4. Make your pattern. You might plan it as you are collecting the stones, or as you are sorting and arranging them. You might even create the pattern as you go along.

5. Keep going until you have finished the pattern, run out of stones, or run out of inspiration! You can always collect more if you need them to finish your design. This is when you may suddenly decide to hunt for that one vital missing shape or colour - and chances are you won't give up until you've found it!

6. Take three photographs. If you take more than three you will need to select just the best three as that is all you can upload in the second stage when you are at the computer.

You will need:

Photo 1: The WHOLE BEACH — where you made your pattern, the environment and weather

Photo 2: The PROCESS — this could show people searching, sorting or laying out the stones. If you are camera shy, you can include just your hands or even the materials by themselves.

Photo 3: The ARTWORK — Last but not least, a photo of your finished stone pattern before it is washed away by the tide!

Now go to Stage Two: At the Computer at the website to find out how to upload your pictures to the V&A site.  Create something on those Gulf Beaches that you and others can remember during this difficult time.

Update: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has created a website about the State of Our Coasts: The purpose of NOAA's State of the Coast (SOTC) Web site is to communicate - in a simple, yet highly-engaging Web destination - the crucial importance of healthy coastal ecosystems to a robust US economy, a safe population, and a sustainable quality of life for coastal residents. To do this, the SOTC Web site first offers quick facts and more detailed statistics through interactive indicator visualizations that provide highlights of what we know about coastal communities, coastal ecosystems, the coastal economy, and how climate change might impact the coast. This approach provides insights to the story of the coast's extraordinary benefits to society, but also its degraded state and continuing threats to its health.

Second, the SOTC Web site offers case studies and management success stories that highlight often complex connections across the four state of the coast themes: coastal communities, ecosystems, economy, and climate.

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