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Bead Jewelry Kits & The Volunteer Bead Girl |
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Written by Dara Spiotto
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Monday, 29 October 2007 |
 Bead Jewelry Kits &
The Volunteer Bead Girl
I often get asked to do volunteer stuff. It has been a mixed blessing, but all in all I’ve really enjoyed it. Often I get in over my head and over-commit, and then my head is barely floating above the water and I’m sure I’m a gonner. But it's fun at the same time. If you can’t have fun in chaos, then you’re striving too hard for perfect, and you can’t roll with the punches, hm? Take a risk! Lighten up! Have some fun!
Recently I had just such a drowning moment. A dear friend of mine teaches a group of ladies at a bible study. She’s a brilliant therapist and a  well respected lady, and has written books and done other things to help people with marriage, families, abuse, etc. So when she came to me and asked if I would teach her ladies how to make a bracelet and earring set, how could I say no?
So we planned the date and I began making bead kits. Forty should be enough, she said. Did the red flag wave to me at this point? Well, maybe a pinkish one did. But did I hesitate?? Heck no! I plodded ahead with vigor!
Then I got weary. Making kits is usually fun, but this dragged on and on. I had to have Soft Flex, crimps, clasp, soldered jump rings, charm, ear wires, head pins, and probably some other stuff that I was unaware of. Then I had to choose be ads. She wanted each kit to be different. By the time a week had gone by I had spent ALL my free time making kits and picking out beads. And the budget was $5 per kit. For some of those people, $5 would be a struggle. But I wanted them to be able to DESIGN from their beads, so they all got way more than they needed. I was picking out beads forever.
The day of the class was really great. The California sun was shining over the Southland, warming us up to a balmy 100 degrees with humidity. So we all gathered inside to do our beading, instead of working on the tables with linens out in the rose garden. There are over 200 varieties of roses out there, and it’s a sprawling landscape of flowers. Just beautiful! And inspiring, too. But alas, we were inside. In the semi-dark. Did I mention how tiny those crimps are?
And then the ladies began to come. A lot of them. I had hoped for about 20, but I got nearly 30. Hm. Thirty of them and one of me. My pink flag got redder. There were lots of cheerful hello’s, and we settled into a pot luck dinner that was wonderful. When we were all stuffed, I spoke to them for a couple of minutes, explaining my bead history briefly and telling them about the journey we were about to embark on. Then I begged up front for  their patience. I pointed out that I was enormously outnumbered, and they’d have to forgive me for the time it would take to help them. We began around 4 pm.
I worked the room with a vengeance, checking in on the designing process and helping them get the right fit for their bracelet. Squashing crimps at the speed of light, I was a bracelet-making-machine! And sweaty. I needed a shower. Who ever said beading wasn’t a workout?
At 9 pm we wound down. Did we ever get to earrings? No. Did they care? No. Some of them were sitting at tables where someone knew already how to make earrings, so they lucked out. But anyway, they were gracious, sweet, thankful and excited about their bracelets. They agreed to wear them the following day to show them off. Everyone was happy and I was so relieved.
 When all was said and done, my friend and I took our time picking up the room. She said that it was so fun and she was so grateful that I came. She invited me to do a Victorian Tea with her next May. She said that every year they get dressed up in Victorian attire and set up lovely lace Victorian tables out in the rose garden. They make big flouncy hats and pick rose bouquets and drink tea and eat little tea sandwiches and desserts. She asked if I’d like to have a table where the ladies could make a pair of earrings or a necklace. I said YES! I asked how many ladies usually attend this event.
120. Oh my #$%&*!! She smiled at me. “We’ll figure something out.”
So I’ll keep you posted on the spring schedule. We’ll see what I’m really made of. I better start those kits now. |
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