I've been collecting sea glass since I was a little girl. My family is from Arroyo, Puerto Rico and as a child we would visit my Abuelita once and a while! Arroyo is just a town over from Ponce, home of some of the most beautiful beaches! I remember the exact day that I found my first piece!! It was brown and it was perfect!! I found greens and sea foams..... I didn't know what it was...... but I knew I had discovered treasure!!! I was nine..... I truly thought I had found emeralds, diamonds and rubies!! I brought them back to our little home and my Abuelita wrapped them carefully in a towel, safe for my plane ride home!
Upon my return, my father and I handed out gifts to my brothers and sisters! I was lucky, this was a Daddy and me trip! When we were finished handing out our gifts, I ran to reveal my found treasures to my mother! Sadly, she was disgusted! I remember her scolding my father for allowing me to pick up trash! She forced me to dispose of it! That sadness sometimes still creeps up on me! I know she had no idea what it was, but I loved it nonetheless!
In any event..... Years later...... before the days of kids..... My husband and I traveled to Mexico!
I had to be about 21, I can remember mas cervezas...... We were floating in the ocean together, enjoying our day! My husband pulled up a HUGE piece of lime green sea glass and said "Hey babe!! Look at this!!" Puerto Rico came back to me! I remembered. We spent the entire trip searching our Mexican beach.... I found a lot of crap! Broken, not so flawless (to say the least) sea glass! I brought it home with pride!
Over the years, I have used only FLAWLESS genuine sea glass in my designs! But I realized I had WAY MORE less than attractive sea glass..... In all colors! I certainly couldn't throw it away!
I made some mosaics...... didn't love doing that! Made some votives...... way too much work!
A friend of mine one day suggested hiding the chip...... I'm a Karma girl!! There was no way I could do that! BUT!!! What if I repaired the chip with a non-toxic sanding method and was HONEST about it!! Hey! There's a notion!! Re-Glass(tm) Sea Glass was born!! From time to time, I repair sea glass chips and offer them, honestly, to my wonderful customers!
You see, sea glass people...... I feel that altering our precious sea glass is perfectly acceptable, as long as we're honest about the alter and we let our educated buyers decide! Why on Earth would I re-pollute the Earth by throwing it away....... I'm more interested in preserving this amazing planet for my amazing kids! I'm able to offer gorgeous rare colors at a fantastic price!
I recently had another very reputable sea glass artist ask me how I could alter my sea glass! I asked, how can you bore a huge hole in yours, by drilling it!? After a bit of chatting, she understood...... The dishonest people make it hard for those of us who just want to be! She called me a trailblazer........ A pioneer.........
Whatever..... I just want to make pretty chit!
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