Yikes! Last Day to Register for 2010 BJP... Pictures!

December 15th is the last day to register for the 2010 BJP...

If you're undecided, take a look at my blog, here. I just posted pictures of some of my favorite pieces from the past year of the BJP... 42 pictures (most click-to-enlarge)... work by 40 of our participants!!!! I was erratic at saving pictures, so I didn't get all of my favorites. Also some members don't have a blog or didn't post pictures to the website. However, the pictures I posted will give you some grand inspirations and incentives to join the 2010 BJP!!!!

Happy holidays, everyone!!!
Robin

PS... If you're having difficulty registering or have questions about it, you can email

me: robin[at}robinatkins{dot]com
or Pam T: pamtru63{at]gmail[dot}com

PSS... Thanks for your well wishes about my Mom. During the week I was in Minnesota, she rallied nicely. I'm hoping she'll make her 93rd birthday in January!

HI from Chilly Minnesota...

Hi everyone!

My dear Mom took a turn for the worse a week ago and we thought her time among us was at an end. So my sister (who lives in Everett, WA) and I flew back to MN to be with her. Luck for us, she has rallied and we are spending some quality moments with her.

In the meantime, I've been having a little time to bead again with Julie, Pam and Brenda, all three BJP participants living in St. Paul, MN! Tomorrow we're going to Pam's for another session. We're having great fun talking about our ideas for BJP 2010. Brenda's working on a special beaded box that will hold her 2010 pieces. I won't spill the beans about it, but it's going to be amazing! Pam's talking about wanting more texture, more dimension to her pieces. Julie is still very undecided. Me too, although I have lots of ideas and I'm pretty sure I'll do some shape other than 4x6, the postcard shape I've been using for the past two years.

What about YOU????????

Will you be with us? I hope so!!!! There are only 5 more days to register. Really, truely, it is not hard. If the registration information on our website seems to difficult or doesn't work on your computer, just email Pam T or me and tell us you want to be in. We'll take care of it.

One current member emailed me to say she hadn't finished this year's pieces yet and therefore felt she shouldn't do it again. My answer is this: Don't be bogged down by last year's business... If you think you'd like to try it again, go for it. Let 2008-09 rest and move on!!!

May you all have a deliciously wonderful holiday season. May your stockings be filled with fabulous beads!

Hugs to you all,
Robin

Unsunny Sunday...and 5 more!

Five more partipants for the 2010 BJP to report this morning... Once again, if you are not receiving your confirmations, be sure to check your email spam filter. AND, if you have sent your registration in and have not received a confirmation from me within the next day, be sure to email me and ask if I got it. I'm human and sadly enough make mistakes! :) my email is pamtru63@gmail.com

Anyway, the 5 for today are 1 from Oregon, 1 from Arizona, 1 from California, 1 from Michigan and 1 from Wisconsin! So, we are up to 71 registered!

Thank you everyone, for joining, for talking and blogging about the BJP to your friends! I guess I need to get busy too, only 3 of us from Wisconsin so far! ;)

It's OVER?

Well I just don't know what to say! I had such good intentions when I signed up, I even drafted up my actual postcard images AND did the writeups for each of the months too! It did not pan out for me except for the September and October postcard tops that I did finish off. I do intend to complete this project one of these days as I think each month portrays something that is a deep part of myself and will be uplifting and fun for me to do - when - who knows though.

I just want to say that I've added Susan's blurb for the 2010 year and hope that some of my friends may sign up. Sadly I will not do such this time but who knows maybe again in the future. It has been fun checking on the various blogs and I will check out the main site to see what has transpired this past year! Have fun all!

Rose Anne
http://mycreativeworks.blogspot.com/

News Flash!!!! + Please Tell Us Why....

Hi Everyone!

2010 BJP is a GO!!!!

To give ourselves a little time to finish up the current BJP, we will start the new BJP in January of 2010 and it will run through the end of December.

Registration for 2010 BJP will begin in October, following the close of the current BJP. You can keep up to date on registration by checking the Bead Journal Project website, here. Also, I'll post a reminder in September on our blogs.

Please Answer Poll!

Please take a moment to answer the poll at the top of the right sidebar on the 08BJP (#1) blog, here. I'd really like to get an idea of how many people are still participating and how far along we all are. Last year we did two email follow-up surveys... This year I'm trying to get the information by polling you. I really appreciate your response!

Please Tell Us Why...!

I know everyone's busy beading... but if you can spare a moment, will you please take a moment to send me an email telling a little about your experience with the BJP... what it means to you, why you are doing it (what are your rewards), anything you think a prospective new participant might want to hear about it....

With your permission, I'd like to use some of what you write in the information we publish about the 2010 BJP. If you have any reservations about us quoting you, please let me know.

Thanks, everyone! You are so awesome...!

Big hugs and big bravos... Robin A.

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.

My April BJP is done!

I have finally finished my April BJP! I am so happy with the end result. If you would like to take a peak at it here is the link to my blog. http://abeadifulmess.blogspot.com/

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.

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.

November is done.

My November lady is completed. She has become a real frazzled lady.
Diane - New Zealand.

January BJP finished!

This one flew by! Now back to Decembers piece. I hope it goes as quickly as this one did. Let me know what you think! http://abeadifulmess.blogspot.com/

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.

Better late Than Never Right?

I am proud, happy and relieved to announce my November BJP page is done! I did this piece as a tribute to all the whitetail deer killed during hunting season. I know hunting has its place and part in the scheme of things. I think a living creature is more beautiful than a dead trophy hanging on a wall. It is here if you would like to take a peek! http://abeadifulmess.blogspot.com/

Sad News

I'm so sorry to report that we've lost a member who was active both years. Lillian de la Cruz, a beader, stitcher and lover of traveling, died on Oct. 7, 2008 of pancreatic cancer. By the time her disease was discovered, it was already too late for treatments. She sent an email to me while in hospice and I posted parts of it on the 07 BJP blog, here. One of our other members, Grace D, kept in touch with her and notified me of her passing. Grace wrote:

We corresponded (when she was feeling well enough) from time to time. She really wanted to make dolls, so I sent her a care package last spring with a kit to make a beaded doll and an already made Dotee doll (she seemed to really love those little dolls), but that was about it. I didn't want to be too intrusive. She seemed to have such a good attitude about dying and living - I wish I would have known her better.

Thank you, Grace, for letting us know and for your support of Lillian during her last months with us. I am greatful for the way we BJPers take care of each other, quietly, behind the scenes... It seems to work well that we don't write a lot of posts about personal crisis, yet through our blog network, we sense where we are needed and respond. This is good!

Robin A.

Pam T Is Doing OK

Most of you have had some correspondence with our BJP Registration Angel, Pam T. If you've been following her blog, you know that she had a double mastectomy and lymph node removal surgery on the 19th. Her December BJP is a visual journal of her unexpected diagnosis and rush into surgery and next chemo followed by radiation.

I'm writing today to let you know that she's home from the hospital and doing reasonably well. She even sent a "group email report" today in which she joked a bit... "I still have drains in (ugh) and I am really quite sore and stiff and I feel like I am walking around like a robot or something trying not to move too much, but I guess the positive here is that I am moving, right?"

She is extremely appreciative of the support, prayers, healing thoughts, etc that she has received from BJP members. She hopes you'll all be diligent about getting regular checks/mamograms.

I'll post a progress report again in a week or so. In the meantime, if you wish, you can leave comments here or on her blog.

Oh! Yeah! Photo's

I will have at least Septembers ready for you too look at, but in the meantime here's a teaser, not BJP, but a Christmas Present for my best friend. The full pic and story is on my blog
Sisterfour http://sisterfour.blogspot.com/

Pictures!!!

Yay!! In a few days, as of Dec. 1st, we can start posting pictures of our BJP work here on our three BJP blogs!!!

Although pictureful posts are fun, we will probably want to restrict ourselves to BJP related images because by the end of the year there will be upwards of 2,000 posts and we don't want to get shut down because of going over our allotted space. Please keep posting other beautiful pictures on your own blog and please post links to them on the BJP blog when you feel they would be of specific interest to BJPers.

Last year we got in the habit of cropping the pictures of our finished BJP pieces and posting these little sneak-peek images (enticing hints of the whole piece) here on the BJP blog along with a link to our own blog or Flickr page. That was really fun... to see just a little part of the picture was like a wrapped present at Christmas! Like this... don't you just want to check it out?


It's my October piece from last year's BJP. See here for more... ;>}

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I am so thankful for this project... for all of you and for the great abundance of creativity and inspiration flowing from your BJP work!!!

Big hugs to all, Robin A.

October is DONE!!

I am very pleased to let eveyone know that my October BJP is DONE!! Anyone who wants to look can see it here. I had a blast making this fun-filled page. Nothing serious on this one! I am now focusing on November....

Blogging Tips

Hi - it's me again - the blog "angel". There are a lot of new folks joining us this year and it's been requested that I post some information about easy ways to post to Blogger, so here goes -

* If you want to add a link to your blog (or any other website) in your post: Click "New Post" Type your entry into the box. Highlight the words you want to link to by left clicking the words and dragging the cursor over them. They will turn blue. Then click the icon that looks like a green circle with a link on it. A window will pop up that says "script prompt". In that window type the URL of your blog. For example, the URL of blog #1 of the 08 Bead Journal Project is "http://www.08bjp.blogspot.com"

* If you want to add a photo to your post do the same steps to make a post but click on the icon that looks like a photo (the 2nd one from the right). From here you can either upload a picture from your computer by using the buttons that says "browse", finding the picture on your computer, the clicking 'upload the image'.

OR

to use the 'add an image from the web" feature, type the URL of the picture into the box and click 'upload the image'. The URL of the picture can be found by right clicking the picture and going to 'properties'.

* If you want to add the Bead Journal Project to your blog -

First 'right click' on the button and save it to your computer.
Then on your blog, go to 'edit layout'.
Pick "add a gadget".
Then pick "picture"
In the 'link' field type http://www.beadjournalproject.com
In the 'image' link chose "from your computer" and upload the graphic you've saved.
Click "save" and you're done.

I hope this helps - If you need help, feel free to email me.

Diane
http://www.mountainsaltstudio.blogspot.com

Blogger Troubles?

It appears that quite a few people did not receive their invitation to become authors on the BJP blogs that were sent last month. If you did not receive your invitation, or if you know someone who did not receive theirs, please email me and I'll fix you right up.

Diane
diane.moore at gmail dot com