Mermaids Hidden Treasure

Somewhere in the Atlantic ocean, an undiscovered island sits dozing in the sun. There is a stretch of coastline on this island that is very rough and dangerous, full of large rocks, treacherous tides and sudden undertows. No one would think of anchoring a boat there or heavens forbid, swimming that stretch of shore.
Unless you are a mermaid.
Because under the water there is a hidden grotto that isn't even visible at low tide. The water reflects the dappled sunshine, lighting up this very secret place that the mermaids have chosen to hide the  treasure they have collected over centuries.
They've got stashes all over the seven seas, (they are just as much magpies as us two-leggeds) but this grotto is special. This one has a large golden statue that the mermaids pulled from the wreckage of an old Spanish galleon. A relic from the past that the ladies have adopted as a sort of patron saint of mermaids.
A protector and guardian. No one has ever landed on the islands pretty beaches or explored the enticing tidal pools that lie on the leeward side of the island. So it must be working!

I used lots of sparkly bits and paint on this piece, though it's rather hard to see how glittery it actually is.

I chopped off a couple of chunks of styrofoam and glued them into the places in the corners where I planned to have piles of sea shells, jewels and pearls...that way, I wasn't using (and wasting) massive amounts of supplies trying to make these big piles of treasure. It just looks that way!

This is what it looked like before I put in all the beads and glitter and Liquid Pearls...kind of plain and lacking detail. I may have gone a bit over the top, but hey, if you were amassing loads of treasure over years and years it might look something like this!
A great rationalization for why my studio is always in the state it's in. Which is messy.
Very, very messy.

For a link to the supplies I used, click HERE.

Supplies:
Square shrine Shadowbox
Liquid Pearls (both Platinum and Garden)
Cream Pearl Assortment
Mermaids #2 Collage Sheet
Sea Green Mermaids Collage Sheet
Green And Blue Glass Pearl Beads
Candlestick Holder
Seashells in Plastic Tins
Tiny Real Seashells in Tin
Wrought Iron Flourishes Set
Copics:
Salad, Golden Yellow, Anise, Moss (used to punch up the color on the mermaids)
Stickles: Diamond and Waterfall

Additional Supplies:
Die-Cut Compass
Liquitex Glazing Medium
Acrylic paints: Phthalo Blue and Phthalo Green (mixed with the glaze)

Thank you for dropping in!