Tips for a Tuesday ^_^

Photo courtesy of Diane Guthrie Davis, local photographer

You can find her prints for sale at Beach Reflections, LLC

Good Morning and so HAPPY you came by for a visit. I love when you visit and really, really love when ya leave me some comment love. (please leave me an email addy so that I can reply to you....I always, always reply when I know how to reach you. I really don't care for the noreply-comment blogger because well....I can't reply back)

See all the pretty seashells and the awesome seastar? My friend Diane Guthrie Davis's treasure she found on one of her beach walks here lately. I look at her photos and just drool sometimes....hehe!! Ya'll know that I do my fair share of shell hunting too so I can't complain but I can DROOL!!!

I wanted to share some tips today about finding and cleaning the treasures Mother Nature tosses up on shore or at least close to shore. Yes, yes....sometimes ya have to wade out in that water to get the big ones. The water won't feel cold for long....I promise. I can make that promise too because I have learned from experience that either (a) you get use to the temp fairly fast or (b) your feet get so numb ya just can't feel the cold. I ummmmm think with this time of year it is probably (b) but HEY....some sacrifice has to be made for the shells. Our beaches aren't the most shell inhabited but we do have them and they are true treasures.

Tip on finding shells: Of course you can walk down the shore and find shells here and there. Make sure you keep an eye out in the water too because sometimes you may get lucky and see one of the bigger ones that just won't roll all the way up onto the sand. Just please PLEASE make sure you check the big shells to make sure you aren't taking something's home. We have land crabs and we also have water crabs that make the big shells homes and we don't want to harm any living creature....now do we?  If one is inhabited then just place it back in the water and walk on by with a silent good bye.  If you are one of the lucky ones and find a sand dollar, please make sure it's not still alive. It's very easy to tell...they will look fuzzy...not grey or white. If they are fuzzy then place them back in the water with the slight hump facing up. Sand dollars are part of the sea urchin family and are actual living creatures.

Living sand dollar (see the fuzzy edges?)

 If you find a starfish or seastar...same rule applies. When you turn them over their tiny little hair like legs will just be a going. If in doubt do like me....don't take it unless it's all dried out. Respect LIFE in all creatures!!  Now once you have roamed the shore for awhile it's time to look for some hidden treasures. Oh yes me matey, there be hidden treasure just a waitin for ye to find her. HEHE...love pirate talk!!  You don't need much in the way of tools either....we use a big spoon and one of the little sifters that comes with a kiddo beach bucket set and of course a bucket to carry our booty in. Argg argg arggg!!!! The best place to dig is where the shore has been built up by the dredging being deposited there. What's dredging? It's where the State of Alabama after hurricanes and tropical storms washed away the shore....pulls sand from the bottom of the ocean and puts it up on shore. What lies on the bottom of the ocean out from shore and can get caught up in the dredging pipes? Shells!!!
All it takes to find shells here is simply to start digging and sifting. I have found some whole and beautiful shells doing this. They may not be big shells, remember they have to have been able to fit in those pipes but they make for beautiful memory keepsakes.

You can also sometimes just sit down close to where the tide comes in and out (in the dry sand back aways) and start digging and sifting to find some too. Sifting is the key word here and go slow so that you don't miss one. Ohhhh, and be careful because we have one grumpy inhabitant that makes the sand his home and that really does NOT like to be disturbed and WILL stand his ground. Again, I'm speaking from experience. I didn't think we would be able to get away from this lil guy we definitely disturbed one Sunday afternoon while shell hunting at Ft Morgan. ^_^

See the little indents on either side? He was trying to watch me and the Chazman..hehe

Ohhhh....do NOT dig in the dunes. It's bad for the beach environment and will get you into some BIG trouble. Also, once you have finished digging and sifting, please cover what hole you made so that someone that comes walking by later won't step into it and hurt themselves. Ohhh and don't take bags of sand either, that's against the law. I promise once you get home, you will have some sand to use that was inside your shells. Speaking of bags....we always take a few with us so that we can pick up any trash we find on our hunts. The beach is a beautiful place, full of nature and we want to keep it that way.

Tips on cleaning shells: Now I think all of us have our own way to clean our treasures so of course this is just how I do it. After I get home, I take a piece of newspaper and lay it out. Then I take each shell and give it a good shake or two. This is a great way to gather sand. Ya'll know I love to use sand in the little glass vials with my jewelry pieces and this is how I get it. Once I'm sure I have most of the sand out, I place the shells in warm soapy water. Let them sit for about an hour...take them out and rinse. Then I place them in a small rubbermaid container that is filled with part water and water bleach. Let them soak for at least a couple of hours. Take them out and put them back in a soapy bath, rinse and lay out to dry. I do the second soapy bath because I do NOT like how bleach smells. Ewwwww!! If you want to give your shells a natural shine you can polish them with mineral oil. I know some use baby oil but I wouldn't. Yes, yes baby oil smells so good but believe me....after a few years....it's PEEUUU time again. (the baby oil eventually breaks down and loses that sweet smell) If you want them to keep a shiny "wet" look then you can paint them with shellac or even clear nail polish. I like to just keep the ones I find natural.

Now that you have some tips...go on a shell hunt. It's relaxing, fun and gives you some wonderful memories to keep in your heart and a pretty glass bowl to sit on the table.

Until next time..............Hugs,
Regi

Spikey the L'il merbaby

Spikey is one small merbaby but he thinks he is 10 foot tall and shark proof...hehe!! We have all heard the saying in our human world of "he came out running" but in Spikey's case..."he came out swimming". He loves adventures but with being such a small guy and still a baby he runs out of energy extremely fast. That could be because he seems to have only one speed at which he goes and that is "WIDE OPEN". I have a feeling if I hadn't been able to capture him...trying VERY hard to stay awake I might add...sitting in his shell that we wouldn't have ever gotten a glimpse of him.

Oops...I think he saw me but still those beautiful green eyes of his are still trying so hard not to close. LOL!! 

His base is one that I mentioned in my last post that I had designed some time back. The two fan shells are ones that we found on one of our beach walkabouts. The small sand dollar really was a treasure from the sea...we don't find them that small and in perfect shape very often. The other little shells are real but found at one of our local souvenir shops. Hey....I love shells and ocean doesn't always give up her bounty...^_^

Spikey is one of my fully sculpted ooaks with a strong wire armature underneath. He is hand painted using acrylics mixed with fine MICA powders. His hair is doll hair. (Love the dark hair with the green eyes) His tail is curled wire. He is a tiny 2 1/2 inches as well as his base being a tad bit over 2 1/2 inches.

Here are a few WIP photos of the piece. If you ever have any questions about how or even why I do things..just ask away...I love to share!!

My muse must have mermaid on the brain these days because she is whispering for me to do another one. I must admit that I do believe that in a previous life I must have been a creature of the sea...and that's alright by me. Until next time.............

Hugs,
Regi

Sealife pieces for Trim A Tree event!!

I had so much more I wanted to do for the TAT event but alas...my head is a pounding and I can barely focus so I think it's time to call it a wrap. I hope that some of my items will be a hit and sell. I know times are hard for everyone BUT I think with that being said...it's a good year to buy from local artist. Yep...that sounds mighty good to me. Doesn't it to you?

I made some of my mermaid tail charms and I didn't attach any chains or ribbons or cords to them. It will keep the cost down for me and for whom ever purchases one. It seems that everyone has a certain preference for what they like so I thought it a good idea just to factor that out and let the buyer decide later on.

Remember the WIP teaser of the three seahorses on my previous post? I was going to make a bracelet and earrings with them but just ran out of time to do one of my macrame bracelets. Well.......ran out of time and steam ..hehe) I made the earrings I had planned and in place of the bracelet I made a keychain.

I love working with my shells and doing anything with regards to the ocean. We have quiet the collection of shells from our walkabouts too. I have noticed when being out and about in town that some of the women are wearing the larger medallion necklaces. I thought medallion...shells...clay....yep....I can make one and I did. Hmmmm...actually I made two. Again...I didn't attach a chain or ribbon or cord to the medallion. The opening in the top will allow the buyer to use any of the three.

This kinda has a Chinese look to it,doesn't it? The red on the shell is not paint....it's actually colors in the shell.

I have had these sea glass beads for some time and have just been dying to use them. They just add so much to this piece...or at least I think so. Please tell me it does and I'm just not so POOPED that I just think it does..LOL!!

Now my last sea item is one that I was so afraid that my clumsy fingers wouldn't be able to do. Natural sand dollars. I sealed them and attached German glass to the front.....makes it look like someone just picked it up from the beach. Surprise..Surprise, I didn't break any of them. I really was worried. The sealer gave them some added strength. I attached a shell to the rope tie along with the legend of the sand dollar.

I know that it's hard to read the attached card so I will type it again for you....it's really a very unique legend.

The Sand Dollar

One of nature's most unusual shells.

The five splits in the shell represent the five

wounds in the body of Christ.

The Easter Lily design has, in it's center, a

five pointed star, the star of Bethlehem.

On the back is the outline of the Poinsettia,

the Christmas flower.

When the shell is broken open carefully,

five perfect replicas of a dove can be found,

These are the doves of Peace.

I love this legend and I do hope that folks won't try and break them open to see if the doves are there. Believe me...they are there!!! 

I'm excited to have pieces in the event and I hope it's a good year for all the artist that have their works in it too. I already have my Alice characters and my Faerie Races series there. I'm also going to be taking Santa and Chester, the mermaid twins, the Man in the Moon by the sea, my needle felted mermaid and Gypsy the Fall faerie. If you are in our area anytime from November 10th through to the 23rd of December, please go by and see all the amazing and wonderful works by our local artist. I'm sure you can find something that just screams "TAKE ME HOME".

Until next time....Hugs, Regi

If you are new to the old Southern Ooaks and don't know about TAT (Trim A Tree) then click HERE to read all about just what it's about. Thank you so much for visiting and I hope you come back often. I LOVE my visitors!!