Sunday, November 11, 2012

UK Inspiration Challenge


Hi Y'all,

It is time to reveal the UK Inspiration Challenge sponsored by the UK Blog Team.  The rule were easy, pick one or more home places of the members from UK Blog Team and create a piece which was inspired by that location in the UK.  The locations to chose from are:
Dorset - Lesley Wats' home
Edinburgh - Rebecca Anderson's home
Bath - Pippa Chandler's home
Isle of Wright - Teresa Hulley's home
Liverpool - Natalie McKenna's home
Southampton - Jo Tinley's home
I chose two locations Dorset and Edinburgh.  Why you asks out of all to the places to choose did I pick those two?  Well it is easy.  Dorset is the home of my friend Lesley Wats and Edinburgh because I have Scottish roots.

Dorset
Dorset within England
Dorset is a county in the southwest part of England along the English Channel.  It covers and area of 2,653 sq. kilometers that is approximately 1,024 sq. miles.  Most of the population lives in the southeast Dorset conurbation, while the rest of the county is largely rural with low population density.  The county has a long history of human settlement going back to the Neolithic era.
Dorset has a varied landscape featuring broad elevated chalk downs, steep limestone ridges, and low-lying clay valleys.  Over half of the county is designated as an area of outstanding natural beauty and three quarters of it's coastline is a world heritage site.  Agriculture was traditionally the major industry of Dorset, but is in decline and now tourism has became important to the economy.
Dorset county is the birthplace of the author Thomas Hardy who used the county as the principle setting of his novels, and William Barnes who's poetry reflects the ancient Dorset dialect.
Corfe Castle captured and destroyed by Cromwell's army in 1646

Thomas Hardy's birthplace

Durdle Door and natural arch near Lulworth Cove

Now here is my Dorset inspired piece.

I used Cubic Right Angle weave, a stitch that I am beginning to really love, I used two colors of size 8 cylinder seed beads in green and blue to represent the green grass and the blue coastal waters.  I also used size 8 round seed beads in bronze to represent the rich soil of the Dorset county.
The glass lamp worked bead I used were made by Juli Cannon of Studiojuls. The focal bead was perfect to represent the swirling coastal waters the spacer beads represent the blue sky, the green grass, and the aqua blue water.  I used one of Lesley Wats' bronze clay heart toggles (if you want to see more of Lesley's pieces go here) to finish off my piece.

Edinburgh


Edinburgh is a vast and historical city.  It's history goes all the way back to the Bronze age.  Edinburgh is the Capitol of Scotland and the seat of the Scottish parliament and government.  To learn more about Edinburgh go to wikipedia.org.

Castle Edinburgh  


I chose Edinburgh, because my Great grand Father came from Scotland.  I am not sure from just where in Scotland though. His sir name is Cochrane and when his family came to the United States in the late 1800's they settled in Salisbury, PA.  

Tartan of the Cochrane clan

Here is my piece that was inspired by Edinburgh.

I used the Russian Spiral stitch to create the neck rope for the glass pendant.  In the spiral I used blue and green size 11 seed beads and bronze size 8 seed beads. the colors in the rope and glass pendant represent the colors in my family tartan and the colors of the green grass, blue sky, and the volcanic rock that Edinburgh is built on.

Well there you have it my pieces inspired by Dorset, England and Edinburgh, Scotland.  If you wish to see more inspired pieces please go and visit the following other participants in this challenge.

The HostsLesley Watt Gossiping Goddess
Rebecca Anderson Songbeads
Pippa Chandler Pip's Jewellery
Teresa Hulley Bo Hulley Beads
Natalie McKenna Grubbi
Jo Tinley Daisychain Designs
Dorset
Ginger Bishop Lilmummylikes
Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini
Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures
Cilla Watkins Tell Your Girlfriends
Sherry Baun
Edinburgh
Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures
Kashmira Patel Sadafulee
Caroline Dewison Blueberribeads
Sherry Baun
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh
Lucy Haslam
Bath
Sherry Baun
Isle of Wight
Duane Clark Bizzy Bead
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh
Jean Wright Just Beadey
D Lynne Bowland Islandgirl’s Insights
Sherry Baun
Liverpool
Shalini Austin   Jewellery by Shalini
Doris Stumpf Glaszwerg
Sherry Baun
Lennis C Windbent
Southampton
Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macramé
Sherry Baun
Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh
Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design



Happy beading Y'all,
Therese










25 comments:

  1. That is so great! I keep trying to get into the groove on Artisan Whimsy, but I just can't seen to. With fb, blogger, email accounts, pinterest, etc I've found I've already spent too much time online. You are amazing for being able to do so much. I love both your pieces.

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  2. The inspiration photo of durdle door is wonderful and I love the Colors of the family tartan. Your jewelry necklaces are beautiful! Any chance of including Russian spiral weave and a good tutorial with a future blog hop? '




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  3. Lovely pieces both! I particularly like the Russian spiral piece with the glass focal. Great job!

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  4. Both these necklaces are beautiful, Therese! I love the colors in the one inspired by Dorset, but they're both beautiful!

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  5. these are both Beautiful!!! and so easy to see your inspiration in them. that Juli Cannon focal is gorgeous! you make such beautiful ropes, Therese :-)

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  6. Hi from PA! I really like your tartan neck rope, and you made me want to visit the Durdle Door!

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  7. Love your necklaces they really captured the areas photos. Great job!

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  8. Your work is beautiful Therese, I love both pieces, they really capture the places you've chosen!

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  9. Therese - both your pieces are beautiful and fully capture the regions you chose...and thank you for choosing Dorset. You've really picked up the colours of the lanDscape and I love the movement of your necklace...grass blowing in the breeze...water lapping on the rock - love it!

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  10. Both of your necklaces are beautiful and the inspiration certainly does shine through. This has been such a fun challenge - I have so enjoyed looking at everyone's work. Great job! (I'm going to learn how to do that soon - weave beads that is.)

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  11. Both necklaces are gorgeous. I envy your ability to do those weaves. The focal on the second necklace is perfect for the weave. Magnificent colors. By the way, my grandfather was born in Edinburgh and settled in Scranton, Pa. He was a coal miner.

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  12. Two equally beautiful necklaces! I am in awe of anyone who uses such tiny beads to make big pieces of jewellery! Thank you for taking part in our challenge, especially twice!

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  13. Lovely, Lovely pieces Therese, I love how you've captured the essence of the places of inspiration

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  14. Wow! Your focals and coordiating beads are perfection! These are just beautiful! I can see your inspriration in each of the necklaces!

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  15. Therese, both pieces are just beautiful! The first one does capture the sea as Lesley says ... and focal has such a pretty flow to it! You know I love your beadwork, and both are gorgeous as always!!

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  16. Therese, you did it again! :-) I've never seen you make a piece that wasn't lovely and creative! Your beadwork is so impressive, and I really like your focals too! Everything fits so beautifully. (The photographs you chose were gorgeous too--such great inspiration!)

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  17. So cute! The first one looks like a colorful little octopus that's come out of the ocean :)

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  18. Both of these are very impressive and look very wearable. They really depict the areas well.

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  19. Wow, I love the way you are presenting your part of the Blog Hop. Anyway, you always find so wonderful challenges to participate.
    I love the pics you chose and most of all the two pieces you made showing perfectly the colors of the two locations.
    My favourite is the first one which represents the different parts of the landscape.
    Congratulations!
    Sabine

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  20. Hi Therese! I had to stop in and thank you for your sweet congratulations. I'm so excited and glad to be able to share the good news. Oh, and by the way, your russian spiral is lovely! I never could master that stitch and you've done such a great job. Congrats to you!

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  21. Beautiful designs Therese! I love the JulsBead you chose and the why! It is the perfect representation of the swirling waters!
    {Hugs!}

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  22. Oh, dear Therese, it's such a beautiful post! The stories and pictures are gorgeous - and the pieces you made... I have one word for them: 'stunning'! Wonderful, wonderful work!
    Hugs :) Alicia

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  23. O M G. Therese, that has to be one of the prettiest designs I've ever seen using a Julsbead. Absolutely love it. You nailed this challenge!

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  24. I used the Russian Spiral stitch to create the neck rope for the glass pendant. In the spiral I used blue and green size 11 seed beads and bronze size 8 seed beads. the colors in the rope and glass pendant represent the colors in my family tartan and the colors of the green grass, blue sky, and the volcanic rock that Edinburgh is built on.
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