Journey with Gina Fundraiser Bracelet

One of my very dearest friend's sister was recently diagnosed with cancer. What a nasty disease it is. She's just started chemo and has been out of work since January. It's hard to know what to do in a situation like this. and so I began to pray for something I could do to help out. I had just made an adjustable bracelet from a kit I had ordered from UnkamenSupplies and loved the concept. Then inspiration hit! We live in a small, rural community that is known for their generous and giving hearts. There's rarely a weekend where there isn't a fundraiser of some kind being held for someone in need and people rally around those needing help. I've eaten my fair share of BBQ and chicken dinners to aid various causes, so figured something more tangible would also be well received. After messaging Ralph for permission, which he graciously granted, the Journey with Gina bracelet was born. She's a die hard Miami Dolphins fan so there had to be a dolphin and a tribute to one of the team colors.  I worked with her sister to choose the other charms and the colors are a few of her favorites.

. She knew nothing about this. With the help of another dear friend of hers, we pre-sold the first 15 bracelets for $20 each, with all the profits going directly to her. It was such a blessing to be able to show it to her and tell her that her sister got the very first one, and had helped in the planning of it.

I had prayed that we could sell at least 50- and thought that was thinking big. But my,oh my! I'm on my third re-order of supplies and we're close, if not over, the 100 sales mark. I'm going to post this in my Etsy store as soon as I get caught up with orders- not sure when that will be as they keep coming in. It comes with a card that contains a Bible verse chosen specifically for her, and a thank you for choosing to go on this journey with her. 

So here's a shout out to this wonderful community of Okeechobee- the small town with a very big heart!!! If you're interested in ordering one of these bracelets, you can leave a comment on the blog below and once I catch up on the orders already placed, we'll send you one (s/h $2.50 each).

The response and support for Gina sure added a huge dash of joy and splash of grace to my day- and hers!

Christie

Patina Blog Hop

One of the reasons I sign up for blog hops is to push myself out of my comfort zone and tackle new things that I've resisted because a) I know nothing about the technique or item b) I haven't made time to learn c) I'm afraid I'm going to fail or d) all of the above. Am I alone in this? Somehow, I don't think so. When Kathy Lindemer of Bay Moon Designs threw out a challenge on the Bead Soup Cafe page on Facebook about playing with patinas it was a no brainer, and much to my delight, I was one of 9 participants. She sent the Vintaj Natural Brass Compass and it sat untouched for quite a while. Then Lisa Liddy of Metal Me This offered some odds and ends patinas on sale which would work perfectly for this project.

Here's a picture that I borrowed from Kathy of the component she sent:

Vintaj Natural Brass Compass

  Here's a picture of the patinas that Lisa sent my way- aren't the colors pretty?

So it was time to play with the compass. Lisa had graciously given me a few hints and instructions and after much pondering, I decided to go with the rose and burgundy colors. They were easy to use- and I did practice on some irregular Vintaj Big Kick pieces that I'd made previously.

I also wanted to make some links that would complement the dark metal so pulled out Cindy Wimmer's book The Missing Link and grabbed some annealed steel wire from a local hardware store and went to work, and voila! Another fear tackled.

And last, but not least, the final result...Unfortunately when I used my two hole punch similar to this, even after much adjusting, the hole was, well, slightly off center.  Sigh.  Originally I was going to title this Due North. Great name, right? Had to amend it.

Almost Due North

With some pretty purple crystals to complement the patinas, the necklace is almost complete.

Almost Due North take 2

I still need to make a clasp, but love how it all came together ( minus the wonky hole). Thanks, Kathy for a chance to play with something new. It may be my first time using color, but it won't be the last!

Hope you have a great weekend filled with dashes of grace and splashes of joy. I'm off to our 52nd Dunklin Homecoming celebration and can't wait to see some dear faces, hug some necks and hear what God has been doing in the lives of our graduates. 


Here's the list of the other participants:

Hostess:  Kathy Lindemer,  BayMoonDesign 

Jennifer LaVite, Dry Gulch Beads and Jewelry

Karia Morgan, Texas Pepper Jams

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Shai Williams, Shaiha's Ramblings

Jessica Murray, Whimsical Monkey
 
Tammie Everly, TTE Designs

Kay Thomerson, KayzKreationz Blog

Claire Fabian, Saraccino

Christie Searle Murrow,  Charis Designs