Working Mom

LAURA KRAMER • RANCHO CUCAMONGAMother of two sons, ages 2 and 5

Business: Psalm 23 Jewelry – Laura K Designs, Inc.

Product or service:
The entire Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection is designed to become timeless and personal reminders of the comfort, hope and inspiration of the 23rd Psalm.

How did you come up with the idea?
In 2003, Pastor Fraser Venter of Cucamonga Christian Fellowship, in Rancho Cucamonga, challenged each person to reflect on the Psalm 23 daily throughout his sermon series. I usually need something tangible to help me have a focal point in my daily reflections. I would read the Psalm but felt that there must be a better way to reflect on and memorize it while going throughout my daily routine. During this time, I was at work creating new jewelry with Psalm 23 whirling about in my mind, and the two ideas collided as one thought; the Classic Psalm 23 Bracelet was created.

What did it take to get your business launched?
We began selling fashion jewelry at local street fairs, with minimal capital expense. We created a Web site to sell the original Psalm 23 Bracelet, and orders came in from across the country and then eventually from around the world.

What is the size of your business?
The Psalm 23 Jewelry collection is sold online and in over 220 retail locations across the nation – and a few in other countries, too. In 2003, we sold a single product, but today our jewelry line includes bracelets, necklaces, earring, bangles, rings and ID tags – for the young and old, and for men and women alike.

Are you able to work around your children’s schedules?
We homeschool our children, so making specific times for work are, at this time, still easily managed.

Did you have a career before you became a mother?
No.

Bracelet symbolizes Psalm 23

Colored crystals remind wearer of God’s care and protection

A jewelry designer has created a bracelet to help its wearers remember and apply Psalm 23 to their daily lives. Laura Krämer, owner of Laura K Designs Inc., has added The Psalm 23 Bracelet to her line of handcrafted crystal and glass jewelry following a lesson presented on the 23rd Psalm by pastor Fraser Venter of Cucamonga Christian Fellowship in Rancho Cucamonga,Calif. For the weeks that Krämer studied the topic with her church,she looked for a tangible way to apply its principles. “As I sat designing pieces, and with Psalm 23 whirling about in my mind, the two collided as one thought,” she said. “As I began to read each verse with a matching

color to correspond, I was prompted to the next verse. I can now recite Psalm 23 and reflect on it in my daily routine.” Corresponding colored Swarovski crystals represent each phrase in the passage such as green pastures (green), quiet waters (blue) and shadow of death (black). The bracelet also includes sterling silver pieces such as a cross charm and prayer box charm that actually opens to fit a prayer inside. The design is approximately 7-1/2” inches in length and is finished with a toggle clasp. It is packaged in a gift box with a CD featuring Venter’s message and Krämer’s personal testimony. A portion of the proceeds from each bracelet will be donated to

CrossCurrent, part of Desert Stream Ministries, a ministry for people who struggle with relational and sexual brokenness. For more information about The Psalm 23 Bracelet, Laura K Designs or Laura Krämer, please visit www.psalm23jewelry.com

Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection Helps Environment and 'Goes Green' by Selecting Catalog Choice to Help Partner and Eliminate Unopened Mailed Catalogs

Direct mail of unwanted catalogs is wasted money. Customers have access to view entire catalogs online. Mailed catalogs are still available at customer's request.

The Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection (http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/) registered their catalogs at Catalog Choice, a non-profit organization whose mission is to reduce the number of unwanted catalog mailings by providing a free online service that facilitates communication of the consumer's mail preferences to the catalog mailer. Catalog Choice (http://www.catalogchoice.org/) works collaboratively with the industry to encourage the continued development and adoption of sustainable industry best practices that provide a positive environmental impact.
Catalog Choice has many of the most recognized catalog retailers including Tiffany's, Brookstone and L.L. Bean that utilize their services. Their registered community is over 1 million persons strong. Members can opt out of mailings, reduce the number of mailings, or get new catalogs they may never have heard of before. "We may not be as well known as Tiffany's, but our growing national retail network requires us to efficiently reach our retailers and customers with our new jewelry pieces. The online version is the most eco-friendly way to do that," states Gerhard Kramer, Psalm 23 Jewelry's Marketing Director.
Gerhard continues, "The cost of postage to an unwanted recipient is not only expensive, it's wastes natural resources and impacts our environment. Our Psalm 23 Jewelry's paperless shopping option online catalog can be updated anytime and our customers love that they can virtually turn the pages just like they would if it were mailed to them, without the added mailing costs."
The trend of producing a quality product online without effecting additional natural resources adds to many sides of a small business' bottom line and environment.
About Psalm 23 Jewelry - Laura K Designs, Inc.
(http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/) Located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection is in a fast-growing retail network of Hallmark Stores, Christian Book Stores, Hospital Gift Shops and General Gift stores. The extended line is focused on becoming timeless and personal reminders of the comfort, hope and inspiration of the 23rd Psalm. The quality jewelry line of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, pendants, bangles and dog tags all provide unique ways to apply the most recognized chapter in the Bible.
Laura Kramer, President, and CLASServices Speaker Graduate, has been invited nationwide to speak to women's groups and conferences about how God has provided healing in her life.
About Catalog Choice
(http://www.catalogchoice.org/)
Catalog Choice is a sponsored project of the Ecology Center. It is endorsed by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council, and funded by the Overbrook Foundation, the Merck Family Fund, the Kendeda Fund, the Weeden Foundation and the Mead Foundation.
Learn more about Laura Kramer and Psalm 23 Jewelry at http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/

Gifts with Message of Hope and Inspiration Sent to First Family

President Barack Obama memorized as a child one of the original messages of hope found in the 23rd Psalm. Psalm 23 is the most recognized chapter in the Bible. Many scripture references, including Psalm 23 is mentioned in inaugural address. Psalm 23 Jewelry pieces are selected to commemorate new presidency.

The First Family was selected to receive Psalm 23 Jewelry (http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/) to commemorate their beginnings of a new presidency. It is a long established custom throughout the world to offer a prayer for the welfare of a new government and celebrate with gifts of hope. "During these times of both great opportunity and uncertainty, we pray that President Obama be granted great wisdom and seek God as he leads our nation," stated Laura Kramer, President of The Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection.
President Barack Obama referenced Psalm 23 in his inaugural address referring to the oath of office, he said, "The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace." He was taught to memorize Psalm 23 and its message of hope in his 5th grade class by his favorite teacher, Mabel Hefty as she did for all her classes at the private school in Hawaii founded by Congregational ministers.
The First Lady, Michelle Obama was sent a Classic Psalm 23 Bracelet and Sasha and Malia were each sent a Just for Girls Psalm 23 Bracelet. A Psalm 23 Fear No Evil Ring, a reference to Psalm 23:4 is also included in the package for President Obama. Psalm 23 Jewelry is locally assembled and packaged by a non profit organization in Inland Empire Region of Southern California. Gerhard Kramer, Psalm 23 Jewelry Marketing Director, concluded, "With our best wishes for a prosperous presidency over the next four years and this expression of our support, these gifts of significance communicate individual expressions of faith, hope and encouragement for the First Family."
About Psalm 23 Jewelry:
Laura K Designs, Inc. (http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/)
Located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The Psalm 23 Jewelry Collection is in a growing retail network of Hallmark, Christian Bookstores and Hospital Gift Shops. A local non profit adult developmentally disabled organization meticulously assembles and packages the jewelry and is a partnership Laura K Designs uses to give back to its community. All designed as timeless and personal reminders of the comfort, hope and inspiration of the 23rd Psalm. This quality jewelry consists of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, pendants and bangles all providing unique ways to apply the most recognized chapter in the Bible.
Laura Kramer, President of Psalm 23 Jewelry and CLASServices Speaker Graduate, has been invited nationwide to speak to women's groups and conferences about how God has provided hope and healing in her life.

Psalm 23 Jewelry Partners With Local Non-Profit Disabled Organization for Growing Retail Network

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- After an extensive search for quality staff and opportunities to properly service their growing retail network, Psalm 23 Jewelry (http://www.psalm23jewelry.com/) pieces are now assembled and packaged by the well-trained staff at OPARC, a local non-profit organization with a mission to enable people with disabilities to achieve their full potential. Expansion of the Psalm 23 Jewelry extended line of bracelets, necklaces, pendants, earrings and rings and the simultaneous growth of a national retail network created a need for a larger staff that could handle larger quantities in a timely manner.

Laura Kramer, President, Jewelry Designer, and Inspirational Speaker said, "We are blessed to have formed a relationship with OPARC. Our relationship with them has enabled us to provide adults with disabilities and vocational barriers with additional employment opportunities in the areas of jewelry assembly and packaging. Without a doubt, working with OPARC has become a part of our mission. We love the people there -- their dedication, excitement, focus on quality and spirit. They have welcomed our pieces and we look forward to our growing relationship with them."

OPARC's capable staff of over 200 employees is located in Montclair, within minutes of Psalm 23 Jewelry's offices in Rancho Cucamonga. "We were able to find this Inland Empire organization only after we searched nationwide. Sometimes local resources are overlooked and the transition to OPARC has been a real blessing for us both to manufacture locally and to help out these hard-working people," says Gerhard Kramer, Marketing Director. He continued, "They assemble and package each piece with a fast turnaround. We provide them with Sterling silver and Swarovski crystals, and they turn them into our Psalm 23 Jewelry designs." Original plans to outsource to foreign countries and outlying areas were scrapped with the discovery of OPARC's ability to locally produce the Sterling Silver and Swarovski crystal jewelry and the corporation's dedication to be able to give back to this local community.

About Psalm 23 Jewelry
Psalm 23 Jewelry is a fast-growing retail network of Christian Book Stores, Hospital Gift Shops, Hallmark Stores & General Gift. The line of bracelets, necklaces, earrings, rings, pendants, bangles & dog tags all provide unique ways to apply the most recognized chapter in the Bible.