This part of my blog is all about the things I collect or the things I make myself. I love so many things, I paint and draw and want to learn oils and pastels. I knit and crochet but want to learn tatting. I embroider and can turn my hand to most things given a chance. So much still to learn and do. I live in hope of some day reading all my books, learning all I want to learn and now I am learning to blog. You will often find my original poems, poor as they are I offer them here. I also appreciate other people art and will feature things I find that I have enjoyed. That includes pictures of fairies and fantasy or maybe just anything beautiful.
I try to use my own photo's as much as possible, sometimes I borrow from the web. If I inadvertently use your picture without giving credit, please do let me know and I will either credit or remove it, I hope you will do the same with mine.
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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Beach treasures......

In between everything that was happening this summer we went beach combing. I think I have written about us collecting Petoskey stones often enough. Well we did that and got pretty big hauls.
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The above was a small amount of what we got most days that we went. Petoskey stones are only found in this area. So they say. It is an extinct coral that used to live here in Lake Michigan. People make jewelry and keepsakes from it. I just like to find it. I am thinking of trying to make a few things this winter though. I would like to make some jewelry but the process seems complicated. I did buy a little drill though. It's the polishing and cutting that is daunting.
The other thing we really got excited about was the "Leland Blue" ..........well, here's the story. The Leland blue is simply slag. It comes from the process of smelting iron. In the late 1800s a whole boat load was dumped into the lake near Leland. They have over time washed up on the beaches. Some of it in the form of slag.
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The stones are rough and full of bubbles. Some though is washed up as pebbles and are found in aqua, blue, green, purple and turquoise,
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These are much sought after now. It's sort of ironic because years ago I had loads of them. I threw most away because I knew it was just slag. I also know a place to find them in the UP. I want to go and get a load. Not sure if I can do it this year though.
As well as stones we pick up beach glass. Realize that people mostly use plastic now. Glass bottles are not allowed on beaches any more and so beach glass is becoming rare. Its fun to find.
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Anyway, the search is the fun part.
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This is a piece of local made jewelry made from Petoskey stone and Leland Blue with Silver. I don't know the artist but I would like to have it
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I will use my drill and see what I can make myself but I am going to look for something like the one above because I will never be able to do that myself.

1 comment:

  1. You sound like me Janice....always looking for a new arty crafty thing to try! I'd love to see how you go with your necklace...Mimi xxx

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