The Process
I love getting out on the beaches around Anglesey and searching for seaglass. It's something I can do with the whole family (or on my own which is sometimes nice for the peace!) and there's always the excitement of which wonderful pieces might have been brought in by recent tides!
One of my favourite stages is sorting through a day's haul (usually with a g&t!) and getting a chance to look closely at the lovely pieces that we've found.
Organising the glass is the first big challenge; so many shapes, shades and types of glass, with so many possible uses. Some pieces stand out straight away as being great for a pendant...but choosing 'pairs' for earrings can be quite tricky and time consuming, and I can often be found crouched over trays and trays of glass deciding on pieces good enough to be called a pair!
Once I have the pieces selected that I want to work with, I get started with the drill! It might look easy, but it's taken quite a lot of practise to drill without cracking the pieces (well...most of the time!!). Some smaller pieces just require one go with the drill, others need different drill bits to enlarge or graduate the holes for threading and hanging.
Or, if the item is to be bezel-set, I move to the silversmithing bench and start making a bespoke silver wrapping for the chosen piece of glass!
Once the holes are drilled I then choose the hangings I want for each pieces, and then finish things off with a light coat of olive oil! I usually leave this to soak in slightly overnight and then rub off gently with a cloth. Info/care cards come with each purchase.
I love everything about my seaglass jewellery; from collection and sorting, to choosing, drilling and hanging....but what I really love is hearing and seeing how much other people love these pieces too! I really hope you enjoy my work!
