Wednesday 3 October 2012

Nautical Series Part 3: Beach Combing


It's one of life's simple pleasures, and one many of us do every time we find ourselves with sand beneath our feet. I have been beach combing my entire life, on each visit to Wales to visit my grandparents, or Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay on the annual family holiday. I'd gather all sorts of things from pretty shells to bits of driftwood, large pebbles for painting or ancient fossils. It's collecting in its most basic and natural form.


A visit to Dyffryn beach the weekend before last was the perfect opportunity to add to my shell stash.



I was also particularly looking for sea glass this time, as it seems to be turning up all over the crafting world at the moment, and I have a project in mind for my finds! Sea glass is not only pretty but a reminder that nature always claims and reshapes all things man made in the end.


I had a very enthusiastic helper, obviously, though she was more interested in trying to get me to take dead crabs home instead.


Each beach find has its own feature or quirk...


Evidence of recent history mixed in with the prehistoric...





"...Ner!"

I always feel so satisfied when I return home from the beach with a bucket full of finds ready to wash and squirrel away, even though I rarely know what to do with them next!

Speaking of shells and beaches, this amazing photograph was posted by Action for Happiness on Facebook last week...this is sand magnified x 200. Isn't it amazing?!



I'll never look at grains of sand in the same way again! This world of ours is a pretty amazing place.

Hoping your day is full of adventure,








P.S. You can read the first two posts in the nautical series here and here. x

14 comments:

  1. Wow - that picture of sand magnified is just amazing! Love sea glass - often wonder what it once was.
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

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    1. Yes I found a fragment of sea glass that was once quite definitely a beer bottle, and not very worn by the sea. I would love to know how long it takes to weather the glass though, days, weeks, months, years...? x

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  2. I love beach combing, I've got a glass jar that I'm filling, ever so slowly, with sea glass! Lovely post! Ada :)

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    1. Those are the very best sorts of collections, where it takes a long time to gather your treasures and each addition is more appreciated! x

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  3. The sand is lovely ... looks like sweets!

    Beachcombing is such a lovely pastime ...

    Have a lovely day, Claire xxx

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    1. It does doesn't it! I was amazed by that image. x

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  4. Once again Anna your posts have swept me away into a day dream of walking along the beach collecting bits of shells and what not! That picture of sand magnified is amazing! If only it looked like this to the human eye, so beautiful :) xx

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    1. I had been having the same daydream for months before I finally made it there :) x

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  5. Who knew that sand looked like that, it's amazing!
    I have been collecting sea glass for ages, I haven't anything crafty in mind, it just sits in a glass bottle in my bathroom looking pretty. It's particularly good at sandsend beach and lots of it.
    A lovely post today Miss B
    : )

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    1. It is so pretty isn't it, I'd like to find some in different colours. As my parents are off to Sandsend beach in a couple of weeks I'll have a little task for them then! x

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  6. I had no idea sand was so amazing! Looking forward to seeing how you use the sea glass :) x

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    1. Lovely isn't it? I wish I'd kept all the sea glass I gathered as a child now! x

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  7. Hi Miss B
    I have tagged you in my latest blog post. No pressure to take part but I thought it might be fun
    : )

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  8. Wow, that sand picture, unbeliveable! Looking for treasure at the beach is one of my fave things to do too. Whenver we go I just can't take my eyes off the ground for a second in case I miss something amazing. Lovely post. x

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