About Me, The Author!
I have a degree in Journalism and worked for many years in advertising. When my first of 3 kids was born, I made the move to Peters Family CFO (chief fun officer)! When I'm not searching the surf for tumbled treasures, I love traveling, being social and volunteering with our local Meals On Wheels and animal rescues.
The Inspiration For The Sea Glass Treasure
Hi Everyone!
I've been collecting sea glass for over 20 years. In that time, I've had the pleasure of strolling along the sand, darting in and out of the surf, on beaches all over the world. Whenever I held a perfectly frosted piece of sea glass, I found myself thinking about its journey. Where did it come from? What did it see? When did it first drop into the water? How had it looked in its original form? Who had touched it?
This is what inspired me to write The Sea Glass Treasure. I hope you enjoy the story of the little glass fishing float and perhaps it will cause you to reflect on your own life, realizing that changes, although scary, can create beautiful things in us.
What's So Fun About Sea Glassing?
It's Great Exercise
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
You're walking, sometimes running (those waves are fast!), bending and stretching for those frosted treasures. Take a deep breath and exhale. Now that's good for both your heart and head!
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
A seahorse! Sadly, he wasn't alive, but I paid my respects to this mystical creature by gently setting him on a piece of coral and capturing this image. Rest in peace Mr. Seahorse.
Here's Another Cool Thing
You See Some Pretty Cool Things
Here's Another Cool Thing
An interesting piece of driftwood with a rock embedded in it.
And One More Cool Thing
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
Here's Another Cool Thing
A delicate, puffy sand dollar (my friend Angelo said they're called sea biscuits), I found tumbling in the tide.
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
I happened upon this guy who, sadly, like the seahorse, was not alive! It's fun to see people getting creative with items they encounter on the beach.
You Get to Make Great Memories
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
You See Some Pretty WEIRD Things!
Two of my kids travelled the northern California coast with me, where we searched for sea glass and saw amazing sights.
You Get To Spend Time With Friends
Searching the Great Lake Michigan with my sister-in-law, Anna.
A winter's day with Joy along the Jersey Shore. We used homemade scoopers in the surf!
Hunting with Lucy at Lake Michigan!
Leading a sea glass expedition with some first-timers :-)
Searching for sea glass at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau with my cousins.
Meeting up with my high school friend, Brent, at California's infamous Glass Beach.
It's A Treasure Hunt! You Never Know What You'll Find
My first and only stopper! Such an exciting day along the Jersey Shore when I scrambled into the surf to retrieve this beauty (pictured in the middle).
Some sea glass, and other treasures, from Dead Horse Bay, NY. You read that right. Dead Horse Bay! Look up its history, it's unsettling but interesting.
Displaying my haul on the obligatory white paper towel. No two searches are ever the same, which is FUN! This was a particularly good day!
A perfectly frosted bottle bottom.
A beautiful blue piece, as I found it, on a frozen NJ beach.
Although it was trying its best to hide, I quickly snatched up this pretty green piece.
In addition to sea glass, I often pick up interesting rocks, shells and GOLF BALLS!
My sister-in-law, Karen, displaying not one BUT TWO glass fishing floats she found on a remote Alaskan beach!
The magnificent glass fishing float I cajoled Karen into giving me. Come on, SHE HAD TWO!
You Get To Explore Beautiful Beaches
A deserted stretch of beach along the Jersey Shore.
Lake Michigan looks as blue as the ocean.
A frozen jetty on a beach in NJ.
A beach I searched along at the Great Lake Erie.
A rocky Mexican coastline where I successfully searched the tidal pools for sea glass.
A sea glass embedded rock on Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, CA
A glorious sunrise, on an early morning sea glass hunt, along the Jersey Shore.
A day trip with my family to a deserted beach in the Bahamas. We found lots of sea glass in dried up tidal pools.
A beach along the northern California coast. We hiked down and, amazingly, found some frosted pieces of sea glass.
What Some Do With Sea Glass
I put together this locket, containing my smallest sea glass treasures.
A friend surprised me with this sea glass sun catcher. It makes me think of the beach, even on a cold, snowy day.
Some make gorgeous jewelry with sea glass. Pictured are pieces by Lita. litaseaglassjewelry.com
Someone created this beautiful field of flowers using sea glass.
Jars of sorted sea glass happily displayed with the other item I love collecting...glass chickens!
A crafty creation made by Joy for her sister who, you guessed it, lives in Alaska!
Some people name a wine for sea glass!
Display it! I love my fish jar filled with sea glass. The smaller float was found by my grandparents on a trip to Japan in the 1950's.
A lit jar of sea glass is MAGICAL!
Some join online groups for sea glass, where they can share ideas, pictures of their treasures and make new friends.
Some design bumper stickers. This was a favorite birthday gift from a favorite friend.
Someone posted this with the caption, "How I will be kidnapped." I found it fitting!
The Sea Glass Treasure Happenings
Ben Franklin
The Whale's Tale
The Whale's Tale
Who remembers Ben Franklin stores? Well, the one in Lavallette, NJ is flourishing and they've kindly added my book to their shelves!
The Whale's Tale
The Whale's Tale
The Whale's Tale
For 47 years, The Whale's Tale in Cape May, NJ has been THE go-to shop for all things beachy. I'm giddy they've included my book in their treasured offerings!
The Deep Blue
The Whale's Tale
Beach Combing Magazine
The Deep Blue is a sea glass specialty gift shop located in Kennebunk, Maine. Boasting everything from handcrafted sea glass jewelry and art made with treasures from the beach to MY BOOK! Please visit them if you're in the area.
Beach Combing Magazine
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
Beach Combing Magazine
Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I felt when The Sea Glass Treasure received a "shout out" in the July/August 2020 edition of Beach Combing Magazine.
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
Housing one of the largest fishing float collections, I am beyond thrilled this museum is carrying my book in their gift shop!
Crystal's Treasure Box
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
North Lincoln City, Oregon Historical Museum
Crystal's Treasure Box in Vermillion, OH is home to beautiful custom-made items, including many crafted from hand-collected sea AND lake glass. Crystal has graciously included my book amongst her treasures!
Schedule A Visit From The Author!
Spending a day with kids is ALWAYS a welcomed adventure! Please feel free to email me if you are interested in arranging a visit to your school, library or children's group. The Sea Glass Treasure is best suited for kids in pre-school through third grade and my visit includes a real piece of sea glass for each child, that they will search for themselves!
Win An Autographed Copy of The Sea Glass Treasure!
Share Your Sea Glass Experience
What's your story with sea glass? Send me a picture showing you with your favorite piece of sea glass, making a sea glass project or searching the beach for sea glass and, if chosen, your picture will be featured on my website AND I'll send you a free autographed copy of my book, The Sea Glass Treasure! A new picture will be chosen monthly.
Submissions can be sent to theseaglasstreasure@gmail.com
By entering this drawing, you give Shelly Peters permission to use your submitted picture on Theseaglasstreasure.com website.
My book has received "2 fins up" from the local Mermaid Society!
I Want To Age Like Sea Glass
By Bernadette Noll
I want to age like sea glass. Smoothed by tides, not broken. I want the currents of life to toss me around, shake me up and leave me feeling washed clean. I want my hard edges to soften as the years pass — made not weak, but supple. I want to ride the waves, go with the flow, feel the impact of the surging tides rolling in and out.
When I am thrown against the shore and caught between the rocks and a hard place, I want to rest there until I can find the strength to do what is next. Not stuck — just waiting, pondering, feeling what it feels like to pause. And when I am ready, I will catch a wave and let it carry me along to the next place that I am supposed to be.
I want to be picked up on occasion by an unsuspected soul and carried along — just for the connection, just for the sake of appreciation and wonder. And with each encounter, new possibilities of collaboration are presented, and new ideas are born.
I want to age like sea glass so that when people see the old woman I’ll become, they’ll embrace all that I am. They’ll marvel at my exquisite nature, hold me gently in their hands and be awed by my well-earned patina. Neither flashy nor dull, just the right luster. And they’ll wonder, if just for a second, what it is exactly I am made of and how I got to be in this very here and now. And we’ll both feel lucky to realize, once again, that we have landed in that perfectly right place at that profoundly right time.
I want to age like sea glass. I want to enjoy the journey and let my preciousness be, not in spite of the impacts of life, but because of them.
