And The Winners Are!

Today, on this official 5 year anniversary I happily prepare to send BJP bookmarks from 2010 to:

Debra at Moonie Bean Folkart

Debbie at Tapestry @ Sand Studio

Christi at Sweetpea Path

Chip Butter at Chip Butter White Oak

Jenclair at Bayou Quilts

[NOTE:  I'm afraid I don't have email addresses for Debbie Weaver, Chip Butter or Debra of Moonie Bean - if you will each get in touch with me and give me your mailing address I'll get these little packages out in a couple of days.]

Thanks once again and here's to five more years (at least).

"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead.  Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow.  Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus

Happy 5th Anniversary

"Journey" - July 20, 2010

I began my blog on September 1, 2009.  It was created because I wanted to participate in the 2010 Beaded Journal Project (BJP).  I needed a place to show my monthly entries and a place to talk about beading since it was such a new venue for me.
  

"Circular" August 20, 2010

After the year with BJP, being the 'wader' that I am, I moved on to another tide pool.  BUT my blog continued because by that time I had made many wonderful blog friends.  And today, I just can't even begin to tell you what our visits mean to me.  I've made some very dear friends (even though we are separated by many miles and in some cases entire oceans).  Thank you, all of you!

"Intertwine" - February 19, 2010

My idea for the BJP was to make encrusted beaded book marks.  Of course once I'd completed the first one I realized that it wouldn't begin to work as a bookmark, it was far too thick.  But I still liked the design so stuck with that.  I only have five of these 'memories' left - the rest having gone into the hands of people who liked them (and shhh I think at least one was pirated for supplies *smile*). I'd like to share these remnants of those days with you.

"Interlude" January 29, 2010

To celebrate this auspicious anniversary I'd like to give away these five bookmarks.  If you would like to enter this give away please  leave a comment below.  I'll reveal the winners on September 1st.  Best of luck to each of you and thank you again for sharing my journey. 

"Words" - December 27, 2010

"Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul." - Henry Ward Beecher

300 and counting...

Back in late 2009 when I began my blog I never thought that I'd still be going and that I would actually put 300 posts on line.  Whew!!!

You know what keeps me going?  You do!!  Each of you who read and comment; those of you who have become dear friends; the sharing of the art that you do and the techniques we all use - priceless!

When I began this blog I was heavily involved in beading and actually began it in conjunction with my enrollment in the Beaded Journal Project.  Soooo, how about a big giveaway of three beaded items from what seems like so long ago?

 "Man in the Moon" is a beaded three-dimensional piece which comes with a stand from which to hang him.  "Sonata" is another three-dimensional piece standing on her own stand.  "Twilight Path" is an encrusted bead stitchery which is mounted in a metal frame.

Please leave a comment below - this give-away is open to one and all - even if you've won a giveaway before feel free to throw your name in the hat!   Three names will be drawn Sunday the 19th with winners announced on August 20th.   Meanwhile thanks to all of you who have made this art journey so much fun.

"Things start out as hopes and end up as habits." - Lillian Hellman

"dalliance" - November BJP

When I drew the word 'dalliance' from my word jar I wasn't even sure what it meant.  Pulling out my old dictionary I looked up the definition - dalliance: a trifling away of time; dawdling.  There is a second definition 'amorous toying flirtation' but since I'm happily married I decided to skip that one!

I love the whole idea -- 'trifling away of time; dawdling'.  Often my days are filled with to-do's that have a time stamp attached.  Clock watching becomes the norm.  And even when there is nothing on my calendar for a day I find myself checking the time asking myself if I have 'time' to do this or 'time' to do that.

And so, with this November BJP I decided to completly 'dawdle' my way through it.  Amazingly, it finished up quite quickly and now I'm wondering if my clock watching might indeed make each piece seem to take forever.  Without any time frame this bookmark just sort of appeared beneath my fingers.

The colors, fabric, beads and thread that appear in this BJP are completely different for me.  I stitched beads along the pattern of the batik fabric - which happened to be flowers.  At first I wondered what in the world I was doing - using pink and green, wandering all over this fabric without a plan (or a time frame).  But it soon took hold of me and became what it wanted to be.  I had to include a clock face to the design because after all we are talking about time.  But I tied that clock face up in fibers to keep it in its place and to tell it that the fantasy surrounding it had taken its powers away.

I'm hoping now to continue my dawdling and wait to see what comes out of this non-time sensitive period.  Hope you're all getting a chance to dawdle a bit too!

"Without this playing with fantasy no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable". - Carl Jung

Interlude

Here it is the end of January and I have just barely finished up my January BJP.  Really, its only the first month and here I am scrambling to get the very first piece done in time! But it is finished - except that I will be framing each piece once I complete more of them.

This piece was worked while snow piled up outside my North Carolina windows.  The word for January was: Interlude - an itervening episode, period, space, etc.  I decided to use 'time' as my representation for this word.  I used a watch face with a charm face attached to it and also the inside workings of an old watch I had on hand.  I love to work with time themes -- the whole idea of time fascinates me.  Each season of the year seems to have its own time flow.  In the winter time can move quite slowly.  With no desire to go outside into the cold -- I find myself cocooning in my studio.  This is the perfect 'time' to curl up with a good book, or to learn new bead embroidery stitches, or just watch the weather outside and be thankful that I have shelter, warmth, food and a comfy bed to curl up in when the day ends.

Now it is on to February's BJP -- my hand dips into the jar and pulls out a word.  Nope I'm not telling what word it is yet... stay tuned.

"Dost thou love life?  Then do not squander time for that's the stuff life is made of." - Benjamin Franklin

Beaded Journal Project

I have been waiting a year for this very day -- the day that I join the 2010 Beaded Journal Project. Last year I was a beginning beader and only found out about the BJP after the deadline. Probably a good thing since I had no idea what I was doing at that point and really wasn't ready to take on a monthly journal project. But I am ready now!!!

In previous years the BJP has run from September to September. To show you how much I was looking forward to this adventure I figured out what my project would involve way back in July. I decided to utilize my love of words and also make an homage to my book arts days. Thus, I selected a bunch of words, typed them on paper, cut out strips, carefully folded each strip (word) and put it in a glass bottle on my work table. From this bottle I determined to take a word each month and make a bookmark to reflect that word. The beginning date for the 2010 BJP is now January and I can assure you that even at this point I have no clue what words I chose back in July so beginning in January I will be surprised (and probably challenged) by the word I pick out. No picking and choosing is allowed - whatever word comes into my hand is the word of the month and I must work with it.

All year long I have 'lurked' on BJP blogs and websites and read the postings and comments - sort of like a child standing in front of the candy store window and looking in. Now I shall be part of it all. This won't be easy - everyone is so talented, so imaginative and so skilled that it will be a real challenge for me but one that I'm looking forward to with great glee. Just think - the door of the candy store has opened and I've taken that first step across the threshold.

"Art flourishes where there is a sense of adventure." - Alfred North Whitehead