February BJP

I must confess that I have become a bit of a BJP slacker. I have four (almost five) completed pieces that I have yet to share with you all. My goal is to get them all photographed and blogged about within the next week. First up is my February piece and I'd like to invite you to check it out on my blog if you're in the mood for a virtual trip to a beaded tropical sea.

I am absolutely blown away by the wonderful bead work that everyone has shared through the BJP blogs. I am continually inspired by every one's creativity and am deeply moved by the heartfelt honesty that is shared through the BJP. I consider myself very fortunate indeed to be a part of this group!

Pam

June BJP

Here's a bit of my june bjp with a short post about it HERE...

Chimera's Tear

My November cuff is done. Check it out here.

I know I just posted May's page...

I just had a bit of time to simply concentrate and bead this month. So June is completed and I'm eyeing my sketchbook for a model for July. Feel free to click on my sneak peek or here for my blog to see the whole piece!


Happy Beading!!

- That Celticat Chick

November BJP Start

Finally some progress on my November cuff bracelet! Anybody have any idea what the cab or the stones are?

Kassie

2008 Gallery on Web Page

Just a reminder for all of you that have finished at least 8 of your pages, you are now eligible to start your gallery page on the Bead Journal Project website. To add your page look here for instructions.
To see last year's gallery take a peek here.

If you have any questions or need help you can always email me at brenda at pinkmoonhallow dot us.

... One more month done!

I managed to tackle May within May... despite it now being June before I decided to upload a photograph. I chose to bead a sketch from St. Michel du Cuxa for May - Bruno actually said he wanted to see this one in beads. So, I've done it! It's uploaded on my blog... or you can click on the 'sneak peek' there and it will take you right there!

Happy beading!!
-That Celticat Chick

Three Years of BJP?????

Please vote both polls on Blog #1 (top right side bar). We need your opinions about whether to continue the BJP for a third year and if we do, when to begin. Thanks so much!

Robin A.

Believe it or not . . .

At long last, I have three months' worth of BJP projects posted on my blog. Never been this far behind before! As soon as another batch is mounted and ready, they will find their way to the blog soon, too.

http://artfulmuse.blogspot.com/

Kathy V in NM

New Bead Journal Pieces

I have three new bead journal pieces on my blog.

a2susan

Another May finished...

You can see my finished May piece here....

Dot's BJP for May

I just posted on my blog my May 2009 submission for our BJP. I really had fun taking this poor little stuffed bunny (Sprout) and turning it into a yummie orange carrot. My dogs could care less as they are more interested in the REAL DEAL! Can't believe it is May already.

I did do something idiotic. I wasn't thinking and sold my March bear, Shawnee. After I was unpacking from AFIC, I realized it was gone. I really don't think I'm going to make another one, so when I display this year's BJP pieces I guess I'll just have to add a photo of Shawnee.

Double Infinity -MAY done on time!!

I bought a FQ of the fabric awhile ago because I simply LOVED the print. So once again, i really didn't 'create' my block, but rather interpreted the fabric. This seems to be where my talent lies, so I'm sure i'll do it many time over!! With the placement of each bead, the form simply evolved. I had changed the orientation at one point, but once i was done, i returned it to the original perspective. Since there is so much depth to the piece, i needed to make an extra thick picot edge. Maybe one day i'll actually learn to do this properly!! I must say, putting the ultrasuede back on sure is a lot easier now! Hope you like it too. Here is the link to Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235567@N07/3559822095/

May's Journal Piece Completed

Hi All -

Here's my May brooch, part of my future wall hanging. You can see all the May flowers blossoming with the happy Spring colors. View May BJP My Gallery only allows a certain number of pieces on each page, so the May piece is on page two. If you'd like to see all of my pieces, just click on Page 1 to view the rest. I'm really pleased with the way my pieces look and can't wait to see the wall hanging completed. Remember to click on the photo to see a larger image and to read about the piece.
Have a great month.

Susan

It's All About Control! Or Is It?

You are cordially invited to my blog to see my May page. Chocolate would be served, but I ate all of it. Please come anyway.

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

Double Infinity - Aprils up - just a little late!

ABOVE IS MY FIRST CRAZY QUILT BLOCK CREATED FOR A CLASS ON JOGGLES. LOTS OF BEADS!!

Okay, I know it's almost the end of May, but i finally finished my April piece a few days ago. My youngest came into my craft room and said "mommy - why isn't that done yet, you are always so on time!" Well, let's see, there was the embellished crazy quilt class i took on Joggles (see photo above - i just had to share it with you!!), and my 100 year old grandfather's passing to keep me busy. But i am already almost done with May, so i guess i've caught up! I started my April block with a lovely batik and used the flow of the colors to create an organic "Spring Blossoming". I really love the sparkle of the true cuts. Hope you like it too! Heres the link to get a better look up close. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235567@N07/3546596332/in/pool-871696@N21

This month's piece includes 2 of my favorite plants, trilliums and ferns. They look so good together, the primitive quality of the ferns and the delicate beauty of the trilliums make a great combination. I haven't done the ferns justice, and will need to try other designs if I include them again. But at least they are green! You can see the complete piece here.

May done with a landscape

Hi all - just finished my May piece which is the 1st time I've tried to make a landscape. I also included some ribbon embroidery. I'm excited about next month because I'm taking a crazy quilting class so those techniques will be used in June. This is right up my alley. But back to May - View May BJP here. All my pages have a roll over so if you are viewing the back of the mirror, move your mouse off the image to see the beaded side. Take care and Have a Beady Good Day. Karen

Forest Path Cuff Finished (October)

Finally finished my October cuff. See it here.

Kassie

Just a little slice of heaven, aka April. Forsythia and rain, daffodils and dandelions. What a wonderful time of year. It is so hard to be depressed, what with the mysteries poking through the ground, trees with their new leaves and more sunlight every day! Simplistic I know, but sometimes simple is good! Take a look at my complete April piece. Happy beading!

Catching Up (...as if you knew I was falling behind)

I really was falling behind - since my March Journal page kinda became two pages, I've had a few commissions, and I'm still catching up from going to Europe... I'm happy to be caught up and I'm working on May's journal page in MAY! YAY!!

If you click on my 'Sneak Peek' to the left, or click here you can see the whole piece (along with a little ramble on my insanity...)

Happy Beading!

-That Celticat Chick

April page - Egrets!

Hi everyone

April and egrets!


Happy beading
Cindy

pages

I'm ahead of the game - June, July and August can be viewed at my blog www.beadsalot.blogspot.com May is the missing page.

March & April Pieces

I'm trying the link again. Hopefully, it will work this time. When I previewed it, it worked well, so I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Mermaid's Jewelz is the link.
Please go see my two newest pieces on my website. Just click on the photo of the piece for the description of it.

Susan

Choosing To Grow--April BJP

I finished my April BJP. It's called "Choosing to Grow." Please come to my blog to find out more about it.

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

April BJP Finished

I thought I'd have more to add to this piece but it resisted all attempts to apply anything more to it so I'll call it done. To read about the meaning of the piece and see a photo of the finished journal page click here.

March & April Pieces

Hi -

Here are both my March and April pieces. I really had finished my March journal piece in March, but we were in Panama and I didn't have a scanner hooked up. So, I had to wait until we returned, earlier this month. Then, I waited until I finished April's entry, waited a further week, and finally scanned both pieces. Yeah!!!! So, please go to my website, MermaidsJewelz , to view them. Click on the photo showing the month for the description of each.

This is such fun.

Susan

April bjp pin

Check out my blog to see my April pin.

Jann

I'm back on board...

If you don't think this post is a little hard on my heart...you are wrong. First and foremost, I want to apologize for hopping off the BJP bus! After a long absence, I have completed and posted my BJP's through April. I really could have shared a few pages much sooner than this, but I was determined to get caught up before I shared anything or I'd still feel guilty. During this time and since I started my blog, I have learned exactly how it feels to get myself overcommitted in projects and that there isn't time to do everything I need or want to do. I am slowly learning to protect my time better and stay out of the "overwhelm zone". However, I have been beading, practicing and learning during this time and I thank all of you for that. You all inspire me to keep learning this beautiful art!

So, I'm picking right back up where I left off and I hope that's okay. If you'd like to visit, I'd love for you to swing by. Now that I can breathe...I look forward to visiting you again also. ~Lisa

Oh my, oh my, oh my. It is the middle of April and I'm just finishing March. I love March so much. It is a time of change and infinite possibility. The red-winged blackbirds return to our pond and they are the theme for me this month. I love their feistiness, their raspy song and their energy! I'm always looking for more energy, especially as I begin a new career and find my brain having to study, learn and take tests. (Needless to say, my college age son only laughs when I complain!)

I'm going to start April this weekend and hope to finish on time. Please take a look March's piece and the first 7 pieces together here . I'm so happy I signed on to this project and grateful from everything I have learned from it. Thank you Robin!

Come See BJP Work in Denver, Colorado!!!

If you're in the Denver area, you might want to attend the meeting of the Rocky Mountain Bead Society Thursday evening, April 23rd. I will be giving a Powerpoint presentation about the BJP!

Visual Journaling with Beads, Fibers, Threads and Fabric

View over 200 beaded journal pieces by 42 artists participating in the 2007-08 Bead Journal Project! Compelling and inspirational, this unique beadwork tells stories, reveals emotions and follows important events in the lives of the artists who create a visual journal each month during the year-long project. In this presentation, you will see how the first year of the BJP developed into quite an amazing body of art!

I also posted a progress report for my April BJP, which has some BIG challenges for me!

Robin A.

Dot's April offering

First off Happy Easter. I have no idea what is going on with me, but this month all I've been doing is beading rabbits. Maybe it is Spring finally coming to Ohio. This is Leonard. He's a recycled rabbit I bought years ago in a local boutique. When I found him in a box of stuff, I knew I had to work on him for April & Easter. Sorry, that there is no meaning about why I beaded him. I just did it because he was cute, and I enjoyed doing it. dot

March, April

March and April pages can be found at my blog www.beadsalot.blogspot.com

April Piece done with crystal sequins

So I am ahead this month - Feels good! My April piece is purple and yellow and includes Swarovski Crystal Sequins - I think they are new and not many stores have them yet, but I love them!!!! It is the crystal I've been looking for. I have found some at WhimBeads.com and BeadsGoneWildStore.com. If anyone finds them someplace else, please let me know. I put in three paisleys, but they don't show up as well as I'd like - oh well. And I've added a shiska mirror which was definitely not as easy to attach as I would have thought. I have one set of instructions, but now I find on the net that there are other stitches to attach these. Something I will need to keep practicing. So, check out my April piece.

Have a Bead Good Day

P.S. Just found the sequins at BeadingInTheRain.com and they have free shipping. And some of you asked to see my elephant larger so your request is my command.

2007-2008 BJP Completed

I finally finished my Elemental Earth panel tonight... so the whole thing is finally finished!!! Check it out here: http://beadingbutterfly.blogspot.com/

Kassie

Sometimes You Just Have to Draw Outside the Lines

I haven't quite finished my March Bead Journal Page... I took it along with me to Europe and it seemed the only time I had to actually work on it was during the flights. (Much to the awe and amazement of a few flight attendants who then thumbed through my sketchbooks...) Anyhow, I've updated my blog with the latest and greatest images. You can get there by clicking that neak peek to the side. NOW I've got to go through all my sketches to come up with April's journal page!

I've got a 'side project' going, as well. While in Europe, I've made a deal with an amazing Barcelona artist, Fatima Tocornal, to exchange a piece of art. We agreed to make a new piece based upon what we found inspiring of each other's personality. I've begun on a 'fallen woman' just for her - inspired by her work. I'm really excited to have one of her pieces in my collection! So... I'll be posting the progress on that piece also, soo!
Keep Beading, All!

-That Celticat Chick

Beading Daily Features BJP!!!!

The online magazine, Beading Daily, today featured the BJP including pictures!!! You can read it here.

When Michelle asked me to write an article, I jumped at the chance. My only regret was that I couldn't use everyone's work... She asked me to choose from a variety of themes. What a whirl... All the work is so fabulous... so I sort of did a "pin the tail on the donkey" kind of thing... spun around and pointed...

Enjoy!
Robin A.

Website

Hi everyone,

Just a few notes about our website.

First, we have redesigned it to make room for future years of the BJP, in case there is interest in doing it again.

Second, April is the 8th month of this year's project. That means when you get your April piece done you can start sending me your images and information so we can get your page on the 2008 Member's Gallery started! Here is the link for "How to add your page".

Third, if any of you have images to complete your 2007 gallery page, this is a good time to do that also.

If you have any questions, concerns, or comments about the website, please post them here. I will answer them as quickly as possible.

Brenda - Web Angel

March Finished On Time!

My March page "The Foundation of Happiness" is finished. On time, I'm pleased to report, after February's threatened trip to the principal's office as a result of extended tardiness.

Please come to my blog to have a look.

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

Elemental Earth - Progress Report

I am half done with Elemental Earth.  Check it out on my blog.

Kassie

March is done!

Hi everyone
I've finished my March piece. I had some challenges with it. Although I learned bunches while doing it - next month I'll be going back to either tapestry and bead embroidery or quilting and bead embroidery. Bead weaving with bead embroidery was a bit more interesting than I wanted! Here's my blog if you'd like to read about it!

Cindy the loomgirl

March BJP

Finally finished my march page....it's been a difficult process due to some health issues I've had....but the hand is reaching for the flower since I could hardly wait for spring to arrive....the spirals all symbolize birth, life and death and the 10 of hearts means good luck after a difficult time, which I'm hoping will be true.

Jan and Feb

Hi everyone
I have the Jan. and Feb. journal pages posted in my blog.


I'm working away on March and feel like I'm almost caught up! Enjoy your beading time!

March bjp pin

You can see my pin for March on my blog. Happy spring!

March done with Ribbon Embroidery!

HI all - I'm so excited about my March piece. I recently saw some ribbon embroidery and decided I just had to learn how to do this. So I ran to the book store and got a book and voila - my March piece (but it took me forever to find a needle that I liked that didn't keep breaking). Check it out!

On my last piece, there was a comment asking if I still put my favorite bead on each piece. The answer is no; that was last year. I still love that bead (Czech bead #61016).

Have a beady good day. Karen

February BJP Finished!

I finished my February BJP, and I invite you to look at it on my blog. I loved making this page!


Marty S
Crackpot Beader

March is finished

I'm slowly healing from sinus surgery I had on Monday. I've been lucky to be able to bead just as long as I keep my head still.

For March, I have another of my Dumpster Dollz. This one is called Shawnee. He is for my Daddy.
dot

5 more bead doodles

Just to let you know I have posted a new entry on my blog

Double Infinity -March Completed

This month's panel is a minimalistic approach to Spring. The photo was hard to capture, but it is a fairy awakening a baby fairy in a spider web and a few flowers. The leaves are 'velvetized' with a Marvy pen (which melted my firline and casued me to rebead - see previous entry!) I really like it. The photo was printed on a heavy cotton so you can see the texture of the fabric. The two rows of ribbon on the left were necessary since i cut the print a little small :) The orange charlottes are just gorgeous in person. Hope you like it! BTW: I've ordered more of the matte silver 6's so i can finish up, but wanted to get this posted so I can focus on my CQ class. See you all next month! I was able to clean up the picture a bit on the FLICKR site : http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235567@N07/3349933934/in/pool-871696@N21

Would you believe this???

I actually started my March page quite early since i knew i was taking an on-line class with Sharon Boggin. (It is just fantastic though i really don't like embroidery:)) My block was going really well, and then i had a decision to make: should i 'velvetize' the leave first, or sew the beads onto the stems? Well i choose the later, so that when i used my heat tool to riase the velvet effect of the MArvy pen, I MELTED MY FIRELINE and had to rebead the stems!!!!! Needless to say, i put it aside for awhile (!) but i just finished the stems and i must say it looks great. I think I will add some luminerie paint to the lady's dress, and then sew the backing on. Of course, my picot edging takes me awhile to do, so keep an eye out - it soon will be done!!!

FYI on article

Not BJP announcement, but just wanted to share with you all that I just got the May issue of Doll Crafter & Costuming with my article on beaded stuffed creatures. You can see the article page on my blog

Jan and Feb done and posted!

Hi all - I've been behind, but hope I will be on-schedule for March. My January and February pieces are done and can be viewed here, along with my others for the 2008 BJP. My journals for this year are with the theme: Mirror Mirror on the Wall, each includes: a new color scheme, a machine embroidery (have my machine for less than a year) and something new that I have not done before. Each piece is a 5 inch mirror, but the mirror faces the wall so you can see the beads.
Have a Beady Good Day. Karen

February Done

I finished this a while back but was waiting to see if anything else needed to be added to it...apparently not, so I'm declaring it done...you can see the whole journal page here.

Good Thing...

....It's a good thing that February was completed so early. My father passed away last week after a three week illness. He was 87, lived a good and long life. I posted a LONG missive about John's life.

I have requested that all his ties come to me. I am going to bead embroider spirit dolls for the family.

I finished my February piece a day late, but since it was a short month I cut myself some slack. (If you ever need a rationalization, check with me!)

Now that I've finished 6 pieces, I'm starting to see visualize how the whole project will look together. I've joined the first 3 pieces using a picot edging and RAW. Now I'm going to join the second set of 3 and then join the first 3 to the second 3. I'm a little worried about that but I'll take my time. Pluse I'm not afraid to rip out and try again!

You can see a close up of February on my on my blog.

A New Art Form

I've used a new art form for my February BJP. Come on over to my blog and let me know what you think. I'm feeling quite Avant Garde.

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

Ornaments

I've updated my blog www.beadsalot.blogspot.com with pictures of Dec., Jan., and Feb.

Elemental Earth's Colorful Start

Check out Elemental Earth in progress on my blog.

Kassie

Elemental Water - complete

Elemental Water is finally done! All I have left is Elemental Earth and the whole series will be done and ready for Bead Dreams! Check out the full panel here.

Kassie

December BJP is done!

Greetings fellow beaders!

At long last my December piece is completed. You can see and read all about it on my blog: http://mysweetcherryblossom.blogspot.com/

Pam

Thought I might give up, but...

I'm restarting with something small - beaded buttons!
I hope Cindy who "warmed-up" with them and the participant from last year who did them won't think I'm a "copycat". I've wanted to play with beaded buttons for some time. Thanks to Ellen (http://dolliebead.blogspot.com/) for suggesting this.
Catherine
http://beadingbirdingandbellydancing.blogspot.com/

The Phantom blogger...

Hey everybody. I feel like a phantom blogger. I'm working on my journal pages, I just haven't put them up... I think I've been intimidated by the blogging part. I've been keeping up with reading your entries but haven't done any myself, since the introduction one. So here it goes. My pieces are 4 inches by 6 inches. I'm using various techniques, weaving beads on a loom, weaving tapestry on a loom, bead embroidery with a paper backing, needle-felting and quilting.
I finished the bead embroidery part of September's page in August (I was a bit excited) but got stuck on weaving the background. So I went ahead and did Oct and Nov and Dec, but felt like I shouldn't put them up, until I finished the rest of Sept. September's is now finished and I'm working on January, so I'm still a bit behind, but coming along! Not to mention out of order.

Click here to go to the Copperloom blog - to see pictures....I need to work on better photos - but these give you an idea.

To Lois B

Oh dear, Lois... we will miss you so much. I understand if it lifts your load to opt out of a monthly commitment like this... But, rats... Your work has always pleased me very much. Glad you're planning to stay in touch via the blogs. Take good care... Robin A.

PS... For unknown reasons, there wasn't an option to leave a comment on your post... That's why I'm writing this way rather than leave a comment to your post.

Oh, Well...

There is just too much life in my life, so, reluctantly, I'm bowing out of BJP for this year. I'll be following your progress, but there just aren't enough hours in my days to keep up. You are all amazing artists and it has been a privilege to come on this journey with you. Perhaps I'll have it together in time for next year.

-- Lois B

EDIT -- I don't know why comments were disabled. I think I've fixed that now.

Hearts & flowers

My February journal entry  beading went very quickly. I love hearts, so in addition to the glass heart beads I had, I was able to create two hearts on the fabric: one was already a heart shape in the material which I outlined, and one I created by using pearls and again I outlined it with 15s. Hope you like this month's journal entry. Go to February 2009 and click on the photo to see an enlarged one and the description.

Thinking Ahead... and a Poll

I have put a poll up on the sidebar of my blog and would love to get your input. I am thinking ahead about what I might do with my 2008-2009 BJP pieces when I finally get them finished (embroidered cuff bracelets, like this one) and want some opinions about how to do it. The link I provided is to my blog entry where you can leave comments.

Thanks in advance!

Kassie

Not all hearts are red

I finished my February page this afternoon and is up on my blog for all to see. I hope you enjoy it.

Z'anne

January Finished

I've just written about my january page...A Long and Winding Road...you can see the whole piece here on my blog.

Elemental Water update

Scanned it this time, so you can see it in much better detail:

http://beadingbutterfly.blogspot.com

Kassie

February!!

I had a good start this month and have the following to show for it: Ms. February

Double Infinity - Febrruary's done!

Okay - i must say i'm beginning to like the 4x4 size again! Not too sure what i wanted to do, so i let the beads decide! I'm really happy with the end piece - it is really a play on the softness of the heart. No harsh day-glo pinks here, they all meld into each other and shine. Also - I tried a new approach for adding my back suede piece - i tacked it directly to the cotton batting and found it was much easier to attach. However, i made it on the slightly small side so the piece takes on a bit of a curve which is okay since i kindof like it! See it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235567@N07/3261290356/in/pool-871696@N21 or here!

I admit I finished it a while ago

I was whipping out my journal pages so fast, I was beginning to feel as if I were posting too much. So I thought I would wait until February to actually POST my February Bead Journal Page. I haven't begun my March page, but I will be traveling to Europe in a few days and have my project ready for the plane. My 'sneak peek' is actually a photo of most of my bead journal project pages next to each other - you'll have to click Here to see what the final February page looks like.

LOTS of FUN!!
-That Celticat Chick

January bjp pin

You may see my January pin on my blog.

Speedie is done!

I got my February doll done & wanted to share with you. This is another one of my "Dumpster Dolls" & a recycled McDonald's Happy Meal stuffed toy. I haven't got a name for these. I really am not very good at naming my pieces, so help would be greatly appreciated. My newest piece is here on my blog.
dot

Making waves... or what I did on my kids' snow days!

Check out my progress here.

Kassie

Snowflakes

Let it snow, let it snow. It's close to a record snowfall for us this winter, so snowflakes were a natural choice for January. I made the large snowflake with clear and white glass...very simple. I made 2, not sure which one I would use. The other I wire wrapped into a simple necklace for a friend's birthday, but forgot to take a photo.

I lost another friend to breast cancer in January, so it is no wonder that I'm ready to be done with winter. Angie left 3 sons, 1 still in high school, and many, many friends. She was a dedicated special ed teacher and inspiration to us all.

The complete photo can be seen on my website. February means a little more daylight. And the first week of March the red winged blackbirds come back to our pond, so there is hope.

January Journal Completed

Robin - Thank you so much for finding the error for me. I had corrected it before posting, or so I thought. Anyway, here's a new entry about my January Journal entry, which I did finish in January, even though it's being posted in February.

The Chinese New Year was the perfect theme for my January Journal, as I love all things Asian. I create Chinese brush paintings, mainly of flowers, and would like to learn Calligraphy. A good friend of mine, Angela Chang, painted the piece I used as my cabochon for this piece. It's the Chinese symbol LU, for prosperity for the new year. The colors I used are explained in the description of the piece shown on my web site. To access my site, click here on January Bead Journal.

I have brooches I've made which also include Angela's calligraphy. You can see them at Calligraphy Jewelry.

Once on my site, click on the photo of the piece about which you would like to read. You'll get a larger picture and the description of each. In order to see the rest of my jewelry, click at the top on Gallery, which will take you back to the main page showing all the main albums, and then click on Handcrafted Beaded Jewelry.

I'm not sure how to get rid of my previous January blog, but I'll experiment and see what happens. Otherwise, you'll have two blog entries to read but only one will connect to my site. Hope you enjoy the visit.

January Journal Completed

Hi again -

I finished my January journaling in January - way to go! But just....like the 29th. I'm really happy with it. The Chinese New Year was in January, which was perfect for me, as I love all things Asian. I love to create Chinese brush paintings, mainly flowers, and Calligraphy is something I'd like to learn but don't do now. However, I have a good friend who does, Angela Chang, and she did the piece I used as my cabochon. To see my January piece click January Journal Entry

I just realized that I hadn't written that if you go to my site to see my pieces, you need to click on the journal piece you want to see for a description of it. {Robin wrote a lovely note for my December piece and asked what the stone was. I just read the blog today, so I'm a bit late responding. If I had let you all know how to see it before now, you could have read a description of each to get an idea of what I was about. (I used a Ruby Zoacite for the Christmas part and a Drusy for the Chanukah one.)}

Hope you like my January entry. I'll try to check the blog more often. I'm still a novice, as I didn't know how to make sure that Robin saw an answer to her question.

Round and round... Elemental Water update

Latest progress photo here.  There is hope that I'll get the last 2 panels done by the April 9 deadline.

Kassie

Starting February on the 1st!! Double Infinity

Well I sifted through my bead collection today and think i've found those i want to work with! My focal point is a red tatted heart i bought on e-bay. Perhaps i might add beads to that too....It will be interesting to see what the finished product looks like - check back to find out!

Taking Good Photos

From time to time, there have been questions (some from me) about how to take good pictures for posting. The latest was in a response to Kandra's beautiful photo in Blog #1.

If you want a cool gizmo for taking excellent, well-lighted close-ups, you could make a Trashcanulator 2000.

I haven't tried it, but it looks like just the expensive professional equipment. Plus it has a great name!

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

Caught Up

My January page is done and up here on my blog. I had a hard time thinking up something to do for this month, especially after the way it started. But then, it snowed again. A snowflake was the perfect choice! This one isn't cold and it won't melt. That I like. Enjoy.

Z'anne

P.S. With 5 pages done and hanging on the dowel, my journal is beginning to look pretty good. I'll take a pick next month at the half way mark.

2007 BJP Decision

I've decided what I am going to do with my 2007 BJP when it's complete... NEWS

Kassie
aka Beadg1rl (DeviantArt page)
aka Beading Butterfly (blog)
The Beading Butterfly (website)

How do YOU use our BJP blogs?

Hi everyone!

I'm curious about how our members use the BJP Blogs. So I posted a poll on the side bar of Blog #1. Look for the second item down on the right. I hope you'll take a moment to respond.

Please check all of the items on the poll that apply to you. Also, if you have any suggestions, feel free to offer them as comments on this post or email our blog angel.

Thanks so much!
Robin A.

February pin

I've skipped January for the time being and made my pin for February. You can see it on my blog.

Life Lessons From Improvisational Bead Embroidery

I finished my January page, and it was not what I expected. Come to my blog to see it and the lesson it illustrates.
Marty S
Crackpot Beader

December is finally finished!

Between a very big art show, the worst weather in 40 years, an abscessed tooth and the holidays, I didn't even get my December page started until after New Year's. Here is where you can find my page and an explanation about it.

I hope to start on my January page this weekend, but you know how life can change things all at once. Wish me luck! ;)

Z'anne

December completed, Jan started

Hi all -

Here's a link to my December journal entry which is color based on Chanukah and Christmas. December Bead Journal. So, the colors I worked with are blue, white, red, and green. I don't think I'd ever choose those colors to work with exclusively on one piece, but there you go. I guess that's what the journaling is all about, trying new things. I've started my January one, so hopefully it will be completed this month. Or if not, certainly next month. This is fun.

Susan

January piece completed

January is finished. I had to continue with my medieval theme that I started last month - something about the regal feeling of the floor tile. But the colours in this one! Zounds! This isn't our ancestor's colour scheme!

sewing machine

Here's a question related to the creation of a BJP page:

What kind of sewing machine do you recommend?

In the past I had a low-end Singer and had lots of tension problems. So I want a good quality, solid, reliable machine to work on BJP and collage-type pieces.

Thanks, Susan

January block done - Double Infinity

My interest is growing in crazy quilts, so of course i've been working on a stash of fabric and fun things to use once i'm ready to begin that pursuit! I got both items (fabric and photo) early this month and they just seemed to be perfect for the New Year. Funny how things just work out :) So i went though all my beads (perhaps my favorite part!!) and got to work! I was not happy with the color intensity on the silk photo print (and since it is the first i've used, i don't know if they are all so soft) so i wound up beading the entire picture. My husband says "it's not done yet, is it? i don't see a thing!!" Well, it is done and it is a baby holding a bubble with 3 butterflies! I did the same picot edging on the photo and the piece itself using 11's which gives it a framed look. This is getting to be quite a bit of fun. Can't wait to see what everyone else came up with. http://www.flickr.com/photos/30235567@N07/3204099965/in/pool-871696@N21

January BJP lookie!

I finally got January done & it is STILL January. YEAH! You can see my piece here & I've got a surprise announcement too. I'm thrilled. It is very very very cold in Ohio. This morning when I let the dogs out it was 0 degrees...yes ZERO! But I'm sure it is cold every where in the US today.

dot

HI....I'm back!

Just a quick note to say I am back on BJP path and have just added a new post to my blog where you can see some of my beaded Christmas cards plus a couple of my BJP pages.

December completed....

While November took me forever to complete my puzzle piece, once the inspiration for December took ahold in my scrambled brain, I was done in a flash.

December 2008

First Time Blogger

Hi -

I'm Susan. This is all new to me, as I've never blogged before and am hesitant about what I'm doing, somewhat computer challenged until I do something for the first time and then I'm comfortable with it. This is also the first time that I've ever done a beading journal, which I find I'm really enjoying. I was right on time with my Sept, Oct, and Nov entries, but Dec got away from me with other things I had to do. I create jewelry, and actually each piece of my journal is a brooch. I had a jewelry party in my home for holiday gifts, and getting ready for that took a lot of time. Then, I had gotten some orders from the party and had to fill those. These aren't excuses, just an explanation. Finally, it's Jan and I'm half way through my Dec piece with great ideas for the Jan one. My pieces can  been seen on my web site http://www.mermaidsjewelz.com/gallery . Go to the last album on the page and click on it. 

A lot of my jewelry is actually bead embroidery but I've always called it sculptural beading. This is also the first time that I'm actually doing different embroidery stitch patterns. If you look at my jewelry, you'll see what I mean. 

Well. That's all for now.

December bjp pin

You can view my December pin on my blog.

First Post for BJP 2008

Hi all - I hardly get on the blog because when I do, it takes up most of my day - there are so many great things to see and read. I'm very happy that you all are so supportive. I love this project (did it last year, too). This year my theme is Mirror Mirror On The Wall as all my pieces are 5" mirrors, but the mirror faces the wall so you can see the beading! Anyway, each month is a new color scheme, includes something I've never done before (like a new stitch) and includes a machine embroidery (my newest hobby). Re: the color scheme -  I was trying to figure out how all of these relate to color theory and now see that they all don't, that color theory helps in finding a color when you are unsure what to use. I'd like comments on this as I'm trying to learn more about color theory. So, I'm a little behind (haven't started January yet), but have now finished my first 4 pieces.  The color theme for January is going to be Pinks and Greens (my sister's favorite colors) - now to decide on the embroidery. You can view my 4 on my website. Enjoy and have a BEADY Good Day. Karen

Okay, almost there.

I have almost caught up to where I should be. I have posted November and January's BJP pages on my blog but I wanted to give you a teaser of my favorite one so far. There is more to see so be sure to visit my blog.

Now that I have set my eyes upon my inspiration, I am moving right along with a lot of projects.

You may be asking why November and January but not December-- well I have a pattern that I drew years ago that I am hunting that I want to bead on my December page. It will go quickly but I didn't want that "Word" to get away, since I am using words for my BJP. If you wanna know more about the chosen words you will have to look at my blog post to understand.

Have a blessed day and enjoy all the pretty beads.

Thank you Robin

Thanks to Robin I was able to rework my BJP into a workable appealing project. I had such a creative block that I went back to an old love to find my way. I have posted a picture of September and October on my blog along with all the reasoning-- just in case you may want to walk around in my creative logic.
Thanks again Robin for the creative words and I am sure that is why you are the mommy of this project-- you are great.

December BJP Completed!

I finished my December BJP page while we were away for Christmas. You can see it at Crackpot Beader. Go to the second post on the page.

It has been too much fun to see what everyone else is doing! Lots of inspiration from amazing artists!

Happy New Year!
Marty S
Crackpot Beader