Sea Glass Jewelry – Where to Buy for the Holiday Season

To buy my necklaces, ornaments and earrings, please go to the Hingham Coop http://thehinghamcoop.com

or contact me at 617-962-0036 to place an order.

I’m finished at the Hingham Farmers Market for the rest of the season though I will be back in the spring.
Sea Glass girl

Sea Glass: The New Trading Game

It was a warm sunny day following what had been a freezing and rainy weekend. The white caps on the waves were stunning. I had never seen the tide so far up on the shore. My daughter, now a little tired of sea glass hunts, was curious to go to the beach. It’s fall now. We don’t take warm “beach days” for granted or assume later or tomorrow or next week will offer another day up for the hunt.

We climbed the sea wall, literally, up and down five or so times as my girl is enjoying her new found physical confidence. I slipped on a wet rock and she told me her secrets, “Don’t walk where the rocks are dark. They are wet.” She was right. I tend to stay on tiny pebbles with bits of sand. She runs for the big rocks.

She was rejoicing in her new found ability to spot white pieces, greens, browns, to point out the gems I had walked past that she spotted. She wanted to know how many pieces I had in my bag and was pretty sure, whatever the number, she had more. I slowed down my sea glass hunt to allow her more abundance. I didn’t stop hunting but slowed my pace. She was delighted. “See this green you walked past?” and she would show me her pieces. She would let go of the sharper pieces and could believe, with a more full bag, there would be enough without grabbing “uncooked” sharp pieces. Is the key to not being greedy or fretful in anything to have enough to begin with? And where does that leave those who don’t get their fair share from the start? It is easier to let go when one trusts they have enough and there will be enough. But even children do this more easily only after filling a bag. Like a kid on Halloween who can share her candy only after the bag is more than half way filled up, when to share doesn’t mean dividing half the bounty but giving a way one or two percent.

Anyhow, we found rocks and shells and cool shaped and colored leaves on the shore but we left those behind. It was a sea glass hunt. The water was calm. The sun almost setting. There were no warm sunny spots we could warm up in. But the changing colors of the sky made up for the coolness. After covering the beach, we sat under the stairs in her hide out area and opened our bags.

“Want to trade?” she had asked.

“Sure,” I said.

We pulled out the pieces we couldn’t part with knowing we had to save some gems for the trade or we wouldn’t have anything to bargain with. She pocketed a big green bottle bottom and I pocketed an almost identical size and shape, but purple in color one.

We each put out the pieces we were willing to trade. I had two look-alike browns and she wanted to trade. I gave her one for the matching mother daughter set. That day, the browns were large and soft and warm. We both had many pieces but these particular brown ones had half circles with several lines. Two pieces, almost the same, so sharing was fun.

Catch of the Day: The realization that even when it isn’t fall we have no idea ever how many laters or next weeks we have. When it’s not a scary thought it is a liberating aha “that’s why we’re supposed to be in the moment” feeling. And that’s how it felt that day, under a beautiful sky with my girl. I can get caught up in what I should or could or might have been doing. I’m glad I didn’t let the worried brain take over. I’m glad I didn’t miss those exact moments spent exactly as they were.

Sea Glass Ornaments: Trees, Angels and Glass in Glass

I usually despise holiday shopping and music and decorations before Thanksgiving so you can imagine how I feel doing it BEFORE  Halloween. But this year, people are shopping EXTRA early, spreading out costs and already buying holiday stuff.

So, if you are a craft person you also know you have to start making items early. Holiday fairs (for selling or buying) come earlier and earlier. This year, I am making several styles of holiday trees than ever as well as my traditional angels and glass ornaments. 

What’s fun about these is you can use gold coated copper or colorful craft wire. That can be fun. While I try to use recycled sterling silver almost exclusively in my jewelry it is fun to play with other colors of wire when making ornaments. It’s also fun to see how the trees look with different glass and crystal beads. I love how the white milk glass below looks too but I’m not sure I can part with these precious pieces.

What are your favorite handmade and unusual ornaments?

Here are some trees.

Sea Glass Crafts: Bookmarks

An easy and fun sea glass craft is the making of book marks. One reason I like them so much is that they are practical and make great gifts. Almost everyone reads something. Plus, they use smaller pieces of sea glass and look nice with beads or charms. They are not always easier than pendants to make because you are using small glass. However, they are more forgiving than pendants because if the wire doesn’t end up EXACTLY at the center when finishing off the bale it doesn’t ruin the look the way it can with a pendant.

What you need:

book mark finding (the ones with jump rings already on them are handy)

craft wire

sea glass

(beads are optional)

You wire wrap your sea glass and can hang it from craft wire to the jump ring on the bookmark or coil the wire, twist it, add beads or some charms. See below for some samples. The best way is to practice and get comfortable bending the wire, figuring out which gauge (thickness of wire) you like working with (I like 22 gauge some people like thicker or thinner). Here are some samples of recent work available at the Hingham Farmers Market on Saturdays and/or the Coop in Hingham during the week.

You can see that sometimes I hammer the sterling silver wire at the bottom and other times add a small peace charm. Sometimes I use more than one piece of sea glass in a bookmark. The wire, I find, can be more expensive than the actual bookmark finding if I use too much. So, for me, learning to use less wire is one of my crafting goals for the fall and winter and 2010. I am a huge fan of recycled sterling silver (like the green aspect, the cost and the texture of the wire) and I need to conserve how much I actually need in any piece.

 

Anyhow, have fun making your own sea glass bookmarks. Mine sell for $7.99 to $12.99 depending on how much silver I use, the color of the sea glass and the condition it is in, if I add crystal or sterling silver charms. It’s nice to have one item at least at a reasonable price point for customers who like sea glass but can’t afford or don’t know what color/style the sea glass lover in their life enjoys.

Treasures Passed Down

This is a rare week for me. I’m doing something I’ve only done a few times. I’m looking at and working with sea glass I did not hunt. I’m wondering who is the woman who hunted these pieces? I know she loved sea glass and shared the passion with her grandchildren. I know she treasured pieces in all sizes and colors because I’m holding a bag of her gems. The whites are so thick they look frosted with sugar. Some are so worn they have almost returned to the earth in the form of pieces which could easily be mistaken for rock.

I see a few browns darker than the colors I tend to find on the beach. A blue which is not as dark as cobalt or as light as sunflower but which is distinct and weathered catches my eye. But it is the soft and different shaped greens which are so perfect. One looks like a dinosaur tooth, another with a pattern which may have once been on a sugar bowl, a glass covered butter dish or part of a fancy pitcher.

Where did the woman who gathered these hunt? Did she have a daily beach she visited or did she seek out sand all over? Did she like to go alone or did she wait for visitors? Did she find all of these pieces herself or did others, knowing her passion, give her pieces? There is a delicate nature to the pieces she chose. Was she a tiny framed woman or big-boned? Did she have a quiet way about her or was she a strong distinctive force? I only really know she loved sea glass and her loved ones loved her enough to know it and remember fondly hunting with her. And, that shared passion is enough to know and makes me feel I’m looking with the ghost of someone at some of their old photos or memories, working with something beloved to them from another time.

Catch of the Day: This one, on dry and, my cat finding the one rectangular sliver of shade on my sandy beige colored rug where she can sleep. Most of her body is i the shade but her face and head are bathing in the warm rays. This cat was once unable to relax, fearful and skittish, she now loves affection, follows me like a dog waiting by the bathroom door and hopping into bed. She too has been transformed by time and love.

Sea Glass Jewelry: Sept. 09

Lucky I am to have places to share my passion for sea glass, sell my work and meet other people growing healthy local food and making products they are passionate about. Here are the types of items I sell at the Hingham Farmers Market from $14.99 to $19.99.

 

The variations in glass color and texture, the wire work and the beads and crystals make each pieces a new creation. I just heard of someone who “brightens” sea glass using baby oil or vaseline. I suppose the pieces might shine more. Someone mentioned the white chalky appearance on some of the sea glass, from being weathered by nature, make the glass look dirty. However, that fresh from the water look is exactly what some people require who know and love sea glass. Anyhow, it’s interesting to learn how others treat their sea glass. I do give mine a simple cleaning but don’t like to mess too much with what Mother Nature has made. The raw product which is sea glass is what inspires me most. I am a sea glass lover first who came to jewelry through the love of the sea glass. Others are talented jewelers who sometimes wrap stones, gems or sea glass. There’s room for us all. The markets are a great place to see many different and talented jewelers and craft people.

If you have never been to a farmers market in your area, it’s worth at least one trip. You may find a new favorite popcorn, yummy salsa, pretty sunflowers, soaps with funky and fun names which make great gifts as well as endless amounts of food: granola, cookies, spreads and wonderful fresh and in season produce. For the non veggies out there you can even get lobster at a great price.

The Personality of Beaches

white rocks mentioned in gift of a goblet from best damn granola

I arrived early at a friend’s house last week. I found a parking spot and strolled on her beach. It was rocky like mine but the rocks were round and thick. They were weathered and softer than sharp. I felt as though I were standing on marbles that would give way under foot. The sand, which I know existed was buried deep. Every once in a while the sight of a stark white rock would pop out. I ended up hunting for pure white rocks. Stunning and simple they captivated me. I like contrasts and I like to seek. The flat rocks in hues of pink and purple were pretty. The drift wood so small and warn was pocket worthy. But the white rocks grabbed my attention. Even the pure whiteness of them shocked me. I pick up white rocks on my own beach but they are still speckled with other color. These rocks were so white they almost didn’t seem real. The expanse of ocean was wonderful and the clouds looked fluffly and within reach.

Even beaches have a personality. This beach was more scenic and had a different beauty than my own. I can see why some coastal towns on the south shore pull people in one directions and some pull us in another. This was an expansive beach and one I will return to. It’s hard to know with so few visits what this beach would look like at low tide but I am now hungry to find out. If there was any sea glass I did not see it. It was hard to imagine any pieces turning up and finding their way through the sea of rocks though I’m sure some hearty, stubborn and resilient pieces do. Others must hide under a cushion of rockets and get blanketed by the protection of the layers.

Catch of the Day: The gift of being too early and deciding to wander outside rather than clean the car or sit and glance at a magazine.

The earrings are mine as they are a perfectly imperfect match!

Sea Glass Crafts & Wire Wrapping Styles

Hi All,

If you are curious about wire wrapping techniques, here are some links and some samples. I was with a creative sixth grader yesterday who was was wrapping sea glass for the first time and her first four pieces were all beautiful. She followed her instincts picking bead sizes and colors she liked. She took her time and decided when she wanted to use her hands to work the wire or when to use a tool. She took her time pickng the sea glass shape and color and size she wanted to work with. I believe everyone can make fun and wearable jewelry and have fun in the process. It’s not something that interests everyone but if it speaks to you, have a blast and enjoy your own creations!

Here are some links for basic tips as well as samples of the work of others.

Making spiral wire designs:

http://www.wittyliving.com/crafts/jewelry/wirewrap_makespirals.html

A fun site where you can learn about various type of wire wrap and see completed projects. The wire work is intricate. See how different we all work the wire?

http://perfectlytwistedjewelry.blogspot.com/

More samples of various wire-wrapped stones. Again, this is just to show you what’s possible.

http://www.virginvalleyopal.com/what_we_do.htm

How TO Wire wrap a sea glass marble:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4534802_sea-glass-marble-sterling-silver.html

Enjoy!

Sea Glass Crafts & Articles

Here’s a technique to add some wire wrapping style to a bead and bale at the top of a sea glass pendant, bookmark, charm, etc:

http://jewelrymaking.about.com/od/wiretechniquesinfo/ss/052608_8.htm

Mostly simple ideas on how to display the sea glass you have (in a flower vase with or without flowers) and other crafty ideas:

http://www.completely-coastal.com/2009/02/sea-glass-love-decorating-craft-ideas.html

Here is a great article about sea glass and hunting and hunters:

http://www.northshoreoflongisland.com/Articles-i-2009-08-20-81109.112114_Treasures_in_the_sand_the_magic_of_sea_glass.html

Loving Sea Glass Lovers and People Who Know Their Loved Ones

More than once I have had the honor of being approached by someone to make jewelry from the sea glass collection of  a loved one or neighbor. Sometimes the loved one is alive and other times deceased. The people who ask have such strong memories of the person’s love for sea glass, for collecting and times spent together in passionate pursuit of reds, blues and whites. To receive the gift of someones bare and fragile and treasured collection in order to make the most personalized of pendants is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I hope I bring the spirit of the person into the work because for many, the pieces will be keepsakes. I feel a connection to these other souls who also sought, hunted and collected. We are a tribe of our own and the glass speaks to us for different reasons. For some, it is the color and texture and for others the joy of being at the beach doing the “work” of relaxing while seeking.

For me, the symbolism of sea glass as something broken which is transformed into sought after gems is a stunning metaphor for the way we all tumble and journey through life sometimes in the whole shape of a lovely old-fashioned lemonade pitcher and other times in the broken and still sharp pieces of a tossed beer bottle. Years later, in time, the sea glass that washes up on shore from either source can be a stunning shard.

So, to hear people ask questions like, “Do you feed the sea glass Goddess?” and hear how one particular person has is wonderful. To know others are driven to collect in jars and on beaches over and over without any particular need to “do” anything with the sea glass is a joy. One woman comes often and had asked if I make angels last year. At that time I had not and made only a few for Christmas. This week, inspired by the work of a friend who is also a sea glass artist, I made a few new angels and christmas trees though I thought, “it’s too early to bring these out” and yet they all sold old… even the tree ornaments. I said, “Thank You” to the woman who asked me to make sea glass angels and she said, “The angels asked me to ask you.” I smiled and she bought me new work. My friend at www.seaglasscatch.wordpress.com is making angels, anklets and pendants and has an intricate and precise style of her own if you want to see her work.

Anyhow, today I was touched by the generous spirit of the people who visit the market. I am always blown away by the camaraderie of those who work at the market, sampling and supporting each others products, asking about outside of market life stuff and helping pitch tents and get each other snacks and beverages. Today I was astounded by the people sharing their own stories and adventures with sea glass and was grateful for the perfect weather and to be doing something I love.

Catch of the Day: Catching the gratitude