A2Sea Creations Is Now At The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre!

Cheryl and I are pleased to announce that our seaside creations are now at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre. They have a wonderful gift shop that has recently been expanded and carries a wide variety of handcrafted items made by Canadian artisans.

This centre does amazing work in rescuing and rehabilitating wildlife on a regular basis. NIWRA is in a peaceful, park-like setting on Leffler Rd in Errington, BC. When visiting the centre you will be able to view eagles, owls, falcons, hawks, ravens, swans, black bears and more. Volunteers and donations are crucial and always needed to keep the centre running. Be sure to spread the news by becoming a fan on Facebook. And I highly recommend coming out to see this world famous recovery centre. It makes for a great family outing as well as a wonderful opportunity to teach children about wildlife. Check out their website for their various events that happen throughout the year.

It is such a thrill and an honour for Cheryl and I to have our seaside creations be included among the many Canadian artisans featured in the NIWRA Gift Shop.

Playing Tourist

'MOON SHELLS' - PHOTOART BY MICKI FINDLAY

I love this island. No matter how many times I explore, I always find something new and wonderful. I have been asked by my relatives on the mainland why we don't move there and save ourselves the ferry expense. I tried that once and was miserable. My heart is here and always will be.

I spent this Wednesday with a dear friend and we just hopped in the car and went wherever the spirit moved us. We found a fantastic art gallery in Union Bay called 'Sea-Change Open Studio'. My friend and I were amazed at the unique and innovative creations we saw there, all hand-fashioned by a very talented husband and wife team. The outside is even amazing with funky chairs fashioned out of driftwood and whimsical and dramatic sculptures made from scavenged beach items and clay. What a treat! This photo of the moon shells was taken there. I hope to post a few more from there in the near future.

So we kept on driving, stopping at anything that tweaked our interest. When we talked about whether we should turn around and come home, we decided we weren't quite ready to so off we travelled right up to Campbell River. I discovered that I love Campbell River and realized that I hadn't even been there before. It's a much larger town than I had thought it would be with ocean views, boats and fishing everywhere you go. Definitely my kind of place.

I do love this island and I plan to stay here for a long, long time.

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!

MEMORIES

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

What is it about the ocean that beckons us? When I close my eyes and think back to some of my favorite memories, so many involve the ocean. To me there is no aroma so intoxicating as fresh, salty sea air blended with that of a distant campfire. I am instantly transported back to a time when all was perfect with the world in a wonderful place called Gibsons, BC where I had been asked to serve as a volunteer chaplain for Cub Scout Camp.

That was a precious time for me on so many levels. I had prepared all my lessons ahead of time so I could take part in as many camp activities as possible and thereby develop relationships with the boys. I went there to teach some life lessons but they ended up teaching me just as much, if not more. For instance, I learned to cook an entire meal over a campfire in a foil pouch, (gotta love that...no dishes), how to steer a canoe (well, almost), how to build a lean-to in the forest, how to catch a fish (and an old boot!) without a rod or reel, how to take part in homemade boat races down a stream, how to sing a hundred silly camp songs, many of which required me to use every muscle in my body and, most importantly, how to discover the best parts of myself.

During the day I played hard and at night, I slept like a baby. I grew to love each and every boy there as they opened their hearts and lives to me. We learned from each other; lessons that were life-changing and eternal.

So now when I go down to the sea I remember. And smile.

A2SeaCreations.com

MY FRIEND CHERYL

To purchase photo click here: A2Sea Photography

I love my friend Cheryl. She is as nutty about the sea as I am… maybe more so. But that’s not why I love her.

When I walk along the sea, I start to relax. I am not in a hurry. I am not under pressure to perform. I can just let my hair hang out and breathe. I can be myself. I fear no judgment. No matter what my day has brought me, I can feel a smile returning to my face and I know everything is good again.
The sea does not compete with me; it welcomes me. The sea is always filled with surprise and adventure. The sea brings with it a sense of hope and tranquility.

My friend Cheryl is much like the sea. That’s why I love her.

(Cheryl is my extremely creative A2Sea partner. She patiently puts up with me, always keeping a positive outlook along with a splendid sense of humour. She may roll her eyes at me from time to time…but she hangs in there. I feel so blessed to have her in my life, both as a friend and as a co-creator)

A2SeaCreations.com

Photo by Micki Findlay - 'Starfish'

WELCOME TO THE BLOG OF A2SEA CREATIONS!

We are two creative friends who reside on beautiful Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. It is our desire to share some of our island's beauty with others and, in doing so, we hope that you will capture a glimmer of the cerulean blue of the Pacific Ocean, inhale the invigorating fusion of salt and seaweed, hear the echoing screech of seagulls overhead and savor the warm, soothing grains of coastal sand between your toes.

We design and create beach-inspired treasures. Most of our creations are fashioned with natural items we have collected right here on our local beaches. We are both passionate about the sea and feel blessed to live in such a beautiful area. Feel free to stop by our shop anytime and see what we're up to!

Cheryl and Micki @
A2SeaCreations.com