R-Jeneration: Beaded bracelets a symbol of friendship, way to cement bonds for Green Valley sophomore

In a city of flashing neon lights, Green Valley High School sophomore Brittnie Hill creates her own unique color scheme with kandying.

Kandying is a form of art that utilizes large, fluorescent pony beads woven into long bracelets known as cuffs. Kandis range from simple to complex by placing beads in a straight line or weaving the beads line by line until the kandi is several inches long. Hill taught herself this skill using YouTube a year ago and has generated more than 100 bracelets.

"I make them because it is a form of expression," Hill says. "I like to feel like I created something."

Kandi kids are united by their shared belief in P.L.U.R., or Peace, Love, Unity and Respect. Kandied bracelets are traded to symbolize remembering old friendships and cultivating new ones.

"P.L.U.R. is just part of the whole kandi and rave scene," Hill says. "It is really fun to see it (your creation) on somebody else, too."

The central idea to kandying is to be as colorful as possible, sometimes drawing from cartoons or video games for inspiration. Hill's hardest creation involved kandying a mushroom from the Mario Bros.

"I made the face out of beads, which was difficult," Hill says. "It took me about a week to finish because you have to make it and see if it looks right. You really can't tell until you get to the bottom."

Green Valley freshman kandier Crystal Zelaya became friends with Hill in gym this school year by promoting the P.L.U.R. mentality. Exchanging bracelets with each other cemented their friendship.

"It's a status of P.L.U.R., and she's made me quite a few," Zelaya says. "When you go to raves and you trade kandis, you're accepting this idea."

Kandiers rarely stop with just pony beads, tapping into common household items such as soda can tops for inspiration. One of Hill's most prized creations involves a double layer soda can top bracelet that took her more than a month of solid dedication to master.

"I went over to my friend's house and I was in love with this design, but she didn't know how to make it," Hill says. "I could not stop until I had figured it out. I originally thought it was one layer, but when I realized it was two, I finally was able to put it together."

The large expanse of colors offers Hill many options when choosing the pattern of her choice for a specific kandi. Her mother's love of turquoise and American Indian artifacts led Hill to create a bright blue bracelet with red dots in the middle.

"One day I was out camping and I thought, 'OK, I'm going to make something like that for her,' " Hill says. "I made it, and she hasn't taken it off since."

Hill's mother, Anna Barber, has seen a large transformation from the girl who watched the kandying video clip a year ago. As Hill creates bracelets for her sister and aunt, Barber believes kandying has created a closer bond with her family.

"P.L.U.R. has affected Brittnie only in a positive way as she is so much more of a caring and compassionate person nowadays," Barber says.

Although Barber does not know how to fashion the kandis her daughter creates, she gets into the spirit by trading the bracelets Hill makes with her sister and other daughter.

"I just like that she has a hobby and it keeps her out of trouble while improving her as a person," Barber says. "Plus, I get cute jewelry."