Searching For The Light--December BJP

It's not what I intended to make.  2013 is the fourth year I've used these very dark blue iris beads for my BJP.  I enjoy working with them, and the dark sparkly beads are a celebration of the end of the year.

I started this on December 13.  And then December 14 happened.  As the unbelievable horror became apparent, my page changed.  Like many others during this time, I was searching for the light.

Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with a mixture of black and azure blue Dye-na-Flow.

This piece contains 15/0s, 11/0s, 8/0s, hexes, triangles, cubes, drop beads, bugles and three Czech flowers.

I used the backstitch and the stop stitch.

The piece is 2.5 inches by 3.25 inches.

I used navy blue Nymo thread.

What I Was Thinking:

I spent a lot of time thinking about the tragic events of December 14.  I spent a lot of time thinking about what we as a society owe our children.  And by the end of the month I was glad to have found my own personal light as our family gathered for Christmas.  I know that others are still searching.

Issues That Came Up:

The issues did not have to do with beading.  This page was truly a journal of two weeks in December.

Abundance Reconsidered--November BJP

By November, I was craving blue.  After all the blue last year, I thought I would not do a blue page this year.  But by November, I realized that I couldn't let a year go by with no blue.  I love blue!  I love beading in blue!  I loved making this piece!

Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with dilute azure blue Dye-na-Flow.

This piece uses a variety of larger beads, in addition to 15/0s, 11/0s, Delicas and bugles.

I used the backstitch and the stop stitch. 

The piece is 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches.

I used blue Nymo thread.

What I Was Thinking:

I was so glad to be working with blue again.  It was like taking a deep breath and saying, "Ahhhh."  November, the month of Thanksgiving Day, is a good time to consider the abundance we have and to recommit ourselves to helping those who do not.  So that's what I thought about.

Issues That Came Up: 

Originally I planned to use only a few of the larger beads.  But once I got started, I had too much fun.  The puzzle of fitting the all the differently shaped beads together was a satisfying challenge.  Very enjoyable, and the variety of large beads depicts abundance well.

Embracing The Pink--October BJP

I've written before about my mixed feelings about the pink month of October.  You can see my other October pieces here and here.  This year I decided to embrace the pink.


Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted a mixture of red and white Dye-na-Flow..

There is a large heart, several large round beads, bugles and sequins.  There are also 6/0s, 8/0s, 11/0s and 15/0sTwo kinds of larger beads, 6/0s, 8/0s, 11/0s, and 15/0s.

The backstitch and the stop stitch were used in this piece.

The size is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

I used size A pink Nymo  thread.

What I Was Thinking:

I decided it was time to come to terms with the relentless pinkness of October.  I decided to push my self through it.  And I did.  Pink is not my favorite color, under the best of circumstances.  But I did enjoy working on this piece.

Issues That Came Up:

As I worked, I wondered if all these different shades of pink would work together.  I think they did!

The Year Begins In September--September BJP

Why is it that the year starts in September, even for those of us who don't have anything directly to do with school?  Is it old habits?  Is it many years as a student and as an educator?  After a hot, dry summer, September seemed to be time for a fresh start with new energy.  Although the leaves began to show color, everyone was energized.


Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with green Dye-na-Flow.

For this piece I used some stone (maybe they're stone) chips that had been looking at me for quite a while.  There are also 6/0s, 11/0s, 15/0s, Delicas, triangles, tiny cubes, and hexes.

The backstitch, the stop stitch, and couching were used in this piece.

The size is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

I used size A olive C-lon  thread.

What I Was Thinking:

I'm a monochromaticist (I made up that word), but it's interesting to work with more than one color every once in a while.  The salmon-pink and green of the stone chips and of the metallic iris olive-pink size 6/0s was a satisfying combination.  Maybe I should re-think my career as a monochromaticist.

Issues That Came Up:

This piece was difficult to photograph.  It really is dark olive, with the salmon-pink highlights of the stone chips.  I tried to do some color adjustment on the computer, but the colors may look different on your monitor than they do on mine.

It's Not All Black And White--July BJP

It's not all black and white.  It's mostly gray.  And that's what this bead journal is about.


Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with a mixture of black and white Dye-na-Flow..

Many of the larger beads came from some kind of  combination package of beads.  I have no idea where I got it.  The two rows above the larger beads and some of the vertical columns came from a bargain tube.  They look more gray in person than they do in the photo.  There are 11/0s, 15/0s, 6/0s,11/0 Delicas, 8/0 Delicas, triangles, short bugles, hexes, and nibblets..

Only the backstitch was used in this piece.

The size is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

I used size B gray Nymo  thread.

What I Was Thinking:

At a meeting, a friend expressed a very strong opinion.  My thought was that the issue was not all black and white, but many colors of gray.  I didn't say anything.  I wondered if I should have.

Issues That Came Up:

I find gray a very interesting color to bead with.  It's soothing, and I can concentrate on the shapes.  This piece was particularly interesting as I tried to combine the larger gray beads and the bargain beads.

Taking Up Time And Space--June BJP

June was a busy month.  Lots of events and activities.  Sometimes it seemed as if I was just waiting until the one--just taking up time and space.  And that's what the beading looks like to me.  Not much design--just taking up time and space.

 Technical Details:

The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff painted with a mixture of red, white and black Dye-na-flow.

There are lots of Delicas in this piece, many from this shopping trip.  There are some 23 mm twisted bugles, some shorter bugles, cubes, triangles, hexes, 11/0s, and 15/0s.

Only the backstitch was used in this piece.

The size is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

I used size B rose Nymo thread.

What I Was Thinking:

Not that much.  Why, exactly, do I have so many amethyst beads?  And why do I keep using them?  They always seem to look better in the tubes and little baggies than they do in my beading.  Maybe I should use them when I have more time to concentrate on the design.

Issues That Came Up:

Because June was so busy, I had a hard time focusing on the beading on consecutive days.  I think the design suffered.  But the beading does tell the story...

So you know how they always say that the sharp ends on the bugle beads can cut through the thread?  Yoiks, it just happened!  Back to the repair shop!

A Good Start For February

I've got a good start on my February BJP. It's not going to be finished by the end of the month. After all, there are only about 9 hours left. Ok, I could finish it by the end of the month. But between now and midnight, I've got a few other things on my schedule, and they take precedence.

Like eating. And sleeping. And typing this post...

I have to say, however, that February has been a very productive month. You can see the little white doll I made in the post below. And there were a couple of other creative projects I completed.

And there were what seemed like lots of extra meetings this month. They were all worthwhile, but they took time and preparation. And none of them were cancelled because of bad weather.

And an extra exercise class twice a week--also worthwhile.

And some good books.

And I'm getting ready to teach a class on Beaded Edgings and Fringe next week at our Fiber Arts Guild.

And there's an amazing social event coming up this weekend.

And someone needs a Hope Stone so I'll put that together before I finish February.

You'd think that with the extra day in February this year, I could get the BJP finished. But February is still two days shorter than January and March.

This is not my only adventure with tardiness. You can read about my February 2009 BJP here and here.

You probably noticed that I did not blame an excess of vacuuming for taking away my beading time. No excess of dusting, either.

Folly? Or Not? BJP January 2012

It's a new year. A fresh start. A new beginning. White beads symbolize this new start to a new year.

But is it folly to think that we can begin again with each new year?

Technical Details:
The foundation is Lacy's Stiff Stuff.

This piece includes 15/0s, 11/0s, 10/0s, 8/0s, and 6/0s, hexes, cubes and bugles. More than 25 different kinds of beads were used.

Stitches used are the backstitch, the stop stitch, couching, and some fringe.

The piece is 2.25 inches by 3 inches.

White Nymo thread in size D was used.

What I Was Thinking:
To what degree can we start fresh at the beginning of each year? Does This is the first day of the rest of my life make any sense at all?

If we could start anew each January 1, would we really want to?

If we decide we can't start fresh, are we admitting defeat?

Or can we pick and choose what we carry over from the previous year?

Is it folly to think that we have any choice in this at all?

I've thought about this issue before. You can see my January 2010 page here. I don't think I've changed my mind in the past two years.

Issues That Came Up:
I used the beading thread I picked up at the dumpster diving place for ten cents a bobbin. It's labeled Belding Corticelli and for all practical purposes, it's Nymo. My research showed that Belding Corticelli makes Nymo. My guess is that the production has improved since this particular thread was made. I found that lubricating the thread with Thread Heaven helped limit the fraying.

My 2012 BJP pieces are 2.25 inches by 3 inches. For the past two years, my pieces were 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches. I wanted to make my 2012 pieced a little smaller so I would have more time to work on other beading projects. It doesn't sound like much of a difference, but the earlier pieces are 8.75 square inches and this year's pieces are 6.75 square inches. That's significant.

I started this piece by making the three quarter-circle corner sections. Then I made part of the frame, followed by the "branch of flowers." That's where I got stuck. I liked it, but I needed to fill in the background. This had happened before, and I did not enjoy trying to fill in the background. You can see that project here. So I ripped out the branch of flowers, completed the background, and put the branch of flowers back on.

It was really difficult to get a good picture of this white piece. It looks better in person. I'd show you, but it seems to be hiding at the present moment. It will reappear in it's own good time so it's probably not necessary to do any radical cleaning.

And with the spare time from the smaller piece I've made a very good start on the little white doll.

Starting on January BJP

I've been working on my January 2012 Bead Journal Project. After a bit of embroidery, I felt the need to edit, to revise, to modify. So I did.

This is before:



This is after:



Yep. I ripped some beading out. See those tiny dark spots in the photo above? They are the holes in the Lacy's Stiff Stuff where the needle and thread went through. The thread is gone, but the beads the thread was holding on are in a very small plastic bag. I'll put them back on starting tomorrow, and I'll use the before picture to put them in approximately the same places.

But what happened in the meantime? What happened after I ripped the beads out? You'll have to come back in a few days to see the final result.