Everlasting Love Necklace - a charm for loved ones young and old.

This is a gift for the young and old. It's a favorite of mine for nieces, nephews and your own children. It serves as a protective charm and cloak of unconditional love, just as a mother would. And like mother's love, this necklace is delicate but strong. It's effects are quite like the charm Harry Potter's mother put on him to protect him.

The making of the beads is fun but takes patience. It will take a couple of weeks to prepare the paste. And then several more to dry the beads formed of the paste.

You will need half a bushel of rose petals and an eighth of a bushel of lavender bells and a couple of packets of embroidery needles. Collect the petals and the bells on a dry Friday morning once the dew has dried. Discard any that have wilted or discolored. Macerate them with a mortar and pestle while concentrating all your love into them. (You can puree them in a blender if need be).

Simmer the paste gently for about an hour in an iron pot or skillet in just enough water to cover. Then let the petals cool and simmer them again. The iron should react with the petals and turn them a dull ebony color. Grind the mixture each day for about two weeks until a paste forms that is thick enough to roll into beads. The paste should be the consistency of clay.

When the paste is ready roll it into beads. I like to use a few drops of rose oil in my palm when I roll the beads. (The beads will shrink to about half size after they dry). Take a thick sewing needle, like one for embroidery, and pierce a hole through the center of the bead.

If you have several needles you can leave the beads on the pins and dry them on cardboard. (You can also hang them on no.22 gauge florists wire). Turn them everyday so they don't stick to the pins or cardboard. When turning say a protective chant. The beads should be dry in about two weeks. Polish them and string them.

Use a clasp that is sturdy and "childproof". I use a Celtic Knotwork jewelry clasp. It's an everlasting love knot pattern. But choose what works for you.

These necklaces are best stored in a cool dry place, such as a jewelry box, when not in use.