DUMC Women's jewelry show to sparkle

The Destin United Methodist Women have had their monthly jewelry sales for many years. But now they are expanding — in a big, big way!

When the Destin Life Center was in the planning stages, the women began planning, too. They wanted to be able to have a large craft show like the ones where they had been selling their jewelry creations, and now they knew they had a place to hold it.

Their inaugural Fall Flair Arts and Crafts Show will be held in the new Destin Life Center at Destin United Methodist Church, 200 Beach Drive, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 11 and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 12.

“This is going to be something big for the area,” Patty Roof, chairman of the event, told The Log. “We are very excited. This has been a year-long process, daily on-going work.”

Local vendors and others from all over the Southeast have rented 70 booths. There will be the usual watercolors, jewelry and other artists.

But Roof said there would also be unique displays, including not only jewelry but also birdhouses, children’s clothing and accessories, homemade honey and reborn dolls made by Cheryl Ross of Pensacola.
Ross told The Log she prays over the dolls as she makes them.

“I pray for whoever gets the babies, pray for what is on their hearts or a burden they have,” she said. “If they are not a Christian, I pray the Holy Spirit will lead them to Jesus Christ.”

The eyelashes, she said, are the last part of the doll to be made.

“Then I take them to church where they sit through a Bible study and sermon. They receive their reborn certificate, which reflects the day they went to church as their birthday.”

Dolls are then placed with their “new forever mommy.”

“These dolls actually look like real babies,” Roof said. “If you have a picture of your child and you want to customize your doll to look like your child or grandchild, a likeness can be made from the picture. It is very unique and amazing.”

Of course, the women of the church will sell their special jewelry. Pieces include angels, sea life, animals, Christmas items and earrings.

“There will be hundreds of pieces,” Waynnette Culwell, advertising chairman, told The Log. “We make jewelry every Tuesday. Some take only a minute or two if there is only one part, but some can take an hour or so.”

Their original jewelry pieces were made from silver spoons, but they have now branched out and order parts.

Some women even design their own, and some are one of a kind.

Monies raised at the show will be donated to charities, including Shelter House, Hosanna House, Fresh Start, Mission Love Seeds, Children in Crisis and children’s homes in Milton and Selma, Ala. Other money will go to their church’s personal benevolent fund and missionaries who live here but work in many countries.

During the arts and crafts show, the Soul Café will be open for dining. Featured on the menu will be chicken and dumplings, chicken or egg salad sandwiches, chicken salad on lettuce, chips and fruits.

Culwell said the church-wide bake sale would have homemade goodies to satisfy everyone’s “sweet cravings.”