Our Trip to Gabriola Island

Shabby Chic - Beach Cottage Vase or Container

Washed Ashore - Rustic Picture Frame

Cheryl and I decided it was time to catch up on our beachcombing so we headed off on the ferry to Gabriola Island recently. We could not have picked a better day. The sun's rays felt so wonderful after such a long spell of gray, rainy weather.

We packed a picnic lunch and ate it at beautiful Drumbeg Beach where we found all kinds of seashells and pieces of driftwood for our creations. It was a bit of a drive but oh so worth it! I was amazed at how we would find different things we needed at different beaches... oyster shells at one, sea glass at another, mussel shells at another.

When we were too pooped to do more beachcombing, we went for some delicious steamers at Raspberry's Jazz Cafe located in Folklife Village Shopping Centre. Perfect timing as the weather began to get chillier and grayer. Then we had a look around a lovely little shop with all kinds of local handcrafted treasures called Gabriola Artworks .

So our day on Gabriola was perfect and now we have all kinds of new ocean treasures to make our creations. You may see a couple of our newest seaside creations in the photos above. They are both for sale on our website. We hope you take some time this spring and summer, to enjoy the ocean and all the beauty our area has to offer. It is so good for the soul.

A Unique Souvenir from Vancouver Island, BC

Last Saturday was an amazing day... almost like summer. My hubby David had a great idea to go for a drive along our gorgeous coastline up to Courtenay and have brunch by the sea. We saw hundreds and hundreds of sea gulls because they always come in droves during herring season.

So after our yummy brunch, we walked along the seashore and we saw several seagull feathers along the beach so I decided to collect a bunch of them and do something fun with them. So this is what we, at A2Sea, put together... a 'Seagull Feather in a Bottle Souvenir'. I don't know about you but I am pretty bored with the usual souvenirs, namely spoons and mugs. So here is something completely different with a seaside twist!

I can't say I am very thrilled with snow visiting our island (what is that about?) but I am sure glad we got to enjoy that one, lovely summer-like day!

Something Brand New At A2Sea Creations

Heavenly Seaside Beach Cottage Wreath

I just love wreaths. When I see a wreath up on someone's door, it says to me, "Welcome... come on in!" So finally I have made one and, the best part... it just oozes ocean!

To make this wreath, I needed to drill holes in the shells that hang down from the top. My hubby David helped me get started and I was on my way in no time. Now I want to drill holes in everything I can get my hands on! Especially if it has anything to do with the sea. I will have to make a large shell mobile one day soon as I just love them!

Because this was my first wreath, it took me a long while to get it just right. Mind you, I am so very picky and will fiddle with things to ad nauseam. I did have an idea of what I wanted to achieve, thanks to Cheryl's gift to me; a wreath how-to book. But having no real experience, except for making Christmas wreaths out of cedar boughs 100 years ago, I found that I continually had to play with it, coming back time and time again to adjust something or add more shells, or what have you. Finally I was happy with the finished product. And I love the feminine quality to it. I have a real fondness for shabby chic and this wreath certainly fits the bill. And what a lovely addition or gift for a wedding!

I will try my hand at various styles... perhaps one that is more rustic looking for the natural buffs. It would have the same kind of feel as our 'Washed Ashore - Rustic Bottle' we sold awhile back; one with primarily driftwood, seaweed and natural fishing net. The sea's the limit! And the sea has so much to offer. And we have so many ideas!

Learning New Things

Beachcomber's Bounty - Earthy Jewelry Set

A very popular pendant fashion at the moment are the longer styles. And even more popular are the ones you can adjust to any length. There is a store in Coombs that is interested in carrying my jewelry but asked if I could just change the cords to the slip knot style. I said I would give it a try.

So, with some help from my hubby, (he was a boy scout, way back when) I managed to learn the technique and posted one on our Etsy site. I love to learn new things... except for those painful moments when you are all thumbs and think you will never get the hang of it. But it's such a good feeling when you finally master something and see the finished product.

My next challenge is to start drilling holes through sea glass and seashells with my dremel tool. I've watched some videos and my dear hubby has offered to give me a hand. This will open the door to creating so many more wonderful jewelry pieces.

I have a sense of excitement about this year. I have made up my mind to do some things I have only talked about up till now. If I can't do them on my own, I will find help. The possibilities are endless and I am up for it.

So keep an eye out for our new jewelry and nautical treasures we will be posting soon on A2Sea Creations!

Something New at A2Sea!

Earth and Sea - Beach Wedding Bridal Hair Clip

A2Sea Creations has just posted our first hair accessory and there will be more coming very soon. We will be creating several designs from rustic and earthy to more traditional and frilly; all sea-inspired, of course. This beachcombed hair clip may be worn any time, of course, but it was especially designed with the nature-loving-no-frills-bride in mind.

We love to receive ideas from our viewers and customers so email us: micki@a2seacreations.com, or leave a comment here and tell us what you would like to see us create! Is there something specific you are looking for? Is there someone you have in mind that you'd like us to design a gift for? Let us know and we'll be happy to try and accommodate you! Christmas is closer than you think!

Have a great day everyone and remember to take time to walk along the beach!

A2SEA COMES TO EBAY!

Today we, at A2Sea Creations, brought our seaside treasures to eBay for the first time! We wanted to combine our intense love for the sea with our appreciation for vintage designs. So we combined the two in our new and delightful 'Vintage Inspired Seaside Glass Pendant'. And the best part is, you can pick out your favorite design out of all the wonderful choices of vintage pictures we have on display! So cool! Click on the picture below to view larger and click here to see our eBay listing. Perhaps you'd like to even place a bid!!

At our online shop, we create and sell unique, beautifully handcrafted, ocean-inspired treasures designed to bring the West Coast into your home. We take pride in the fact that we use primarily local, organic, recycled, upcycled & eco-friendly materials that we collect with our own little hands from the beaches of Vancouver Island, BC. Canada. We bleach all the shells we collect, wash the driftwood and dry it with the seaweed in my oven (interesting smell!) It is truly a labour of love and we love what we do. Wish us luck on eBay and tell your friends and family!

New Vintage Seaside Pendants

Well I must say, the markets are always a surprise... one never knows how they are going to work out so it's always an adventure! Our last one was on Canada Day in Parksville at the beach. We had to be all set up by 9 am but no one came and no one came and still, no one came. So I asked someone if they knew what was up. They said, "Oh, no one really comes until after the parade... around 12:30." Wow! That would have been helpful information to have a little earlier.

Then, after a long day of only 3 very small sales, 4:30 rolled around and we figured we'd better pack up. So, disappointed and discouraged, we were about to put things away when all of a sudden, customers suddenly started coming in droves and were buying, buying, buying! What a funny day. We ended up staying an extra two hours to accommodate all the customers and Cheryl and I were both feeling a whole lot better !

Markets are a great deal of work but it is a very rewarding feeling to have people appreciate your creations. We were able to do some networking as well and obtain a few possible leads as to where else we may be able to sell our nautical treasures. And the day was perfect... the sun shone, the wind blew... oh yes... the wind. That's a whole other story. If you are a marketer, you know what I am talking about. That is a challenge in itself. The first hour was taken up with finding ways to keep things from blowing away!

I had designed some Canada Day Pendants and photo pendants for the market. We now have some new pendants for sale on our site which I am rather excited about. They are vintage-inspired with a seaside twist. There are several designs to choose from, as you will see there in one of the photos. Perfect for a beach wedding gift for sure! We also have some new seaside, multi-purpose boxes for sale now which are such a great gift for men and women alike. They hold pen and pencils, cigars, change, even reading glasses. And they truly are West-Coast creations; embellished with seashells, driftwood and sea glass that Cheryl and I have collected from our Vancouver Island beaches.

Well, we hope everyone's summer is turning out to be wonderful. I am going to Oregon soon to see my son and his wife and my grandbaby, which is something I am so excited about!

Happy summer everyone!

A DAY AT QUALICUM BEACH

Story and Photo by Micki Findlay - (To purchase click here) A2SeaPhotography

I had an appointment yesterday... not a fun one and way too boring to mention. However, the entire day was not a loss. I decided that seeing as I was in the neighbourhood, it would be a great opportunity to go down to the beach to collect more shells and bits of driftwood for our projects. Fortunately I had a plastic bag in my car (It's amazing the variety of things one can find in my car. Sometimes I discover things I never even knew I owned. Figure that one out!)

So with bag in hand, I sauntered on down to the beach, which seemed a bit strange considering it had just snowed the night before. But the sun had shown up and although chilly, it was a lovely day. Collecting seashells was not an easy task, however; with my uncooperative (old lady) back, my jeans that kept falling down (I am hoping that is because I am losing weight?) and my, well, never mind... I always seem to have clothing issues. But I was not to be conquered by life's little challenges! I did prevail, managing to find so many of nature's treasures that I filled the bag to nearly overflowing.

So today, I am up to my pajama sleeves in hot water and bleach, shells, driftwood, numerous crab shells and seaweed, the last of which is presently 'cooking' in my oven so that it will dry out ready for use. There are shells drying on towels all over the kitchen, which is just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately for me, I can work amidst chaos and also fortunate for me, my husband David is extremely easy-going and quite unruffled but the whole affair. He is most assuredly, the man for me. Who else would put up my bizarre lifestyle?

Okay so I am off to check on how my seaweed is progressing. Maybe I should add some to our salad tonight! Well... maybe not.


A2Sea Creations

POCKETS FULL OF SEASHELLS

Story and Photo by Micki Findlay - 'I Sea Art' (Series) - (To purchase click here) A2SeaPhotography

One of the kajillion things I love about my husband David is that he's up for almost anything, especially if it's something that makes me happy. (You gotta love a man like that!)

A few weeks ago, we traveled to Victoria. BC, which is on the south end of our island. We went there to help a friend move. When we were done, I asked David if we could stay in Victoria awhile as it happens to be my favorite place to be. "Where would you like to go?" he asked. "I don't know. Can we just drive around a bit? I just don't feel ready to leave quite yet." So, to no one's surprise, we ended up on Dallas Road which runs all along the ocean. "David, can we stop and collect some seashells for my crafts?" "Sure", he replied. So that's what we did. And instead of just watching me do my thing, (which would have been fine with me) he crouched down beside me and got right to work. I never asked him to. He just did it. And, because he has eyes like a hawk and is so patient, I soon had all of my pockets stuffed full of seashells, various colours and shades of sea glass and bits of driftwood. And I have huge pockets.

I love the way David approaches marriage. He gets that when you help fill your partner's pockets with seashells, you fill up her heart with love. But is it really that simple?

Absolutely.


A2Sea Creations