Sea-themed Jewelry Art

Maybe because my happiest childhood years were spent in Panama City, Florida, before the Gulf got polluted, on untamed sand dunes and shores that bore treasures after every storm, yes, I think so.  I remember walking along the tideline with my brother and popping Spanish Man o' War casualties with my bare feet, finding small hammerhead sharks, myriad shells, and horseshoe crabs tangled in the seawrack.  The memories evoke so much: Treasure Island fantasies, great sailing ships, strange and exciting sea creatures.  Just the thing to inspire jewelry making, now that I am (relatively) grown up.

Last spring, after a storm on Puget Sound, I took this shot of beautiful seawrack, and, unfortunately, I passed on the antique sole from a lady's shoe.  My imagination wasn't working that day, or perhaps I was thinking to leave it for someone else to enjoy.  I went back for it later, but it was gone.  The tide or another beachcomber took it away.  I could kick myself!
But that was before I made this piece, from a wad of wave formed aluminum (? I guess it's aluminum) and layers of antique handwriting, fabric, and sea-skate leather.  It's just been relisted in my Etsy shop since I've decided I can part with it.  I call it the Wreck of the Hesperus since it's possible that wad of aluminum came from a smashed boat.

Oh how I wish I had picked up that sole !

It would have stacked and riveted into another one of these gorget style neckpieces and made for a very interesting stack of associations, for instance, sole (foot) to sole (fish) and whatever narrative twists and turns it might take to explain the thing.  Alas, another lesson learned the hard way:  if it catches your eye, pick it up!

And then there's this handy way of getting the eggs and bacon remains off the plate; it's an ecological, natural prewash cycle, which I have added here just for Marina, of Fanciful Devices!