Donating to a Silent Auction

My friends and relatives know that I am always ready to donate my jewelry to a silent auction.  I really enjoy being able to contribute to a good cause.  This month I've been working on a necklace to donate for Inspirational Sounds, a gospel choir that my mother-in-law is in.  I wanted to make something that had a musical or Christian theme, but I was not feeling inspired. 

About a month ago, I caught a terrible stomach flu.  I was sick in bed, unable to move, when the idea hit me - I could bead a necklace inspired by sheet music.  I could see it all in my mind, the technical aspects of how I would make the necklace.

I had to buy some supplies because I did not have any 5 hole spacers.  I had never made beaded notes before, so I wasn't sure how big they would be or how the spacing would work out on the beaded "staff".  I chose an easy hymn to depict, one that is well known:  Jesus Loves Me

I had a few problems making this necklace.  When I was a child, I had a tendency to copy musical notes backward.  Evidently, I still do that, because I attached the first two measures backward!  I had to cut to notes off and start over. 

Now I need to get this necklace in the mail in time for the auction. 
Do any of you ever donate your work to charity?  What are your favorite charities?  I'd love to hear from you!

Simon and Garfunkel Challenge

These earrings are my entry in the Etsy Beadweavers Challenge "Simon and Garfunkel - The Songs of Inspiration". I initially felt really challenged by this theme... but then I remembered what I love most about Simon and Garfunkel songs - the vivid descriptions of the lyrics and music.

One of the things I've always found compelling about their music is the way they could set a scene in my mind with only a few words and measures of music.

The song I chose is Patterns. I was especially inspired by the first verse.

The night sets softly
With the hush of falling leaves
Casting shivering shadows
On the houses through the trees
And the light from a street lamp
Paints a pattern on my wall
Like the pieces of a puzzle
Or a child's uneven scrawl

In these earrings, I used black and white to try to capture the starkness of the song. I love the phrase "shivering shadows". I wanted the patterns on the earrings to move, so I made two layers that can swing independently. I tried to give the patterns in the earrings a random look (though I did not really pick up the beads randomly). I was thinking of the shadows that might be cast by leafless trees in winter.

The last picture is my favorite because the earring looks fractured. My youngest son (7 yrs old) set that photo up :)

Please visit our team blog, (http://www.etsy-beadweavers.blogspot.com) between the 9th and 15th and vote for your favorite entry. You will see some wonderful works of art!