Thank you all for the great ideas. Sorry, it takes me awhile to get back to the computer. I'm thinking Garden Chicken's tecnique on the partially cured 'tufa might be the best way to go for a first project. She does want to write more than just the horse's name and dates so trying to do it on wet tufa might be pushing it. Leigh, those foam rubber letters reversed in the bottom of the mold would probably be great if she weren't going to need multiples of some letters. Marley, your mold making instructions came up when I did a search. I told my neighbor about the talented person who carves letters out of POP and makes her own silicone mold and she started thinking maybe a wooden cross might be OK. Of course this was after also explaining why If she wanted to have rebar sticking out the bottom to stand it in the ground instead of making the stone longer she should coat with epoxy. :-) For the recipe I'll probably use 1 cement,1 1/2 sand, 1 sifted peat, and 1/2 vermiculite. Right now the size is 1ft x 2ft x 3in. Were're hoping this won't be TOO heavy. We should probably try a small test batch first to practice carving. Sure wish I had a dremel. Sorry I can't promise pictures :-( That's one reason I don't post about my projects cuz I know how disappointing it is when there aren't any pictures. I did try awhile ago. My son finally brought his digital camera over and I took some pictures...then after several tries he finally brought the right CD over for downloading from the memory card. Afterwards our cpmputer was all messed up and spent 3 weeks at 'puter Dr.'s house....ended up having to order a new mother board... he said it wasn't our sons fault-just a coincedence but I'm not real anxious to let him try again. It sure is frustrating being computer illiterate. packrat2

Just thought of something else I do for kids....this is great for travleing...I make them up in the summer for our reunions too with different pix of course I am including a link of pix already doen.....all you have to do is size them however big you want(I made mine 4"square) print them out on cardstock paper......then put 2 together back to back(2 different pictures)when I made them last year, I made some with halloween on one side, and thanksgiving on the other side, or with christmas on one side and winter (snowmen, etc)on the other side. I glued them lightly back to back with a glue stick (cheap from dollar stores) just enough to hold together till I could laminate them.....bought laminate at Walmart cheap.....cut them out, stuck them in a bag with different colored flat marble stones from walmart, and the kids loved them....some adults too! I also took a bunch of recipes, halloween for halloween, and xmas for xmas, and using vintage graphics I found online, made everyone a nice cookbook(did this for reunion too using family recipes) I used the vintage graphics for the front & back cover of the book. When I made the halloween cookbook(small booklet), Have some for sale on Ebay right now, I printed out the recipes, then printed out the covers, cut them all out, punched a hole in the corner, tied it together with jute twine.....then I cut out a pumkin shape(2 sided) out of felt, sewed them together, crocheted a jute handle, embellished with silk leaves, and an acorn or pine cone, stuck the recipe book inside..made a nice gift and they can hang it inside the cupboard door for easy finding or even hang on the wall for the season. The xmas ones i am working on now for gifts...I am printing out the recipes, more vintage graphics from online, then will make mittens (make a big snoflake on the outside using glitter glue) or other shape from felt and will stick the recipe booklet inside with a candy cane or something.....if you have any questions, email me..I'll be glad to help... Here is a link that might be useful: tic tac toe boards

ideefix I agree! However,I am kind of stuck. Personal tattoo aside, at one time the literacy program used the theme FROG as Family Reading Our Goal. There is alot of stuff there. It is a nonprofit and there isn't much money at all to work with. To be truthful, I need tutors more so than I need clients. The clients are there but getting folks to volunteer their time to work them is another story. I had thought of targeting older retired females and starting a monthly social/training in order to bring in that type. I appreciate your honesty and all ideas are appeciated! Alicia

Try here, there is a lot of clipart and I have noticed some looks like it is from MS Picture It. If not, tell me what your are looking for exactly, and I will e-mail you some clipart. I have Picture It Platinum. Carol Here is a link that might be useful: GrandStand Graphics