I've Been Published!

 Check out the latest issue of Scrapbook News and Review to see 5 - that's right, count 'em - 5! - of my mosaic creations using the Mosaic Moments Grid Paper and cutting system. It's easy, it's fun, and it makes beautiful pages!

To order supplies to make your own mosaics, click on the SnapNCrop link to the right.

Going Postal

Do you remember the excitement of receiving birthday cards and other sentiments in the mail when you were a kid? These days with email being so fast and free, that personal touch is something I miss. It was always such a good feeling to know that someone cared enough to go through the effort to get that piece of paper to you.

Well recently I received a very nice surprise in my mail box. A handwritten 'Offical Poem on a Postcard' from my next-to-youngest sister. I thought the poem was sweet -- though she had labled it 'cheezy' and created her own little logo to go along with it. Here is a copy of her 'cheezy' poem. The front photos flip open and the postcards and supporting photos are behind the flaps.

As you can see, her poem calls for interaction, so of course I had to answer her in post card form. I hope she got as much enjoyment out of reading mine as I did hers.

And of course, what would a scrapper do, but turn the interaction into a scrapbook page. I used MT washi Masking tape to make the air mail-look border and Close To My Heart Flip Flap pockets to enclose the postcards. Surprise Trish! This is why I asked you for a photo of yourself sitting in your backyard. Thanks for brightening my day and bringing back that nostalgic feeling of opening the mail box and finding something special tucked inside!

Hummingbird Look-Alikes

This month we had a bit of stamping fun at our Close to My Heart Scrap Club. Monica provided us with  pretty Veranda papers and the Stamp of the month (called Something Splendid), so we could make a page entitled Sunkissed. Though I had fun creating the page, I just did not have any photos to go with her Sunkissed theme, so had to change it up a bit. I've always wanted to make a page with photos of these huumingbird look-alikes and finally got the chance.

Greg and I have long been fascinated with these amazing little bugs. The first time we saw one we were sitting in a window seat at the Food Court on Camp Foster back in 1996. Outside the window the bushes were in full bloom and these amazing little creatures were drinking nectar to their heart's content. At first we thought they were humminbirds. But no - hummingbirds don't have stripes and they're not brown. These little things were even tinier than a hummingbird and had a long probiscus that they furled and unfurled as they darted from bloom to bloom.

The more we took notice as we travelled around Okinawa, the more we saw these fascinating bugs. Unlike hummingbirds, they don't seem to mind if you approach them to get a closer look.

Now that we are back on Okinawa after a 10-year absence, we can enjoy watching these litttle guys once again. The street outside my window is lined with their favorite flower bushes and they busily flit around not minding me a bit as I follow them with my camera.

Our newest addition!

 It didn't take us long to start feeling like the house was too quiet and lonely without any pets at all. The decision was not made lightly, but we felt like Shima would not mind if we had another kitty in the house. We always talk to his photo and felt that we were making the right decision. So off to the kennel we went and found this poor little white kitty all alone in a cage. Abandoned at one day old, he was found by the military police, brought to the kennel and bottle fed. Two months old to the day when we brought him home, he was a bit undersized and disheveled looking. His fur was like the down on a baby bird - not quite grown in and all fuzzy in spots. His tummy was distended, probably with worms. So he was given some worm meds and we brought him home. He had a rough first night as he seemed to be having a bad reaction to the worm medication, but a call to the vet assured us that he would be fine come morning. So one week has gone by and he has become playful and loving and we are enjoying each other's company very much. His name is Tsuki, which means 'moon' in Japanese.

We have since discovered that he is deaf - a common trait among blue-eyed white cats. So now we are using sign language to try to teach him his name, and to come when we call, etc. And we spray a blast of air from a can on his back when we want to teach him 'NO'. It's a learning experience for us all, but we are enjoying every minute of this new family addition!

Remembering my precious putty tat

 A few weeks ago, my husband and I lost our kitty to cancer. We were both so devastated as he was our only pet and he had been with us for the last 12 years. I wanted to commemorate him on a scrapbook page because, shame on me, I had pages of all our previous pets but none of Shima. And he was the one closest to our hearts.

This page was made with a sketch over at Scrap A Little, but instead of paper strips I used Japanese Washi Tape. This stuff is fabulous - it comes in a zillion colors and is easily repositional if you change your mind about the placement or the color scheme. The flowers on this page were made with toilet paper rolls.

If you've got a washi paper project to show, check the link at the right as Trendy Crafters is having a little contest with a prize giveaway. It's not important for me to win, but I do love to share when I discover a great product - so get yourself some washi tape and create away. Trendy Crafters is sure to give you lots of great inspiration once their contest gets rolling.

Splash Time

I just love this month's featured Grid Paper color! I've got so many ideas of pages to use this fabulous color on. This month, I did not cut up my photos, just the patterned paper. I used the 1" sqaure punch, plus a 1" circle punch on the same paper. The square and the circle are combined to give my page some movement. Check out my how-to on the Design Each Moment site.

And to purchase your own supplies, click the SnapNCrop link to your right.

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.