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!

BJP - September Virginia

Although I actually finished this piece in August, it has taken me until NOW to post it?  Good golly miss molly what is UP with that???  Hmmm,  I guess I've been busy re-inventing my life.  But more about that later. 

September's trip took me back to being 16 years old and going to Virginia Beach on vacation.  When I was 16 my mother used to tease me that my 'job' was suntanning and growing my fingernails long.  They were long, but I loved them.  And yes I was beyond tan back in the day.  None of that fake 'n bake -- just pure Western New York sunshine.  I couldn't get enough of it back then.  So a trip to the ocean in July - didn't have to ask me twice!

I was in my glory - sun, sand, ocean.   Not Lake - but OCEAN.  With its huge waves and pounding surf.  My dad and I had a blast playing in the waves on this little blow up raft thing.  Timing the waves just right to ride all the way into the shore.  Over and over again.  God that was fun! 

It was at the end of one ride that I literally felt like my arm had broken.  It was the weirdest pain.  I remember the look on my mother's face as she watched me come out of the water.  She knew something wasn't right.  I had no idea what could have happened. 

I looked down at the raft and there was a jellyfish.  I had laid right on top of it and had gotten stung. 

I had never even thought about jellyfish.  We didn't have any of those in Lake Erie!  Of course after that, I was so paranoid that the carefree surf rides were over.    But the memory lives on.......

Bead Happy and Often !

August BJP - New Hampshire

Another family vacation from my childhood!  I don't remember a whole heck of a lot about New Hampshire, other than there being too much fog to take the cog railway up Mt. Washington and it being drizzly and rainy and buying a stuffed black bear with a red collar and a chain leash as a souvenir. 



click to enlarge any of the pics



Oh joy of joys, I loved that bear!  It was like the dog I never had. 

When I mentioned to my mom that I was working on my New Hampshire piece, even she remembered the black bear and how I dragged him everywhere.  

I was thinking to actually attempt to bead a bear shape and put a little ribbon for the collar, but then I thought "too obvious".  So I went with a more abstract/textural piece instead.  It just so happened I came across the chain from an old necklace and I love the way it looks as the leash. 

 I wonder what ever happened to my little bear?  Maybe I'll find him while cleaning out my attic..........

August 2011
BJP
New Hampshire

.....as soon as I get around to doing that hateful project.  But I have to get on it, our house is sold (in less than a week!) and its time to weed through 21 years of stuff.  Ugh.