LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

An amazing thing happened here in Sun City West, Arizona today.  It SNOWED.  It lasted about 30 seconds but it snowed.  I've been here 8 years and I've seen hail but not snow.  I'm from Wisconsin so this was kind of fun.  It's colder here than it is in the midwest right now.  This is the cloud that dropped those 2000 pieces :0) of snow on us.

I love it especially after the 4 months of over 110 degrees this summer.  We were going to run out and buy a shovel but changed our minds.  I just played golf 2 days ago.  This is strange.

BEADS OF COURAGE BEARS

I decided that I'm not going to make any resolutions this year.  Every year it's the same old thing, lose weight, spend more time working out, eat less sugar and blah, blah, blah.

This year our Arizona Polymer Clay Guild is going to get more active with the organization called "Beads of Courage".  Please go to the website to read the entire story http://www.beadsofcourage.org/.  Children suffering with cancer and other serious diseases tell their story through their milestones with beads.  Every time they get an injection, have chemo, have a test, come back to the hospital, what ever the task is, they get a bead to make a necklace or chain of beads.  The last one we were shown was over 6 feet long.  I just can't imagine a child having to go through that.

Our guild has been donating polymer clay beads to this organization for many years.  This year we decided to make an even bigger effort to find out what they need and this is where my resolution or lack there of comes in.   We were told the kids love brightly colored beads, animal beads, girl beads, boy beads but pretty good size beads.  The beads have to have at least a 2 or 3 mm hole to fit on the cord or necklaces that they have.  Two years ago I donated 50 purple hearts.  I was told that when a child is done with their program, they were given a purple heart.  I don't know if that's still true but makes sense.  Anyway, I decided I was going to make 100 bears by the middle of January.  I started yesterday and I have 17 done.  I have a beautiful bear mold that I'm using and I'm putting Swarovski crystal flat backs in the eyes and I'm using powders and glitter to spruce them up.  I have 5 boxes of clay leftovers and wasn't sure what I was going to use them for, now I know.

These little guys are being coated to protect their glitter and powder.  The first orange bear got his nose crushed in and I didn't notice till after I baked him.  I'll just tell them he had Botox that went bad.  I've had a couple glitter explosions (and it's only the first day).  I ordered some new bear molds and some baseball bats, hat and ball molds for the boys.

Will let you know when I get the 100th one done.

Hope you have a Happy New Year and a Healthy 2011.