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Posts Tagged ‘seashells’

The Oyster Shell

Posted by Jody on April 2, 2013

Upper Texas Gulf Coast - Eastern Oyster Shell

Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica)

“I am very fond of the oyster shell. It is humble and awkward and ugly. It is slate-colored and unsymmetrical. Its form is not primarily beautiful but functional. I make fun of its knobbiness. Sometimes I resent its burdens and excrescences. But its tireless adaptability and tenacity draw my astonished admiration and sometimes even my tears. And it is comfortable in its familiarity, its homeliness, like old garden gloves when have molded themselves perfectly to the shape of the hand.  I do not like to put it down. I will not want to leave it.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh, Gift from the Sea

~~~

I simply love beachcombing for oyster shells – the knobbier, the better!  Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast beaches are often loaded with these one-of-a-kind beach treasures.

Here are a few interesting Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) tidbits:

Oysters are more than a seafood delicacy! They help the environment in the following ways:

Filtering (adult oysters filter up to 2.5 gallons of water per hour, improving water quality in the process)

Providing habitat (oysters build reefs, which provide habitat for fish, shrimp, crabs, and other animals)

Controlling erosion (oyster reefs are natural breakwaters that protect shorelines) Source: SC.gov

Other names: American Oyster, Atlantic Oyster, Common Oyster, Virginia Oyster

Eastern Oysters are plentiful in shallow saltwater bays, lagoons, and estuaries, in depths from 8 to 25 feet – with water temperatures between 28 and 90 degrees F.  They are native to the Atlantic shores and Gulf of Mexico coast of North America from Canada to Mexico.

Eastern Oysters range in color from a very light cream or tan to greyish/brown and from grey to black.

The Eastern Oyster (Crassostrea virginica) is the official state shell of both Virginia and Mississippi.

Louisiana’s state gemstone is the cabochon (shaped and polished as opposed to faceted) cut gemstone, made from the Crassostrea virginica! Check it out: Louisiana’s State Gemstone.

~~~ Happy beachcombing! ~~~

Helpful links: Texas Parks and Wildlife, Maryland.gov

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Posted in Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Seashells | Tagged: , , , , , , | 9 Comments »

Imagine the possibilities!

Posted by Jody on March 28, 2013

Mix and match: sun, surf, and sand!

~Imagine the possibilities~

Beach Treasures Under Glass!

Beach Treasures Under Glass!

Upside down glasses, beach treasures and beach scented candles, it’s that easy!

~~~

Posted in Beach Treasure and Seashell Crafts, Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Decorating With Beach Treasures, Seashells | Tagged: , , , , , | 11 Comments »

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted by Jody on February 14, 2013

A Kiss on the Sands

A Kiss Upon the Shore (©Jody Diehl)

Love’s Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river
And the rivers with the Ocean,
The winds of Heaven mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
in one spirit meet and mingle.
Why not I with thine?–

See the mountains kiss high Heaven
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister-flower would be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth
And the moonbeams kiss the sea:
What are all these kissings worth
If thou kiss not me?

~Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)

~~~

Posted in Sand and Shoreline, Today's Special | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

What the heck?

Posted by Jody on January 18, 2013

I just received a note from Tonya who was lucky enough to be on the beaches of the Outer Banks of North Carolina last weekend. She found this very interesting looking beach treasure at Hatteras and tells me: “It was on the beach along with some other odd looking shells I never have seen.”

Tonya's Beach Treasure from Hatteras, North Carolina

Tonya’s Beach Treasure from Hatteras, North Carolina

Let’s have some fun!

Can anyone identify this peculiar looking beach find for Tonya? Thank you for playing along!

~~~~

Be sure to check out some of the other responses in the comment section below!

Posted in Atlantic Coast Beaches, Beach Treasures - Beachcombing, Seashells, Today's Special | Tagged: , , , , | 22 Comments »

3D Beach Treasure Picture Frame by KK

Posted by Jody on November 18, 2012

Today’s Awesome Crafter and Featured Writer is Fellow Blogger KK @ KnowledgeKnut

When I stumbled upon Jody’s blog (or maybe it was vice versa) I thought how fun it would be to submit a craft project for beach treasures that I was in the process of doing.  I also thought it would give me the push (read shove) to finish it!

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

So, I have a series of pictures to accompany the steps.  Even though I purchased this frame at Pier One, it would be incredibly easy to make.  The frame is 1 ¼ thick, 21” tall, 18” wide.  The wire could be replicated by using wire coat hangers (remember those?).  You can paint the frame any color you like, even to compliment or contrast your décor.  Consider what I will be showing you as something similar to a basic cookie dough recipe.  You can change it up any way you want!

I actually got two frames from Pier One for 50% off each.  They were marked down because the little clothes pins had been lost.  I simply went to a craft store, purchased a bag of small pins and painted them the colors I wanted.

Then I sat looking at the frames for a long time wondering what in the heck I was going to do with them.  My initial thought was B&W photos, but I don’t really have any of those and I don’t want vintage ones of people I don’t know!  So I finally settled on beach treasures.  Lord knows I have enough of them around the house.  But after I fixed up the clothes pins and attached the shells and things, it looked so blah.  That was when I came up with idea for a three dimensional look.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

What I really want is a vintage map of Point Reyes Beach, Sir Francis Drake Beach, etc.  These maps can run high ($$$), so my girlfriend found something else for me.  She says this is drawer liner (very nice weight).  Subsequently, I decided to give that a try for now.  The other thing I needed was something for the front of the frame.  I found vintage, used fishing net (not fishy), for a really great price on e-Bay (what can’t you find on e-Bay?).  I’m all set, ready?

3D Picture Frame(s)

The frames measure 21” T x 18” x W 1 ¼” thick.  I would imagine that any width of wood would work, and you can make it whatever size you need.  For informational purposes, these frames have 9 slots (for want of a better word).  The wire used is approximately the thickness of a wire hanger, perhaps a bit thicker, but it is really not necessary to go that thick.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

1.  First thing I did was go to the craft store for those clothes pins.  Then I painted them.  As you can see from the finished picture – I can’t count – I left one out!

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

2.  The next thing I did was play around with the beach treasures.  Some things were too heavy, some things hung funny, some things looked funny and I wanted a mix of sizes, shapes and objects.

3.  I attached the painted, dried, pins.  I noticed this could be done a couple of ways and am still playing around with that.  Then I got my supplies in order:  beach treasures, backing, netting, tape and staple gun.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

4.  I played around with the layout of the map (backing) versus the placement of the treasures for maximum effect.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

5.  I marked where I needed to cut the backing and then temporarily taped it to the frame.  This way I can make sure it is straight, before I staple gun it to the frame.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

6.  Depending upon how I want the net, I may attach the treasures first, then place the net on top or work the net into some of the treasures so things look tangled.  Still playing with that idea.

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

7.  Finished (almost) look!  Lots of fun and I am getting ready to do my second frame!

Photo by KK @ KnowledgeKnut

Jody’s note: Wow! What a creative way to display and decorate with beach treasures!  Wouldn’t this be the perfect gift for the beach enthusiast on your list? Imagine the possibilities.

KK, thank you so much for sharing your amazing creativity with us! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About KK:  Just this week, I made my acting debut at Stage 3 in Sonora, in the production of Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon. I also recently did a radio show on breast cancer, attended an awesome, local, empowerment retreat , am creating a very popular blog, wrote an article for my local paper, The Union Democrat, and am working on publishing my first book. My curiosity is boundless, which has led me on a very interesting life path. Let me show you.

I currently hold degrees or certificates in the following fields: Master Gardener; Educational Therapist Certification (well almost); Foundation Certificate in Gemmology (Great Britain); BA in Law Studies; Paralegal Certificate; AA in Language & Literature and; Gourmet Cooking & Catering Certificate.   I speak 6 languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Farsi), some of them very poorly, but at least I can find the restroom!

Please come visit me, I can promise to put a smile on your face, or maybe even make you laugh. You may stumble across one of my “thinking” posts or may simply be entertained by the photography. Either way, I promise it will be fun!

~~~~~~~~~~

Posted in Beach Treasure and Seashell Crafts, Beachy Keen Art, Decorating With Beach Treasures, Seashells | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 21 Comments »

Friday Fun: Seashell Pancake Art!

Posted by alainaflute on November 2, 2012

Inspired by an idea she saw in Real Simple, my mom (Jody) got to work scheming up ideas for seashell pancake designs, and today, we finally got around to making them! The article, which showed how you can make edible autumn leaves out of pancake batter, suggested one use a turkey baster to do the drawing. We found plastic squeeze bottles to be an easier alternative because they offer more control.

Let’s make seashell pancakes!

For our template, we used some shell pictures from my mom’s field guide and some simple shell designs she printed off of the internet, including a sand dollar, scallop, and sea star.

To begin, we made a simple pancake batter from scratch (or you can use a boxed mix). Then, we made it slightly thinner by adding almost 1/2 cup water (so it would be squeezable). We heated our griddle to about 375°F (190°C) and added a thin layer of canola oil to prevent sticking.

To make the pancakes, we started by squeezing the outside of the design onto the griddle, along with any markings we wanted to show up when we flipped them. Patience is the real trick here. You want your outlines to show, so they must be significantly darker than the rest of the pancake. Wait for 3-5 minutes or so before squeezing in the rest of the batter (filling in your outlines). Flip and admire your artwork!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Start with simple designs, such as the moon snail, sand dollar, and sea star, and then work your way up to the more intricate whelks, murexes, and conchs.

The sea’s the limit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted in Beachy Keen Art, Friday Finds | Tagged: , , , | 36 Comments »

 
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