Progress via a Gift

Since my jewelry class debacle (I posted about it here), I have decided to brush off the negativity and put the soldering tips I learned to use.

I have had a friend via "the Internet" for many, many years now.  She is a very special person who has been going through some tough times lately.  She had a stroke last August, actually - two strokes - and she has been progressing wonderfully.  During this terrible time, her father was diagnosed with Cancer.  Having gone through this dreadful disease with my late father 8 years ago, I know all too well what she is going through.

She is one Tough Broad - in a good way (I would love to be called a Tough Broad!)  She is dealing with these emotional and physical hardships in the most beautiful way, and I am awestruck by her strength and beauty.

I wanted to give her something, specifically, I wanted to make her something that would reflect how I feel.  So, I did my best and put what little skills I have to use and I made her this pendant.

It features a cabochon by, quite frankly - yes I am going to say it - my FAVORITE lampwork artist - Sue Kennedy.  I usually say "one of my favorites" - but her work truly speaks to me and if you saw the amount of my purchases of lampwork beads from etsy, the majority are from Sue!  So there...I said it!  Anyway, I stamped the words STRENGTH on the back of the pendant (can you believe I forgot to take pictures of the back! ha!)  I was lucky to find in my stash other GORGEOUS lampwork beads by the ultra talented Donna Millard - a match made in heaven!

Naturally, I completed this necklace with swirled links (again - credit for this design goes to Kerry Bogert!).  This necklace had to be 100% handmade!  I oxidized, buffed, tumbled, buffed again....

My friend has a friend who was recently diagnosed with Breast Cancer.  I am so tired of reading about one more person stricken with this horrible, horrible disease.  My immediate thoughts ran to Marie-Noel Voyer-Cramp - a way-too-young mother who was also recently stricken with the Big C.  For those of you who may not know Marie (how can you not know her work??!!), she is an extremely talented jewelry AND component designer who has bravely shared her journey via the WWW.  Marie has exhibited an awesome amount of COURAGE during her ordeal....so I made a "kind of" matching pendant for my friend's friend:

Again - a most lovely cabochon by Sue and I believe these are my favorite color combinations!  And, how befitting to augment this cabochon with yet more gorgeous lovelies in purple by Donna.

I stamped the word COURAGE on the back of this pendant (again...no pictures of the back!  Shame on me!)

I made matching earrings - swirled links for the both of them.

My heart goes to anyone who is struggling with health issues...especially Cancer.  As only an "onlooker", as in I am not there physically, I feel helpless.  But, I say my prayers and hope the Good Lord takes the utmost care for not only those who are going through the actual physical suffering, but also the caretakers - their suffering is just as real.

Thanks for stopping by today...