Saturday, November 14, 2026
Shell Club president Cindy Wesolowski and president-elect Becky Miller hold a prize shell creation.
Sharon Peterson looks to husband Linn as she balances her purchase at the Shell Expo.
The coveted junonias are kept under lock and key.
Becky Miller made this clever “Wheel of Birthshells.”
Miley Kuperus, 95, shows off a large horse conch, the state shell. “No one ever heard of my first name until Miley Cyrus came along,” Kuperus joked.
This deluxe PVC Rolling Shelling Bucket was one of the raffle offerings.
Local shells were used to make this beautiful pelican.
A true work of art.
Karen Caster made this C-shell arrangement.
Cindy Konney shows her six-foot shell tree to Suzy Masulis and Kacey Coyle.
Cindy Konney holds a photo layout that details how she went about creating her six-foot shell tree.
A spectacular six-foot tall shell tree stole the show at the Spring Expo & Shell Art Sale, held Friday and Saturday at New Life Community Church. But there was more news, as a changing of the guard at the Marco Island Shell Club was announced. Becky Miller will be taking over the presidency from Cindy Wesolowski, who has guided the club for four years.
The shell tree, the creation of Cindy Konney, who splits time between North Carolina and Marco Island, was a real showstopper. Konney was frequently pulled from her job assisting shell seekers to explain to expo attendees just how she created her masterpiece. As you might imagine, it was quite a process.
"I found all the shells locally,” Konney said. "I cleaned them all and polished them all. I shell at South Marco Beach, Tigertail, Keewaydin, Dickman's Point - anywhere local that I can get to by car or by boat. I made small trees last year for the show, and I wanted something massive for this year. So, I studied a lot of how to make the shape. And I got five tomato cages. I turned them upside down, crawled inside them, and wire-tied all of them together. And then I put brown paper bags around it to make it sturdy because there are holes between all the cages. And then, once I did that, it still wasn't strong enough. So, I've got layers and layers of burlap on top of that. And then, once I got started, I did just sections at a time. It took a month to make. I worked on it a little bit every day.”
The shell tree is certainly not the work of an amateur. Konney admits that she has honed her skills over the years.
"I've done so many,” Konney said. "I've probably made 300 small trees with people. I do it with groups of people in the neighborhood. When I pick up a shell, I can tell where it goes by the shape of the shell and the size of it. I don't have to really think about it. It just fits in. And it's weird because people say, ‘Oh, it's like putting a puzzle together,' but I don't like to do puzzles. This is different because it's my shells that I've found.”
The tree is taller than Konney.
"I put it on the counter to work on it initially,” Konney said, "and then I put it on the floor for the middle part, and then I had to get a stepladder for the top part because it's six feet and I'm only five and a half. And then I sprayed it with the shellac. When I was finished, I made a video that's on Facebook of all the different stages of it. It's on the Marco Island Show Club Facebook page."
Becky Miller will soon be taking over as president of the club. Cindy Wesolowski is finishing her second two-year term.
"I'm at the end of my four years,” Wesolowski said, "Becky's going to take over for the next two years. I can't wait. Becky's been a tremendous help and support to me during my presidency. And I look forward to helping her."
"I'm thinking that Cindy will help me just as much,” Miller said, “which I'll need.”
The Marco Island Shell Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization the promotes the study, conservation, history, and science of seashells and mollusks. They encourage shell-related interests like shell collecting, crafting, and shell art.
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