Flap Your Wings... an Artists Tribute to Judy Glende

I didn't know Judy Glende, but  she was a jewellery designer & fellow blogger who was  diagnosed with brain and lung cancer in December 2011, her second battle with cancer.  Judy lost her battle the middle of March. Flap Your Wings was the name of  Judy's  Etsy shop...Tania of Moobie Grace Designs  has organized this tribute and fundraiser in honor of Judy and her family and other families who have lost friends and relatives to cancer.

When I read about this challenge I had just heard that my sisters first husband had  died of cancer  last fall.  I was in high school when they got married and if there ever was a fifth wheel in a relationship it was me.  I was always underfoot, I'm not sure how much influence he had on my career choice but my first degree was in Geology, his chosen profession... and I worked for him at the Alberta Research Council on two different occasions.  I have a pilots licence because he flew... I drive a standard car because one of the summers I worked for him I was handed the keys to a standard truck and had to figure out how to drive it... I however do not wear long underwear and hiking boots every time I fly on a commercial jet liner, I have great faith that we are not going to crash on the top of a mountain... BUT, my carry-on does contain lots of clothes  in case the airline misplaces my luggage!  I hadn't seen Andre for over 20 years when he died, but I will always remember the kindness he and his family showed to me.

I really like the concept of 'flapping wings'... there is something eternal and everlasting about those two words... My Bird  focal was part of a bead exchange... I might have used the bird in my necklace for that exchange but I held it back as I felt it was so appropriate for this necklace!

I don't work with a bead board (I don't own a bead board ... so length tends to be whatever I end up with... I like the length this turned out although I am thinking that I need to make a short chain to hook the back together to make it double) I haven't decided yet if I will donate this necklace to a charity auction or just donate money to the local Cancer society ...Cancer doesn't care who you are or what you do, so go out and  flap your wings now, we don't know how many tomorrows we have.

A link to other participants in this bloghop