Seashore Frames

Way, way back summerwise time, I had an idea. A trip to a flea market, a walk on the beach....a home made craft. It was worth the try and it has been an ongoing project!

 

 So these two images are the start.....broken wind fences, old canning labels that came from my trip to Brimfield.

The basic plastic miter box was my friend as I cut the frame pieces. It was something I had used before,  so no learning process here!

But, trying to figure out how to put a piece of glass in place was a different story! I decided to make a frame back from small pieces of trim cut as you can see here.

So I glued the back framework and went to the "framer" to get glass cut.

They were not very nice. 

 My frames were called rudimentary and other things. Sorry, I was trying to do something fun. They did cut the glass and I had a matte cut coordinating to each color scheme....more than I wanted to pay, especially when they totally "dissed" my hand made frames.

But I love these frames and the old canning labels!!!! The project is half done...two more frames to make to complete the group. Do I go back to the old framer???? Maybe, as long as they do not put their noses up at my homemade frames. Not sure what to do.

Floating Chinese Lanterns

Last night I witnessed something beautiful but at the same time I questioned this phenomenon. I came to learn today after trusty Google helped me along, that what I witnessed whilst enjoying a summer evening with family on Fairfield Beach is the "fad" of Floating Chinese Lanterns. The biodegradable paper (isn't all paper biodegradable?) lanterns with a small candle and a small wire frame look awesome as they float up into the night sky. One after another dotted the sky in progression as they drifted away.

They are let go here by a group of kids....very eerie and spooky images caught by my little point & shoot digital camera. What looks like a dinosaur? I have no idea!

I don't have another photo to show but do want to say that the wire network that keeps the "balloons" as balloons is not biodegradable...and the possibility of a home or farm or dry grasses lighting on fire as these "night jellies" (as I called them last night) drop is just irresponsible. The wildlife that can ingest the wire frame can and has been known to suffer or die! Please, do not use these in your next event as beautiful as they are. Google the fad and do homework before using something this dangerous!