Collection: Tides and Time

Summer Shells: Tides and Time is a reflection on the rhythms of nature and the relationships between land, sea, and craftsmanship. This collection features four sculptural leather purses—scallop, mussel, clam, and sand dollar—each carefully hand-carved and tooled from vegetable-tanned leather to capture the natural beauty of coastal forms.

Complementing these purses are leather choker necklaces (plus a couple starfish). 

Each design is cut, carved, and tooled to highlight the texture and detail of real shells, evoking the rhythmic shaping of tide and time. Accents of my naturally hand-tanned smoked deerskin (sourced from a locally gleaned white-tailed deer), add a soft contrast of buttery suede against the leather purses.

The straps, a five-strand braid of suede and sustainably foraged sedges, mimic the wind-swept motion of sand dunes. This plant fibre not only reinforces the coastal narrative of the collection but also brings an element of sustainability and place-based storytelling to each design.

More than accessories, these pieces are wearable sculptures - functional, yes, but also poetic little expressions of the natural world. Each design holds a bit of the shoreline, turning fleeting seaside moments into something lasting and tangible.

No longer available online. Currently available only at:

Melissa Morrison Jewellery, LaHave Shop

3422 Highway 331/NS-331, LaHave, B0R1G0