Beading For A Cure 2010

Its done!!! I feel like this has been in the works forever, but am quite satisfied with myself now that its done. Beading For A Cure is a charity that I started donating to a few years ago. It was started by some friends of a woman named Layne, who died of colorectal cancer. Every year there is a kit, and the rules are simple. Use at least one of every bead in the kit, and add no more then one type of bead to it. When all of the pieces are done, they are auctioned off on eBay, with all of the proceeds going to help support colorectal cancer research. This year, I had no idea when I bought my kit, that colorectal cancer would play a part in my life. A family member was diagnosed, and had a tumor removed just about a month ago now. He is doing well, and hopefully will continue.
I absolutely loved this years kit. Bronze and purple work so well together and there were so many beads in the kit, it didn't really need any additions but I couldn't help myself. I added the focal piece, which is a 37mm fancy octagon Swarovski crystal in Light Colorado Topaz (from Artbeads*).

I bezzelled the octagon, and then added 4mm cyclamen opal crystals, some from the original kit and some that I added. The kit also contained 4mm Czech crystals, and 4mm freshwater pearls, which are in the connecting strands of the necklace.

I made some squares with right angle weave (R.A.W.), and then used 6mm cyclamen opal crystals inside the little windows. Each square has two little fringies off the bottoms, that add some movement to the whole piece.

I made the toggle with another R.A.W. square, and a bar also in R.A.W.. From the square I dangled a little cancer ribbon charm to remind the wearer of the necklaces significance.

I was horrified when I was making this, to find out that as I was getting ready to connect the clasp, I was four pearls short! ACK!! I of course tried the bead store I worked at to find something similar, to no avail. Many thanks go out to Tracy for helping me out and sending me some more pearls so that I could finish my necklace the way I had envisioned it. Thanks Tracy!!!

*disclaimer - all products recieved by Artbeads.com are free of charge and are given to me for my honest opinion of the products.