Friday 5 February 2010

Sydney trip

Hi folks!
We've just been up to Sydney and bought 300 dollars worth of beads from I Love You Beads in Leichardt. It was fantastic value too and the chinese crystals are such good qaulity i can hardly tell them apart from swarovskis!
We bought some fun little fimo pendants which i can't wait to see someone use.
We also went to Reverse Garbage in Marrickville - its an industrial recycle depo that collects useful equipment and materials for local artists. We bought a giant roll of paper, a thick cardboard tube to make bracelet blanks, about twenty tiny perfume bottles to wirewrap,, some acrylic and plexiglass to make pendants - which we'll make a tutorial for later.

Wednesday 3 February 2010

The Hope Beads Project

The hope beads project is a community service project run by myself and my daughter - who also write this blog.
We've been running it for 2 years now, 3 in May.
Essentially, its a beading class that's run not for profit. We go into Calvary Hospital's Hyson Green Ward- once a week to teach.

Our students have pretty much free reign. They can choose any project and any beads, but we try and encourage creativity. We also take care to use quality materials for them - Czech glass crystals and lampwork beads being some of the more popular.
Unfortunately we do have to charge for the class - $8 a head. That buys our clients a necklace or a bracelet and two sets of earrings or four sets of earrings. We also do mobile phone and bag charms and bookmarks.

Most of our students are suffering from a mental illness, so identities and locations are confidential. But please do not stereotype or judge them. They are fantastic people who have hit a low point in their lives and have courageously sort help.

We hope we are part of that help.
We provide a distraction, a way of "keeping in the moment" - of practicing mindfulness
We provide a challenge, an opening to a new hobby, the chance to socialize and do something proactive for themselves. to inspire and delight.

That is what the hope beads project does.