On the second day of Christmas, Bijou gifted me . . .

. . . some baubles for my Christmas tree. 

SAVOR
verb: To taste and enjoy completely. 

Maria writes:

How often do we take the time to savor anything? – to really savor?

 
There are so many little things that deserve this attention. With Zentangle art it is especially important to take the time, in the moment to "taste" and enjoy this treat. To savor your tile (to me anyway) means going beyond just the casual acknowledgement of creating. ​It begs us to admit to being an artist – to take pleasure in accepting someone's compliments of our art. It means saying, "Thank you," instead of listing the things that went wrong or could have been better. It means basking in the glory of the moment.

As an artist, one needs to create, savor, then move on to the next project. With Zentangle art, this is so possible just because of the simple fact of the small size of the "canvasses" used. Delight in the easy journey from start to finish; in the use of great tools; in the feeling you have when you are done.

Exhibit your Zentangle art, save it, or frame it and give it away. There's always another tile waiting to be created.


EMBELLISH
verb: To make (something) more attractive or interesting by the addition of decorative details or features. 

To embellish or not to embellish, that is the question. To me, adding those little details and tangles is just plain fun. Once in a blue moon, a tile begs to be simple. But I find such pleasure in adding a few auras or perfs around the perimeter of a tangle.

Like adding lace around a collar or etching patterns in a suit of armor, the act of embellishing has been around forever. It feels good to add your "marks" to your creations; even if your creation is a pattern in itself. I absolutely love to add patterns within my tangles: stripes, knightsbridge, circles . . . it is what Zentangle art is all about.

Never fear. Embellish to your heart's content!


BEAUTIFUL AND BEYOND 

This just says it all. The beauty of Zentangle art is that it is what it is. You don't have to compare it to anything else. It doesn't have to look like anything else. It can be as big or as small as you like it to be. It is an emotional statement. It has Heart.

These 3 ornaments that Molly has put together for us are a mixture of Bijou tiles, Bijou frames, snippets of ribbon, and old orphan or seldom used pieces of jewelry – charms from childhood, old rings that no longer fit, earrings that no longer have a mate. Temporarily attach them or sew them on – no harm comes to any of the "baubles" in the making of these ornaments.

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We hope you are enjoying our series paying homage to Bijou and his Bijouisms.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more fun ways to illuminate and display Bijou tiles at this festive time of year.

See our website for more information on Bijou tiles and frames (limited frames available).

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We will again send out a Bijou gift to a few lucky tanglers who have written one of these great comments on today's blog.

Yesterday's winners are

• Victoria Melbin 
• Phyllis C. 
• Lorna Aaronson

AND (so sorry!!), the winners from the "Doing the dishes" blog are

• Heather Jackson 
• Libby Gilpatric 
• "Weaver Chick" 

Thanks all!

Winners please send us your snail mail address to zentangle@gmail.com to receive your gifts.

 Rick, Maria, Molly and of course, Bijou