Third Time's the Charm?

I've debated whether to sign up for the 2011 BJP since I have five unfinished (four not even begun) ornaments for this year. But I've missed beading. I've been doing other things, quilts mostly. I find I don't change gears easily or quickly. Nor do I have a dedicated spot for my beading activities. I always have more than one project going at a time but I tend to work on one until it's completed or I get good and stuck. So when the quilting muse took over that was pretty much it for beadwork. I have also learned that I tend to think too much about my projects. I fret and worry and stew instead of actually stitching.

What I want to do for 2011 is try to ignore the "journal" aspect of the Bead Journal Project as much as possible and let myself play in my beads instead. I think it's the idea of journaling my life events that bogs me down. I journal with pen and paper and words every day. I'm not so much of a visual journaler I guess. But I believe Robin herself would agree that picking a color for the month, stitching beads down as my spirit moves me, and maybe adding a few charms to represent something specific would qualify as bead journaling.

I confess to not visiting my fellow BJP bloggers often in the past few months too. What can I say? I've been sewing, not surfing cyber space. The beauty of this project is that I can go back at any time and see what y'all have been up to, and I probably will. The muses are fickle creatures, here one minute and gone the next. When my quilting muse takes off I'll come back here for inspiration and motivation ;- )

Magpie Sue

Its november but have just finished August!

Have just posted my August page here  Still looking and admiring everyone's work. Have decided this will be my last year of participating but will keep on checking on all the new pages next year. Jacqui

Catching Up

I managed to complete August, September and October's projects this month, so I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll. I'm enjoying being back in the "cool" coloured part of the colour wheel - I tend to work most with those colours, and they're definitley my favorites.

The full piece, as well as all of the others that have been completed can be found on my blog.

Still November

Phew, just in time I've finished my November spiral. Come check it out at www.beadsalot.blogspot.com

Wine Dark Sea

Somehow, I always thought that the "wine dark sea' Would have been more burgundy but it really WAS the color of the background fabric on this piece. Finished it tonight --- made a lot of mistakes but I learned a lot about encrusted beading in attempting it.

The large blue "bead" is a glass fob meant to ward off the evil eye.

It is supposed to look a little like the buildings on Santorini (which we didn't get to see thanks to a storm) so I almost called it "Santorini Lost". But I think "Wine Dark Sea" is more appropriate!

You can see it at http://thatyankstitches.multiply.com/photos/album/16#photo=10

Nov Beaded Journal Project - Fang Inspired Mask

I have always loved faces and masks and didn't want the year to slip by without making one. I like African masks for their simplicity and use of color. We have a few masks made by the Fang tribe. They use little color in the masks and use the wood carving to depict shadowing and different effects. The eyes, nose and round mouth are typical features of their masks.

The jury was out as to whether I should add fringe and/or hair to this mask. As mentioned, the masks are quite plain so for now I will leave it as is.

I apologize for the blurry effect. To see the entire piece, click on Victoria P. on the left hand side of this site or go to www.artntheheart.blogspot.com. Only one more month to go~

Cheers during the holidaze! Victoria

Checking In

Hi everyone!

For many reasons, I seem to be a behinder this year, with only 8 pieces complete. I've been quilting, knitting and writing, but not beading for a while. However, last Tuesday, joy of joys, I finally got back to my beads! Soon I hope to complete September's BJP and move along to October.

In the meantime, I have registered for BJP 2011! I am SO looking forward to a new year, this time with no pre-planned theme or self-imposed "rules." By giving myself some rules this year, I learned a lot and discovered some new likes and dislikes about my art. But, now I'm tired of restricting myself to working on felt and bored with the words. Next year? No rules!

Have YOU registered yet? I hope so! If not and you're planning on it, better do it today, cuz the deadline is fast approaching.

You might want to check my current Beadlust post about getting a hard copy of your blog printed. It's here.

Cheers and beady blessings,
Robin A.

Only 2 Weeks Left!

Don’t be left out! Sign-up today for the 2011 Bead Journal Project. Registration ends on Wednesday, December 8th so don’t delay. The long holiday weekend is a good time to get your registration sent in! Check out all the registration information here. And please share this with your friends. You never know who might want to start beading! 

November is done!

Yay!  One more to go :-)  I hope everyone has a lovely holiday this week, and I'm really looking forward to finishing up this wonderful year of the BJP.  You can see more on my November piece on Beading Arts. 

Finished September

I'm trying to catch up before next round. Here's a sneak peak of September's BJP, and you can read the whole post here.

July is done!

I am moving along with my 2010 BJP! This one only took 19 days. Whew! If you want to see the latest "slice" of my Birthstone wheel, check out my blog HERE. Happy Holidays everyone! Eat lots of Turkey, and Bead happy.

Done early with December's piece and Fire Scale Enameling

I finished early and am happy to have some time to start thinking about the 2011 BJP! Check out my beaded piece for December. This month the enamel utilizes Fire Scale detail - those normally annoying reddish or black areas that are formed when copper is heated. But instead of removing it, it can be used as decorative detail. It's a little hard to see, but try to note the reddish spots towards the top and right side of the enamel. One reason I prefer to enamel on silver is because no fire scale is produced and the colors are brighter due to the reflection of the silver metal under the transparent enamels. But enameling on copper can be interesting because of side issues like fire scale.

This piece also includes paper beads from a group of women in Africa - Beads For Life. They have a store to buy these and other items to help support themselves. My use of the paper beads is on the right side of the enamel.

Have a BEADy good day, Karen

BJP on Facebook

Are you on Facebook? If so, please check out the new BJP Facebook page and share the link with your friends. Hopefully you'll all "like" the page also! You're welcome to post on the page if you'd like to share something bead related. Don't worry - it's not a replacement for the BJP blogs! Since so many people are on Facebook it's just another way to get the word out about the BJP and encourage beaders and wanna-be beaders to join the 2011 project.

"Dalliance" - November BJP

Please check out my November BJP.  This month's word is "dalliance".  As you'll see, I didn't even know the definition when I pulled the word out of my word jar.  This was a totally 'fun' BJP.  You can see it here.

October's Page

I've posted October's page on my blog, if you'd like it's here http://heidibeads.blogspot.com/
I'm catching up!

Not Pink Either! October BJP

I finished my October page in October, but I didn't get around to posting it until today. Come on over to my blog Crackpot Beader to see the rest of it.

Marty S
Crackpot Beader

Bead journal project display

You can see my beaded beads for November and December on my blog.

I finished up early as I am setting up, at the end of this month, a display of all my bead journal projects for the three years I have been a member. The display will be at the Howe library in Hanover, NH from November 27th through December 30th. They will be in a glass display case between the front desk and the children's room. If anyone will be in the Hanover, NH area at this time, please stop by and and see what I have accomplished during my time as a bead journal project member. Check the Howe library website for directions and hours.

BJP 2011: Register Early!

Avoid the rush and win a coveted spot on BJP Blog #1 for 2011! We anticipate having at least two or three BJP blogs this year. It really doesn’t matter which one you’re on but it does matter that you register in time. While the process is just beginning, it’s easy to lose track of time while you decide if you want to join. Registration will end on December 8, 2010. If you haven’t sent your request in by then you’re out of luck for 2011!

Maybe you’re putting it off because you aren’t caught up for this year? That’s ok, finishing 2010 isn’t a requirement to join 2011. Check out this link for registration details and don’t delay!

November piece done with Sgraffito in positive space

Hi all - So, I'm early this month and will start Dec tonight! In this piece I used the Sgraffito method of enameling using the positive image. In January I also used the Sgraffito method. But it's different as I've committed to myself to use a different technique of enameling each month. In Sgraffito, the raw enamel is scratched away. The difference between the two is: in January, what was scratched away formed the image of the design (the design was the negative space); in November, what was scratched away was the outline of the design (the design was the positive space) and then the design was wet packed with color. See the full November piece with its description. In this piece I also used silk ribbon embroidery and I dye my own ribbon. I totally love this type of embroidery and recommend it to all who want to expand what they add to their bead work.

Have a Beady Great Day. Karen L. Cohen

BJP Registration Begins Today!!

Registration begins today and will close on December 8, 2010 so register early!

To register, please send a request to our registration angel at beadjournalreg11@gmail.com. Your request should include the following information to ensure it is processed correctly:

1. Your full name, first and last.
2. Your web name or alias, if you have one.
3. Your email address. Please give us your “best” email address, one that is not likely to change during the year and one that you check frequently. (Note: we don’t contact you very often.)
4. Your home address.
5. Your telephone number.
6. Do you have a website? Y/N – If yes, what is the URL?
7. Do you have a blog? Y/N – If yes, what is the URL?
8. Were you a registered participant in any other Bead Journal Project? Y/N If yes did you complete the project for the year? Y/N
9. If you are a new participant, where did you hear about the 2011 BJP?

General registration information about the BJP is available at: http://beadjournalproject.com.

August BJP

I'm also catching up, and have recently finished my August work, which can be found here.

September BJP

I'm behind but catching up. I've posted September's Page here http://heidibeads.blogspot.com if you care to visit. I'm sorry that I haven't posted on anyone's blog, I have visited but time is limited. Everyone is so inspiring and I thank you again and again for that inspiration!!!

I'm a little late posting October's project, but it's on my blog, found by clicking Karen J to the left.

October BJP Spirit doll completed! yay!

Two more to go - can you believe it?
This month was a tribute to the fabric I chose and to leaf beads - I've had so much fun varying the approach each month and this doll FEELS fabulous! (I wish we had "feel-o-vision" - ha ha).

Anyway, it's posted over on my blog: http://www.notahandbag.com/

Idea for New BJP - ATCs

Hi all - I just had an idea I'd like to get others' thoughts on... what if we made pieces the size of an ATC (Artist Trading Card) and then at the end we traded these? Not sure how that would work, but it's a thought. This new BJP will be my 4th year and now I have 2 series to sell (I'll keep my 1st)! If we made ATCs then we could trade and have each other's work without thinking about selling them. Of course not everyone would have to do this format, but if at least a bunch of us would like to, we could all work towards that. Would we be a subgroup in the group (maybe we could all be on the same blog page).

According to About.com - Painting, an ATC must be 2.5x3.5 inches or 64x89 mm as that is the size of the original sports trading cards. The only other requirement that I've read about is that they are traded, not sold. I read about them here. It says that they have to be exactly the right size and made on card stock, so we could have an exception - the orig size is the same, but we start on fabric or our choice AND if anything goes over the edge to make the card slightly bigger, that's okay (beaders do that!).

Any comments?

Have a Beady Good Day. Karen

October BJP done with Break-Through Enameling

Hi all, just like last month, I finished on the last day of the month. This one includes a type of enameling called Break-Through or Pull-Through. It's one of those techniques that was originally an error but is reproducible and looks great - voilà, a new technique! As my art teacher friend, Carol Anne, says: Oops Perfect! In this one I added some enamel lumps to give some larger spots. To see the beaded piece, go to my site.

Have a Beady Great Day! Karen