And Now For Something Completely Different...

Working on a very special project for Kate's pre-school...we're making paper beads that will be wire wrapped into a rosary for the annual school auction. When I blurted the idea out, the mom's loved it. Of course I had never rolled paper beads before...but I am happy to report the idea is working beautifully!

The children colored the fine strips of paper with oil pastels and we carefully wrote the child's wish/prayer for the future inside each bead. I am in love with this project!

Notes: We've adapted information found here to suit our needs for the rosary. We used masa paper for the beads and used Portfolio Oil Pastels for the coloring. Instead of the glaze product included with the kits, we've applied 3 coats of Diamond Glaze to each bead, allowing the glaze to dry in between each application. The customer service we have received from Janice Mae is perfect- a real pleasure! The center medallion and crucifix have been purchased locally. The beads are drying on toothpicks in Styrofoam to keep the holes clear and ready for wire. The hours spent measuring, cutting, coloring, rolling and glazing are painstaking..but the end result will be worth it!