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.

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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!

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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!

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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

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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

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