The 'inspiration' for my Darby Jewelry creations is 'the countryside and historical homes of England' (namely my favourite bit of countryside - the bumpy green gloomy Peak District.) As there are only so many bumpy green gloomy necklaces one can sell, I've had to call on things like livestock, buildings, furniture, flowers, and fabrics to help me along. Today, in particular, I decided I would make a piece of jewelry inspired by the beach in Hunstanton, Norfolk.
I would love to say I visited this place as a child and have fond memories of baking in the sun, playing with beach balls in the ocean spray, building sandcastles adorned with sand-dollars and shells, and eating ice cream sundaes until my swimsuit seams popped. This isn't quite the case. As anyone who has been to the beach in England (or even worse, Scotland), can tell you, nine times out of ten it is raining or at least dreary. The particular time I remember going it rained. A lot. Really the only bits of trips that I remember were the pony rides along the beach, 'rock' candy (Americans: this is not sugary crystals on a popsicle stick. See here.) and an otter sanctuary/Sea Life centre. Otters and ponies don't really make good necklaces (too big) and seaside rock candy would be best left to someone who works with clay beads, so I decided to work with shells! Beachy, right? Well Hunstanton isn't really a beach you can run along and come out of with giant pretty shells like the ones they sell in cheesy Florida surf shops. So I used some 'british' shells - reserved, pretty, and subtle - along with lots of glass (which is made with sand!), red and green Aventurine, and some Swarovski crystals to add 'bling.' Over all, the result is quite like the picture above - stripey and rather stunning!
If you like the look of Hunstanton, Norfolk is quite a pretty (although flat) part of England to go to! They're supposed to have England's best beaches (Great Yarmouth, Cromer, and Holkham Bay). If beaches aren't really your thing, be sure to check out Sandringham (one of the Queen's lovely homes), Castle Rising, any of the numerous Lavender farms, various sports in the area (water-skiing, tennis, and golf), or just borrow a boat and check out some mills along the Broads!
And, as always, if you don't have the cash to fly on over to the UK for a week, check out my store, DarbyJewelry, and give yourself or someone you love a little bit of the English countryside.
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