There were many wonderful inventive creative guesses but, there was only one right answer, and it came from Fliss of Fliss and Mike Adventures! In all honesty I thought more people would recognize this....But I was wrong! And in fact, it wasn't until Monday Evening---at the "eleventh hour", so to speak, that the correct answer was forthcoming! So, here below, for your great pleasure and enlightenment is the answer.
That 'guess what?' picture was a very close look at this very beautiful Shell above. And here below, another shot of the same Shell...just a bit further away and on a slight angle.....
I have loved Shells for so very many many years....and have collected them in all sorts of places....New York, California, Florida, Hawaii, St. Thomas, Vieques, Antibes.....And like many people, I have bought some shells, too....This one above was not a 'find', but one that I bought...(I cannot remember where...!), many many years ago....The beauty of design is quite astounding to me....Nature's Sculpture......That is to say, more of Nature's Sculpture..... 
This next one above in close-up, looks like a series of very delicate necklaces to me.....And then below, pulling back somewhat so we can see a bit more of the Shell..... 
And then....the whole Shell, just slightly bigger than two and a half inches at it's widest point.....Looking like a spinning top....!
There are so very many seaworthy animals that live in beautiful Shells...too numerous to count and in truth, I know very little about all of these thousands upon thousands of sea creatures.....What I do know is how the many Shells they once lived in, have enriched my life with their beauty.
This Shell above, which is a very good sized one, was 'found'....This came from St. Thomas, back in 1966.....My then Brother-In-Law, who had a fantastic eye for everything, saw this Shell right there in the water....And the 'animal' was still living in it....! There is a truly terrible story connected to how my BIL got rid of the animal....It is still so painful to me...I cannot even write about it and I am deeply ashamed of my part in it, though it was in a passive manner.....I can only say that it was before I was truly in touch with the idea that everything living "feels"....It pains me for that dear animal, even all these 42 years later.....!
My BIL gave me this Shell as a present, and it has a place of honor in my home.....And it is, for me, a great and important reminder----every time I look at it----that all life is precious and of value, even when we might not understand that value. I think it is so very very beautiful....That color inside is the actual color.....And a little closer look at that color and that beautiful edge surrounding the opening to the interior......
It is so extraordinary that all these colors exist in this one shell.....Here below, is another view....And in this case, it is of the back side of this incredibly sculptural object.
And here below is a closer look at this amazing almost abstract pattern....The many hues of browns to tans to whites.....Just Gorgeous!
The complexity of nature's creations....whether under the sea or on land, just takes one's breath away...well, I should say it takes my breath away.....Here below another close look at a different shell.....
Would you know that this was part of a Shell if I hadn't said anything?
- had this to say:
A shell! That's great. Games Magazine often had puzzles like this and I love them. Please do more.
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 12:02:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
A shell!! a true beauty... I have never seen one like it, love it!!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:08:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
beautiful, beautiful Naomi !..
I haven't seen seashells in forever and I never would have guessed from the photo!
I really think that the most beautiful things are nature made!- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 3:49:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Wow. A shell? I would have never, ever guessed that. A shell. How wonderful is nature - such shapes etc., Terrific.
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 3:59:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I would never have guessed a shell....It is quiet beautiful. I think that sometimes we are so involved with life that we don't stop and "smell the roses". This is a reminder to me to look at the beauty around me and enjoy it more.
I have a window in my kitchen that looks out to the north side of my house. Sometimes I look out, as I am washing dishes, and enjoy the wind blowing through the trees, looking at the flowers, watching the birds and watching the squirrels as they scamper around on the roof next door. I am amazed by how many colors of green are out there.
Thanks for putting your shells up for us the see.- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:39:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Hate to say it but I knew I had this one in the bag since my hubby (who has lived in FL 30 of his 41 years) had collected shells since he was a kid and still has those shells in a bottle and in bags in a closet (guess he is a pack rat) and he has one of these exact shells... it is called a Scotch Bonnet.. well, at least he is 90% sure... I must say... that was fun... take care
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 5:15:00 AM PDT
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had this to say:
Amazing intricacy in God's handiwork, eh?
Cheers.- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 5:17:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
oh my gosh! that is so cool. i never would have guessed a seashell! that's awesome and i do agree with geewits, please do this kind of game more!
hugs!- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 7:46:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Great idea Naomi! I LOVE shells too! I enjoyed so much this kind of game! It's very fun!
And congratulations to Fliss and Mike Adventures!- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 7:48:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I am *so* surprised! It *totally* looked like cloth!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 9:46:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I'm totally shellshocked!!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 10:08:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
What a beautiful shell. I also have some shells that I value very much but have never seen one like that. Lovely
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 10:11:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I too love shells. I collected them as a child. Spent all my holidays spends one year in cCornwall buying shells I also bought a seahorse skeleton. Up to that minuite I thought that Seahorses were legends like mermaids LOL
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 10:56:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Congrats to the winner!!!!
I certainly would not have guessed a shell, so bravo to her for getting it right.
There's one shot that looks like a snake. It's the close up shot with the tans and browns and whites. It reminds me of a snake. I'm not a snake expert, so don't ask me what kind of snake.
:-)
Shells are certainly worth collecting. I have some in my treasures that I've kept since I was young. I have shells and even some sand dollars. What fun it was collecting them!
You've got some really pretty ones, and it's neat that you've collected them from several places.- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 12:15:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I love shells, too, Naomi, and I look for them whenever I am at the beach. We have quite a collection. YOu reminded me of a story about some I got in Va. Beach in 1962. I didn't know the animals were inside, so I put them in my train case for the trip home. When I opened the train case a day later, the smell would have knocked me over had I not been seated at the time. It was truly horrible, and I had to throw the train case away!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 1:02:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Nature is indeed the most wonderful artist of all, Naomi. But if I may be so bold, your work comes pretty close :)
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 1:24:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I would never have guessed this was part of a shell, Naomi. Exquisite pictures - as usual, you make me focus with wonder on something I'd never glanced at very carefully. Now in detail, thanks to your photography, I get enraptured by it, and so appreciative of nature's beauty. The ocean -- and the garden - and the forest - give us so very very much, don't they ?
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:51:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
Sorry I did not play along, but as you can see from my last post, I've been extremely busy the last days.
The shell was beautiful though - so well captured Naomi!- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 2:56:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Wow, a shell!! I never saw one quite like that Naomi!! I do love shells too. They are so beautiful and come in so many shapes and sizes. Quite amazing!! I enjoyed this!!
Thank you for your kind words as always!! xxoxx- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 3:12:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
That is a beautiful and rare shell, and I can't imagine there was a winner; I would've never guessed!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:04:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
You scalliwag! It NEVER crossed my mind to think it was a shell even though as soon as I read your answer and saw the picture again, it seemed so obvious. haha!
Great photos here Naomi. It's amazing how such small treasures are the most photogenic.- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:41:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I would never have guessed! Beautiful shell. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I have really enjoyed visiting you and will be back!
- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 4:56:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
I never would have guessed, obviously I am not alone in my duhness though LOL
My mother had a huge shell collection, I actually don't know what happened to them all after she died.- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 6:33:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
My goodness! I was thinking it was an old time kitchen dish towel..... but now it makes sense! And what a lovely shell!
I had to spend quite a bit of time catching up here! My how colorful your garden is this spring! Just lovely!- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 7:05:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Ohhhh! I know what it is! It's a shell! Wait, wasn't this a Guess Dyslexic game? hehehe
Sorry I missed out on the game. That's what I get for ignoring my online world and swimming all weekend long. :)- Tuesday, April 15, 2008 at 9:40:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
My aunt kept a shell from one of her trips in her Desoto across the states in the 1930s (?) to the Pacific ocean. Maybe tht was when she hopped a train...anyway, we all heard the sea in that shell.
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 12:41:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
You clever girl! And well done Fliss!
I love your shells. Can you hear the sea when you put then to your ear?- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 8:30:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
I can't believe it. Mother nature did such a perfect job of alignment that I thought it was sculpted and painted! Wow, that was a good one. I love shells too, and I tend to keep rocks from places I visit. Especially a heart shaped rock, I will sneak it home in my suitcase.
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 9:05:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
That blows me away...that shell is just perfectly designed! I think we forget to look at them up close and personal....it is beautiful!
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 11:33:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
Neato! I love snooping through the sand for good shells.
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 12:14:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Wow, a shell! What a surprise!
I have something amusing to tell you. I'll email.
~S :)- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 12:14:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
i love sea shells, being an oregon girl, i can remember combing the beaches as a child, looking for shells and glass floats.
- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 1:21:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Beautiful shells! I have some pretty ones that I have collected through the years. They are a work of art!!
Hope you are doing wonderful my friend!- Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at 9:53:00 PM PDT
- had this to say:
Those are just exquisite shells, Naomi!
- Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 3:15:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
The texture on the shell's surface had me fooled. I do a lot of macro photography - and I really like this recognition test!
- Thursday, April 17, 2008 at 12:45:00 PM PDT
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had this to say:
If shells were money, I'd be rich. I thought it was fabric.
- Friday, April 18, 2008 at 6:17:00 AM PDT
- had this to say:
oooh..they're so pretty :)
- Saturday, April 19, 2008 at 1:30:00 AM PDT
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had this to say:
A shell.....I grew up on the Atlantic coast and now live on an island. I should have known that! Very clever. And the shell is very unique.
Terri
http://www.islandwriter.net- Monday, April 21, 2008 at 5:26:00 AM PDT
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