Tuesday 25 November 2014

Beads Of Courage Charm Swap

For those of you who were here last year, it's time for the Beads of Courage Art Charm Exchange and Auction again! Yay!

For those of you who weren't here's what it's all about...

The exchange is run by Jennifer Cameron (Glass Addictions) and each year a new theme is set. Each participant makes 11 charms and sends them to Jennifer who then sends us 9 different ones back, plus one of our own. The 11th charm is put in to auction to raise money for the Beads of Courage program.



Beads of Courage is a fantastic charity providing support for children and their families dealing with serious illness.

The Program is a resilience-based intervention designed to support and strengthen children and families coping with serious illness. Through the program children tell their story using colorful beads as meaningful symbols of courage that commemorate milestones they have achieved along their unique treatment path. 

Last year we raised just over $1500 from the sale of the extra charms, and I've got everything crossed that we can match if not beat that fantastic amount!

So, back to the charm swap... this year, the theme chosen was 'Soar'. I thought long and hard about what I'd create for my charm. Try as I might to come up with something different, the idea I kept coming back to was a bird on the wing, soaring high in the clouds. 

Here is my charm...



It's made from one of my lamp work beads and finished with silver plated wire, heart charm and jump ring.

There should have been a picture of more of them, but being so excited that I'd finished in time, I packed them up and sent them off before I remembered! You'll just have to join in the blog hop to see all of the different colours ;)

In return, I received beautiful charms from 9 other artists taking part.

In no particular order...



An amazingly detailed ceramic feather charm from Terri Del Signore...


A beautiful sparkly embroidered dragonfly charm with a heart from Chris Eisenberg...


Cute polymer angel wings from Cory Tompkins...


A gorgeous blue ceramic bird soaring over a little cloud from Michelle McCarthy...


A wonderful ceramic Dragonfly charm from Jenny Davies-Reazor...


A really sweet birdy and nest in polymer clay from Nan Smith...


I was lucky enough to receive 2 charms from Toltec Jewels, one with a lampwork disc and copper dangles, and one in tiny chainmaille with flying birds, both gorgeous! ...


A cute sparkly polymer flying heart charm from Andrea Glick...


And finally, an amazingly detailed polymer clay bead from Monique Urquhart.



I'm thrilled with everything I received and want to say a big thank you to everyone, they're all beautiful :) And an extra big thank you to Jennifer for all her hard work and organising! 

If you'd like to join in with the fun and get your hands on mine, or any one else's charm, Jennifer is running a charity auction for the extras we made. I hope you will come over and bid high... it's for a fantastic cause!

Link to the auctions...


And to see what everyone else made and received, join us in the blog hop! Just follow the links...



2014 Art Charm Exchange Participants

Jennifer Cameron: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog
Alenka Obid: http://pepita-handmade.blogspot.com
Alicia Marinache: http://www.allprettythings.ca
Andrea Glick: http://zenithjade.blogspot.com
Caroline Dewison: http://blueberribeads.blogspot.co.uk << You are Here :)
Cassi Paslick: http://badatbeingmom.blogspot.com/
Cate van Alphen: http://fulgorine.wordpress.com
Cheri Reed: http://creativedesignsbycheri.blogspot.com
Chris Eisenberg: http://www.wanderware.blogspot.com
Cory Tompkins: http://www.tealwaterdesigns.blogspot.com
Elisabeth Auld: http://www.beadsforbusygals.com
Genevieve Gabbert: http://www.glassaddictions.com/blog
Jami Shipp: http://celebratinglifewithdamamashipp.blogspot.com
Jenny Davies-Reazor: http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog
Jill Bradley: http://www.jillybeads.blogspot.com
Kim Dworak: http://www.cianciblue.blogspot.com
Lee Koopman: http://stregajewellry.wordpress.com
Lennis Carrier: http://www.windbent.net
Lesley Watt: http://www.thegossipinggoddess.blogspot.com
Mallory Hoffman: http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com
Melissa Trudinger: http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com
Michelle McCarthy: http://www.fireflydesignstudio.blogspot.com
Monique Urquhart: http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.com/
Moriah Betterly: http://mlbetterly.blogspot.com
Nancy Dale: http://nedbeads.blogspot.com
Nancy Smith: http://wirednan.blogspot.ca
Niky Sayers: http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk 
Perri Jackson: http://ShaktipajDesigns.com/blog/
Renetha Stanziano: http://www.lamplightcrafts.blogspot.com
Shai Williams: http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com
Sheila Prosterman: http://catswithbeads.blogspot.com
Susan Delaney: http://susandolphindelaney.wordpress.com
Susan Kennedy: http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com
Terri DelSignore: http://artisticaos.blogspot.com
Toltec Jewels: http://www.jewelschoolfriends.com
Vanessa Gilkes: http://culturezine.com/blog/

13 comments:

  1. Oh wow Caroline your charm is stunning, I love the cute little bird and the clouds are great. Your designs never cease to amaze me!

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  2. Great charms. I received one and it's the exactly the colour of the November sky.

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  3. I love your bead! As always, I'm happy to be able to come to your blog and sit with you awhile - you have such a lovely way with words. Hugs!!

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  4. I was lucky enough to receive one of your charms --it just amazes me how you can create a bead like that! I love it!

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  5. I will always cherish the greyed-green charm of yours that I received. It only took me one day to knot it with pearls, using greyed-green silk. I have worn it four times already and always get compliments.

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  6. Love your charms and pleased I got my hands on one ;0)

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  7. I got one of your sweet charms in Perfect Pink, Caroline :) I treasure it but haven't yet created jewelry... though I have had a request :)

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  8. Love your charms! They are just lovely!

    <3,
    Andrea

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  9. Caroline
    I have admired your ceramic work for a while now and am amazed you do lamp work too! Beautiful charms! Wish I had one in my possession! Guess I will have to bid on one;)

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  10. Love all the charms and for such a great cause!

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  11. Your charms were so clever and darling! Thanks for participating again this year.

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  12. There's a feeling of nostalgia your charm evokes for me - the simplicity of a child's drawing the V shaped birds in the sky. And you know I mean this in all the best ways. They are gorgeous.

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