Shadow box

I collect a lot of things. One of the biggest things I do collect is stuff from the ocean. I love going to the beach and picking up things after big storms have blown by. It kicks up a lot of debar. And it also means that a lot of really interesting stuff comes to the surface and ends up on the beach.

Some of my favorite things to find is sea glass. But I've found so many other things that I get really excited and I like being able to show it off.

I don't take things from the beach unless they are dead. Even if they are barely living I let them live out the last bit of the natural life so I'll leave them. But here are some things I have found on the beach that have passed there natural lives.

I've found everything here at the beach aside from the bigger sand dollar and the purple sea urchin. Those both came from my ex's mom. She found them and ended up giving them to me. Everything else I've found on the beach ready for me to take.

I also tend to sun bleach these things. I do that by using sandwich bags I buy at the dollar store with a ziplock, After I've washed/rinsed off what is on them, sand or bits of sea weed. I will put them in a bag. I take all of the air out of the bag and then put a rock to hold the bag down and I let them sit on the deck and allow the sun to bleach them. :) It also makes sure they don't smell bad. I also tend to re-use the same bag over and over again. I'll rinse the bag out.

I also trash the bag if it starts to smell really bad. but yeah. It helps if you can pick up things that are already dead and already has the animal living inside of it gone. Like crab shells I don't pick up. However I do have some crab molted shells. :)