I Think That I Shall Never See.....

I'm one of those people who has to have a "project" going all the time.  Whether it's writing, painting something, redecorating, refinishing or a sewing project....I generally have something in the works to keep my hands busy.

My latest idea got it's start in a shop in Florida that I always visit when we are in the area.  The whole store is a collection of booths filled with antiques, collectibles and new items that are artfully arranged to distract the shopper from the fact that not one item in the whole place is either necessary or useful.  In other words....it's my favorite shop.

Every year there seems to be a new craft trend in this place; this year was no exception.  It seemed to me the word was passed that the shell to use in 2014 was the oyster shell.  As we browsed the store my sister-in-law, Sue, and I saw oyster shell lamp shades and mirror frames and decorated trays. They filled basket, glass cylinders and bowls.  Personally I didn't find them to be a very attractive shell, but it was evident they met the criteria every artist/crafter looks for; my bet is they are plentiful and cheap.

We had been browsing for a while and, just as we were about to decide there wasn't anything very interesting, we came upon a display that included a driftwood tree.  It was probably three or four feet tall, it sat in the middle of a rustic wooden table.  The "branches" were gnarled wood that had been burnished by wind and water, the base was a wooden stump with the bark still attached.  I liked it immediately and started mentally cataloging the things that would be required to reproduce one like it....I'd found my next project!


Although patience isn't something I'm know for, I knew this was a project that would have to wait till spring.  It seemed to take forever,  but eventually the winter passed and Lake Erie thawed.  We returned to open our lake place only to find that the frenzied water had generously decided to deposit an amazing array of driftwood on the beach.    Sue and I scoured the beaches for a couple of weekends, and finally the pile of driftwood had grown big enough to lay out two trees.   We were fortunate enough to find two big chunks of wood with holes already drilled completely through them that served as the perfect bases.  We bought two copper rods, and proceeded to lay out the trees in the grass.

Luckily we're married to two good sports who own drills.  Sue and I measured and marked the pieces, the fellas drilled them and helped thread them on the rods.  The whole project took about two hours from start to finish, and we are now the proud owners of two driftwood trees.  Hers is about five feet tall, just a little shorter than my seven foot finished product.

I've decided I might like one of these on the deck at home, so I went back to scour the beach for enough pieces to create a much smaller version.

There's something satisfying about making something out of nothing with your own two hands.   The season is off to a good start with leisurely beach combing for sea glass and driftwood.  Who knows what treasures you might find in between those lovely sunrises and spectacular sunsets?  Summer at the lake...
                                                   

                                                   Life is Good