Bead of the Month

June 2023 Bead of the Month - “Nothing beats taking your children somewhere magical and looking at the sparkle in their eyes as they see and play with the floating wonder that is a group of balloons. Nothing gives me more joy than thinking back on those times with my children.” -Gerry White About the artist: "Years ago, I apprenticed as a goldsmith in the Caribbean. Here, I found an appreciation of jewelry and wearable art. Over the years, I have been fortunate to study other...

May 2023 Bead of the Month - The Swirly Snake bead reminds you to stay flexible! About the bead: "This happy snake was a bead design my daughter came up with back when we first started making beads. I wanted to recreate it since she brings me joy." - Kari Chittenden, bead artistAbout the artist: Bead making started for Kari in 2000 as a hobby to share with her (then) 12-year-old daughter. 22 years later, they still love making beads and doing craft shows together. When her daughter was a kid,...

April 2023 Bead of the Month - The Rainbow Shooting Star bead reminds you to look for the joy that's all around you!About the bead: "What is more joyful than looking up into the night sky to see a shooting star, or finding a rainbow after a spring storm? Both in one bead -- that's a feel-good, joyful bead!" - Diana Spiller, bead artistMore about the bead: "I have been making simpler shooting star beads for BOC for a while now, and I wanted to elaborate on that theme with something a little...

March 2023 Bead of the Month - The Happy Cup bead reminds you to start every day with a smile!About the bead: "Nothing is better on a freezing cold day than relaxing with a hot beverage. Coffee, tea, apple cider, or hot chocolate - whatever your favorite is - starting your day with a comforting hot cup is the perfect way to start the day. This little smiling cup represents the best way to kickstart the day!" - Stephanie White, bead artistAbout the artist: Stephanie has been making beads since...

February 2023 Bead of the Month - The Home Heart bead reminds you that home is not a place - it's a feeling! About the bead: "Being home with my family brings me great joy. The saying, 'Home is where the heart is,' is so true! - Lisa Hanley, bead artistAbout the artist: Lisa has been making beads for about 13 years in the Pacific Northwest. She especially likes to make colorful, sculptural beads for kids. Animals and nature are her main inspirations and she loves trying to come up...

Artist Statement:  Snowmen are very magical! We are all like snowflakes, all different in our own unique way but when we stick together – the magic happens! Artist Bio:  Shauna Mitru is a self-taught flamework artist from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Shauna is a juried member of the Saskatchewan Craft Council and member of the International Society of Glass Beadmakers (ISGB). In 2006, Shauna was invited to set up and facilitate the lampwork bead program at the Neil Balkwill Civic...

Artist Statement: The Brown Sweet Swirl Bead is a swirl of pumpkin pie with whipped cream, cinnamon latte, the harvest moon, the last autumn flowers in the garden. It reminds us that, no matter how grey the day, you can always find a little bit of sunshine. Artist Bio:  Diana Spiller is a Beads of Courage Hall of Fame bead artist. Diana shares, “I have spent my entire life dabbling in art, (pottery, fabric, sketching, fused glass, painting, etc) but when I discovered beadmaking 10...

Artist Statement: Fall is my favorite time of the year, leaving the hot summer behind, a time to welcome warm colors, cooling temperatures and falling leaves. My owl is a here to lead you into the colors of fall. Artist Bio:  Diane Sepanski is a Beads of Courage Hall of Fame artist and has been making beads for about 15 years. Diane shares, “I enjoy the process of melting and creating. Glass gives me the way to express my ideas and designs and make them into reality.” ...

Artist Statement: This "September Cyan Star" was inspired by the poem "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." It is the first bright, twinkling, cyan star in the night. Full of wishes, dreams and magic. Artist Bio: Maria Schoenenberger started making glass beads in 2003 and was one of the first bead artists to donate to Beads of Courage to support our pilot flagship program at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She...

Artist statement: The calla lily and the color yellow are welcome symbols of spring. I combined them both in this pretty bead to celebrate spring, the season of new beginnings. I hope it encourages everyone to try something new this spring! Artist Bio: Debora Sims has been donating beads to the children for over ten years. She was in the first group of bead artists enrolled in the Hall of Fame. Beads of Courage has sent her beads into outer space and on the Iditarod sled dog race. She has a...