Seaglassing & Wire Wrapping

sea glass in P.E.I.                                   

Posts Tagged ‘PEI’

TUTORIAL – wire wrapped sea glass pendant

September 26th 2013 Posted at Wire Wrapping
2 Comments

Hi Beach and seaglass fans! It is time to wire wrap your own pendant if you haven’t already.
 If you have and you are stopping by for a visit for the first time to Scrap’N Wrap, then welcome – pull up a chair.  

 

Today on my tutorial I’m going to pick a piece of seaglass out of the treasure chest that we keep in the ISLAND MADE gift shop.  I recently picked some lovely rounded pieces off the shores of Prince Edward Island and I offer a few wire wrapped pieces on my Etsy Shop at ScrapNWrap and we sell bags of sea glass in the gift shop and on Etsy. I’m working on a pendant today so lets get started.

Supplies Needed to Make The Pendant:


 
Pick your piece of seaglass you want to wire wrap
 
Flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, and cutter pliers

About 12″ of wire, I use a copper coated non tarnishing wire  and 20 gauge wire to wrap.

At this point you want to make a loop to hang your pendant.
To do this:
Use your flat nose pliers and bend the wire at about 45 degrees.

Next make your loop by using the round nose pliers and wrap the wire around the pliers then around the wire a couple of times.

My photo didn’t turn out as the battery was low so I included a link here to how to wrap around the pliers.

After you wrap underneath the loop and around  making sure to have one end about 3″ long and the other end with all the length.


Now you are ready to position your seaglass on top of the wire with the loop at the top and the long wire at the bottom of the seaglass. 

Taking the wire from the bottom of your pendant you want to start wire wrapping it around the seaglass so make a cage to hold it in.  Be creative and wrap anywhere around the bottom.
 
 

Continue making spirals holding the wire down with your thumb and using your free hand bend the wire slowly until it loops around. I call this free hand wrapping.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
After making a spiral return your wire back to the top of the pendant and wrap the wire around the bail once more.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Still working with the longest piece of wire start a spiral on the opposite side holding in the right side of the seaglass pendant.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Again being creative and wrapping the wire and looping it as you go, then pass the wire around the back and back up to the top and wrap around the bail once more.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Taking the end of the short piece of wire and the round nose pliers make a coil in the end.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Then using your flat nose pliers grab the end of the loop and coil the loop up towards the bail.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
At this point I cut myself another short length of wire approximately 8″ in length and attach it by wrapping it around the bail a couple of times over the already wrapped wire.

 
I cut off one end as it is too long and I’d like the coils to be different sizes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I then start with the short wire and use the round nose pliers and bend a loop, then coil it up with the flat nose pliers.
I continue doing this until all the wire ends are coiled up to the bail.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sometimes I’ll need to turn the piece of seaglass over and over to get it into the position I can work with it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I press the rounded coils against the seaglass making it appear as though there is a flower at the top, while it hides the wire I wrapped around the bail.
 
 
Well that’s it, another piece wire wrapped! Let me tell you it can be addictive. You get one piece finished and look for the next piece of seaglass to start wrapping.  I’ve been wire wrapping for years now and I love it! I started wire wrapping with beads then a few years ago started with the seaglass.  I’ve made a number of pieces and some of them are for sale in my Etsy Shop, ScrapNWrap.
 
I hope this tutorial was a little helpful and has inspired you to visit my  ScrapNWrap Etsy shop to purchase some beautiful seaglass!
 Thank you Prince Edward Island, shipwrecks and for the seaglass.
 
Happy wire wrapping,
Cindy
 
 

Sea Glass Festival Prince Edward Island

July 19th 2013 Posted at The Beachcombers
2 Comments

Each year I think about joining in and setting up a table at the SEa Glass Festival. This year the festival is July 26th, to July 28th in Souris at the lighthouse. I’m going to visit on Friday night, take the camper and stay up in Souris this time. I have an odd piece of seaglass that I’d like the guest speaker Richard LaMotte to identify. So why am I not in the festival each year? Hum, good question I think I’d love to be and then we get busy with the Bed and Breakfast, guests coming in the Tea Room and time passes and I
get to about 2 weeks away from the festival and say, oh its too late again this year.

I hope to see you at the sea glass festival this year, remember it is being held at the lighthouse not wood Island this year.

Seaglass Cindy

Gone to the Beach

December 31st 2011 Posted at Beachcombing
1 Comment

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Gone to the Beach

thermometer indoor/ outdoorWhen someone mentions the phrase “gone to the beach,” you sort of think of beach towels, crowds and sunny days. On Dec 31 in Prince Edward Island, Canada the phrase gone to the beach paints a picture of cold, windy and ice caps on the water. What would drag you out of bed at 5:15 at a temperature of -5  to make a lunch and head to the beach? You guess it, Sea glass

 

 

Beachcombing in the Winter 

beachcombing in winterBaby its cold out there! So why bother? There are a couple of reasons one takes to the crisp cold sea shoreline of PEI in the Winter. First- it won’t be crowded, second- the beach won’t be picked over for seaglass, third- we are busy in the summer months and can’t always get to the beach to replenish our supply, and fourthly-  Winter tides are different and although there is no special time for collecting sea glass, it is said that winter is the best time of the season. Winter brings higher tides. The tides will bring about more sea glass onto the shore. winter beachcombing seaglassts always windy in PEI and so you don’t have a choice but a windy day is preferable  with more than thirty knots,  because the wind will expose sea glass from under the sand. That said be sure to search for sea glass in and around the high tide mark or line. Then if you add rainy to that windy day you will find only seasoned beachcombers collecting sea glass. Nevertheless, one needs a lot of seaglass to make a matching pair of earrings so I had better get rough and ready.

I’ll return later today with my winter seaglass finds and frost bit fingers.

Thanks for stopping by my blog post on Gone to the Beach, I hope you rather enjoyed what I endure just for glass, not just glass but Seaglass.

~ Seaglass Cindy

Seaglass by the Sea Shore

December 29th 2011 Posted at Beachcombing
2 Comments

hunting PEI for seaglassI am a passionate lover of seaglass.  As a child I remember always wanting the shiny toys like a lite bright, now that I’m older not much is changed. Being close to the shore and hearing the ocean washing back and forth has a calming effect. Treasure hunting the shores of PEI and hunting for sea glass has magical moments.  seaglass washed onto the beachesPerhaps I’m reclaiming my young days and that is what attracts me to the ocean, the beach and calls me to sea glass hunting.  I am a beachcomber of seaglass, collecting the shiny pieces of  sea glass after mother nature tumbles it onto the shore.

My passion for seaglass has become my hobby, well I should be honest it has become an obsession.  Sometimes we can record the journey that a precious gem has taken by the colour shape or type of glass.  
Jadeite seaglass wrappedThis piece of Jadeite dates back to 1940’s. Martha Stewart made Jadeite very popular increasing it’s value. I’ll save the research theory for another time. It ‘s hard to believe that glass was once made of sand. Glass becoming part of the sea again; washing back and forth with the elements of sand, stones and the tides. Turning the glass and tumbling it over time into a precious gem of seaglass, depositing it onto the shore for you to find. The glory of the hunt hunt for me is the end result after I have wire wrapped it into a beautiful piece of jewellery. 

Thank you for visiting my sea glass by the sea shore blog.  It is considered a good day when the sun shines bright and the seaglass sparkles on a sandy shore.

Take care my friend,

~ seaglass cindy

Beachcombing

December 17th 2011 Posted at Beachcombing
0 Comments

Why Beachcombing?

beachcomb PEIWho could resist the fun free frolic, walking the shores of an ocean beach as the tides change the colour of the sand under your feet. If you are anything like me you won’t refuse beachcombing when the call beckons you to the ocean.

I think beachcombing gives off a child-like magic that perhaps I’ll find treasure lurking the shore and that might be what drives us to the shore.  Perhaps its the idea that years ago ship went down off the coast and treasure went with it, pirates, gold, china all sitting on the ocean floor wanting for a storm to bring it to the surface, maybe.

For whatever your reasons beachcombing is becoming a busy activity around here and it totally overtakes your mind body and spirit.  The activity of beachcombing is great physical activity with all the walking, bending and climbing that one does to try and get to that venture for treasure. Not to forget how spiritual this experience can be as well, relaxing and rejuvenating. 

Where to Beachcomb:

PEI beachIdeally, everywhere that man has been and water joins the shore you can beachcomb the area and find treasure of the sea. However there are conditions that make beachcombing a better time and that is after a storm; a low or receding tide, in the Winter, and early in the morning are all good times to head out. If you take anything away from this, remember to get there first.  It’s like going to a party after all the food is picked over, you don’t want that so get out there early and get the best treasures first.

 

What you need to go beachcombing with:

I know, this is simple math…go to the beach pick up shiny stuff, fill your pockets and you’re done.  Yes, that is all there is to it but before you head out be sure to take the following. Good running shoes or rubber boots, a container plastic bag or cloth to collect your treasures, sunscreen, water to keep hydrated, sunscreen, high protein bar, oh and your camera to take photos of your find with the beach behind so you can scrapbook it later.

There you go! fill your boots:

Often I hear the term, “take pictures and leave foot prints.” I’m sure this term is used for you to follow the rules of the beach as they are posted and please stay off the dunes. The vegetation on the dunes is what protects the sand from eroding away. I don’t think the term means, ” don’t take away.”  I’m a Sea Glass lover and I figure it is only trash so I don’t have any grief for taking almost every piece I see. When I have been out I also have grabbed from the beaches of PEI shells, urchins, driftwood, and I’m rethinking what I could do with plastic these days.

Beachcombing Treasures:

beach glassFinding treasures on the beach is like playing eye spy only for riches.  You can count on finding some nice shells, ridged ones and flat ones all empty I hope.  Island red stone is among the shiny smooth stone found on our beaches. Lobster traps, ropes, floats and wood or leather from the frames. Sea life, like ocean trout that are trying to swim up a small stream by the thousands, crabs and starfish. Smoothed sea glass, pieces of bowls window glass, coloured, hobnail dishes and my favourite blue old Noxzema remains.   Driftwood of all sizes. Clay brick that fell off a barge. Pottery that was discarded because of a flaw. Doll parts, remains of small dolls be it an arm or leg. Piece of pipe that was once smoked by a pirate. Plastic of all kinds, messages in a bottle and lobster elastics of all colours. Then last I have found these black rods that I think were used along the top of a fish net. 

Beautiful beachcombed jewellery:

white seaglass from PEI

 

 

 

 

 

How to display your beachcombing finds:

  1.  Turn it into wearable jewellery
  2.  Make a picture or decorate a frame.
  3.  Placed in a vase or bowl to be admired.
  4.  Wire wrapped lamp shade.
  5.  Window suncatcher.
  6.  Turn it into garden art.
  7.  Wire wrap into a keychain.

At the end of the day, beachcombing is a relaxing rejouvinating activity that can be shared with someone you love or a piecful experience that clears the cobwebs in your head. Your treasure is the find, the art, the creation  to keep as a memory or to share with someone dear. Each time the treasure is looked upon it brings back the happy memories of the beach.

~ Queen Beach Cindy

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