Greetings & Happy New Year!

Hello to all you wonderful BJP beaders,
Following all the gorgeous work of the artists from 2007 BJP and now the BJP08 has just been a tremendous colorful excursion! Thanks for sharing all of your talents. Now it's time for me to brave the new world of Blogging and introduce myself...I know, I know this was supposed to happen in September, mea culpa.
My name is Rose Mary from sunny La Quinta, CA. I've been involved with beads and fabric and fibers since my early years! First large beading project was my Ivory Rose wedding bouquet, some 32+ years ago! A varied career path through custom clothing design, then theatrical design has brought me full circle back to my love of beading.
I fell in love with all of you upon seeing last year's projects and was inspired to "journal" for my own discovery...Well, I began this journey with a simple set of guides and clever titles for my twelve months, then life decided to throw in some curves. So the first objectives didn't fit any longer and new ideas about the pages were found. This exercise in revealing more of myself and inner thoughts or moods will be quite interesting...especially if truth, or as much as I am willing to look at in the moment, will be unmasked. Each month's page will have a sense unveiling or un-wrapping of the darker mood, always showing some light guiding the way to hope or truth.
A heartfelt thanks for sharing all your gifts, talents and aspirations. I look forward to this adventure of discovery and expressions with new friends in the world of beading.
A special thanks to Pam T for all your help!
Rose Mary

See BJP pieces by Christy, Lunnette & Donna

Only about half of our 260 members are active bloggers. I understand how the internet isn't for everyone, yet feel sad that we can't meet and see BJP work by all of us.

So, I decided to post about Christy, Lunnette and Donna and take photos of their BJP pages for your viewing pleasure ~ see here! I'll do a bit of arm-twisting to get them onto a computer where they can read your comments... which hopefully you'll leave for them.

* * * *

Just a thought... if you know a BJP member who isn't active on the internet and if you have the time, maybe you could do a post about them. Personally, I'd be thrilled to see BJP pages by EVERYONE... all 260 of us!

Robin A.

Introduction

Hi, my name is Brenda, I live in Minnesota, I am the webmistress, and this is my second year participating in the Bead Journal Project.

Fall is a very busy time of year for me, so I have just started my September page. I hope to be caught up by the end of the year.

As I start on this year's project I can not help but think about starting last year's project. From that moment to this moment it is impossible to explain the changes in me, in my thoughts and in my art/beadwork. It has been an amazing journey.

I wish for you all that same amazement.

Intro and progress

BJP newbie here :) I heard about this project just days before the sign up closed and I knew I had to join! Luckily there were still a few spaces left!! I had some swap obligations to complete, so i had a late start on this month's project, but it is going well and I am happy with it so far. Please visit my blog for my intentions for the year and to see what I've done so far--suggestions welcome!!

I have really been enjoying visiting everyone's blog and seeing the beauty in the sheer variety of ideas!!

Maria from Chicagoland

Introduction and where I am going

Hello my name is Angie and I am a returning BJPer. I am afraid that in most of my life I seem to be behind except my beading (got to have priorities).

I kept meaning to post an introduction here but just didn't get to it. The photo is a close up from one of my pages from last year. I live in Southern Maryland and have beading since 2003. I love bead embroidery. Last year I combined photography and beading this year I am combining mixed media, painting and beading.

I started planning the background for this piece in May and started working on it in June. The background will probably take me most of the year to complete. I am working on each of the 12 blocks that will go onto this background in it's month. I have finished September's block and it is on my blog. I am including information on the techniques I am trying, symbolism and what my piece means to me.

For those who want to know what I have been up to I am including links below to my BJP posts in the order they were written and my web gallery and website.

July 1- A Seed Germinates
July 4- Goals For A New Year
July 7- A Sapling Takes Root In Purple Dirt
July 10- Trying New Techniques/Collaging my World
July 13- How Do I Do It/ It's A Secret
July 16- Like Leaves On A Tree: Plenty Of Ideas
July 19-Painting My World/A Tree Takes Form
July 21- Ever Tree Needs Leaves
July 24-Leafing Out
July 27- The Tree Is Planted And Gets More Leaves
July 30- A Secret Takes Shape
August 2- A Door Takes Form
August 6- Stitching Up A Fern
August 10- Ocean Waves
August 14- Getting To The Roots Of The Matter
August 18- Moss at the Roots of My Tree
August 22- Stitching Grass
September 7- A Mountain Of Strength
September 12- Honu Swimming (September block)
September 14- Honu in Beads (September block finished)

My Web Gallery- Includes photos of both of my BJP pages and Susan Plager's Graduation.
Artistic Kreations and Passions- my website

BJP Website (my 2007-8 pieces)

Change

September being my birthmonth has always been a time of reflection for me; to review the previous year - cherish the blessings and reaffirm the lessons of simply living life. It is also the progression of Alaska's "obscenely green" summer into the slower pace of winter, when we stop our frenetic pace and get some much needed rest. Autumn's rust slowly creeps down the mountain sides only to be replaced by a dusting of snow. Change is at hand, gladly welcomed by me (the one who's husband comes home to find the living room rearranged, yet again...).
As a first year participant, I look forward to raising my artistic & technical skills that this sort of project encourages; it is also a chance to create a physical, concrete representation of what my life held for me at this time last year, and what it currently holds. A blending of my emotional & physical naivete' last year with all the things that I've learned of human nature and the challenges of fighting breast cancer. This month's piece I've titled "Grief & Loss; Love & Redemption" and captures the essence of change, the overall theme I've chosen for this project. Live fully, love fiercely, laugh often, and bead happy!
:o) Jennifer J.

Greetings from the Pineapple State!
I'm so excited to be a part of the project this year and to see all the wonderful ideas and creativity of everyone come to life. I have been studying Hinduism lately, a culture and religion so joyful and rich with wonderful symbols, that these studies have now become the inspiration for my BJP. I haven't had a chance to read all the posts yet, so I hope I'm not duplicating anyone else's ideas, but there is so much to explore I'm sure many of us could choose this subject and still create many unique pieces. Warmest good wishes to all for a prosperous year of beading and creativity!

GraceBeading - returning participant

Hi fellow beaders!

I am a returning participant and very excited about the coming year. It is so nice to see so many returning and very inspiring to see new names and to visit the blogs that go with them.

I don't know what came over me this year, but I decided to do something a bit different that what I usually do when I bead. For my pages last year, which were approximately 4 inches by 6 inches, I started with heavy duty Pellon and basted my fabric of choice for each month as they came. I backed each piece with ultrasuede (adding a bit of fiber fill) and finished the page with either a picot or pointed edge stitch so each one is a finished piece on it's own and can be displayed independently on my wall. I came to really like that method and the process. I became very comfortable with it. So that means... time for a change!

Now I'm stepping way outside my comfort zone. This time around I chose and pre-cut all the fabric pieces for each month. They are all 3 inches by 3 inches. I decided to go back to the way I first learned bead embroidery via Robin and Amy's book "Beaded Embellishment". I have attached my fabric to a piece of paper to act as the stabilizer for my beading.

I had forgotten how much I love the way it feels in my hands. The fabric drapes more and feels wonderful and heavier as more beads are added.Once I have all 12 pieces completed, I'm going to attempt to sew them all together. I don't sew and I'm not sure how I will pull this off. I did have the forethought to at least allow a small margin of fabric around each piece in order to sew them together.It looks GREAT in my head and I did manage to transfer the idea to paper, but I'll just have to see if I can move the image in my head through my hands and into the beads.

If nothing else, I know I will learn something (or lots of things) and I'm sure I'll have a blast along the way.

It's such a privilege to be included in a project with so many talented folks!

Grace
aka GraceBeading

Hi y'all! I'm MizDenise, from Augusta, GA -- home of the Master's Golf Tournament each April (think Tiger Woods in a green jacket surrounded by beautiful blooming bushes and trees). I've been embroidering off and on since childhood and have recently begun making art quilts, mixed media pieces and fabric postcards. Despite no art background or training , I am often the "crafts lady" (and baby holder) at summer camps and church groups - thus the "MizDenise" name!

I have been lurking on a number of beading/quilting/crafting forums and websites for a couple of years, reluctant to risk rejection by sharing my creative efforts online. Realizing that being a part of a caring group would jump-start my growth, I recently took Sharon Boggon's "Studio Journal as a Designers Work Horse" class and had a great experience with everyone sharing our creative explorations and encouraging eachother. Reading the 2007BJP blog, I see the same encrouaging community, and so ....... (drum roll, please!) ..... I'm going to take the leap into the wider web community by joining this year's Bead Journal Project.

Although I am feeling a bit intimidated with opening up to the whole world, I'm going to also open (and hopefully use!!) the private blog I started a while back . I also have a flickr account with pictures of my recent efforts. I am very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the challenge and also to really use my new studio journal to design and plan my pieces. I am also looking forward to getting to know each of you - many of whom I've been watching from afar as you participated in the 2007 project.

MizDenise
Blog - Fetching Fibers
Flicker - MizDenise

Wow Again

Hi Everyone! I just got back from a wonderful day on Block Island with my family. It's so beautiful to sit on the rocks, watch the boats, people and animals and dream. I will be remembering yesterday in middle of the winter for sure. I am amazed, I'm gone one day and boom - 260 people and lots of messages to read and catch up on. This is going to be an exciting year. With just a few days left until we begin, I have settled on a shape and I'm actually prepared for month 1! No theme, I'm just going to let it flow. Pick one bead and go from there. I'm so happy to see so many returning beaders and so many new people. I want to say hi and I can't wait to "meet" you all. For those of you who don't know me, I'm a beader of all of one year. I learned from Robin's books although it helps to re-read them after you have some beading under your wings because it makes more sense. The more I bead and try new things the more I seem to like it. It is very relaxing for me. I have a simple blog at http://heidibeads.blogspot.com/ I'm going to try to be more deligent this year. We'll see - cuz I'd rather be beading:)

It is a privilege to be included among so many talented individuals from around the world. Just think, we are all bound by a common interest in a particular medium, one in which each of us would create something wonderfully different, given the same exact materials.

I have been fortunate enough to have taken classes from our "founder", the incredible Ms. A, whose work and inspiration have challenged me to participate in this project. As a relatively new beader, I look forward to seeing the world through the work of others and learning more about myself on the journey.

Susan U/SU

http://handcraftedwhimsy.blogspot.com/

It's finally time!

Hello from Iowa--I've been waiting for the Bead Journal Project to start for so long. I was all set in June after lurking on the 2007 blog forever, or so it seemed.

I am going to work in a 6 x 12 inch format with a vertical format. Also, I am going to try a new technique each month, unless that just drives me crazy, and then I won't.

I first started beading on fabric as a way to be able to work around my family instead of being tucked away in the sewing room. Now the dining room is my sewing room, so being together is no issue, but I still love beading--I love the hand work, I love collecting the beads (my bead stash rivals my fabric stash!), and I love working on relatively small projects. Plus, sewing in the dining room is a hassle when one must put it all away in order to feed everyone!

I'm so glad to be a part of this. Thank you to all who have made it possible for the rest of us to be here.

Kolleen
KQuiltybee

Hello from Alaska!

I'm a newbie beader AND newbie BJP'er. I am excited and honored to be a part of this amazing project. To be included in this group of folks with so much talent and creativity is amazing and a little intimidating! I look forward to growing and experimenting and seeing all the wonderful pages created over the coming year.

Bead-On!

Bobi

Greetings to my fellow BJP members!

Hello everyone. My name is Karen Park and I have 2 obsessions - beads and tea. Oh dear, did I say 2 obsessions? There are a bit more than 2, I'm afraid, like fiber (I love hand painted yarn), polymer clay (I'm wild about mokume gane patterns) and wire/metal/PMC (I'm dying to make my own clasps and charms).

Besides my art interests, I also work at a retail mail order tea company (my day job) and talk to folks all over the country about tea everyday. It's a lot of fun trying all of the new teas that come in every week. I write a tea review on my blog, Art and Tea, every Saturday morning. Tea is more than just an interest for me, it's a daily practice, a way of life. I love the ritual of it. And, of course, the taste of the tea!

I've been beading and making jewelry for about 15 years now. I especially love bead embroidery and anything freeform. Right now on my blog, I'm documenting how I create a freeform bracelet.

I was a member of the 2007 BJP and am almost finished with all of my pages. My plans are to create a wall hanging with them. For this new year, I've decided to do something entirely different and make either beaded journal bracelet cuffs or cloth dolls. I know that I need to commit to one of those ideas very soon!

Thanks for listening. I'm looking forward to hearing the stories of other beady kindred spirits, reconnecting with existing friends and making new ones!

Hi Everyone!

Hi Everyone! I can't believe it's almost time to start again! With all the rush to get school supplies, end of summer party and the August birthdays (and we have a lot in our family), I'm amazed. I want to welcome all the newbies to the group and say hi again to all my old friends from last year. I'm so excited about this year's project and have lots to work through. I still can't make up my mind on what shape BUT I do know that it will be smaller - last year everything was 5x7". I might do circles on squares of fabric and make it into a wall hanging at the end of the year. I have a few more days to decide now don't I? Thank you to all those who have set this up. This is going to be a WONDERFUL, FUN year! Oh, I noticed that there was someone else from CT - how exciting!

ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET...

...ACK! I'm so excited to get going on this! I feel like a horse at the starting gate! I've already posted some stuff to my blog. If you're a "looker" you can check it out here. If you're waiting until the end of the year, don't look yet! ;) But I've posted my theme, plan & some patterns there!
I also started a new label on my blog called 2008 BJP so if you hit that label you will only come up with the BJP stuff related to this new year...and can avoid all my other ramblings!
I'm just so excited about this next project, I couldn't wait to say ALOHA!!! ;)
And welcome to all the new members! Hi to all the returnees!
Warmest aloha,
CC

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)

It's great to be back!

Hi all! I couldn't wait for the official start date, so I spent some time choosing fabrics and cutting out my pages...now the boring part is all done! The cutting, not the choosing ;-)

Has anyone been thinking about a theme for this year? I know some of us work on themes and some don't, but I'd be really interested in knowing what everyone's thoughts are. Last year, I made all of my pages featuring the month's full moon, and having that guiding idea really helped me stay on time and on track. Has anyone picked a theme already?

Where to Begin?

I just returned from a fantastic trip to Virginia and now where to begin with my Bead Journal? I can't wait to rest up from my jet lag and get started!!!! This is my first attempt at beading a journal, so bear with me...... Let's get beading...........

Hi Everyone

I am a returning BJPer. My name is Timaree and my blog name is freebird. My blog will tell you a little more about me.

I want to say hello to all the returnees and especially to the newbies for this year. Are we ready to grow and have fun? Learn something new? Make new friends? Yes, yes, yes! So grab a cuppa (I know some of you prefer your soft drink, beer or wine) and a needle, your beads and backing, and let's get started. I for one do better knowing you are all out there busy creating on the same project with me. I am waiting to see who you all are. Come say hello.

Timaree