BLOCK ISLAND INSPIRATION!

Island Getaway
Block Island has become a summer tradition for Karen Rossi & husband, Greg Pasborg. For the past several years, they have been vacationing in this lovely New England getaway. Each August, they find more and more reasons to love the island. This year, they created a brand new list of favorites, ranging from the island’s “go green” initiatives to the kayaking tours to the treasure-hunting walks along the beach. Each new discovery just adds to the unique allure of this beautiful location.

Island Lore
Tours around the island proved to be a favorite activity for both Karen and Greg. Their bird watching tour was fun and informative and also gave them the opportunity to meet Block Island’s first warden (similar to a town mayor), Kimberly Gaffett. As the bird watching tour guide, Kimberly provided guests with lots of information about the island and its feathered inhabitants. A kayaking tour was their next nature adventure. It was on this tour that they explored the salt ponds and learned about the glacial stones of the island. Because Block Island was formed as a result of a glacier, the rocks that can be found on the island often have fascinating rings, colors, and layers. Some are even said to be lucky if you are fortunate enough to find the right one.

Beach Creations
An artist’s creativity never takes a break, so it’s no surprise that Karen spent much of her vacation making and creating, sketching and imagining. Her long walks across the Block Island beaches produced more than just a relaxed spirit and a sun-kissed face. She would return from each walk with bagfuls of treasures: sea-smoothed pebbles, driftwood, sea glass, feathers, and even leftover pieces of trash and “junk.” These finds would then become whimsical art pieces that captured the essence of the island. The crushed cans and random “junk” that Karen cleaned off the beach was given new life in the form of mobiles. She loved recycling this trash in a way that helped to eliminate litter but also created fun and creative art pieces. With the piles of pebbles, Karen created beach-themed mosaics. Her love of mosaic-making was taken to a new level with the incorporation of such natural elements. This summer’s Block Island vacation just might have been their best yet. Karen and Greg can’t wait to return next year to continue their explorations and to add more items to their ongoing list of Block Island favorites.

Mosaic Inspiration
To celebrate her love of mosaics and her exploration of mosaics with beach stones, Karen is now offering mosaic craft supplies in her e-store. Check out the new craft supply section.