Archive for Shell crafts
Sanibel Shell Fair Behind The Scenes
Posted by: | Comments
Sanibel Shell Fair Setup
The Sanibel shell crafters have been hard at work setting up, sorting, categorizing and pricing seashells to sell for the 74th Sanibel Shell Fair and Show starting tomorrow. They have also been having lots of fun every Monday all year long making whimsical shell crafts like flower bouquets, shell critters and shell pictures to sell to raise money for the Sanibel Community House.
Seashell Hydrangea
It was a pleasure to meet some of the shellcrafters that donate their time and skills to make these beautiful pieces of shell art made for the Shell Fair every year. Here’s a little sampling of who these talented folks are and how these creations are made throughout the year. Thanks, Shellcrafters for inviting me into your wonderful world of shell crafting. Hope to see yall tomorrow at the show! 
Sanibel Beach Is A Beautiful Canvas
Posted by: | Comments
Sanibel Sunset
Sanibel is the perfect canvas to paint sensational sunsets, beautiful beaches, wonderful wildlife and of course, bountiful beach treasures.
Painting the Sanibel lighthouse
Clark and I walked the beach around the lighthouse late yesterday afternoon in search of some minis. I was looking for KEYHOLE LIMPETS for a picture for my Seashell Identification page. I looked in all of my bags, jars, buckets and drawers of shells and couldn’t believe I couldn’t find a good LIMPET to photograph.
Keyhole Limpet in sand
I found one! …..and another and another. Then Clark joined the hunt and found a few too.
Keyhole Limpets
My eye was focused on the pattern of these LIMPETS but I kept seeing the SPOTTED SLIPPERS so I picked them up too.
Spotted Slipper Shells
Since I was focused on the minis I even found TUSK SHELLS which are only 3/8 of an inch long. I was tickled to find them since I’m just learning to have the eye for them. I found three hanging out with a WENTLETRAP and two DWARF OLIVES.
Miniature seashells
Clark found this teeny tiny TURKEY WING. So to show how small it is, I put it next to the other minis.
Miniatures with turkey wing
I think I’ve been having miniatures shells on the brain because I just can’t believe how sweet this little beautifully framed piece of shell art is I received last week from Sanibel Sister Judith. You have to remember her! She is one of the sisters that uses those giant sized tweezers to pick up the minis at the lighthouse when they come to visit. This is what they make after picking up all those sweet little shells. Talk about a beautiful canvas for those mini shells. I absolutely love it! Thank you Sanibel Sister Judith!
Judith's beautiful shell art
Judith should enter her work into the Sanibel Shell Fair and Show…… which by the way is THIS WEEK!!! I’m so excited! It’s starts this Thursday March 3 and runs through Sunday March 5. So don’t forget and I hope to see you there!
Sanibel Sisters Linda and Judith
Shell Houses
Posted by: | Comments
Conch Shell House in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
I got the nicest email from blog friend Lee Garrett after my post The House That Seashells Built with more seashell houses. See? We’re not the only ones in the world that are shell crazy.
Conch Seashell House Inside
Nautilus Shell House - Mexico City, Mexico
Nautilus Seashell House Inside
Mosaic seashell house - Thyboron, Denmark
I found this picture from a really cute blog Toby & Terry . They have those darling dogs in every picture from their travels. This house they are pictured with is the work of fisherman Alfred Petersen, who worked on decorating his house with thousands of seashells for more than 25 years.
Looking for shells at Blind Pass
OK- and for a shelling update:
Clark and I went to Blind Pass yesterday to find a few similar shells like Arthur found last weekend (Shells At Blind Pass) ……. they were all gone. You just never know- every day changes. Look at poor Clark looking for anything at all. Nothing. Just sand…..but of course, beautiful sand, jetty, birds, clean water and a nice cool day (well, 80s any way) and NO HUMIDITY!!!! So it wasn’t so much of a bad shelling day.
Seashell Mailboxes
Posted by: | Comments
Sanibel Seashell Mailbox
I went shell hunting on the streets of Sanibel and Captiva… literally. I want to start using some of my shells to cover my mailbox so I needed to get some inspiration. The creative shell crafters that made these mailboxes gave me the perfect nudge to get started on my own. My friend Jane (from my post Jane’s Seashell Frames) made this first one and the last one but I don’t know the other artists. Maybe this will inspire you too! (?)
Dolphin seashell mailbox
Turtle and Shell mailbox on driftwood
Shell craft mailbox with turtle
Captiva seashell mailbox
Pen shell mailbox
Shell Crafters Shelling
Posted by: | Comments
Shell crafter Brandy shelling
At the lighthouse beach within the last week, I’ve met three shell crafters that have entered pieces in the Sanibel Shell Fair and Show. Last week I met Leslie, then I met Jean from Bonita and today I met Brandy Llewellyn. All three of them were looking for the mini shells to use in their own SAILORS VALENTINES. Not only does it take precision crafting skills and patience to make these gorgeous pieces, all three of these artisans collect a lot of their own shells. The time that goes into this is mind boggling! After talking with Brandy (she also makes Nantucket baskets!), I realized that I had given her my Judges Merit Award on her absolutely fabulous Sailor’s Valentine at this year’s 2010 shell fair. I loved her piece that much!
I tip my hat to all three of these gals and all of the shell crafters for the art they produce. It’s an honor to meet them. Like baby’s ears and wentletraps, I feel like I’m getting an “eye” for finding shell crafters on the beach these days.
Shell crafter Brandy Llewellyn
Close-up of Brandy Llewellyn's Judge's Merit Award winning Sailor's Valentine
Junonia Necklace
Posted by: | Comments
Kathy's junonia necklace
Kathy from Salt Lake City found a not-so-perfect JUNONIA at Blind Pass but had the oh-so-perfect idea of what she could do with it. Make a necklace! Because it wasn’t perfect, she had uneven edges that she could wrap the wire around so the shell wouldn’t fall out. Don’t you love it? This was her first visit to Fort Myers with her husband Paul and they came to Captiva every day to do some shelling. After finding the junonia on tuesday, by Wednesday she already crafted her necklace and wore it all week. They had great shelling luck all week finding 4 FLORIDA CONES, FLATS, and lots of LIGHTNING WHELKS, and OLIVES.
Kathy and Paul (Salt Lake City)
As I was thinking about all of the times that I threw back a not so perfect beautiful shell that I could have done something cool with, I thought of Saundra who wrote to me and said “Janene, Jaelyn, myself and my daughers Nora, Katie and Erica were walking down from Pointe Santo to West Wind Inn, where we extended our vacation by a couple days. And low and behold – there it was (a little worse for wear, but a Junonia none the less)”. You are right, Saundra, a junonia none the less but a junonia that would be a perfect necklace too.
Saundra and Jaelyn
