Sunday, November 11, 2012

My UK Inspiration Challenge is Isle of Wight


I created a necklace for the UK Inspiration Challenge sponsored by the UK Blog Team.  The UK blog team challenged beaders to design a piece of jewelry or a jewelry component inspired by one of their home towns (or home counties!).  They posted a photo that represented the areas that they are from and we could select one area as our inspiration.  I selected the Isle of Wight.  Teresa Hulley is the member of the UK Blog team from the Isle of Wight.  She makes gorgeous beads. 

Sea glass from the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island in England.  It is located in the English Channel.  The island has many resorts which have been holiday destinations since Victorian times.  It was home to the poet Tenyson and to Queen Victoria, who built her summer residence and final home Osborne House.   The island's maritime and industrial history encompasses boat building, sail making, the manufacture  of the world's first hovercraft and the testing and development of Britain's space rockets. The island is rich with wildlife. Sea glass and sea shells are common there.
Isle of Wight is identified in red on this map ***

I have always been fascinated by castles particularly since we have none in the United States.  I discovered Carisbrooke Castle on the Isle of Wight.  It was the strongest castle on the Island.  It has served of use for over 800 years.  There are traces of a Roman fort underneath the later buildings. Charles I was imprisoned there before his trial.

Sea Glass Necklace Inspired by photo of entrance of Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight


I used the photo of Carisbrooke Castle in the collage above to served to create my color palette of white, brown, and beige.  These colors are prominent in the historic buildings and natural resources of the Isle.  I wanted to include sea glass  and sea shells to connect the necklace to represent the Islands connection to water.  I pulled the sea glass from my collection and used some ceramic sea shells from Suburban Girl Studio.    I spotted the focal in a bead destash of Lisa Lodge. She has the ability to create a great color palette of beads so I love to see what she is getting rid of or offering for a blog hop.  She is involved in this blog hop too.  I got a good laugh when I visited her post and discovered that she selected the Isle of Wight also and is using a completely different color palette based on the flag.



I enjoyed participating and learned more about the UK!  My mother immigrated to the United States from Great Britain and I still have relatives there.  I am trying to build my knowledge of my roots and this blog hop contributed to it.

Please take a look at everyone's creations:

The Hosts 
Lesley 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
Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design
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


***This is one of the images forming part of the Valued image set: Locator maps of the Ceremonial counties of England on Wikimedia Commons. The image set has been assessed under the valued image set criteria and is considered the most valued set on Commons within the scope:

Locator maps of the Ceremonial counties of England


11 comments:

  1. Wow! I love how the pendant reflects the color of the entryway. Beautiful work!

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  2. This is gorgeous! First, I have to tell you that the first time I saw 'rough and tumble' sea glass wire wrapped this way I was in Brighton (a little beach community south of London). The feel of this piece so says rugged beaches of England! I LOVE, LOVE this piece. And the focal is that moody weather you get at the coast. Really beautiful piece.

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  3. Beautiful necklace, would love to see a picture of the entire piece.
    I am drawn the most to the dark brown stones "imprisoned" in the gold wire..kinda representing Charles I!

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  4. Beautiful work. I love all the sea glass and the pendant. Colors are fantastic together. Very nice.

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  5. I like your combination of elements and colors. Would love to see a close-up of the focal and a shot of the entire necklace.

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  6. Love your combination of elements and colors. would like to see a close-up of your focal and a shot of the entire necklace.

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  7. Beautiful necklace, I love your design and the colors all come together and play nicely with each other. Thank you for sharing more interesting facts of the Isle of Wright.
    Therese

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  8. What a wonderful way of representing the Isle of Wight with that gorgeous sea glass! I remember collecting sea glass on the beach during childhood holidays on the Isle of Wight. Thank you for taking part in our challenge!

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  9. What a lovely interpretation! I am just across the water from the Isle of Wight and you've picked a perfect palette and gorgeous construction. Thank you so much for joining the challenge.

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  10. What a gorgeous design - a perfect palette and beautiful construction. I'm just across the water from the Isle of Wight and your piece is very evocative. Thank you so much for joining in the challenge.

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  11. It's so amazing that many artists had sea inspirations for this challenge, yet the pieces are all so different. I love the picture for your inspiration and think you did a great job or capturing that aesthetic.

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