Sea glass hobby turned into business

Kathy O’Brien’s love for the water and beach began when she was a young child.

From the ages of two to seven, she spent her summers at the family cottage on Go Home Lake in Muskoka, Ont., where O’Brien, her mother and sisters collected driftwood and shells

Soon after, O’Brien’s family moved to Nova Scotia, and she now resides in New Glasgow.

It wasn’t until later in life, after a visit to Pictou Island, that she discovered a love for sea glass.

The Pictou Island sea glass, which is plentiful there, was perfectly seasoned and smooth. She even found a green heart-shaped piece that she felt was a special gift to her and had it bevelled and made into a custom necklace.

Once she saw the finished product, O’Brien knew she wanted to learn how to make one herself.

O’Brien did a lot of research and taught herself how to drill holes in sea glass and shells with a Dremel drill to make necklaces.

From there, her hobby continued to grow and take shape.

During Christmas 2020, O’Brien purchased materials online and made a sea glass wreath picture as a gift for her fiancé’s daughter. She added in her own collected sea glass, along with a Nova Scotia tartan bow.

“She loved the picture very much and encouraged me to make more to sell,” says O’Brien.

BUILDING A BUSINESS

When the company O’Brien worked for as an administrator downsized in February 2021, it provided her with the time to take her passion for sea glass to the next level and turn it into a business.

“My hobby turned into a business. That came with a lot of hard work and innovation,” she says.

Using all strengths and skills she learned in her working career, O’Brien created a detailed business plan. All of her life experiences have led her to this world, as she calls it, of being an “Entrepreneurial Nana.”

In April 2021, during the pandemic, O’Brien started Tucker Time Sea Glass Kreations.

“Working from my kitchen table, I create resin-covered, hand-crafted pictures that bring beauty and happiness using genuine sea glass, which are exclusively showcased in custom-designed, beautifully stained, handcrafted wooden frames locally made by Cottage Rustic,” says O’Brien.

She also makes other creations, such as sea glass, periwinkle and sea pottery anchors. She is planning that her work will evolve into more sea glass creations as the business grows.

SOURCING GLASS

To make her creations, O’Brien’s authentic sea glass comes mainly from Nova Scotia, from places like Inverness, Sydney Mines, Pictou County and Guysborough.

Certain colours are difficult to acquire locally, however, so she has accepted authentic sea glass from as far away as Indonesia.

At the end of the day, though, if she cannot get a certain colour she needs, she will use mica in her resin to create that colour.

O’Brien makes her pieces from the sea glass she has on hand but says certain pieces of sea glass speak to her and are unique. Those pieces are set aside, and their special characteristics determine what creation they will eventually become.

Making pictures requires many hours and steps, says O’Brien.

She starts by creating a template of the picture she wants to create, then glues the picture frame glass into the custommade wooden frame and tapes the template picture to the back of the picture frame glass. Finally, she adds the hardware to the top back of the frame so it can be hung once completed.

Once the sea glass is placed in just the right formation on top of the picture frame glass, she pours art resin over the whole picture and places it in a scrapbook plastic case to dry overnight.

O’Brien also does custom orders and can incorporate meaningful pieces of sea glass from her customers in their creations.

To date, O’Brien says her most popular items are the Nova Scotia tartan green sea glass anchor or wreath, and the green, white, and blue sea glass wreath with the Nova Scotia Tartan bow. Her favourite is still the wreath with the Nova Scotia tartan bow as that was the first resin picture she ever made.

O’Brien also offers sea glass creation classes. This past summer, she hosted two very successful classes and is offering other classes this fall in the New Glasgow area.

The class takes participants through each step to make a high-end handcrafted picture of sea glass decor. No previous experience is required, she says, and O’Brien prepares a kit for each student that includes everything needed to make your picture.

O’Brien hopes to continue expanding the business to include sea glass jewelry, have a pop-up shop and eventually open her own studio.

When not making sea glass creations, O’Brien can sometimes be found in New Glasgow, working as a school crosswalk guard when needed, or spending time volunteering.

“I do believe in committed volunteerism and volunteering within my community,” says O’Brien, who recently volunteered during the recent election as a scrutineer. “I always try to be a strength to my community when needed.”

O’Brien’s art is also showcased at Pamper and Relax, The Coffee Bean both in New Glasgow and Curious Crows Coffee House in Stellarton.