Annie Olson of Holland, Mich., felt just like the small crustaceans she loved to collect while vacationing on Florida's Sanibel Island. Growing up, she was as shy as the tiny creatures that duck back inside their shells at the first sign of danger.

It wasn't until later that she understood that by gathering seashells, she caused the deaths of hundreds of animals that felt safe inside their homes. She quit collecting snail specimens "cold turkey," when she realized the cruelty of her actions. It was much later she discovered the "guiltless seashells" hidden deep inside herself that eventually replaced her collection addiction.

Up to that time, Olson's life was filled with the kind of excitement most of us only dream about. She sold her bike to raise money to pay for her first flying lesson at the age of 16. Her parents supported her desire to fly. "I was so shy, my parents thought it would be good for me," she said. It was during those lessons that she met her first husband, a Tlingit Indian who would take her to his southeastern Alaska home when she married him at age 19.

From there, she and her husband, public relations director for the National Congress of American Indians, moved to Washington, D.C., where they worked to protect the rights and interests of all American Indians.

She met actor Marlon Brando, also an advocate for American Indians, who asked the couple to represent him at the premiere opening of "The Godfather," for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1973. Brando scandalized Hollywood by refusing the award in protest to bring attention to the country's treatment of American Indians.

Olson returned to her hometown of Holland in 1980, divorced and with three children. She enrolled in college at the age of 36 and discovered herself. It was a long journey that all came together when her life history professor told her to write and talk about a subject she knew well, the Tlingit Indians. It was then she learned the true path her life had taken.

"The reality hit me. It was almost like God convincing me to see our history with my mind instead of my eyes. It hit me on my heart, the reality of what we have done. And I saw it is all connected - all as one thing and the same. ... I became an environmentalist," she said. Her discovery became life changing. She adopted the snail as her personal totem and the shells sprang forth from her hands, in the form of her polymer clay seashell art.

You can view Olson's animals and shells at http://anniesarc.com on the Web, where you can read about her fascinating life, order her earth-friendly products, or purchase kits with all the supplies you will need to make your own seashells. Each kit includes the exact amount of clay you need to make eight seashells, which can be turned into earrings and necklaces. Olson provided instructions to make the one you see here.

Supplies you will need:

1-inch ball of white polymer clay.

1/4-inch balls of clay in three different colors.

On your work surface, roll the four balls into 2-inch-long cylinders.

Equally space the colored clay lengthwise on top of the white clay. With the palm of your hand, gently roll them together until the colored clay is level with the white. The combined cylinder should be about 4 inches long. Break the cylinder into two equal pieces to make two shells.

Take one section and place it on your work surface. Use the palm of your hand to roll the clay away from you, taking care not to roll it back and forth. Use your small finger to hold the point of the end in place and continue to roll with your flat palm. This movement will cause the colors to spiral around the cone the same way a real shell is created by the animal inside.

Roll the cone into a tight flat coil starting with the thinnest end. With help from an adult, bake your shells in a 275-degree oven for 15 minutes.