BJP 2011 November - Connecticut

I've said it before, and I'll say it again (and again, I'm sure!).  Thank Goodness for the Bead Journal Project.  It has given me the kick in the pants to bead.  I think back to a few years ago when that's all I did in every spare second of my day - Bead. 

Morning, Noon and Night.

 Any chance I got, I would bead.  I was addicted. 

 I still am addicted, don't get me wrong.  As soon as I sit down and pick up that needle, I'm sucked right back into the addiction.  Its just that the 'sitting down' part doesn't happen as often as it used to.  But the BJP nags at me and draws me in to just sit a bit and lose (find?) myself in the beading.

This month's State quarter turned out to be Connecticut.  I've only been to Connecticut on business - the Hartford/Glastonbury area.  And it is GORGEOUS!  I mostly remember how green it was and it seemed like every house was surrounded by a low stone wall that seemed to have been there since forever.  Being the rock-hound that I am, I would have loved to have studied those walls and taken pictures, but when you're travelling for business, you just don't do things like that. 

My original thought was to create little walls and fill in around them with green fringe type of stitches.  And as usual, the beads led me somewhere else.

OK, so my walls look more like paths, but to me they are stone walls.  Lots of them, all jumbled together. 

And my grassy patches turned into what looks like a tree - must have been that tree on the quarter influencing my stitches.

Even though my finished piece is far from what I envisioned, it still "works" - for me at least!

Have you registered for the 2012 BJP? 

~ Bead Happy and Often ~

BJP 2011 October - Vancouver

I love to break my own rules!  Here's another 'State' that wasn't in the original lineup for my Bead Journal Project. 

My cousin Patrick once again treated me to a spontaneous trip by asking me to join him on an awards trip that he won through his employer.

Patrick at the SandBar
Granville Island, Vancouver, BC

Needless to say, he didn't have to ask me twice. So at the end of September, I hopped on a plane and flew across the country and in to Canada to explore a new city - Vancouver, British Columbia! 

At some point on our trip, I was given a Vancouver quarter as part of my change.  NICE! 

Here are the inspirations (in no particular order) for my October piece:

Glorious Sunrises

Glass Galore - every building was just encased in glass!

Stanley Park Beach

Stanley Park Rock Formations

The forest in Stanley Park

Cloud banks that swallowed the mountains

And here's how I interpreted the essence of Vancouver:

Lush Forests and Sherbet Colored Skies

Glass Buildings

Beach meets Rocks
(I actually found that shell with the barnacles on it on the beach in Stanley Park)

Ringed with Clouds

It was truly amazing to see how the clouds would come in and the mountains would completely vanish from view.  We were so lucky to have a few days of sparkling sun before the clouds came in. 

We also headed up north to Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.  Took an amazing ride on a glass-bottom gondola between the two peaks.    I do have another Vancouver quarter......just might have to break another rule so I can use up some of this inspiration:

Top of Whistler Mountain

On the Peak 2 Peak Gondola
Heading over to Blackcomb Mountain

The view from Blackcomb Mountain

Whistler Village

~ Bead Happy and Often ~

Looking Ahead to the BJP 2012

My silly brand new HP laptop is still not working, so I haven't been able to share my October BJP, but it is complete and I am working on November now.   

No one is more surprised than me that I have been 'keeping up' with the BJP.  I think it is because it really has become a personal journey.  Revisiting places I've been has been enlightening, to say the least.  I never ever expected it to take me where it has and with that in mind, I gave some serious thought on where I wanted the BJP to take me in 2012.

I now know that the BJP is so much more than beading.  I don't know why this is such news to me, since I was already aware of the Power of the Bead.  That magical journey that happens when you just bead and let the process overtake your mind soul  and before you know it - Poof - a little bit of yourself is reflected in beads.  ~sigh~  I get the same feeling when I do yoga.

Anyhow, I was just so excited that I came up with my BJP theme for next year,  that I wanted to share my enthusiasm for the BJP and encourage anyone who has hesitated to join to throw yourself into the project and let the magic begin!   Registration opens soon......

Bead Happy and Often!