Trichrome

I did a Trichrome Stain today and I have to agree with my friend Janet from Vancouver, it is one of the most beautiful stains that we do. Janet has been a Histotechnologist almost as long as I have. She is also a crafter, doing cross stitch, sewing, and cooking. I haven't inspired her to start making jewelry, yet. However, she does like my jewelry. So, this Trichrome Necklace is dedicated to her in honor of our many years of friendship and her years of dedicated service to the National Society of Histotechnology. Janet has served on the NSH Board of Directors as a Region Director, Vice President, and Speaker of the House as well as serving on many committees.

Above are some of my histology friends, Dot, Janet and Shirley.  They have all served NSH well through the years.

The Trichrome Stain combines a plasm stain and a connective tissue stain. The muscle fibers are stain red, collagen, reticulum, mucin are stain blue. Trichrome stains show changes that occur in neuromuscular diseases and are helpful in demonstrating tumors that have arisen from muscle cells. So, looking at the Trichrome necklace notice how I have used red twisted bugle beads to depict muscle fibers and royal blue core seed beads to depict mucin and collagen in a spiral pattern.

Home from Vacation

Well, I made it home from vacation. It was a great time with family and friends. I did get some beading done, although not as much as I would have liked. I worked on a bracelet to depict the Iron Stain in the car on the way home. Didn't get it finished. I'll have to do that this weekend. Hope you all have been getting some great craft time in yourselves.

Miss Chloe

Chloe was very happy with her necklace!

Miss Chloe Necklace

Here is the necklace I just finished for Chloe.

Vacation time

Hi All, I am on vacation with my husband's family at Pawley's Island, SC. We have been coming here for 25 years. It is a wonderful time of fellowship. I have managed to do some beading. I made two PAS bracelets on the way up here. It sure did make the time in the car pass very quickly. I was surprised I could bead and not get car sick. I had the project all planned and in a flat closed box which was easy to carry. It kept my beads contained very well. I purchased the project box at Office Depot. Yesterday, I started a Gram Stain bracelet and almost finished it. I will complete it today. I also, made a necklace for a child using the Bile Stain colors which are primarily green, pink and light brown. I made a spiral center and am finishing it off with just a seed bead chain. I am going to make several loop on the end so it can be extended as the child grows. I'll post a picture later. Stay well and chill out like me your on vacation, too.

Mucicarmine Stain bracelet

Epithelial and connective tissue produce the secretion "mucin". Increased amounts of mucin indicate certain inflammations or certain carcinoma. Finding the primary tumor site helps in the treatment of cancer. Mucicarmine stain aids in this investigation by demonstrating the presence of mucin-positive tumor cells in an area that normally lacks them. Their presence in would then indicate the tumor did not arise from that area. In a  Mucicarmine Stain, mucin is fuchsia, nuclei is black, capsule of crypotococus is stained deep rose and the cytoplasic stain is yellow.

This bracelet design came together for me by studying the combination of these colors. They are amazing together and the cuff design makes it so special.

PAS Stain Bracelet

There are many uses for the PAS stain. One of the most common is the demonstration of fungus as well as the demonstration of mucosubstances secreted by epithelia of various organs, such as the disgestive tract, lungs, and cervix. Glycogen, normally found in many cells, skin, liver, muscle is also demonstrated by the PAS stain.  It is important to show an increase in the amount of glycogen present in certain pathologic conditions.  Certain types of cancer show an increase in glycogen. There are various methods for the PAS. Most show pink to red basement membrance, fungi, glycogen and mucin. A light green or purple (hematoxylin) counterstain can be used.

I had a great time designing this bracelet, since it is one of my favorite stains. I do quite a few of them, mostly looking for fungus. I used the light pink cubes as the base of the bracelet in a ladder stitch, some fuchsia and raspberry seed beads with satin peridot Swarovski crystal in an X shape as the center. I just love the satin peridot. I think it is my new favorite color. I also love the way the design has an openness to it.

AFB Necklace

The AFB necklace is my interpretation of the Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast stain for bacteria. In this special stain the presence of acid-fast bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium leprae (leprosy) which are pathogenic for man are demonstrated.

The tissue is stained with a fuchsin dye, the normally hard to stain acid-fast bacteria are colored bright fuchsia to red. Acid alcohol is applied and all tissue elements except the acid-fast ones are rendered colorless. The other tissue elements and other bacteria are stained light blue. So, you can see I chose fuchsia crystals to depict the Acid-Fast bacteria, light blue core beads as the background and a spiral pattern to demonstrate the corkscrew shape of T.B.