Necklaces

All of my family knows that I have been going gung ho on making necklaces since I came back from Arizona. I love it. My creative side has an outlet again. I have made over 38 necklaces and I look forward every day to having an hour or two to work on them -

Most of it I have taught myself - with the help of a few books but mostly by trial and error. I love the illusion necklace and this one is done in pink. The earrings I learned by following the instructions in a book but the bracelet was learned in a class at Ben Franklin. That is a fun way to learn the craft. We took four inch pieces of wire and the pearls and the beads and created the bracelet!!! FUN! It makes a fun set that I will probably price at $24 for the whole set - which is cheap when you realize the bracelet alone took two hours!!!


This looks redder than it really is - the stones are brown with red and green and gray markings in them. The copper accents really add to the necklace - this is a one of a kind - I will not sell it for less than $25 although that will probably include a pair of earrings
This is another of my favorites - copper and crystal and bronze metallic beads - really gorgeous with the matching earrings - it can be reproduced and will sell for $22
This necklace is made with memory wire. It always retains its shape - you cut the wire which is quite heavy and then string the beads on to it. There are silver beads glued on each end to keep the beads from falling back off. I have worn this and gotten many compliments on it. It will probably sell for $22 . This one is done with black beads, white pearls and silver and grey stones.
This is my wild one - wooden beads painted in orange and reds combined with real coral. The earrings are made with the beads and then little red and orange and color colored plastic - it kind of settles the set. This set will sell for about $18
This was just a fun one. In one of the bags of beads I bought there were plastic 'feathers' - so I put together this turquoise illusion necklace - it will sell for $8-10
Ethan really liked this one - he has decided he wants a 'manly necklace with at least one of these stone circles in it! price?? about $22
This was an interesting necklace to create. Each of the little jump rings were individually opened and added to the one nect to it. I realize now that I could buy chain already hooked together and I would be able to make this one in a lot less time.

This style is one of my favorites A single strand illusion necklace. In fact the first several necklaces I made were two or three strands but I like the simple look of one strand. I have made them in lavender, pink, turquoise, cobalt blue, pale blue, copper (really gorgeous) and black. These will be sold for $13-$18 depending on the cost of the materials in the necklace.
This is one I made after I learned how to 'twist' wire...thus I could combine strung beads with necklace links. This one is a long necklace and is gorgeous. I will probably sell it for about $30 or $35.
I bought the stone and bail (that is the silver piece holding the stone in place down in Arizona and have been thinking about how I wanted to design this piece. With a few suggestions from Kecia I have finally finished it.

I have lots more - my 'girls' all have a set they are wearing, except for Kris because she can't decide what she wants - she doesn't wear much jewelry so she is still unsure. I have already told the girls that if they want their double strands turned into single strands I will gladly readjust them.

I sold one necklace to Mauri for a birthday present for one of Adrie's friends, and I 'traded' another necklace to Kecia for some Mary Kay!! And I have one necklace on 'order' from a neighbor so I really have started into business. Jeff has said that I can display the necklaces on his site and I am thinking about having necklace parties. Whatever I can do to support my 'habit'!!!

Help - I need some ideas

As many of you know we had the television taken out of Jill's room because she would never watch it - EVER. The very week it went away, the nurses realized that Jill could no longer hold her body upright - so she would lean/fall forward while sitting in her wheelchair.

They get her up and get her dressed everyday and she still is wheeled into the dining room for her meals but then they put her back to bed - or at least on top of the bed where she lays staring at the walls and ceiling all day.

I thought that maybe I could make a mobile for her with some of her sparkly necklaces and some pictures etc that she could look at - but it would have to be attached to the side or end of her bed so it would have to have a REALLY long arm...

any suggestions? ideas? thoughts? help!!!!

Three Cups of Tea

It is midnight and I just finished the most fantastic book - it is titled "Three Cups of Tea - one man's mission to promote peace ...one school at a time. It is written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. My walking companion Cheryl loaned me her copy and it was so good I decided I needed of copy of it in my library. So I have ordered the book and will be glad to loan it to whomever asks first.

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

The bridge to Korphe that Greg built!

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school. From that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time.

The first school built by Dr Greg - in the Village of Korphe

In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities, businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100 check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only raised $2,400. But his efforts changed when a group of elementary school children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623.40 in pennies, who inspired adults to begin to take action. The 283 foot Braldu Bridge (pictured above) was completed in 1995 and the Korphe School (left) was completed in 1996. Since then, he’s established 78 schools. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived an armed kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. Yet his success speaks for itself.

Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world .’ -Tom Brokaw

The name of the book comes from an explanation by Haji Ali, the head man of the village of Korphe. With he first cup of tea, you are a stranger. The second cup of tea, you become a friend; and the third cup of tea, you join our family and for our family, we are prepared to do anything ---even die!


I cannot begin to do justice to the story -but I am amazed at the warmth and love of a man that can so dedicate his life to such amazing accomplishments.

How do we help our children

You have all heard me say that I am so thankful that I am not raising my children in today's world. That even a generation ago was a much simpler and safer environment. I pray daily for my grandchildren and for their parents who have to teach and lead and guide them through the mores of today.

The family is the building block of society. "It is a nursery, a school, a hospital, a leisure place, a place of refuge, and a place of rest. It encompasses the whole of the society. It fashions our beliefs; it is the preparation for the rest of our live."(Margaret Thatcher, when she was Prime Minister of
England)

Ed and I have been teaching a Sunday School lesson on marriage and family relations. It has been a fantastic opportunity and we have really enjoyed these lessons. We gave one a couple of weeks ago that really touched my heart and I have wanted to share some thoughts from it with you.

A few years ago, Bishop Stanley Smoot was interviewed by President Spencer W Kimball. President Kimball asked, "How often do you have family prayer?

Bishop Smoot answered, "we try to have family prayer twice a day, but we average about once."

President Kimball answered, "In the past, having family prayer once a day many have been alright. But in the future, it will not be enough if we are going to save our families. "

I wonder if having casual and infrequent family home evening will be enough in the future to fortify our children with sufficient moral strength. In the future infrequent family scripture study may be inadequate to arm our children with the virtue necessary to withstand the moral decay of the environment in which they will live. Where in the world will the children learn chastity, integrity, honesty, and basic human decency if not at home? These values will, of course, be reinforced at church, but parental teaching is more constant." (Marriage and Family Relations, lesson twelve.; 'teaching children through example and instruction).

Think on this - this is not just a Mormon point of view - incorporate daily family prayer, daily scripture study from the Bible or the Book of Mormon, a family meeting once a week where you as parents teach your children to Love the Lord, the be honest, hardworking people. An extra chance to teach your children to serve others, As Jesus served them. These are values and ideals that all of us need ...and WE AS PARENTS have the God given responsibility to TEACH OUR CHILDREN.

WE as parents need to teach our children Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, Prayer and Walking uprightly before the Lord. Otherwise we will not prepare them to face the world outside our doors.

Tuesday evening I got to help with a ward activity called "Carnival of Life" for the youth of our ward. When I got to the church house I was amazed at the decorations and the work that had gone into transforming our gym into a carnival. The youth were given a certain number of tickets to use - they could do Karaoke, throw darts at balloons, play golf, get tatoos and piercings (fake), all sorts of fun games - buy popcorn or chips and salsa and drinks, etc., and so on. I ran the bobbing for apples booth. We had one gentleman who was sitting on the floor with a sign around his neck saying "help me - I am hungry".

The youth came in and won marti gras beads and got tatooes and ate and played games for about an hour. At each booth they gave up one of their tickets and it got marked with an x or an o or something else. As I said before my booth was bobbing for apples and the youth that participated in that received the letter B on their ticket - for Baptism. (The youth that bobbed for apples had made that important step in their salvation). Then one by one (or two or three) they were quietly escorted out of the cultural hall (representing death).

They went before the judges where all of the tickets that were marked with x's were discarded as things of the world that they couldn't 'take' with them to the other side. The B's and the O's added to their blessings in the hereafter. I know they went to one room where they watched a movie but I don't know too much about all that went on after they 'died'.

Once all of the youth were out of the cultural hall, those of us manning the booths, changed into our white dresses, and the men put on their white shirts and pants and ties. Once all of the youth had progressed through the 'afterlife' they were brought into the chapel. When they were all seated in the chapel, we 'angels' filed in and filled the choir seats.

They had a short program for them with pictures of Jesus all around. One sister sang a gorgeous song and then there was a short talk pulling all of their evenings activities together. It was explained that the gentleman sitting on the floor represented Jesus - and those who gave up a ticket to buy him nachos or cookies or a drink received a special mark on their ticket showing the compassion they had for him. The youth were told that life is that man may have joy and there is nothing wrong with enjoying oneself, but that the need for moderation in this world is so important. A carnival is not sinful, and games can add to the joy of life, but don't waste your whole life trying to find happiness there - open your eyes to all of the opportunities and learn from them.

Anyway - the whole evening was beautiful. - Fun, but eye opening. It is our job as parents to teach our children. The scriptures promise us that God will give us wisdom (to teach) if we ask in faith. (James 1:5-6) Each of us needs to pray for the wisdom to be good parents, to teach our precious children the things they need to withstand the evils of the world around us.

These precious ones are my grandchildren... teach them what they need, help them to understand how they need to live to avoid the pot holes of drugs and alcohol, of cheating and lying, of illicit sex and abuse. Help them find the true happiness that comes through loving the Lord and walking uprighteously before HIM.