We’re talking about doing the project again, for a third year, and we’re going to be waiting until January 2010 to kick it off this time.  I’ll make sure I post about it when I have more news…it would be fabulous to have more folks join in!

Here are my three completed sets: Autumn, Winter, and Spring.  Summer is almost finished…just one to go!

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

Post from: Blisstree

Bead Journal Project

Psalm 90:2
From everlasting to everlasting, You are God

There is no trouble or struggle that is as big as God.

Here are all three of my Winter pages together: December, January, and February

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

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Bead Journal Project: February

Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God

No need to struggle…just let go of your self-will, and know that He is there.

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

Post from: Blisstree

Bead Journal Project: January

Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep

The deepest and most satisfying relationship in my life is my spirit’s communion with my God.

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

Post from: Blisstree

Bead Journal Project: December

Psalm 84:10
Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere.

Here are all three of my Autumn pages together: September, October, and November

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

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Bead Journal Project: November

Psalm 16:11
In Your presence is fullness of joy.

The symbol here is joy that is so tightly coiled within that it just has to burst forth.

My previous pieces for the Bead Journal Project
Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

Post from: Blisstree

Bead Journal Project: October

Cindy McCornack was a friend and mentor to beaders, in person and online. She lived in Alaska, but had friends all over the world through the online beading community, especially the Bead Art forum. Among the things she left for for beaders was her book, Exploring Beaded Art Dolls, full of instructions, inspiration, and photographs of beaded art dolls that she and her friends created.

When Cindy was diagnosed with lung cancer, the Forum responded with flowers, gifts, support, and contributions. In thanks, Cindy began the Mystery Image Challenge. Inspired by the Mat-Su Valley Bead Society in Alaska, she cut an image into rectangles, emailed the rectangles to interested participants who were to bead the lines with black beads, and then embellish the rest of the rectangle. No one knew the finished image except for those who created the central face blocks: Cindy herself, Marya LeMieux-Ruibal, Mary Elter, and Rebekah Hodous.

One of the completed mystery panels

Cindy died in 2005 of her cancer before being able to complete the project. Moderators of the Bead Art Forum have since completed assembling the Mystery Image Challenge. These four completed panels are now for sale in the Remembering Cindy Etsy shop. The panels, postcards, and a couple of the dolls (explained below) are already listed. There’s much more to be added, which will happen over the next three weeks or so. All profits after expenses will be donated to the American Lung Association in Cindy’s memory.

Also for sale in the shop are some of the dolls that were made for her during her battle with cancer. Her partner, John, gave them back to the Bead Art Forum for this purpose. There are also items that have been donated specifically for sale in Cindy’s memory. Those who would like their own small memory of Cindy’s Mystery Image Challenge can also purchase postcards of the four panels. Again, all profits after expenses will be donated to the American Lung Association.

Please visit the Remembering Cindy Etsy shop (she would have loved Etsy). The shop will be open through the end of 2008, closing in early 2009. Cindy is missed, and we want to help fight that disease that took her away from us, with funds from your purchases in the shop.

Post from: Blisstree

Remembering Cindy

Huh?

Well, last year I used the full moons as my guiding theme, so each month’s pieces was based upon the name of that moon. This year, I’ve chosen hearts, but simply as a guiding shape instead of a controlling theme. Each month, I’m choosing a fragment of scripture from one of the Psalms, and creating a little 4 x 4 inch beaded piece that illustrates the feeling of that verse for me. Here is my piece for September:

Psalm 9:2
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

I did not intend for the shape inside the heart to be an ‘S’. It’s supposed to just be a shape, an indication of a welling up from the depths of my soul, resulting in an outpouring of song. Oh well, ‘S’ can stand for sing or for song too, I suppose

Information about the Bead Journal Project
Bead Journal Project blog

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Bead Journal Project: September

I used 12″x24″ gallery-wrapped Frederix canvases to mount my Bead Journal Pages. Each page is 6″x4″, so this left plenty of space around each.

Materials and Tools
3 gallery-wrapped canvases
Golden’s acrylic paints
Sponges
Waxed paper
Beading thread
Beading needles

Step by step instructions

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Mounting the beaded postcards

I am finished!! The year-long project known as the Bead Journal Project is drawing to a close, and my journal pages are all completed! You can see the entire set of them on Why Not Art, my mixed media website. I decided to make April’s page lush and crowded, the way I remember spring being when I lived in the more fertile and warmer regions of Pennsylvania instead of here in New England, where I’ve been for the past twenty-some years. Spring comes earlier back home

You can find links to more of the Bead Journal Project’s participants on Robin Atkin’s blog.

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Bead Journal Project – April’s Grass Moon