On the seventh day of Christmas, Bijou told to me . . .

. . . Tidings of

in wreaths for my Christmas tree.

Rick writes:
I love to explore the uses and origins of words – particularly common words that we never think about any more than a fish thinks about water. What is behind the spells they cast and the sentences they pronounce?
  
For instance, take "comfort." 

COMFORT
This word is based on the Late Latin (3rd to 6th centuries AD) confortare "to strengthen greatly," from com- (expressing intensive force) plus Latin fortis "strong." Sounds a lot like how we use the word "empower" today. Later, in the mid 17th century, the meaning shifted toward describing something producing physical ease.

Then, we have . . .

ENJOY
One of the many definitions of "enjoy" is "to take pleasure in." This traces back to the Old French enjoir which in turn comprises en- "make" plus joir "enjoy," from the Latin gaudere, or "rejoice" – essentially "make-rejoice." (Which reminds me of the beautiful film about Tasha Tudor called "Take Joy.")

So, what's my take on all this? That over time "comfort" and "enjoy" shifted from actions one deliberately did, to experiences one passively received. I think that Bijou's choice of these two words is a suggestion to consider the original active, empowering meanings of these important words.

Creating Zentangle art is active. You choose and make each stroke. You discover an ability to create. You also can discover an ability to deliberately take comfort and enjoy.

O tidings of Comfort, Enjoy . . . Comfort, Enjoy . . . in-deed!

Maria writes:
This ornament was brought to you by Martha and Molly. Molly carefully cut (with a nice sharp) Exacto® knife around a few leaves of Martha's verdigogh and some of my munchin – just enough to slide the Bijouisms into the tiles. Then she attached the tiles back to back with the ribbon in between with double-sided tape.

The gold star was a piece of a wall-hanging the other half of which (a crescent moon) broke years ago. I really loved that thing, so the star stayed with us, wandering from place to place until it found its new home here. The bead is an African black bead with polka dots that I just love. I use them everywhere. I bought a few strings of them at an antique bazaar a few years back.

Winning commenters for the 6th Day of Bijou:

• Dana Jones 
• Jennifer Postly 
• Carol Graham 

Congratulations and would you three please send your snail mail address to Zentangle (at) gmail (dot) com.

Once again, many thanks for all your wonderful comments!

Rick, Maria, Bijou, Molly, and Martha

On the sixth day of Christmas, Bijou presented to me . . .

. . . a treasure for my Christmas tree.


BREATHE

Molly writes:
We all breathe. All ages, all cultures – with help or without – we all do it. It is a vital component of each moment of all of our daily lives. We all take in little bits of the air around us and then release it back into our environments and then do it over and over again.

A simple breath can nurture and awaken the body and soul. It can bring perspective and awareness. However, in the rush and stress of life, our breaths can become short and almost forgotten. A slow deep breath can heal and bring focus – it can even give you strength.

Sometimes a simple reminder to breathe isn't so much about just taking a breath, but rather to bring a little focus to how we are breathing. With that awareness, our breath rate slows down a tad. We allow each breath to completely fill our being and then ever so slowly release it all. It is a gentle reminder to, "Stop and smell the roses," and to see and appreciate where we are.

When I first started tangling, I often found myself holding my breath and gripping my pen as if it were about to flee. As I continued my practice, I became aware of this and made it a priority to remind myself to stop every now and then and take a deep breath. Then, I began incorporating more focus into my breathing as I drew.

It took a while, but I finally noticed my grip more relaxed. I found myself taking my time and enjoying each stroke – stopping here or there to regroup and then begin again.

Breathing is such a wonderful tool, one that we all have with us to use and to guide us through our journey.

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Maria created today's treasure with beads and baubles, ribbon and string, two tangled Bijou tiles, a Bijousim, a Bijou tin, and her ever-present double sided tape!

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Our winning commenters from yesterday's blog, (On the fifth day of Christmas):

•   carowild
•   vicki walsh
•   gaga4graphix

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Above winners, please send us your snail mail address to Zentangle [at] gmail [dot] com.

Many thanks for all your wonderful comments!

Rick, Maria, Bijou and Molly

On the fifth day of Christmas Bijou toasted me . . .

. . . with a gift box for my Christmas tree.

Rick writes:
DISCOVER
"Discover" generally means to find out something that you did not previously know . . . about the world, about yourself, or about what is possible.

In Zentangle-speak, we often think of "discover" in terms of the artwork you create. By creating something new (compared with copying or coloring in something already there) you can discover something new and fresh at the end of the process – something that never existed before. That's one reason we don't pre-plan Zentangle art. How else can you enjoy the surprise and delight of discovery if you already know what you're about to find?

 
Maria writes:
This "gift box" is made with​ two tangled Zendala™tiles and the tin that they came in.

The front cover art, by Molly, has a Bijouism attached to it with photo corners. The tiles are attached to the tin with double-sided tape. I sewed an old button to the ribbon, attached it with double-sided tape to the inside of the tin and then attached the cover.

Add some beads and doodads, charms or mini ornaments. Then fill it with surprises, cookies, candies or jewelry.

And hang it for your special person to DISCOVER something unexpected . . . from you.

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Winning commenters chosen randomly from yesterday's blog, On the fourth day of Christmas , Bijou bestowed on me. . .

• Jeanine H. 
• Rhonda Miller 
• Patgel 

Please send us your snail mail address to zentangle(at)gmail(dot)com so Bijou can send you a little something!

With continued thanks for playing with us,

Rick, Maria, Molly & Bijou

On the fourth day of Christmas, Bijou bestowed on me . . .

. . . a "what-knot" for my Christmas tree. 

CHOOSE YOUR TANGLES
This is a somewhat odd Bijouism. N'est-ce pas?

What does this mean, "Choose your tangles"? Well, this is where we really get to be creative in our Zentangle endeavors. Other than when you are joining a challenge, as some of us joyfully do . . . when it comes to choosing which tangle to draw, you get to choose! Choose a new one, pick one at random, draw the same one(s) over and over, or change a familiar tangle – tweak it, adjust it, modify it – alter, change, adapt, refine, aura, or perf-orate it! You get to decide. No one to whine about your choice, give you grief about it, tell your mother about it, or tell you that you should have chosen something else!

So, it's a little thing, but it belongs to you. Only you. Not many things in this world where we can choose whatever we want, with no uncomfortable consequences to worry about. We say, bravo Bijou! You have shared with us this (albeit tiny) power. A superhero. Yup, that's Bijou.

Molly created this ornament from a Zendala, a Bijou tile, and a Bijouism for your pleasure.

When you finish tangling your Zendala, fold it in half in one direction, open it and fold it in half the other direction . . . keep doing that until you have a "pizza" looking tile with 8 "slices." Make a cut on one slice just to the middle. Glue or tape "pizza slice" #1 on top of "slice" #7 and voila! A hat-like something you (or your cat) might wear at the beach!

Slip your ribbon/cord through a hole in the center, attach the Bijou tile on one side, the Bijouism on the other, add a few trinkets, bells, charms or more tiles – and of course, a tassel to top (or bottom) it all off! (You can create a tiny tassel by fraying the string/cord, or snipping the ribbon.)

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Our winning commenters from yesterday's blog, (On the third day of Christmas):

• Teri Young 
• Pat Floerke 
• Shawn Brown 

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Please send us your snail mail address to Zentangle [at] gmail [dot] com.

Many thanks for your participation in our Zentangle Journey!

Rick, Maria, Bijou and Molly

On the third day of Christmas, Bijou sent to me . . .

. . . a trinket for my Christmas tree.

NO MISTAKES
This so very important Bijouism is one we should all consider – especially at this time of year. We seem to have less forgiveness for our own missteps. As simple as it sounds, it can be a difficult thing to master.

It takes practice. So maybe start with a Zentangle tile. A Bijou tile. Only teeny, tiny faux pas (as Bijou might say) to start with. Imagine looking at your Zentangle art, as if it were a child's. Think of only the good parts of it and focus (again with the focus) on those parts.

Guide yourself on a path of discovery, find a way to make it a jewel. Like it or not, this Bijouism will follow you into your daily life. There are no mistakes in life. Oh, we hear the reply, "Of course there are mistakes!" But, until the story is finished, who can say for certain that any event will prove to be a mistake at the story's end? At a minimum it is an opportunity to be more gentle with yourself. Then you have a chance to learn something new, an opportunity to do something unplanned, a way to save the day that perhaps you may not have given yourself a chance to consider.

So, have fun with this. It is a gift . . . from Bijou.


SLOW DOWN
This has to be the "Bijou-i-est" Bijouism, for sure! Bijou is the symbol of "slow down," with the turtle a not-so-close second. This simple and amazing creature gets done whatever it needs to get done in its own time.

So, what does Bijou teach us? Get things done in your own time. We are all tempted to drive, walk, talk a bit faster when we are under pressure. We are bombarded with the speed of life. So, let's start our journey with a Zentangle tile and enjoy all its rewards. Our strokes will be what we want. Maybe we take our time to embellish a tangle before moving on to the next. We may decide to follow a more interesting, challenging (instead of safe) path as we move through our tile, our life. All good things which seem just out of reach when we rush.

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This "trinket" was created by Julie. With a pencil, she traced the outline of a Bijou tile on a 3.5" tile, drew a larger border around that tracing, and tangled within that frame. After she finished tangling, she cut two slits on opposite sides of the original Bijou tracing and inserted the Bijouism. Once both tiles were done, she double side taped the two together back to back and punched two holes in the top corners and topped it all off with a very lovely ribbon. So simple and a very lovely trinket for any time of year!

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And the winning commenters from Day 2 are:

• Mary Tod 
• Roseanne V. Sabol 
• Ginny Styles 

Congrats!

Please send your snail mail address to Zentangle [at] gmail [dot] com and we will send along some treats!

With all the best from,

Rick, Maria, Molly, Bijou . . . and Julie!

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

On the first day of Christmas, Bijou gave to me . . .

 
. . . an ornament for my Christmas tree.

ADMIRE
verb: to regard with wonder, pleasure, or approval.

Ahhh. One of the best parts about creating Zentangle art is taking the time to admire and appreciate our own work. Bijou even suggests doing this while you are tangling your tile as well as when you finish.

So, enjoy your work as it evolves and then, sit back and admire it again when you feel it is done. Stretch your arm out with tile in hand, turning it this way and that to view it at different perspectives. See how your strokes come together to create something you had not imagined – something new and amazing.

And don't forget to admire others' works, taking the time to point out the parts you particularly like. "Just how did you do that version of hollibaugh?" It is so fun to see other artists' eyes light up when you admire their art. What an easy gift to give someone!

In the rush of a busy day, it's easy to forget to take a moment to admire something . . . particularly something you created. Bijou reminds us not to forget this important part of life.

FOCUS
"Focus" is both an action and a result of practicing the Zentangle Method. Bijou reminds us how creating Zentangle art and focus go hand-in-hand.

Setting aside even a little time for your Zentangle practice will allow more focus into your life. All the chaos going on in your head seems to fade into the background. Zentangle does not make the chaos go away, but it does give you a chance to take a rest from it. And, it gives you the focus that helps you to work through it.

Learn more about Bijou, our dear friend and adviser, at zentangle.com/bijou.

Molly created this cool ornament by assembling six 2" squares of chipboard into a cube. She attached a string to hang it and then covered it with black duct tape. Using double-sided tape, she then attached four completed Bijou tiles and two Bijouisms to the cube.

Et voila . . . an ornament for your tree, window, chandelier, or wherever your heart desires . . . to be an admired object of focus throughout the coming year(s)!

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What a nice time of year to take some time to have another look at some of the wonderful "zentiments" and philosophies that our friend Bijou has brought to light in what we call Bijouisms. Join us for these 12 days as we look at some of them, get re-inspired and create something fun with them.

We will randomly choose one name from our list of commenters to send a bunch of Bijou stuff to have your way with!

Join us tomorrow for Day 2!

Many thanks,

Rick, Maria, Molly, et Bijou!