Art Ink & Me

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Seashell Crafts

Seashells are a lot of fun for projects of all types, from picture frames, candles, and other home decor to creating jewelry. They can be a wonderful learning tool, create games or projects, and lessons for kids. I live In Rhode Island and shells are plentiful, but if you don't live near the shore you can also get them pretty cheap at Christmas Tree Shoppes, craft stores, and maybe even a job lot or Big Lots type store. I just love shells and figuring out ways to use them.

Images on this page are mine unless otherwise stated.
(photos and images by Castleroy-Lisa)
this article originally by me I wrote it for the squidoo site and it was added to so crafty magazine but the site went down so i re-added it here to my blog I hope you enjoy and find something you like. article copy right .

10 easy do it your self Ideas that come to mind

1 - You can buy shower curtain hooks and glue shells to them, make sure it is the side that shows when they are closed
2 - Add shells to hair items like bobbie pins, plain barrettes, and hair combs for fun hair decor
3 - Add to handles on drawers and cabinet doors
4 - Picture frames and mirror frames, you will find links below for DIY instructions
5 - Wine charms
6 - You can fill a glass container with sand, add shells and a candle, like I did in this photo
7 - You can make a night light
8 - Make a wreath
9 - Make jewelry
10 - Make candles

Seashell crafts with Debi Beard. She is just great :) I love her videos

Uploaded by SheSellsSeaShellscom on Jan 13, 2012
For more info, visit http://debisdesigndiary.blogspot.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Debis-Design-Diary/294627757255973?sk=wall or http://themermaidsmercantile.blogspot.com
This is a fun DIY craft video, how to make seashell covered letters using seashells, starfish and vintage jewelry, for more details visit her blog Debisdesigndiary.blogspot.com. These decorations are affordable, a great idea for a beach wedding, beach party or party favor, or bring the coastal, beach house feel into your home.
You can also find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/debisdesigndiary

Garden Pots

A garden, your porch, or in your home, let's decorate your flower pots. A wonderful idea found at the Martha Stewart site (Photo also from Martha Stewart page)
Martha Stewart site - seashell flower pots

More outside or porch ideas, how about wind chimes, or garland, or a big basket filled with all different sized shells.

Other ideas
-giant shells as planters
-imbed shells in homemade walks and stepping stones
-make a decorative section of your plant or flower garden, have them emptying from a silver sand pail and maybe have a succulent in another silver pail next to it, use a couple blue gazing balls laying about like bubbles for a great sea garden theme.

Or use large shells as planters for your herbs? Here is a great page with some All Crafts Planters

The Office

Ideas for the office, or home desk, for adults and kids

- Business card holder as shown
- Use a large shell as a paper weight or book ends
- Glue to pen caps or pencils
- How about decorating a wicker trash can with a few
- Or the corners of a bulletin board or the entire frame

- A delicate look to the corner of a journal, or tiny shells to create a bookmark and note cards like here. I love these at
Better Homes & Gardens Seashell Craft Ideas.

More DIY SeaShell Crafts

Maritime Tea Light Candle Centerpiece With Seashells: Maritime and Seashell Decorating Idea - Maritime Tea Light Candle Centerpiece With Seashells.
Collected seashells from the last beach vacation can be used as embellishments for this quick and easy table centerpiece for the summer.
Wind chime or party decor Garland: More Ideas wind chime or party decor Garland
Women day create a Seashell wreath: women day create a Seashell wreath
DIY Seashell Lamp: DIY Seashell Lamp very cool I have got to give this a go
DIY seashell frame: DIY seashell frame
DIY Seashell Mirror: DIY Seashell Mirror
Excellent idea DIY Seashell Napkin rings: Excellent idea DIY Seashell Napkin rings
Shell craft ideas: 27 fun crafts from critters to out side party lights
DIY Shell Jewlery: DIY Shell Jewlery
Seashell Jewelry Chokers: Seashell Jewelry Chokers
Seashell jewelry Pendant: Seashell jewelry Pendant
Seashell Angels: Seashell Angels
Craftberry seashell ideas and DIY: Craftberry seashell ideas and DIY
DIY Seashell bottle toppers: DIY Seashell bottle toppers
another great seashell candle Idea: another great seashell candle Idea embedded in candles
Another seashell napkin ring Beautiful DIY: another seashell napkin ring Beautiful DIY
Another wind chimes DIY: Another wind chimes DIY

Seashell Wreaths Are A Growing Summer Trend

Seashell wreaths are a growing trend

This image and tutorial on how to make this beautiful wreath are here at
A pretty cool life blog

Perfect front door decorations for the summer. Collect shells on your vacation and use them all displayed for all to see on a beautiful wreath

DIY Seashell Wreaths Links

How to make a seashell wreath: How to make a seashell wreath (my romantic home)
Make a seashell wreath: Make a seashell wreath
clam shell wreath: clam shell wreath DIY
Seashell wreath: Seashell wreath
Seashell wreath crafts: Seashell wreath crafts
Happy Moms summertime seashell wreath: Happy Moms summertime seashell wreath
Great seashell squared wreath how too: great seashell squared wreath how too
Holiday Seashell wreath better homes and garden: holiday Seashell wreath better homes and garden
The thrifty craftier springtime wreath: the thrifty craftier springtime wreath

Fun DIY Kid Stuff

How about making a shell identification board for their wall or maybe decorate a memory box or book/journal with shells or check out these fun craft ideas and sites

Seashell Critters
Seashell Mobile
Painting sand dollars

Sites with multiple ideas
Mother nature network
Nature crafts
Disney family fun
Grandparents dot com seashell frame, necklace and more

Hunting for Seashells With Kids

When my niece came visiting at spring break, we took the opportunity to make it fun and educational with a trip to lighthouses and later, the beach to collect shells to make necklaces. You also can bring a book and identify the shells you find. Here we are on the hunt.

Cleaning Seashells

What would be the reason, when gathering seashells, to wash them right away. Well if you are carrying them about on vacation on planes or a hot car they will soon smell pretty bad. A 50% bleach and water mix will turn the shells almost white which make them very pretty for weddings and certain crafts, a 10 or 20 % bleach to water mixture may let them be a bit more natural looking and will pretty much work just as well, just let them soak until all algae and periostracum (the flaky covering that is on most live seashells) comes off. The bleach, of coarse, also helps with smell from inside the shells, and lets your shells shine.

How I Make Seashell Candles

I recycle wax regularly, you know how you have just a small bit at the bottom of those glass candle jars left after the wick has burned out. What I do is I half fill a small pot with water, let it come to a boil, and then turn it down to medium. I watch and let all the wax melt, I then make a new wick by dipping household string in the melted wax and soaking it. I then pour the melted wax into my new container, the seashell, and stand the new wick in the wax. I hold the wick in the center and in a minute it will stand on its own, and in 5 minutes your candle should have hardened enough that you can clean edges if needed and you have a beautiful seashell candle. I love using the old jars of wax because once i am done and emptied the wax, the heat also allows me to peal off the label easily, and now I have a beautiful jar and lid i can use for bath beads, or shells, or food treats, or gifts.

Wedding Wish Basket

A great wedding idea is to have guests, as they arrive, make a wish on a seashell and put it in a basket. You can either have them secret or you can have everyone write their wish on the shell and have someone read each wish in front as part of your ceremony. Here is our wish basket that we still display on our piano.

You can use shells to decorate bouquets, or veils, or candles. Shells and the beautiful ocean make lovely themes you can even buy candy or chocolate shells to decorate cakes.

I also use them for bath oil beads and soap

Love shells here are some great gifts with shell photography

Seashells Pillow by CarriesCamera
Browse more Seashells Pillows

Seashells Tile Personalized by CarriesCamera
See all the decorative tiles from Zazzle.

Seashell Round Clocks by CarriesCamera
Create a personalized wall clock online at Zazzle

Friday, August 15, 2014

Update Update Update

Hi everyone I have been updating links but not blog posts lately sory about that here are a few things I hope you will check out 1) the new stuff addd in the blog side pannel 2) listed below is a link to my stores updates Maybe if you have time you could take a peek around my shops. recent photos below are just some being added to shops. working on it :).
Lets see 3) I am also hopin to creat some new tutorial videos for photoshop and some fun videos on favorite and fun apps I will keep you posted. I am also just really enjoying photography on most part taking pictures of nature and birds animals the ocean flowers and more.well I try update more often have a wonderful weekend.

Recent photos

This month an update on my shops

Do you like all kinds of art like street art sand art or carved pumpins even ?

just so many art ideas and creativity well I collect the most amzing art

sites I find on the web. I save them at tumbler Here

Or read paper here get emailed a new art paper daily

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Wildlife Pillows

Two great causes in one, wildlife protection and ending poverty. What a wonderful company Zazzle is, selling pillows and other items from American MoJo that help put single mothers in the USA to work, and therefore, helps to stop poverty. I am all for buying USA made products, and even more for stopping the poverty in our nation, (in 2011 the US's poverty rate rose to 15.1%, approximately 46.2 million people).
I am also for protecting wildlife. Further down you will find a link to the World Wildlife Fund with more information about the important work they do and how you can help, Please be sure to visit them.

Polar Bears

Polar Bear Cub Pillow by RenderlyYours
Browse Polar Pillows

Curious baby polar bear pillow by RenderlyYours
Browse Zazzle for a different throw pillow.

Polar bear mom and cub pillow by RenderlyYours
Shop for another throw pillow.

Baby Polar bear Cub Pillow by RenderlyYours

Check out other Baby Pillows at zazzle.com

Ocean Life

Our oceans' creatures are threatened by many thing, from being hunted by Japan to oil spills. Have you imagined our waters so dirty and polluted that there might be no life? Did you know the ocean holds answers to disease and medicine, many medications already use ocean plant life and fish oils.

You can help our world's wildlife by visiting WWF below

Dolphin Lover's Dream Pillow by lapatrick1161
View more pillows.

Pelican Gliding Pillows by MaeFlowers
Browse Zazzle for a different throw pillow.

I LOVE ORCAS PILLOWS by FANTASTICFRACTALS
Browse Cartoon Pillows online at Zazzle.com

Customize Product Throw Pillows by WildlifeAnimals
Find other White whale Pillows at zazzle.com

Clown Fish (Nemo) And Coral Pillow by RenderlyYours
See other pillows.

Tiger Pillows

Not only are the white tigers in danger, but we have found out since the incident in Ohio that all tigers are as well. Even the subspecies of tiger with the largest population, the Bengal Tiger, has less than 2500 left. The Siberian has only 350 t0 450. You can help our world's wildlife by visiting World Wildlife Fund below in this lens.

Tiger pillow by RenderlyYours
Browse Zazzle for a different pillow.

Love is_ throw pillow by ELENNE
Browse Zazzle for a different throw pillow.

The look out_ throw pillow by ELENNE
Shop for another throw pillow.

Focus_ Pillows by ELENNE
Find more New Pillows at Zazzle

More Wildlife Pillows

Eagle Soaring Over Mountains Pillow by RenderlyYours
View more throw pillows.

Bald Eagle Throw Pillow by seashell2
View more Wild Pillows

African Safari Silhouette Pillow by RenderlyYours

View more pillows.

Please Help The WWF
About the World Wildlife Fund

For 50 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The world's leading conservation organization, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.

Read more on the World Wildlife Fund's site Here

I Love Lilacs (Lilacs In New England )

Lilacs! My favorite flower and ever since I was a child I would get excited along with Mom when the scent filled the air, and they where in bloom. I grew up in NH and the Lilac is the State Flower. I recall the strict laws on cutting them and picking of the flowers, unless on your own property. This lens is all about the purple Lilac, planting, care, festivals, photos and more!

Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs., Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple weeks in the spring.

Some information from past experiences with lilacs and that i found interesting in research. welcome!

The purple lilac, Syringa Vulgaris, is the state flower of New Hampshire

Growing up in NH I recall the strict laws on picking Lilacs and cutting them from branches.

New Hampshire historian Leon Anderson writes in To This Day that the purple lilac was first imported from England and planted at the Portsmouth home of Governor Benning Wentworth in 1750. It was adopted as our state's flower in 1919. That year bills and amendments were introduced promoting the apple blossom, purple aster, wood lily, Mayflower, goldenrod, wild pasture rose, evening primrose and buttercup as the state flower. A long and lively debate followed regarding the relative merits of each flower. The purple lilac was ultimately chosen, according to Anderson in New Hampshire's Flower -- Tree -- Bird because it "is symbolic of that hardy character of the men and women of the Granite State."

Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs., Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. Unfortunately, Lilacs bloom for only a very brief couple weeks in the spring.

Lilacs were grown in America's first botanical gardens and were popular in New England. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew them in their gardens. Lilac bushes can live for hundreds of years, so a bush planted at that time may still be around. Lilacs originated from Europe and Asia, with the majority of natural varieties coming from Asia. In Europe, lilacs came from the Balkans, France and Turkey.

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd, Walt Whitman (1819-1892)
WHEN lilacs last in the dooryard bloom'd,
And the great star early droop'd in the western sky in the night,
I mourn'd, and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
Ever-returning spring, trinity sure to me you bring,
Lilac blooming perennial and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.

Read Poem in entirety Here.

When I moved to RI

Well, of coarse, I brought some of Mom's lilacs with me when I moved, but when we bought our new home there was also a large lilac next to the house and a row of them on the side. I was so happy and just like when I was a child I get so excited when they bloom. Here is my Lilac gallery in video below.

Sharing Lilacs with Neighbors

When I was a kid people would see my Mom's beautiful lilacs, along the entire side of the house and into the back yard where purple lilacs and across the back where white ones, and those people would ask her for clippings so they could grow them in their yard. Well it is not clippings that you share. The lilac is a bush that easily spreads, what you do is in the spring while the lilac is not in bloom look under it, you will always find new lilac shoots. You take a planter full of dirt and lots of water, have it ready to put the lilac in, pick one of the shoots farthest from the big bush, dig deep and wide. The more roots you get, the more successful the transplant, with less transplant shock. and then give to your neighbor.

Dig a hole in the new location. Make the hole about twice as big as the root system.
Mix plenty of compost into the hole.
Place plant around same depth it was in last location, fill with soil, pat down and water thoroughly and deeply.

What's the best area for lilac? Well, almost anywhere. Lilacs prefer elevated, well draining soil. They love the sun, but if in direct sun you will probably want to water them regularly during the summer. They also do well in half a day of shade, and my Mom's white lilacs where in full shade and still so beautiful.

Pruning lilacs

This is a great video I do not prune my bushes unless I need too I like the size and how they spread I have one though when I moved in that Is as High as my roof and I worry about it being so close to the house. my neighbors now share my lalac they have shoots that made there way under the fence so we now share in there beauty .

Lilac's As Food?

First, always be sure the plant has not been treated with chemicals.

Lilacs can be made into an old fashioned confection called Crystals of Lilac, in which bunches are dipped in hot water and gum arabic, then dipped in a thick sugar syrup, and finally dusted with granulated sugar.

The flavor of lilacs varies from plant to plant. Very fragramt, slightly bitter. Has a distinct lemony taste with floral, pungent overtones. Many would describe the flavour to be much like that of lavender. Great in salads and crystallized with egg whites and sugar.

Some more uses, well, of course, in desserts, beverages and sweets. The taste of lilac also lends itself to many recipes and may be used in salads, cakes, cookies, scones and much more.

Aww, and like many flowers, Tea!!!! Tea which is a very lightly oxidized oolong with an intoxicating floral aroma that comes from the tea leaves gently scented with natural lilac.

A yogurt dip with a cup of vanilla yogurt, two teaspoons of honey and a little chopped lilac blossoms stirred in. Refrigerate for an hour and serve with cherries and strawberries blend some blossoms into some plain cream cheese and spread onto a pumpernickle or rye bread. Add a thin slice of cucumber to open faced sandwiches and serve with your tea.

Lilac Festival Rochester, New York.

It's a community wide celebration! It's an international springtime party! It's nearly time for Rochester's annual Lilac Festival and everyone is invited to enjoy ten full days of entertainment and fun from May 14-23, 2010!

The only 10-day free festival of its kind in North America it is inspired by a magnificent lilac collection at Highland Park that plays host to over 500 varieties of lilacs on more than 1,200 bushes. What was first planted in 1892 by horticulturist John Dunbar has turned into the world's largest lilac collection that even Martha Stewart has enjoyed when she visited the festival in 2007. This event is perfect for all ages and was even voted as a top 100 event by the American Bus Association for 2010. Visit the Fetival the Official web site here.