October Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Are you a Cancer Survivor? Have you lost someone to Cancer? Chances are that your life has been affected by Cancer at some point in time. My Mother was diagnosed with Cancer a few months before my wedding. It was a crazy time but thankfully 14 years later she is still with us and I am grateful everyday to have her by my side.

ONecklace.com has designed and produced a brand new range of jewelry to help raise money and awareness for such a necessary cause. You can check out the range here Breast Cancer Jewelry.

15% from all of their Breast Cancer Awareness pieces sold will be donated to breastcancer.org to help us get one step closer to finding a cure.

Whilst a cure would be 100% amazing, what is more important for me right now is supporting families as they go through this tragedy. We support them by taking away the mystery and the shame. No one should ever feel hesitant to say they had Cancer or that the lost someone to Cancer. The more open we are the more people talk, the more people talk the more educated we become about early symptoms and support.

These Necklaces are a great way to show the world that we can overcome and you can buy them during October via their website. ONecklace.com

Some of you may know about our own little Crafting charity www.Bottlesofhope.com.au. My mother hand makes trinket bottles with a poem of support to sufferers. Sometimes you only need to do a little bit to make a big difference.

Hosting a Breast cancer awareness event? Check out these Breast cancer lapel pins and Breast Cancer decorations.

Looking for a fun way to promote Breast Cancer Awareness? How about making this DIY Bra purse ? Check out the Orginal bra purse we created here. You can use discount new bras or recycled bras too. Old bra’s might be a fun way to memorialize the loss of breasts by turning your old bra into a purse.

This week’s Book Review Wednesday pick is 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids, and I’ll admit this one is another of those books that makes me pause for a moment and ask, “Does this belong in Jewelry Making, Kids Crafts, or somewhere in between?”

Technically, it is not jewelry in the traditional necklace-and-earrings sense, but it is very much a beading book, and beading skills are such a useful doorway into jewelry making. For kids especially, learning how to thread beads, follow patterns, work with wire, and build little 3D shapes is a brilliant way to develop patience, fine motor skills, and confidence with craft materials.

The cover promises 3D beaded animal crafts for kids, with a focus on cute seed bead animals made with wire. The little fox on the cover is exactly the sort of project that catches attention — bright, cheerful, and very giftable. I can see this being a fun book for crafty kids, tweens, grandparents crafting with children, or even adults who secretly enjoy tiny beaded animals but pretend they are “helping the kids.”

What I like about this type of project is that it gives children a finished piece they can actually be proud of. These are not throwaway crafts. A beaded animal can become a bag charm, keychain, desk buddy, zipper pull, ornament, or little handmade gift. And if you have a child who loves collecting small things, well, prepare yourself — you may soon have an entire zoo made from seed beads.

There is also a nice connection here for beginner jewelry makers. Working with beads and wire in a simple 3D form helps build the same kind of careful hand skills used in beaded jewelry, wire wrapping, charms, and small accessories. So while I would be tempted to cross-post this over on our Kids Crafts section, I still think it earns its place here for anyone wanting beginner-friendly beading projects.

This book would suit kids who already enjoy detailed crafts, families looking for screen-free creative projects, or makers who want small bead projects that are playful rather than overly serious. I would suggest adult help for younger children, especially because seed beads and wire can be fiddly, and nobody needs a craft session ending with beads in the carpet forever. Although, let’s be honest, that may happen anyway.

My Shellie-style take? 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids looks like a fun, colourful and practical beading book for young makers who like cute projects with a real finished result. It is crafty, giftable, a little bit nostalgic, and a lovely stepping stone into more detailed beadwork and jewelry making later on.

You can find the book here: 3D Beaded Animal Crafts for Kids.

Have you read?