Honey Do List January 2021

Sorry to be running a little late with the reveal this month.  Things got a little busy for me last weekend with a Facebook jewelry sale and a TON of cooking.  Better late than never?

2021 marks the sixth 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... The Honey Do List!  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 inspirations (I just couldn't decide between the two options he gave me) and what Eric had to say about them:

So fitting the winter wonderland we are currently in (Minnesota Yo!) I figured I'd post something wintery.  Here was a photo shoot from last year from inside our warm home.  The juncos were going crazy in the snow and entertaining both me and the cats!  Let's see you get those post-holiday creative juices flowing. 

I have to say that I enjoy watching the birds outside our windows as much as the kitties do... although I don't tend to chirp and "bark" at them!  Juncos are some of my favorites and they aren't here all year in force.  

The first thing I started playing with this month was actually a necklace that never actually came together.  (More about that a little later.)  This pair of earrings came to be as I jumped off of that unfinished design.  I punched an extra set of holes in a pair of Vintaj hammered rings and dangled some little bird and leaf charms from the bottom.  Fairly simple and fun!  The cream and copper bird Czech glass beads share the wintery feel of the photo I think... and the leaves are just a promise of spring to (eventually) come!

I really love how this next piece turned out!  As soon as Eric gave me the photos, I knew I wanted to use one of the sweet winter bird enameled charms from Lindy's Designs.  When I bought them I was thinking earrings, but they were bigger than I had thought so I started thinking necklace ideas!  I wanted to play off the little berries on the pendant and I had the perfect vintage German beads in my stash.  I added in some fun fused glass beads that have a lovely shimmer to them as well as a few kyanite ovals.  Chain at the back completes the look.

And, as promised, here's the idea that never totally came together.  The beads are still rolling around on my bead table so there's still hope that I'll be able to pull a finished design out of my hat.  I love the folk art style painted wooden pendant by Summer Wind Art and think it will be a great spring piece of jewelry.

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

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