Turning Tide Co.

Catherine Thorp

Shell Craft

Handcrafted trinket dishes and ornaments using seashells mostly gathered by me from local Massachusetts beaches. My work features designs that I either create and/or manipulate myself, often incorporating my own handwriting. These designs are printed onto fine tissue paper—never napkins—and carefully applied by hand using traditional decoupage techniques. The shells are then sealed in resin and finished with a hand-gilded gold edge, enhancing the natural form while preserving its individuality.

I create handcrafted trinket dishes and ornaments using mostly hand-collected seashells gathered by me from local Massachusetts beaches. Each piece is decoupaged with original designs I create and/or manipulate, incorporating my own handwriting, which are printed onto tissue paper and applied by hand. The shells are finished with resin and a hand-gilded gold edge, resulting in one-of-a-kind a functional art pieces that honors the natural materials and coastal environment from which they come.