I picked a Disney theme

Whenever there is turmoil in my life, I reach for happy colors...
My August piece is posted on Beading Arts today :-)

Been a Long Time

It's been a long time since I've been here. I can't believe it's the last day of the year already. A lot has been going on in my personal life, and I haven't been doing a lot of art work. I have been working on my Bead Journal, though I am way behind. January was done a while ago, and you've seen that. February is still in progress, but March, April and May are done. June is also in the works, and I hope to have it done next week. Then I'll get back to finishing February. I have the colors planned for July through December, though I don't have all the beads yet. Check out my blog to see where I am. I'm sorry I missed the registration for 2011, but it's probably for the best. I need to finish 2010.

Thanks for the encouragement, and the chance to be a part of the Bead Journal Project. Though I'm not part of 2011, I will be sure to check out all the beautiful pieces I know you'll be creating. Look for me again in 2012!

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

Registration for 2011 BJP begins November 8th

It’s wonderful that everyone is eager to join the BJP for another year! However, to ensure we are all set-up and ready to operate smoothly, please wait until the official registration date of November 8th to send in your registration request!  Beginning Monday, November 8th, you can send a request to beadjournalreg11@gmail.com for registration.

In order to be sure your registration is processed, when you send your request, please include answers to the following questions:

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?

Thank you for honoring the process. We're all excited to be able to participate another year and want to ensure the process is efficient and smooth for everyone!

BJP 2011!

It's time to make your plans to join the 4th annual Bead Journal Project! The 2011 BJP will run from January 2011 through December 2011. Registration will begin November 8, 2010 and close on December 8, 2010. General registration information is available at the BJP website. If you’d like to register, please send a request to our registration angel at beadjournalreg11@gmail.com.

The brain child of internationally known bead artist Robin Atkins, the first Bead Journal Project, which began in June of 2007, included 241 women and 1 man from 13 different countries, who were dedicated and committed to creating 12 bead journal "pages", one per month, for a year.

The BJP is about your personal development through visual journaling using any media and techniques you desire, providing each journal piece includes some beading (usually bead embroidery) and all 12 pieces are the same size. Rules are minimal: the commitment you are making is to yourself and your personal growth through art.

Special BJP blogs are used as a means for members to support each other throughout the process. They are used to post pictures of completed pieces, technical questions, or links to participant blogs. Each BJP member will be invited to be a participant on the group blog, but it is not required to read or post to the BJP blog or to have your own blog or website. All are welcome no matter what your level of bead embroidery experience! Please register early!