Etceteras: capiz shell tidbit stand

Even though it’s the middle of February, the beach, warm days, shells, starfish and coral are on my mind. I can’t wait for warmer days!

I found these capiz shell plates at the dollar store and bought four of them. They’re decorative pieces so my plan was to use them as décor and for projects. Now I'm thinking I need to go back and get some more of them. Even though you can't eat off of the, they would look pretty under a soup bowl. Definitely need to get more.

The first project that came to mind was a cake stand or tidbit stand. I know the blogosphere has inspired us with just about every type of plate and candle holder combination imaginable but there’s always room for one more. 

I used a plain frosted glass candle holder and added mother of pearl shells to complement the beachy-shell look. The shells already had holes in them {they were upcycled from a pair of sandals} so I strung them onto embroidery thread and which I wrapped around the stem. 

The plate and candle holder are held together with E-6000 glue. 

 

 

DIY cake stands or tidbit stands are so fun to make. I would love to know who actually came up with the original brilliant idea.

Thanks for visiting.

Carolyn

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Etceteras: shell tacks

Last week I posted about all the shells I had found at the beach and the specimen board that I made.

I still have a jar full of shells and thought it would be fun to make some tacks with them.

These are just about the easiest thing to make. Just glue a thumb tack to the inside of the shell and let dry.

I cut some of my water color painting scraps, clippings and fabrics to pin to this small board. 

Now I can enjoy a bit of summer year round.

 

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Etceteras: shell specimen board and a winner

Summer is winding down and it’s almost back-to-school time. Trips to the beach will soon be replaced with the hustle and bustle of school activities.

On a recent day at the beach, I collected a bunch of shells.

Some are broken but they are still pretty and will be fun to put in a jar.

Most of the shells are these tiny little clam-like shells. They are about the size of a pistachio nut and range in a variety of white, orange and brown hues.

Perfect for a shell specimen board.

I used a piece of heavy water color paper and used string and painter’s tape to mark off a grid to avoid any tell-tale signs of pencil around the shells. I glued the shells in the middle of each square and then simply removed the string and tape.

I had the perfect frame on hand – a distressed blue wood frame.

How about you? Do you have a special project in mind to capture your summer memories?

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The winner of the Plaid Folkart Extreme Glitter Paint sampler pack is...

comment #14

Lauren said...

I would love to use these paints on some photo frames.

August 18, 2011 5:23 PM

Congratulations Lauren. I'll be contacting you directly by email. Enjoy the paints.

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest.

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Etceteras: sea fan prints

Shells, coral, starfish and other pretty things from the sea are popping up everywhere.

I love the way these creatures from exotic waters can add a decorative touch to a home. But often times they’re very expensive. You can buy a preserved sea fan on a matte board at Restoration Hardware for $550.00.

 

Or, you can make your own print of a sea fan.

Even if you don’t paint, this is an easy project. All you need is a kitchen sponge, water color paints and a small paint brush.

• Cut your sponge into a small oval shape.
• Mix your water color to a desired color and dip you sponge into the paint.
• Stamp your sponge onto a piece of paper until you have a sea fan shape.
• With your paint brush, add a stem and some veins.

Once you’re done with your print, you can frame it and hang it up.

 

If you want a collage of sea fans, scan in your print and make a photo collage. I used the same sea fan painting but changed the tint to create four images for this collage.

Or, print out your tinted images and frame them. A fun, easy alternative to buying the real thing.

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The Dirt: little shells and succulents

 

I'm having so much fun bringing touches of summer inside my home.

 

I saw this great idea to Summer-ize your home in Better Homes and Gardens. A nice big over sized shell filled with succulents.

I was fresh out of giant oversized shells but I did have some small scallop shells. And since succulents are pretty hardy, I thought they might not mind a small little shell home.

I clipped some new growth off some of my established succulents and nestled them into the pebbles.

You can use them in a variety of ways.

A centerpiece

Décor

Or even place cards

If they take root,  I’ll have to move them from their little starter homes. But for now, I’m enjoying them as they are.



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