September page finished

Hi everyone,

I am new to the BJP, new to blogging too, French, 50 years old and doesn't speak english well...Luckily, it's more easy for me to read and understand english . So I admit, I have used bits of your entries and my post is a patchwork of yours...Pardon!!
Even if I don't leave beautiful comments, I read all the posts and look at your blogs. I am often impressed, many are so talented!
If you want to see it, my september page is here. I have changed my mind many time and finally decided to dedicate the BJP to those I love. I have began by my father, musician, trees and birds lover, handyman ( I have used 'discs?') and always punctual ( so I have recycled hand of his old watch).
Sorry for the gibberish and thanks to Robin, Diane and all.

Muriel

Returning Member

Hi from the Pacific Northwest of the US. I am a returning member of the BJP and so excited to think of the few hundred of us, all around the world, working on the same project.

Last year my page was heart-shaped and though it was fun and sometimes a challenge, I'm going to do 5 x 11 inch rectangles this year (no more curves and points!). Last year was my first attempt at bead embroidery and was a year full of learning for me. I've still a lot to learn and this year I plan to focus on technique and incorporating more texture into my pages.

I live in a semi-rural area (it was rural when I moved here, not so much these days) of Washington State with 4 dogs, 6 cats and a goofy musician. I have one grown son who was married this past spring and work at a community mental health center during the day and do most anything that involves fabric the rest of the time.

I'm happy to be back and can't wait to see everyone's work!

Hi from up north in Wisconsin...

Hello everyone..... pam T (or pamtru) here from Wisconsin ..... such incredible enthusiasm from our participants for the start of the 2008 BJP! Wow, this takes quite a bit of time scheduled in the day to read all the blogs and keep up with everyone! I am awed once again by the art I am seeing.
I am a self-taught beader who has an incredibly short attention span, thus the happiness when I finished the 2007 BJP and actually signed up for a 2nd year!
I'm very much looking forward to getting to know everyone and bead my way through the year, hopefully learning more about me... (oh yeah, along with beading and techniques) as we go.
My firm belief in life is that things just ARE, life just IS and everything turns out the way it is supposed to.
Here's to an exciting and beadiful year!
pam T

This Is Australia Calling

G'Day Everyone,
So glad to be back on this great journey with you all.
I really enjoyed my little beading holiday and can't wait to pick up needle and thread again. I've got lot's of plans for this years BJP and have decided on a theme, but that dosn't mean I'll stick with it.
The only thing I can promise is to keep my size the same as last years - 4"x6", I found this size was workable for me and not too big that it was daunting.
I took a big step- in the right direction- during the break and am now smoke free!
Coming up for 10 weeks now. Feeling pretty good and hope to stay that way.
It's a beautiful spring day downunder and I'm off to start my September page, I've got some really pretty beads just waiting to be coerced into something, hopefully, wonderful!
Cheers
Nospoj - Dinah

Greetings from Everett WA

Hi Sheba aka Cynthia here. I am kinda sorta new to beading. I have been creating art fabric collage/ quilt type things for a few years that are often embellished with some beads, buttons and trims. My friend Diane (our blog angel) inspired me with all her wonderful hearts from last year.

I am a middle school art teacher, dog mommy and newly avid triathlete. and I blog about all of this! So you can find me lots of places on the web.

I will be posting my progress on my main art blog here

I look forward to all the great eye candy this year!

Ready ... steady ...

My predominant sensation at present is: ANTICIPATION. (Do some of you remember the fantastic way the leading character in the film Rocky Horror Picture Show, Frankenfurter, articulated the word An-tici-pation?)

The countdown is running:

29th August: Concentration on BJP plans is intensifying.

30th August: At last I will switch from theory to practice - make the pattern, get my stuff together. What a shambles: Where is this material, where is that tool? I always consider myself so well organized, but when it comes to the point, the big search starts ... Searching has one advantage: You always find great things that you had completely forgotten are in your stash.

31st August: Some weeks ago, I bought a very nice plastic container, without having a particular use for it in mind, I just liked it - and it was cheap. From now on, its purpose is clear: It will hold all my BJP stuff by and by. Provided that the basic paraphernalia have already been found and are now sitting in that container, should I let my itching fingers have a go at a prototype?

1st September: GO!!!

Best wishes for a happy start,
Sabine

A Beadiful Mess

Hi Everyone! I am so excited to have stumbled upon the 2007 Bead Journal Project! I gave it some serious thought and decided to take the plunge and sign up for 2008! I have been telling myself that "someday" I will learn bead embroidery...well guess what? September 1st is that "someday" and I couldnt be happier about it. I have decided to make it easy on myslef (I hope) and do a 4 1/2" X 5 1/2" rectangle to be made into a book somewhere down the line. I didnt want my project to be too small nor too large so I thought since Lacy's Stiff Stuff also came in this size (wink!) this is my dedicated size. I havent a clue about the type or style I will do, I guess time will tell!
About me: I am in my 40s, from Wisconsin (born and bred) retired due to medical issues from General Motors, a first time Grandma of Kileigh Lynn (the most beautiful baby in the world) and have 3 grown children of my own - all of which you would know if you visited my blog :) I have my hubby and my dogs to keep me company and lay at my feet while I bead (dogs - not hubby!) Anyway, I am thrilled to be a participant and cant wait to see what everybody comes up with! Good luck and may the creative juices flow for everyone! Tracey

Hello Introduction

Hello Everyone,
I'm wildly excited about this BJP year and have been trying to decide format, style, technique, theme, background, size for my pieces. I started an experiment based on weaving techniques using some favourite colours and think that is what I'll use as technique, exploring the possibilities. The "default" size will produce finished pieces about 6x4 inches, based on my smallest tubular frame. I worry that I don't have enough beads to complete the year but that's probably just stash angst and magpie mentality, after all, I have a whole box drawer full and there's always the shops and the internet to order more.
Potted history: Grew up in Montreal, moved to Toronto (10 years), Bermuda (6 years), SW England. (16 years). Spent many years in Information Technology as a Technical Author and Quality Manager before retiring in 2004 to S of France. Have always stitched but only dabbled in beading. Love colour and abstract forms. New-ish to blogging at http://fibrefan.blogspot.com/
Wishing all 260 of us loads of joy in this endeavour, and looking forward to a year of growth and pleasure in sharing.

Eager to Start

OOOOOOOOO It's killing me. It is just 5 more get-ups to September and Labour Day and I am wiggling with excitement. I've visited some of the blogs from the 07-08 series and found some really talented beaders out there. It didn't help calm me down. If anything, it has me even more excited to get going. Any chance at a sneak peek? Huh? P-LEEEEEEEEEEEEZE.
Oh all right!! I'll wait. But it will be on your head if I start doing something early. I won't be held responsible for my own actions.
Helene in Toronto

Greetings from Down Under Diane

Hi I am Diane and currently working full-time as PA to the Principal of a secondary school, building a new house on my back lawn (prior to subdividing) and wondering what size I am going to make my pages. I live in Stratford, New Zealand which is a rural town on the West Coast of the North Island. I have been beading since 1991, when I made my first beaded tassel with a courturier and passementerie designer in Melbourne, Australia.
Faces will be a feature with my pieces I am certain as I recently purchaed 10 tiny face beads and I have been looking at faces and goddesses which are on my blog didi-beadwork.blogspot.com
Inspiration has come for the first one with a painting by NZ Artist Frances Hodgkins and the wonderful watercolour effects she obtained nearly 100 years ago with her work. Keeping an art journal as part of this process will be fun and something I have taken to in the last couple of years.

Welcome everyone to the 08/09 Bead Journal Project. I am Diane Moore, the moderator of the blogs (or blog angel however many who know me personally might question the angel part). If you have any questions or problems with the blog, feel free to email me and I'll try my best to help.
In the next few days I'll be adding a sidebar to the blog with a list of labels for your posts. Robin developed these so there would be some consistency within the blog especially for people who wanted to see a specific thing, say everyone's page for a certain month, or people who are asking for technical help.
I am a returning Bead Journal Project participant and am anxious to get started on the coming year. Last year I did heart shapes but I'm thinking of rectangles this year. If you are interested in seeing some of the work people did last year, there is a group on flickr with lots of great photos.
Again, welcome to the BJP - I'm certain you'll have an amazing year!

Greeting from the Northwest corner of Washington

Hi there!  My name (nickname) is Krispi Staude and I live on a little island in NW Washington with my husband in a log house in the middle of a forest.   It's remote and touristy, but we love it!  Unfortunately when you live in a touristy town, people think you do touristy stuff all the time..... alas.... we also have to work either in the tourist industry, county government, the schools, or other support agencies of businesses in our town.     

I participated in the first BJP, and was very happy with my pieces as we went along and in the final product.  This year as I was preparing for our county fair, I was surprised that I didn't have very many quilty things to enter.... I KNEW I was busy, so where were all the things?  Well, as you may have guessed, the time and energy went into the bead journal project.  I entered my final product in the Textile Department and won a blue ribbon!  Many people commented on how wonderful it was.   That made me feel good!  You can keep up with my stuff at my blogspot.

This year, I haven't decided on my format or theme.  I have entertained quite a few possibilities, but not sure which to actually commit to.  Time will tell...... Later!  CIAO!

Glad to be back!

Hi Everyone,

I was also part of 2007 BJP and enjoyed it until some medical stuff happened (Thanks to Robin for posting for me a few weeks ago to explain all that :o) Thanks for all your prayers also!

Hoping to join this year with smaller projects planned to accommodate my medical condition. I know 2008 BJP will help keep me healing and keeping my spirits going in the right direction :o)

I want to thank Robin and Pam T and everyone who put another year together for us,

Lillian, who loves beads like everyone else!

Here I am - Come and get me

It's near the end of my day and my mind is not on blogging, or beading - - well, most of my mind is not on blogging or beading. I have family coming for dinner, spur of the moment, and they scare the bej... out of me and the house is a mess because we just had our enclosed balcony torn apart and kinda put back together but not really s0 we have furniture in all the wrong places and rugs that are climbing the furniture and ...................
You understand?! Thank you.
I am Helene and I live in the western suburb of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I have been needlepointing, embroidering, beading since the early '60's. Some of the learning was at my mother's knee, so to speak, and some of it has been trial and error with a few classes thrown in for good measure.
I came across this project through somebody else's website (I cannot remember whose) and I need the stimulation such a forum offers. I am hoping a theme will emerge within the first couple of months: having a theme helps enormously when planning, doesn't it.
I have 2 websites: here, and here, and I am running an 'apprenticeship' in design and beading. Visit when you have time.
And, I love mail, well, except for those selling viagra and worse. So, add your comments.

Introduction from Amsterdam

Greetings from Amsterdam,

Seems to be an international group! Here is a newbie greet from rainy Amsterdam, the capitol of The Netherlands. I am very excited to join the group. I started beading somewhere in the 90's, but slowed down substantially when I was pregnant from my first son. Now my second son is half a year old and I can't wait to get into gear again. The BJP seemed like a good way to do that.
Already I am learning. I started a blog (for the first time), got to know how the scanner works. It is going to be a big challenge for me to finish the pages in time, but also I can't wait to get started. My blog will tell you all about that, LOL. (http://soebeadsalot.blogspot.com/).
I feel honored to participate and am curious to see what others and what I will come up with. I wish you all happy beading, a learning experience and lots of fun!

Gr. soe
http://soebeadsalot.blogspot.com/

Hello From Down Under

Hi, I'm Christine, from Australia. I am excited (& quite a bit nervous) that the official start is nearly upon us.....

Nervous, because I'm not a beader. I signed up after watching last years BJP in awe. I'm hoping that by participating this year I will learn a lot about beading & beading design. I've given some thought to having a theme and to the format I will use but have not settled on any one thing. Wish me luck!

Christine
Here's a link to my blog...hopefully it won't be too long before you see some beading there!

Hello, dear Fellow Beading-Journalists, and special greetings to Robin, the woman who kicked all this off and holds the beading strings in her hands.

Interesting community – interesting experiment! Last year, I did initially register, but dropped out again almost immediately. For several reasons, I just couldn't bring myself to taking part in the project. But this year – well, circumstances have not changed, but my attitude has, and so I am taking the plunge. I very much wonder what will happen and develop during the coming twelve months, inside and out.

Have I got a concept for my BJP pieces? Yes, I do. My little grey cells are teeming with construction plans, by and by the details are forming before my mind's eye. Hope the practical side will follow suit. The final mounting of the twelve „pages“ will not present a problem: I have an electric cable to fill, so to say – a cable running beneath my kitchen ceiling from the socket in the middle of the ceiling to the lamp hanging over the table. So, after twelve months, if all goes well, twelve ... hmmms will dangle from that boring, naked cable. I don't do a lot of cooking, so cooking fumes won't spoil them. The month of creation of the individual pages will in each case be identifiable by an accompanying text attached to them. No more for now.

Just a short introduction to my person: I was born in a town that was at the time a German town, but is now situated in Poland (if you attended history lessons, you can now roughly estimate my age). I have always enjoyed doing things with my hands, with the exception of drawing and painting. Eighteen years of my life I have lived as a foreigner in several places, i.e. places outside Germany. At present, I am living in a very pleasant town that I love, but refuse to say that I have settled down for good. This may be so, but I always need the back door wide open.

Alright, let's go, get together, learn new things and have fun!

Sabine

Hey There

Hi, I'm Jacquie C. from California! A 'newbie' as some of you call us, and I see there is a Jacqui B! in the group. I'm excited to be a part of this fun project, and thank you for allowing me in! I've been thinking and more thinking about what to do, and although I'm a planner I think SPONTANEOUS is always the best for me when creativity steps in. Did I say I contradict myself too?? I'm married for 30 years and counting!!! Three things that describe me are: animal lover, corny to a fault, love to create! My family calls me Rumpelstiltskin. I'm sure you all have heard that one too!! Although I love all forms of art, my obsession and queen of my heart however has been beading, jewelry making for the last 10 years.

Jacquie C.
http://beadjournalproject08.blogspot.com/

Hello from Winnipeg, Canada

Well, I’m single and no dependents my dozen or so orchids which my friends say are very similar to dependents! My second bedroom is supposed to be my sewing/crafts room but guess what – I can’t get in there for all the fabric, so the sewing machine etc are in the living and dining rooms – GRRRR! I’ve been working for 33 years now with Manitoba Agriculture (lately as a statistical clerk) and due to retire May 2010. I have various hobbies from photography, orchids, oil/acrylic painting, crocheting, various needleworks and a passion for all types of crafty things especially Angels (not knitting).

I do have a creative streak in me as I pick up various crafts, jobs, etc. and most times pull it off. But, I have an awful drawback too, I’m very particular in getting things as close to perfect as I can! LOL!

In all my years of sewing I did not venture into quilting until 1998 or so. Then in the fall of 1999, I saw an awesome wall hanging pattern with orchids (my other passion) on it and thus a must and the beginning of my new love of hand applique. Now that I’ve whet my appetite - I can’t seem to get enough of this! Especially when this branched into crazy patch and it’s unlimited types of embellishments which led me into beading. Then that led into fabric postcards which I just love cause I actually finish something off!!! Compared to the various other hobbies etc. that I’ve pursued I can see this one sticking around till I can’t do it anymore! God willing it’s many, many, many more years away yet! And now I’ve found quilting it’s gone a step further and I LOVE quilting retreats! I try to take in one in Alberta along with a couple here in Manitoba each year but would LOVE one day to go to one in Eastern Canada to meet those girls too!

So when I came across the 2007 BPJ, well I just had to sign up for the new year and hope to portray bits and pieces of my life in these monthly journals. The first of which is a tribute to my dear Mom, my heavenly Angel, and from there who knows. I would LOVE to incorporate these into a finished wall hanging or scrapbook but as yet that is undecided. Now onto the playing.

Rose Anne B
My Creative Works

Welcome Everyone!!!!

Wow… there are about 260 of us starting this thing. The thought of us, scattered around the whole world, taking up our beads, fabrics, needles, ephemera, photos, buttons, etc. … and starting to stitch the month of September just thrills me to pieces!!!!

We are separated geographically, yet together in purpose and united here in our blog. May your individual beaded pathway and our collective journey be rich in friendship, growth, healing and fun.

A few details…

1. You may have a plan and/or a theme for the year… or not. It’s totally up to you. Personally, I like to take each month as it comes, without a preconceived plan or theme.

2. Just a reminder. You do not have to make a book or journal. The word journal for our purposes refers to the concept of visually showing what’s going on in your life or your thoughts/feelings at a given time. The word page refers to your piece, but it doesn’t have to be literally a page of a book/journal.

3. For the first three months (Sept-Dec), please do not post pictures of your BJP pieces on this blog. You are welcome to post them on your personal blog or website and then post a link to them here. Starting in January, you’re welcome to post your BJP pictures here.

4. Please do not post movies or sound clips on this blog. They take up too much digital space on a team blog that may have thousands of posts by the end of the year.

5. Remember to sign your posts (with a link to your blog/website if you have one) as I have below.

A Big Ol’ Snaffoo…

Blogger has recently changed the blogspot rules. They no longer allow unlimited authors on a blog. At this time they only allow 100 authors on a team blog such as ours. Ooooops… We have 260 members… what to do?????

Your coordinators gnashed our teeth and deliberated about this, considering various solutions. For now, we decided to have three blogs for this year. They are:

08BJP
morebjp08
andmorebjp08

You will be invited to be an author on only one of them. Please make a note (somewhere you can find it!) of your sign in information (email address and password) and which of the three you can post to.

Please visit, read and comment on all three blogs! Together the three of them will be our support and unifying system.

Some of you may have more experience with blogging than we do… if so, we welcome any suggestion you may have for a “better” solution (contact Diane).

Happy September BJP and beady blessings to you all...

Robin A. (your leader in this great adventure)