Sea of Hope Charm Bracelet Now Up for Auction!

The Artisan Beaders Street Team has also been about giving; whether it's support, guidance, instruction, or a friendly ear, our team's strength lies in the generosity of its members to one another.

Now it is time to give back.

Back in the summer, ABST discussed ideas to do something exciting; something that would not only bring our team together, but also generate awareness of those in need. We decided to create a very special bracelet, one where members could design and contribute a unique charm, based on a "sea" theme of calming blues and soothing greens. Once the bracelet was assembled, we would auction it off to the highest bidder with the winning bid to be donated to charity.

But which charity? With so many organizations needing financial assistance all over the world, it was difficult to choose. After much discussion and research, the team selected RAINN as the recipient of the winning bid:

The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE and the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline at rainn.org, and publicizes the hotline's free, confidential services; educates the public about sexual assault; and leads national efforts to prevent sexual assault, improve services to victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice.

Participating members were given a deadline and got down to work. Deb, Lynne, Deronda, Brenda, Sue, Donna, Meri, Lucia, Patty, Ainsley and Vicki searched their stash to come up with the perfect, one-of-a-kind charm, using pearls, crystals, shell, semi-precious stones and sterling silver. Vicki volunteered to collect the charms and assemble the bracelet, writing a series of teaser posts as she beautifully arranged a substantial 24 charms onto a sterling chain. Deb created a stunning toggle clasp, to give the 7 1/4" bracelet an exceptional and secure finishing touch.

Finally, after months of anticipation, it is time for our auction to begin! The details:

• the auction will run from Monday, October 5 until 6:00 PM (Eastern) Friday, October 16;
• opening bid is $25;
• bids should be posted in the comment section;
• each bid must increase in $5 increments;
• the winner will be contacted at auction end regarding payment and shipping.

Artisan Beaders would like to thank all bidders in advance. Please be sure to include your email address in your bid comment so we can contact you if you are the winning bidder. Check back often to see if your bid is still the highest. Best of luck!