About Jacqueline

Over the last twenty years, Jacqueline has established her reputation as a Marketing professional across many industries. For both large and small companies, she has been a catalyst for business growth. Five years ago, Jacqueline married a master painter/decorator. Inspired by her husband Michael and their mutual passion for history and antique glass collecting, she decided to combine her business and creative skills. Recognizing an unfilled niche for high quality, custom designed hair accessories, she began to pull together pieces of sea glass and pottery found along the seashores of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. The pioneer author of the Sea Glass Chronicles, Carole Lambert refers to the shards as “time capsules” that capture coastal history dating back to the first ships that used old, broken English pottery as ballast on their trips to the new world. Over the last few months, Jacqueline has created several hundred barrettes, combs, hair forks, and now broaches – fitting them together in their natural shapes like pieces of a puzzle.

About Cape Ann Designs

The idea for Cape Ann Designs evolved after a year of creating and selling barrettes directly and through selected retail partners. Initially the company was called Beach Glass Barrettes by Jacqueline, with barrettes being the primary focus of the work. The name was changed to reflect the indigenous nature of the artwork and the desire to make the connection between natural beauty of the region and sea glass. After the first year, with input from customers, partners, and experienced designers the line has been expanded to include a full range of hair accessories and broaches as well as a Bridal line of barrettes, hair sticks, and brass combs designed with lighter shades of glass and pottery. Custom work for any of the existing lines is welcome within the confines of the available colors of glass.

Cape Ann has been the home to great artists going back to the 17th century and still hosts the oldest continuous working artist’s colony in the country, Rocky Neck, founded in 1623, Rocky Neck which is coincidentally where the sea glass hunting began for Jacqueline and her husband, Michael. An important part of the sea glass and pottery shards is the history tracing back to the establishment of the Sandy Bay colony on the northern cape of Boston known as Cape Ann. Jacqueline’s personal goal is to make a strong association between the beauty of the sea glass jewelry and the exquisite natural beauty of the area. Private group beachcomber tours will be available through a partnership with NxtEvent or by filling out a request.

Future plans include complementary items such as selected men’s jewelry – e.g. collar pins and a children’s line. As Cape Ann Designs evolves, it will have a collaborative environment that includes innovative, but practical sea glass creations from other artists in the area. Sea Glass collecting has been a tradition of seaside residents and visitors for years, but it’s only in the last few years that collectors have begun to come together, compare “finds” and demonstrate their creativity in displaying or using the sea glass. Together with other artisans and enthusiasts, Jacqueline hopes to share the beauty of sea glass through elegant, wearable art.