June 2023 Honey Do List

 2023 marks the eighth 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!  (Y'all, time really does fly!!)  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:   

During our trip to the arty city of Asheville, NC recently, I took a ton of pictures of amazing graffiti.  Take a decrepit brick building and make it into a work of art? Check!  This month's challenge is to use either this graffiti/mural as inspiration...or take your own photo and use it as inspiration!  

I love both the cute little bird with his kind of sad expression and the colors and patterns in this photo!  The bird itself (himself?  males are usually the colorful ones) started off my creativity for this month as I started to grab beady possibilities from amongst my stash.  

What did I make first?  Earrings!  Who is surprised??  What, no one is?  That's fair.  First up, a pair of earrings highlighting a pair of winter bird porcelain charms from Artisticaos.  The colors were perfect even if they aren't exactly summery.  

For my second pair of earrings I picked a cute set of birdie charms from Happy Fish Things.  The colors really worked for the inspiration and I feel like their little body decorations fit with the feeling of the mural too.  These really didn't need much from me... all I did was add some little Czech glass beads for legs and brass ear wires.  

  

I eked out a little more creative time this past weekend and managed to finish two more pieces for this challenge.  I had pulled a fabulous ceramic pendant from Golem Design Studio and am so happy I managed to complete a necklace with it.  I adore their fun and colorful designs and am in awe that each one is hand carved and glazed.  Anyway, I wanted to do something asymmetrical with some yellow Czech glass leaves.  to balance those leaves and a faceted yellow jade teardrop on the one side, I used a trio of Czech glass flowers on the other.  Pulling from the colors of the pendant, I selected some Swarovski pearls in Petrol and some aqua colored crystal.  

Last but not least, I whipped up a sweet little bracelet using a set of polymer clay beads from Humblebeads that have languished in my stash for a long time.  I kept the design fairly simple just adding some spacers between Heather's beads.  For the rest of the bracelet I used a mix of enameled link chain and a more plain gold plated oval chain.

I really had hoped to play with some lampwork glass from my stash that channeled some of the colors and patterns in the mural.  Sigh... so many ideas, so little time.  Maybe, just maybe something will come of those before I clean off my work space again.  

But enough of might of beens... it's time to see what YOU created! Please add links to/photos of your own creations below.  I love seeing what everyone else is making too.  Check back on July 1st to see what Eric dreams up for us next!

 

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April 2022 Honey Do List

2022 marks the seventh 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!  (Y'all, time really does fly!!)  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: 

Since we are finally getting close to actual Spring (yes we had rain, freezing rain, and snow yesterday in MN,) I decided to pick an optimistic sun for this month's challenge!  I took this on our trip to England a few years ago and am just now getting to go through my pictures of that amazing trip.  I bumped up the contrast and vibrance on this picture to accentuate the color and texture differences.  Good luck and good beading!

Apparently, Eric was a little apprehensive that I wouldn't have much that would work for this month's inspiration... but that couldn't have been further from the truth!  I found LOTS of good stuff that would possibly fit the colors and themes.  My bigger issue was pulling myself back in to focus on one project at a time.

Per my usual process, I started with some fun earrings.  I do this for two reasons... 1) I know I'll have something made come reveal day and 2) it helps get my creative juices flowing as my other pieces hang out at the edges of my bead mat.  

First up, I played with two different sets of ceramic charms from Jana at Happy Fish Things.  Both had the turquoise of the sun's patina but the first pair is much more rustic.  At first I was thinking to use these great charms with the narrow end down... in moving things around my mat, one got turned the other way and a light bulb went off in my brain!  I used some fun little metal beads and tiny Czech glass rondelles to dangle from the bottom of the tribal feeling charms.  

The second pair of charms are more glossy and refined feeling.  They have both the turquoise and the golden tones in there.  I paired some great verdigris acrylic melon beads with brass nuggets and Czech glass.  I did some mixed metal action combining brass, copper, and blackened tones.  

Next, another pair of earrings with pretty much the same top portion as the last pair, but with gorgeous enamel charms from Blue Hare Art Wear this time.  The golden color of the charms was just perfect for the rusty bits and lichen in Eric's photo.

But, wait.... there's more!  I "found" a lovely layered botanical pendant from Slate Studios Supply in my stash that hadn't yet been properly put away.  (Bonus, now I don't have to!)  Anyway, the rustic texture and patina of the center portion of the ceramic piece nicely reflected the colors in the sun of the inspiration photo.  This piece is really all about the patina color but I also give a nod to the rough background with some matte Czech glass and cuprite.    

I managed to eke out one more necklace before time ran out on my this month.  While not a sun, the face in the middle of this delightful polymer clay focal by Staci Louise Originals reminded me of the sun in the photo.  And it didn't hurt that the colors were right!  I went asymmetrical this time using a mix of bead links and stringing with a mix of Czech glass beads and copper plated accents.

  

I still have a bunch of partially thought out designs sitting on my bead table.  Who know, I may end up getting one or more of them done before we say goodbye to April.  Even though I do it more often than I'd like, I really don't want to shuffle these pretties into a box for (hopefully) another time.  I've got too many of those little boxes and bags of ufos!  Here's a tiny peak at one of the ideas I was having earlier in the month before I close.

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 soon to see what Eric has in store for us this month! 

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Honey Do List August 2019

This is 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:

This month I've chosen a wall from Nunney Castle in England as your muse.  I love the patterns, shapes, and colors of the lichen, with a little pop of green from the fern.  Hopefully this will point you in an interesting direction for inspiration!

When Eric gave me this month's photo, I knew that I had to use at least one of the pendants that I made at the Adornments Retreat in Erin Prais-Hintz's Petri Dish class.  I had one where the colors and blotchy patterns were just perfect for lichen.  Hooray!!  I paired this pendant (one of my favorites from that class) with lots of yummy Czech glass beads.  Picasso finish beads with their mottled colors felt like a perfect pairing!  I added a few Amazonite rounds to pick up the blue in the pendant.

Next up, a lichen inspired pair of earrings!  There's something about the organic look of these awesome chandelier connectors by Happy Fish Things that made me think of lichen.  The yellow and brown colors work nicely with Eric's photo (the backs are a lovely rich brown too) and they also have great texture.  I added dangles made up of crystal and pearl as a nice counterpoint to the rustic nature of the ceramics.  I think these will be really fun to wear!

I had already made a couple of fun bracelets based on a tutorial from Heather Powers, but as I was finally taking photos of them I realized that some of them worked for the Honey Do List.  Voila!  The flower shaped ceramic button is from Lisa Peters Russ and the others are from Marsha Neal.  I snagged all of them at Bead & Button.  The glazes on the ceramics and the Picasso finish on the seed beads both echo the lichen even if the colors aren't 100% perfect in some of them.  I've just added a couple of these bracelets to the Arts Consortium of Carver County gallery in Victoria, MN and Unearthed Arts in Waconia, MN.

Happy to have some solid lichen representation, I moved on to focus a little bit on that intrepid fern growing from the rock.  It's so amazing how life always finds a way!  I've had a little bag filled with components to make a pair of earrings set aside.  I have no idea why I never got around to actually making them other than that they are for me!  Anyway, I had some silver leafy components from Candice Wakumoto and fun little lampwork beads by Jennifer Ionta.

Next up, another foray into my pile of abandoned projects!  When I was looking for something else in an art bead drawer, I rediscovered a fern patterned and filigree wrapped pendant that I made ages ago in 2012 when I attended a Vintaj Two Day Workshop in Galena, Illinois.  (Seriously, I can't believe it was that long ago!)  Again, not exactly sure why this one was still waiting to become a piece of jewelry, but I'm glad it was.  I had gotten out a bunch of beads that I was considering, but then a light bulb went on in my brain.  What if I made a piece on my Now That's a Jig! to connect the pendant and chain?  I tried a couple of different versions before I decided for sure.  Once I had a shape that I liked, I hammered it for strength and texture and then wire wrapped coils around the component on each side.  To let the pendant shine, I just used unadorned Vintaj brass chain... completely ignoring all of those bead that I'd pulled!  

Ok, this last necklace features a polymer clay focal that I made at Heather Powers' Inspired by Nature Retreat in 2016.  (Seriously, what's up with me, ferns, and unfinished projects?!?)  To create this piece we made a custom mix of polymer clay colors that we rolled out into a sheet and pressed actual fern fronds into.  After baking we used acrylic paint to bring out the fern patterns.  It was a super fun class!  Anyway, after lingering for almost 4 years, I used Heather's "Metal Sketches" technique to decorate the back side of the copper piece I cut to go behind the polymer clay house shape.  (And I totally forgot to get a picture of the back side when I had light!  Doh! Thus the background that doesn't match the others.)  I riveted the polymer clay to the finished back and then wrapped a little brass fern piece around the top.  Since the fern piece was brass, I decided to do a mix of brass and copper plated findings in the yoke of the necklace.    

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 September 1st (our 18th wedding anniversary) to see what Eric has in store for us next month!

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Art Elements Theme of the Month: Petroglyphs

The theme for this month's Art Elements Theme of the Month challenge was another challenging one for me... Petroglyphs.  At first I really wasn't sure that I had anything that would work... but after some good digging through my art beads with an open mind, I found a few earring charms that felt right.

First up a simple little pair of earrings that I whipped up with some of Marsha Neal's fabulous ceramic charms and Vintaj Natural Brass findings.  Even though these are a simple design, they have a nice visual impact. 

Next, I finally played with one of the few pairs of painted pewter charms that I've managed to snag from Inviciti.  I felt like the raised pattern and the colors evoked the feeling of cave paintings or carvings.  For this pair I used some faceted Red Creek Jasper rounds, some Swarovski studded rondelle spacers and some little Czech glass beads in pale neutral tones. 

Last but not least, a colorful little pair of earrings featuring some super fun charms from Jana of Happy Fish Things.  I haven't made two many earrings with charms that have two top holes or loops (although there are two in this post!) so this design definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone!  I paired some little Amazonite rounds and fun shaped vintage German glass beads. 

And just for giggles, I'll leave you with this little photo taken at a lovely set of waterfalls near Mankato, MN.  I wonder if future civilizations will one day find things like this and wonder about the cultures that created them... Hmmm.

This is a blog hop.  Check out the links below to see what everyone else was inspired to make this month!

Guest Artists:
Jill Egan: https://kilnfiredart.wordpress.com
Tammy Adams: http://www.paisleylizard.com/blog
Alison Herrington: http://AlisonAdorns.blogspot.com
Alysen: http://chicchixnchampagne.blogspot.com
Sarajo Wentling: https://sjdesignsjewelry.blogspot.com
Jenny Kyriach: http://anafiassa.blogspot.com
CraftyHope: http://CraftyHope.com
Kathy Lindemer: https://bay-moon-design.blogspot.com

Art Elements Team:
Lesley Watt: http://www.lesleywatt.com
Jenny Davies-Reazor: https://jdaviesreazor.com
Cathy Spivey Mendola: http://cmendola.blogspot.com
Sue Kennedy: http://www.suebeads.blogspot.com
Caroline Dewison: http://www.blueberribeads.co.uk
Laney Mead: https://laney-mead.blogspot.com/
Marsha Neal Minutella: http://blog.marshanealstudio.com
Claire Fabian: https://saraccino.blogspot.com

We're All Ears: June 2018

I skipped this challenge last month due to some time constraints, but I'm back in action for the June We're All Ears reveal!  This month Erin has chosen kaleidoscopes to inspire our imaginations!  My gears started turning immediately.

This theme made me think of a Bruce Munro installation, Reflections, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in the winter of 2016-17.  It was the only indoor piece in an amazing collection of winter lights.  Kaleidoscopic imagines were projected down onto fabric covered tables spread throughout the auditorium.  It was mesmerizing to watch the shifting colors and patterns!  You can get a better idea of this piece over on his website HERE.  You can also explore his website to see some other amazing installations he's done playing with light and color.

Now onto the jewelry!

Probably because of the Bruce Munro installation, I first thought of some bright charms by Jana Bliznakova of Happy Fish Things that have a fun kaleidoscope type pattern to them.  The colors also made me think of the pattern on the left above.  Unlike what I did with a similar set of Jana's charms awhile back, I decided to keep these simple.  I just wire wrapped a few seed beads onto the charms' wire loops with some copper/orange colored wire and called it good!  These earrings are plenty bold without any additional beads. 

As I was looking through my art beads for possibilities (I'm always trying to use these so I can justify new purchases!) I rediscovered some fun wax resist tubes by Joan Miller that I bought at Bead & Button last year.  The patterns in the glaze remind me of how the patterns in my childhood kaleidoscope looked... just in a less colorful palette.  I added some brass bead caps and black and bronze Czech glass beads to the bottoms leading to an overall shape that is sort of reminiscent of a kaleidoscope and finished the earrings off with brass ear wires.

Staying with ceramics for this month, I also grabbed some fun little lentil beads from Golem Design Studio whose patterns reminded me of the images in a kaleidoscope.  I kept things pretty basic and just added some antique silver colored beads to the top and bottom of the lentils.  I wire-wrapped some small seed beads onto the arched ear wires for added interest though... not wanting to go too simple. 

Head over to the Earrings Everyday blog to check out what everyone else was inspired to make this month!

Artisans Create Together Inspiration Challenge: May 2018

The monthly inspiration challenge over on the Artisans Create Together Facebook group is "Happy Dance."  How appropriate for the month that brings us Cinco de Mayo, Mothers Day, and lots of blooming things in our gardens to have the focus be on colorful patterns and textiles!  After a winter that was WAY too long for this girl, I'm loving these happy brights and the riotous mix of colors and patterns!

The first thing my mind went to for this challenge were some fun new enameled components that I got from a de-stash event.  The charms themselves have tons of colors and textures... perfect!  First up, a pair of long skinny charms by Tina Piraino that I paired with some cute little drops by my friend Anna Pierson of Saga Hus Components.  I love the tiny touch of fiber on the drops!

Next up, an even wilder pair of charms by Marie Demico that are so crazy vibrant.  I'm so in love with the lime-y greens and pops of other bright colors.  Yummy!  I wire wrapped some coordinating Czech glass with copper wire to finish the look.  I've had these rondelles in a fun mix of greens for a while, but I finally found the perfect use for some of them.

Moving on from enameled charms, I picked a bright pair of charms from Happy Fish Things for this big, bold design.  I used some orange wire to hide the loops on the charms while bringing out the darker orange of the charms.  In a go big or go home moment, I added some turquoise wooden beads that are large but lightweight and some yellowy Czech glass.

Lastly, not a new design, but some new colors and new versions of old colors for my up-cycled beer can flower earrings.  Each of these pairs has a mix of different colors as well as the texture in the embossed copper blanks.  As soon as I can card these cuties, they'll be heading into Unearthed Arts.

I hope my post brings a much needed, happy dose of color into your day.  After a fairly quiet design month, I feel like I'm back on track and ready to make more fun jewelry!

Artisans Create Together Color Palette Challenge: July 2017

I always enjoy a good color challenge and this month's Artisans Create Together Color Inspiration challenge is no exception!  These color inspirations are just one of the creative challenges that this Facebook group organized each month.  

Usually there are two different choices, but this time it's almost like having three since Challenge #1 is all about using either blue and white or red and white.  (Is it wrong that I was relieved that this was an either/or thing and not the full on red, white, and blue thing?)  Anyway, so many good choices just in this first challenge!  

My first two designs are variations on a theme... and that theme is super cute red and white enameled mushroom charms by Gardanne Beads.  I snatched up two pairs of these little mushrooms the first time she offered them up at an online trunk show and was thrilled to get them.  I kept one pair (fairly) simple with little links of Czech glass flowers and rondelles in red and red with brass.  I went a tiny bit "bigger' with the second set using adorable red and white polka dotted lampwork beads by Grace Lampwork that I got from Lima Beads with the mushrooms in mind.  I wish I had snagged more!

I had big plans of making a necklace with this amazing pendant that I also got from Gardanne, but I ran out of time and other things were screaming louder.  Eventually I'll get back around to this little beauty!  

For the Orange & Lime challenge, I went for more earrings.  I knew that I had some perfect charms in my stash for this one!  I started with some fun ceramic charms by Jana of Happy Fish Things.  I love the bright colors she uses... in this case green, orange, and turquoise!  I'm not always crazy about how the metal loops on ceramic components look and often hide them in some way.  This time I decided to leave them alone as I kind of liked the black and silver rustic look these have.  I picked some vibrant Czech glass beads to dangle from the bottom loops.  These are a little "louder" than what I often design but I think they're super fun!      

I also revisited a design I first made early in the year using enameled bead caps from C-Koop Beads.  This time I used some lime green flower bead caps and added some brass foliage bead caps that I painted bright orange.  The tendrils turned a bit looser than my previous attempts.  In Eric's words... "natural product, results may vary."

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest creations!  I'm off to pack for the Adornments Retreat in Galena, Illinois.  I can't wait to immerse myself in creativity for my birthday weekend!  I'll tell y'all all about it when I return!

Artisans Create Together Inspiration Challenge: May 2017

This month, the Facebook group Artisans Create Together has pulled together two gorgeous inspiration color challenges.  I couldn't pass up the opportunity to play along with both of them!  As luck would have it, I had some lovely earring components for each color palette.

First up, this amazing and vibrant color collage featuring bright blues, yellows, and greens!  I recently placed my first order with the talented Jana Bliznakova of Happy Fish Things and she sent some cute earring charms as a thank you gift that were just perfect for this challenge.  They are predominately turquoise and bright yellow, but the mixing of those two glazes gave some tiny bits of green along the leafy pattern in the charms.  I had two orphan glass beads that were a craft store purchases a million years ago that paired nicely and I added some yellow Czech glass beads and brass findings to complete the look.  

This second color palette was the one that initially drew my eye.  I love the mix of copper and turquoise... yummy!!  This time I went for a new pair of enameled charms by Gardanne as my starting point.  I did some fancy (for me at least!) wire wrapping with copper wire that I had patinated with liver of sulphur and coordinating Czech glass and added some orangey seed beads to jump rings for a fun touch.  I couldn't be happier with how these turned out!  

I didn't make this second pair specifically for this challenge (they were actually published in Stringing Magazine's Earring Gallery... created to go with a Southwest theme) but I thought that they were worth sharing since I never put them up on my blog.  These bold earrings feature lampwork glass by Firelily Glass and brass feathers that I painted with Vintaj paint patinas.  These still haven't found the right person go home with!

Thanks for checking out my latest earring creations!  I'm heading back to the bead board to see what else I can dream up!