Shell Crafts

These are my shell angels that I make every year. The smaller ones are the shells that I've found on the beach. I have different size pearl beads that I use depending on the shell size.

And a better addition to my new sea urchin "jelly fish". I still have to make more sea urchin "snowmen". I have enough shells, I better start glittering!

I usually have on my tree some sand dollars that we found and decorated too, they are packed away right now.

I also made some night lights. I have one in my kitchen with a sand dollar on it.

Here is a sea urchin shell that I bought at The Green Turtle. It's a different variety, a lot larger shells than the ones I found. The natural opening is large enough to put the bulb in through.

I originally got this shell to make a candle out of. These we can find at our beach at times.

A large scallop shell, usually have do dive for them.
A blogger friend said I should take more photos of Tucker. Well, I have plenty, but didn't want to post too many. I took this the other day just for Phyrra! This is his "do you have anything for me?" look, "are you sure? I'm just sitting here watching"

Sea Urchin Ornament #2

My friend called me last night to tell me to try to make these "jellyfish" Ornaments with my sea urchin shells. She saw someone on Martha do it, but I guess she used tinsel. Now I had most of the stuff except for the ribbon that I wanted to use instead of tinsel. I think the wired ribbon which is slightly translucent works well. I was kind of rushed to make it before the sun set. I had to run out to Michaels after work, and of course we had a staff meeting, so I didn't have much time to let things dry. I like it better without the pink beads the fine snow glitter didn't show up much, but I think you can get the idea. The ornament on the tree looks better, otherwise these were hard to photograph!






I also just put glittered sea urchin shells over my tiny glob lights on my tree. The natural design of the shells are beautiful by themselves.


The sea urchin snowman feels right at home on the tree.

Sea Urchin Ornaments

We like to walk the beach often and when the weather is cooler we go more often. You never know what you are going to find. I don't know what it is that "dumps" certain sea life on the beach. The weather, time of year, currents, I just don't know, maybe I'll look into that. Anyway last January when Wade was running on the beach he told me that there were a ton of sea urchins. So when we went to the beach that evening for sunset to collected some. Then Maranda and I went the next week in the morning to collect some more, we couldn't believe how many were there. When we get them they still have most of their quills on them, so we look for the ones that most have fallen off. They are already dead, so we have to take them and clean them up. I make sure they are dry by letting them set in the sun. Then it easier to work with them. I do use bleach to make sure they are nice and clean.



When they were setting on the tack box drying, Maranda noticed the sizes and put them onto snowman. So the idea to make them into Sea Urchin Snowman came into play.




First I use some watered down glue and paint it on the shells, then sprinkle with snow glitter. Then I get some small ribbon and thread it through the natural holes in the shells. I put a large bead that will hold it inside the bottom one so it won't slip through. Using beads I glue on the eyes and nose. Glue the three sections together, and add a ribbon scarf. I am still trying to figure out what to use for a hat.












On the tree in action! I gotta find him a hat.



A preview of the next sea urchin ornaments, jellyfish!