Beads of Courage for My Girl

Life certainly can be ironic. Or come full circle. You know, like a bead. On January 2 of this year, the last day of winter break for my kids, I took my daughter Annie to JoAnne's to buy some fabric. She was using gift cards she'd received for the holidays to buy fabric because she wanted to make bags for Beads of Courage, a program that I love to support. Beads of Courage provides beads for children who are dealing with serious illnesses - different beads are assigned to various treatments. As you can imagine, some of these little fighters have multiple strands that are filled with all kinds of beads. So Beads of Courage not only depends on artists to create beads for the program, but it also relies on volunteers to make special bead bags for the kids. Annie, who loves to sew, had wanted to make these bags for a long time. So that's how we found ourselves at JoAnne's, picking out some fun fabrics on January 2. 

On January 3, I called our pediatrician's office to ask about Annie's sudden weight loss and extreme thirst, symptoms we'd noticed for the previous couple weeks. With the New Year's holiday long weekend, it was my first chance to call after realizing just how severe her symptoms were. I was told to take her right in for a blood test, and that's when we got her Juvenile Diabetes diagnosis. I first wrote about that here. Since Annie's diagnosis, our time has been filled with doctor's appointments and educating ourselves about this disease. But in the four months since she was diagnosed, Annie did finally get to make her first Beads of Courage bag. Her grandma came over and the two of them spent an afternoon figuring out the pattern and making one finished bag. Annie was so excited to finally make it! She plans on making more.

The first Beads of Courage bead bag Annie made.

Shortly after Annie's diagnosis, I learned that Beads of Courage now has a Chronic Illness program, which includes kids like Annie who have diabetes. So after a few weeks I finally filled out Annie's information and signed her up. And guess what came in the mail a few days ago? Annie's strand of beads! It's a short strand, and we hope it stays that way. :) But each bead on there stands for something she's been through - from her nights spent in the hospital to her blood draws while she was there. There are also special bumpy beads that represent learning to take her own medicine - in this case insulin shots - so I made that bead for her, as well as one for learning to use the insulin pen (which is now how she injects herself).

It hasn't been easy, adjusting to this new normal. But Annie has come so far in the last four months and we are so proud of her. She was so excited to receive her beads - and for someone who has pretty much open access to all kinds of beads here, that's saying a lot! That's because the Beads of Courage beads were hard-earned, and that's what makes each and every one so special. Thank you, thank you, Beads of Courage.

Orange Tuesday at Beads of Courage

Black Friday was so last week. And Cyber Monday? Over. So what's left? Orange Tuesday! That's right, I said it. Orange Tuesday. Orange is the color for childhood cancer awareness. So it's only fitting that Beads of Courage, an organization devoted to children with serious illnesses such as cancer, would be the first to implement Orange Tuesday. Through midnight Arizona time (Nov. 29), all orders of $20 or more at the Beads of Courage Artists Gallery receive FREE shipping in the US. Enter coupon code ORANGE at checkout.

A bunch of my critter beads are off at Beads of Courage headquarters in Arizona, soaking up the sun, doing photo shoots and rubbing elbows (wings and paws) with pretty beads. But despite all the fun they're having, they'd much rather be purchased and turned into something pretty.

When you purchase beads at the Beads of Courage Artist Gallery, you can even have those beads wire-wrapped into wearable pendants - so no work for you!

Proceeds from the sales of beads in the Artist Gallery benefit Beads of Courage.

And don't worry, there are more than beads with goofy grins to choose from ~ LOTS of gorgeous beads by top lampwork artists are available.

Dora Schubert's exquisitely detailed beads are for sale at Beads of Courage.

Talk about gorgeous - Brent Graber's famous pendants are sure to please (I own two, and believe me, they are beautiful!).

Looking to fill your rope chain bracelet with stunning beads? Check out the beauties Astrid Boyce is offering.

So take advantage of Orange Tuesday and send some beads of enCOURAGEment to someone you love! Your purchase will benefit Beads of Courage. And don't forget your coupon code at checkout - ORANGE - for free shipping in the US. Happy Orange Tuesday!

Beads for Sale at Beads of Couarage

I recently sent about a dozen beads to Beads of Courage, an organization I've written about here before. Beads of Courage provides beads to children who are suffering from illnesses. The children receive beads to string for each treatment they have, each time they stay in the hospital, each time they have blood drawn . . . As you can imagine, these kids have very long strands of beads. I send beads to the Beads of Courage program as often as I can, and they are distributed to the different hospitals that are participating in the program. There are a lot of artists that donate beads - it's a really wonderful program.

Recently, Beads of Courage put the word out to artists that it would be accepting beads to sell on the BOC website. These sales would benefit the program. It took me a little while, but I finally got a small group of beads ready and sent them (with my last bead donation) to BOC. I just found out that my beads are now up for sale in the Artist Gallery. There are some really amazing beads and jewelry available on the site, all by different glass and polymer clay artists, and I'm so honored to see my little critters among the beautiful beads.

So take a minute to check out the Artist Gallery at Beads of Courage. You won't be disappointed. :)

Beads of Courage

Yesterday I sent off 103 beads (it doesn't look like that many, does it?) to Beads of Courage. These beads will be used in their program that allows children coping with serious illnesses to string beads, each one representing a different treatment or milestone. I had a bunch of animal beads in this batch, including nine that glow in the dark. I also took apart a lot of the bookmarks I had made a while back and put those beads in, too. The holes in those beads are nice a big (I used 1/8" mandrels) and would be easy for little kids to string. Plus, they were just sitting in my cabinet when they could be out there doing some good. :)

I was all set to send my beads in in January, but I waited until now because this month only, I'm also entered to win a new torch. Marcy, of StudioMarcy, is generously donating a torch to the cause. For every 25 beads donated, or $25 donated, the donator gets a raffle ticket for the torch giveaway. So for my 103 bead donation, I'll have four chances to win the torch. But the competition is very stiff! You would not believe the amount of beads that are pouring in to Beads of Courage! Marcy started a blog to show them all off, so check them out HERE. If you are a lampworker, there is still time to get your beads in for this promotion. You know you've been sitting on some beads, just waiting to clean them and send them in - now is the time! You could win a torch, but you know you'll just feel good making your donation regardless.

Beads of Courage, Glow Frit & a Torch Giveaway - Oh My!

I've written about Beads of Courage before, but I've been meaning to share a video about it for some time. Jean Baruch, a pediatric oncology nurse and founder of Beads of Courage, was recently on the CBS Morning Show. Her moving interview and interviews with children in the program can be seen here. After you watch it, you will know why this program is near and dear to so many lampworkers' hearts.

I recently ordered my first batch of Glow Frit. Frit is crushed up glass that can be used on beads for decoration. Glow Frit actually glows in the dark! And here's the connection to Beads of Courage - GlowJoe , the artist who makes the Glow Frit, includes an extra packet of frit with all orders, with one stipulation: use some of this frit to make beads for Beads of Courage. Ok, Joe, you twisted my arm. :)

These little glow critters will be in my next shipment to Beads of Courage. Each one is made with GlowJoe's Netty Confetti Glow Frit. I have a couple more glowing turtles to send, too.

These critters aren't scared of the dark one bit. What a super idea - glow beads for kids! Thank you, Joe!

I highly recommend this seller. Try the Glow Frit and add something unique to your beads ~ plus help out with Beads of Courage - it's a win-win!

But wait - there's even more good news when it comes to Beads of Courage! One of my bead idols (yes, there is such a thing), Marcy of StudioMarcy, is giving away a torch. That's right. She won another torch (ho hum), and because she already has one that is practically identical to this GTT Cricket Torch, she wants to give it away. But there is a catch. A good one. Marcy will put your name into her torch raffle for every 25 beads, or $25, you donate to Beads of Courage. The more beads or money you donate, the higher your chances are of winning. But the big winner will be Beads of Courage, because a torch is excellent incentive for lampworkers and non-lampworkers alike to make more beads, as well as go through their bead stashes, to donate to the program. For all the details on Marcy's giveaway, head to this blog she set up specifically for this event.

I don't know about you, but I sure could use a torch upgrade. So let's all start making and gathering up more beads for Beads of Courage!

5 . . . 4 . . . 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .

Blastoff!

Sydney Newton

Eric Schultz / The Huntsville Times

Today is launch day for Space Dog and 16 other beads in the Beads of Courage Space Program. I'm going to share with you a story from The Huntsville Times by Victoria Cumbow, about how the entire program began. The following is all from Cumbow's story:

ATHENS, AL -- Sydney Newton, a Limestone County 6-year-old, has a new piece of jewelry that circles her neck three times. It's made with beads of every color, shape and size, and she strung all of them during the last six months of her journey battling cancer.

Replicas of some of those beads, along with a few newly designed beads, will fly with space shuttle Atlantis when it lifts off Friday afternoon from Kennedy Space Center.

Sydney's father, Jamie Newton, works as a contractor at Marshall Space Flight Center. When he approached NASA about the beads going into space, the agency loved his idea and processed it quickly in order to make the flight. NASA awarded 8 ounces of payload space to Beads of Courage - the nonprofit group that gives the beads to children with serious illnesses like Sydney. On Friday, 17 beads will be flown as one 8-ounce unit.

"Huntsville is in charge of payload, so if it can happen anywhere, it can happen here," said Sydney's mother, Cynthia Newton.

Once NASA approved the payload, Beads of Courage started a contest for bead-makers around the world. From more than 50 entries, 17 space-themed beads were selected to fly.

"It's another way of encouraging these kids," Jamie Newton said. "We want to give these children courage to get through this and help them reach beyond the Earth and stars.

"We can encourage these kids to fight so they can grow up to be the next astronaut and engineer," he said.

The Newtons left Tuesday for Kennedy Space Center. NASA officials invited them to watch the Atlantis launch as a family.

Sydney got her beads six months ago when she was at Birmingham's Children's Hospital undergoing treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma - a type of cancer often found in children. Doctors discovered a tumor behind her eye last May.

Each bead is different and symbolizes a hurdle, a struggle or a passed milestone in a child's journey with the illness.

"It's something to show for all she's been through," Cynthia Newton said. "She hangs it on her IV pole."

The memorabilia associated with beating cancer - a bag of hair, an IV pole, a radiation mask - are not things the Newtons want to frame on a wall in their Athens home.

A necklace comprised of colorful beads symbolic of every part of Sydney's treatment is something tangible to look at, to hold and to remember the battle.

"It tells an 11-month story," Cynthia Newton said. "It says, 'Look what I did.'"

Sydney can give you details about every bead on her necklace, when she got it and why.

Red beads represent blood procedures. A bead shaped like a dog represents the therapy dogs Sydney loved at the hospital. Bumpy beads are for getting over something difficult. The bead with a face and crazy hair is for Sydney's hair falling out. Glow-in-the-dark beads represent her radiation treatments. And the purple heart bead represents her finishing treatment.

Sydney's favorite is a cross between the purple heart bead and the dog bead. The bead shaped like a dog was made especially for Sydney. The maker of the bead designed a similar bead to be flown on Atlantis, and when Sydney said it was her favorite of the 17, she received a replica called the Love Puppy from the bead's designer.

It's been a long year for the Newtons, but so far things are improving for 2010.

Sydney's color is improving; her smile is flashing bright again, and even her 9-year-old brother Dawson can tell she's getting better by the way she picks on him. Laughter fills the Newton house, along with the sound of feet running around the hardwood floor - a sound Sydney's parents said they treasure after a year of her being weak, tired and sick.

On May 28, Sydney will return to Birmingham for an MRI with her beaded necklace around her neck. The Newtons say they expect Sydney to be deemed cancer free.

Have a safe trip, Space Dog!!!

Therapy Thursday ~ Pay it Forward

Giveaway Time!

I've recently had the good fortune of being asked by one of my lampwork friends to try out her murrini and let her know how it turns out on my beads. Of course I said YES! So I've been playing with murrini from Mallory at rosebud101 and having a ton of fun. I report back to her and send pictures of my results. One of my favorite murrinis from Mallory is called Smudges. It's a rainbow blend and it is really fun to use. My daughter thinks it looks like beach balls. It's on one bright and cheery turtle in my shop, and last night I tried it on a pink turtle shell. I like.

And now I want to Pay it Forward in the form of a GIVEAWAY! I'm giving away Ping the Pink turtle, and all you have to do is head to rosebud101 and have a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment about your favorite bead, bead set or lampwork supply (I recommend the murrini and frit blends!) here. Easy as pie.

I've made a few turtle beads with Mallory's murrini, and I've already slated some of them for a special journey to Beads of Courage, which gives beads to children in the hospital after they complete treatments. I know this program means a lot to Mallory - she sends in tons of beads to Beads of Courage. I think some turtles adorned with murrini by Mallory will be a great way to pay it forward.

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . Blastoff!

Come May 14, when the space shuttle blasts off, my little space dog bead will be aboard - can you believe it? I'm still in shock. But my space dog looks like he's ready to go. My dog bead was chosen as one of a handful (about 8 ounces total) of beads to ride along on the next space mission. It was all made possible through Beads of Courage, and there's more information on it HERE. Basically, all the beads that are blasting off are space themed and geared toward kids. Then, when they return to earth, they'll be distributed to children who are in the Beads of Courage program, which supplies beads to children undergoing treatments in the hospital. And although the rocket and alien beads I submitted won't be headed on a space mission, they'll still go to children in the hospital, so everybody wins. One question I have - do you think space dog will get to stick his head out the window?

Beads in Spaaaaaaaace

This just in: Glass bead makers from all around the world are vying for a spot on the next space shuttle. It's true! But the space they're competing for is less than 30mm long on every side. Surely even the tiniest glass bead maker can't fit in a spot that small. That's because that tiny spot is actually reserved for a space-themed glass bead. There are approximately 35 small spots on the next space shuttle - set to launch on May 14 - for beads. Lampworkers are being encouraged to make space-themed beads, and the ones that are chosen by a panel of judges will get to ride the rocket into outer space. And when they come back? They'll be bead heros, of course! Then they'll be distributed to children in hospitals undergoing treatments for various illnesses. Those kids will have these wonderful little souveniers that have gone where no bead has gone before. How cool is that?

This entire program is being spearheaded by TEAM Beads of Courage - Beads in Space, which collects beads for children in hospitals to string as they finish treatments. The beads that don't make the cut for the shuttle launch will still go to the children, so it's a win-win for everyone! Lampworkers: there's still time to make your space-themed beads! Bead entries are due by April 12. I'm so excited to see the entries!

Here's my entry. I channeled my love for Wallace and Gromit's A Grand Day Out, and made a space dog that looks a little like Gromit. If you haven't seen this short film, I highly recommend it. Wallace runs out of cheese, so naturally he and Gromit build a rocket to fly to the moon to stock up. But I digress . . . I also made a rocket ship and an alien. I'm not expecting one of my beads to make the cut, but I really had fun stretching my imagination and trying something new. That's what it's all about. And either way, these beads will soon be in the hands of little kids, and that's just plain cool.

Pigs for Dylan

If you're a lampworker, then you probably have heard of Beads of Courage. It's a program designed to distribute beads to children in the hospital. They receive beads to string as they complete treatments, and they are symbols of their courage. I've sent two packages of beads to Beads of Courage, and I'm getting ready to send a third. The organization likes to get all kinds of beads so the children have some fun and beautiful choices to add to their bead strands.

But last week Beads of Courage put out the call for pig beads. There's a boy named Dylan who is very sick and in the hospital, and he's been lobbying his mother for a pet pig. He can't have traditional pets because of allergens. So sculptural lampworkers are making pig beads to send to Dylan. Even lampworkers who don't normally make sculptural beads are giving pigs a go. I've got three little pigs lined up and ready to hit the road.

You might recognize the pig on the left - he's been in my shop for a looooong time. And now I'm glad he's still there. I'll be sending Super Pig Dylan's way. The middle pig is a sweet little guy, he's pink with gray spots. And the last pig is - hey! Wait a minute. That's no pig. He's trying his best to blend in, but I'm on to him.

And so are the other pigs.

Nice try, little turtle. Clever disguise. Ok, you can go, too. Go pack your bags.

For more about Beads of Courage, please visit their website HERE.