After only three months living by the sea I have accumulated enough beach-combed beauties to fill multiple surfaces, windowsills, boxes and jars. Coupled with the unmistakable hum of an identified whelk or winkle slowly rotting away in a deep dark recess of one (some) of the shells I decided it was time for a purge.

This morning a large bag-full of shells were scattered back on the beach to carry on their natural erosion and decay and I'm left with the real treasures; the enormous weathered scallop shells brought up by the storms earlier this month, the barnacled whelks and the delicate little feathers and cowrie shells.

Now they have a proper place in my studio, collected in a lovely wabi-sabi wooden bowl I picked up at Cothay Manor in Somerset over the summer.

My studio is now nearly complete apart from a long picture shelf I'd like to install at some point. It's such a joyful space to work in - light and bright with the sea just over my shoulder. On one wall I've put together a little collection of bits and pieces I've gathered over the years. The metal and glass birdcage was an Etsy splurge from the USA, I love the arched shape and etched glass. The black circular starburst shape is a candle-holder from a very cold trip to Helsinki many moons ago. The square box is another Etsy find (a vintage egg holder with square compartments) and the shells, feather and driftwood branch are of course from the beach.