Inspired by Reading November/December Blog Hop...

Today is the Reveal for November and December's selection for the Inspired by Reading Book Club!  Due to the holidays, we had to adjust the schedule a bit.  For November, we read, "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart.  For December, we read, "The Journey to the East" by Hermann Hesse.

It's interesting how both books, were quest books.  "Bridge of Birds" was a novel written in the style of ancient Chinese folktales that follows the paths of Li Kao and Number Ten Ox.  They have set out to find the Great Root of Power to save the village children from a sudden illness.  The book is told with tongue-in-cheek humor and moves at a quick pace once the journey begins.

In "The Journey to the East", the narrator belongs to a mysterious League who voyages to the East.  Each of the characters on the journey all have a different goal in mind.  The narrator seeks to find Princess Fatima, but the quest is vehicle for more psychological and philosophical questions.  The relatively short novel is told in a confessional style that is a recollection with details obscured by secrecy and self-described poverty and illness.

The first book was met with overall favorable reviews, while the second was met with mixed results.  Both had some interesting imagery to pull from.

Unfortunately, due to the inclement weather our in-store meet-up was canceled.  It's a shame, because I really do look forward to these gatherings.  I think that everyone who comes uses it as an opportunity to do more than just talk about books and being crafty, but to unwind and socialize.

And without further ado… here's the REVEAL:

This necklace was made by Laurel for "The Journey to the East".  This necklace features an Asian-inspired gunmetal toggle clasp, spindle-shaped carved blackstone, and white calcite.  The necklace refers to the circular nature of the story and the contrasting tones exemplifies the dark and light aspects of the human heart.

This necklace was a recent find at Kilbride Antiques by Laurel that she wanted to share.  She thought it was particularly apt for "Bridge of Birds".  The necklace is made of vintage black clay, Mexican Oaxaca fetish beads in the shape of birds.

Here's a look at the pieces Laurel created for "Bridge of Birds".  Here's what Laurel had to say about her pieces:

"Based on the text that the pieces are sitting on, this is my necklace with matching earrings.  Obviously the focal pieces are: star (from Allegory Gallery), cloud (Etsy), sloth (Mark Poulin -Etsy *very cool stuff, worth checking out), lotus flower (Etsy), feather (freebie from Etsy seller with purchase(, broken tree pendant (from really bad Etsy seller..), Green chain was sourced from a broken necklace.  Woot woot!  Bird/heart/red stone and brass dangle pieces represent the garden in the text.  They are sourced from the Destash page.  The blue/khaki glass is Czech glass from Allegory Gallery.  The beaded strand is various shades of jade and turquoise.  I basically tried to not go crazy with ginseng or gemstones.  Wanted to stick with the passage imagery."

Here's a close-up of the earrings that were made by Laurel for "Bridge of Birds".  

Here is a close-up of Laurel's necklace.

This necklace was created by Karen Hiatt for "The Journey to the East".  Karen is a new participant, who found out about the book club through the article in Beadwork magazine!  Here's what she had to say about her piece:

"This asymmetrical sterling silver, blue topaz and pearl necklace with a bit of wirework is what I was inspired to create.  I see a beautiful, but circuitous journey.  It is the first time I have created something that was not inspired by the materials I am choosing to work with or something visual, like a flower in the garden etc.  Therefore, I imagine that there is still a lot that thrown in.  Old habits are hard to break!"

This necklace was made by me for "Bridge of Birds".  This necklace is composed of silkworm cocoons, pearls, jade barrels, and a sterling silver bird toggle from my family at Green Girl Studios.  In the book, silk production is a highly valuable source of income and is part of the catalyst for the events of this book to take place.  I have had these silkworm cocoons for awhile and never knew what to do with them.  I decided to use them in this necklace.  They're extremely lightweight and rattle.  (Apparently the silkworm is still inside!)  The jade and pearls were selected because they reappear often in the book… even one of the characters is named that!  The necklace seems simple, but don't let if fool you!  It was tricky punching holes and then threading the flexible beading wire through the cocoons!

This bracelet was made by me for "The Journey to the East".  The book references the journey taking place around astronomical and astrological movements and observes several magical practices of different traditions.  I used wooden beads from Lillypilly that are laser-engraved with alchemical symbols to depict that.  The wooden beads are spaced out with Czech glass from Allegory Gallery.  They also mention that several of the League are in Africa and is why I used the brass dowry ring in the center to hang charms off of.  I have included a rutillated quartz star, a hand harm, and a key.  The hand is sometimes called a "Hamsa".  It is also known as the "Hand of Fatima".  The narrator's quest is to find Fatima, and I thought it was an appropriate translation of his desires.  The key symbolizes unlocking of the mind and spirit.  Also, one of the other members of the journey is in search of Solomon's Key, which will enable him to learn the language of birds.  The bronze toggle is also from my family at Green Girl Studios.

But wait… there's more!  The fun isn't over yet!  Take a look at what these Inspired by Reading Book Club members made with "Bridge of Birds" and "The Journey to the East" in mind for the blog hop:

Sarajo Wentling

Jeanne Marie Steck

Mary K McGraw

Mary Harding

Andrew Thornton, Laurel Ross, Karen Hiatt

The next book is, "The Enchantress of Florence" by Salman Rushdie.  For the remainder of this year's list, CLICK HERE.  The new list and schedule will be announced shortly!  The in-person meet-up at Allegory Gallery is scheduled for Tuesday, February 4th from 6PM to 9PM.  The next blog hop is scheduled for Wednesday, February 5th!  If you're interested in keeping up with what we're doing, CLICK HERE to visit our Facebook page.  CLICK HERE to view our Pinterest board with supplemental inspiration.