She finds seashells at the seashore

These last two weeks will be called 'the time I found out what not to evereverever do while making things'.

Yup, disasters abounded. Candles warped, I made a very cunning lamp shade that promptly caught fire when put on the lamp, the clay beads still haven't dried, and my stained glass collection somehow disappeared. (Yes, Miss Rosey, I'm looking at you. Don't tell me....it was Barbie's idea, right?)

Blame it on the heat. And the @$%?# humidity.

I needed a quick idea to show you. So last Saturday when I found a bag of seashells for a dollar, it seemed serendipitous.  And my mind was all a'blaze. All I needed was a ring.

Digging through dusty boxes in a church rummage sale is always....interesting. Tossing aside felt cut-outs and dusty plastic canvas pieces, it seemed hopeless until I hit the very bottom of the biggest (dustiest, too!) box. There, winking up at me, was a battered wicker wreath with some very faded fake flowers scattered across it. I snatched it up and brought it home.

Okay. Fake flowers tossed. Battered bits tucked back in the ring (with the help of a hot glue gun.) Then I laid out my shells, making patterns with little stones and bits added too.

Then I hot glued a-plenty. The trickiest part was layering the design. I had to fill in with broken bits on the bottom layer, let it sit for awhile, then go back to it. Still, it was a quick craft.

Now, I chose a smaller hoop because I didn't have a ton of seashells and I wanted this to put around a candle. (It's a gift, you see, and the wreath form I had has a loop at the top, so it could be hung if one wished. Very retro.) But larger hoops would be lovely, also. And so easy to do! I'd love to do a wreath with beach glass, also, although it would be tricky to figure out how to let the light through so it would still shine.....

It's been a bit hot for cooking, so we've been making salsa. Fruit salsa. My kiddles eat it up.

Savoury:
(all proportions fiddle-able)
1 cup fresh pineapple
1 cup diced cucumber
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
8-10 fresh mint leaves, shredded
2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, shredded
juice of two lemons
1/2 videlia onion, minced
1/2 small chili pepper, minced.

Blend all gently and refrigerate for a few hours before scarfing up.

Sweet:
2 pints strawberries, cleaned and large-diced
4 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
1 pint fresh blackberries, cut in halves
1 pint fresh raspberries, cut in halves
grated rind of one orange
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons orange marmalade

Blend all gently (sprinkle sugar over at the last, then stir gently to combine) and chill for a bit before eating. Yummy with graham crackers. Or on top of (*whispering: store-bought*) cheesecake. Why on earth would I cook in all this heat??

Now I think I'm going to go back and figure where I went wrong with that lampshade.

Wish me luck.....

Comments

[motherbumper]

Church rummage sales rock (sometimes) and what is it with the @$%?# humidity? GARG.

Cool craft idea, I'd mix in my sea glass that we used to collect on the seashore (blues, greens, and browns would be great gap fillers).

Now must go make some salsa.

[alison]

Mmmm,I want salsa. And a shell ring too. It's very pretty.

[Laurie]

Very awesome idea for the shells. When we moved back to Minnesota from Florida we brought back a huge amount of shells and I have been wondering what to do, Thanks.

Thanks for the recipes as well they sound very yummy.

[kgirl]

Yum, both of those salsas sound scrumptious. Will definitely be trying them out.

[Woman in a window]

So crafty. Wonder if crab legs would look spiffy on a ring. If not spiff, at least a little smelly.

[Chantal]

hmmm I am all over that savoury salsa. I need to try that. And reading your column is getting my long dead (or maybe just resting) crafty mojo back up. Man this working stuff just sucks. I.NEED.TO.GET.MY.LIFE.ORGANIZED... Ohh sorry. I got carried away there :(