Inspired by antique sailor's Valentines

and having a great fondness for boxes,

I created a treasure chest encrusted with ceramic seashells 

and glazed in a matt clear glaze.

Before firing, view of front and back.

A little history,

A sailor's Valentine is known as a form of shell craft, a  souvenir, or sentimental gift made using large numbers of seashells. These were originally made between 1830 and 1890, and they were designed to be brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea and given to the sailor's loved one.

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Little ceramic dishes created for bits and bobs

It started with being a small design 

that I could use to test different glazes on, 

but I found they are great for loose change

 or jewelry.

I like using them for earrings, 

and grouping bangles bracelets together.

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Fishnet with seashells pitcher

This lovely came about when a girlfriend gifted me 

with something new to experiment with.

A cotton steaming cloth that made me think of fish netting.

I dipped it in slip and draped it across a pitcher shape

then added some of my seashell pieces to attach it here and there.

Because the netting was a rather tight weave

 I had to blow out some of the clay 

so it would show off the pattern and design.

Continuing the asymmetrical composition on the opposite side 

with my seashell creations.

YaY, another successful experiment!

Power tools and puree marbles

in combination used for embellishing my redwood fence

It began when my neighbor gifted me with a handful of golden colored marbles 

and I thought they would be perfect for creating a sea star for the sun to shine through.

So I  pulled out my pink (I wish, just kidding) power drill and went for it!

But it didn't quite read the way I expected and after drilling 15 holes there is no going 

back so I decided to make a ceramic sea star to be next to it 

hoping you would get the idea. 

And of course you can't have just one ceramic shell, 

so I made several and a seahorse too!

with tiny blue puree marbles confiscated from the same neighbor and used as bubbles.

This is the fun view that I have of it from my kitchen 

window with the sun shining through.

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Hunger Bowl 2014

This large bowl encrusted with seashells is being created for the

silent auction of the

Annual National Hunger and Homeless

Awareness Week

It's for a great cause!

 You can read more about the event here.

'Tis the Season for Giving!

Coastal cool tags and embellishments

Playing with clay and seashell molds

Embellishments and cool bottle shapes

Fiskar scissors and gift tag ideas

Creating stoppers and key chains, 

drawer pulls and doodads,

bathing lotions and potions

summer fun continues at the cottage by the sea... 

Seashell sconce shelf

created out of clay 

with a simple shape

and lots of seashell add ons 

then a soft satin glaze

and a subtle touch of color

 close up details

...just a little fun hand building with sweet results!

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Mermaid Vase

Happy Summer!

It has been super busy around here for the past 2 1/2 months,

working on new interior design jobs for clients.

Thank you dear friends for the sweet emails missing my blog posts.

My heart is touched by all the kind thoughts.

Here is one of my fun ceramic creations to celebrate summer at the seashore.

Mermaid Collage

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I had the pleasure of hosting a workshop

with Julie Nutting

here at Summerland Cottage.

Since the studio is a bit messy we enjoyed the fun alfresco, in the courtyard.

Julie taught us how to create the mermaid decoupage you see above.

First we painted our backgrounds completely on blank canvases

and Julie provided patterns for our mermaids to cut out of any paper we liked.

After decoupaging them in place with modge podge

we ripped all sorts of different papers into interesting shapes

and glued them into place to add interest to the collage.

When the glue dried we painted the hair.

Glitter and tiny jewels were added here and there.

Always in art classes you will find each piece is as uniquely

different as the individual.

After a delightful lunch I had the opportunity to demonstrate

painting seashells with acrylic paints,

and encouraged adding values to give them depth and add interest.


Recently I added some of my own ceramic seashells and

a few more pearls using e6000 glue.

Every one had such a great time, the weather was

perfect, and all have creative seashore inspired tokens from

our day spent together.

Washed Ashore

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I believe most artists are inspired by their surroundings.

Living in a vintage cottage a few steps from the seashore

where we are no longer allowed to remove or take the seashells

is what encouraged me to create my own collection of ceramic shells

using various clays and glazes.

I have amassed a pretty amazing collection

over the years that I embellish with.

I also use them in mosaics, gift them to friends, barter with them

and as you see here create jewelry with them.

For this piece I used a scrap of fabric in ocean colors that I cut 10 inches long by 4 inches wide and folded it in half lengthwise with right sides together.

Then sewed a half inch seam along the length of it then turning it right side out I tuck the unfinished ends back into each side.

Next I cut a piece of 1 inch wide elastic to fit my wrist and slid it in with a safety pin and sewed one side down before stretching through to the other side and attaching the elastic down before I slid one side into the other and sewed it closed completely.

This is when the fun begins...

pull out your collections of buttons, beads, and baubles

and beginning with the largest pieces either use fabric glue

to attach them into place or sew them down,

and then continue by filling in around them

with buttons, pearls and beads.

I am the kind of artist that will use anything handy

so I've used dental floss to attach the pearls,

colored embroidery thread

for beads and even clear fishing line.

There are bits of plastic, ceramic pieces, glass

and pearls from a broken necklace and combined altogether

they create a wrist embellishment a mermaid may have lost

that was discovered when it washed ashore.

Coral wreath design

Unexpected sweet little find at Big Lots,

coral colored beaded wreath and small seashell pics,

are assembled and attached together

with some of my own ceramic lustered creations included

for added pleasure and sparkle.