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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Challenge of Music Blog Hop

This Hop, hosted by the very talented Miss Erin over at Treasures Found, seemed to be right up my alley. My only two obsessions are jewelry and music. I weaned myself off my shoe obsession so I could afford more CDs and concert tickets and beads. I figured I sit when I bead and I sit when I pour over the liner notes while listening to CDs so I really didn't need the shoes anyway.

Challenge of Music.
I didn't think it would be much of a challenge.
I was wrong.
When certain things click and flow, something else is bound to trip me up.
In this case, it was the photography...a geode slice, Swarovski crystals, freshwater pearls, matte hematite rounds, steel size 15 seed beads, and a silver tone button. Not easy to photograph all that grey and sparkle. I could write a short story on the photo session this necklace and I had. It was a 3 day affair. The dog was even in on it.


Onto the Music and the Beadwork. It has been a few minutes without either one and I am needing a fix.


"Now I could sing you, um, a really tender song filled with despair, or a really weary song laced with hope. What's your pleasure?" ~ Jackson Browne

Well, that about sums up my musical taste right there.



I could write a post a day for the next several years on the musicians I escape with every day. I have a very incomplete list on the profile page of my blog, but it will give you an idea of what fuels my days and nights.

For this hop, all the pieces fell right into the guitar strings of two of my many loves: Gram Parsons singing "A Song for You" and Jackson Browne singing "The Times You've Come". Gram has long been my Muse. When I can't get anything right or lack any original thoughts, I put Gram in the stereo and a door opens wide. His lonely, aching voice sounds like a tear rolling down my cheek. He is loveliness and tragedy. And looked real good in a Nudie Suit! Google Image will show you what I mean!

Jackson just reaches in and takes hold and is full of poetry and beauty and double entendres. What comes out of his guitar and mouth truly is a window to my soul. Seeing him in concert, once with just him and his 30+/- guitars, another time with David Lindley and the rest of his band, was as close to Nirvana as I can hope to ever come. Nothing in the music world can top that experience. It was as much about the music as it was about the stories between songs and how he encouraged audience participation and his fantastic sense of humor. And the way he pronounces his "R"s gets me every time :-)









The piece itself came together with relative ease. I actually wanted it more stripped down than it is, but opted for a very brief pop of color and complexity. Maybe that is where Emmylou Harris joins Gram in the song or where Bonnie Raitt joins Jackson singing "You might try to find your way up around it, but the need for love will still remain". The weaving just came as the chords on the guitar. It was a natural chord progression in my mind. And the Geode...a glimpse into the soul. The darkness and shine and jagged edges. And maybe the camera knew what it was doing, not letting me capture that geode in all its subtlety and glory. Because we can never really see all the parts of someone's soul. We can only hope to catch tiny bits of the depths and sparkle.



"The Times You've Come"~~~Jackson Browne

In the time we've known that we each are a part of one another
We've lost as much as we have won
And as our lives have grown we have found that it only brings us pain
To hang on to the things that we have done
Still I love the times you've come

When you went away taking all that
I'd built my false road on
I dropped my life and couldn't find the pieces
Now you come and go and it's hard but I feel my strength returning
We'll see how far this new road reaches
We'll see a little more each time we come

Now everybody's gonna tell you it's not worth it
Everybody's gotta show you their own pain
You might try to find your way up around it
But the need for love will still remain

Now we're lying here so safe in the ruins of our pleasures
Laughter marks the place where we have fallen
And our lives are near so it wouldn't occur to us to wonder
Is this the past or the future that is calling
You know I've loved these times you've come

(skip to minute 2 in the video then enjoy the song and where he messed up. reminds me of tearing apart jewelry and starting again)




"A Song for You"~~~Gram Parsons

Oh my land is like a wild goose
Wanders all around everywhere
Trembles and it shakes till every tree is loose
It rolls the meadows and it rolls the nails
So take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there

Jesus built a ship to sing a song to
It sails the rivers and it sails the tide
Some of my friends don't know who they belong to
Some can't get a single thing to work inside
So take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there

I loved you every day and now I'm leaving
And I can see the sorrow in your eyes
I hope you know a lot more than you're believing
Just so the sun don't hurt ou when you cry
So take me down to your dance floor
And I wont mind the people when they stare
Paint a different color on your front door
And tomorrow we will still be there
And tomorrow we will still be there




I am laughing at myself right now. All I was going to do was post song lyrics and pictures. I guess I just couldn't help myself!!!

Up Next at the Hop:

Erin Prais-Hintz
Marcie Abney
Christine Altmiller
Elisabeth Auld
LJ B
Lori Bowring Michaud
Shannon Chomanczuk
Cece Cormier
Jenny Davies-Reazor
Malin de Koning
Beth Emery
Michelle Escano-Caballero
Erin Fickert-Rowland
Therese Frank
Amy Freeland
Tanya Goodwin
Stephani Gorman
Amy Grass
Beth Hemmila
Kristina Johansson
Jennifer Justman
Tari Kahrs
Susan Kennedy
Ema Kilroy
Kathleen Lange Klik
Kirsi Luostarinen
Paige Maxim
Beth McCord
Natalie McKenna
Alice Peterson
Cat Pruitt
Bobbie Rafferty
Johanna Rhodes
Cynthia Riggs
Sally Russick
Sarah Sequins
Amy Severino
Staci Smith
Kristen Stevens
Lola Surwillo
Stefanie Teufel
Sandi Volpe
Holly Westfall
Shaiha Williams

39 comments:

Unknown said...

What a awesome story, I love how much the piece speaks about your love of music and how lovely the design turned out. The geode is divine. You are amazing Christine!

Patti Vanderbloemen said...

This is just beautiful! I wish I joined in this challenge - LOVED reading your post and what inspires you! The necklace is beautiful!

windrock studio said...

I agree, Christine! Beautiful piece you made and a very entertaining read to go along with it. The photos are gorgeous and I thank you for sharing your love of music, too!

Bits of Learning said...

Beautifully written, Christine! I can see the inspiration in the way the necklace flows and the grey is perfect!!

The Cabby Crafter said...

Thank you for introducing me to Gram Parsons, Christine! What a nice story and necklace. I am enjoying the blog hop. Have fun as well!

elisabeth said...

Loooove your necklace. What a really great design!

Cece Cormier said...

Like your taste in music and love that clever design, the way you used that geode in there is so cool.

Alice said...

A beautiful piece and one that fits the story. I love that geode, and your very lively post!

Unknown said...

Yes I thought it would be easy at first too. You were truly inspired! Love what you created!

Amy S. said...

Very cool - I love this focal geode and the way you complemented it! Goes great with the song too!

Kathleen Lange Klik said...

What a beautiful necklace! Really fun piece. The bead weaving and clasp are stunning. I adore geode slices, so I was drawn to that immediately. It was fun to read about your music inspirations and see how you interpreted them.

Holly said...

Christine, I'm another big Jackson Browne fan! I love your choice of songs for this challenge...and your necklace, with that lovely geode, is breathtaking!

Dawn Doucette said...

Christine, I love your necklace. It's just beautiful!
Happy Leaping!!

Lori Anderson said...

The pendant is really cool, and I love the translation!

Anonymous said...

Great piece and loved your music choices too.

Elysian Studios said...

I love it!! The necklace is gorgeous- that geode....so pretty! And I love your writing- that was so lovely! Excellent job! (and photographing it with the boot totally gave the whole post a great vibe!)

EB Bead and Metal Works, LLC said...

Wow - thank you so much for sharing the lyrics and how the piece came about. The necklace is stunning and I love how it all came together!

Cynthia said...

Beautiful songs, and I love the necklace! I havn't heard Gram Parsons in many years!

Shai Williams said...

What a lovely necklace. And it so totally suits the songs.

I had to chuckle though about the pics. My struggle almost always comes there. I had to fight with mine also but I didn't get started until last night after work.

SoulsFireDesigns said...

Oh Christine!!!!! WOW!! The music is incredible, I am not familiar with either song and I love hearing new music! I love Bonnie Rait <3. Thank you so much for sharing the music!

Your piece is absolutely incredible and I can just see everything you've talked about in it, just beautiful!!

Maneki said...

Beautiful necklace! The focal is very cool and the colour combo you chose is so nice. Like the little pops of colour in the elegant silver-and-grey.

Pearl and Pebble said...

I have never heard of Gram Parsons-what a glorious sound he has! I'm quite curious about the nudie suit now too:) Beautiful necklace. The geode is spectacular!!

Jenny said...

Maybe its the boot - which seems so appropriate as a backdrop for Jackson Browne - but I see this with a denim shirt belted over a tank - Sundance style. As always I love what magic you weave with the humble seed beads! Thanks for sharing!

Marcie Abney Carroll said...

This is gorgeous! I love these big chunky pieces of geode, but I'm always stumped as to waht to do with them. This is great! I love the finished product!

Beth Hikes said...

I love this lyric by Gram: "Oh my land is like a wild goose
Wanders all around everywhere
Trembles and it shakes till every tree is loose" and his haunting, yearning voice. Almost like devotional singing. Thanks for introducing his work to me and seeing it manifest in a beautiful necklace!

Sarah Sequins said...

I like the bead weaving with the geode! What a great way to display such a pretty stone.

I love the little pop of red in the necklace, too -- it's like Bonnie's hair!

-- Sarah

Therese's Treasures said...

Hi Christine,
I love your piece as I listened to your song choices I went back and looked at the necklace and it made me feel like I was meandering down a country road and stopping every once in a while to gaze at a beautiful sight along the road. I love the color scheme you chose the little pops of red really set it off.
Therese

Lori Bowring Michaud said...

Gorgeous necklace! I am in awe of anyone with a talent for beads and thread (I don't possess the patience or talent). I've seen Jackson Browne four times in concert, the last was in a more intimate auditorium setting. He didn't have a set list, just the guitars and a couple of musicians accompanying him. He asked the audience to shout out song titles for him to sing. It was amazing (and a long time ago). Thanks for that walk down memory lane; his music was the background of my high school years and twenties!

beautifullybrokenme said...

Fantastic music, awesome story and beautiful jewelry Christine. the mixed metallic hues are complimented perfectly by those splashes of color - beautiful!

:) Molly

Tanya said...

What a beautiful necklace. I love the little pops of red and the beaded beads on the sides. I do like the photos and would love to hear the story behind them. I bet your dog was a big help. :)

TesoriTrovati said...

Brilliant inspiration songs, Miss Christine! I have to admit that I was unfamiliar with Gram Parsons. I love the folksy quality to his voice and the lyrics are very poetic. And you know I had to look up the nudie suit! Hubba-hubba! I do like Jackson Browne. And Bonnie Rait is a firecracker. Her songs move me. There is something so intimate and raw about live music especially in a venue like this that is totally unplugged. That is the best kind of music to me. That geode is just WOW! I love it! And I think your story about the photography foibles is something we can all relate to. The bottom line is that you made something so soulful and beautiful. I love the ripple effect of the beads, like sound waves. So wonderful Miss Christine! I am so glad you could play along with me!
Enjoy the day!
Erin

Bobbie said...

I love the interpretation of the geode -- so perfectly balanced with the subtle elegance of the silver. And the pops of red are like little pops of joy. Beautiful!

stacilouise said...

very nice- love the geode slice:)

Lola said...

Although I'm more of a rocker when it comes to music, I did have the pleasure of seeing Jackson Browne in concert and I do enjoy his music. The songs you chose and the necklace you created are really lovely Christine. I love the beaded chain and the pops of red color ... and it looks great on that leather boot! Beautiful!

AntiquityTravelers said...

Christine - gorgeous necklace, and LOVE that stitch!

Amy F said...

Very cool! i love what you did with that awesome focal!

Shel said...

Great music and simply divine jewelry creation - it's so beautiful!!

CraftyHope said...

Grrrr. I'm having trouble with the videos as I'm having to use my iPad because my desktop has no speakers and the earphones stopped working. This is frustrating beyond all belief. So, unfortunately I wasn't able to hear but a snippet of either song. Sigh.
I WAS able to see your necklace though. Photography trouble or not, I definitely get the 'stripped down' feeling you mentioned. It's really a lovely piece! Nicely done. 😄

AntiquityTravelers said...

oh I remember this post! and I do love that stitch (that you showed me ... the ole zig zag!) This was a great post and beautiful piece. And as I recall this is exactly when we met .... I was in New Zealand at the time of this hop