Hello you gorgeous, patient people and welcome to any of you who followed me from 
Instagram . I have a complex relationship with IG but that is very boring to read about so I won’t burble on! Suffice it to say this is a trial break that I may not return from.
I have completed a third necklace in the Tibet range. Regular (incredibly patient!!) readers will know the I have been creating some jewellery based on a trip we did to Tibet 20 years ago. You can read about the other pieces here and here. This one is the most traditionally Tibetan looking one in that it incorporates faux turquoise, coral and bone/ ivory. I used faux techniques that are a mish-mash of those by darling Tory Hughes * and Irene Semachuk Dean.
One indelible image I have from the trip is arriving in a dusty highway town called Tingri. The road had been rough and we were all tired and suffering with varying degrees of altitude sickness. We were craving a wash of any sort** and the sense of surreal that marked much of the
trip pervaded. There was a moment of stillness when no Chinese trucks grumbled along the road and into that bizarre stillness, a rider on a horse suddenly thundered. A long turquoise earring dangled from one ear. One hand held the reins of the horse and the other was raised and out to the side in what seemed a caricature of Tibetan rider. He was so self assured. So effortlessly cool. and quite probably thinking about being neither of those things! He was most likely just wanting to get the shop before closing time!
I toyed with the idea of making myself a single long turquoise earring (and looking effortlessly cool and self assured) but how practical (or realistic) was that? There is still a potential necklace lurking in my brain but the necklace pictured is what emerged from lurking! I wanted to incorporate a cloud motif…these Tibetan clouds are characteristic of the thangkas (religious paintings). It is a motif I use repeatedly. Clouds pass, sometimes we love them, sometimes we want them to disappear…but they just are. In meditation practice, clouds are often used as the image fro thoughts that pass through our mind as we sit. If we let them pass, they will.
I also wanted to include faux versions of coral and turquoise. I was inspired by the faux bone decoration of Kathleen Dustin and Luann Udell . I had a lot of fun making this one. I actually made 5 decorated hollow bone beads but decided three were enough for this piece. And I have worn it (and the matching earrings) quite a bit!! Hope you like it.
*Tory was a dear friend who died much too young. Read a little about her here.
**As it turned out, we had a suitably bizarre washing experience sharing a warm shower (the bliss) in a concrete box lined with pink fabric with the surprisingly clean looking Frank and Rachel from the Netherlands. They told us that Golden Earring was still popular. Listen to Radar Love and know why!
I will miss you on Instagram, but fortunately I can still follow your blog. I have read your blog for some time, but it was more convenient to leave a quick comment on Instagram instead of here. What is nice about your blogging though is you can write more in depth about your adventures (which are always fascinating). Well, wherever you decide to post……I am a follower!! Here’s to a joyous new year!
Doreen it is GORGEOUS to hear from you! I said to my mum today that maybe it was just her!! I have been so sporadic but hope to have more time now. I just struggle with IG…I get sucked into it and…blah, blah, blah…I made some lovely connections and do miss that and this might just be a short term thing. Thank you SO MUCH for following me over here and do you have a blog or website? Here’s hoping it is a joyous and much healthier year for everyone! Mwah to you!!
Oh….P.S…..I forgot to say WOW!! your necklace is beautiful!
Wendy, I love a good blog since my early days of taking up jewellery making – such good conversations and stories- seems that the popularity faded with all the other socials, so great to see your post here.
IG/FB are big time suckers, a bit superficial like some fancy cake icing, blink and it’s gone.! 🙂
Loving this beautiful work and the story and thinking that has gone into its creation – that faux bone is so wonderful in its subtle patterning and textures and the turquoise and coral combination a perennial favourite. Wishing you all the creative best for the year to come. Vicki
So gorgeous to see you here Vicki and you are one of the people I would have missed on IG!! I am looking forward to seeing how getting back in to blogging evolves. Thanks for the Faux ivory encouragement!! Hope you are surviving the Sydney lockdown. My parents are up there. BTW I am doing Christine Dumont’s Materiality course. Have you seen that one? Soooooo interesting and soooooo different. I love your wonderful work Vicki!!
You are way too kind,Wendy! You are so much more the expert – I’m a relative newbie -love that I always have loads to learn. I trust your parents are doing well – Sydney has been a very quiet holiday period – we are not in the beaches area but somewhat reluctant to adventure very far. In fact I’ve not left the Sydney outskirts all last year so need to plan some NSW trips before I go crazy. That course looks terrific – Love her work – it is booked out but I will subscribe to Christine’s email list for next time. Enjoy !