We already knew that, right? Then, what are they?
Well, apparently, they are "echinoderm," close cousins of sea urchins or sand dollars. They are almost entirely marine animals, only a few live in brackish water. Marine scientists are trying to rename them "sea stars," which I doubt will ever catch on and I refuse to call them echinoderm, probably because I can't pronouce that or even want to try. They'll always be starfish to me.
I am just fascinated by these little creatures, although I've only found a couple on the beach here on the Outer Banks, and one of those was just a sad little "arm." Maybe the surf is too rough for them to make it on shore in one piece. I enjoy making beaded starfish and have spent many happy hours working on them to make them look as close to the real thing as possible. In the middle of the project, each arm feels pliable and feels almost like you're holding a real starfish. But (probably like in the surf) the beaded starfish doesn't hold up well without tightening up the stitches at the end of the project. My favorite bead to use are the size 11/0 amber matte seed beads, the look and feel of them match up nicely to a live starfish.
Recently, I realized there were a bunch of them just sitting on my desk, among a growing collection of little components and stitching samples. If you make jewelry, you know exactly what I'm talking about and probably have your own collection. I gathered the little starfish together and decided to make a necklace of them, the result is "Starfish Haven." They are linked together and accented with light yellow glass pearls which continue throughout the necklace strand and the amethyst Swarovski crystals add an extra punch of sparkle.
I worked the teardrop-shaped beaded clasp and toggle bar to match the piece.
Please take a look when you get a chance at http://www.jewelsoftheobx.com/ .
See you on the beach!
Julie
I'm so excited, Jewels of the OBX can now be seen at Cloud Nine, A Creative Emporium in Nags Head! Cloud Nine has been an Outer Banks feature for over 20 years! It is a truly amazing boutique that showcases local and regional artists in many different mediums. They also carry an extensive collection of beads and jewelry-making supplies and are open all year around. They're located in Pirate's Quay, Milepost 11 1/2 on the Bypass. Do you remember where Dowdys, OBX's last "amusement park," used to be? It's across the road from that. (A beautiful new school was built next to the old Dowdys location). Cloud Nine is actually closed this week as the owner, Ginny Flowers, a wonderful jeweler and instructor, is taking a well-deserved respite, and will reopen February 1, just in time for Valentine's Day. 
