Jewelry For A Silent Auction

I made a set last night for a silent auction to benefit the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation.


From their Facebook page -

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is a very rare cancer typically originating in the head and neck region. This malignancy has a slow - and sometimes relentless - progression with a tendency to grow along nerves. Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is usually is found in the head and neck areas of the body. Being rare, there are very few treatment options available.

Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma is a rare form of cancer that usually is found in the head and neck areas of the body. Being rare, there are very few treatment options available.

In 2005 Marnie Kaufman, an ACC survivor, founded the Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Research Foundation to help raise money for Research in this disease. The ACCRF is affiliated with several universities and hospitals throughout the United States. Since it's founding in 2005, the foundation has raised over 2 million dollars through grassroots fundraising. With the help of this funding there are clinical trials going on now for Chemotherapy Treatments. We hope these trials will help ACC patients live longer, healthier lives.

In 2009, Kim Schmidlin started the ACCRF-NC Chapter in honor of her sister Kellie Godwin Hinshaw, a 2001 & 2007 ACC SURVIVOR. The 1st Annual ACCRF 5k Run and 1 Mile Fun Run raised over $20,000 and had 177 registered runners. The 2010 event proved to be even more successful, which raised over $34,000 for the cause and had over 377 registered runners. The 2nd Annual ACCRF run also brought 10 ACC Survivors together from all across the United States.

The North Carolina ACCRF is hosting the 3rd Event on August 27, 2011. This is a family Friendly event! Please make plans to bring your family out and come and Run or Walk in this special event.

**The Race Will be held August 27, 2011 at Campbell University.

Not interested in running or walking...we are also looking for volunteers to help with collecting sponsorships and to help the day of the race. If you are interested please contact us at accrf5krun@gmail.com.

You can also make donations to the foundation at www.accrf5krun.com!

Please help us to make this a profitable event!

The colors for the foundation are burgundy and ivory. I chose these dyed matte finished agate, with vintage lucite accents. Agate seemed to be a good fit for the piece because it is noted in the metaphysical world to be a good protective energy stone, especially for children, and very calming and soothing. It is also said to help strengthen the body's connection to the earth. It is reported to mystically give courage, energy, strength, and dispels fears, all of which increase self-confidence. It is said to lessen feelings of envy by grounding the emotions. Agate is also used in crystal emotional healing for resolving bitterness and resentments. It is also called and believed to be a stone of harmony. These two factors makes it a stone that's said to help improve and harmonize relationships. Also, by bringing the elements of one's being into harmony it greatly enhances healing.


I love this cuff - must make more



And a little pair of earrings to complete the set.

This has me thinking about doing something out side the box of how I have set up my business. I don't duplicate, I want everyone to have their own piece of art. Re thinking some of it, I am going to create a few designs that will be dedicated to an 'Awareness' section of my site. These designs will vary in color - to reflect the awareness color that is associated with that cause. All of the items that are sold in the awareness category, 50% of the proceeds will go to that charity for more research.

Just my way to give back

Teal Items for Auction - Ovarian Cancer Awareness

This was a more difficult project than I had expected. I sat at my computer table - with a movie on in the background and tried to get lost in this endeavor.

And I sat......

Nothing was coming. Nothing was inspiring. Nothing was happening.

I thought about Jill. This wasn't her first bout with cancer. She was a survivor. I remember in 2007, Jill had to have a round of chemo, and she was worried about, well what we all worry about, losing our hair. She was a school teacher, and as her hair thinned, could she handle all of the questions and stares, and how would she explain she was loosing her hair to her kids?

I didn't want her to feel alone, and those who know me, know, hair is an accessory. It will either turn loose or turn gray, but until it does, it is mine to do with as I please. So in solidarity, I shaved my head.


I kept my head shaved for months, not just a one time deal. Bic'n my head twice a day, to keep it smooth, and rubbing it with tea tree oil to sooth my psoriasis that protested to each scrape of the blade. I wasn't going to leave her alone.

I thought about this, and I thought about, how she wore wigs, fun wigs, pink and purple as a 'just because' while her hair was short and thin. Like I said, she was a survivor.

As I thought about these stories and the memories I have of her, the ideas began to roll in. Let me tell you why I made the choices for beads that I did. I chose the fair trade beads, because of their colors and because fair trade empowers people - Jill quality. The fair trade beads are from Kakar Jewelry.

I chose the apatite for it's properties - Apatite is a stone that mystically can stimulate the thoughts and ideas. It is said to increase intellect, imagination, and intuitive awareness. As a meditation or awareness tool It is said to help you maintain focus, learn, concentrate effectively, think clearly, and communicate better. As I said - Jill was a teacher, I can't think of a better stone.

And then pearls. Pearls attune the wearer to ebb and flow of life. They are calming and centering. They give purity and promote faith, charity, and integrity, truth and loyalty. Jill was a pearl. She had so many beautiful layers to who she was. She never hid any of them.

I designed two sets, hoping to please broader range of people. There is a 'statement' piece and a more subtle piece.


Set 1:







Set 2:












This was a tuff assignment. Needing them to be good enuff, needing to believe in myself, and my creations and need to believe they will cause an awareness.

Just a Peek - Working with teal

I am working on an auction piece to help raise money in memory of Jill McDermott. A memorial fund was established after she lost her battle with ovarian cancer by her husband Jon. Keeping in the awareness color of teal for ovarian cancer, I have this collection I am working with.



Two strands of pearls, two strands of apatite and several Fair Trade beads.


More to come.

Introducing - Basking Tabby

This is the piece I am donating to the auction for a local no kill shelter - Safe Haven.

This is a no kill shelter for cats, so I wanted the piece to have a 'theme' of sorts w/o being kitschy.

*think* *think*

I am attracted to the warmth of orange, so I decided to go with carnelian, tiger eye, some fun glass to stay with orange -

Hey - Tabby's are orange....I have an orange tabby.

I based a lot of this design on my tabby - Zeus. General consensus has it that orange tabbies are the most affectionate and loving of all cats. Blame it on the color. If you have or have had an orange tabby you know what I am talking about. They have to be near you all the time, be in your face, touch you, follow you, talk to you, rub on you, lay in your clothes, follow you, panick when they can't see you - needy is a good word.

In this design I used that 'personality' of my Zeus to create a draped and lazy front design. He has to drape across me or my work at all times.

Here it is -



Basking Tabby - carnelian, tiger eye, white jade, magnesite, and millefiori glass from Sedona Stones.



Close up of the sterling cat clasp from Artbeads.com



Close up of the sterling cat charms that are tucked in the design, also from Artbeads.



And as always - Zeus walking thru at least one of my shots.............

Basking Tabby

I have assembled the mess of beads that will become the piece I am donating to an auction for a local no kill shelter. Safe Haven

Blurb from their site -

This year more than ever SAFE Haven For Cats (SHFC) is depending on support for their Fifth Annual Tuxedo Cat Ball. A dual celebration of our biggest fundraiser event of the year and our 15th Anniversary. Funds raised at this special event will be used in 2009 to rescue and adopt more than 500 cats and kittens and to assist our community by providing feline spay and neuter services to more than 3,000 cats in connection with SAFE Care Feline Spay Neuter Clinic.

Out of this tangled mess will come a big and bold necklace, and a compliment piece of either earrings or bracelet..I cant' decide. Staying true to the theme, I have already named the set - Basking Tabby - for the cat, and to reflect the warm colors in the stones.

All of these came from Sedona Stones