FEBRUARY BJP

Garden Of Love

This months BJP is called "Garden of Love". How did I get to February ? I'm working backward now so I can catch up. (In my mind that makes sense) December and January are in the works still. I'm not completely happy with my work, but I guess it's just one of those months and maybe later on I will tweak it a bit or a lot! After using batik fabric as I have on all my past tags, I chose the center purple dichroic heart, which a friend made me a few years ago, and I wanted to use it as the center 'flower' . I glued this cabachon to the back and then did a peyote stitch around it. Everything else just kind of flowed from that center and although the turquoise was subtle I did want that color to be in it. It says 'believe' on the metal plate, which is just simply a note about Love in general. I struggled with this tag...and just couldn't get it going for a long while. Lots of things have happened in my life in the last few months i.e. My mom came out for Christmas (1st in 30 years) and 2 weeks later my brothers passing away, a wedding, and a birth, and my mind could not focus on beading. Beading just flows better when I am happiest. I'm not one of those who finds relief in painful soul art I guess. Don't hold me to it though. The red heart flowers at the top pulled some of it together for me and I did a russian spiral rope for the tags handle with random dangles of beads from its' ends. Although a small area, I found I wanted to continue with more things but decided it was better to stop than cram too much in.

Breathe..

What does this photo have to do with my BJP??? Nothing except breathing!!! Lance Armstrong rode through town and I watched him ride by in a nano-second. What lungs!! Up the steep hills of Oakhurst in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Yosemite, and down through Mariposa to our town. He is amazing, an inspiration, and a true idol for anyone. Leg 4 of the race and what a thrill to see all these bikers in town. Exciting...!!! It's one of the things I did this past week while I didn't work on my BJP. I'm thinking the block has lifted...as soon as I got most of my class samples finished my juices started flowing again coming into the home stretch like Lance (no we're not on a first name basis) although I will not even come close to a first place or even 4th place win. Gheesh I hate it when my ideas just don't come together. I am behind but making progress with my tags. I started working backward from February back to make it a little easier on myself and mentally feel like I'm somewhat catching up. February "Garden of Love" is almost finished and I finished November 'Thankful". PHOTOS to come...I promise, but don't get too excited 'cause I'm not thrilled about either of them. I have the beginnings of my January, not titled yet..so stay tuned. For December I have too many ideas and not enough time, and this one needs to be a special one which is why I think I'm procrastinating on it. Gotta just breathe and let it flow and move!!!!!!!!!!!!