Hunting Season

 

I know it is still summer - but the air has that coolness that fall is close approaching.  Fall and winter are the best sea glass hunting times.  Storms and rough seas churn up the oceans floor exposing more gems on the shore.  You can find me on the beach in the dead of winter on a stormy day... snow falling... winds blowing and I am out there collecting when everyone is sipping hot coca fireside. 

I was out collecting recently at a couple of my favorite spots at an early low tide and realized that the pickings were just not that good.... and at places that usually yielded great loot all year.  It got me wondering if someone had been there before me... had more people discovered my "secret" spots? Or is it the fact the shore and sea are changing and just not producing the bounty it used to.  Or could it be a fluke day? I hope it is the latter and that the bounty returns this fall - I really don't want to go out of business!

 

Organizing My Glass and Pottery...

I took about three hours yesterday to go through my glass and organize it.  I took out pieces that were good for jewelry... including pottery and dumped the rest into a large tote that is now about 3/4 full.  I need to start designing some new pieces and this will make it much easier to find what I am looking for! 

Sunday Morning Walk...

Although it was a good 23 degrees cooler today with a crisp wind off the ocean... I totally enjoyed an early morning walk. The fact that it was low tide made it even better. I found a jade marble, an orange flash piece, a penny from 1993 - not a find but interesting how it has decayed... and many beautiful pieces of glass and pottery!

After the Storm...

The pictures above are of the three day storm from last weekend - and a few pieces of the glass collected from one of my secret spots after. The wind was so strong when I was taking the storm pics - that it was rocking my van. It was a very high tide and the waves at times were coming over the railing.  Storms rally up the ocean floor bringing new goodies to the shore!

The Hunt

I am loving the nice 50+ degree weather and the warm sun! I spent last weekend grazing at my favorite spots... gathering up the many pieces of sea glass the winter has left behind.  I must have been a pirate in a past life as I am always on the "hunt" for treasures whenever I am walking the beach....Aaarrrgh!

Collecting Supplies... A Family Affair!

Since I have been designing sea glass jewelry and decor - I have been including my children in the hunt for the supplies I use. Both of my girls started helping me scour the beaches when they were around two years old. My older daughter is now 15 - and for her, most of the magic of sea glass hunting has since disappeared... but my 4.5 year old knows the smell of low tide... can see when the water has pulled away from the shore... and still wonders what treasures it will bring. Living by the ocean makes it easy to slip away for an hour or two and get "lost" by the waters edge - for us... time stands still.

~~@~~ SuPeR HOT SuMmEr SaLe! ~~@~~

JULY SUMMER SALE -- Why Not!

Enjoy a little stimulus from Sea Glass Things... treat yourself... stock up for the Holiday season... the time is now!

$20 off items $50-$100 (PRICES ALREADY REFLECT DISCOUNT)

$30 off items over $100 (PRICES ALREADY REFLECT DISCOUNT)

**Flip Flops and newly added Home Good items not included in sale.

Sale ends July 31st, 2009 and applies to only items purchased from my 1000 Markets store and my Etsy shop.

Sea Glass Things on 1000 Markets

Sea Glass Things on Etsy

Sea Jewels...

Wow - what a beautiful spring day! This morning the tide was way out... the sky was blue, the sun was warm and it was about 50 degrees... perfect morning for hitting the beach for sea glass.

I dropped my older daughter off at school and my 4 year old and I spent 2.5 hours combing the shore. She gets distracted a bit at times... throwing rocks in the water and finding bits of shells... or a stick to draw in the sand.

Surprisingly, there were a number of people on the beach - walking dogs... moms meeting for play dates... and people just enjoying the day. You can tell everyone is itching for summer. You can't beat the warm sunny days of summer that seem to last forever!

How To Make Sea Glass In a bottle Wedding Favors

Summer is on it's way and notoriously the busiest wedding season of all. Couples flock to the surf and sand in hopes of creating that magical setting the shore seems to offer.

When I was in the process of planning my own wedding, we were on a very strict budget as most are. It was then my fiance and myself chose to do the invitations, favors and many other "wedding" items ourselves. This was a huge money saver... but not a time savor. Hand creations take time - but there is more love put into something you make than something you buy. People notice and appreciate this. I was searching and searching for ides for favors... coming up with the same "done-to-death" idea after another. That is when I went rummaging around my storage room... and since we were having an "Ocean" themed wedding... this was perfect. I had collected so much sea glass over the years (because of my jewelry biz) that I decided it would be great to use the glass in favors. I purchased glass bottles of different shapes and sizes and filled them with the shards I had collected. I had to return to the shores many times to collect smaller pieces as well... I had many bottles to fill - about 80 - so that meant many hours of beach combing. I enlisted my family in the hunt... and before I knew it, I had more than enough glass. My guests loved them and they were something they could keep - put on a window, counter, piece of furniture - whatever they chose it was the perfect seaside decoration! Listed below are the materials and simple instructions on creating "Sea Glass in a Bottle" favors for your special day!

Materials:
1. Glass bottles with cork stoppers: Can be purchased at a craft store for less than $1.00 per bottle.
2. Sea Glass: Beach comb for the glass if you are near the shore or you can purchase "faux" glass from craft stores, the Internet or Ebay, however, they should be small enough to fit in the opening of the bottles.
3. Glue: Any craft glue will do.
Raffia: You can choose the plain tan or there are different color variations as well to choose from.
4. Avery business cards or thick card stock and cutter: Purchase these at your local office supply store in ivory or white. If you choose not to hand write them you will need a computer with a printer and visit the Avery web site to get the specifications of your business cards to design them or you can use Microsoft word and create a template. Also - as seen in the picture - I used a heavy card stock, and a scrapbook paper cutter to make the tags.
5. Single Hole Punch: There are many designs to choose from

To begin, print your tags out using which ever format you have decided upon. If you choose to make your tags from (as shown in my picture example) you will need to cut your card stock down to the desired lengths - stamp them each with a decorative stamp of your choice and write them out as you wish. Take your hole punch and punch one hole in each of the tags in the upper left or right hand corner. You should also pre-cut your raffia into desired lengths - long enough to tie a bow around the bottle neck. Next, you want to start filling the glass bottles with the sea glass. You might need to use a small funnel to make it easier if possible. Once all the bottles have been filled, place a ring of glue around the cork stoppers and place them back into the bottles. Now take your raffia and affix a tag to each bottle, finishing with a bow. You can even use recycled baskets or galvanized buckets to hold your favors in - also adding the the rustic seaside charm.

You have just created your very own beautiful "Sea Glass in a Bottle" favors that will be timeless keepsakes for all of your wedding guests!

Incorporate Sea Glass into Your Wedding: Funky Gifts and More!

It's wedding season - so why not give a gift that is beautiful AND different - sea glass house wares! I have more coming soon to my Etsy store - but here is what is listed so far. As always - custom orders are welcome.







What about gifts for the bridal party....






How about something for the bride to wear as she goes down the isle....

Or... something to write the "Thank You" notes with....
Whatever you are looking for that is sea glass inspired you will be sure to find it at Sea Glass Things... and if by chance not - we do custom orders. Happy planning!

Beachcombing Bliss - The Shore is Reborn With Every Change of Season

Ahhhhh.... a cold and seemingly endless winter has come to an end. Spring has sprung - you can smell life in the air. People start to move, colors and sounds change... the days become longer - there is a rebirth. Summer is around the bend and even the waves on the shore change to bring forth the turning of seasons.

I haven't stepped on the beach to collect all winter. My hibernation got the best of me. I have recently returned to the peace the ocean brings - it is my therapy... my connection... and in doing so have cultivated a plentiful bounty... coveted... admired... and the first of many.

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These pictures are the first bounty of the season. We went out for the first time last Sunday - which is rare for me seeing as I cultivate all year - however, couldn't muster up the gusto this winter.

New Collection Listed on Etsy: "The Shores of Essex" Collection

I have just added a piece of my newest collection "The Shores of Essex" Collection to my Etsy store. This is a beautiful necklace with brown/bronze freshwater pearls, chocolate and aqua sea glass, bronze swavorski crystals, sterling findings, bali spacers and sterling silver .999 Karen Hill Tribe starfish that I purchased directly from the Hill Tribe in Thailand. I always try to cut out the "middle man" when purchasing my Hill Tribe - so 100% of the profit is returned to the community. I most likely will be making a bracelet and earrings to match as well.













Check out the collection at http://seaglassthings.etsy.com