Boys of Summer

Yesterday's trip to Huntington Beach proved perfect. Once you travel the distance via the 91, the beach feels like an oasis. Thanks Diane for trekking there for our first beach day & helping to keep an eye on those boys in the ocean. {First taste of strips, cheese & salsa from Jack's was as good as it always is each summer!}

Go Layout & Shell Frame

I LOVE THE IDEA of onelittleword.blogspot.com; the first challenge word to scrap being "Go". Even though the site has debuted and they have featured "Stop" & "My". . .I've only just begun. My page reads, "Go with flight! It's in a boy's DNA & I daresay, a boy thing! {Cousin Mike, Frank & Noah poolside, Stringer's} 2006." I'm determined to take art challenges whenever possible.

Next pictured, is my first very large square "Chunky Shell Frame", a project I recently completed. It takes a hefty stash of shells to do a project of this size. All of my shells are handpicked off the shores of the island I hail from, Maui. My artist sister Jeanne (most of my family still reside on Maui) introduced crafting with shells and she has taken the designing of the frames to a new level. She decided to make use of chunky pieces of shells, thus a new twist to the craft. The colorful texture is irresistible! It's truly a cycle of beauty & fullness, and I think I will have to feature my shell crafting adventure in detail soon. Crafting with shells: beachcombing, conversations, washing, sorting. . .to the actual craft project. . .is a blessing, and we know where all good things come from . . .it's similar to scrapbooking! We take bits & pieces of life and we create a message we'd like to preserve and marvel at.

The first Circle Journal arrived on my doorstep yesterday! Next, a layout of today's beach day at Huntington Beach or photos & CJ--oh my!

Thanking Lorin

Because I need to practice blogging skills, I thought I'd thank Lorin for his help (when I bungle he calmly reviews the problem) by featuring his creativeness.

Do It Anyway

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies; Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank; people may cheat you; Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight; Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous; Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow; Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough; Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.

Mother Teresa

Lorin used pen and ink on this drawing and was inspired by a photograph of Mother Teresa in a crowd in India, it was on the cover of National Review.

It's A Learning Thing

No wonder

I'm not a computer geek, it drives me

crazy.

I did have to bribe my hubby with Good & Plenty candy to help me with my first lesson. He survived without strangling me!

So, here's a couple of current projects. I did do my page yesterday on my new favorite format the ever easy 9x9 scrap page! Could not wait to use Jenni Bowlin's felt bird I ordered. Forgive me for my less than stellar photo images, the journaling reads: My Dad always said to me as a child--The Early Bird gets the Worm. Therefore, here we are 'early birds' at H'poko shelling: me, Sarah & Jeanne. I have evolved to scrapping so that it works with my lifestyle: a fast mind b

oggling pace. I'm on a mission to express a clear point of view in a freestyle manner. I love it.

And you see my other craft obsession. My shell frames, which Sarah and Jeanne love to craft with as well. (Jeanne is responsible for this blessing as she opened this door to me!) I have another large shell project that should be wrapped up in just a day or so, can't wait to post that!

Thanks so much for the wonderful comments on my blog, it keeps me smiling & some of you just crack me up. Have a great weekend, and let's get going on those projects ladies!

P.S. Hope you can see my tiny profile photo which is of my Circle Journal I created for a art project that six artist friends & I kicked off this month. Appropriate for today, Something New.

My First Entry

June 22, 2007 6:52 a.m.

Greetings to my family & friends! My first entry! I'm feeling awkward but as if on a brink of yet another adventure in what I hope is an artful expression. I looked into responding to a call to be on a design team, dismayed to discover a designer's blog is part of a resume (of sorts). Therein lies the bigger picture. It was tough naming my blog! In the end I chose wording from my sister's discussion on how the two of us seem to scurry about being busy and add in our lives our handmade gifts. Jeanne, my sister calls our creative giving, soulful gifting. I think that is sweetness personified don't you?

I have plans today to scrap a page on one of my father's favorite sayings: The Early Bird Gets the Worm. Hated this as a child but love it as a artful adult! Hope to post it later, with banner, etc.; wish me luck because I am an inept computer user. I'll have to call Lesley or Lisa for help.

It's going to be a stellar day. . .first blog entry, giggle*, thanks for peeking into my world!