British Inspiration!

UPDATE! The winner of the Southampton prize is Sherri Stokey (Knot Just Macramé)

Congratulations Sherri!

The full list of winners is now available on Artisan Whimsy.

Today is the day set for everyone taking part in the UK blog team challenge on Artisan Whimsy to reveal their designs. We challenged forum members to design either a piece of jewellery or a jewellery component using one of our home towns or counties as their inspiration, with a prize on offer for each place. And they have done us proud! The entries include macramé, ceramics, lampwork and wirework, and it has been great to see how the same place can inspire such different pieces of work.

And of course, we couldn't exactly ask everyone else to get to work with out creating something ourselves, could we? So, here is my creation using Southampton as my inspiration.....

It was actually harder than I thought it would be. I'm used to taking my inspiration from the things I see around me - shapes of leaves, colours for example - but to use the city that I live in was different. When I first set the challenge I assumed that I'd use the Titanic as my inspiration, but in the end I took a little inspiration from different aspects of the city. I've used unusual matt Picasso Jasper beads to represent the stony beaches along this stretch of the south coast and freshwater pearls and silk as a nod to the luxury materials that the upper classes of the Titanic passengers would have worn. And the poppy? Well, considering that Southampton is the home of the Spitfire and yesterday was Armistice Day it seemed appropriate to use one of my silver poppy clasps to complete the necklace. It's a fairly simple design, but that seems to be what I've been drawn to over the last week!

I hope that you like it! I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone else has created, especially those who chose Southampton as their inspiration! I've had a sneak peek at some of the designs as they've been loaded onto the Artisan Whimsy site, but I've saved the Southampton designs for today! I will be posting the winner of the Southampton prize (look here to see what prize I'm offering) by tomorrow morning, and all the winners of the prizes will be posted on the Artisan Whimsy page by Tuesday morning as well.

Below are the blogs of those taking part in the UK Inspiration Challenge as at 11th November - please do visit and admire their designs!

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

Gale White Bantering Bird on Flickr

Ginger Bishop Lilmummylikes

Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Cilla Watkins Tell Your Girlfriends

Sherry Baun Unicorn Jewels

Kay Toodles and Binks

Edinburgh

Therese Frank Therese’s Treasures

Kashmira Patel Sadafulee

Caroline Dewison Blueberribeads

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

Bath

Cynthia Machata  http://antiquitytravelers.blogspot.com

Pam Sears Crazy Creative Corner

Sherry Baun Unicorn Jewels

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

Lisa Lodge Pine Ridge Treasures
Kathy Lindemer Bay Moon Design

Sherry Baun Unicorn Jewels

Liverpool

Jean A. Wells  http://www.jeanawells.blogspot.com

Shalini Austin   Jewellery by Shalini

Doris Stumpf Glaszwerg

Sherry Baun Unicorn Jewels

Lennis C Windbent

Southampton

Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macramé

Sherry Baun Unicorn Jewels

Leigh Thow Jewellrleigh

How on earth did I forget to tell you

that I'm doing a craft show tomorrow?!?

I guess it's because whenever I've done this show before all I've been doing for the couple of weeks before is preparing for it, whereas this year I've been teaching and plannig lessons and having meetings in college, writing magazine projects, keeping up with the influx of orders (so many more than last year - thank you!), writing tutorials etc etc etc

Anyway....

I'm exhibiting at a craft show tomorrow!!

It's the annual Southampton University Christmas Arts and Crafts Fair, and it's at the Staff Club, next to the Nuffield Theatre on the university campus. It's well signposted with the lovely bright yellow AA signs all the way fron the motorway (junction 4 is the best junction to come in from the M27), and it's open from 10am until 4pm.

This is always a great show - a lovely atmosphere and fantastic Christmas presents (or presents for yourself?). There's even a lovely cafe for your Sunday lunch.

If I have time during my last minute preparation I'll come back and show you some of the things I've been making today that will be on my stall tomorrow!

A successful day!

I've just tidied everything away after the annual Southampton University Arts & Crafts Fair. My feet ache, but I'm smiling as it was a very successful day! It was good to catch up with fellow Wessex Guild of Craftsmen members, and good to see some people I send my newsletter to. I had quite few empty spaces on my stall by the end of the day despite getting more jewellery out as things were sold, so I've got the perfect excuse to spend plenty of time beading this week. I've also got a few commissions to do, not to mention the Christmas presents I want to make, so I'm going to be a busy girl.
The necklace and earrings below are made using chainmaille and beautiful rosy beads from Mindy . They were on my stall for the first time today and haven't even been put on my website yet, and they sold on their first outing! Don't worry though, I've got another set of Mindy's beads to play with, so watch this space!