Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook - A Giveaway!

Oh! A new sea glass hunter's guide to finding elusive sea glass.... Imagine my surprise when my friend Suzanne, at Liberty Bay Books,  gave me a copy of the new  "Sea Glass Hunters's Handbook"  last week when we were in the Pacific Northwest.  It's now been added to my "Beach Reads" on the Liberty Bay Books website!

I like this book so much, that I thought more sea glass fans should know about it too!  I also thought it would be fun to have a give-a-way contest to share a copy with our blog readers.

As you all probably know, I am a sea glass fiend.  I hate to admit that I don't have a clue about its' origins or any of its' history.

This new Sea Glass Hunter's Handbook is a fun guide, perfect for those of us collectors wanting to know just a little bit more!   Some of my favorite pages in the book are quotes and stories from other sea glass collectors about their favorite finds. Many of whom I have met on Facebook and on Twitter. (Sharon Sand, Tami Ewing, and Melinda Vahradian)

There is a section on beaches around the world to find sea glass - by no means complete, but there are some great locations, and hopefully a beach near you.  (I know that there are a few near me!)

The handy "lexicon" for us sea glass obsessed beach combers, is also a fun chapter.  I had no idea that there were so many words to describe sea glass hunting and beach combing!  Did you?
Some of my favorites;

*"Clinkers, Clunkers: fragments that need to be thrown back into the ocean"
*"Flotsam: odds and ends, usually from wreckage or cargo spill, that float on water; not to be confused with jetsam"

The online recommendations guide compiled by the author, C.S. Lambert,  is also a great resource.  She has included some of my favorite networking sites to connect with other sea glass lovers.  Here are a few of the examples that are included:
*www.northeastseaglassociety.ning.com
*www.seaglassassociation.org

I would love to share a copy with one lucky give-a-way winner!  

The rules - 3 ways to enter:

1.  Leave me a comment about your favorite sea glass find  - 

Don't worry,  you will NOT have to reveal your secret sea glass beach!

2. Join our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/caronsbeachhouse;
and post a pic of your favorite sea glass find on our wall

3. If you are not a follower of Everything Coastal, join our page, +

let  me know that you are a new follower.

*PLEASE make sure that we have your correct e-mail
*contest ends September 10, 2011  at midnight, and the winner will be chosen by random.org

Good-Luck. And wishing you especially good-luck with your sea glass hunting!

Hope you enjoy some of my sea glass adventures....

 I might even tell you where I found the pieces if you ask nice!

Santa Cruz Sea Glass Festival - November 2010

On a rainy Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago, we spent the afternoon at the Santa Cruz Sea Glass Festival.  This year the festival featured 37 artists, and was held at the Coconut Grove on the famous Santa Cruz boardwalk.  A little sideways rain, a little wind, but not enough to stop this Northwest beach girl from exploring some fabulous sea glass treasures!

Met some amazingly creative people - 

Santa Cruz Sea Glass Company put a ton of time and effort into making this year's festival a success. They have an outstanding collection of sea glass from Santa Cruz and Monterey beaches, some of which actually glowed when a light was applied.  The biggest crowd was gathered around their booth!

This is just one example of Krista Hammond's art - chunky beautiful tumbled sea glass treasures! 

Christeena of Sea Glass Jewels is a lucky lucky artist, living for half of year in Key West, and the other half collecting sea glass in Greece.

Liked her unique silver pieces and colors, most of her glass does come from walking on the beach in Greece - tough duty.   I admit it, am a tiny bit jealous of her jet setting!

Polly of BluMag Photography had a great idea - she uses her incredible photographic talent to capture photos of sea glass and beach objects on her local Aptos beach. She then uses those images on beautifully made black lacquered jewelry boxes.  Unique idea from the shores of Monterey Bay...

Hope you can see this "tree" with pieces of sea glass ornaments - what a great idea!  Not just for the holidays...

Had a great conversation with Gary, of The Sea Glass Journal.  What a cool display of sea glass finds he had from the East Coast! (including some flotsam and jetsam)  When I got home, I checked out his website - educational and interesting for us sea glass enthusiasts.  When you get a chance, check out the The Sea Glass Journal too, I think you will like the articles, pictures and information that can be found here.

Met Joselin Iselin, the author of a fabulous photographic art series of  "beach" books.  Loved her, and had so much in common.  Could have talked to her for hours about beach combing and beach preservation.  Am looking forward to touring her San Francisco studio the first week in December, should be a great blog post!

"Beach, a book of treasure" (click to read more)  was released this past spring and can be found at your local bookseller.  A little history, a little beach walking, shells, sea glass... would make the perfect gift for the holidays!  Try Liberty Bay Books for availability....

The best part of the festival?  I got the chance to meet one of my sea glass facebook friends in person!  Aileen Cabral, the artist behind Art of Seaglass  makes fabulous, original silver art pieces embedded with brightly colored pieces of tumbled beach glass collected on Southern California beaches.

Small world too, my friend Janet, who owns Potlatch Gallery, knows Aileen also and sells her creations in her gallery.

Had no idea how talented she was until I had the opportunity to see her jewelry in person. All hand crafted and designed by Aileen.  Wow, think you will love too!

The best part of the whole day?  Tom bought me some gorgeous pieces of Aileen's jewelry.  Have to confess,  I have worn these almost every day since he bought them for me!

I Won!!! Sea Glass Floats from Glass Float Junkie -

I don't usually win anything, guess I should enter more give-a-ways? Was so excited when I entered "Glass Float Junkie"'s contest and I actually won two sea washed glass floats!  Could not resist entering - love sea glass things, and I don't have any of these sea glass floats.  My mom found some years ago after a storm on the Washington coast, but alas, I have none.  Until now.

(picture is borrowed from Glass Float Junkie's blog - check it out - http://www.glassfloatjunkie.blogspot.com)

 I found out from my friend and fellow sea glass girl, Kamichia Kinzie, the Glass Float Junkie, that I had won just a few days before we went on vacation to Seattle. I was so nervous that they would come and I wouldn't be here to receive them. (or worse yet, the neighbors would take my box!)

Happy Girl! Tom picked up all of our mail from the Post Office and there was my little box from Kenai, Alaska. Pretty aqua-blue/green glass balls nestled inside the box, carefully wrapped in an Alaskan newspaper.....

Wanna see what was inside?

And now here's where I put them, in my big bamboo bowl on the dining room table full of

 my sea glass and shell treasures... 

Thank you Kamichia!  I love my new treasures - 

For all the scoop on authentic sea glass floats, make sure to visit Glass Float Junkie's etsy shop, she's knows everything about these little treasures - and she sells some beautiful examples gathered from her beach explorations in Alaska.   Glass Float Junkie: http://www.etsy.com/shop/GlassFloatJunkie?page=1

P.S. you can buy the aqua candle at Caron's Beach House, here's the picture, and a link: Beach House Candle.   Burns for 85 hours, and is hand-crafted with tiny non-threatened seashells.... 

Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comments - don't forget to visit our new Everything Coastal Style blog too! http://www.everythingcoastalstyle.blogspot.com