Merit Badge!

[featherynscale]

I forgot, too, that I learned a clever and efficient way of making beaded drop earrings this weekend. I usually shy away from making earrings for a number of reasons. I don't wear different earrings with different outfits, (I have pretty much a single pair that I wear all the time), and so I don't usually think about making any. Also they require a lot more patience and precision than the other things that I do make. Of course, they also require less materials than my other stuff, but generally I have more materials than I have patience and precision, so you can see how that goes.

But I sorted out how to make them out of the same flexible wire I prefer for making other stuff out of, and suddenly, they're pretty easy. I made three pairs, in fact, which actually go with some of my other pieces. People always ask for the damned things, I might as well make it so that I can have some to sell to them.

So that's another merit badge. :) I've been all about the merit badge of late, for which I credit ebonypearl. Her woodspirits group talks about a proposal for a group for adults which serves some of the same purposes as scouting for kids: getting together, having a good time doing things, learning new skills, service work, and so on. It would have an awards system based on "Pearls": as I understand it, each group (or individual) would sort out what colors of beads or other small shiny things would represent what type of experience or acheivement, and then you'd have a banner or a sash or something that you would sew a Pearl on every time you did something. I think that's pretty damned nifty.

Comments

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Camp Fire had a system like that of differently shaped and colored beads that you could sew on a sash or vest in whatever patterns you liked. Each color and shape was a different area or learning or skill. I had a metric crapload of them by the time I quit being a Camp Fire Girl.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I think that's neat. Of course, that may have something to do with my obsessive need to count and measure things... :)

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

I was a Camp Fire girl too...

Camp Fire candy... mmmmmmmm. So much better than Girl Scout cookies! :-)

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Except for the Scot Teas, when they made them. Damn, they were good!

We always had high candy sales. We went out to Hobby Airport to the hangars and offices. Not sure why we had access, but we did. Mechanics are suckers for little girls. Then we'd go to the bank my Uncle Frank was the president of. Made out like bandits.

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

My dad would always ask the girls selling them what their favorite kind was (he still does this). When/if they would tell him, he would buy that kind, then turn right around and give it to the kid.

He never asked me what *MY* favorite kind was... but then, I usually had already had him buy some.

[fionnabhar.livejournal.com]

Also Bluebird uniforms are way, way cuter that Brownie uniforms. SRSLY.

[zylch.livejournal.com]

I always had high GS cookie sales -- but then, I also had a whole neighborhood of frats and sororities to hit with relatively little competition. Living with the Friday night parties was miserable, but I went to summer camp for damn near free!

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

You could use Merit Badges for adults, too. I like cute pictures/symbols more than beads.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Those are pretty funny. I would certainly rather do something that was more funny/obvious, if it were possible. I don't think I can actually produce embroidered patches, though. Buttons, maybe. I don't so much sew.

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

Buttons could work. Or, since we know enough graphically-abled folk, simply creating award-web-buttons that we could post in our LJ profile, or on some page someplace, to keep track. This could allow for even more entertaining option, as then we can introduce animations.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

You're so clever. I think that would work just fine.

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

Further suggestion:

Create a Live Journal community, and then, before anyone joins, come up with at least ten Badge-Worth accomplishments, and have them set up ahead of time as goals for people to attain.

Some Off-The-Top-of-my-head Ideas:

• Forward Thinker: Planning for retirement, 401k
  Image: Wheelchair/walker, with a colostomy bag hanging from it.
  
• Homeowner: Having a Mortgage
  Image: A 'Home' web browser icon.
  
• Overlord: Having at least three minions
  Image: Blank face, with either a handle bar mustache, or the Mirror Universe Goatee.
  
• Work Ethics: Having time off left at the end of the year
  Image: An empty "in" box, and full "out" box.
  
• Parent: Birthing and raising a child through age five.
  Image: A dirty diaper.
  
• Parent Success: All of your children have moved out of the house. (Either into a college dorm, or elsewhere.)
  Image: an empty birds nest.
  
• Grandparent: Your child having a child of their own.
  Image: A full sized bird looking at a smaller bird, who is guarding a nest of eggs.
  
• Totaled: Surviving a car accident.
  Image: Wrecked car
  
• Survivor: Surviving major surgery/life threatening illness
  Image: Scalpel.
  

[leiandra.livejournal.com]

You win.

Unfortunately, I'd only have like....2 maybe 3 off that list.

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

I'd only have four of those, myself.

And another one I just thought of (That I wouldn't have)

• Jailbird: Spent at least a night in jail.
  Image: A man in jail. In an orange jump suit if serving a sentence longer than a year, and having the old fashioned stripes and a ball and chain if longer than 10 years.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have any of them :)