The Shell Collection Process

I thought I'd share a bit about my process of collecting and organizing my shells. As stated previously all the shells I use are sourced from the Jersey Shore, most from Manasquan Beach where I live. I take daily walks armed with my Yankees backpack, and my 6" metal ruler. My favorite time to go out is for the sunrise. Each day presents a breathtaking array of pink, orange, red, yellow, and blue as the sun peeks up over the horizon. The days with clouds add a dramatic touch to the inspiring transition. The beach is sparsely dotted with other onlookers waiting for the sun to signal the start of another day. It truly is an amazing way to start the day.

I find the best time for shell collecting is usually during an ebb tide or at low tide. For those of you who do not know, an ebb tide is when the water flows from high to low tide. Clusters of clam shells and tiny stones are typically left as the water recedes. There are days though that there are very few. I'm still not sure why some days I find almost one hundred shells and other days, maybe one or two. Regardless, Taking in the salt air, the sound of the waves, the crunch of the sand, and the beauty of the colors always make it worth my time.

As I walk the beach I scan for the shells. At this point, I have quite a supply at home so I am very picky about what goes in my backpack. The x-large and xx-large shells are the hardest to find. The x-large shells are a little over 5.5" to 6" and the xx-large shells are over 6". That's why my ruler comes in handy. When I see a shell that seems like a good size I measure the width with my ruler. I also check to make sure there are no cracks or little holes in the shell. Each shell is unique. Even those that fall into the same size category may differ in height, weight, texture, symmetry, and color. I look for the best ones for the projects I create. Right now I only collect shells that are 5.25" and above because I have so many of the smaller shells and they are so much easier to find

Once I get to the end of the beach which is where the inlet is, I walk up to the boardwalk for my return trip. On a good day when I have a full backpack, that walk can be quite challenging as a bag of shells can be heavier than you can imagine. Once home the shells are loaded into buckets for the cleaning process. But that is another story!

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