Urban Hope Video

Ms. Lulu volunteered her time and her gifts to bless BLING with a video about Urban Hope. We are so thankful and blessed for her gift to us. The girls loved being a part of the process and were amazed at the final product. They love it!

Check it out here. 

Wedding Season is Here!

BLING loves to design for weddings! Here are some of last year's creations! Jolly, a seven year old, is currently designing bracelets for four flower girls...pictures to come!

Swarovski Pearls were used for Bridesmaid necklaces for a wedding! 

Swarovski Pearls and freshwater pearls in three layers matched with earrings were worn in a wedding!

New Life Bracelets

New Life Bracelets? Could this future project change lives?

I see these same two boys riding around the neighborhood. I've known them since I first moved to the neighborhood three years ago. They were both in sixth grade. Since then, they have become deeply gang involved, but they still are sweet boys that I remember.

They recently endured a loss as one of their friends lost his life. They both were filled with rage and anger--making decisions that risked their own lives. A friend of theirs said..."these are dark times...these are dark lives around here."

As I was sitting down to prepare a BLING lesson, I thought of how God wants to bring them "new life" and hope-filled lives through the good news of Jesus Christ. I was thinking of a new project. It has a plant that symbolizes new life, and I was thinking to myself: What if through making these New Life bracelets, I could employ these teens? And, what if this employment could expose them to the life and love of Jesus, as well as provide them with an alternative way of making money...what if?

This daydream, became a prayer, this prayer is becoming a vision for these kids...

Things I know now that I didn't before

What I did this semester that I didn’t do last semester, was go deeper in jewelry. I think I learned how to make jewelry I never knew how to make. We talked more about God.  I also learned how to create a resume. I found that the resume was very easy and people didn’t think I had it in me; but I proved them wrong.

-Helen, 16
BLING Apprentice

Latest Project: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly

Last Wednesday, the girls and I went over some project ideas. Micah 6:8 may be familiar to many; however, it is not one that is known to my girls. I used this as an opportunity to share with my girls how to follow God and how to love people. It was an interesting one, and one girl said: "This is very different from the world we live in." 

We are working with a couple from Chicago who work with wood and acrylic. Here is our latest project.The girls made decisions about style, color, choice,etc. The following is a sample of what is to come. The girls thought that black, dark brown, purple, royal blue, pink, and red. Each phrase will be a separate bracelet.


What do you think?

What I like about the teachers at the church

By Pika

I like that Kelly help you with you homework and she is good at that and she is nice. I like that ms.nikki  she help you with bling and homework  and  she is good with that.ms.lisa is so good with bakeing  and doing jobs . mr.jb he is so good at teaching basketball.

Latest Creations!

Beauty from shells and recycled beads!

Girls used these beautiful beads to learn basic earring skills.

We love color! Bold and beautiful! A 14 year old, her nine year old sister, and 11 year old brother made these memory wire bracelets--it was a family affair!

Stars with an edge! A fourth-grader made these earrings!

Double stranded bracelets made by a very special woman who then proceeded to teach eight other women who then taught their girls.

Cross Bookmarks! One BLING girl loved making these! And, used her income of $160.00 from these bookmarks to support her Compassion girl, as well as buy Christmas presents for her family. She also went to Aquire the Fire with money she earned! "Being able to make these are an answer to prayers!"