"The Sea is Calling"

Nature is the most beautiful creation on Earth. It is so amazing, in every aspect. Even the tiniest of things hold incredible beauty; like when the snow lightly blows off the trees and sparkles in the sunlight like fairy dust as it sprinkles to the ground. Or that sound of the waves washing new finds ashore as you walk down the beach, feeling the sand shifting with every step. There is nothing better than being outdoors, and enjoying the pure pristine beauty of nature. Nature made sea glass, and I make this piece of nature into jewelry. To preserve the natural state of my sea glass, I do not alter it in any way. Each piece is carefully cleaned before it is made into jewelry. These mermaid tears are Eco-friendly, because they are essentially recycled glass. To compliment these Eco-friendly gems, I use Argentium Silver for all of my soldered pieces. Argentium Silver is made from 100% recycled silver. It is more pure, whiter, brighter, and tarnish resistant. This silver and sea glass are two examples of what amazing, beautiful things can come from recycling and protecting the Earth. Although sea glass was originally created from pollution of glass being discarded into the ocean, Mother Nature has tumbled these pieces in her waves for hundreds of years, shaping them into the most beautiful and unique gems. I love sea glass for so many reasons, but the main reason is the uniquety of it. Like sparkling snowflakes, no two pieces of sea glass are alike. You may find two that are the same color and shape, but at closer inspection you will discover one has markings that the other doesn't, or one is more smooth, or one has a slight bump where the other doesn't. Such differences make sea glass the perfect jewelry; each piece is as unique as the person who wears it.

Almost 6 years ago, I started making wire wrapped sea glass jewelry. I look back at the pictures now and laugh at how amateur everything looked, and think about how far I've come. I went from very bad wire wrapping techniques, to drilling with a dremel, to teaching myself how to solder. It's taken a lot of hours, hard work, frustration, and cuts (ow my fingers!) to get where I am now, but I know I still have a long way to go! It can only get better from here.

My inspiration is my amazing and beautiful Princess, Kiya. She's an Alaskan Klee Kai, a rare breed of dog, also known as the mini husky. I never imagined I could love something so much until I got Kiya. She's like a mini-me in dog form. I guess the saying is true that dogs take on the personality of their owners! She's adventurous, stubborn, smart, quick, fiesty, energetic, sweet, caring, and loving. She'll stand up to anyone and anything, no matter how outsized she may be. She's always ready to take on the world. She's truly my puppy. Sometimes it's hard to understand the joy of having a furbaby until you from a real bond with your own. She's my best friend that I can tell any secret to, and I know she won't tell anyone! ? Kiya is truly a blessing and I wouldn't trade her for the world. I decided to honor her by naming my company after her. Kiya Marie Designs. Marie is my middle name, but I've come to make it Kiya's middle name as well (especially when she's being a brat!) Kiya loves going to the beach with me to collect sea glass. She's actually pretty good at finding me nice, big pieces! It may be coincidence, but she always stumbles over great finds. At low tide, when I go to collect glass and let her run, I'll sometimes look up and she'll be out in the middle of the ocean! She'll find a sandbar, chasing birds, and next thing she knows she's standing among the waves. She has such a personality and gives all the meaning behind my company.

I collect a lot of my sea glass myself. If I don't collect it myself, it is from close friends or from Seaham Beach in England. Someday I hope to take a trip to Seaham Beach to collect my own glass from there. I love using English sea glass the most because the colors are so rare, especially multi-colored pieces of beach glass. England has some of the most beautiful and treasured sea glass in the world. My shop has a large selection of this rare and sought after sea glass. If you would like the story behind a particular piece of glass, please ask! Even if it wasn't collected by my own hands, I can give you the place it was found, what kind of glass it may have evolved from, and how old the piece may be.

Thank you for visiting and taking the time to read my story. I hope you find inspiration in love and nature that I have found, and live every day to your happiest, fullest ability. Feel free to ask me for a custom order, if you don't find something that inspires you. When you wear your piece of the ocean, I want you to feel connected to the sea, as if this sea glass you are wearing was made by nature, just for you.

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