In love with the sea
Artist combines her background in marine biology with her creative nature to create sea glass jewelry
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Brogan Regier has always enjoyed walking on the beach and searching for sea glass, but she never really thought about it in terms other than a hobby. That was until she saw sea glass jewelry and artwork in gift shops around Nova Scotia and realized there was a market for it.
Now, Regier operates Beansprout Boutique, which specializes in making one-of-a-kind sea glass jewelry. She has been doing so since October of 2023, right after she graduated from university.
Out of everything she makes, Regier says her wire-wrapped sea glass necklaces and tiny bottles of ocean treasures are her most popular items.
Creating a makery business is not a stretch for the Elmsdale, N.S., woman. Regier says she has always enjoyed working with her hands and making homemade gifts for her family and friends.
“I find that creating is a great way for me to relax and escape life’s stressors,” says Regier.
“I find that creating is a great way for me to relax and escape life’s stressors.”
Brogan Regier
HER START
Her skill in making jewellery from the ocean’s treasures began for her back in high school. The summer after her Grade 10 year, Regier traveled to the east coast for the first time to attend a whale camp on Grand Manan Island, tour Dalhousie and explore the Maritime Provinces. While in P.E.I., she attended a class that introduced her to the art of wire-wrapping sea glass.
“It came quite naturally to me and over the years I have further refined my skills through practice and experimentation,” she said.
The idea of making her one-of-akind sea glass jewelry marries well with her educational background and interests. Regier has a Bachelor of Science in marine biology from Dalhousie University.
Despite growing up in landlocked Saskatchewan, Regier says she has always felt a strong connection to the ocean. She recalls the first time she saw the ocean as a young child.
“I was overcome by so much wonder and amazement that I couldn’t imagine doing anything else other than spending the rest of my life trying to uncover the ocean’s secrets and protect everything that makes it so breathtaking.”
Part of this is also her captivation with the ocean’s remarkable ability to transform broken glass into exquisite
treasures. This is what put her on her journey to create sea glass jewelry as a means of sharing her love for the ocean with others.
OWN STORY
Besides, she finds it fascinating that each piece of glass has its own story to tell. Sea glass found on the shores of Nova Scotia could have originated from anywhere in the world. Whether it was once a glass bottle lost at sea during a shipwreck or an inkwell from the early 1800s, she said each piece of
glass has its own unique journey and story to tell.
When creating her jewellery, Regier relies on this uniqueness of the sea glass to guide her. The unique shape, colour, and thickness of each piece of sea glass influences the wire-wrapping design.
“My goal is to enhance the natural beauty of the glass by transforming it into a wearable piece of art.”
In the short term, Regier hopes to be in markets every week during peak tourism season. She wants to provide
tourists from around the world with the opportunity to take a piece of the ocean home with them and keep their memories from Nova Scotia close to their heart.
EXPERIMENTING
Additionally, she recently started to experiment with drilling sea glass, which will allow her to create more dainty and intricate pieces of jewelry.
When not creating, Regier can be found working as a research assistant at Dalhousie University. She runs her business in her spare time.
To view or purchase anything from Beansprout Boutique, her products are available through Etsy, Instagram and Facebook under the same name.