7000 Bracelets of Hope...Reveal Time!

A picture of the first bracelet I donated...I missed the blog hop last time but so moved by the sentiment I created and sent a bracelet on my own. This time I was so excited when I saw Sue's post that I just knew I had to participate!

 

A brief background note in case you are not familiar with the campaign...This was the blog post from Sue asking us to join in this round for donations...

Are you familiar with the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope campaign? Many of us bead makers and jewelry designers are. It's a bracelet program for people or families who suffer rare genetic diseases. Here's a bit of information directly from their donation page:


"Cause bracelets have been available for breast cancer and heart disease but there has never been a unifying symbol, color or bracelet that represents the rare and genetic disease community. That’s why we started the 7,000 Bracelets for Hope™ campaign.
Since launching the campaign in 2010, Global Genes has received thousands of unique blue themed bracelet designs made from everything from cut strips of recycled denim to vintage blue glass to turquoise stones. The creativity from our volunteers is truly inspiring!
The number 7,000 represents the 7,000 different rare diseases that impact 1 in 10 people, 30 million Americans and 350 million globally. Each individual blue bracelet design we receive represents the uniqueness of one of the 7,000 rare diseases and many of our volunteers send in multiple copies of a single design.
Our goal is to continue to collect unique bracelets made by jewelry designers, artists, crafters, church groups, girl scout troops and other volunteers and distribute them to our families fighting rare and genetic diseases. Adults receive handcrafted bracelets made by our jewelry designers while children receive love friendship bracelets filled with hope."

I was just contacted by Lisa James (Manager of Community Development for Global Genes/Rare) and asked if I would host a blog hop, as they are in need of at least 40 bracelets right now! I said YES! While I'd love to get more than 40 participants, or 40 bracelets, let's just do our best to get close to that number!

40 bracelets...wouldn't it be wonderful if we could meet their current needs and a few extra... I began to look through my bead stashes, art beads...I discovered in my hoarding I actually had LOTS of blue artisan charms, links and beads. I decided from this stash I could easily create 20 bracelets so I set my time accordingly...with Thanksgiving and a show coming and my full time day job it would really just be about good time management. I can do that...then I got sick...

Really??? Sick now...I don't have time for this! So I found myself slowly moving ahead as I could but still feeling like this was so important and wanting to create as much as I could. Also, medicine head does nothing for the creative flow! So many beads were groped in this process while trying to formulate unique designs through a medicinal haze...BLAH!

I always try for this project to make adjustable bracelets...since we don't get measurements on our recipients...but I did discover one or two beautiful blue bracelets in my already made stock so I decided to include them even though they are not adjustable.

This blue fairy image from Calico Collage is one of my very favorites and I love the way this bracelet turned out. In the end I was very please with the selection of bracelets I sent and I hope the recipients are as delighted to wear and enjoy them as I was to create and share them.

When I got 6 bracelets done, considering all that was happening, I felt pretty sucessful. Granted this was not the 20 I was aiming for but sick, a show and holidays coming...and all the bracelets were very different in style so I was ready to call it well done and get my bracelets shipped. But wait...a little second wind, a break in medicine head to relieve my creative blahs...and that package of new Menagerie Studio charms in denim blue...maybe just a couple more creations before I seal the box!

TEN bracelets was the final count when the box closed and shipped on November 13! I was very happy with the results and hope that each recipient knows they were made with love, care and support for them and their families!

and now a bunch of THANK YOU'S, including the artist beads or components used to create my designs:
Sue Kennedy, our hostess
Global Genes Project
Gaea Cannaday
BoHulley Beads
BeadFreaky
Pink Beach
Sea Shore Glass
Havana Beads
Menagerie Studio
Asbury Avenue Designs (my supply shop for the ephemera wood charms)

I appologize for not having a list of the other blogs participating in this hop...I had to pre-schedule my post because I will be at America's Largest Christmas Bazaar in Portland, Oregon today and when I pre-scheduled the list wasn't available yet.

If you visit Sue's blog by clicking the link above I am certain she will have a list of all participants. Also, I will not be able to hop today but I will get around to everyone in the next few days and get a look at what I'm sure will be wonderful bracelets since you are all such very talented ladies! Thanks so much for stopping by...I love to read all your comments.

Bead of Clay Design Team Reveal!

Several months ago the opportunity came to be part of a wonderful design team through Bead of Clay. So many of us wanted to participate that we've been split into teams...each waiting our opportunity to participate in a design series. I was so excited to hear at the end of July that I would be part of the August/September round of designers.

Marla was so wonderful to give a sneak peak of all the loot that would be coming our way...the ideas of course began swirling at first sight. So many fantastic beads, components and even fiberwire to work with...did I mention I was excited!

Then Marla presented us with a challenge... She asked that we make a pair of earrings and a necklace OR bracelet. The catch, we had to use EVERYTHING  sent to us in our designs...leave nothing out. Did I mention we were getting a TON of stuff? Here's a picture of the all the loot...

I have to take a moment to say I love the color pallette and they all did a fantastic job with coordinating colors to each others items. Now back to that use everything and only 1 pair of earrings and 1 necklace OR bracelet...yikes! Best to just dig in...and take a few progress pictures along the way!

 

I picked beads for the earrings first. I really liked the purple rounds..I know hard to believe, lol. At first I was undecided about the teal tubes or the green rounds (slightly mismatched). So at this point I set the earrings aside and decided to move on for the moment...

Links, dangles, and more links... It is at this point I will tell you I decided to cheat, just a little, in my design. I actually end up with 2 necklaces, which can be worn together or separately and a pair of earrings that can be worn with either necklace. I wanted to follow Marla's request but felt I also had to let the beads 'speak' to me. Besides I'm an artist, not good at following directions by nature...LOL!

So the first necklace is a 3 strand chain style linked together with one of my hubby's new handmade copper rings...coming soon to our supply shop Asbury Avenue Designs. I love the way this necklace turned out, I was able to use most of the loot in this necklace without having the piece be "too much". wrapped links are spaced out on each strand and I've made this one adjustable to it can be worn close to the neck up to about 18-19 inches.

 

The adjustable style of this one perfectly compliments the extra lenth in the second necklace. It took me a bit to get past only having one of Kristi's beautiful copper cones...oh what I could have done with two! But the one I decided was perfect to create a focal with a few of the larger beads that just didn't sit right as links for the first necklace.

This simple style also turned out to be a great place to use the fiberwire and not have it get 'lost' in the design.

Right about now you're thinking what happened to the earrings...

and now that I've shown you all these beautiful goodies, in wonderful pictures and collages...I wanted to show how both necklaces can be worn together and how the earrings compliment everything but of course...I couldn't get a good picture to save myself! So pardon this horrible picture but you can atleast see how it all goes together.

My extra long post is almost over...just a little business and thank you left to do...THANK YOU to all the wonderful artists from Beads of Clay...without you we would not have this wonderful design group! I hope you will visit the other designers who participated. Links to their blogs are below along with links to all the bead designers for your shopping pleasure. :)

Designers:

CillaWatkins
Lesley Watt
MaryLou Holvenstot
Shannon Chomanczuk

BOC Contributors:

Karen Totten Starry Road Studio
Julie Rowe Beads, Birds and Bones
JeraLuna Designs
Marla James Marla's Mud
Kristi Bowman KristiBowmanDesign
Yarn Sweet Yarn

Coming Soon...

 So last time Diana from Suburban Girl Studio listed new items I managed to snatch up a couple of her wonderful copper patina bead sets. Last weekend during my sick, bored surfing in Etsy I found more beautiful dragonfly collage sheets... Then somewhere in the medicine haze I realized what a great combination the two would be...

The tiles still need to be sealed...I just couldn't get them done last weekend...UGH! I hate being sick!

 But this weekend since I am feeling better I will get these tiles finished...

Then...I see Vintaj brass, wire wrapping and voila a beautiful bracelet...maybe a few crystal or gemstone dangles too!