If you’re part of any local Facebook groups in Ocean County, you may have seen Kathy Tindall and the beautiful shell art of Treasure Creations. What started as a retirement hobby has blossomed into a full-time passion that’s bringing handcrafted coastal art to homes across LBI and beyond.
From Plumbing to Picking Shells
Kathy’s connection to Long Beach Island runs deep. She first bought a house here in 2000 as a vacation home, though she’d been visiting since she was just 15 years old. After running a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning company for over 30 years, she retired three years ago and moved to Beach Haven West in 2019. That’s when everything changed.
“My husband was looking in the closet and found my collection,” Kathy laughs. “He said, ‘throw it out or do something with it.'”
That collection represented decades of beachcombing adventures. Growing up in Virginia and visiting Virginia Beach from an early age, Kathy had always been drawn to the ocean’s treasures. Once she started traveling the world with her husband, the collecting intensified. She estimates that at least 80 percent of her shells, sea glass, and driftwood comes from her own beachcombing, sometimes picking up materials multiple times a day wherever she travels.
Finding Her Happy Place
With no formal art background but experience as a seamstress that gave her excellent hand-eye coordination, Kathy started experimenting with shadow boxes. Her first projects were Christmas trees made from jewelry left behind by her mother, aunt, and mother-in-law, created as gifts for her daughters. When she shared photos on Facebook and local LBI groups, the response was overwhelming.
“It’s my happy place,” Kathy says. “Sometimes I start designing at 8 AM, then I look at my phone and it’s 4 in the afternoon and I haven’t left the table yet.”
Now 65, Kathy creates everything from angel wings to hearts, custom designs, and her signature shell-covered Christmas trees; pieces so beautiful that people leave them displayed year-round. Each creation is housed in a shadow box to keep everything protected, and no two pieces are exactly alike.
The Art of the Hunt
What makes Kathy’s work special is the personal connection to every material. She walks the beaches of LBI all year long, no matter how cold or windy, searching for treasures at Barnegat Lighthouse and Holgate, where the beaches are less-groomed and shells and sea glass are plentiful. She’s learned that New Jersey’s offerings change with the seasons. For instance, lighter, brighter scallop shells appear in winter and spring, while summer brings darker mussels in blacks, grays, and browns.
But her search doesn’t stop at the Jersey Shore. Kathy has built a network of trading partners across the globe. She has connections in Scotland, Greece, and Florida who help her find specific shells. Friends in Canada and Maine send thick mussel shells from colder waters. While traveling, she’s discovered that Hawaii offers the best sea glass, while Florida is prime for shells. She’s even found rare lavender sea glass, one of the hardest colors to locate, and large pieces of “pirate glass” in Puerto Rico and Florida.
Creating Art, One Shell at a Time
The simplest creation takes Kathy about 40 minutes, while more complex or larger pieces can require up to six hours. Her Christmas trees are particularly time-consuming, requiring careful layering of shells to create symmetry and balance.
“You don’t just throw them all on the tree,” she explains. “You need to find which shell will match in each spot.”
Her most popular items are angel wings; small shadow boxes with a poem on the back, often purchased as memorials for loved ones who have passed. Hearts are another bestseller, perfect for Valentine’s Day or simply as tokens of love.
Kathy also takes custom orders. When someone requested a lion head, she created it and ended up selling three more.
“It’s odd because I never know what’s going to sell,” she admits. “So I make one, put it on my Facebook page, share it with the neighborhood, and if it goes, I make more.”
A Growing Business Built on Passion
What started as a way to stay busy in retirement has grown exponentially, especially in the last six months. Kathy now considers it a full-time endeavor, though she tries to limit her hours. She’s planning a big open house pop-up shop at her home in November, and she’s always thinking ahead to the next season with creations like Mother’s Day shadow boxes that have sayings like “Mothers are like sea shells, a blessing to have and a treasure to hold,” or newly introduced tree toppers that have customers saying “OMG, when can I buy that?”
While she’s done a few craft shows with her friend Denise, who also creates beach-inspired art, Kathy has found that LBI and Beach Haven West are her best audiences. The community knows her, looks forward to her new creations, and often calls when they need a special gift.
Some people balk at her prices, but Kathy understands her value. “I do all the searching, walking, and cleaning before even making the pieces” she notes.
Many people try to make the designs themselves, only to come back when they realize the skill and time involved. For Kathy, the real reward comes from the compliments and knowing that someone loves her work enough to hang it in their own home or give it as a gift.
More Than Just Art
For Kathy Tindall, Treasure Creations is a way of life that connects her passion for beachcombing, her love of LBI, and her joy in creating something beautiful. Every piece tells a story of early morning walks along Holgate, of Hawaiian vacations spent hunting for red and cobalt blue glass, of heart-shaped rocks discovered in Maine, and of decades of memories turned into art.
“It’s an honor and it’s exciting to know that someone likes your creations so much,” Kathy reflects. And for those of us lucky enough to live in this community and see her work, the honor is all ours.
To see Kathy’s latest creations or inquire about custom pieces, look for Treasure Creations by Kathy Tindall on Facebook. Keep an eye out for her November open house. It’s sure to be filled with coastal treasures perfect for the holiday season.
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