Stone Garden Design

My friend LOVES to make crafts while camping.  With a few supplies she brought from home and some colorful stones she collected from the lake shore, she created this awesome stone design for her garden. 

This is what she did:

1. She covered half of an old softball with Premixed Adhesive Grout but any size ball will work.
2. She created a circular design by placing small stones in the grout then randomly placed other stones around it.
3. She let it dry overnight.
4. The next day she spread grout on the remaining half of the softball and continued covering it with small stones.
5. When dry, she sealed it with a clear gloss acrylic coating spray. 
6. She layered a variety of flat stones in her garden and placed her stone design on the top.

I LOVE her completed creation! 

Candy Necklace - How sweet are YOUR words!

I was looking for a quick and easy craft project for a few moms to complete as a "filler" at a MOM's Group meeting.  I found this idea on Pinterest:  Candy Necklace.  It only took minutes to complete, is super cute, and our kids LOVED them!

  This is what we did:

1. Tear off a piece of cling wrap.  Long enough to hold about 5 pieces of candy. (The longer the cling wrap, the longer the necklace).
2. Lay the cling wrap on a hard surface.  Fold it in half (the long way).
3. Lay 5 pieces of wrapped candy down the center of the cling wrap.
4. Fold one side over the candy and then the other.
5. Cut 6-8 inch strips of curling ribbon to tie in between the pieces of candy.  
6. Cut a longer strip of curling ribbon to tie at each end to connect the necklace.
7. Curl the ribbon.
8. Add the Bible verse:  Psalm 119: 103

The above link has very clear directions.  You should check out her site.  I did make a couple variations to her project.  I used less candy (less expensive) and I added the Bible verse. 

 The kids really love the candy necklaces.  I imagine there are hundreds of reasons to make these necklaces.  Big Guy and Little Guy made a couple for their friends, just because...  Since there is tying involved I had to help Big Guy and Little Guy a lot.  I'm sure older elementary kids could do the entire project by themselves.  My boys loved picking out the candy to include in the necklace.  Have fun!

The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help

I was blessed with the opportunity to visit a Holy Place that I learned only recently existed.  The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is nestled in New Franken, Wisconsin.  It is located between Green Bay and Door County. Although the shrine is an official Catholic Church Marian apparition site, ALL FAITHS ARE WELCOME. 

The shrine is "built directly over the site where Mary, the Queen of Heaven, appeared to Adele Brise, a young Belgian immigrant in October of 1859, one year after the Marian apparitions occurred at Lourdes, France."  More information is available at www.shrineofourladyofgoodhelp.com.  You can also phone 920-866-2571.  You will learn that the faithful have visited here for over 150 years.  Some have witnessed and received miracles of help and healing.  Everyone receives a quiet and beautiful place to pray.  This is truly a hallowed site, a wonderful place to visit.



Statue of Mary, The Queen of Heaven