BJP - Bead Journal Project 2014 - "I and Eye" - April

Thank you, meye friend

I think many of us are collectors and hoarders, all in the name of art. We even welcome being donated with bits and pieces that others have sorted out for the bin, because we can visualize the possibilities contained in a piece of trash.

On another level, who wouldn't be happy to receive the totally unexpected, generous present of Sari silk? It happened to me out of the blue some weeks ago, when a friend of mine presented me (it wasn't my birthday or anything) with a length of Sari silk, 116 cm wide and 325 cm long (appr. 46 x 130 inches). The colour is a brilliant blue, with sprinkled small gold-thread motifs, and a gold border. The fabric is a souvenir and keepsake of my friend's trip to India some years ago. I got this treasure on the condition that I show the donator what I make out of it. A condition that I am happy to start fulfilling with my April BJP piece. The original has, of course, been admired in person already.

The design, except for the wording and where the gold border should go, was not premeditated, it grew

The Third Eye

Lotus

Writing I

Writing II

Corner

The beads are paper and glass beads again. Let's look behind the scenes, as always:

On the frame

Finished

In case you are wondering: Yes, I did give my friend something in return (which was not expected), something that also had not been intended as a present originally, but which I felt was the right thing to show my appreciation.

BJP - Bead Journal Project 2014 - "I and Eye" - March

Eye sing - it's SPRING

The sun is shining, the skies are blue - springtime has come!

Materials:

Cotton fabric, glass beads, paper beads, plastic beads.

I wanted the background to be 100 % springtime compatible, so I bought the printed cotton fabric especially for this piece. The sales lady, when measuring and cutting the fabric, said: „How nice, you are buying something for the spring season!“, and we shared a happy smile. That was in February, cold and grey, with just the tiniest hint of spring in the air.

 

Most words were stitched without any preparation.

For „Spring“, however, I roughly sketched the letters with basting thread,
otherwise I would have been stranded with no room for half the word.

 As always, a curious look at the backside:

BJP - Bead Journal Project 2014 - "I and Eye" - February

mEye name is SABINE

Here's my February piece, a true journal page. The idea is based on a little incident that happened on Tuesday, February 18.

We all know that language develops and changes, that's how it should be. Only, does language have to become poorer in the process? Let me pick out one example, the word HALLO (for English speakers: The pronounciation is something like "hullo"). Since years now, there is a trend in Germany to use that no-brainer for each- and everything: Greeting one another, calling after someone, reprimanding children, expressing astonishment, dislike, anger ... The intonation more or less indicates the meaning.

Which takes us back to my February bead piece: On Tuesday, someone called "hallo" in my direction in order to catch my attention. In this particular case, I made an exception and reacted. But I was not amused and made it clear that my name is Sabine, not Hallo. It didn't sink in the first time, so I had to repeat what I had said to make myself (faintly) understood. Looking back, I am quite content that this happened, because it led to a 6 x 6", colourful beaded journal page that I enjoyed making.

 Glass beads and paper beads on silk

Corner

Let's take a look behind the scenes:

 Reverse, fabric is still pinned to frame

Reverse, finished piece

The reverse images started me thinking about what I will do with my BJP 2014 pieces. I would really like to put them into a fabric book. The precondition is that I stick to only slightly three-dimensional work, with surfaces sturdy enough to stand up to some weight. Still ten pieces to go - we will see what happens.

Cheerio for today, and thanks for visiting my blog!

BJP - Bead Journal Project 2014 - "I and Eye" - January

Eye am looking at you

My January piece is finished at last. It only took a few evenings to do, but I started late. My motto for this year is "I and Eye".

I and eye - these two words don't have one single letter in common, yet they sound the same when spoken. I am intrigued, and I am wondering where the adventure of substituting "eye" for "I" will take me.

The longer I muse about my motto, the more I realise that it could bear more emotional explosive for me on a personal level than I bargained for. I will stick to the theme anyway, although there will be no poems this year, and I may not comment in depth on each and every piece.

However - language and beads are both great toys, and I will definitely take them and play. Each piece will show some bead writing, always containing the word "Eye" instead of  "I", as already mentioned. I will include paper beads throughout, older ones that I made for another project originally. I will probably also make some new paper beads for variety. Each  piece  will be 15 x 15 cm = 6 x 6", like last year.

It should be fun to make the BJP 2014 series up into a fabric book. To make this possible I will have to keep the third dimension of my pieces in check.

Materials: Silk; light, iron-on interfacing; paper beads; mostly glass beads; button.

Still pinned to the embroidery frame, reverse side

Still pinned to the embroidery frame, front

Iris and pupil

Eyelashes

A corner

There is a lot of invisible work in this piece: Extra threadpasses. Independent of the type of beadwork I do, I invariably work with double thread to start with, and then I just go on and on.

That's it for today. On to the February piece!

Some little freeform just for fun

I finished this a few weeks ago, nothing outstanding, but it was fun to make: A necklace and a bracelet, or the other way round, as I made the bracelet first.

I was taking photos of my 2014 January BJP piece this morning anyway, so I thought I might as well make pictures of the bracelet/necklace set for my blog. Don't ask me what beads I used - I just grabbed anything that didn't run away fast enough.

 

 Necklace

Necklace Centre

Necklace Closure (Loop and Button)

Bracelet

Bracelet Closure Loop

Bracelet Closure Button

The pictures are a little on the dark side, i.e. the colours should actually be brighter. Trouble is that I now have to find a top with the appropriate neckline to wear the necklace.

    

In the Blues

Rats! Someone has, intentionally or unintentionally, removed the overall Bead Journal 2013 blog for good. What a shame! How the blog vanished will remain a secret. Before that happened, a Bead Journal Facebook group had already been founded, and it is flourishing. Meaning that, starting with 2014, the showing, telling and commenting of BJP pieces will happily be continued, which is fine. Though not a FB lover, I joined the group, because the BJP helps me to keep beading on a more regular basis with the focus on a theme and stay connected to other beaders internationally.

Because of the switch to the FB group I wasn't too motivated to give much thought to what I would do this year, but at the end of January I finally decided on my 2014 motto, which is ... what? I will keep the motto to myself until I have a first piece to show for it.

Until last night I was in high spirits as I had finished a mural on Sunday, so that it was off my mind finally (not a large mural, just 0.80 x 2.45 m = 0.87 x 2.68 yd). While not an accomplished painter, I enjoy painting, and I am no longer too shy to show the results. They are not of any supreme quality, but the important thing to me is that they make me happy and that they seem to have a similar effect on others. Murals are hard work, at least to me. I exclusively make them for the nursing home my daughter lives in. It is unpaid work, of course.

It is partly collage: The birds, butterflies and ladybirds were pre-fabricated at home and then added to the wall with acrylic medium.

While we are at it, I will also show you my very first mural which dates back to last year:

The height is the same, the width must be about 1.50 m = 1.64 yd.

Yes, these pictures show a world that is intact, serene and peaceful. They are meant to lift the spirits of old and/or sick persons who can no longer live on their own and thus have to accept new surroundings and the fact that they have to be cared for by others.

So, why am I in the blues? The extinguished blog plus a disliked internet format alone can't get me down, of course. But then, last night, I read Robin Atkin's post about her BJP 2014 theme and January piece, and I fell down into the dumps.

The state of the earth and our responsibility for it is something I try not to think about too often. It depresses me terribly, even though I am not a pessimist by nature. Where is a solution? What can I do myself? I don't think the problem on this earth is a problem of numbers (only), it's the spirit, the thinking and the action that have to change. Will they change? Hopefully. Will the amount of human population be kept at bay? Maybe, somehow, in the long run. The point is: Will less people make the world a better place? Not much chance of that. Maybe if they were a different breed with more sense. It is not for me to judge how much change Robin's idea and coming-up campaign will bring about. Only time will show. What is realistic? I suppose every little thing helps. I am wishing Robin all the luck in the world with her endeavours. If the idea should develop into a movement, there will be controversial discussion and strong opposition - not at all easy to live with and succeed against.

Alright, I have to finish here, hoping for the best, as usual. Lamenting does not help anything or anyone. I will go out now to join a tour of an art exhibition on the theme of globalisation. Maybe I will find some new and/or cheerful aspects there.

P.S.: The art exhibition was what I call "pale". Repetitive, no emotions, no inspiration, the tour conducted in bone-dry fashion by the artist herself. Oh well, Sabine, cheer up - there will be better days.