Robert Simmons' Wearable Butterfly Bead Tutorial

At our last meeting of Southern Flames in Atlanta, GA, Robert Simmons, cool guy and the National Director of Bead Donations for Beads of Courage, demonstrated one of his versions of a butterfly bead.

These beads are given to Beads of Courage parents, who have lost their child from illness.

And, because Robert is so kind and generous, he has written up a tutorial for making them. You can find it HERE. If you start making them, would you please donate a few to Beads of Courage? You know how near and dear that group is to my heart.

And to see photos of Robert making the bead during our fabulous meeting, check out this page from our Southern Flames scrapbook. (You can also see our two new co-presidents at the same time- two for one!

Enjoy the tutorial. And pay attention to some of the little hints he gives. For example, I love that he says to start with a clear base and to put the opaque over it. The clear makes the soft glass a little stiffer and less floppy. Good thinking Robert. (well, he is a Ph.D too.) Have fun.