Mermaid's Purse - Traveling Sea Glass

Talk about traveling SEA GLASS !!

I would love to have seen these bottles after traveling over distance and time.

Enjoy the Story

Last year, a high school student named Corey Swearingen put a letter in a bottle, sealed it up, and dropped it in the Atlantic Ocean, off the Florida coast. It was kind of an experiment for school. In the letter, he appealed to whomever came across the bottle to contact him and let him know where in the world it showed up. Amazingly, someone did.

Click to Finish reading story

Now Imagine…..

Where has this Sea Glass traveled?

If only it could speak

Surf the Gallery for your own piece of History and Allure

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

Sea Glass Jewelry "Estate of Grace"

Mermaid’s Purse
Sea Glass Jewelry

Deep Treasure Brought Back To Life

Sea Glass Jewelry an “Estate of Grace”

Gracefully Reshaped, Resurfaced with frost and Re-purposed for New Life

As Fine Crafted Wearable Art

What was she before..how old could she be..from where could she have traveled

The Allure of Sea Glass is Irresistible!

Want One?

Need One?

Commissions Welcome

mermaidspurse@att.net

310.989.3503

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Jewelry - Pink Champagne

Pink Champagne Sea Glass

This Beauty was found on the coast of central California by a friend

New owner and home is in Rhode Island.

Such a Rare Sea Glass color!

Pink Champagen Sea Glass

Champagne in a Glass

Champagne Pink Sea Glass Pendant

Custom Orders are Welcome

I have other great colors of Sea Glass just waiting

Deborah Leon artist/collector

310.989.3503

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Holy Sister - SEA GLASS

Look What I Found While Looking for

SEA GLASS

My Camera Shy Friends Looking for Sea Glass in Carpenteria

A rare outing for these lovely women

enjoying the beach and looking for Sea Glass

Took a little coaxing to get this one of a kind pic.

Thank you ladies and God Bless

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass de la Fiesta

This Looks like a Mexican Sea Glass Celebration

Let’s Party!

The above is a photo shoot for a friend of their amber, green and gold Sea Glass found in Central California.

Rico Suave!!

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

Summer Nights & Sea Glass Jewelry

Sea Glass Jewelry
for Hot Summer Nights

Taking Custom Orders

White Sea Glass & Turquoise Summer Necklace

Deborah Leon designer/collector

310.989.2502

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Seaglass..A TREASURE amongst treasures



Meet Roberta Hickey

Sea Glass Enthusiast Extraordinaire

Authoress of

American Mom Blog

I’ve mentioned before one of my favorite things about looking for Sea Glass are the people I meet along the way. If you plug in Google Search Words like Sea Glass and all the variations thereof you will get daily emails of what is out there and thus begins the dive into cyber space of meeting others who are into sea glass. THIS is how I met Roberta Hickey.

Leaving comments on blogs is a common practice and getting a response back is like getting a letter in the mail…a treat.

Roberta is very knowledgeable about Sea Glass and shares freely what she discovers and knows. She is also very fortunate in that her local beaches provide incredible finds, the mermaids are working overtime tossing their tears at her feet.

Roberta is also providing her insights and experiences of a journey interwoven with her Sea Glass escapades. In our communications back and forth we discovered we also have something else in common “Pancreatic Cancer”. This nearly took my breath away.

My Mom was taken home 3 years ago after living 7 months longer than the Doctors gave her after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

This is where Roberta is at ….living in that area that is a gift of time beyond reason.

In reading her blog American Mom, I’m taken in by how interesting she is, well spoken and her ability to convey all arrays of emotion, be vulnerable yet steady as a rock and find myself wishing I lived next door to her.

Roberta is a treasure amongst treasures….I thought for a while I’d keep her to myself but then after the greed fell to the ground I knew that she must be shared as all treasure should be.

I find comfort in talking about the illness and walking with her. We are connected for a reason and I’ll just leave that to the Lord as to how that plays out. I’m encouraged by her rallies from treatments to continue to live life as she loves it with such an amazing spirit. She is generous to a fault with her time, posessions and heart.

Meet and visit my friend Roberta, find for yourself the treasure she is….You’ll be better for it.

When you visit tell her I said Hi and give her xoxoxo’s for me.

Mermaid’s Tears are often the telescope through which men see into heaven.

_____Anonymous

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

SEA GLASS JEWELRY - EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

Mermaid’s Purse

Sea Glass Jewelry

Join Me for an “Act of Green”
In celebration of Earth Day

Sponsored By: Deborah Leon

Event: Hermosa Beach Clean Up Day/in conjunction with Earth Day Org.

Date: April 17, Saturday

Time: 9:00 a.m. til 12:00 p.m.

Location: Hermosa Beach Pier, Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach…We will meet at the statue in front of the pier

ALL SCOUTS WILL EARN 3 HOURS COMMUNITY SERVICE

ALL FAMILIES WELCOME

Mermaid’s Purse will provide trash bags and disposable gloves

Bring you own implement for picking up trash if you like, i.e. long tongs, stab sticks, grabbers

Pack a lunch and bring water…we will gather back at the pier to eat together and take pictures at Noon.

El Nino storms have washed ashore a lot of debris this year. The cities do a good job cleaning but as I have gone out looking for Sea Glass, there is still a lot of plastic and trash along the debris lines. This is a good opportunity to give back as we all are the recipients of enjoying time at the beach. Hope to see you there.

For questions or to RSVP contact:
Deborah Leon
310.989.3503
mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Sea Glass Jewelry gets nod from Coastal Creations & Design

Coastal Creations & Design

March 23rd, 2010

Big Write Up on Mermaid’s Purse

Sea Glass Jewelry

South Bay, California Girl gets Noticed

Coastal Creations & Design

Seaworthy Products for Those That Fancy the Sea

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Original Sea Glass Jewelry Creations by Daniel Renee & Deborah Leon

One of the great things about writing a blog like Coastal Creations and Design is the ability to attract wonderful folks that share the same common interests. As fate has it, we recently received a few favorable comments to a current post from two very talented artists, and both create exceptional sea-inpired jewelry from beach-combed sea glass. So I checked out their websites and Wah-lah! . . .the inspiration for another coastal creation. (See what writing a nice comment to our blog might bring you!)

Click : Coastal Creations & Design to read more.

It is a thrill to be recognized for my artwork in making Sea Glass Jewelry. Being paired up with Danielle Renee is most impressive and an honor. In this emerging niche of Sea Glass Jewelry which is very competitive, it’s great to be recognized with a stamp mark of quality.

Thank you to all my clients, followers and visitors. It’s fun sharing and creating for you.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

meraidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass..The Right Drill Bits

SEA GLASS

THE RIGHT DRILL BITS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

KNACK

Drilling Sea Glass for Jewelry is a knack but with the right drill bits that knack is made a little easier…in fact, a lot easier.

SHAPE

As you see in the pic, the shape may seem confusing to most of you. It’s not sharp and pointed at the end with graduated spiral edges. My drill bits are barrel shaped. WHY? We are grinding Sea Glass NOT cutting it.

Using this type of drill bit reduces the shattering of Sea Glass. The time to make a hole in the Sea Glass is much quicker also.

DRILLING

To get the cleanest and straightest dill holes, I always start with my smallest drill bit. It’s the size of a needle and is the one I use the most. After the 1st hole is made I graduate to the next drill bit til the desired size is achieved. Yes, it means changing the drill bits about 5 times….but that’s the nature of getting the best hole without cracking the Sea Glass.

When drilling your piece of Sea Glass, set it in the water with your piece of wood or sponge underneath ( be sure water covers the surface of Sea Glass ). Many use a marker to mark both sides of the Sea Glass to assure a straight line. I eyeball it unless the Sea Glass is so dark I can’t see through it.

Starting at a low speed ( #2 on my Dremel dial ) to minimize the vibrations, I drill 1/2 to 3/4 way through the Sea Glass, turn it over and drill from the other side.

SAFETY

Good lighting and glasses for safety are a MUST!

GOT QUESTIONS? SEND A COMMENT! I’ll answer your questions.

MERMAID’S PURSE NEWSLETTER: Offering a 5 Part Series on SEA GLASS for Subscribers ONLY. It’s FREE, INFORMATIVE & FUN. IT’S GETTING GREAT REVIEWS.

TO GET YOURS: Fill out form at top, right corner of this PAGE . SUBMIT…you’ll receive a confirmation email. CLICK the link….you’re on your way to the world of Sea Glass with Mermaid’s Purse.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Hunting & Making Friends

One of the best parts of looking for Sea Glass are the people I meet along the way. This Monday was no exception. After a few times you begin to recognize the other collectors, exchange names and compare finds.

Bruce appears to be a regular, a Manhattan Beach resident who walks the beach because it’s therapeutic for his back, and it turns out he and his wife are nutty for Sea Glass.

Tim Harris hit the jackpot finding a decent sized piece of cobalt blue Sea Glass.
Running into each other Tim just couldn’t contain his excitement and had to do a little show and tell about his cobalt blue find. His excitement infected me to being totally thrilled for him. Sooo…he agreed to a mini photo shoot. Sweet! Happy Hunting Tim, here’s to finding a Ruby of the Sea the next time.

Continuing my journey and picking up trash that has been tossed ashore by this years storms, I run into Moms playing with their kids, I offer trash bags and ask if they can do a little cleaning while playing. They are very obliging. (I always carry extra trash bags to hand out )

My last unexpected meet on this expedition was a delightful, sweet woman by the name of Robin. We talked about our finds, etc. and upon learning that I do this for my business she insisted that I take her finds and she hung out for a while to help me look for more Sea Glass. Robin…thank you…so generous and gracious. Enjoy the rest of Spring Break with your daughter and family.

Hunting for Sea Glass is so much more than just the find to make jewelry. It is the Sum and Total of the whole experience, delightful people, salty air, song of sea birds, the ebb and flow of the tide, wet feet, sun upon my face, cleaning my favorite place, and for a moment in time…being in communion with the creator of all creation.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Drilling..Button or Sponge

So It may not be clear to every one why you would use a bowl with water for drilling Sea Glass…When I first heard of this, I was completely skeptical. Won’t I get an electric shock? Then I reflected to the days of home remodeling and my husband cutting tile in water. I reasoned…..I guess I’ll be okay.

The water reduces the heat from the friction of the drill bit and piece of Sea Glass. Keeping it cool is a must!

Wood Button Vs. Sponge.

These two tools are set in the water with the Sea Glass atop. This helps to reduce the impact of vibrations by absorbing much of it.

First I’ll start with the wood button when beginning the hole in the Sea Glass. It’s a firmer, more stable surface for starting the hole.

Then I’ll switch to the sponge to finish the job….it’s softer and absorbs more than the wood button.

Some pieces of Sea Glass shatter easier than others depending on the color of Sea Glass. I find the light blues are extremely sensitive to vibration and can shatter easily. This is such a bummer….the light blues are definitely in the rare category, hard to find and after getting almost to the end and holding your breath for it seems like an eternity just for it to shatter…..well….it doesn’t make for a happy artist.

Stay tuned as next I’ll talk about the Dremel. I love my Dremel!

If you haven’t yet, you need to get the Mermaid’s Purse Newsletter. It is filled with information about the world of Sea Glass. The 5 Part Series on Sea Glass is getting rave reviews. Only SUBSCRIBERS GET THIS , and it’s completely FREE.

Use the form at the top right corner of this page. Your a click away.

Be sure to confirm the email from Mermaid’s Purse. The Newsletters will start coming.

Til we gather again,

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass, Mermaid's Purse talks about Drilling

Because you asked...Here it is!

Mermaid's Purse talks about Drilling Sea Glass

The second most asked question in my business after…where do I collect my Sea Glass? Is…..

How do I drill the Sea Glass?

In this Post we will start with the tools.

I have found that not all tools are created equal. In fact it took a lot of research, experimentation, practice and patience.

BREAK DOWN

1. Hand Drill: I prefer the Dremel400 XPR, it is light weight, fits my hand well, has 5,000 – 35,000 RPM, 10 speed settings, can be used with a drill press if desired, has endless number of attachments for every job.

2. Collets of various sizes to accommodate the different size drill bits.

3. Drill bits for making holes in glass. This part is huge! You are not cutting Sea Glass, you are grinding Sea Glass. I tried the others that are shaped with a point and spiral (INFERIOR). I order my bits from a wonderfull company call Rio Grande item # 349016. You just have been given the biggest tip for drilling.:)

4. A container for water…most use a plastic container. I feel most comfortable with this shallow finger bowl. A piece of sponge or wooden button is what I use to set the Sea Glass on top of while drilling in the water.

5. Glasses for protection and fine visibility. Many recommend safety glasses or goggles with a larger shield…these make me uncomfortable. A pair of glasses with larger lenses work out just fine for me.

Just a reminder, the items listed are tweaked to my preference. You too may have to experiment.

Next post well start talking about how to use our tools.

I know you may have questions..please feel free to comment and I will respond.

If you haven’t yet, subscribe to Mermaid’s Purse Newsletter to get the 5 part series on Sea Glass. (upper right corner of this page)

Til then,

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

New Sea Glass Collection - West Winds

WEST WINDS SEA GLASS COLLECTION

COMING SOON

Mermaid’s Purse is adding a new collection called:

WEST WINDS

This line of Sea Glass Jewelry is meant to be more budget friendly so all Mermaids and Mermen can enjoy accessorizing with these incredible sea beauties.

I’ve heard over the past year how much someone loves my pieces but that it was a bit out of reach due to the fact that the existing collections are all set in sterling silver and many rare colors are used.

Sooo…I’m in process of designing pieces using leather and less sterling silver. I’ve been learning how to do Celtic braids and knots with leather. Looks very cool! The color of Sea Glass used will be the common and uncommon colors. None the less beautiful, just easier to find.

WEST WINDS….The name came about while watching the Olympics one evening with great friends and during commercial I asked my friends to throw out ideas for names. Several good suggestions but this is the one that stuck. Turns out it is the name given to a home in Manhattan Beach that my friends just inherited.

I love the name WEST WINDS!!! Makes sense too, seeing that the storms generated that bring Sea Glass to me are North Western, Western or South Western. So there you have it…The WEST WINDS Sea Glass Collection.

Designing and making right now…be watching for pics! You’ll be able to shop soon!

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Find..Art Deco?

Today’s Find…A Queen’s Ransom

This piece of Sea Glass looks as though it is from a piece of jewelry..perhaps a brooch

The design looks Art-Deco to me…what do you think?

Posting this for my Sea Glass friends to help out too.

SPECTACULAR

I screamed with excitement over the find, turning heads in my direction..not caring, I continued to talk aloud to myself.

Tracing the identification of this piece of Sea Glass will be very rewarding.

Send me your thoughts, I could use your help!

To all my Mermaid Friends....Happy Hunting!

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector

mermaidspurse@att.net

www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Shard Contest

ONE DAY LEFT TO ENTER
SEA GLASS SHARD
CONTEST

ENTER TO WIN THESE

SEA GLASS EARRINGS
Amber Sea Glass Earrings/ Shell & Aquamarine Beads/ Sterling Silver Bali Sea Stars

SUBSCRIBE (Free) to Mermaid’s Purse News Letter for Details

( upper right hand corner of Home Page )

Start digging through your SEA GLASS STASH

to enter your favorite piece.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector
mermaidspurse@att.net
www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Lavender Sea Glass for Valentine's Day

Treat your Inner Mermaid to a VALENTINES DAY Gift.

Lavender/Amethyst Sea Glass is considered RARE in the scheme of colors. This Mermaid finds them to be Extremely Rare in our region of South Bay, California.

There are only 2 Bracelets and 1 Necklace in the Sea Glass Jewelry Gallery with Lavender/Amethyst Sea Glass. BEAUTIFUL, UNUSUAL, RARE!

How do we get colors of Lavender, Amethyst and Purple?



Glass is made of Silica (sand), Soda Ash and Limestone. Nickel or Manganese is added to get shades of Purple.

Some clear glass will turn purple when exposed to UV rays over decades of time. The longer the exposure to UV rays the deeper the color.

Glass that is colored in shades of Purple is usually thinner than most glass and may have come from Poison Bottles, Perfume Bottles or Depression Glass Ware.

Hmmm…I wonder what kind of poison could have been in a purple bottle. Perhaps it was a LOVE POTION!

Subscribe to get 20% off when shopping! COUPON CODE: sub01 and also receive a 5 part series about Sea Glass and Sea Glass Jewelry.

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon artist/collector
mermaidspurse@att.net
www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Aqua Blue Shard, Sea Glass Identification

REMEMBER THIS SHARD?

It was posted last week and now I have some idea of its possible origins. Thanks to the help of my Sea Glass friends from “Sea Glass Artists and Collectors Association” I was led in the right direction.

Using this information I began checking with specialists in antique bottles and glassware, I think we have narrowed it down.

We’ll start with the easy part. Everyone is of the same mind that this shard was in a campfire to some degree.

One collector thought it was from a decanter another suggested it could be part of a glass insulator.

Looking closer, the shard didn’t look thick enough to be from an insulator. The color speaks to an older era and the ribbing is pretty unique.

The photo on the top is a Water or Lemonade Pitcher. The photo on the bottom is an Aqua Apothecary Poison Bottle.



Both are dated in the late 1800’s.

I’m still investigating…just wanted to update my readers on the progress thus far.

Don’t think I’ll be making Sea Glass Jewelry out of this shard. I’ll keep it with my rare and unusual pieces of Sea Glass.

I’ll keep you posted, til then…

Fair Winds and Calm Seas,
Deborah Leon artist/collector
mermaidspurse@att.net
www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

SEA GLASS FOR MEN

What started out as a gift for my Surfer, Beachy, Super Cool, Son has exploded.

To my surprise guys love Sea Glass too! They’re also into the customizing process . Guys have very specific ideas about what they like. From choosing the color of Sea Glass, to the length, to whether or not they want a clasp at the ends.

It looks so HOT and they know it. Coastal, masculine and very sexy!

I have 8 pieces of hand selected Sea Glass ready to be made into a Necklace for your man. For available pieces, click this link www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com/blog

Subscribe to Mermaid’s Purse then go to “Contact Us” from the Menu Bar to let me know which piece of sea glass you would like. The most common length is 19.5″, will adjust shorter or longer. The ends are finished with Sterling Silver Wire and a Lobster Claw. Specify if you like the ends unfinished for tying.

Necklaces are $35. You will receive 20% off if you are a 1st time subscriber.


VALENTINE’S DAY is right around the corner, SURPRISE YOUR GUY!

FAIR WINDS AND CALM SEAS,
Deborah Leon artist/collector
310.989.3503
mermaidspurse@att.net
www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com

Sea Glass Shard Identification-Part of the Job

Sooo…after quadruple back to back El Nino Storms, I FINALLY got to the beach for some Sea Glass Hunting.

My favorite spot was closed off due to coastal flooding… and possible landslide, I know…I checked everyday!

Needing to get my Sea Glass Hunting FIX, I went to another one of my favorite beaches ( I guess they’re all my favorite). ” Lord Have Mercy” What happened to it? So much erosion, it looked like the jaws of death carved away my beautiful beach. My stony and glass patches had been sucked away.

Seriously my stomach went ill and my heart sunk. That was all last week.:(

This week is proving to be a Mermaid’s reward.;) Monday and Tuesday I brought home 2 quart sized baggies full of Sea Glass..3 choruses of Hallelujah, thank you very much.

My 1st favorite beach had been completely reconfigured! As I approached the entrance I said a quick prayer and wished upon a sea star that the goods were HERE.

In short order I was finding what had been unearthed under years of stone by the powerful waves. Alone in my delight, I had to calm myself down so as to not rush over a great find. Round, square, triangle, curved, melted, frosted, pitted, glistening, smooth….the whole beach was a treasure trove.

My very last find is an Aqua Blue Sea Glass Shard. I never find sea glass on this part of the beach. Far above the high tide debris line, buried in the sand was just a tip of something poking through. Bending over to brush away the sand my heart started dancing. Such a large shard and in great condition. As I looked at the well concealed spot I realized this very spot has been covered over with stones for decades. This piece has been buried in the sand under tons of rock and stone. It doesn’t have quite the same hydration and rounding on the edges from not being free to tumble in the Pacific.

The pattern on the glass is not familiar and the wavy feel of the sea glass shard lends me to believe it was in a campfire.

This part of my job, can take days even weeks. When identifying sea glass shards I get all my sea glass friends and antique experts involved.

I just posted it to the troops last night, so I’ll let you know what we discover in the process.

Storms, stories, treasure, history, science, beauty, mystery, allure…I love my job. Ya…that’s right!

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Fair Winds and Calm Seas,

Deborah Leon
310.989.3503
mermaidspurse@att.net
www.mermaidspurseseaglass.com