Honey Do List February 2019

Can you believe that we're starting the fourth year that my husband Eric has been giving me a design challenge each month to get me out of my comfort zone and to help clear out my bead stash... it's the Honey Do List 2019!  I know that I'm not the only one who loves a good design challenge, so I'm hoping folks will continue to play along with us!

Here's this month's inspiration and what Eric had to say about it:

I took this shot outside our friends Jim and Lori's cabin up north in Minnesota.  At the time I thought it was pretty cold out.  After the past week of -28 degree and up to -60 degree windchill that now seems like shorts weather!  To commemorate this Polar Vortex of Doom I really wanted to get a winter shot for this month, so here you go!  A cute nuthatch on a limb!

I'm so glad that Eric chose a picture from our pre-New Year's trip up North.  It was a magical trip to our friends' cabin that mostly involved sitting by the fire eating, drinking, chatting, or reading while looking out at the snowy landscape.  We had some late night wildlife watching too as we sat in the darkened living room and watched a group of deer eating right outside the wall of windows.  Amazing!  But I digress...

As soon as I saw this little nuthatch, I knew that I finally needed to make something with a sweet birdie polymer clay pendant by Summer Wind Art that Eric gave me ages ago.  This pendant is on the small side, so I knew I didn't want to overwhelm it with anything too large.  I ended up picking out some Swarovski crystals, labradorite, Czech glass, and matte plated hematite to coordinate with a size 11 seed bead blend and strung an asymmetrical design.  I'm not sure I'm loving the background for this one, but it's what I had on hand when I was taking pics.  I may try for a do-over the next sunny day we get!

Here's a closer look at the little earrings that I whipped up to go with the necklace.  

My second necklace also features a pendant by Summer Wind... this time one of her wood burned and hand painted pieces.  While the turquoise bird is far brighter than our little nuthatch friend, I liked that he too was sitting on a bare branch and has a white background immediately around him.  I'm playing with asymmetry again here, but using bead links instead of stringing this time.  The turquoise Czech glass links felt like a no brainer, but I also mixed in a few beads with yellow/golden tones to play off both the colors of the wood as well as the nuthatch's chest.  I used a mix of glass and gemstones (yellow jade, golden blood quartz, and some sort of jasper) with Vintaj brass findings.

In addition to my designs, I'm thrilled to share this stunner of a necklace made by Shelia Sheets!  Shelia made the lovely polymer clay pendant and beads and I'm swooning over here!!

Now it's your turn!  Please add your links to your own creations below.  I love seeing what everyone else is making too.  Please check back March 1st to see what Eric has in store for us next month!  

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