Rebecca Ruger-Wightman - Sea Glass Crafts: Find, Collect, & Craft 20 Projects Using the Ocean’s Treasures

Copyright 2018 by Rebecca Ruger-Wightman

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Cover design by Michael Short

Cover photography by Rebecca Ruger-Wightman/Pixabay

ISBN: 978-1-63158-255-4

E-book ISBN: 978-1-63158-261-5

Printed in China

This book is dedicated to the sea glass community at largecomposed of hearty beachcombers wholl brave gale force winds and scorching summer sun, the cold-hurts-your-face winters, and sand in crevices you didnt know you had... just to bring home the sea glass. And to the earnest DIY-ers among us, like dogs with bones when we are inspired with new sea glass ideas, who know and appreciate the clever things that can be created with our beach-found treasure.

Table of Contents

Introduction

One Mans Trash...

T heres something almost nostalgic about sea glass. Culled from the shores of our beloved beaches, it connects us to the past, evokes memories of childhood, and still offers so much promise for future use. Sea glass, to some, may just be discarded rubble with little appeal; but for so many others, the beautiful shapes and colors of the glass we hunt along the beaches is considered a vanishing gem and holds endless possibilities for the artist, jeweler, and crafter.

Sea glass, by its most elementary explanation, is trash: glass that was discarded at old dump sites along the waters edge, by primitive means or garbage disposal, and often unfortunately by the careless litterer. Sea glass collectors with a romantic side will hope it carries a grander though more tragic tale of having been lost in a shipwreck hundreds of years ago. Whatever the case, the water and the waves have transformed it, over many decades, into the wonderfully smooth treasures that we seek today. Yet, defining genuine sea glass simply as broken glass or trash glass would be akin to believing that roses are weeds and pumas are merely cats.

There are qualities to sea glass that define how it is categorized. Jewelry quality glass (JQ) is known for its superior and smooth finish, its great frosted appearance, and has nary a chip or crack. Craft-quality sea glass will be less finished: its edges may not be as smooth, there may be shiny spots on its surface, and it may or may not have visible dings and chips. "Uncooked," "fresh," or "throwback" glass, picked from the water or beach but seeming to be too new or too unfinished as sea glass, is usually thrown back into the water with hopes that it will return many years later as a usable shard.

Beach glass, by the way, is nearly synonymous with sea glass, the only difference being that sea glass is a product of salt water, while beach glass is the same treasure found in lakes, rivers, and creeks. It will be nearly impossible to tell the difference between equally worn pieces of sea and beach glass.

For me, the love of sea glass began more than a decade ago. The thrill of the hunt, as we say, is still my favorite part. But the crafting began rather incidentallyor accidentally, actually. In 2009, my then eleven-year-old received a jewelry-making kit for Christmas. It sat around for several months before she began to tackle some projects. When she did, she made some pretty rudimentary earrings and a few bracelets, which she immediately sold to her young friends. My sister invited her to set up a little shop at her annual Christmas party the next year. My daughter needed little encouragement, and soon we were scouring crafts stores and how-to books to improve her skill. She showed up at the party with not quite twenty pairs of earrings and sold them for $4 a pair. We still laugh because she somehow made $90 that night. But that was all it took! She was hooked, and when someone suggested she sell at an upcoming holiday church bazaar, she begged me to let her. She crafted away over the next few weeks, but really didnt have enough to fill an entire booth at a vendor show. I had been making a few beach glass crafts myself, only for friends, and asked if she wanted to put some out at her table to give it a nice, full appearance. And thats how it started. People in western New York had never heard of beach glass, and they were intrigued. My daughter and I shared booths at several shows over the next couple of years until her interest waned. By then, I had my own shop on Lake Erie and had expanded my crafts, my skills, and my catalog. But always, the lure of the glassthe history and story of each piecehas been what has drawn me. The items I make are just an extension of my fascination with beach and sea glass.

For others with this same love of sea glass, their efforts to incorporate these gems into their lives and home are only limited by their imagination. Hopefully, Ive taken all the guesswork out of working with sea glass in this book, which presents a wide variety of tried-and-trueand easy-to-make!projects to inspire you. Feel free to add your own artistic flair and design to any of these creations!

Happy Glassing!

Rebecca

Chapter One

Sea Glass Pictures

L ooking for something different to hang on your walls or set on your tabletop? Sea glass pictures make for great decorating and always garner lots of attention. The 3-D effect of the sea glass literally stands out, drawing the eye. Everyone comments on it, is heard over and over from happy crafters when speaking of the sea glass pictures hung on their walls.

Ask ten sea glass picture artists the best method for making pictures and youre sure to get ten different answers. But youll also get ten different results and ten different styles. In this first chapter, youll find the method I have used for almost a decade. The use of a tried-and-true adhesive is critical to the project. Luckily, Ive done all the hard work (trial and many errors), having tested and discarded several different glues over the years. I like the E6000 adhesive for several reasons: its rather quick-setting, holding firm after only an hour, though it needs a good twenty-four hours to cure completely; it stands up to heat and steam, which is mandatory as so many people decorate with beach glass and sea glass in their bathrooms; and it doesnt yellow over time. Detractors of E6000 complain of the odor, but as with any projects utilizing strong adhesives, we recommend wearing a protective face mask. E6000 does take a little getting used to, as it tends to run a bit out of the tube, but you will find that a little goes a long way.