib in fact measures 0.25mm, making it a bit thicker than other inking pens. Get it here.

This pen is a thin 0.1mm and the color of graphite pencil. This makes it especially interesting when combined with black inking pen -- you can use it to create faded backgrounds or to complement pencil shading -- with the advantage that it will not be erased. I find it particularly interesting to use to create line-work before using other water media such as distress inks and watercolors. Get it here. 

This is the ultimate tangling tool: archival, waterproof ink disposable pen by Sakura. I've tested many other pens, but what I like about it is that it's permanent and will not come off or smear if you use water media over it. Keep in mind that although the number of the product says "01", it is NOT 0.1mm, the nib in fact measures 0.25mm, making it a bit thicker than other inking pens. This BROWN pen is used for Renaissance and Tan Treasure work, to create contrast with the black pen.  Get it here.

This is my ALL time favorite shading pencil. Most HB pencils are fine for shading, but I find that the "F" pencil by Stadtler mars not only provides a much sharper point, but is also a bit smoother and darker, providing really buttery shading. Additionally, the wooden casing is so superior to other pencils that I have never gotten a broken point when sharpening. Get it here. 

Most pencils are totally fine, and I've tried a number of brands, but this is by far my favorite. Not only the graphite is smoother, the wooden casing is very nice and never breaks when sharpened. This is rather hard to find, so if you can't find this exact set, get a set that has 2H, H, F, HB and 2B. Get it here

Instead of the usual tortillion, which is a hollow cylinder of paper, and typically found in the Zentangle kit, I like to use the blending stump, because it is solid and much more durable. Use a nail file to sharpen and a piece of wax paper to burnish. Three sizes are more than enough and should last you forever. Get it here.

The paper takes a bit of a beating when shading heavily, so I always recommend a heavy card stock paper. My favorite is BRISTOL SMOOTH (or its nearest cousin Bristol Vellum), which has the smoothest surface for black and white shading. I would not recommend this one for coloring, though, it's too smooth. This particular pad measures 11x14inches, so you can easily cut twelve 3.5inch tiles from each page with minimal waste. Get it here

Hot-pressed paper is one of my newest favorite papers to draw for multi-media. Not only is it super thick and can handle water media, but also has a super fine tooth that is not grainy, withstanding colored pencils, and even graphite shading. This is my second favorite (my favorite is Arches), and one block can produce many, many tiles if you cut it up yourself. Get it here

This super tiny sketch book is the exact size of a Zentangle® tile, measuring only 3.5x3.5 inches. Ideal to carry in a purse for those moments of inspiration. What I like about it is that the paper is not too flimsy, it's 90lb. cardstock. Not as thick as a regular tile, but still pretty good for tests. 

If you are not the cutting type and don't want to use official Zentangle tiles, then you can get these Artist Tiles by Strathmore in Bristol Vellum. Not quite as smooth as the Bristol Smooth, but still excellent quality, and better for colored pencils since they have more tooth. Keep in mind that these are NOT in the original Zentangle® 3.5inch square sizes: they are slightly larger, measuring 4x4 inches. Get it here.

If you like to test your drawings in recipe cards first and can't stand the flimsiness of regular generic cards, then get these. Still excellent value for the money, these cards are smooth and thick, and you can draw tests very well on them. Not suited for final pictures, but really nice and bright for tests and recipe cards. Get it here.

These are generic white index cards measuring 4x6 inches, which are perfect for recipe cards and testing drawings. These have no lines on them, they are blank. The card is a bit thin for my taste, but it provides excellent value. Get it here.

If you like to store Zentangle recipe cards individually in a recipe box, then consider using these recipe card covers -- especially if you teach a lot and have the cards passed around students. They are not extraordinary, but do the job and will protect your cards from handling. Get it here.

If you are just starting, then you can't get better value for the money. The kit comes with 5 official Zentangle 3.5" tiles, and 5 Sakura Pigma Micron pens of different widths, which is really nice to have: 01, 03, 05, 08 and 1. It also comes with a pencil and a tortillion for blending, but I would substitute the tortillion for a blending stump instead. Get it here

This is my all time favorite type of distress ink, it comes in a spray ink bottle, and you can also remove the top to dip directly into the bottle with a brush. Forms beautiful patterns, especially if you mix drip water, or work over wet paper. Get it here

These are fantastic water-soluble markers that not only can be blended with a simple paintbrush with a little water, they also form the gorgeous blooms with salt or water sprinkles. The have two different tips, a brush and a fine point. Get it here

These are some of my favorite colored pencils, they are made of wax pigment and are soft and SUPER BUTTERY. The results are luxurious colorful! Keep in mind that because they are wax based, they have a tendency to break. Leave them near a sunny window so the wax doesn't become brittle. I have the largest set of 150 colors, but you may not want to invest so much on pencils that soon. I recommend getting at least 72 colors, or even better, get them in open stock so that you can pick the ones you want. Get it here.

Polychromos colored pencils are OIL BASED, not wax like the prismacolors. Because of that, the lead is not as buttery as the prismacolors, but it lays a much more vibrant layer of color, and at times, the delicacy of this pencil can be welcome. The wooden casing is of superior quality and sharpens to a super fine point. Get it here

I received this set of watercolors to test out and fell in love with them. If you cannot afford the more expensive tube watercolors, then get this one (or the Kuretake Gansai Tambi). 36 colors. Get it here

These watercolors come in individual little pans, and the color is rich and luxurious, almost as thick as gouache. If you cannot afford more expensive tube watercolors, then get this set (or the Koi watercolor set). Get it here

This sharpener is excellent, produces very high quality points. It has 5 different settings for point sizes -- a bit of an exaggeration in my opinion, but the sharpness of the blade is really good. Get it here

These are an inexpensive option the original Zentangle® tiles. The tiles measure 3.5x3.5 inches, and instead of rounded corners have a chamfer. The quality of the paper is OK, it's very white and smooth. I find these a bit too smooth for my taste, and a bit too white, I miss the handmade off-white color and texture of the official Zentangle tiles. If you enjoy smooth shading with graphite, then these are a totally fine option. 

This amazing little printer prints 4x6 photos is super bright colors and the paper is the same as you would find a regular photo printing shop. Super fun for recipe cards, class catalogues, or even when you want to make copies of your art originals, however keep in mind that it's not a cheap toy. Get it here. 

This kit comes with both paper and toner for 108 photos printed with the little amazing printer Canon Selphy CP1300. Get it here.

This pen contains archival, water-proof ink, the same quality as the other pens by Sakura. However, the nib is made of plastic (PN = Plastic Nib), which makes this pen a bit more durable and less fragile than the traditional inking pens. It also allows you to vary slightly the width of the line and goes a bit more easily when you have layers of media. Get it here.

Copics are my favorite markers, by far. There is just something about the ink that is so buttery. NOT CHEAP! But here's a tip: get the markers individually, and buy refills, they will last you a long time. Get it here.

Copics are my favorite markers, by far. There is just something about the ink that is so buttery. NOT CHEAP! But here's a tip: get the markers individually, and buy refills, they will last you a long time. Get it here.

I've tried every single gel pen out there, and I always return to this one. I use mostly the 08 and 10, not so much the 05, which is a bit too light. Get it here.

This is the only gold gel pen I use. I feel that it complements nicely my gold watercolors, and looks amazing when used over darker backgrounds. Get it here.

Marvy Le Pen fineliners by Uchida are deceiving little pens. They are small, thin, not particularly beautifully made on the outside. However, this ugly duckling has become one of my favorite fineliners. The tip is juicy with ink, and rich in color. What's best is that the ink is water-soluble, and can be used to produce the most beautiful watercolor blooms and bleeds when teased with a moist brush. Get it here