STORY - "The secret life of beads"
By Tracey Edstein

Did you know that ‘bead', spelled bede in old English, meant ‘prayer'? The Old English Hail Mary has ‘bidden' for ‘pray' in ‘pray for us'. Sometimes we bid someone to do us a favour. So ‘bead' means ‘prayer'. Only later was it used to refer to spheres on a string used to count prayers and also applied to jewellery, such as a string of pearls. Therefore the little old Irish lady who says she is telling her beads is etymologically correct, she is telling, or saying, her prayers.

Jill Whibley, human resources officer at Centacare, knows a lot about beads, about favours, and about prayers. A chance purchase of beads while on holiday and a feeling that “I can do that” has led to an addiction to beadmaking and a discovery of latent creativity!

The necklaces and bracelets that Jill creates by stringing beads together are unique, beautiful and real labours of love. While it could be assumed that beadmaking was a solitary pursuit, Jill has found that it has led to all sorts of connections that she could not have anticipated.

Not only does it become a talking point, as people invariably admire the beads that she wears and ask where she obtained them, but the actual creating of the jewellery is almost a meditative process. Sometimes Jill, 24, works all night, becoming so absorbed in her task that she doesn't notice the passage of time. “Beading has given me a sense of peacefulness and calm. It gives me access to a whole new world of colour, patterns, shapes.”

Her jewellery making took on a new dimension when she decided to create a necklace using Braille beads for her friend and former colleague Catherine Mahony. Catherine has been blind since birth, but has never been one to resist a challenge. For obvious reasons, colour, style and visual aesthetics generally are almost impossible for the blind to appreciate.

When Cath mused about whether Braille beads would work, Jill investigated and found Amy Trescott. An order was placed and beads arrived which reflect, for others, Catherine's vibrant personality and love of life, but also tell a story which she herself could read. This led to an email relationship between Jill and Amy of “Forever Grateful Beads” based in Bellevue, Washington, USA .

Amy had worked with Braille in teaching non-speaking children to communicate. As she says on her website , “My latest ‘signature series', "Braille Beads" seemed like a natural fusion of my two worlds, and I hope with some perseverance and steady hands I'll do the Braille alphabet justice.” [see www.seametrix.com/beads/braillebeads.html]

As far as Catherine is concerned, Amy has achieved her goal and more. The central beads in her string spell CATH and according to Jill, the colours and shapes “represent femininity and vivacity, both characteristic of our Cath.”

From Cath's perspective, Braille beads are “a great concept which gives people who are blind or vision impaired a whole new appreciation of jewellery and raises the profile of Braille at the same time”.

Jill says that “Braille beading in particular has taught me an invaluable life lesson. It has taught me never to dismiss anything, but to say, ‘how can we do this?' If you look around there are supportive people waiting to help - and God too, of course!”

Another dimension of Jill's addiction (her term!) to beads is offering her skills at children's birthday parties. Beadmaking is an absorbing yet accessible activity that can happen almost anywhere, and encourages concentration, creativity - and fun!

Every string of beads that Jill creates is unique and in a world of mass production, this is refreshing. Far from being a solitary pastime, it has enabled her to engage with others at many levels, to fulfil her own creativity and to remind us all that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever”. ( - John Keats, Endymion)

To learn more about Jill's obsession, email her at beaddicted@hotmail.com

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