Challenge of Travel Blog Hop

It seems the only way I can get myself to actually PHOTOGRAPH and POST pics of my work is to participate in a blog hop.  So, when Erin of Tesori Trovati Jewelry  posted on her blog, Treasures Found - Inspiration is Everywhere about the upcoming Challenge of Travel Blog Hop, I signed myself up.  We got to choose our region and country.  I immediately choose Japan.

Now, those of you that know my style or have seen my house don't think of traditional Japan.  But, I wasn't thinking of traditional Japanese style.  I went right to contemporary Japanese Pop Culture.

I visited Tokyo for 10 days in 2005.  While we visited some historical sites, the most memorable parts of our trip were focused on pop culture and food (oh the glorious food!).  We spent days (and nights) at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Seas, The Ghibli Museum, shopping in Shibuya and Shinjuku, spotting Harajuku girls, seeing underground pop bands, shopping at places like Tokyu Hands, the Kitchen District and the amazing and wondrous department stores.  Oh, and the vending machines!  I put many a coin in those vending machines.

(Photo from 8Tokyo.com)

No one, no where, does pop culture like the Japanese.....and I adore it all.  The odd thing about my love of Japanese Pop Culture is that I am pretty much CLUELESS about American Pop Culture.  But, I find all things "Kawaii" (ie" Super Cute in Japanese) to be amazing.  The bold (and extravagant) use of color and pattern is way out of my comfort zone (and I'm not shy) and minimalism is an unknown commodity.   Harajuku Cosplay has gotten quite popular in the US recently and it is amazing and inspiring to see in person.  There's a whole Flickr Group devoted to Harajuku fashion.

So, that's where I started - with Japanese Pop Culture and a bunch of stuff from my stash.    Luckily, i have a ton of vintage lucite, lots of plastic, some toys from Japan and lots of other beads to work with from my ever-growing vintage (ie: hoarder) collection.  It didn't start out to be as easy as I thought it would be, however.  I've been working mostly with art beads, fibers, leather and other more "earthy" elements lately. Apparently, I've toned down my style!  I made, tore apart, re-made, tore apart my first piece several times - and it is still my least favorite piece of the trio I ended up with.  But then, I got my groove back and I went a little nuts.  So, yes, there are 3 pieces here (and I really could have made more).  Oh, and I'm still futzing with photography.  And by futzing, I mean cussing.

Here's my first (and more sedate) piece.  The colors are so not me.  I must have been channeling Martha Stewart here.  But, the vintage lucite, the plastic flowers, the My Elements rubber rings and the sweet blue owls are lots of fun.

Then I went nuts.  Plastic dinosaurs from earrings I used to wear in 1984, more plastic flowers, a string devil doll, a Gloomy Bear from a Japanese vending machine capsule, more vintage lucite, random glass flowers, more My Elements stash, and - oh look - a couple of Elaine Ray art beads.

My last piece was more gothic inspired with a Disney twist.  I seem to have quite a collection of Little Green Men (from Toy Story).  I got most of these in Japan and, while I haven't been wearing them lately, I seem to never trow anything out.  So, these guys got mixed with vintage American vending machine baubles, more vintage lucite, My Elements plastics and rubber and some (almost eatable) vintage glass beads.

I'm just crazy enough that I will wear 2 our of 3 of these.  Martha Stewart can have the pastel bracelet. ;)


There are 59!!! bloggers on this blog hop.  It may take be a few days but I will visit each and ever one of these sites.  Enjoy your own journey!

Lisa

Name	Blog	Region Chosen	Inspiration Nation
Monique Urquhart	http://ahalfbakednotion.blogspot.ca/	Africa	Burkina Faso
Niky Sayers	http://silverniknats.blogspot.co.uk/	Africa	Egypt
Therese Frank	http://www.theresestreasures59.blogspot.com	Africa	Kenya
Raychelle Heath	http://abeadloveaffair.blogspot.com/	Africa	Lesotho
Joan Williams	www.lilrubyjewelry.wordpress.com	Africa	Mauritania
Sherri Stokey	http://www.KnotJustMacrame.com	Africa	Senegal
Regina Santerre	http://reginaswritings.blogspot.com	Africa	Seychelles
Raida Disbrow	http://havanabeads.blogspot.com	Africa	Tanzania
Kristi Wodek	http://livedinlife.blogspot.com	Africa	Zimbabwe
Sally Russick	http://www.thestudiosublime.com	Americas	Brazil
Melissa Trudinger	http://beadrecipes.wordpress.com	Americas	Mexico
Tracy Stillman	http://www.tracystillmandesigns.com	Americas	USA
Sandra Wolberg	http://city-of-brass-stories.blogspot.de	Asia	India
Tanya Goodwin	http://pixiloo.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Susan Kennedy	http://suebeads.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Beth Emery	http://storiesbyindigoheart.blogspot.com	Asia	Japan
Lisa Cone	http://inspiredadornments.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan < Here U R!
Tanya Boden	http://fusionmusebangkok.blogspot.com/	Asia	Japan
Inge von Roos	http://ingetraud.wordpress.com	Asia	Laos
Erin Prais-Hintz	http://treasures-found.blogspot.com	Asia	Nepal
Dee Elgie	http://cherryobsidia.blogspot.com	Asia	Phillipines
Carolyn Lawson	http://carolynscreationswa.blogspot.com	Asia	South Korea
Lisa Stukel	http://carefreejewelrybylisa.blogspot.com	Asia	Sri Lanka
Elly Snare	http://themagicsquarefoundation.wordpress.com	Asia	Thailand
Shelley Graham Turner	http://www.shelleygrahamturner.blogspot.com	Europe	Austria
Mallory Hoffman	http://rosebud101-fortheloveofbeads.blogspot.com/	Europe	Bosnia Herzegovina
Paige Maxim	http://www.pmaximdesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	France
Jenny Davies-Reazor	http://www.jdaviesreazor.com/blog	Europe	Germany
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson	http://sharylsjewelry.blogspot.com	Europe	Greece
Evelyn Shelby	http://raindropcreationsbyevelyn.blogspot.com/	Europe	Iceland
Holly Westfall	http://silverrosedesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Ireland
Rebecca Siervaag	http://www.godsartistinresidence.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Toltec Jewels	http://toltecjewels.blogspot.com	Europe	Ireland
Lee Koopman	http://StregaJewellry.wordpress.com	Europe	Ireland
Laren Dee Barton	http://larendeedesigns.blogspot.com	Europe	Italy
Cindy Wilson	http://www.mommysdreamcreations.blogspot.com	Europe	Norway
Kathleen Lange Klik	http://ModernNatureStudio.blogspot.com	Europe	Poland
Shaiha Williams	http://shaihasramblings.blogspot.com/	Europe	Portugal
Jennifer Justman	http://soulsfiredesigns.blogspot.com/	Europe	Romania
Elsie Deliz-Fonseca	http://ladelizchica.blogspot.com	Europe	Spain
Lola Surwillo	http://www.beadlolabead.blogspot.com	Europe	Sweden
Kim Hora	http://www.kimmykats.com	Europe	Switzerland
Leanne Loftus	http://firstimpressiondesign.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Patti Vanderbloemen	http://myaddictionshandcrafted.blogspot.com	Europe	The Netherlands
Marcie Carroll	http://labellajoya.blogspot.com	Europe	Turkey
Marlene Cupo	http://amazingdesigns-marlene.blogspot.com	Oceania	Federated States of Micronesia
Ine Vande Cappelle	http://jewelsbyine.blogspot.com	Oceania	Fiji
Tammie Everly	http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Guam
Alice Peterson	http://www.alice-dreaming.blogspot.com	Oceania	Kiribati
Elisabeth Auld	http://www.beadsforbusygals.com	Oceania	Nauru
Susan McClelland	http://mistheword12.wordpress.com/	Oceania	New Zealand
D Lynne Bowland	http://islandgirlsinsights.blogspot.com	Oceania	New Zealand
Denielle Hagerman	http://somebeadsandotherthings.com	Oceania	New Zeland
Rebecca Anderson	http://songbeads.blogspot.com	Oceania	Papua New Guinea
Mischelle Fanucchi	http://micheladasmusings.blogspot.com/	Oceania	Samoa
Kari Asbury	http://hippiechickdesign.blogspot.com	Oceania	Solomon Islands
Cece Cormier	http://www.thebeadingyogini.com/	Oceania	Tonga
Emma Todd	http://www.apolymerpenchant.com	Oceania	Tuvalu
Debbie Price	http://greenshoot.blogspot.com	Oceania	Vanuatu