Success

I have learned so much being a sea glass collector and sea glass jewelry artist.  Recently, I read an article about how talent is only one part of a successful business.  It also takes perseverance,  hard work, and luck.  Many people who are talented artists are not successful, whereas others who may not be as talented, are very successful in their business.

 Personally, I have found that my skills are improving as I create more innovative and interesting designs, but along the way I have learned how to create a spreadsheet, market my designs, write a blog, develop a website, have a facebook page --  while still enjoying my sea glass passion.  I think success isn't only measured financially. I love it when people are happy wearing my creations!

Reminder:   20% off sale on my website until February 7.  http://www,luckyseaglass.com
 

New Items From Lucky Sea Glass

Bermuda sea glass with gold filled wire and sapphires and gold bead

white seaglass heart found in Greece with Swarovski rubies



Copper wrapped Florida sea glass with freshwater pearl, turquoise, and crystals

I have been creating a couple of new designs, and thought I'd share them here.  One is silver, one is gold and one is copper.  Hope you enjoy.

Seaglass Hearts Pictures

I've searched through many of my seaglass finds, and here a few hearts I found.  Believe me, they really are rare.  These are all from Puerto Rico.

Pictures of Puerto Rico

Hacienda Buena Vista

Ponce Art Museum

Church in Ponce

Colorful Dresses in Ponce

Friendly Artist

I didn't take a lot of pictures in Puerto Rico -- too busy looking for seaglass.  But, here are a few of Ponce, Salinas, Guayama.  We visited the Hacienda Buena Vista, which used to be a coffee plantation in the 1800's when slaves helped with the work.  The waterfall is the "beautiful view" the hacienda is named for.  Also, we toured the Ponce art museum, which actually looks like the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (the same architect).  Have a quickie tour of southern Puerto Rico.

Fountains and Lion in Ponce

Very unscenic port where I found some seaglass

Notice the boat on roof

Seaglass Hearts

The beautiful heart-shaped seaglass pieces are especially treasured by seaglass collectors.  Often, the action of the waves creates a triangular shape or heart-shaped piece.  This takes a long time of tumbling in the ocean.  Right now, I am combing through my collection of seaglass from around the world so I can create one or two special "hearts" for Valentine's Day.

 I have created some in the past that are for sale in the shop outside of Chicago and the shop in Vienna, Virginia -- so if you can't wait, check those out on my website.  The one pictured is in the shop Studio Beads in Deerfield, Ill.  www.studiobeads.com
These hearts are rare!

A Seaglass Sampler From Puerto Rico

Here' s a picture of some of the seaglass I found along the south coast of Puerto Rico.  I walked the beaches everyday . and each day was quite different.  I found only

 a few blues.,and some really pretty tiles.  Can' t wait to make some jewelry.

Puerto Rico seaglass

I have been enjoying the warm weather and breezes in Puerto Rico.  Also, seaglass hunting along the south coast.  So far I have found lots of whites and some green, amber, aqua, and blue.  I will add some pictures SOON.

Bermuda beauties

Amber seaglass with pearl and silver

 Here are a couple of new Bermuda beauties.  They are on my website.  Bermuda has such beautiful sea glass.  I hope when I go to Puerto Rico  I will find some more there!  That's the next trip.

White seaglass with chalcedony drop, gold filled chain

How to Wire Wrap Seaglass

Wire Wrapping A Simple Seaglass Pendant

Copyright 2013  By Lucky Sea Glass

Wire wrapping seaglass is kind of like painting a picture. It is not hard to do, but artistic ability can make all the difference. Here's a few simple steps to wire wrapping for you to try with your seaglass finds.

First, you will need wire. I suggest you practice with 20 gauge copper wire since it is easy to bend and not expensive like silver or gold. You will need a wire cutter, needle nose pliers, and patience.









Next, you need your  genuine, beachcombed seaglass. Please don’t waste your time with fake or man-made so-called “seaglass”!

Take the wire and cut about two feet of wire. This will give you plenty to work with.  When you use more expensive wire, you will be able to figure out exactly how much wire you’ll need.  Put the seaglass on top of the wire which is vertical.  The front side of the seaglass is down on the wire.  Now, bring the bottom wire up halfway against the seaglass and the top wire down halfway against the seaglass so they meet. Twist them together once.

Then have each wire go in opposite directions to the sides of the seaglass. Turn the piece over and twist the wires once more in the back. Then bring one end up and around the seaglass to the top. Bring the other end to the back and  sort of thread it through the wires in the back and bring it up to meet the first wire on top.  Wrap one around the other twice.

With a needle nose plier, wrap the two top wires to form a loop and then wrap the ends around the base of the loop a few times. I have added an embellishment just by making a spiral with one of the wire tails.  The other one I brought to the back of the piece, and secured, so that the wires don’t move.

 Finish by putting a crimp in the wire wrap, front and back, so that the wire stays tight to the seaglass.  This isn't fancy, but you can use your imagination to create something unique!  You may notice I made the spiral smaller after looking at the working piece.  Creating means editing, too.

I have many different wire wrap techniques that over time I have invented. So don't be afraid to experiment. But,remember, almost anyone can paint on canvas, but very few can create art. Good luck to you!

Finished Pendant by Lucky Sea Glass

Fake Vs. Real Seaglass Revisited

I hope this is the final installment on this series.  But, I just had to share this description I came across on a very successful website.  The artists who create the "seaglass" actually have called it seaglass.  They never say it is genuine, but a buyer would easily be fooled into thinking it is. Here it is..verbatim,  (quotes are mine)

"Remember the thrill when you found a piece of seaglass on the beach, where it has been tumbled smooth by the rolling waves. The years of wind, waves and sand turned that broken shard into a frosted touchable gem. Our hand-crafted Seaglass jewelry blends ordinary recycling bin and vintage antique glass and mimics nature's process to create a unique environmental aesthetic. Each piece uses the extraordinary qualities inherent in the glass source to enhance the design, creating styles that are individual and distinctive. These creations satisfy today's consumers desire for beauty and the urge to help the environment."

The words  that you might note are Seaglass,  recycling bin, hand-crafted, and mimics.   This is not genuine seaglass that has been beachcombed and tumbled by the sea. Please be aware of what you are buying!

More About Crocheting Wire

14K gold filled wire crochet with natural turquoise by Lucky Sea Glass

I ran into a snag yesterday, posting the pictures, but hopefully today will be better.  Anyhow, I promised to share how to crochet with wire.  It is a little tricky, and you should, of course, already know how to crochet with yarn.  I have crocheted and knitted for years myself.  I am updating this post so I can add a picture of crocheted earrings. 

First, you need very thin, steel crochet hooks. I have a set of Boye hooks, that are 5/1.90MM and 10/1.30MM.  I crochet sterling silver and 14K gold filled wire but that can be very expensive, as even the smallest pendant make take two or three feet of wire.  The gauge should be 26 or even 28.

sterling silver crochet pendant with seaglass, pearls, coral, and onyx

To get started, make your loop, do a single or double crochet, and make a chain.  I have experimented with hoops for earrings and for bezels.  You can be creative -- mistakes really don't show.   There are pictures of earrings I have crocheted on the website.  I can't seem to find them in my picture files to post here.  Here's another pendant picture.

Crocheting Wire

I discovered crocheted silver wire jewelry several years ago in Greece, and had to learn how to do it.  I have crocheted silver and gold filled wire to created some interesting earrings and pendant designs, and even a bracelet.  I will share more about how to do it, but today I will just post a few pictures.  More are on my website, if you are interested they are on sale until January 15 if the item number is below 250. 

Beware of Fake Seaglass Earrings

As you can imagine, it is very difficult to find two pieces of seaglass that match up well for a pair of earrings.  I try to match pieces from the same geographic area, so I compare seaglass finds from Hawaii or Bermuda for example, looking for color and shape matches.  Once I have done that, I design the earring style, decide on silver or gold, and get to work.  The first earring is usually the easiest, but with the second one I have to be careful to match the size and shape of the first!  That is more challenging.  Lately, I have been creating dangly earrings, so they have to be the same length of course. 

In my travels, I have seen pairs of blue, red, and even orange so-called seaglass earrings. Just imagine how difficult it is to find even one piece of blue seaglass, or red or orange, let alone two that match perfectly! You have to wonder about earrings like that, especially if the price is really low. They probably are man-made, fake seaglass. I only use genuine, beachcombed seaglass. Many times the fake seaglass is sold as seaglass, so you have to be careful. Genuine seaglass often has little c's or pit marks, but not always. Color and price also can be a warning sign, and read the labels carefully!   Read my earlier posts about Fake Vs, Real Seaglass for more information.