Cindy began collecting sea shells as a child during her family's annual visit to Sarasota, Florida. She first noticed Sailors' Valentines on the island of Nantucket in the early 1990s when attending the Daffodil Festival each April. It would become a fascination that led her to learn how to make the Valentines and other shell art in her studio located in Westport, MA.

All Sailors' Valentine boxes are custom-made to Cindy's order by Jim Prestigiacomo. Cindy uses shells she collects herself on the beaches of Westport and from vacations with her husband in the Caribbean. She also buys shells on the internet.

Cindy's two children are grown now and she has retired from corporate life. This allows her to spend time creating and enjoying her shell designs.