The Little Shell Shop
Last week on the Isle of Wight, my nieces, nephews and I accidentally started a very small shell factory.
It began, as many good things do, with a walk along the beach and pockets full of shells. At first, the beach seemed to be dominated by one curious shell. We soon learnt it was the Slipper Limpet, named for its slipper-like shape. But once we’d trained our eyes, we started spotting all sorts.
Periwinkles quickly became another favourite, alongside Common Limpets, Dog Whelks, Sting Winkles, Queen Scallops and Cockles. It became slightly addictive. The more we looked, the more we found…
As our collection of native shells grew, we supplemented our beachcombing haul with a few more exotic shells from the local shop, bringing even more shapes, colours and textures into the mix. Scotch Bonnets, Murex Endivia, Articulate Harp Shells, Pacifica Blood Stars, Tapestry Turban Snails, huge colourful scallops and starfish all found their way into our collection.
Suddenly, we had quite the haul and decided it deserved to become something.
Using simple wooden frames, matchboxes and little wooden trinket chests we found, we began arranging and sticking the shells onto them, turning our beachcombing finds into little handmade creations. Soon the kitchen table had become a shell factory, with everyone collecting, sorting, arranging and deciding what we might sell.
And then came shell shock, our little Shell Shop.
A few days later, we’d set up our stall at the local regatta, displaying our shell-covered frames and boxes alongside other seaside creations. The children became shopkeepers for the day, proudly selling what we’d made together. I had planned to offer a few of our creations here for you to shop, but much to our surprise, we sold the lot! The money we made went towards supporting a friend Tula and her family during her cancer treatment.
There was something wonderfully simple about the whole thing. Finding something beautiful that might otherwise have been overlooked, making something with our hands, setting up a stall and then watching someone else fall in love with some of the items.
It reminded me of something that sits at the heart of FARLY FINDS. Beautiful things don’t necessarily need to be expensive, polished or newly made. Sometimes they’re already there, waiting to be noticed, collected and given a new life.
And sometimes, apparently, all you need is a handful of shells, a glue gun, an old picture frame and several very enthusiastic small assistants.
Our little shell shop may have sold out, but if you have a few extra coins to spare, perhaps you could put them towards something even more important. We’d love you to consider donating to Tula and her family. Every little bit helps.
Donate to Tula here: Help Save Tula Hunt’s Life & Support Her Family