Don't worry, be happy

This month I have been feeling a bit beaten down by the trials and tribulations of my life. A little Okinawa beach time helps to keep my spirits up and once I printed out this photo of my favorite beach spot, I knew I wanted it to be the main focus of my page.

Though I love to make my mosaics using multiple photos, lately I've been using a lot of patterned papers with a single matted photo in my mosaics. With the feeling of tranquility this one single beach photo brings to me, I decided to extend this single photo into a mosaic with the use of matching cardstock papers.

When life gets you down, you have to find that sweet spot that lifts your spirits and brings you hope. As Emily Dinckinson says hope is the 'sweetest' in a storm; it's when we need it most and it is up to us to find it for ourselves. Sometimes, the beauty of an Okinawa beach can be that spot where you can sit and gather your thoughts and get that hopeful feeling that it will all work out.

Here in Okinawa, the local people – Uchinanchu -- tend to see themselves as bound together by their home island and, especially among older Uchinanchu, will always consider themselves from Okinawa first and Japan second.

Even though I can not claim Uchinanchu by birth, I take solace in being able to claim another variation of the word – shima gaijin (island foreigner). I am an island foreigner not only because I have lived in Okinawa on and off since 1996, but also because I share a common bond with other shima-gaijin and Uchinanchu alike. Maurice Dudly describes it this way: "This common bond ... is venerated in Okinawan dialect when we say "nankuru naisa." It was also described by Bobby McFerin when he sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy." In either tongue, these words are truly words to live by."

 It'll all work out. Have hope.

Want to make your own mosaic page? Check out my tutorial here. To get your own mosaic supplies, such as grid paper and cutting tools, click on SnapNCrop link on the top right-hand side of this post. If you need any help, I will gladly answer your emails at okispice@hotmail.com

Watch for my monthly posts featuring the hottest colors in grid papers at Design Each Moment. Here's a sneak peak of July's design.

Quiz fun!

This week's Funday Monday prompt at Creative Scrapbooking Divas is to take the quiz 'What Color is My Soul Painted' and use the results in your journaling.

I'm a fan of the quirky little quizes that sometimes are seen on FB or sent via email and this color quiz is one of my favorites. According to quiztron.com, 'This quiz was designed to explain the meaning of colors and how they represent the human persona.' Though many of these Internet quizes are meant for enlightenment, they simply end up as amusement for me and sometimes the results can be hilarious. So come join us, take the quiz, create a page with you results, and share in the fun!

Easy-peasy Mosaic Scrapbooking

This month's featured Grid Paper at Mosaic Moments is Granite. I really like how the red of my page accents pop off this pretty, soft gray color.

Don't let the complicated look of mosaics scare you away from using this fabulous system. All you need is a little practive and you will be hooked. Making a page with one photo is a great way to begin.  A simple project such as this Taiko page may be just what you are looking for.

Take a peice of paper with a subdued pattern in a similar hue to your Grid Paper and practice using your Mosaic Moments Self-Healing Mat to cut the paper into squares. Accent them with pieces from the Paper Tiles packet. There are 55 tiles in varying sizes in every packet and they come in a myriad of colors.  Next, add what you know: a little stamping, some journaling and a title and your page is complete! See how easy that is? 

Click on the SnapNCrop logo to your right to shop for the supplies you need to get going on your first mosaic project today!

Show Me Your Rainbow Challenge Enries

The online crop at Creative Scrapbooking Divas is coming to an end. Check out these great pages in the Show Me Your Rainbow challenge. If you want play you still have until June 8 to get in your entries to win a great RAK!

Learn to Mosaic!

I love showing off my mosaic layouts to friends and family because they are so beautiful that everyone thinks I'm some sort of scrapbook genius! The truth is that it is really quite an easy technique. Though non-scrappers look at me skeptically, my scrapping friends clamber to learn more.

Recently I signed on to be a Consultant/Instructor for Tami Potter's Mosaic Moments. If you are in Okinawa and would like to learn how to make one of these mosaic pages, simply drop me a line and I'll be glad to get you started.

For a quick preview, check here for my article at Design Each Moment and see for yourself how simple this technique can be.
And once you are ready to give mosaics a try, Visit SnapNCrop.com via the link to your right to begin shopping for your own supplies.

Design Team Call!

Hi Divas! I'm hosting a Design Team Call over at Creative Scrapbooking Divas. I hope you will play along as we've got a really great bunch of gals - and guys too! As you may know, many Ning sites are closing due to a price increase, but we are staying open thanks to the help of our fun-loving Diva members. Stop on by and play along even if you don't want to go out for the DT - we've got a lot going on and you are sure to have some fun and find some inspiration. The call is as follows.

Creative Scrapbooking Divas is excited to announce that our Ning site is remaining open and active thanks to all our great members! To celebrate, we would like to announce a call for two additional Design Team Divas.


The call is open from May 22 – June 18 with the announcement on our site June 26. This will be a six-month term and only those who promise to fulfill the following criteria will be considered.

Who are we looking for?

• A Diva who is willing to dedicate time to our site by being active in the forums, commenting in the gallery, welcoming new members , wishing Happy Birthday and spreading good cheer on a regular basis.

• A Diva who endeavors to inspire by hosting one challenge per month and offering a small RAK to the winner of their challenge, and by posting tutorials or tips from time to time.

• A Diva who can respect deadlines and is a good team player.

• A Diva who will help promote our site and upload their work in the gallery for inspiration on a weekly basis.

How Do I apply?

Email the following to Admind Diva Theresa at okispice@hotmail.com (that's me!!!)

• Full name, email and mailing address.

• A link to your blog (if you have one).

• A link to your online gallery.

• A short bio including why you think you are a Scrapbook Diva. Also let us know if you have a specific skill or area of interest (for example, sketches, cards, altered art, digi).

• Your take on the attached sketch (from Page Maps).

Good luck everyone!

How to make Origami Flowers

It's been a while since I've had a chance to post as I've just moved into my new place and my scraproom is still in boxes. So I've decided to share with you my most recent post at Design Each Moment- just in case you missed it there of course.

I received this Petal Pink Grid Paper from Tami Potter and Mosaic Moments at a perfect time of year as April in Japan turns pink with the blossoming of all the cherry trees. Though in the US pink is associated with little girls, in Japan the color pink has a masculine association. The spring blooming of the cherry trees is said to represent the young Samurai warriors who fell during battle in the prime of their life.


Everyone in Japan celebrates the arrival of spring with a picnic or a stroll through the park simply to take in the pleasure of all those pink blossoms. Rain or shine, it’s a celebration and gratitude just for being alive. Though our stroll under the cherry trees was taken on a very rainy day, it did not take away from the pleasure of viewing these beautiful blooms.

As I began to scrap my cherry blossom photos, I looked for a way to add dimension to my mosaic page. Why not layering? This page used four 4x6 photos and one 5x7. Once my 4x6 photos were in place, I trimmed around the main subject of the 5x7 and placed it over the mosaic. The tree is a piece of Microsoft clip art enlarged and layered over the mosaics. The title – which says Sakura (cherry blossom) -- is cut from a package of cherry blossom noodles (yes, this time of year everything is made from the edible blossoms) using an EK success extra large retro flower punch. The cherry blossoms are origami, made by folding a 1 ½ inch square of paper. I’ve included a tutorial at the end of this post on how to fold the origami flowers for those who are interested. It’s my first video tutorial so please go easy on me!