BJP 2012

[Connie Eyberg]

Is anyone in the bead group taking part in the bead journal project for 2012?

[Tahlia]

Yep! From the "reply to discussion" box we get a bunch of button-options at the top of the text box. The first button is "link", the second button is for "image" (and has a little icon of what is supposed to be a photograph, I think), and so on. So I can add a photo right here:

This is an example of what I expect to make each month: a bead mandala that will fit onto a wedge-shaped CQ block for a peacock-theme crazy quilt for CQJP. Posting a photo within a reply like this (above) does not upload it to the common photo area.

Or I can point to a photo that I've uploaded to the common photo area:

Tahlia's "Carnivale" CQ block

I used the "link" button, and that let me set a clickable title for the link address, or I can cut-and-paste the link address directly:

http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/cq-block-carnivale-november-1...

Hope this helps!

[Tahlia]

Oh, I totally should have added my blog addy:

Tahlia's blog

[Connie Eyberg]

I agree it would be nice to see the project photos here.  It will be easier to keep up with each others projects, kind of like one-stop  shopping.  It will also be a good place to comment and offer support.  Gosh, January is almost here!

[Janie S]

Okay, I get the idea of how it goes. This morning while I was walking, I was thinking about ideas. Yes the theme of the zodiac signs crossed my mind, of course flowers from my garden (not all of them are called flowers LOL), and maybe some ideas from photos I took this year on a trip.

I don't have much beading experience, but I can see there are some very talented ladies here. (Nice work, Tahlia) I hope to learn from some of you. But already I've been busy, trying to figure out Chrome and getting emails to my mail box and now I have to start thinking of blogger, yikes! I just want to stitch!

Thanks everyone for explaining how it all works!

Janie

[emily brailsford]

connie, It might be worth you contacting Debra Spinic as she is running the TAST study group that Im part of, she might be able to help you set up a BJP2012 study group?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Cy]

I have been thinking about my project shape and have decided to divide a circle into 12 (smallish) wedge shapes to make a beaded piece a month. When all 12 are completed they will fit in a circle on black fabric (probably velvet) so that it will represent a rose-stained-glass-window, and I shall add other shapes to 'top-off'' each wedge as needed for the full church window effect.

Hope this is not too ambitious an idea. I don't want to fizzle out of steam half way through as this design will need all 12 wedges to work. I suppose it is one way to keep me working all the year, knowing that I have to do one every month and not miss any.

[Kalona Simmons]

That sounds like a great idea!! I love stained glass...

I shall probably write on the official blog, post pics here, and link them to my own blog...you can spend forever going round making sure everything is everywhere all of the time...(having a couple of blogs and swaps going on all over) Much simpler to write one place and just link up...

Shall sit down over next few days and get my design loosely planned....

Fingers at the ready!

xxx

[Connie Eyberg]

Janie, the zodiac signs is an interesting idea. 

Emily, Debra is overseeing two groups for TAST.  A couple of us are part of the Tuesday Stitchers blog Debra set up for CQJP and TAST as well as the group you are speaking of.  Because of the time another blog would involve, I personally would prefer using this discussion  to communicate rather than starting another blog.  How does everyone else feel about it?  I will be happy to share what I know and help answer any questions here if I can as I am sure any in the group will. 

 

Cy, I think your idea sounds fun.  It does mean you have to finish to have a completed project...unless you ended up with a fan.  You will finish though and will have two fans or a circle.  How large of pie wedges were you thinking?  Will it be solid beads?

[emily brailsford]

Im happy to use this discussion, it was just an idea.  Not a very good one addmittedly.

[Cy]

Connie, I'm happy to just have this discussion area for sharing BJP, as well as the official BJP blogsite and my own blog page too.. As you mentioned above, another blog would be time consuming and I'd rather be beading please, I've got a lot to complete in 2012, lol.

I'm not sure of the size of my pie-wedges yet. I need to get a template done to see what fits best for me. I've also had the idea that each wedge will be "removable" from the backing and will have a brooch pin attached to the back so that each one can be used on it's own, or combined with any of the others, as a brooch or threaded onto a necklace as a pendant. Yep, I'm still feeling ambitious.

[Tahlia]

Emily, I think your idea was a good one: there are some advantages to using a blog like Debra put up-- the ability to sort by person's name, for example. ... but I also understand Connie's reluctance to add yet-another-blog to the collection of things to keep up with. For the TAST project it was absolutely essential to create a smaller group somewhere-- there were just TOO many of us all chattering at the same time, and trying to stay connected with one another without drowning in the massive influx of (expected) posts was really overwhelming even before it started happening! argh. ...and with the TAST, there will be incoming information every week (what the new stitch is, who is having trouble working it, etc) that will add extra challenges to keeping up with that discussion forum.

...but for the BJP, it looks like there are few enough of us that maybe just posting here in this discussion forum will work out well. How about we give this discussion forum a try for at least the start of the year, and if we start having troubles that a dedicated blog will help solve, I can set one up for us if that is what is desired.

[Tahlia]

Cy, I think your stained-glass-window idea is fabulous! ... do you think you will be bead-weaving your bead wedges or  attaching them to a backing fabric? do you think you will be working with all one size and type of bead (delicas, maybe?) or intermixing sizes and types for textural variety? 

One question for everyone:

Does your plan leave enough potential for variety and exploration so that you don't get bored, but stay simple enough that you can comfortably accomplish your target each month?

One potential for meeting both of those goals is to choose something so simple that you can't help but get it done, and then if you have time to kill and aren't feeling challenged enough in a particular month, create an extra or two to choose from. For instance, with my bead mandalas, it takes me about one dedicated evening to finish one. I have an average of 8 evenings per month that I could use for that dedicated time block, plus a few extra hours slipped in here and there if I need them. I need a project that I can reasonably enough expect to finish in only one of those time blocks because I need the others for my CQJP and my TAST and some assorted swaps and anything unexpected that catches my eye throughout the year. If I have extra time blocks left over in a month, I can either re-work something that didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, or I can make a second (or even a third) mandala in one month so that I have options to choose from (my mandalas need to work well on a CQ background), and so that I have a buffer in place early to help me through any month in which the completely unexpected happens to overwhelm me (e.g. (and Heaven forbid!) I injure my hand somehow).

I have been able to complete two suitable bead mandalas so far this month during the planning stages of my project, and the simplicity of shape allowed me to explore a great variety of color-combinations and bead-size changes, so I do not forsee myself getting bored or overwhelmed by this part of the project throughout the year. (fingers crossed for luck!)

Cy said:

I have been thinking about my project shape and have decided to divide a circle into 12 (smallish) wedge shapes to make a beaded piece a month. When all 12 are completed they will fit in a circle on black fabric (probably velvet) so that it will represent a rose-stained-glass-window, and I shall add other shapes to 'top-off'' each wedge as needed for the full church window effect.

Hope this is not too ambitious an idea. I don't want to fizzle out of steam half way through as this design will need all 12 wedges to work. I suppose it is one way to keep me working all the year, knowing that I have to do one every month and not miss any.