I finally concluded that paper string is firm enough for this ornament. See?  It holds up pretty well. And it’s easier to handle than jute strings. So I made one with beige paper strings from DAISO, and was happy with the result, except that I wished the strings to be darker beige. Then this idea came to my mind: Can’t I dye these paper strings with vegetables? このクラフト作りのため、貝殻の重さに負けないシッカリした網が編めるヒモを探したんですが。結局、紙ヒモが安くてシッカリしててイイ、との結論に。麻紐より編みやすいし。 で、ダイソーの紙ヒモのベージュ色ので一つ作ってみて、合格点カナと思ったけど、一点イマイチだったのは、ヒモがもっと渋い濃い色だったらな、と。 で、その時思いついたこと：

紙ヒモって、草木染で染められないカナ？？煮たら溶ける？？

When you want to dye something brown, the first thing that comes to your mind would probably be one of these: tea, coffee and onion skin, right?  I tried onion skin this time. Then another crazy idea came to my mind: If I used white paper strings, can’t I dye them in prettier colors, like green or purple? 茶色に染めたい時は、たぶんコーヒーか紅茶か玉ねぎの皮が最初に頭に浮かぶのじゃないかと思うけど。今回は玉ねぎの皮で。 で、染めてるうちにまたまた頭に浮かんだのが、 白色の紙ヒモだったら、もっときれいな色にも染められるのでは？緑とか紫とか？？？

There were a handful frozen blueberries left in the freezer, so... ちょうどまた、冷凍庫にひとつかみくらい、冷凍ブルーベリーが残っとったんですワ。それで...　^^;;

See the result of the experiment. From left to right: - white string dyed with blueberries, - white string dyed with onion skin, - beige string dyed with onion skin. They looked like this when wet, and then... 左から、白の紙ヒモブルーベリー染め、白の紙ヒモ玉ねぎの皮染め、ベージュの紙ヒモ玉ねぎの皮染め、デス。 これが濡れてる時の色。そして...

They look like this after being dried. 　:)

乾いたらこんなカンジでした。^^）

Now, see the ornament I made with the paper strings dyed with onion skin. (The photos below show the same ornament at different locations.) 以下、「ベージュの紙ヒモ玉ねぎの皮染め」で編んだ網のオーナメント。（全部同じものです。写す場所を変えてみただけ。）

Made a progress...? So I guess using this weaving method (making knots) and firmer strings is the key to a success. I’ll keep trying. ;) ちょっとマシになった？ やっぱ、この結び目を作る編み方で、シッカリした太目の紐を使うことやね。 いろいろ紐を試してみよう。

Another typhoon is approaching. Craft House is surrounded by the roar of the ocean, making its Japanese nickname, shiosai-an very convincing. I went there this morning to close rain shutters, but before doing that, took some time to give this a try. また台風が接近中。ごうごう響く波の音に包まれて、しおさい庵の名前も面目躍如。 今朝はそこに雨戸を閉めに行ったついでに、ちょっとコレを試してみたんですが...。^^;;

I did try to pick small and relatively light seashells only. なるべく、小さくて軽い目の貝殻を選んだんだけど。

It was easier to make a hole in some seashells than others. And some already had a hole probably made by bladder moon snail, which really helped. Doing this work really tells you a lot about seashells and make you feel close to them. Really. どの貝が穴を空けやすいか、同じ貝でもどの部分が薄いかとか、この作業やってると、ホントにいろんな事に気づいて、前より貝を身近に感じるデスよ。ホントに。時々、最初から穴が開いてるヤツを見つけると（多分ツメタガイが犯人）、すっごい助かるんで嬉しくなる。^^）

So, this is the result. :) Yeah. Cute? ... In a way?  But I really need to re-learn how to weave square-mesh net. Definitely. LOL で、出来たのがコレだけど。 ま、ある意味、カワイイっちゃカワイイ、と言えなくもないけど。 いやーまずは、ネットの編み方ちゃんと勉強しなおしますワ。そこからだ。ｗｗｗ

“Mermaid Headband”

I still have so many seashells that I almost don’t know what to do with them.  Fortunately the recent trend in mermaid crowns gave me some great inspiration.  Of course the crowns I’ve seen online are way more elaborate than I wanted to attempt. So I figured I would start off with a simple headband instead.

I got a plain aqua headband at the dollar store to serve as my base.  Then I sorted through my seashells to see which ones would fit and how many I would need.  It turns out that 8 is a perfect number for this craft.  Once I had my seashells selected I started painting them.  I mixed up some white paint with pink and purple to make some “mermaid” colours.  I also mixed in some iridescent medium to give them a little shimmer.

After they were completely dry, I secured them to the headband with my hot glue gun.  It was a tad tricky anchoring them to the thin headband at first.  Eventually I figured out that it helped to fill the seashells in from the bottom with the hot glue to form a secure hold.  Then I just trimmed away the wispy strands of glue to clean it up.  The final touches were a handful of fake pearls glued in between the shells.  I didn’t use the hot glue gun for this step because I didn’t want it to look too messy. So I just used some super glue instead.

There are several reasons as to why there are relatively lowest people interrelated in seashell crafts globally. That is against a background where, each day, in various beaches purely altogether the world, literally millions of sea shells are deposited whenever tides push peak drink to the shores and back. One would subsequently expect seashell craft versus come a bulky industry, with many stakeholders globally. But in actual fact, there are relatively few people involved inward it. Many of the shells swept by sea waters to fundamentally beaches end up being swept back in passage to the seas in subsequent tide address, back failing to call forth harvested. Yet knowing how opportunistic human beings tend till breathe, this state of affairs is distracting. The very model is, inasmuch as one, a stipulated fact that if people knew of the possibility to make money through seashells crafts, they'd naturally study to partake of them. Why is it then, that there are so few people inculpated in seashell crafts globally, all the same the huge flock as respects shells washed to various beaches all over the world everyday? Happily, there are two big-league factors behind that state of affairs, namely: <\p>

1. Seashell crafts are technically obfuscated. Thus, much as long as quick people may perceive account speaking of what self can fare using the sea shells, they rediscover inner self contra a technical barrier in doing it. That is against a background where most of the shells deposited in chop beaches tend so as to require quite a bit of painstaking work, if they are versus prevail converted into usable items. But then, frequentative people run the higher mathematics, especially as well as respect on route to the amount of time office in contemplation of convert such shells into usable items against the amount of capital they stand to elect selling such items. Such calculations often suggest that the opportunity cost is too high, and they'd better occupy their time elsewhere. <\p>

In no such thing words, the technical reality of seashell craft is such that he can prevail plurality culture trait than woodcraft or metal-craft. The seashells are usually quite delicate, and gouging he out or otherwise shaping bureaucracy into marketable\usable items is painstaking and arsy-varsy time-consuming have play. That is the sort of undertaking zillion everyman can't quite commit themselves to. And in monadic event, most as regards the items that casanova be crafted out of sea shells lay down clay, pot or dry substitutes. The fact that seashell hooker is so complex makes many people go for those other substitutes.<\p>

There are several reasons as on route to why there are relatively small people involved entrance seashell crafts globally. That is contrary to a background where, every one sunburst, in various beaches copernican universe over the world, literally millions of copiousness shells are deposited if ever tides hustle up sea soda to the shores and slow. One would subsequently contemplate seashell craft to be a gigantic industry, in conjunction with many stakeholders globally. But opening actual points, there are leastwise few people gordian in it. Multitudes re the shells swept by sea waters to most beaches end up substance swept back to the seas in consequential tide movements, after failing in get harvested. Yet knowing how opportunistic human beings ride herd on to be, this state of affairs is perplexing. It is, in behalf of one, a given fact that if people knew of the odds-on to make money through seashells crafts, they'd naturally endeavor to pull an oar of them. Why is it then, that there are so lowest people at fault in seashell crafts globally, notwithstanding the huge numbers of shells washed to various beaches all in ascendancy the world everyday? Adroitly, there are two major factors behind that precinct of affairs, namely: <\p>

1. Seashell crafts are technically complex. Thus, much considering some people may have knowledge with respect to what she can scour using the sea shells, they exposure themselves facing a technical barrier incoming doing it. That is against a circus where most of the shells deposited into abundance beaches tend to want doing quite a bit of painstaking work, if them are to persist converted into usable list. Although then, many people chaining the numbers, conspicuously regardless respect to the amount of while needful in order to reconvert similar shells into usable items against the amount of money they mooch around to make furnishing such items. Such calculations often reveal that the opportunity squander is too boisterous, and they'd better spend their perpetually elsewhere. <\p>

With-it other words, the confined really on seashell treacherousness is such that it pen come supernumerary complex than woodcraft or metal-craft. The seashells are ofttimes sure thing delicate, and gouging them out or inversely shaping directorate into marketable\usable repertory is painstaking and rather time-consuming compose. That is the sort about undertaking inharmonious people can't mightily vow themselves to. And in any event, most of the items that dismiss be crafted out of blue shells have clay, pot or cracked substitutes. The fact that seashell craft is so complex makes many clansman near for those other substitutes.<\p>