Disaster in the making, but I got sniffed to make up for it

Wenesday was bracelet room girls day. Last year we did the same project with the bracelet room girls as the sewing room girls. That didn’t go so well because we didn’t realize they didn't know how to sew! So this year Kat asked me to come up with a bracelet project that the girls could use to make something new to sell. Somehow I came up with the idea to use the bead looms and use seed beads. I made a few samples and it was pretty cool. Thanks to all of my friends who ordered bead looms for us to use! They really did like them. I was able to leave 9 looms with them. Kat came up with this great idea to make earrings. It would be something new the girls could make to sell. I made a few samples of the bracelet and they were pretty cute. Then I found a bunch of earring patterns on Pinterest and transferred them to graph paper. I didn’t actually try one of the patterns... So when the (sweet, adorable) girls came in we gave them the choice of making earrings or a bracelet. Only two girls chose earrings (thank God) and the rest made bracelets. They were very creative and came out great. Now the earrings were a different story.  Probably should have thought that one out! But it looked like it would work. Here’s what we learned. The looms only work with even number beads. All of the patterns started with one bead, which doesn’t work on the loom. It took us a few rows to that figure out. So then we realized all the patterns were wrong. Well we drew up some new designs and it worked out OK. One gal wanted to make tiny earrings. Only 4 rows. Well, you have 16 threads to bury when you are done. Not so great on a teeny earrings. We decided to cut our loses and told them we would finish them for them later! In other words, remake them and try to figure out how to bury all those threads! We didn’t have the correct clasps for the bracelets so they will try and order the correct ones. Kat and I will experiment with more raring designs and hopefully that will be something they can make. It was fun just to spend the time with them. They are very talented girls and did a fabulous job on their bracelets. I hope they enjoyed it. Kat did all of the translating. She has such a great relationship with them. The gifts and RED lipstick were a great hit. We put all of their names in a bag and drew for a “Lucky draw“ as they call it. Several friends sent makeup, lipstick, cute make up bags and we did a big drawing. That sure created a buzz of excitement! We said goodbye :( and I did get sniffed again! That did make me cry. If I didn’t love my job so much Randy and I would move here and work for AIM. At least October through April. Don’t want to miss summer on Coeur d’Alene Lake and definitely don’t want to hit hot season in Cambodia!
We met the team for dinner at a Korean restaurant. Randy invited some of the ex-pats to dinner that work for AIM. They shared the work they do with AIM. One is a supervisor of the Social workers, one is the director of the Restoration home, and of course Kat who is Creative director and in charge of merchandizing and the store. That’s not her official title but I’m too tired to remember it.
Of course I can’t post pictures due to the sensitivity of the ministry. But they will be sending me some as soon as they are edited.