2008-09 Bead Journal Project, almost there...

I managed to get all the pieces sewn together and since I do not sew, it was quite a feat for me. Actually, a more accurate statement is that I do not know how to use a sewing machine. I can sew on buttons, manage a hem and do small mending repairs. But "real" sewing is beyond my grasp at this point. Some day... maybe I will learn, not today though!



This all started as a simple idea of combining 2 of my favorite things - heart shapes and beads. Next task was to figure out how to get a piece of a heart in every square while leaving it relatively simple to line up once all the squares were beaded. Setting it up was the easiest part! Up until the last stitch, I was never sure if everything would line up correctly and while it is not perfect, it is close enough for me.



Each piece was sewn together by hand, using at least a million tiny little stitches, okay that might be a slight exaggeration, but it sure felt like a million. I am happy with the results though. Next and final task is getting it matted and framed. Still not sure how I will accomplish that, but have a few ideas. Once it is complete, it will go up on my office wall.

A big thank you - to my friends and all of the other BJP participants that regularly stop in here to check on my progress and offer support and encouragement. I appreciate it so very much. For those of you that were eager to see what the lines meant - I hope you are not disappointed. It is rather simple after all.



The finished size - measuring just to the beaded edge is 9 inches tall by 12 inches wide. And as always - with attempting to photograph beads, I am not able to adequately capture the sparkle with my camera, not even close. In the end, I am very pleased with it. I tried something new and that was my goal for the project this round.

If you want to see the individual pieces as I finished them with further descriptions and larger photos - look over at the right side of my blog and find the button for 2008 Bead Journal Project Member. Directly beneath that button is a link to see all the pieces at once.

And for those that like to see the back, here you go - I need to trim up some of those edges and see if I can get it to lay a little flatter.



All photos are clickable for a larger view.

Bead Journal Project - Uninspired...

Well, finally - my last month of the BJP for 08-09. I really did finish is quite awhile go, I was just late in taking and cropping photos.

This one is called "Uninspired". By the time I was able to sit and work on this piece, that is exactly what I was... uninspired. It does not mean I do not like the end result because I do. It is just that nothing inspired me to bead, this was mindless beading, following the design of the fabric with no personal inspiration at all, but I happen to love the colors. Sometimes it is nice to sew beads and sequins to fabric with no thought.

Here is the back



Now to put them all together - that is the real challenge!

July BJP (Bead Journal Project)

Now I am jumping back a couple of months... you with me?


Sparklers on the 4th of July

Even though this round of the Bead Journal Project officially ended at the end of August, I am still working on finishing mine. That's one thing I love about this - while I aim for the date guidelines, I don't always make them and with this project - there is no pressure.

I recently finished my July page and it's all about the fireworks! Since I moved to Indiana 5 years ago, I spend the holiday with my son. He's a pyro, er I mean a big fan of fireworks. Unlike California (where we both grew up), fireworks are legal in Indiana, so the little stands and shops pop up all over the place in the summer. My son usually teams up with a friend or a neighbor to put on a show. This year his dad, step mom, brother and sister came for a visit and the show was spectacular!


The Gonzales men

This was their first trip to Indiana, and it's now obvious to me that my son's love of fireworks is not by chance, it is certainly genetic. There was an amazing array of sparkles, lights, smoke and explosions on the ground as well as in the sky. A good time was had by all.



So, when I think of July, I think of fireworks - when I think of fireworks, I think of my boy. That is how my July BJP came in to being.



Here's the back



I have not yet started August, but it's at least on the radar. I'd like to get it done and all the pieces sewn together before the next round of the BJP starts, but am not sure if that's realistic. It's my goal though!

June Bead Journal Project

So many variables on just what inspires me to bead. For this month, I already had the fabric picked out well ahead of time. I went searching for orange beads (or anything with a hole in it) and came across these which were recently provided by Aunties Beads.

I dug around some more and pulled out green freshwater pearls, orangish swirly sequins, and other items as seen in the photo. The various shades of green seed beads are one of the many beautiful exclusive bead mixes (this one is 'moss') offered up at Whimbeads. I was lucky enough to receive a tube of them from my birthday buddy last year.

Other than the black line of beads, nothing was planned - I added the beads and sequins outward from that black line purely for the joy of it!

Here's the back


Photos are 'clickable' for a larger view.



And for those that have asked... here's 2 photos of my grand kids taken this past weekend. Ages are 13, 8 and 8 weeks.



In other news, my good friend Anne from Minnesota is flying in tomorrow and I have 3 days off work. Life is good...

Bead Journal Pages - April and May

I have been doing pretty good keeping up with my pages, but I'm a little behind in photographing and blogging.



The pattern in the fabric I chose for April reminded me of a fountain, that brought back childhood memories of trips to the Disneyland Hotel and watching the 'Dancing Waters' show. It was one of the few things a family could experience that was free. The water and lights in the fountains were timed to 'dance' with classical and pop music. It was magical. Happy memories came with beading this piece. It includes glass seed beads in various sizes, 15/0 being the smallest as well as glass pearls.



As always... I took shots of the back.

May brought a new blessing into my life, a new granddaughter. My only child has 3 children of his own and this one was the last. This is the first one I have been here to watch grow from birth and I couldn't be happier. May is also the month in which my grandmother was born, she has been the most influential woman in my life. See died in 1998 at the age of 98, I miss her and think of her just as much today as 11 years ago. More importantly I feel her presence in my life as if she watches over me and my loved ones. So my page for May is dedicated to the love of family.



This page includes size 15/0 beads for the stems on the flowers, 3mm Swarovski bicones serve as the leaves on the flowers and the flowers themselves are 6mm Swarovski margarita beads. The angel is a beautiful vintage Swarovski pendant. Lots of crystal = lots of sparkle which I can't accurately capture on camera.



And here's the back of May.

March BJP

It seems I haven't been able to get away from a weather theme. Every time I attempted to veer off in a different direction, I always came back to the weather or more accurately the cold.

I have never been so cold for so long.

I really wanted it to be spring when I was working on my March page, but there were so many days it was freezing and/or snowing - so my thoughts of blooming flowers turned to colorful snowflakes. Thankfully we have some warm days in the forecast for the weekend and I could not be happier! I'm finally spending more time outside. Soccer season has begun for my grandson and baseball season is right around the corner. HOORAY!



I added a couple of photos taken in different lighting and the back of it as well. If the fabric looks familiar to you, it's because it is the same fabric I used for my BFAC project - this beautiful fabric was a gift from my friend Kathy.



I don't believe I have posted about the impending birth of my third grandchild. She (all indicators point to a girl anyway) is due on May 23 and I'm thrilled that I will be here for her birth - it will be a first for me. I was clear across the country for the birth and early years of the other two.

And speaking of birthdays... for anyone that has wondered about our little surprise baby kitty born last year; he turned 1 year on April 16. He has become quite an entertaining little - or should I say BIG guy. His mother weighs in at almost 7 pounds and he's tipping the scales right about 12 pounds or a bit more now.

Mocha Java Joe

He was born all white (photos linked in the above paragraph), but quickly began to show Siamese type coloring. As with Siamese, he seems to get darker all the time.



We waited until he was about 8 months to get him neutered - we were hoping his non-descended testicle would drop (sorry - that may be a little too much info for some, but hey - it happens). It never did drop so when we took him in, the vet was not sure how far 'in' he would have to go to find it, so they shaved him halfway up his belly. The hair there is still growing back and thankfully, the vet ended up not having to go far to find the missing part. All this just to explain this photo - showing where belly fur is so much darker than the rest.



If you have an affinity for cats - check out my little guy playing 'fetch'. His 'ball' can be anything that he can fit in his mouth, but he prefers one similar to what you see in this video. It's basically a felted ball made from his mothers hair after her combing. This is part of our daily routine and it never ceases to bring on the giggles...


Stuff I'm working on... the Pieces of Friendship swap and a couple of fun beady things - I'll post about all in the near future. In the meantime - I hope you are keeping busy and finding many reasons to smile!

Hearts in bloom

My bead journal page for February came easy this time around. I had this great fabric with hearts in shades of red, pink and light purple. I found some neat heart beads in order to make my 'flowers' and some wonderful vintage sequins.

I find when I focus on the positive (the love of family, an abundance of friends, my good fortune in that I do have a job, the impending birth of my 3rd grandchild and many other blessings too numerous to mention here) rather than get caught up in the negative (the state of the economy, my disappearing 401k, aches and pains of aging, and the never ending cold weather just to name a few), that my heart is in bloom. My goal - to stay focused on the positive, a daily challenge!

If you look at the photo blown up you will see the detail on the 'rosettes' on the rest of the page. I couldn't resist adding them. I don't often bead in these colors and found I was having quite a bit of fun with them.

Here's a shot of the stitching on the back

Dreaming of blue skies and warm breezes...

I am cold, I have been cold for a long time now it seems. Because of the high cost of heating these days we do not turn the thermostat above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. So that's the temperature at the thermostat, but it is a whole colder in the rest of the house - as our insulation is terrible (if existent at all). We do not have a fireplace - so that's not an option. I work from home, meaning there really isn't any relief from the cold unless I go out. And you know what that would involve... getting into a COLD car.



Okay, I'm really whining now - I recognize that. I am a California girl - I never knew 'weather' until about 5 years ago. I also know it could be a whole lot worse, so I'll shut up about it now.

If you're still reading, thanks for indulging me in that little 'fit'. Just know that while I beaded up this square for my January Bead Journal Project, I was never warm - not for one single bead. I was, however, dreaming of blue skies and warm breezes. I know it's not that far away now. The thought of that possibility AND green grass makes me positively giddy!



As with all the other pieces for the second year of the project, it is 3 inches x 3 inches. Here's the back for those that love to see the stitching. Images are 'clickable' for a larger view.

A few of you have asked about the black lines in each piece - that part of my project will be revealed once all the pieces are complete.

A view from my window...

Here is my Bead Journal page for December, all about snow and ice - big surprise!



December was filled with ice, snow and more ice. After our 'big' ice storm, we did lose power for the better part of a day. I consider us lucky because there were so many homes that were without power for several days.



We did have a warm up for a few days where the snow/ice did melt, but most days when I looked outside I saw snow, or ice.

I beaded up these cute little snowflakes found in the book "Bead Creative Art Quilts" by Nancy Eha. They are SO much fun to make!



The snowflakes were created with smaller beads 13/0 - 15/0 and some charlottes for a little extra added sparkle.



After the snowflakes were all complete, I tacked them down with a small stitch at each point and then made an attempt to bead what might look like a window pane, I'm not thrilled with the results, but will chalk that up to a learning experience and go from there.



I've also included a shot of the back of the piece.



All images are clickable for a larger view.

Finding the balance...

Not long ago I completed my Bead Journal Page for November. As it happened, I spent a good part of that month away from home when my work took me to Miami, Florida.



While I do enjoy traveling, meeting new people, and seeing new places (and oh boy did I ever enjoy the warm weather in Miami). I became acutely aware of how much I miss home while I am away. The seemingly unending flights home and waiting in airports (14 hours this time around) didn't help. Finding the balance between work and home can be tricky and frequently it is a struggle for me.

Those were my thoughts that occupied my mind as I worked on this little square. I don't know if you can see it here, but work did end up occupying more of my energy and time than 'home'. It's okay though, I will continue to strive to find that balance between the two because I am thankful for both and I know I am more fortunate than many.



I am including a shot of the back side for those of you that like to see the stitching. As always, you can click on the photos for a larger view.

October Bead Journal Project (BJP)

"Walking a new path". I think that sounds better than "Walking away from the heartache".

My heart is so very heavy today, I'll share as much as I can...

There were many questions rolling around in my mind as I beaded up this square. All surrounding my son and granddaughter. In addition to all she has had to endure up to now, so much has happened this past year with her and around her at her mother's house. Things seriously escalated in the last 6 weeks - it is still hard for me to grasp and understand.

The short story... the mother was arrested for felony domestic battery (among several other felony charges) for holding a gun to the head of her husband (in front of her 3 children). She spent several days in jail before one of her neighbors bailed her out. In the meantime my son took his daughter to his house and filed for an emergency change of custody order, with the hope and intention of keeping his daughter in a safer environment. He got her enrolled in a new school and she began a regular schedule of sleeping, eating and just being a kid. She seemed to change before my eyes, she appeared to be happier, lighter in spirit and much more like a little girl again. It has been such a joy to witness.

My son and the girl's mother went before the judge about 2 weeks ago regarding the temporary change of custody. He heard both sides and talked to my granddaughter separately. We received the ruling late Saturday - she is to go back with her mother immediately.

I don't think I could be more heartbroken. I see/hear my son's anguish and I feel my own. I try really hard not to imagine what an evening is like in that house. At times it is too much to process. The way the court sees it - the step dad is now out of the house and the mother is out of jail, so no emergency exists. It's a shame they don't look any deeper than that even when presented with a mountain of evidence about the unstable environment.

As I was beading this piece, I was sure it would end up being titled "Walking on sunshine" because I was pretty sure the ruling would go in the favor of my son and the judge would make what I thought was the obvious choice for my granddaughter and her best interests.

I don't make it a practice of sharing so much of my personal life and especially the sad moments, but I am feeling quite raw and unfiltered right now.

Let's move on to the details of this page - I'm sure you noticed the those awesome feet, right? They are raku style pottery by Lisa Peters. She makes the coolest stuff. And it just so happens, she is currently having a wonderful end of summer sale in her Etsy store.

The sequins are vintage and so incredibly beautiful in person. They were a bit hard to photograph, but I think you get the idea. And for those that love to see the stitching, I've included a photo of that for you (note - both photos are clickable for a larger view)



The beaded part of this piece is 3 inches by 3 inches and will be sewn together with the other 11 pieces when complete to make a mini beaded quilt.

Bead Journal Project - September

I have completed my first 'page' for the Bead Journal Project for the new round. For anyone that is not familiar with this wonderful project, you can read all about it here. You can also view many of the pages from quite a few of the participants last year in the 2007 galleries.

This year there are 259 participants from 16 countries. I am thrilled to be included!

I have named this page 'Swimming in a sea of code'. It relates to my full time job as a Business Systems Analyst. We are in the process of rolling out new software to offices all over the country. Lately I have been learning processes where I have seen and done my best to understand data mappings/translations from old systems to this new one. It can become overwhelming at times - especially this month when I had several deadlines looming.

My pages are 3 inches by 3 inches and will be sewn together to make a small bead quilt when the 12 months are completed. It is a bit hard to see, but there is a fish bead toward the bottom left of the square - that represents me, all the rest is codes, translations and mappings, etc.

I found it exceptionally difficult to do justice to the page with photographs. In person the colors in this page are very bright and the lines are clear. The photos looked either under or over exposed no matter how I changed the lighting. I tried outside, inside, with flash, without flash. But this is the best I could do. Next to the actual piece the photo looks over exposed and the colors look muted.

For this year of the project I have also decided to go back to the way I first learned bead embroidery and am using acid free paper as my stabilizer. You can see in the photos how I basted the paper to the fabric. I marked the guideline on the fabric in which to stay within as I beaded. I have since removed the black basting stitches and tore away the paper up to the edges of the beading.

I have included a photo of the back for anyone that might find it interesting.