Round-Robin

A round Robin is what I got when I over fed the poor thing who nested on the back of my house this year. How she got herself and the babies in that nest is beyond me, but she did. It's also what the Southeastern Michigan Beadmaker's Guild did this year as a project. It's been fun - it's been trying - but it wasn't the Guild's fault. I did my usual procrastination which is why it was trying...we had two weeks to do our part on each bracelet. It's a great project and the results are going to be fabulous.

What we did - (and I procrastinated on) was this: The Guild provided everyone with a length of chain - a clasp - a notebook - directions - mailing labels - bag - and the box. In case you don't know what a round robin is we are supposed to follow the directions - and move the box along to the next person in the line (always the same person and hence the mailing labels). So, we each assembled our bracelets to fit our wrists. In the notebook we were to put our name and write what color combination or theme we might want to have for our bracelet and attach the first bead to represent that theme/color scheme.

Our only responsibility was attach a lampwork or other bead to each bracelet according to the notebooks in the box - leaving our own note in the notebook as to what we had chosen to attach and why. One bead or attachment, note, back in the mail. Is that hard? No - I have no excuses for having more than one bracelet. Well, except for the fact that the person in front of me sent me five at once. They procrastinated too!

I'm catching up now and have beads made to attach to some of the bracelets. For some others I will have to go back to the drawing board because I didn't like what I had made in the first batch. Now I'm not only late but I'm being royally picky about it too. Frankly, I love pink and purple but have never been much good at keeping them crisp. I get mud or devitrification - which we all know is not a pretty sight.

These are some of the bracelets that are in my possession at the moment. Pretty cool, huh? I'd highly recommend this project to any group.

Tomorrow I am meeting my friend Susan in Grand Rapids. We are doing the Western Michigan Bead Guild's Show. It will be fun. I haven't seen her since this summer - she lives in North Carolina. I'll take lots of photos - I have the camera packed.