Friday, May 15, 2015

the art of awareness

via pretty things

lori anderson is one of my favorite people that i've never met. i've so loved getting to participate a few times in her bead soup extravaganzas and i'm thrilled to be a part of this particularly special hop.

first of all, we've all been touched by someone close to us who struggles with some invisible wound. isn't that part of the human condition? we're all just struggling through this mess. but some of us seem to have been given a double, triple, or more of our share.

i struggle with depression, an eating disorder, an addictive personality. seriously, i am one hot mess, right? and this past year i was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder which means i'm in constant, overwhelming pain. i had spinal surgery, was almost paralyzed from the bone spurs in my neck.

but i'm getting better.

andoka desbois via deviant art

i'm beginning to see the light, even through the extraordinary pain i'm dealing with.

so i chose lavender, even though the color for fibro is purple (i like lavender better than purple!) and my word is --redeemed-- because God is redeeming me and i am working on redeeming myself.

so here's heather's gorgeous bead--


i've been doing a lot of embroidery in my work, lately. and i've been using reclaimed objects as much as possible. so i pulled out some of my reclaimed denim and a butterfly wing that i picked up at the recycle platform at our local transfer site. --just one wing, 'cause oh, my goodness, how broken i am!



then i added a key and a beaten heart. the key to it all is to go deep within and remember--i've already been redeemed.-- and the heart? beaten, broken, yet still beating.


i chose a vintage button from my stash for the closure.


the final touch are the four knots on the opposite side of the clasp. they represent the four decades of pain i've lived with fibromyalgia.


so, thanks go out to the marvelous lori anderson and the glorious heather millican. you both are utterly brilliant! thank you!


please visit these other fine blogs in our splendiforous blog hop of awareness!



Lori
Heather
Anderson
Millican
www.PrettyThingsBlog.com (hostess)
www.facebook.com/swoondimples (bead artist)
CandidaCastleberrywww.spunsugarbeadworks.blogspot.com
mischelleandradehttps://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com
PaigeMaximhttp://delightfullittlegems.blogspot.com/
Laurie Vyselaar www.lefthandjewelry.wordpress.com
MarybethRichhttp://forestofjewels.blogspot.com/
AlicePetersonwww.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com
KimDworakhttp://www.cianciblue.blogspot.com/
AudreyBĂ©langerhttp://esperianterra.blogspot.ca/
Karenmitchellwww.overthemoon-design.com
JoanWilliamswww.lilrubyjewelry.com
JeanWellsjeanawells.blogspot.com
AnnSchroederwww.beadlove.wordpress.com
GailAccinellifacebook.com/oregonmadejewelry
TaniaSpiveywww.moobiegracedesigns.blogspot.com
Mallory Hoffmanhttp://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/
Mary KMcGrawmkaymac.blogspot.com
ShaiWilliamswww.shaihasramblings.com/
Beth--you are here!Emery-------------->storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com
CatieDomanhttp://drcatie.blogspot.com
LoreleiEurtoHttp://lorelei1141.blogspot.com
LeeKoopmanwww.stregajewellry.wordpress.com
TammyAdamswww.paisleylizard.com/blog/
KatieNelsonhttps://www.facebook.com/katiebead
PattyMillerhttp://pattymillerbeads.blogspot.com
ChrisEisenbergwww.wanderware.blogspot.com
CassiPaslickhttp://badatbeingmom.blogspot.com/
CharleeGriffithhttps://www.facebook.com/charlee.griffith
KelliNelsonwww.afamilyaffarekelli.blogspot.com
CatherineKinghttp://catherines-musings.blogspot.com
MelissaTrudingerbeadrecipes.wordpress.com
SusanBowiehttps://susanbowie.wordpress.com
JenniferJustmanwww.soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/
CassiPaslickhttp://badatbeingmom.blogspot.com/
KHutchinsonhttp://jumbledhutch.wordpress.com
VeralynneMalonewww.veradesigns.blogspot.com
Evie and BethMcCordhttp://ebbeadandmetalworks.blogspot.com/
MihaelaGeorgescuhttp://michellemaya2005.wordpress.com
RebeccaAndersonWww.songbeads.blogspot.com
Charlene Jackawww.clay-space.com
KimStevenswww.pickingpoppies.blogspot.com
SusanMcClellandMistheword12.wordpress.com


GinaHockettwww.freestyleelements.blogspot.com
MonaArnottbijouxgemsjoy.blogspot.ca
SandiVolpewww.sandivolpe.com
AndreaGlickhttp://zenithjade.blogspot.com/
JanineLucashttp://www.esfera.me/travel/blog/travel-stories
LoriBowring Michaudwww.artfullyornamental.blogspot.com
ChristieMurrowWww.charisdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com
B.R.Kuhlmanwww.mixedmayhemstudios.com
LupeMeterwww.gesmpccorner.blogspot.com
LucyBejaranowww.lucybejaranojewelry.blogspot.com/
StephaniePerrywww.mustardbeadbystephanieperry.blogspot.com
ElisabethAuldwww.beadsforbusygals.com
CarolynLawsonwww.carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com
HeatherPowerswww.humblebeads.blogspot.com
KatieHackerwww.katiehacker.blogspot.com
KepiRasmussenwww.kepirasmussen.blogspot.ca 
Gail Vanderster-Zwangwww.angelmoose.blogspot.com
ElizabethHodgeshttp://thewhisperingseas.blogspot.com/