The ocean has lost
her baby teeth.
They're shells
upon the shore.
And every day
she grows new teeth.
Each night
she loses more.
She spreads
her teeth
upon the beach.
I gather up a pile.
I bring them home
so I can keep
a piece
of ocean’s smile.
...Amy Ludwig VanDerwater
I had a wonderful time in Indian Rocks Beach and took some day trips to Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, etc. While I was there I also made my second Sailor's Valentine.
I made a 7" Sailor's Valentine last year. https://365project.org/gardenfolk/365/2018-04-29
A Sailor's Valentine is a form of shell craft made by using a large number of small shells and items from the sea. (See the link descriptions below) Sailor's Valentines are typically octagonal and in glass fronted wooden boxes. This one is a 10" size. It took a week to complete as I worked on it a portion of every day for several hours. The shells are all glued in place and the trick is to cover every square inch so you do not see the wooden base below the seashells. Some of the shells are collected from the beach however, most were purchased from shell shops. All are natural colors...nothing dyed.
Seeing the ocean from the window was my inspiration. And my friend was able to give me advice as she has made several Sailor's Valentines. Although the purple urchin spines were new to her so I looked at other Valentines for use ideas. This was not my original intended design but it evolved as I went along and I was pleased when completed. It was difficult to get a good photo with the lid in place as it cast a shadow on a portion of the valentine so I removed it. The lid is in place on the 7" Sailor's Valentine posted from last year.
Beautifully crafted and such intricate design - the colours are breathtakingly delicate . This is truly a beautiful work of art and you must be very proud of the completed work . May I ask , are the shells just placed in the design or are they glued in their positions ? You have a beautiful keepsake from your trip to Florida . Love it and big fav for me
Honest-to-God you actually MADE this??? When I saw the picture, my first thought was that this was the prettiest of these I'd ever seen!!! And you MADE IT?!!! It's simply gorgeous! I can think of no souvenir lovelier than this to bring back home with you!!! Well done, Missy!!!
WOW you did such a great job on this. So much detail. Pretty colors too. Pat on the back for finishing it before you came home. It looks absolutely perfect.
A wonderful creation which must have taken you hours. Love your design and the little shell flowers are so pretty amongst the lovely shades of pink and purple. Big Fav
