#Multi-coloured Seaglass

[rbaileydesigns-blog]

Seaham Seaglass.

Seaham is located on the North-East Coast of the UK, approx. 13 miles east of Durham. Owned by John Candlish, the Glass Foundry there “Candlish Bottle Works” was built on the cliffs of Seaham in the 1850’s. It was one of the biggest glass producing factories and the largest bottling business in Europe. The factory made every colour of glass imaginable for many purposes; including every-day drinks bottles, decorative vases and medicine and poison bottles. Many of the Worlds rarest colours such as Red, Yellow and Opaque can be found here on the beach in Seaham.

Seaham Harbour Bottle Works, circa 1851 – 1921.

The most sought after glass in Seaham is often referred to as “End of Day” Glass. These pieces were formed when different colours of glass were used to make various products during the day, then the accumulated multi-coloured glass was thrown into the sea. Due to shortages in raw materials the factory closed in 1921, and was eventually demolished in the 1950’s. The Seaglass found in Seaham is over at least ninety years old making it extremely well frosted and popular to Seaglass collectors Worldwide.

My very own unique “End of Day” Seaham piece. Apologies, I’ll be keeping this one!!

The best time to search for Seaglass is about an hour after high-tide. If you time it well you can walk down the tide-line and find some of the larger, more rare pieces (as seen below). After this you can follow the tide as it goes out and reveals new treasures to find. We were there for roughly six hours a day in the most gorgeous weather. We used a car-park just outside of Seaham with free parking on the B1287. You can walk straight down to the beach from here and we found the best place to find the glass was directly below the car-park.

View from the End of Seaham Beach, with Sunderland Docks in the very background.

Me, searching for Seaglass with my appropriate “Celebrations Box”.

“End of Day” Seaham Seaglass – Cleaned and Polished.

Due to the rising popularity of the Beach in the past few decades the “End of Day” pieces and rare colours are becoming harder to find. The “End of Day” Seaglass pieces we found came in all shapes and sizes. I’d said before we went that I’d be happy to find even one piece of multi-coloured glass, so the fact we found near twenty was very exciting, including the pieces smaller than my fingernail. I find there is two ways of finding Seaglass: the pieces that stand out as you walk past, and digging for pieces beneath the pebbles and sand.

The larger pieces of Seaglass I found. One Red, One “End of Day” & One Very Pale Pink. Cleaned & Polished.

The local community is extremely friendly, often coming up to ask if you’ve found anything interesting or even giving you a few pieces they’ve found. As one Lady said to me: “I just can’t not pick it up.” The beach is dog-friendly so be prepared to make some new four-legged friends and for some wet hugs as they like to see what you’re up to.

Since getting home I have cleaned all of my Seaglass (see my previous blog post: https://rb-metal-sculptor.tumblr.com/post/159376818107/cleaning-drilling-seaglass-tutorial ) and organised them into different categories. I have polished a few pieces like the larger ones above I have drilled one piece so far to test the toughness. I shall post more regarding my progress in the upcoming weeks.

Previous Blogs:

Cleaning & Drilling Seaglass Tutorial: https://rb-metal-sculptor.tumblr.com/post/159376818107/cleaning-drilling-seaglass-tutorial

My Seaglass Adventure: https://rb-metal-sculptor.tumblr.com/post/158971778977/myseaglassadventure

[wallwriterstuff]

A Little Trouble || Alec Volturi x Reader||

A request for: @tiger-khans-blog

Words: 4225

Warnings: None!

Summary: Alec’s mate is...not what he expected. Between hair dye, brownie mix and kitchen fires they’ve started their very own reign of terror in Volterra, but Alec’s learned that sometimes a little trouble can be a good thing...

When Aro had first seen Sulpicia, she had been selling seaglass on the shore of Greece, the sunlight reflecting off of dark streaks of hair and dark eyes so enthralling he’d been ensnared ever since. He’d brought almost a whole bag of the pretty, frosted glass and spent hours crafting the pieces into a beautiful necklace Sulpicia had done everything in her power to preserve until the centuries just made it to fragile to keep wearing. She had been smitten the moment she met the man willing to craft her a courting gift that looked every inch as precious as the pearls the wealthier women in town wore.

When Caius had first met Athenodora, she had been fire and brimstone in the shape of a woman towering over those who would oppress her. He had been immediately enraptured by the feisty blonde tearing off the arm of a man who had clearly wronged her in some way, the dark crimson of her eyes drawing him in and not letting go. She had easily taken care of the two Romanian lapdogs tracking him to, and as he watched her pale face shine in the flames Caius had known in that moment there would never be another woman for him. They were both such romantic stories and Alec had been inducted into this life hearing them, seeing the way Chelsea and Afton had fallen head over heels almost instantly and Marcus had fallen into despair with Didyme’s death. He knew the importance of the mate bond, knew it was something to be treasured, that his mate should be protected and loved by him at all times no matter the cost.

Imagine his surprise when the first time he met you, you swore at him for being in your way.

Modern women were nothing like the women he had been surrounded by growing up, or even the women in the guard. The old-world ideals of the demure and chaste woman were something the world had outgrown and here you were now, causing trouble wherever you went, the consequences be damned. If it wasn’t your mouth getting you in trouble it was your actions. He still shuddered when he recalled the first time he had presented you to the Masters. He couldn’t just leave you where he’d found you after all; you were his mate and so many things happened to vulnerable humans – and that was without the added complication that you were the mate of a witch twin. You had fought hard despite your obvious disadvantage until Alec had stripped your senses and taken you from your home city.

Aro had insisted on reading your thoughts, intrigued as to who could be compatible with his most powerful Guard. His stare had been intense and his skin ice-cold and, well, these people had just kidnapped you after all so nobody should have really been surprised when you tried to shove him away from you.

“What the hell is wrong with you all! You think you can just kidnap me and do whatever you want with me? You can take your huge ass forehead and shove it man, stop trying to touch me, Dome of Creepiness!”

Caius’s indignation had him pushing to his feet so fast his hair had swung about his shoulders as he spoke down to you, while Marcus only watched with the faintest wisp of a smile on his face.

“Insolent human! You are beneath-“

“I ain’t beneath nobody King Blondie Sparkles! You look like you’re in a damn Loreal commercial or something and you? Don’t even start me on the gloomy dude! This is some kangaroo court stuff right here!” You’d cried out. Felix and Demetri had been very obviously amused by you but Alec had just about died all over again, the embarrassment and astonishment too much for him. The whole room had been stunned into silence until Jane dropped you for your insubordination. His embarrassment had dissolved to sheer horror in moments and for the first time in his life he’d actually snarled at his sister. You’d been a handful when he met you and you’d continued to be one ever since. He could vividly recall your first month with them, where’d you’d endlessly pranked and shouted at them in an effort to be so annoying they’d simply let you go.

Jane had been your first victim, since she had naturally been predisposed to disliking you given your association with her twin. Every little thing you did irked her so it was really no surprise that the simplest of things had been what set her off on your second week in the castle. Anywhere that the Masters and the Guard were not was a refuge for you, and it just so happened that more often than not, the gardens were your chosen spot. Jane had taken to tending a small corner of the garden decades before you’d ever arrived and it was coming to the time of year where she stripped out and replanted it, but that was her job, not yours. Finding you knee deep in mud, her soil strewn everywhere and the bulbs that flowered every year scattered along the path while you tried your best to bury Felix’s journal had set her on a warpath she’d been on for months after the incident. Alec had barely saved you from her and had only ended up covering himself in dirt in the process.

Demetri’s hair had been the first real casualty, in Alec’s opinion. He’d been out for the day looking for trouble of his own, spending his down time how he pleased, and as was his tradition he took a nice, long hot shower when he got home. He had had no idea you replaced his leave in conditioner with bleach and to say he was furious to find the natural colour of his hair gone and the strands drying and brittle was an understatement. He’d screamed so loud the Guard had come running thinking he was in danger, only to find him holding a handful of his own, unnaturally blonde hair in hand and wearing absolutely nothing to cover his modesty. He had worn a hood for three weeks before the venom managed to leach the bleach out and return his hair to its natural luster and volume. It took him three months to consider accepting your apology.

Then you’d set the kitchen on fire.

It had genuinely been an accident on this one occasion, and Felix had been keeping an eye on you so was able to prove it. You had really just been trying to cook yourself some lunch, your usual mischievous mood dampened by three months of captivity in the castle and absolutely no progress in earning your freedom. When the sleeve of your shirt had caught fire on the hob it was perfectly understandable you had panicked…it was just unfortunate that your panic had carried you straight into the tablecloth, oven mits and tea towels, setting small fires everywhere that didn’t mix all that well with the natural wooden countertops. Aro was furious he had had to call the fire brigade and have so many humans in their home. It had drawn more attention to the Castle than there had been in almost two centuries.

“Your irresponsibility could have cost lives far more valuable than your own. Do you understand how reckless you have been? This petulant sulking will no longer be tolerated and you will-“

“Whatever.” You had muttered. Aro’s mouth had snapped closed, Caius’s eyes bugging.

“I beg your pardon?” his voice was soft, unthreatening. Alec knew that meant trouble. You kept your head bowed, your fists clenched at your sides, and he caught the slightest twinge of salt in the air. The truth was, Alec had been keeping an eye on you from a distance, waiting to see if you calmed. You had been given an extended period to see if your wilder tendencies could be calmed before you were changed – no one wanted to deal with a wild newborn after all. Instead, he’d watch your flame flicker and dim, your cheeky spark dying slowly as the darkness of Volterra enveloped it. He hated it. You were supposed to be loud and mischievous, a hurricane in human form; he wondered how he had ever handled the quiet before you came into his life because he couldn’t stand it now it had returned. Your energy was just drained from you and Alec didn’t want this, not for you, not when you were clearly miserable.

“Master. It was an accident.” Felix’s voice had surprised him, but the giant had stepped forward calmly to give him his hand and show him everything that had led up to the dreadful accident. Aro was quiet for a moment, his expression changing drastically.

“Are you alright, my dear?” he asked finally. Your glare had been venomous when you looked up at him then but Alec had decided enough was enough. In many ways he still looked back on that as a defining moment in your relationship, because Alec had done exactly what mates were supposed to do in that moment and stepped in to protect you. His concern had put the Masters off of punishing you as he ushered you from the room and into his. He’d ran you a bath so you could clean the soot from your body, and whilst you languished in his tub he had sat leaning back against the closed door, asking you the first things that came to mind. By the end of the night, as you lay fast asleep on his sofa, he knew all of your favourite things and all your worst fears, but more importantly he knew how to talk to you. It was easier after that, to engage you in conversations that didn’t end in a screaming match, and it had taken him a little under a month to fall completely in love with everything you were.

What you were was a complete menace, of course.

Felix had become your partner in crime and your pranks continued to extend across the castle, your cheeky spark returning once Alec had professed how much he missed it. In the span of three weeks Caius’s hair had turned neon green, the Guard’s robes became tie-dyed with shapes cut out of them, Marcus had had his hair braided quite nicely but Aro’s hair had had multi-coloured streaks woven into it and he’d been forced to wear it that way for a trial…Alec had no idea how you and Felix managed any of this but it had become very clear that you weren’t going to change your ways, much to the Master’s chagrin.

“Why exactly are we doing this?” Demetri sounded exasperated and Alec shot him an annoyed look.

“Y/N has never been given flowers, but Heidi insisted that humans liked receiving flowers and I would like to make it clear that my intentions towards Y/N are romantic.” Alec repeated for the umpteenth time. Demetri sighed quietly and Alec diligently ignored whatever it was he muttered under his breath while they observed the flowers at the stall in the square. There were blooms of every colour, size and shape, with equally as pretty ribbons and papers to wrap them in. It was almost too much choice almost. He knew your favourite colour of course, but he’d never asked about your favourite flowers because you just hadn’t seemed like a flower’s kind of person.

“How about a mixture of these?” Demetri suggested, his fingertips ever so gently lifting the stems of flowers from the tubs of water keeping them fresh as he picked out his samples. Alec tilted his head, quietly watching him work for a moment until he had two large headed blooms and some smaller sprigs of blossoms.  

“The small ones look out of place with the bigger flowers.” He frowned. Demetri shook his head.

“Not when arranged in a full bouquet. Besides, the meaning is impressive. These are salvia and the red ones in particular mean forever mine. This yellow one is hibiscus, it symbolizes delicate beauty, and these purple ones are morning glory’s, representing affection. Placed in a whole bouquet you are promising your delicate beauty your affections forever.” He concluded. Alec stared at him in shock.

“You speak the language of flowers?” he questioned. Demetri’s eyes rolled as he handed his stems to the stall owner with a few quick instructions in Italian.

“My lovers do not line up at my door purely for the scintillating conversation, Alec.” His tone told Alec he needed to drop that particular conversation, and since the tracker was doing him a favour Alec let it slide this time. Wrapped in some pretty polka dot paper with a white satin bow wrapped around the stems, he held his bouquet with a small smile, please with how it turned out. He couldn’t wait to give it you, see your face when you realised someone had decided to do something nice for you. It was his first real romantic gesture towards you and he hoped you wouldn’t turn him down.

“Do you think we should have gotten the card?” he fretted. Demetri raised an eyebrow.

“Why go to all of this effort Alec?” he fired back, brows furrowed, “They’ve done nothing but cause trouble since they arrived. How could you possibly find it in yourself to expend the effort to reach out to someone so….so…”

“Demetri. I dare you to finish that sentence,” Alec said coldly, his eyes focused on the tracker in a steely glare. Demetri didn’t cower at much, but the witch twins were enough to make even the strongest men fall to their knees in fright. “Just tell me where my mate is.” Demetri was quiet for a moment as he put his gift to full use, and then he twisted and began to walk away, leaving Alec to follow him silence. Alec understood why so many of them had turned away from his mate, you had hardly made life easy for any of them after all with all your mischief, but Alec saw the reason you behaved as you did where nobody else took the time to. Your most harmless pranks (like dropping a water balloon full of hair gel on Caius who was stuck trying to get his hair to go flat for four days straight) were done for fun, a product of your immaturity and youth, but the big ones were usually reactions to things. You had done your very best to piss them off simply because you were scared of the monumental change you were having to adjust to, not to hurt anyone. You didn’t have a malicious bone in your body, he was sure.

His nose twitched as Demetri led him in the directions of the kitchen, something bitterly sweet invading his senses. What was that? He couldn’t place the scent at all though he did pick up on the lingering smell of gas, indicating the oven was on. Was his mate cooking perhaps? But what was she cooking that was so bitter?

“Ah!” the short, sharp yell had Alec moving at lightning speed towards the kitchen door. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what that bang was, what sort of trouble you were getting into now, but come hell or high water Alec was going to save you from whatever hair-brained scheme you –

“Ghost!” Demetri screamed, his pitch so high Alec cringed slightly. It was enough to make him panic, as his eyes raked over the figure before them, a mixture of denim and dark brown that was bordering on black, the white of its eyes screaming at him through the dark sludge. For the briefest moment, Demetri’s own panic had skewed Alec’s perception enough that he didn’t see anything for what it really was. No, no Alec saw the brown sludge as burnt flesh, thick and solidifying and sliding slowly off of the bones of the creature before him. He saw exactly what he should have become all those years ago. A tortured, melted creature. It was enough to make even the fierce witch twin scream, and the flowers Demetri had helped him pick so carefully went flying upward out of his hands so he could use them at a moments notice.

It wasn’t until Jane shook his arm that he snapped out of it somewhat.

“Alec what is wrong with you!”

“Jane! I saw – it’s a – a – what?” he stammered.

“It’s a ghost Jane, tell me you do not see it!” Demetri snapped. Jane groaned, her expression exasperated as her arms folded.

“It’s not a ghost you fools! It’s Y/N,” she huffed, turning her cold gaze to his mate next, “And they’ve made a complete mess.” You had the decency to look embarrassed at least. Alec took another look at the ‘ghost’, sighing slightly as he realised his sister was right. The brown sludge was not burnt flesh after all, more…more…some sort of chocolate mix perhaps? Your lower lip came out in a pout and you looked so unbearably sad Alec couldn’t help but come closer to you, tempted to hug you but also not wanting to get your mess on his clothes.

“Y/N? What on earth happened to you?” he questioned. You whined pitifully at him.

“Jane taught me to make brownies with this recipe she knows and so I tried to do them myself, but the oven is too high up and I lost my grip on the tray and now I have a sore head and no brownies.” You had never looked more upset than you did in that moment and Alec blinked in surprise because…since when did his sister spend time with you? Jane huffed quietly behind him as he sighed and gently wiped some chocolate from her chin before it could drip to the floor.

“Oh dear. How about you get yourself cleaned up and I will clean up in here?” he suggested. You lowered your head.

“I didn’t mean it this time Alec, I swear, I just wanted brownies. I didn’t mean to scare your or Demetri.” Your voice was so small, it shattered his heart. You may have been a troublemaker at heart but you were also a bit of a guilty soul, and he knew you felt genuinely bad when you truly upset someone. You’d been trying to subtly make it up to Demetri for months now but the tracker was having none of it.

“I know sweet thing. All is forgiven.” He promised. He watched you trudge from the kitchen, leaving a trail of brownie mix behind you. Demetri was nowhere to be seen though Jane remained standing near the doorway, staring apathetically at the mess on the floor.

“It isn’t your mess to clean.” She pointed out.

“Nor is it a mess she made deliberately. Chocolate will be much harder to get out clothes than a wooden floor; though, as the recipes creator surely you’d know?” the subtle invitation to tell him and the smirk on his face was enough to make Jane scowl at him.

“Maybe Y/N isn’t so bad…but she cannot bake.” She sniffed, turning on her heel to leave the mess to him. Alec chuckled slightly as she left, pleased in the knowledge his sister was clearly trying to get along with his mate now. She had sworn off of you beforehand, so this was an improvement. It didn’t take him long to run a bucket of hot water, scooping up the large globs of chocolate mix before mopping the floor. He’d definitely have to change his shirt today but he had done it in half the time it would have taken you to clean up, and by the time he wondered to your room to find you you hadn’t even left the shower yet. To his surprise, when he poked his head around the door, his nose caught the smell of fresh flowers, because sitting proudly on your desk was the bouquet he and Demetri had bought for you. His brow furrowed, he didn’t remember giving you those, in fact they’d completely skipped his mind.

He decided to read whilst you showered, determined to speak to you after you were done and confess his feelings for you, but he got so absorbed in the pages it wasn’t until his door creaked that he realised you were clean and dry once more. In fact, almost immediately after his door creaked the sound of your feet thudding against the floorboards hit his ears, and Alec’s hands quickly dropped the book in favour of catching you as you all but dived over the arm of the sofa with a grin to reach him. With his strength he easily held you about a foot up from his lap, slowly lowering you down with raised eyebrows.

“Still trying to fly?” he guessed. You nodded.

“You betcha! One day I’ll manage it, you’ll see. If I have to have a gift it’ll be the coolest one, I’ll be the worlds first flying vampire.” You boasted with a smirk that told Alec you knew it wouldn’t happen anytime soon, if ever, as you sat up on your knees beside him. It was yet another thing Alec loved about you, just how refreshing your perspective on life was. You never took anything too seriously whereas his life had been focused around first, surviving, and second, gaining the reputation that ensured nobody dared mess with him or his sister again. He had had little time for games and tricks and fun but you…you were young and free, living the life he had missed out on, a life he could live vicariously through you.

“You know one day you will fall face first.” He said with a chuckle. You shook your head.

“No I won’t, you’ll always be there to catch me.” You sounded so confident and Alec couldn’t help but smile at you.

“Oh, will I?” he teased. You nodded your head.

“Yeah you will, because red salvia means forever mine, right?” your eyes were a little guarded still, a light pink coating your cheeks. Alec’s brow furrowed, his back straightening.

“You know what the flowers mean?” he asked. Your blush darkened, head slowly nodding.

“Demetri speaks flower…actually, Google Maps said quite a few things, actually.” You admitted. Alec felt his stomach curl tight, the anxiety settling in his gut like a ball and making him feel as close to nauseous as a vampire could get. He turned his body to face you, studying your expression carefully. You didn’t seem like you were setting him up for any bad news at least, your expression wasn’t twisted, you just looked…shy. It was a new and rather bizarre look on you since his loud and cheeky little mouthed mate was never shy. Demetri hadn’t been too harsh then.

“Such as?” he prompted. You took a breath, fingers twisting in your lap.

“Such as he’s never heard me apologise and mean it before apparently – which is a lie but we moved past that – and…and you don’t want to give up on me, because you think I’m okay as I am.” You murmured, not quite able to meet his gaze now. Alec felt his stomach flutter, those proverbial butterflies kicking up a storm as he reached for your hand.

“I think you’re more than okay.” He said softly. Your hand twitched as his fingers brushed your own, but you didn’t pull away and instead let him intertwine your hands with a small smile.

“Even if I’m loud? And annoying? And immature? And-“ You were cut off by Alec’s finger against your lips, his eyes rolling.

“Demetri’s personal opinion of you is something I could care less about. I like the noise and the pranks and when you are unapologetically yourself, Y/N. Maybe you do get yourself into a lot of trouble from time to time but you’re having fun with your life, you are living as you wish, you live freely and that is something I envy.” He admitted. Your eyes widened slightly.

“You envy me? But…you’re so powerful!” you exclaimed. His eyes rolled.

“Power isn’t everything Y/N.I know your life changed in ways you didn’t expect, that you weren’t really happy with it either, and I can never really make up for just taking you away from your home like that but I would like to try.” Alec squeezed your hand lightly, his eyes pleading for that one little chance he knew he didn’t deserve but so desperately wanted. You bit your lip, clearly thinking through your options. You hadn’t really been made to feel welcome during your stay, but if one person had consistently treated you like another human being instead of an out of control child it was Alec. It helped he was pretty handsome to, and for whatever reason, he liked everything about you that put others off.

“How?” you asked finally, head tilting. Alec smiled slightly.

“Humans go on dates when they meet their mates, don’t they? Perhaps we can start with that. I’ll take you to this bakery not far from the square and get you all the brownies you desire.” He proposed. You couldn’t quite fight the smile breaking out on your face.

“Deal.”

Alec came to the startling conclusion that sometimes, a little trouble is a good thing.

[nootkaseaglass]

A brand new Nootka pendant available now in my Etsy store. Link in bio. . A stunning Nootka deep sea foam coloured seaglass and starfish tiered droplet pendant. Multi faceted light reflecting beads enhance the space between the seaglass. A positively eye catching and striking real talking piece. This 115mm long pendant comes with an 18" sterling silver chain. . Made by a Norfolk Mermaid. All my pieces are totally unique and one of a kind. I never create two of the same design. . This pendant comes with 100% fully compostable gift pouch and card. . The pendant measures 115cm! Complete with sterling silver chain. . #nootka #nootkaseaglass #seaglass #beachglass #norfolkcoastpath #seaglassjewelry #seaglassartist #seaglassjewellery #seaglassjewelleryuk #oceanlover #norfolkmaker #norfolk #jewelry #artist #northnorfolk #madeinnorfolk #handmadejewelry #artiststudio #handmade #norfolkshops #norfolkdesigner #picoftheday #norfolkcoast #meetthemaker #marchmeetthemaker #seaside https://www.instagram.com/p/B9bpm5UH_-y/?igshid=1fc9xstneh8u6

[trashcanemporium]

Cute Hair Slides ... I adore buttons and so loved picking these out of my colourful button box to add to these slides. I really love the sea glass slide too and we picked the sea glass from the beach at Freshwater East just yesterday morning - just beautiful huh? Just drop me a message if you’d like to order. Each button slide can be matched to your favourite outfit or colour scheme or can be multi-coloured and each sea glass slide is totally unique depending on what Mother Nature shares with me. 💜 What do you think? #seaglass #buttons #freshwatereast #freshlymade #hairslides #colourfulbuttons #madewithlove #freshlymade (at The ThreadShed) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxZtzpKhUa9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=qjwx0bp84123

[nootkaseaglass]

As I was filling up the huge amount of bird feeders we have in our garden today, I saw the stamen of crocus and daffodil. What a stunning colour. The vision inspired me to create this Nootka seaglass pendant after lunch. I've just completed it. It's droplet is an extremely rare yellow piece of sea glass from Whitby from my 1977 collection. I was dubious about drilling it in case I shattered the piece but all went well. Multi faceted light amber glass beads and soft sea foam seaglass complete this beautiful pendant. A Mother's day treasure. . #nootka #nootkaseaglass #seaglass #beachglass #norfolkcoastpath #seaglassjewelry #seaglassartist #seaglassjewellery #seaglassjewelleryuk #oceanlover #norfolkmaker #norfolk #jewelry #artist #northnorfolk #madeinnorfolk #handmadejewelry #artiststudio #handmade #norfolkshops #norfolkdesigner #picoftheday #norfolkcoast #spring #seaside https://www.instagram.com/p/B9KKHcPHJQ7/?igshid=1eag80ynme8ys

[nootkaseaglass]

A new listing in my Etsy store today. Link is in my bio. . A delicate Nootka tiered / stacked sea foam seaglass pendant. This pendant includes multi faceted contrasting delicate blue beads and a light green enamelled nickel free conch shell. Mounted on silver plated non tarnish 18 guage wire base. Sterling silver 18" chain included. Made by a Norfolk Mermaid. . This pendant comes with 100% fully compostable gift pouch and card. . The total pendant length measures 28cm including sterling silver chain. . Please allow for product colour resolution variants through your viewing screen . https://www.instagram.com/p/B81dq9VnBuR/?igshid=xnhykt1junvs

[rbaileydesigns-blog]

My Seaglass Adventure.

My first experience of Beach Combing as a Child was with my Grandad, on Bank Holidays he would always take me to the seaside. This is something that I continued as a teenager, and now I’m in my 20’s has become more of an obsession and tradition in his memory.

I am a sculptor based in the Midlands, UK, so finding seaglass is automatically a challenge. Working primarily with Metal I feel jewellery is a natural branch for my business to expand to. I love the idea of a man-made product that has been changed over time by nature and giving it a new purpose, and it’s a small way to clean up the Ocean.

So far all of the seaglass I have been using to make my seaglass jewellery has been sourced from Port Isaac, Cornwall. I went to Cornwall in August 2016 for a week’s holiday and visited the Harbour. Port Isaac is also known as “Portwenn”, a fictional name made for the popular ITV series “Doc Martin”. While walking on the beach of the harbour I noticed a few pieces of seaglass glimmering in the sunlight. These pieces led to many more and I soon had hundreds of pieces gathered within a few hours. Due to this I came back again a few days later and also enjoyed the local Fish Market. Finding seaglass is highly addictive, and it was exciting to get my family involved and coming back again to find it.

Photo credit to Wikipedia, showing “Fern Cottage”, Doc Martins fictional home, with the Harbour beneath.

Since August I’ve read numerous tutorials and blogs on how to properly clean and handle seaglass to how to drill and polish it. In regards to jewellery I have extensively researched types of chains, bails and many more items (there are so many items) and have experimented with designs. The journey between then and now has been full of learning curves and some frustration, but I’m so proud of how far I’ve come. I will be going into more detail about these learning curves in future blog posts, so please keep your eyes peeled.

To finish off my first ever blog to you all, even though I’ve been working with seaglass for six months I am still very much at the beginning of my journey with the material. After many times reading where the best beaches are I’ve booked a few days away to Seaham “the Goldmine” in the UK for seaglass and I cannot wait to share what I find.

Photo credit to naturaseaglass.com. Seaham is known for it’s multi-coloured seaglass.

As I type this it’s also interesting to think it’s not only jewellery I’ll stick to, I could use seaglass within my metal sculptures too. It might be one of the pieces I find could end up with you as an owner, either as a piece of jewellery or as a sculpted piece.

My next blog post shall be about cleaning and drilling seaglass.