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Remembering Cindy
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.
21 responses to “Remembering Cindy”
Dulcey, thank you for writing such a touching and beautiful tribute to Cindy.
The panels are wonderful! You all did an amazing work at putting them together!
Wow, Dulcey! Just Wow!
She sounds like an amazing woman. What a lovely way to honor her life and her contribution to our art. The panels are breathtaking.
Dulcey,
Wonderful!!!!!!!!! This has made my day seeing the completed panels!!
This is a lovely tribute, and the faces are so beautiful.
@Lora, Jos, thanks so much for participating! You were part of the group who made this project possible! I’m glad I made your day, Lora.
@Saby, it was an honor to write about Cindy. I know you miss her too, I loved my phone conversations with her. I’m glad we (Emie, Carol, myself) were able to complete the project.
@Carol, she really was. She taught me a lot, and was one of my go-to people for beading advice. She did some really amazing work, and inspired a lot of people. Thanks!
@Kat, thank you! The faces are the best part, especially the one that Cindy did, the highlighted one at the top….
I’m so glad that you and Cindy’s friends were able to complete this beautiful tribute to her. She was indeed a beautiful person in all ways. I’m so glad, also, that she found true love and was so well tended to by John. Not everyone dies knowing how loved they are, and it says something about Cindy that she is still mourned.
@Susan, thank you so much for being a part of this project! It certainly does say something about her, that we still think about her – and are glad that we knew her. John is a great guy, I hope he’s doing well.
Dulcey, Cindy would be so proud to know this project was finished and put to such good use. It is exquisite. Having joined BA after Cindy had passed, there is no doubt in my mind how much she is loved. I wish I had had the chance to know her. This is a fitting tribute to a dear friend and talented artist.
@Arline, I think Cindy would be proud of the final project too. She was (and is) loved, I’m sorry you didn’t meet her.
Oh Yippee!!!! There here!!! What a wonderful blog entry and the panels, well they are amazing! Good on all of you for pulling it off!!! Cindy was an amazing teacher and had the greatest sense of humour! I am so happy, so happy to see this pulled together!!!
Yeah!!!!!
@Denise, you’re happy? Really, I couldn’t tell. 🙂 Seriously though, thank you! I appreciate what you’ve done, and I’m glad I am part of the project.
I love the way the panels turned out. That is a cool idea about cutting it up and sending it out so different themes can be created with each one. I love the abstractness of it.
@Marilyn, thank you! It’s a fun combination of abstract unity, or something like that.
Interesting beadwork. Doesn’t say how big the panels are, though… I’ll look again… Also, I just opened an etsy shop, too! 😀
@LB – We added the size, thank you! It’s 10×14, so a decent size (those blocks looked plenty big enough when we were working on them!) I saw that you added an Etsy shop – may it do well for you!
These panels are the most beautiful embroidered pieces I have ever seen!
@Smadar, what a lovely thing to say! Thank you! I was also lucky enough to handle the Bead Quilt in person too. Being part of both projects was an honor.