Sunday, October 05, 2008

Remembering Cindy...


Have you noticed the new Remembering Cindy button on the right side of my blog? ------>

I want people to know the effect this amazing woman had on many folks within the beading community. I didn't know Cindy long enough to call her a friend, I was very new to beading when I discovered the forum where she spent a good deal of her time sharing with other beaders. I did exchange a few email messages with her and in them she was so very encouraging ad I began my journey with beads. I was lucky enough to get one of the last copies of her book and did participate in the Mystery Image Challenge she started. It was my first piece of flat bead embroidery and is included in Panel 2. There are beautiful images of the panels in the shop and on Dulcey's blog.

Below is text taken directly from the blog of Dulcey Heller,

Cindy McCornack was a friend and mentor to beaders, in person and online. She lived in Alaska, but had friends all over the world through the online beading community, especially the Bead Art forum. Among the things she left for beaders was her book, Exploring Beaded Art Dolls, full of instructions, inspiration, and photographs of beaded art dolls that she and her friends created.

When Cindy was diagnosed with lung cancer, the Forum responded with flowers, gifts, support, and contributions. In thanks, Cindy began the Mystery Image Challenge. Inspired by the Mat-Su Valley Bead Society in Alaska, she cut an image into rectangles, emailed the rectangles to interested participants who were to bead the lines with black beads, and then embellish the rest of the rectangle. No one knew the finished image except for those who created the central face blocks: Cindy herself, Marya LeMieux-Ruibal, Mary Elter, and Rebekah Hodous.

Cindy died in 2005 of her cancer before being able to complete the project. Moderators of the Bead Art Forum have since completed assembling the Mystery Image Challenge. These four completed panels are now for sale in the Remembering Cindy Etsy shop. All profits after expenses will be donated to the American Lung Association in Cindy’s memory.

Also for sale in the shop are some of the dolls that were made for her during her battle with cancer. Her partner, John, gave them back to the Bead Art Forum for this purpose. There are also items that have been donated specifically for sale in Cindy’s memory. Those who would like their own small memory of Cindy’s Mystery Image Challenge can also purchase postcards of the four panels. Again, all profits after expenses will be donated to the American Lung Association.

Please visit the Remembering Cindy Etsy shop (she would have loved Etsy). The shop will be open through the end of 2008, closing in early 2009. Cindy is missed, and we want to help fight that disease that took her away from us, with funds from your purchases in the shop.

Thank you.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are a dear to help other beaders remember, know and love Cindy and her work!And I LOVE the piece you've done here with the great lime green beads!Thanks for sharing stories...we all have one!

KV said...

Although I was never familiar with Cindy, I feel as if I know her now after your lovely tribute to her. I sure would have loved to get my hands on that beaded doll book . . .


Kathy V in NM

Lynn said...

I got chills when I read your post. A few years back I took a class in Rochester, NY, called Bead Embroidery for Dolls. The woman who taught the class told me it was actually the work of a woman who had recently passed on and she was given permission by her to continue her instruction. So I pulled out my class book and sure enough it was Cindy's work from 2003. Funny how the soul of another continues on and on...

Timaree said...

Wouldn't I love to have one of those panels? But I am sure someone out there has an easier $300 than I do. I hope they do buy them.

girlgonethreadwild said...

I noticed this GREAT effort popping up around blogs.. what a truly remarkable thing to do for a friend (tho you say... I really believe by now Cindy herself would consider YOU one vry good friend, indeed).

This touches my heart!

Thank you for delving in deeper.

I was WONDERING.

~monica :)

Dot said...

Thankyou for sharing this with us Grace. It sounds like Cindy was an amazing person who has left a beautiful legacy.

Dulcey said...

Thank you, Grace, for participating in this project, and posting about Cindy. I love the comment from the beader who took the class and had the book!! For the record, I love your piece of the quilt too. :)

Pursuing Art... said...

What a great post! Cindy sounds like an amazing person! I love these panels and your contribution is just lovely! What a wonderful gift to raise funds in her honor for the American Lung Association. I'm sure she would be so proud!!!

XO ~Lisa ;-)

Lynn said...

I just received my Mystery Image Challenge cards from Etsy. They are great - you can see every itsy bitsy bead. Thanks for the tip that they were available! Long Live the Spirit of Cindy!

Leaves of Grass

This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to every one that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, read these leaves in the open air every season of every year of your life, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its words but in the silent lines of its lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes and in every motion and joint of your body - Walt Whitman