our story
the treasures of a military spouse
OUR JOURNEY
Though Katie’s deep connection with the ocean started when she was a young girl, it flourished when she married a sailor. Traveling all over the world together, they moved eleven times in eighteen years. As a military spouse, moving from Norfolk to Tampa to Okinawa to Hawaii, Katie has faced many new and difficult situations and is always working to create something beautiful amid her ever-changing surroundings.
“Our first overseas move was 9 years ago. I had no idea how I was going to work or if I’d survive being on a 17-hour flight from home with a 10-month-old, especially not knowing the language. I would have laughed if you had told me I was going to start making jewelry or pursue it as a business.”
But she did just that. Arriving in Okinawa out of her comfort zone, with a baby on her hip and a whole lot of extra time, she began combing the beaches, where sea glass and pottery treasures were abounding. Her creativity was sparked by her beautiful surroundings, and she began making pieces for friends and family, soon discovering she had a knack for turning slivers of sea glass and sea pottery into one-of-a-kind works of art. Her business was born.
KATIE GENTA
A Midwesterner turned Mermaid, Katie uses the ocean as inspiration to turn the ordinary into something extraordinary. Always inspired by the beach’s treasures, it was the abundance of sea glass and sea pottery found on the pristine beaches of Okinawa that led the way to Glitsea Gypsea and now, The Grotto.
“I have a deep appreciation for how much time goes into the turning of the glass, the refined edges,” Katie says of her beach discoveries, “Each piece of glass always inspires awe and wonder, like the universe sent a unique piece meant just for you.”
Real, unaltered sea glass comes from old bottles, jars, and other glass that have been tumbled and rounded by the ocean over many years. Katie works with sea glass exactly as it is found on the beach, just as the sea intended.
Now living in Italy with her husband and ten-year-old daughter, Katie sources sea glass from all around the world, drawing inspiration from the ocean for each new creation.
Each of Katie’s hand-crafted pieces will take you on a journey, tumbling through the ocean, landing on the shore, and feeling the breeze on your face and the sand beneath your feet. You’ll be left wondering what adventure lies ahead.
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