my kind of shelling at the beach

Our annual vacation at the beach has been a delight so far. We've relaxed, eaten well, read numerous books, seen friends from near and far and are expecting our kids to start arriving tomorrow. But it's not always play and no work, as I'm always on the prowl to find new artists.


This morning was the Lions' Art and Craft Show, where several years ago I found the work of the very popular Joan Sample. Joan's button jewelry is owned by many, many JOOLZ customers; we hit a home run with that find.


We had another good find this morning: Barbara Umbel from Pawley's Island, SC. Barbara works with shells, sterling and 14K yellow gold to create beautilfully crafted, unique pieces.

This is a necklace where the center section can be separated from the chain and worn as a pin:

In talking with Barbara's husband, Rick, I learned that they are going to be exhibiting at Sonnenberg Gardens' Arts at the Gardens show in Canandaigua this coming August. This will be their first time at AATG and I know they will be well-received; Barbara's work is just stunning. Here's an aqua limpet shell slide that can also be worn as a pin:

Definitely my kind of shelling.