One of my favorite feelings occurs when I stumble across a piece with possibility. Especially a vintage piece. There is always a little gasp involved, and then a flurry of silence. I use the word "flurry" because inside my head I am involuntarily brainstorming at top speed. When your brainstorming is so fervent that it cannot be stopped, you come up with your very best ideas.
Sometimes it is a two-part feeling, as this was. Part One occurred in Cape Cod, when my friends and I began collecting jingle shells, popularly (and questionably) known as "mermaid toenails." I loved how luminescent they were and desperately wanted to use them in a project, but couldn't think of what. A week later, Part Two occurred in my basement when I discovered my old dress-up sunglasses from childhood. It was what one might call an "ah-ha!" moment. These sunnies were in such need of love and revamping, my shells dying to bedazzle, and myself pining to play dress up once more. Alas, this is how the mermaid toenails COUGH I mean seashell sunglasses came to be! Scroll for step-by-step.
Enjoy a quick 45 second feature film after the instructions! Aka me playing dress-up.
Materials I used: A pair of old sunnies, about eight shells, superglue, and some old sparkly and metallic nail polishes.
After they dried completely, I crushed them in a small bowl.
First, I painted both sides of each shell, combining and switching between nail polishes.
Aaaand this was the tedious part. Putting a small dot of superglue on the frames, I stuck each shell piece onto the frames one by one. If you try this, I suggest using tweezers because superglue can be risky!