I am an unfinished work, and so are many of my projects. This blog is just an odd collection of things I make and do.

Monday, April 16, 2012

New Beginnings: "Arise and Shine Forth" Mixed with "Snow White" Printed Program

We had a picture of a mirror on the front cover, "engraved" with the words: 

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, 
How can I be faithful
and truly stand tall?

The original mirror is available at Pottery Barn. I wish I could buy it and etch the saying on it. That's a someday project maybe.  I'm not putting a picture of it here, because the rights belong to Pottery Barn.

Inside the program, we printed the following message:


  
When our Beehive Adviser did the spotlight on the new girls, welcoming them into Young Women, she had their names over a picture, like puzzle pieces. She took them off one by one, revealing the YW Torch, with a fancy frame like a mirror frame.
Arise and Shine Forth that Thy Light may be a Standard for the Nations.









Permission given to use any of these for personal or church use only. All other rights reserved, as usual for any projects on the blog.

Saturday, April 14, 2012

New Beginnings: "Arise and Shine Forth" Mixed with "Snow White" (skit)

We are encouraging our class presidencies to learn and exercise leadership, and they did a great job helping plan New Beginnings.  We presented several ideas for a theme, and they wanted Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Our Mia Maid President did some research and came up with the following skits:

Snow White and the Seven Values
Know Right and the Seven DORV's

Neither was quite right for our ward, and now we have a new color, an eighth value, Virtue.  I ended up borrowing ideas from both of them, and writing my own.  I'll include it below, after a couple of pictures.

I had fun blanking out the faces of the girls (they are minors, after all) so look past the girls at the scenery. 


"Mother" (narrator--a Laurel) reads a bedtime story to her little girl (one of the new Beehives), which her little brother plays on the bed.  We made the bed from an air mattress covered with a colorful quilt and a heap of pillows.
Choosy and Faith have a conversation.  We gave each of the girls a name poster, with their part pasted on the back in case they needed prompting.  As it turned out, Choosy knew most of hers very well.  Faith had many lines and had not memorized all of them.   You can see part of the background, which was made by our Mia Maids and Beehives. It is a panel of houses making up Faith White's neighborhood. 




As part of the skit, all the "Defenders of Righteous Values" quote the Young Women's theme.

It's hard to see, but the cookies are star-shaped. Made by one of our Laurels, they tie in with Faith White's desire to be a STAR  (Stand for Truth And Righteousness) I like it that she put the water bottles in a picnic basket; it seems to fit Snow White somehow.


The skit looks kind of long, but it only took about 20 minutes. 

And now....I present....Faith White and the Seven DORVs.  


Little Girl:             Mommy, will  you tell me a story?

Narrator:             Once upon a time long, long ago on a day like…(pause) today,   there lived a beautiful young woman known as Faith White.  

(Faith White Appears)  

Narrator:             She was a lovely young girl who believed in Jesus Christ. She always wanted to do what was right and to help others, so to remind her, she wore a CTR ring on her right hand.  SEE! This ring was a special gift from her grandma. It had a large yellow stone to remind her of sunshine and goodness. 

(Faith White holds up ring) 

Narrator:             One day Faith was walking through Cedar Rapids to her grandmother’s house, and on the way she lost the ring. She didn’t notice it was gone until she got to Grandma’s house.  Faith was very upset.

Little Girl:             What did they do?

Narrator:             Grandma said she would pray while Faith went looking for her ring. Faith tried to go back over her path, but she had stopped to look at flowers, and crossed the street at least once to talk to friends, and even though she looked and looked she didn’t find the ring.   But guess who she met?

Little Girl:             The Big Bad Wolf!

Narrator:             Nope, that’s a different story.  She met a girl in blue. The girl looked right at her, and said, “I think I can help you!”

Little Girl:             Who was she?

Blue DORV:         HI!  My name is Divinity, and I am one of the 8 DORVs!

Faith:                     You look pretty tall to be a Dwarf.

Blue DORV:         I’m not a Dwarf! I’m a DORV.  D.O.R.V.  Defender of Righteous Values!  I’m here to help you learn to be a STAR. S.T.A.R.  Stand for Truth and Righteousness.  

Faith:                     How will that help me find my ring?

Blue DORV:         If you listen to me, I will give you a precious stone. When you have collected all seven stones, you will have the key to the treasure box where your ring is hidden for safekeeping.  And you will find a treasure far greater even than your CTR ring.

Faith:                     I will listen to you, and to the other DORVs.

Blue Dorv:           As I said, my name is Divinity. My color, blue, represents Divine Nature.  It is the color of the sky, to remind you of Heaven.  You are a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves you.  If you always remember this, it will be one of the keys to a great treasure.

(Blue Dorv gives Faith a crown with a blue stone in it, and also gives all the new Beehives a blue stone to put in their own crowns.)

Blue Dorv:           Now, turn toward your grandmother’s house, and walk slowly, noticing all the flowers and the beautiful gifts of nature that your Heavenly Father has given you.

(Faith walks along slowly, Narrator picks up tale)

Narrator:             Faith walked along slowly, looking all around her, sometimes gazing up at the sky and thinking about the words Divinity had said.  Suddenly, a girl wearing red  ran up to her and said, “I think I can help you!)
 
Faith:                     Who are you?

Red DORV:          My name is Beloved.  My color red, stands for Individual Worth.  When Jesus died for you, he shed great drops of blood.  He loves you so  much, he took on all your sins.  You are of individual worth to Jesus.  If you remember this, it will be one of the keys to your greatest treasure.

(Red Dorv gives Faith and the new Beehives a red stone)

Red DORV:          Stick the red stone onto your crown.  (wait for her to do it) Good job.  Now, keep going toward your grandmother’s house.  Walk slowly, paying attention to the red roses in the garden ahead of you.

Narrator:             So, Faith walked along slowly, making sure to stop and smell the roses. She thought about what the Red DORV had said.  Did she really have individual worth to Jesus?  Sometimes she didn’t feel worth much at all, but the DORV said Jesus loved her.  He had died for her personally.  Suddenly she felt much happier, and then, suddenly, another girl, this one wearing a green shirt,  popped up right in front of her.  (our "Smarty" decided to yell "boo" which was a great effect and really did startle our "Faith")
 
Faith:                     Oh, you startled me! Who are you?

Green DORV:     I am Smarty!  My green shirt represents knowledge.  When you look at the green grass, trees, and bushes, you can think about all there is to learn about in this world.  But be sure to take time to learn things about Heavenly Father too.  

Faith:                     I will! I already learned two things about Heavenly Father today!  I learned that I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father, and that I have individual worth to him.

Green DORV:     Good job! That’s a good start!  Add this green stone to your crown, and keep walking to Grandmother’s house.  Keep your mind and your heart open and others will help you find your way.

(Green DORV gives green stones to Faith and the new Beehives)

Narrator:             So Faith walked along slowly, noticing how much green there was in the world, and thinking about how much she needed to learn.  It seemed like maybe she should go straight to school, but the green DORV had said to keep walking toward Grandmother’s house, so she did. When Suddenly….

Little Girl:             Another girl appeared!

Orange DORV:   Hi! My name is Choosy!  Well, my long name is Choice and Accountability, but my friends all call me Choosy!  It’s not because I’m picky, though!  My favorite scripture is from Joshua.  “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  

Faith:                     I love that scripture!  Why are you wearing orange?

Orange DORV:   Orange is the color of…well….oranges.  One choice we make is whether to choose healthy foods or junk food.  It’s also the color of certain warning lights.  They remind us that danger is ahead.  Faith, you need to make good decisions before you get into danger.  

Faith:                     What kind of decisions?

Orange DORV:   Decisions like what you will do if someone tries to get you to drink alcohol or smoke. You need to make decisions about wearing modest clothing, and how you will talk, what music you will listen to, and things like that.  You will need to decide who you will date, and what kinds of things you will do on a date.

Faith:                     That sounds really hard. 

Orange DORV:   It’s not really hard if you will follow this little guide that your Heavenly Father gave for you.  It’s called “For the Strength of Youth.”  If you read it, it will help you know the right decisions to make as you go along.  Keep this copy, and wear this orange stone in your crown to remind you to make wise choices.

(Orange gives stone to Faith and new Beehives.)


Narrator:             So Faith walked along, looking at the booklet that Choosy had given her. She wasn’t really walking the right direction, but she heard a little voice saying, “Faith, come this way.”  She looked around and saw another girl, this one wearing yellow.

Yellow DORV:    Hi! My name is Goody!  I’m not really so good, but I do like to do service for other people.  The yellow, like the yellow stone on your ring, is the color of Sunshine.  Sunshine glows down and gives light and goodness to all those in its path.  Let the yellow color remind you to do good for people all around you.  

Yellow DORV and narrator sing:   Scatter Sunshine, All along your way, Cheer and Bless and Brighten every passing day. 

Yellow DORV:    Here’s a yellow stone to remind you to to bless others along your path.  Be sure to watch for opportunities to help other people everywhere you go.

(Yellow DORV gives yellow stones to Faith, new Beehives)

Narrator:             So Faith walked along, looking for opportunities to help other people.  She saw two young girls sitting on the sidewalk, looking sad.  She thought maybe she could help them.

Faith:                     What’s the matter?

Purple DORV 1:  (Rachel)  We were playing, and I bumped the lamp at Trusty’s house, and I have to tell her mom. I’m just so sad that I broke it and it’s going to be hard to tell her.

Faith:                     Well, why don’t you just lie and say her brother Naughty did it?

Purple DORV 2: She’s Trusty! And I’m Truthful!  We cannot tell lies!  If we did, then who would trust us?

Faith:                     Oh, I get it! You’re two more of my DORV’s!

Purple 1:              Well, we are DORV’s.  We are helping girls who want to become STAR’s.  

Purple 2:              We thought you were one of them, but you just told us to tell a lie.  If you want to be a STAR you’ve got to have integrity.

Faith:                     I am so sorry!  I wasn’t even thinking!  Oh dear, does this mean I have lost the treasure?  Are there any second chances for me?

Purple 1:              You need to remember our friend, Beloved!  

(Red DORv comes back in)

Red DORv:          You can still seek the treasure if you will repent of your lie.  Pray and tell Heavenly Father you are sorry, and promise to tell the truth from now on.  That’s why Jesus Christ died for you, so you can try again!

Faith:                     Oh, thank you!  (drops to her knees in prayer position)

(Red DORV leaves, purple DORVs approach Faith.)

Faith:                     (looks up at them)           Hi again.  Why are there two of you?

Purple 1:              It’s because Integrity is so important, and we help each other be strong.

Purple 2:              Integrity means more than honesty, it means having great strength.  

Faith:                     Where do I get that kind of strength?

Purple 1:              It comes from remembering your Divine Nature.  You are the daughter of a Heavenly Father, which means you are the daughter of a King. 

Purple 2:              Purple is the color of kings, because a long time ago, it was a rare color so it had great value.  Integrity is rare in today’s world, but it also has great value.  Please guard your integrity with all your might.

Faith:                     I will try! I really will try!  It sure didn’t feel good when I realized I was saying you should tell a lie!  

Purple 2:              Now that you know how important Integrity is, I think you are ready to receive your purple stone.  

(Purple 1 gives stones to Faith and the new Beehives )


Narrator:             Now Faith had even more to think about as she walked slowly to Grandmother’s house.  She had six stones in all the colors of the rainbow.  What color could the last stone possibly  be?  As Faith looked around, she realized she had arrived at Grandmother’s house.  There was Grandmother sitting at the table waiting for her.

Grandmother—aka Gold DORV:  Hello Faith. I’ve been praying for you. Did you find your ring?

Faith:                     No, not yet! But I had the  most amazing adventure, and met all sorts of interesting people!

Grandmother:   What is that crown on your head?

Faith:                     I met 7 DORVs and they gave me a crown and all the pretty stones. They said they would lead me to find my ring, and a great treasure, but I am still missing one.

Grandmother:   What is a DORV?

Faith:                     It is a Defender of Righteous Values.  They said they would help me become a STAR—to stand for Truth and Righteousness.  I learned a lot of very valuable things from them. Is that the treasure?

Grandmother:   I’m glad to see you listened to these DORV’s and learned so much from them.  Maybe the 7th stone is one worth waiting for.

Faith:                     I can’t even figure out what color it could be.

Grandmother:   What is my name?

Faith:                     Golda!  Grandma, are you a DORV?

Grandmother:   Yes, honey.  The gold represents Virtue.  It takes in all the other values, and chastity as well.  The rewards of virtue can take a long time to achieve, sometimes even a lifetime, but they are worth waiting for!  Here is the gold stone that is the final key to unlock the treasure.  When you have it on, let’s go out together to find your lost ring.

Faith:                     I miss my ring, but now I know that choosing the right comes from inside of me, and the ring is only a reminder.

Grandmother:   That’s a good lesson to remember.

(Hand in hand, they walk out together.  The DORVs bring in a treasure box and set it in the middle of the floor.)

(Faith and Grandmother walk in. Faith sees the box and squeals excitedly. )

Faith:                     There it is!  Will it open for me?  (she picks up the box and tries to open it. It doesn’t open.)

Faith:                     (sounds disappointed.)  Oh, Grandma, it won’t open.  What do I do now?
(all DORV’s come in behind her, but she doesn’t notice it.)

Grandmother:   Let’s say this together. (Holds up YW poster, and says, “Please stand for truth and Righteousness.” )

Altogether:         Recite YW theme.

Faith opens box and pulls out her ring.  She puts it on, and pulls out a bag of white stones. 

Faith:                     Grandmother, what is this?  What does the white stand for?
Grandmother:   The white is the treasure.  It comes from within you.  White is the color of Purity. It is also the color of puffy clouds in a summer sky, and the color we wear for baptism and inside the temple.

Faith:                     But what does it stand for?

Grandmother:   What is your name?

Faith:                     Faith!  Faith White!  The Faith that is within me is the treasure that helps me embrace and live all the other values.  Oh Grandmother, thank you!  Thank you DORVs too.  I really do want to be a STAR!

All together:       Stand for Truth and Righteousness!

(Faith takes white stones and gives one to each new Beehive—before gluing one onto her own crown.

Faith:                     Each of you new Beehives, look at your crowns. Think about the colors. As you go through Young Women’s you will set goals and learn more about what they mean. I hope you will treasure up the gospel and grow faith in your own hearts as you join us for the adventure of your lives. 

All DORVS come out and take a bow.  (or a curtsy!)



Thursday, April 12, 2012

New Beginnings: "Arise and Shine Forth" Mixed with "Snow White" (gifts)

We made each of the girls a mirror, decorated with flowers, rhinestones, and the theme scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 115:5.
"Arise and Shine Forth that Thy Light May Be a Standard for the Nations."'
Each mirror was different, unique as all the girls are unique.
Close up of the sticker.
After printing, I added a sticky rhinestone to the center of the star.
For a copy of the full sheet, see my post,  Arise and Shine Forth Labels.


Gallery of Mirrors on Display
Each of the incoming Beehives received a crown.  As we progressed through the skit, they received colored stones, 8 in all, in each of the value colors, to attach to their crowns.  Later we gave the other girls tiny gift bags filled with the same stones.


Coming soon: Pictures and script from our skit: 
 Faith White and The Seven DORVs.  

I gave a little talk about the gifts.  The full text is below: 

Each is a different. They are all beautiful, but no two are exactly alike.  They are unique, just as you are unique. 

Some have more flowers; some have no flowers at all.  Some are fancy; a couple are plainer.  Some have more sparkle than others.  Hopefully there is one to fit each of your taste and personality.

Some are made better than others, as I got more practice.  Then again I got tired toward the end of the project.  Maybe you feel like, as the oldest, your parents weren’t as good at it as they are with your younger siblings. Or maybe you feel like, as the youngest, you got the short end of that stick—your parents are older and tired.  Or maybe you feel like your parents did a lousy job altogether, though I hope none of you feel like that about your parents. 

You know what?  You are still beautiful!  Not perfect, just as none of the mirrors are perfect, but beautiful just the same.  Your experiences are creating you to be unique and beautiful.
You will each get to choose a gift after the closing prayer.  Now, since New Beginnings is all about meeting the new Beehives, I would like you older girls to let the girls born in the year 2000 go and choose first.  After that, please choose your own, quietly and respectfully.  

You may have your heart set on a particular mirror, and another girl takes it.  It’s okay; there’s going to be a beautiful one for you.  We sometimes feel like somebody else always gets the good stuff.  Maybe you want Ama’s hair, or Ashlynn’s musical talent—or Shelly’s spunk, and instead you feel like you are quiet, out of tune, and mousy.  But I promise you, you are beautiful just the way God made you.  

There are more mirrors here tonight than there are girls here.  The “leftovers” will go out to the girls who didn’t come tonight.  That’s sort of like life too. Those who are attending their meetings and keeping the commandments will get a great variety of blessings, and get them sooner. Last week we acted out the parable of the ten virgins. Those who were prepared received the blessing.
I made the mirrors with the regular side facing outward. On the back side is one that enlarges your face.  I put it to the back because I want you to look at the mirror every day and see beauty and potential.  I don’t want you to enlarge your flaws, only seeing the “big bad stuff” in your mind. 

I want you to see beauty, and go out the door knowing you are a Daughter of God and prepared to Arise and Shine Forth, that your light may indeed be a standard for those you meet each day. 

I also have a gift for each of the girls who didn’t get a crown.  Here is a little bag with the very same stones.  I hope you will put them in a special place. Tape them to a mirror, or put them in a little bowl on your dresser.  You could attach them to a strip of ribbon as you reach each personal progress goal.   As you work through your personal progress goals, you will grow in the gospel and it will become  a great treasure in your life.  Before you know it, you’ll be Faith White yourself!


Sunday, April 8, 2012

Tweener's Bolero Sweater

I finished this in December for my ten-year-old granddaughter. 
She loved it and her little sister wants one too!

The yarn is Bernat Baby Jacquard.  

It naturally forms the stripes in the pattern. I made sure to start at the same place in the yarn on each side, to make sure the stripes would line up correctly.



Better view...I just like the picture above 
because it's a good one of her.  
She didn't take time to change her shirt...
I think it would look really nice with a 
white or light blue shirt under it.

Back View

This is the original pattern.  I've found some pretty good ones at Fave Crafts. I altered it because I didn't like the way the edge was done.  It is cute, but I didn't think it would work well with the jacquard yarn.  The stripes would be really wide and not really go with the body of the sweater.

I picked up stitches all the way around, then knitted a garter stitch until it was the right width.  I increased around the curves so it would keep its shape. 






I like the bright blue flower button I found in my button collection.  It was a nice final touch.

And now, Grammy, it's time to go.