Paper Beads & Jewelry

This cuff which I call the Golden Shellback’s Cuff is encrusted with shells and paper beads.  I learned about Golden Shellback when my son joined the U.S. Navy.  One of the most precious thing he brought home was the Golden Shellback Certificate which I framed and now have a special place in my home.  Wikepedia defines Golden Shellback as:

The ceremony of Crossing the Line is an initiation rite in the Royal Navy, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, and other navies that commemorates a sailor’s first crossing of the Equator. Originally, the tradition was created as a test for seasoned sailors to ensure their new shipmates were capable of handling long rough times at sea. Sailors who have already crossed the Equator are nicknamed (Trusty) Shellbacks, often referred to as Sons of Neptune; those who have not are nicknamed (Slimy) Pollywogs.

The Certificate itself is like a work of art, with drawings of Mermaids, King Neptune, crabs and porpoises and other denizens of the sea as what they’re called.

My collection of shells.

And paper beads.

The foundation of this cuff is 140 lb paper that I folded into a round and covered with fleece.

I used hot glue gun to adhere the shells and paper beads into the cuff.

The olive shaped paper beads and the smaller round beads were used to fill in the gaps.

This is such a conversation piece and so easy to do.  You can purchase shells and some of them are colored at your local craft store.