February is Amethyst

February's piece was wonderful fun, and went more smoothly than I expecteed. The three 'found' pieces are amethysts from my bead class friend, Pat Chipman, who says she found them near an amethyst mine she toured in Thunder Bay. Thank you Pat! They are perfect! I used fabric paint to color the Lacy's stiff stuff, and I think it makes a nice background. The pattern makes me think of ripples from a drop of water, or gravity fields. I'm not sure why so technical! I like following the thin line of beads running between the chips, and how it connects and divides.

I raided my stash for everything in the purple family, and used hexes, 15's, 11's, 8's, 6's, delicas and megatamas. I'm continuing with my goal to cover the entire space with beads, and practiced back stitch this month. Next month I want to try practicing couching, which I find very challenging. Several people are holding onto found pieces for me, so I'm eager to see them and pick the piece for March.

January at last!

Since I signed up for another year of the Bead Journal Project (thank you Robin!), I thought it appropriate to change the title of this blog from Bead Journal 2008 Reflections to just Bead Journal Reflections. I hope this project keeps going and going, just like the Energizer Bunny!

Of course, this is a new year, and a new project, so I've made some changes too. 2008/2009 was my first time with the BJP and it was wonderful. I think 2010 will also be a great year, but I'm a little bit more 'relaxed' about the project.

Case in point, I just finished January, and it is already almost the end of February! But I'm in good humor and having fun with the new year.

New year, new guidelines. I'm going in a new direction on this project. I've asked 12 friends for 'found' pieces that will be the focal for each month. And I'm going to do a monochromatic palette, and I'm having a blast! January was all white with an old battery from my husband as the found piece. He also bought me a lot of fabric paints to use with the pieces, for which I'm using Lacy's Stiff Stuff...and I'm going to cover the whole piece with beads. No more negative space for me!

I'm looking forward to starting February...amethysts from Thunder Bay!

I've managed to finish all 12 months of the BJP and I'm quite happy with the results. Starting in the upper left corner with September, then October and November going down. Back to the top for December, second from the left, and down again for January and February. March is on top, 3rd from the left, with Aprial and May below. Finally June on the top right with July and August below.

I supposed I could say something about each piece, but the important thing for me is the variety and how well the pieces work together. I started each piece with an idea and a color of Ultra Suede. Then I made a lampworked bead or beads to be the inspiration or just be part of the design. People who look at the real piece enjoy figuring out which bead I made.

Now my challenge is to make some small circles to cover the corners and figure out how to mount and frame the piece. But I've got time, 4 months until the next BJP begins. Can't wait!

August Finished!

I had no trouble thinking of a theme and bead for August. I'm amazed, pleased and a little surprised that I've stuck with this project. So full circle seemed very fitting. The earth has made another journey around the sun, and all of us have traveled with it!

As with all my pieces, they are quite simple from a bead embroidery technical level, but I do have fun with the colors and making a lampwork bead to fit into the piece.

July...it is all about me! LOL

I'm the sort of person who does not crave the limelight or work at getting attention. I prefer to work quietly in the background, picking up the pieces. I didn't want a big wedding, I would never want to be on a TV game show, and I sure as heck would hate to be a politician. So my theme this month is a bit out of character! But I figure turning 60 is a thing to celebrate, so I made myself a cake with 60 candles. I didn't have a real cake because I don't need the calories, but this one was fun to make and I laughed as I made it.

The only sad part was missing a good friend Roberta, who died 3 years ago. She was always the one to make sure I had a 'zero' birthday party...30, 40, 50. But we had family visiting this weekend and went out to dinner Sunday, so I sort of had a party, and felt good within the loving thoughts of family and friends. Facebook has feature that reminds you of the birthdays of your friends, so I got lots of Happy Birthday wishes. What a great feature!

I'm really thrilled to have finished 11 months of the journal. I've been thinking about what I want to do next year. One idea, have friends and family each contribute a small 'found' object to incorporate in each piece. I want pieces to be a different shape and less representational. It is nice to have extra time to plan.

June 2009 Peas and Strawberries

It has been an interesting experience coming up with a theme each month for this project. I now have 10 squares completed and I find that I don't really pre-plan too much. Every month is a different time and mood. June is all about peas and strawberries from our garden. They don't last long, so you have to enjoy them while you can, or freeze them. We have snow peas, sugar snap peas and garden peas, so picking has been an every other day event.

I'm lucky to live where we can have a big garden, and to have a husband who likes to do most of the work in the vegetable garden. I'm in charge of the flower beds, and they are rather out of control this year. I look at pictures from a couple of years ago and wonder where all those huge plants came from. They aren't the dainty, neatly separated plantings I intended. When you have something in the garden that is easy to grow (daylilies, phlox, coneflowers, sedum, etc.) they develop a mind of their own. One of these days.

May 2009

Now I'm caught up, having finished May before the end of the month. There is a little strip of ground on the north side of our garage where we have planted ferns and trilliums. Every year they multiply, but slowly. Every year I vow to remember to water them but usually forget. I guess they don't mind a little benign neglect. I have a friend who only puts up with very hardy plants in her garden. If they take too much fussing, she doesn't want them. Of course her definition of not fussing is way more attentive than mine, so I'm glad these early spring wonders just grow all by themselves. I hope everyone is enjoying May, the best month of the year, in my opinion!