Pinterest

Follow Me on Pinterest

Saturday, September 1, 2012

The Challenge of Travel Blog Hop

The premise of this blog hop was to travel places we've never been through jewellery.  I chose New Zealand since it's a country I've never been too... when I think of New Zealand I think of  bright greens and blues surrounding Mountains  and of course Kiwi birds.... Well my kiwi bird bead has a lovely background but the little brown blob did nothing for me so it is no residing in Fred Fishes aquarium.  (One of these days he's going to run out of aquarium to swim in!)

As I was strolling through photos of New Zealand I kept running into sets for the Tolkien books... I've always loved the intro to The Hobbit... so my necklace is a tribute to Bilbo  and all the hours of pleasure people have had reading about him....  I've even include the  door into his hobbit hole as a bead in  my necklace ....



Using the flag as a jumping off point was suggested... well it's red white and blue with Stars and a union Jack... Those colours are not New Zealand in my mind! I see New  Zealand as blues, greens purples and more blues....






New Zealand's aboriginal population are the Maori's... traditionally they had elaborate tattoos... The tattoos remind me a bit of the intricately filigreed steel beads that I've been  enamelling for the last 18 months... so my trip through New Zealand is colour. 







 The necklace has a lampworked tree bead as a focal and then grades up through blue water, green trees, purple mountains and then back into blue sky;  my version of a New Zealand landscape.



I've finished the necklace with one of my enameled toggles!  All components of this necklace are made by me except for the chain which was purchased as chain.











In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole and that means comfort.
It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel; a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors.  (From 'the Hobit' JR Tolkein)

 
And speaking of visiting I would love you to visit me on this blog hop! Don't forget to visit the other participants!  A list can be found here! http://treasures-found.blogspot.ca/

 


24 comments:

Unknown said...

Wonderful necklace. Your enamelled beads are gorgeous! And my favorite colors, I might add!

Tammie T Everly said...

Beautiful work, I too think of those colors when I think of New Zealand~ Thanks for sharing.

Islandgirl said...

I don't have any images of New Zealand on my blog as I only use pictures that I have taken on my blog, hopefully my descriptions bring pleasant visual images.

brokenteepee said...

It's beautiful and I adore the colors

Jenny said...

Colors are lovely! Are you looking forward to the Hobbit trilogy of movies?

Chelle said...

Love your necklace... the colors are great.

Tanya said...

I always forget how many movies and shows are filmed in New Zealand. The scenery is truly breathtaking. I love how you incorporated those colors into your necklace. The pendant is also perfect. It's a beautiful piece.

Islandgirl said...

Not sure if I'll watch the movies or not... didn't watch the Lord of the rings movies... but didn't like those books nearly as much as 'the hobbit'... do have a bit of an issue with the fact that once they were done the first 2 movies they decided that there was enough extra film footage to make a third movie!

Can't imagine that there will be much of a story line there....

Patti Vanderbloemen said...

I am so glad that you did not use the colors of the flag because the colors you DID use are fantastic! Thank you for the story line I read as my eyes followed up the necklace from the awesome focal to your fantastic clasp!

Jewels By Ine said...

I love the beads u used! and the colors are really nice together!

Anonymous said...

Your necklace is gorgeous, really pretty colours! I like that it was inspired by the LOTR/Hobbit movies!

A Polymer Penchant said...

very pretty landscape thought. agreed much more appropriate than the flag colours.

LisaS said...

I love your necklace and the Colors chosen. Especially your toggle clasp.

Monique (A Half-Baked Notion) said...

What an imaginative way to focus your necklace, Lynne! Linking the Maori tattoo designs with the filigree... I totally see that. Adding Bilbo's door was a charming touch, also.

Hope you'll share some pics of Fred's diminishing space before it's too late!

rosebud101 said...

Wow! Lynne!! Love what you did on your tour of NZ!! You captured the culture beautifully in your piece.

Rhonda said...

Your enamel work is beautiful!

Holly said...

Such a beautiful necklace! And yes, your colors are more what I think about New Zealand, rather than the flag. Perfect choice!

Anonymous said...

Perfect colors and lovely lovely beads! Love that toggle piece!

Karen Williams said...

I love how you translated your visions of New Zealand into your necklace, incorporating your beautiful beads in each step.

New Zealand's one of those places I'd love to visit one day. My visions are similar to yours.

SoulsFireDesigns said...

Wonderful! I love Tolkien myself and it is always wonderful to find others that do as well. Your necklace is charming, thank you so much for sharing!

Shai Williams said...

That is such a gorgeous necklace! And I can so see it being a tribute to both the country and the movies set there.

TesoriTrovati said...

I have never read the Hobbit, but that is a fascinating start to pull you into the story! I love that you made all these yourself. I would love to set up some enameling in my studio space if I only had the right ventilation. And the use of the filigree for the tattoos is brilliant! The colors are lovely and are the shades that I would think of as definitively New Zealand as well. Thank you for joining me on the journey around the world, Miss Lynne! Enjoy the day. Erin

SueBeads said...

Great job - great interpretation for New Zealand!

Alice said...

I have always wanted to visit New Zealand. Your theme of color was definately a good choice here. Your own enameled beads are gorgeous!

I've never read the Hobbit, but now I'm wanting to make a trip to the library for it.