October BJP done and Other Projects

Hi all, my October BJP is done. I really hope my spiral takes a good shape because it's not matching the original, but I figure one way or the other it will work. I'm really enjoying working on this.

The BJP has launched me into other projects and challenges. Check out my home page (at the bottom) for my list. I just finished one sponsored by the Viking Sewing Gallery inside of our local Joann's Fabrics. The Challenge was to make anything using recycled denim. So, as a recycler myself, and because I love making dolls that I learned from Robin's inspiring book, I made Green-Jean, The Go-Green Goddess.

I'm finding many of these projects on the web. The Beading Daily email newsletter has one and listed a few for charities. Where do we start with all these??? Sign up for the Beading Daily . I wasn't sure I wanted something daily, and I still don't, but they do give some good info. And they've mentioned Robin twice in the last week!

One List of charities.

Well, enough is enough. Have fun on your journal pages. And have a beady good day!!!
Karen

Improv Unleashed!

Aloha Friday everyone!
Thanks to everyone's help, I got unstuck! You can see my progress here!
Hope you all have a fun weekend! See you next Friday!
Hugaloos!
CC

SETTEMBRE

ciao a tutti.
sono ancora bloccata con la connessione, ma sto lavorando al progetto anche se lentamente (ecco qui il mio lavoro di settembre) e, quando posso, vengo a vedere i vostri lavori, ciao a tutti matilda

Maul's Well Barrette

My BJP for October was called Maul's Well from the story The House of Seven Gables. I have finished this barrette and you can view it here.
Sacredartist

August BJP

Thanks everyone for the comments on my batik piece. I was overwhelmed. It was a fun piece to do. Sandy in La Center

Fire Mountain Gems contest

On a lark, I entered a few of my BJP pages into the Fire Mountain Gems contest, in the free-form expression category. Since they all have the same theme, I thought it would be fun, and I buy most of my seed beads from FMG anyway.

Well, I just got the word that they have made the first cut and FMG wants me to send them in for photographing and final judging. What a hoot, huh? :-)

Almost finished!

My October page is almost done, but I have yet to start on my October bracelet. Still, I'm pleased with my progress and am continually surprised by what my hands are doing. This month, I did some sequin work with shell heishi, and did my first bit of lane stitch (which I like immensely). Check out my progress here.

Cheers all!
Sarah/beadnik

Onward

Hi to all,
I suprised myself today that I am working on the October page during the month of.....October. So to all fellow Bead Journal Members who are or feel "behind"... there is light ahead and you will catch up!
In one of my graduate classes, the Professor would finish every message with ONWARD. I found that encouraging.
So, ONWARD!
Teresa S.

Quarter 1 Update - Air

I put another update photo on my blog in case anybody wants to see more of what this quarter will look like when it's done. It's entitled "air" and is one of 4 for the whole year.

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

Task lighting: which OTT-Lite is the brightest?

As the days grow shorter, the light is growing dimmer and I'm finding that I need a lot more light for all this beading work. Awhile back I purchased an Ott-Lite, the floor lamp version (the goose neck style that you can bend & twist directly over your project) and although I really love working in its daylight spectrum, I'm finding it's just not bright enough and I'm having a lot of eye strain. I thought a solution might be to purchase a second one, a table top style, so that I could have one on each side. I also bead a lot with a friend of mine and the floor lamp alone is definitely not working when there's two us -- we both go blind! Then it occurred to me to ask the *experts* -- what are you gals (and guy :>) using for task lighting? I'm especially interested in any daylight-balanced lamp that's VERY bright.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Christi, in WA state

August

Here is the August piece. I decided to use a batik and some MOP disks I bought at a bead show. It reminds me of a nice day with friends. Sandy in La Center

I met another BJP Member!

G'Day All,
On Sunday I went to a Bead and Gem Show here in Sydney Australia, during the course of the afternoon's wonderful shopping spree, I happened to stop at a stall that was selling raffle tickets with all the funds going to The Cancer Council - an organisation here that,provides support services for patients and carers; information resources on all cancer types and issues; cancer prevention and screening; advocacy campaigns.

Got chatting with the two ladies there and lo and behold one of them - Bianca - is one of us!
It was so nice to meet someone involved with the BJP, if time had of permitted I'm sure we could have talked for a lot longer.
Cheers
Nospoj

Treasures from my trip ....

I am still "with" the BJP project -- just, like a few others, way behind. I will probably end up posting 6 months at one time LOL. This past week I was at a convention in Springfield, MO -- and as luck would have it, across the street from our hotel was a gem and jewelry show. The picture shows the treasures I brought home from our trip to Missouri. I usually take photos of my "finds" so I don't forget where I got them. I am so thrilled with all these -- most were from one dealer at the Gem and Jewelry show -- I got a lot at their shop on Friday and more from the same people at the show on Saturday. What exciting shopping it was.
Beadin' Gram
Jackie in Illinois

Thoughts on Getting Unstuck...

I've been reading posts by the Behinders, More Behinders, and Behinderests... and first I must compliment you on your bravery, honesty and wisdom to post about it! With some members posting about being ahead of schedule, it takes courage to admit in writing that you are behind.

Probably, at one time or another all of us will get stuck and become a Behinder... Here are a few thoughts about getting unstuck:

Be Average

One member said she's stuck... that she's even been to the library, etc. searching for ideas... Could it be that she is trying too hard to do exceptional work or to come up with something meaningful? I've found that trying too hard is a terrible block for me. But as soon as I let go of that idea, and say "Ok, I'll just make something average this month," it starts being fun again.

Recently a wonderful friend sent me one of the most significant gifts ever: Improv Wisdom, a book by Patricia Ryan Madson, has already changed my life! Masdon says, "Striving for an original idea takes us away from our everyday intelligence, and it can actually block access to the creative process." Don't you just love the concept of "everyday intelligence?" It seems so applicable to our BJP work.

Start Anywhere

I notice that my beading flows along without effort whenever I do what is natural, what is easy, what is apparent to me. In her book, Improv Wisdom, Madson says, "All starting points are equally valid... There's no need to find the right starting place. When you don't know where to start, begin with the most obvious thing, whatever is in front of you." Once underway, the project will seem less daunting.

Forget the word "Should"

Sometimes too many choices will block me. If I get out too many beads, I feel stuck. I learned a solution to this problem in a process painting class: don't ask yourself, "Which bead should I choose?" The word "should" is such a blocker, because it implies that there is a right answer. Instead ask yourself, "If I were going to choose one of my beads or bead colors, which one might it be?" The words "if" and "might" give you some space. It will be easy to point to a bead and say "That one!" Seize this precious first thought and honor it!

I hope these ideas are helpful.

Robin A.

June BJP done...sort of (or The Behinderest Award goes to...)

I'm a behinder, too, and I think I have you all beat! I am cheating to say I'm done with June, because I am half done with both June and July, but I gotta do something to encourage myself with the slow progress! Updated photo on my blog.

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

October BJP: Close to Endings

Here's my progress to date (nearly done). See you all again in about 6 weeks!

August Page Finished!!

I've got August done which makes me feel a little less behind! I've posted it on my blog and now I will go try to upload it on flickr. September is ready to be stitched and I have October in my head.

Unstuck! And some questions...

Hi, all!
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped me with my stuckedness! All the ideas are wonderful! When I'm on my blog, I try to go to the email of the person & it comes up either "user user" or some other weird thing! So I'm still not able to send y'all emails from the blog. So I just answer there. Does everyone else do this?
Also, I'm wondering if everyone else gets stuck like this? And what you do to get unstuck? I've discovered that I like the planning part of creating a piece, so the "fly by the seat of your pants" thing is hard for me. (I used to love to plan all the vacations with friends & family!)
Getting away to the powwow yesterday was VERY helpful! All the beautiful, colorful costumes & beads galore!!!! It was a perfect way for me to get unstuck...and to remember to hear the heartbeat of Mother Earth thru' the drumming! It was so joyful!
So thanks again!
With warmest aloha,
CC, the Unstuck! ;)

This really got my imagination going

Take a few minutes to peek back in time (about 3,700 years) and visit a kindred spirit. Be sure to look at all the pictures. I have some modern beads that are similar.

http://www.harappa.com/indus2/index.html

I have been examining ancient mankind's journey across the globe in my project and this is a major inspiration.


Dorris
plodding along with my beads in modern Maryland

Have You Met Flickr Yet?

I finally got to the library where I could get on their hi-speed internet. I got to see the slideshow of all the pictures everyone has loaded onto the group page at Flickr. It's wonderful! If you haven't seen it yet, go. And even though what is there is fantastic, there are only 48 members signed up to put their pictures up. When more of you get your photos on the site it will be absolutely marvelous. Have I used enough adjectives to whet your appetite yet? I hope so. You will be glad you went.

Transformation

My transformation is finished.
See it here.

October finished

Hi fellow beaders

I have finished my October page.
You can view it HERE.

It seems that this challenge has opened a door for a new way of creativity not only in beading but for all my stitching work.
THANK YOU Robin :-))

Happy beading to all
Hugs
Caroll

Some good news...

Hi all,

For my July page (pictured below) I used purples and yellows with the intention of entering it in Margie Deeb's - Yellow/Violet Color Challenge.



Today I received the news that I was chosen the winner. I have sat with the news for a few hours to let it sink in - I'm still in shock I think. I wanted to share the good news with my fellow journal participants and encourage you to check out the link above to view other participant's entries for some wonderful eye candy.

Take care,
Grace

STUCK!!!

Try as I might, I am stuck on this one! You can see what I mean here! I'm just gonna have to take a break over the weekend!
With aloha!
CC

My September Page

Only 12 days behind schedule, my September journal page is finished. You can see it here. I can't believe that we are already into our 5th month of beading! What a wonderful journey this has been..
-Karen