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!
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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!
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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...
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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!
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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.
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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.
