Apologies for failing BJP 2007

Dear Robin and All involved in BJP,
Unfortunately I was dragging the chain throughout BJP but I was honestly committed to finishing - well that was until March, when as a pedestrain, I was hit by a car.

As a righthander and with broken arm, collarbone, ankle and seven ribs ... all on the right side, I was hospitalised for six weeks. I've been home three weeks, despite the best intentions I lack the ability and motivation to carry on with this marvellous project for now.

Congratulations Everyone, Thank YOU Robin for bringing us all together and Sincere Apologies for not making the deadline !

Finished-Hooray!

I just posted my last page on my blog. I had started a page for September way back then. For some unknown reason I went cold on it. Couldn't finish it. I decided to trek on with the others. When it came time to finish it, again it did not speak to me. What to do??? I did another page that exemplifies September in the San Joaquin Valley. The grape harvest is in full swing at that time of year. I thought an overflowing barrel of grapes would depict that. You can see it on my blog: http://sharedstuffbyarline.blogspot.com/

Anne of Green Gables

When I signed up for the Bead Journal Project on May 31st last year, I had no idea of how dear this online group would become to me nor how much I would enjoy and learn from participating in it. It was the best birthday present I could ever have given myself.

You can view my May page at http://artfulmuse.blogspot.com


Kathy V in NM

2007-2008 FINISHED!!

I've posted my BJP 2007-2008 on my blog if you'd like to take a peek. Now to figure out how to do the member's gallery page on our website! I'm already thinking about 2008-2009 and can't wait to get started!! Now I'm off to the Pike Place Market Festival to celebrate turning 50 today!
Bead Wishes and Dragonfly Dreams ~ Cyn :0)
http://wingedneedle.blogspot.com/

May page complete!

I am shaking myself all over as I try to realize that I've completed the pages for the first year of this project! Am signed up for next year and have my theme but not the size of the finished pages. Before I think about that I need to devise a permanent home for these pages. I was planning on a scroll - really set on the idea - but now I see that the pages won't roll very easily. To force them into a scroll shape and then unroll it for show & tell, then reroll - over and over - is to risk damage and bending portions of the page. So I'm back to square one for the moment but committed to having this organized and complete by the time the 2008 cycle begins in September.

Meanwhile you can see my completed page right here. What a year it's been!

One More Done!

Finally finished February yesterday. You can take a look at it if you'd like to.

I have three more to go and I am determined to finish them.

Thanks to Robin for starting this project that has made me grow as an artist. It hasn't always been easy, nor have things turned out as I imagined they would, but I learned a lot and my technique has improved.

Thanks, everyone, for the inspiration and encouragement.

Happy June!

Any

April's Done! Whew!

Hi, all! Sorry I haven't been around much. Been caring for a friend after her surgery...and my computer blew while I was gone! So I'm a little behinder than I was before! Ah, well...all in good time.
So April is done...you can see it here. I'm also gonna be sure to start May by the end of tomorrow! Gotta have at least a little of it done in the same month!!!
Some of you are doing so well at completing everything! It all looks so good & inspires me to keep going & get mine all on their boards!!! Again...all in good time!
Happy Aloha Friday!
CC

April's page is done

I finally finished my April BJP and "Verde" can be viewed on my blog: Nightbeaderatlarge.blogspot.com. She kept growing and growing and I was running out of the green background beads so she had to stop. I'm still not finished with all my pages yet, but plan on being finished before the next BJP starts in September.

Beadily yours
Susan Feldkamp
nightbeaderatlarge.blogspot.com

Final Report

Tomorrow is May 31 (where I live anyway!). I checked back through Robin's administrative posts and discovered that tomorrow is the date by which we were supposed to have had all of our bead journal 'pages' completed.

Well.

Not happenin'. At least not in the Magpie's Nest. :- (

I have three pages to finish before my set of 12 will be complete. Two are pieced and awaiting embellishment. One is nearly pieced and then will need to be embellished. {sigh} And it all started out so well too!

I have every intention of completing the final three pieces. My goal is the end of June (yes, this year!). I also intend to submit my 12 beaded journal quilts to the BJP website. I think it will be educational for me to see them all in one place, and a place that is not in my own home.

This has been a good experience. I've grown as an artist and a blogger and I've learned a lot about myself. I will not be participating in the next BJP however. I want to take some of what I've learned and see where else it can take me. That shows you just how valuable this experience has been: I'm ready to move on to other endeavors... things I wasn't ready or able to undertake a year ago. So kudos to you, Robin, for instigating this whole project in the first place! And thank you to everyone who participated even a little bit. I was inspired and impressed by your work more often than you know :- )

Sue
From the Magpie's Nest

Still Beading but feeling beadwildered

I have all the months in progress and most completed except actual finishing off. I have a million valid excuses but life just keeps happening as we're making other plans. The computer baffles me, it's taken me all year just to attempt blogging but I wanted everyone to know how much I have enjoyed reading and looking at every one's work. They are all so wonderfully different and inspiring. I feel bad about not sharing. I don't have a clue on how to post pictures of my projects. Help!! I've got a friend that said she could probably help but she's out of state helping with her daughter's wedding. Hopeful I can still post them on BJP site. I plan on signing up for 2008 but will try something smaller, I think. Thanks!! to all for Sharing your beautiful work. It's been a real blessing !! Frances

A Year in Beads

It's finished! I put the last stitches on my BJP piece for May a few days ago, photographed Oct. - May yesterday, and my sweet hubby loaded everything onto my website today. My full year's worth of pages can now be seen at www.lisabinkley.com under the gallery titled "one year, one leaf, one meditation." This has been such a great process for me; and I know it has been for many others as well. Robin, thank you so much for coming up with the idea and for all you've done to make this such a great process.
I think it's going to feel a bit strange to start working on something that doesn't have a big beaded cottonwood leaf in the middle. But my head is already swimming with ideas for future beadwork. I'll keep checking in on the 2008 BJP, and I hope it's a great process for everyone involved.
If any of you are in the Madison, WI are over the summer, feel free to stop by the Overture Center for the Arts on State St. All 12 of my BJP pieces will be in a four-person show at the center in the 1st floor gallery (from June 21 - Sept. 14). If you're in town on June 27th, be sure to stop by and say hi at our opening reception that evening.
Best wishes and happy beading to everyone in the BJP. Lisa B.

Mixed Feelings

I've posted the last of my pics to Flickr - sorry for putting so many on at once! It covers all of 2008 and the final arrangement. I was going to put a poem in the middle, but instead it will be for the next BJP pages.

Many blessings on Robin for starting this. It has helped me define myself as a bead artist, given me deadlines to meet, and a sense of belonging to something much, much bigger than myself sitting in my corner pricking my fingers! I am sad to see this BJP end, but looking forward to the next.

Joan Cromley

April Page Finished At Last!

I don't know why this took so long for me to get going on, but once I did it went like fury. You can see it HERE.

Cheers!
Morwyn

2nd Quarter Update on "Fire"

Well, I've gotten a little more done on the 2nd quarter. Not sure if I'll be able to get it all done over the summer, but here's hoping! See progress on my blog here.

Kassie - The Beading Butterfly
www.beadingbutterfly.com
http://beadg1rl.deviantart.com
http://beadingbutterfly.blogspot.com

The finished BJP quilt and a puzzle!

I have finished putting my pieces together, gotten the borders on and it is stretched onto a painters canvas.  I am really happy with the effect!  

 I have also been doing a little pre-project in preparation for next year.  Please come see me!

Straggler

Yes, that's me.
I'm the straggler.
I do however have some photo's to play with and upload.

My problem -- when I started -- was that I had an obsession with covering the entire piece of material.
And that stymied me.
And stopped me.
I "completed", (for want of a better word), two pieces.
And then hit the brick wall.
I just could not force myself to continue where I had started because I truly did dislike the first two I attempted.
I then settled on one large piece with concentration on a specific area each month.
That made it so much easier for me.
With the exception of 3 small areas that remain, I believe that I am finished -- well, I do have to add the backing to it.

I'll get the photo's happening and add them to the library.

Next time? well, I have an idea in mind already. And since I have the idea, and the concept, perhaps I can complete the seperate pieces for each one.

The inspiration that I have received from this group is beyond comprehension.
Each day I see something that someone else has done --and it takes my breath away.
You are all so phenomenal.

photo updates

Hi everyone,

I have been busy beading and actually kept up with my monthly bead project. My problem seems to remember to post my progress. (I guess I would rather bead than play on the computer - when I can get my daughter and husband off of it anyway). Here is a link to my updated website. www.dancingravendesigns.com Hope you enjoy it. I know I loved looking at all of your work and I would like to join the 2008 bjp - it's kind of nice to work on something that has meaning for me only.

Cheryl Lacy

An on-time behinder (for once)

Hi all. I've just posted my May page, the final one for me. You can view it here.

I want to thank all of you who have been so supportive (and *funny*!) in comments on my pages. This is truly one of the most generous groups I've ever been a part of. It says a lot about the spirit that Robin and everyone else have brought to this project. Even as a beginning beader, I've felt comfortable and safe in this group of truly talented artists.

I'll be watching the new year's projects as a non-participant, but as an enthusiastic admirer.

Thank you so much for the opportunity, the generosity of spirit and for sharing your gifts with me.

Barb

One Year of Blogging

Because of joining the BJP, I have been a blogger for a year now. I noticed it after Grace of Gracebeading said she'd been blogging for a year. So, I am celebrating. Come on by and visit.
Timare

still there

Just to let Robin and the group know I am still there, currently working on my May piece, ideas for April but March is still the sticky one. With the irregular hours of my job, finding the time to complete is a challenge in itself! Hoping to post May by the end of the week.

March is finished!

I finished March today! Check it out here.

April is already done. May is ready to bead while I'm visiting my Mom in MN next week. I'll be meeting and beading with Julie, my sister-in-law, and Pink Moon Hallow, our BJP web mistress... I'm so looking forward to meeting her in person for the first time!

No words to tell you all how very proud I am of you all! Some are finished, many are determined to complete the year no matter how much of a behinder they are. The work? Well, I'm just in awe of it. Looking at the member pages on our website over and over again is such a thrill!!! We be good!

Hugs to all...
Robin A.

Tips Wanted

Now that a lot of people are winding down and finishing their bjp pages, are there any tips you'd like to share?

I've seen many pages that have interesting techniques - adding photos, painting, glue, fusing fibers - and if anyone wants to write about their technique we'll post that under the tips section on the home page.

I still have to finish my May page, just a few more rows...but I think I'm procrastinating because I know I'll be sad to be really done. It's been such an exciting adventure and I've met the greatest people.

DeviantART Daily Deviation!!!

The first quarter of my 2007 BJP was given a Daily Deviation at DeviantART! There are many things being posted to DeviantART every day (about 1 per second or so). Each day, about 20 Daily Deviations are chosen to be showcased. They are from many different categories - photography, traditional art, etc., and not many are from the Artisan Craft category. My quarter panel "Air" was chosen as one of today's Daily Deviations! You can see the post here: http://beadg1rl.deviantart.com/art/Air-83547456.

Next BJP I am going to do a series using the poetry I have been writing and it's all in my DeviantART gallery as well: http://beadg1rl.deviantart.com/gallery/#_browse

Kassie
The Beading Butterfly aka beadg1rl
http://beadg1rl.deviantart.com/
http://beadingbutterfly.blogspot.com/
http://www.beadingbutterfly.com/

April and May done-One to go.

Just posted my April and May pages on my blog. You can see them at: http://sharedstuffbyarline.blogspot.com/

I have to finish my September page and I'm done. I am really looking forward to BJP 2008. Not starting it quite yet though. Have a few UFO's to finish first.

Arline

January Page

I finished my January page and it went quickly.
You can see it on my blog.
I have started the February page yesterday
and think I will be finish it in about 3-5 days.
Robin, I finished my 8th page and I sent my
photos and statement to Brenda yesterday
for the web page.

March Page Done

I know I am a slowpoke and others are finishing their May pages but I feel good as I have finished my March page. It went pretty quickly and you can see it here . I've sent it off to Brenda for the web page and will add it to flickr.

Conratulations to all of you who have finished their May pages!!
Timaree

Silk fusion hanging

I have finished my second set of bjp pages by mounting them as a free hanging. You can see it on my blog. Now I am looking forward to September and doing something different.

Jann

CAN YOU BELIEVE I'M DONE!

I can't either, and except for finishing volume two of the book all the beading is done. I've entered the month's of April and May here. The one for March is here. Since I'm not sure if I've done this correctly, the HTML class starts next week, I'm going to tell you it is in the March 02, 2008 archive as well. Today's post refers to the May 16th post that I've just posted. Whew! I'm never sure of these things, but I hope this helps you figure it out.

Beading is on the RUSH hour!

This morning I spend about 20 minutes writing a post, which for some reason did not get saved & did not get published....so here I am again, however my same thoughts at the moment are not quite as lovely as this morning, so here I go.

I am pushing the "beading Rush hour" to finish all that remains in my journal, I decided this morning that I can't handle not finishing, can't always be motivated & can't always accomplish some of my projects, sooooo I am "doing it my way" which only means that I am bribing myself...how, well I just started an Etsy store for recycling with a friend & said Jody you can do the same thing with your beaded journal............so that is what I am doing.

So hang on to my hat, it may be a bumpy road but my "Rush hour to beading" will get accomplished or else I am a very old recycled beader!!
Huggies Jody

Leaving

the BJProject. A month ago I had to concede that I was the behindest of the behinder beaders and just would not catch up. I'll have to be satisfied with my smaller collection of pieces hanging on the wall. Sometimes life just manages to get in the way of the things we really want to do. I'll continue to follow everybody's progress as it's fun to see what all of you are doing.

As to the why, if you care to read about the reason, I got very involved in another project and it's on my blog... here.

Good show and I look forward to seeing the finished journals.
Judith

I finished a piece that may be the May piece or not...it's on flickr and my blog here.

New Page Done

I have finished another page, at last. I don't know if I'm Queen of Behinders, but I'm at least one of the Princesses...! :- ) You can see it here, or at the Flickr site.

March Page in Progress

Hi everyone,

Oh dear, I've become a "way behinder" now because of my move last month. The last 2 months have been filled with packing, moving and unpacking my things in my new home. I was delighted to recently unpack my March page that I had started back before the packing process had begun and I'm happy to say that I have started to bead again. You can see my progress here.

I've signed up for the 2008 BJP and am looking forward to another year of beading! First, my focus is to finish 2007 though.

Happy to be beading again,
Karen

First pannel finished

Hello fellow beaders

I've finished the 4 green pages and the panel is mounted, you can view it HERE
I'll show it during my exhibition in Larchmont (NY-USA) during all the month of June.
I'll be happy to meet any beader who lives in this area for the opening which will take place on Saturday June 7 from 3.00 to 4.30 p.m.
If you plan to come, please drop me a line on my blog.

I'm a little behind for the 2 last pages, but they'll be finished during the summer.

Last page

I so can not believe my May page is finished. It took me only 4 days, it flew by. It reminds me of spring and happiness. You can read about it and see it here. I also have a picture of all of my 12 pages together here.

I still have cards and journals to make for my November to May pages so I have plenty to keep me busy until we start again in Sept, Angie

I Broke out the Champange at 9:20am Sydney Time

I completed my August piece at 9:20am Sydney time this morning and Yes I really did break out the champange, I had a little bottle put adise for this ocassion. It went down really well!
August is the page I struggled with, I have two unfinished pages for August,
which will now go into the BJP 2008.
I love this pendant and I finally decided that as I don’t wear necklaces and only make them on request, I’d use it as a center piece in my August page.
The song ‘I never Promised you a Rose Garden ‘went through my mind and thought
it was apt as the August deadline has long past, it’s now May 2008!
And this is definatey NOT a Rose Garden.
So I'm off work today and am going to continue my celebrations. This has been a great year for me having made a lot of friends here and doing something I really love.
Raising a glass to you all and a special toast to Robin!
Cheers
Nospoj - Dinah
PS Full Page on Flickr

March 'Page' Done

I'm pleased to report that my beaded journal quilt for March is finished. That only leaves February's to embellish and April and May to piece and embellish. I have plans for the final two; I just have to make the magic happen! You can see and read about March's quilt here.

I received my copy of Robin's new book and have taken time to read it. It's beautiful and inspiring. (Did we expect anything less?!) I think one of the roadblocks I was facing with February's quilt can be removed by using a technique Robin shares in the book. All I have to do is figure out which combination of beads I want to use...



Sue in western Washington

One more to go

G'Day,
I have just finished my May page. As I made this the song,' Windmills of Your Mind' kept going through my head. Especially the line, ' Like the circles that you find, In the windmills of your mind'
Then I read Robin's post about using symbols in our work and did the test. Yes, Spirals were No1 for me, go figure!
You can see the full page on Flickr.
August is due to be finished either this afternoon or early tomorrow. I have also made an album of my pages, I found a scrapbooking album just the right size to hold my pages and bought two of them so have one ready for next year!
Cheers
Nospoj - Dinah

May Bead Journal Project - completed

My bead journal for the last twelve months is finished and it's the a journey. Not so much in me learning new things, but in myself:

• Can I do a challenge?
• Can I maintain self imposed deadlines?
• Can I put together a cohesive, but individual look?

I learned, I can.

Check it out here: May

To Kaytee...

I'm sorry, Kaytee... After some consideration, I removed the three slide shows and the widget which you posted to our blog for two reasons... one, because they didn't seem to be BJP related and two, because early on we set a blog guideline that there would be no slide shows due to loading time and space taken.

I hope you'll put this type of item on your own personal blog. You are very welcome to post links to slide shows of your work (even if it's not BJP related) on this blog. Please understand and not take this personally in any way.

Robin A.

BJP 2007 Book

My butterfly wings are now bound into a star book, entitled "Farewell". The book and a few pages can be seen on my blog www.beadsalot.blogspot.com.

Finished book

I just posted a few pictures of my complete book. I finished it awhile ago and forgot that it would be nice to share it with everyone. Sorry. Here it is: http://heidibeads.blogspot.com/

My bjp book

I have made the first of my bjp books. This one features my beaded pages on fabric. You can see it on my blog.

Jann

I made a photo book

Hi all... I decided that it would be nice to have a keepsake photo book for my BJP pieces. One of the blogs I read had mentioned My Publisher, so I decided to give them a try. They had a two-for-one special, so I got two copies of my book for the price of one. The layout software was pretty easy to use, and I made a hard-cover book with a printed paper jacket. I am very impressed with the results. You can view my book online. The shipping costs to Canada were pretty high, though, so if I want to do this again I might look for a company on this side of the border.

--Geneviève

2007 BJP December Flower Pin

My December flower pin is here on my blog.

And April

Sure, *now* I get momentum. :)

Here's April. I have May started. I might just make it on time.

Barb

Two more pages finished

I have 2 more pages posted on my blog I finally feel like I am going to get them all done by the end of this month

Ellen aka dollieBead

April BJP finished

What a long, short and amazing journey this has been. It's almost done, and I may even finish near schedule. :-) My April piece is here on my blog.
Cheers and congratulations on the wonderful work, everyone!
Sarah

Book has Arrived!

Wow! What a fun book! I love that I now have some place to refer to for ideas on what to bead next! Thank you! It is a wonderful job & the pictures are beautiful! I haven't had a chance to read through the whole thing yet but I have looked carefully at every picture.

Maybe you have written it somewhere & I just haven't seen it yet, but what size are the technique rectangles? they look like a wonderful idea for practicing techniques.

thank you for giving us a wonderful inspiring book!

The faster I go, the behinder I get

Yes, I'm late, but I'm finally catching up. I just posted January, February and March pieces here on my blog. It's so tempting to sign up for the next bead group because I'm going to miss seeing everybody's amazing work, but I think I need to get going on some fabric pieces I've had brewing for a while. I'm almost done with my April piece, and know what I'm doing for May, so I should be done in a week or so.

Barb

Book

The book arrived and it looks wonderful. Robin, thank you for writing it.

Back on track.

April's page is complete.
I have ordered supplies to make the pages into a book.
May's page may not be started yet but the idea is there.

Take a look at April here.

Hello fellow bead journal friends --

I notice as I read through some of the blogs that people are mentioning next year's BJP with a link to the website: beadjournalproject.com. If everyone could mention that the project is continuing next year, (even if you're not), it will be a great way to attract new members.

Also, if you belong to a forum of some type, and would like to mention the project, that would be so helpful. I've put a post on the blogs I belong to (bead arts, all about beads, beadwork), but I know there are other forums for fibers, quilting, specific countries, and more.

And, if you are a member of a guild and can make an announcement or post a notice in the newsletter, that would be another way of getting the message out.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Susan

January and February finally done!

jan feb 001
Originally uploaded by jacqui126

These last last few months had been a period of change of me. but that wasn't really what was slowing me down...No it was January that slowed me to pace slower than a snails :)

This is is here and I am have recommitted my self to this project with the Feburary page with I found a joy to do complared to Jan,.

If you go to my blog you will get more insight in to why and what I did it.



Home is where the heart belongs.

April Finished

Well I have April finished and finally have it on my blog as well. I haven't started May's page yet but once I get caught up with updating blogs, my Artistic Kreations and Passions website, my web gallery and replying to e-mails I will get to it.

Angie

http://angelaplagerbjp.blogspot.com/search/label/April
http://angelaplagerbjp.blogspot.com/
http://angelaplager.blogspot.com/
http://web.mac.com/angelaplager
http://gallery.mac.com/angelaplager

October Done

Well, I finally finished my October piece. You can see it here. This is not what I had originally started with. My Hong Kong part was different but it was just not working. I finally just removed all the beads & started over with something that I like better. Sometimes you just have to move on. This is a different piece for me but as I'm new to bead embroidery, I'm anxious to try different approaches. Not sure that I like it but it was a learning experience of dos & don'ts!

Heart to Hands Bead Embroidery

Whoooo-hooooo!

It's here! My new book has arrived and is looking fabulous! I'm so excited and grinning ear to ear about it. Four years of beads, sweat and fears are behind me now - the joy of sharing my passions and the job of paying my printing bills are ahead of me... What an amazing process and commitment it is to write and publish a book like this.

You - awesome group of open and creative souls - helped me more than I can say. I felt and tapped into the flow of creative energy surrounding us this past year. Without you, I doubt it would be finished at this time. Also, at the end, the going gets really tough, the technical difficulties mount and the worry about worthiness gets oppressive. Again, you rescued me. Especially your pre-orders helped me find the nerve to get it to the printer (perfect or not). So, please take it in... your creativity and generosity are there in my book. Thank you!

To those of you who pre-ordered, your books are in the mail! They went out yesterday and should be in your mail boxes by Tuesday. Whooooo-hoo!

Robin A.
link to book info

completion!

Hi beaders!
Ah... finished a whole year and didn't give up in the middle! Incredible that this year is over... how can that be? Where does the time go??? My page for May is here, and my blog for the page is longer than usual... don't feel pressed to read it..... must be the coffee this morning, my fingers were flying faster than usual.
Thanks everyone, for a totally incredible year as I read everyone's blogs and perused your jaw-dropping creations... Sometimes it was the best part of my day!
And thanks again to Robin for starting it.
Hope to see everyone at the 2008 BJP!

May's Barrette BJP

I have not decided on the book that I wish to base my May barrette on. I am asking anyone that wishes to, to suggest a title. From the list of books put in the comment section of
"Wake Up" April's BJP Barrette, I will select one to read and make a barrette based on that book. I am looking forward to hearing your suggestion. You can post your comment here.

Sacredartist