Seashell Products - Goa
Shells are found everywhere, in the depths of the oceans, among coral reefs, deserts, forests, on top of mountains, and in freshwater. Gathering shells in the natural habitat is the most comfortable and least expensive way to obtain a collection. Shells lying on the beach, known as beached shells, are especially abundant after a storm. Shell's favourite hiding spots are under seaweed, clinging to rock ledges, in shallow pools of water, and on sandbars. Before working on shells, it’s essential to consider several design principles, such as the colours, patterns, shapes, and sizes of the shells, as well as the shapes, sizes, and forms of the surface and objects on which they will be applied.
The Shells find on beaches and along waterways need to be cleaned thoroughly before use. The selected seashells are soaked in a solution of bleach and water. There is no standard time set for soaking because of various types of seashells, and the number of seashells that are soaked needs a different time to clean. They are being cleaned until the periostracum is gone. The periostracum is the flaky leathery covering that covers the seashells. Then it is left to dry. The seashell is wiped with a mineral or baby oil to give a shimmering effect. If they have a strong fishy smell, they are soaked in a solution of ½ cup of baking soda to 1 quart of water. They are set to dry on newspaper in the fresh air. Here artisan is making a seashell flower for which a semi-circle-shaped seashell is taken as a bottom. A tentacle-shaped seashell is fixed on the base shell using a hot glue gun. It is set one by one in such a way that it should form a flower shape. Once done, it is left to dry for a few minutes. A wooden stick is taken and coated with green-coloured tape entirely in order to make it look like a stem. Then plastic leaves are attached to it using a glue gun. The ready stem is attached to the bottom seashell flower.
The other item is a bird showpiece. Here many decorative materials are used for giving embellishments. A glass bangle is wrapped with coloured satin ribbon and added frill on it. Then semi-circle seashells are taken as a base, and a bangle is fixed on it. A small artificial beautiful bird is stuck on a bangle and let it dry. Depending on the artisan's creativity, unique designs, number of coatings, detailing, etc., are decided.
Flow Chart:
