After a long hiatus, I am thrilled to be back on track with the “Inspired by Reading” book group!
For the month of March – we read “An Irish Country Doctor” by Patrick Taylor. It was a good read, quick, easy, and entertaining. It reminded me in some ways of a Maeve Binchy novel – in that there was a cast of characters, richly developed by the author, that I grew to like, and care about. The story line, at times poignant, at times humorous, was driven by the characters… their growth, foibles, and interactions. I could see reading other books in the “series” – I think they are loosely related based on said characters, and can each be read as a stand alone novel.
As to inspiration – I was immediately making associations from this small town in Northern Ireland, set in the early 1960’s (?) to another fictional small town… Brigadoon. ( I KNOW Brigadoon was set in Scotland, but once I thought it I couldnt un-think it…)
My mind seized on the idea of two. Two realities. Two visions, two versions… (In case you arent familiar with Brigadoon, the musical tells the tale of a magical Scottish village that appears into our world for one day every 100 years. Two NYC gents stumble on the town, THAT DAY. Coincidence? Hmm. Boy meets girl, falls in love, leaves, town disappears. Boy mopes in NYC, returns to find town gone… yet it reappears! True love works magic. He joins his love in magical town, leaving our world behind.)
So where do we stand? Irish images, but a 2 sided focal. OK!
To create the pendant I started with 2 copper discs, cutting in circular windows. I cut a matching circle of 1/4″ Faux Bone for the center core. The copper is stamped, patina added, tumbled, etc. The images, sealed, are glued on. The piece is assembled with balled wire/soft rivets.
Making the bail was more challenging. The shape and wire wrap were easy enough (Thanks to Kerry Bogert for causing me to rethink colored wire.) Drilling through the FB – I went a bit crooked and the 2 holes weren’e aligned. So what would have been a piece of copper tubing through one hole – became 2 microbolts and washers, with a spot of glue for security! It DOES spin now as I planned.
- The thatched cottage is from an antique postcard, the blackbird is from a vintage Irish stamp.
- The stamped text reads “Beatha agus Failte” or “Life and Health” a traditional Irish phrase.
- The gems are jade, goldstone, dragon’s blood jasper
Thanks for taking this meandering journey with me! I know the Muse often leads us on a winding path, and I find it ironic that I was reading this bookwhile on a cruise ship in the Caribbean! No green in sight…
Please join us – the links and images of other participants can be found at Andrew’s blog!
Jenny Davies-Reazor 
I really like the piece you made this month. I specially enjoy reading your description of your thought process. All the elements came together so nicely and there is a real Irish feel to your creation.
I am halfway through the book and halfway through my inspiration piece. A cold and obligations have gotten in the way of me finishing. Hope to be back on track next month.
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Feel better, Mary! I enjoyed the book, but cant say any one thing in particular inspired me. With Celtic heritage, this is in my “wheel house” all the time. This was a pleasure to put together!
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I really love this necklace. I love the thought that went into how the make it, the inspiration, all the components. It’s beautiful!
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Thansk for stopping by! Honestly – it took longer to write the post – the idea was rather fully formed in my head. Dont you love when that happens?
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Oh WOW! What a cool necklace! Love the stamped Irish phrase, and you do make that colored wire look good! The tiny cottage reminds me of Maggie’s house in the book! The gemstones really tie it all together very nicely.
Rachel
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Thank you Rachel! My sister studied abraod in Galway for a year of college. She sent me a list of words, three pages long… while we have the internet now too, its nice to browse the Gaelic list, in her handwriting and select text for a piece. I was trying to pick gems to accentuate both sides. The orange sky was throwing me off…
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Oh I loved reading about your creative process, and your necklace is extraordinary, I love how you created the pendant from scratch, thinking every piece of it and combining all the elements to match your inspiration. And the beads you chose and made are just the perfect match. I love it!!
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I loved making it! Glad that shows in the results. And as always – now that I have problem solved the process – I want to repeat it!
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I just adore your necklace… especially that pendant. It’s so cool that it even spins. I agree that the cottage makes me think of Maggie. And “Life and Health” is a very appropriate quote considering the main characters profession!
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Thanks Sarajo! You made me laugh… I hadnt seen the correlation with my text choice and the book! Silly me – I choose text as a way to give the peice meaning, as an amulet. Thank you for seeing that so clearly!
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Wow, what a great piece!
I can see the the Irish county side from the amazing pendant you made. What hard work went into this piece, I’m glad it all worked out for you! We all seemed to have fun with this book this month.
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Thanks Alison – I so wish we could all meet, but I am very grateful for the community we are creating. It WAS a fun read.
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This is an awesome piece! I don’t think the Brigadoon reference is out of place. I think Barry mentions it when he initially goes looking for the town. I like how the spinning action parallels that. Now you see it. Now you don’t. I love how you’ve blended the greens and coppers! The piece is so rich! Thank you for participating!
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Yes – he does. Page 3 I just looked it up. That was the exact thought I had while reading – now you see it… Thank you for your kind words. I am so glad to be back in the swing of book group – it gives me a chance to play and experiemnt and try new things… like this. So thank YOU Andrew!
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