June 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:  

While recently in Seattle, we visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass.  Sarajo is a serious glass-o-phile and has wanted to go see this place for ages.  Much of the glass in indoors in somewhat dark rooms so I had a hard time taking good photos.  However, this area, and the gardens outside were much better for my type of photography.  So this month's challenge is glass! 

I've wanted to visit Chihuly Garden and Glass for quite some time... I was foiled by a stomach bug the last time I was in Seattle back in January 2019.  This was my one big request for the agenda for this trip and it did not disappoint!  I need to got through my cell phone pictures and share more from our trip... I'm kind of terrible about that.  I'm fairly confident that we'll see more Honey Do List inspiration from Chihuly in the future.   

Anyway, onto what I made this month.  Look, look... for once I actually started with a bracelet instead of earrings!  LOL.  I've had this hand painted wooden flower bead from Summer Wind Art in my stash for ages.  This seemed like a good time to finally use it!  While the yellow and orange are more dominant in the inspiration photo, red definitely takes center stage in the bracelet.  Creative license?  I'm pretty happy with the Czech glass flowers I pulled out my collection for this design.  Bracelets still aren't my comfort zone, but I keep trying.

Next up, surprise... Earrings!!  I paired some fun red and yellow/orange Golem Design Studio ceramic rounds with orange Czech glass flowers and tangerine rondelles.  I think these turned out super fun.  I need to play with more of my Golem beads in this shape!

I still had a number of things on my bead table to play with but, distracted by other projects, this bracelet was the only other thing I managed to complete for this challenge.  Sometimes that's just the way it goes!  Anyhoo... I whipped up this little multi-strand bracelet at the last minute with a Golem Design Studio ceramic lentil, matte acrylic, and lots of Czech glass.  

So that's my round up for this round of the Honey Do List challenge!  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 tomorrow to see what Eric has in store for us this month! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

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Humblebeads June 2022 Color Challege

I've really been enjoying the color challenges that Heather Powers has been hosting in her Humblebeads VIP group on Facebook.  The added element for her challenge is that you must use beads (art or otherwise) that you've gotten from her.  That certainly narrows the focus when I'm pulling beads to play with each month and helps me really hone in on things quickly.

The peachy pinks of the inspiration photo aren't really in my wheelhouse design wise so I didn't have a ton of Humblebeads purchases to choose from this month.  What I did have was a bon-bon bead from forever ago (I don't even know if Heather still makes these) and some larger disc beads from a set.  

I started with a bracelet... I had the bon-bon bead out on my mat when I saw Heather's photos for her June Create a Long.  While this bracelet isn't a copy of that project by any means, they share a little DNA.  Here that is if you missed it.  She may still have kits available.  

Heather's June Create a Long project

I loved her use of the copper Woodland Leaf from Vintaj and worked that into my bracelet design.  I added a hole in its tip and used bracelet bending pliers to give it a curve to sit nicely on the wrist.  From there I made some coordinating Czech glass links and added some tiny flower dangles to a medium sized jump ring for added interest and movement.  I'm pretty happy with the end result here!

Next I decided to make a couple of pairs of earrings with some of the beads from an oversized disc bead set in my stash.  This was a harder size/shape to work with than Heather's normal discs, but I was determined to pull something together and get them out of bead purgatory!  The colors are varied, but the design idea was similar... I paired the discs up with some Czech glass beads and copper plated beads and bead caps. I added some niobium ear wires and called it good.

Before wrapping up my efforts for this month, I wanted to try to make one more piece with the remaining oversized discs.  Really, I just didn't want to have to put them away, lol.  If I use something up then that's one problem solved!  Since I was still surrounded with beads in this color palette and the things I used for the other three designs, I just kept playing around.  I ended up choosing some warm wood beads and some coordinating square pillow Czech glass beads to round out the design.  

Considering how little I had to play with this month, I'm pretty happy with this little mini-collection.  Thanks, Heather for continuing to inspire us and challenge us to create with our Humblebeads stash!

Saga Hus Creativity Pack Review

Have you heard about the new Saga Hus Creativity Pack subscriptions yet?  No?  Let me share my experience with the very first installment!  (Full disclosure, I'm a long-time customer and friend of Anna Pierson of Saga Hus.  I love her components and have often used them in my jewelry designs.  I wasn't asked to write this post or given any compensation... I signed up for her Creativity Pack subscription and simply wanted to share with everyone what I got and what I made!)

Here's how the Creativity Pack works:  The subscription pack contains between 60 and 75 dollars worth of components. Each pack will be different. Many of the components are limited or things she is testing. Every three months, for 45.00 including shipping, you will receive a package. You may cancel at any time up to the billing date.

Now onto what I found in my package!  Anna sent us a nice variety of cocoons, a pair of fun Japanese glass components, and a lovely matched pair of faux tin charms in a William Morris print...  Part of the appeal of the Creativity Packs for me is the variety.  When left to my own devices, I tend to buy the same colors over and over.  I just naturally gravitate toward certain colors and shapes... but it's nice, and even necessary, to have other choices available outside of my color comfort zone.  This first shipment did NOT disappoint in this respect.  Lots of color variety to play with! So for less than $45 (because shipping is included in the price) I got $70 worth of fun components.  I'd say that's a pretty good deal!

The contents of the first Saga Hus Creativity Pack

Now, if I'm honest, normally I'd just ogle these lovelies then pop them into my stash for later use.  Normally my process is to start with charms or a focal and then look for things to pair with them.  This time was different!  I had just gotten back from a two week vacation and absence from the bead table when my package arrived.  Perfect timing because I was in need of a creative kick start to get me going again!  As soon as I'd unwrapped everything, I started pulling beads and charms and got to work making.  Here's my initial round of picks: 

The awesome thing is that these all came together super quickly!  Just a short time at the bead table and I had six pairs of earrings ready to go!  Here are the finished earrings I whipped up:

L) Cotton cocoons with C-Koop Bead caps and silver plate, R) sari silk cocoons with Inviciti pewter charms

L) sari silk cocoons with Slate Studio ceramic charms, R) Boucle yarn cocoons with Soul Relica colored pewter charms

L) Japanese glass connectors with Inviciti colored pewter, R) Cotton cocoons with ceramics by unknown maker

Y'all all know that earrings are 100% my favorite thing to make and to wear... so it's no surprise that I made a bunch of earrings.  And matched pairs do tend to cry out to be made into ear bobs, lol.  But I did want to branch out a bit and make a necklace too.  Anna's larger sized cocoons make a wonderful and interesting addition to necklaces, so that's where I went next.  I had an enameled pendant by Blue Hare Art Wear in my stash that worked well with my remaining pair of cocoons... I played around and found some Czech glass beads that coordinated well and made beaded links.  Voila!  I think the black wire in the cocoons as well as the black eye pins bring out the black in the pendant and keep this from getting too sweet for my aesthetic. 

I still had the faux tin that I hadn't used in a design.  For some reason, as much as I love the pattern and colors of them, these gave me a bit of a fit deciding what I wanted to pair with them and if I wanted to add beads above or below the charms.  After much deliberation, I decided on some matte carnelian rounds with crystal rondelles and tiny Czech glass flowers dangling below the charms.  I got out my hole punch and pulled this last design together.  

And just like that, I had seven pairs of earrings and one necklace all finished and ready to find new homes!  I really needed the kick in my butt that this Creativity Pack gave me!  It was fun to turn things on their head and design from a different direction than normal too.  Bonus, now I don't have to put any of these new goodies away, which is a huge bonus as my bead table is big ol' disaster zone.  

I hope you enjoyed this little exploration of the new Saga Hus Creativity Pack subscription and my take on it.  I think if you like having a bit of a surprise, this is a great value and super fun to boot.  If you're interesting in more information or want to sign up, check it out HERE.  You can also find Anna's awesome components for sale individually during her sales on her SagHus Components Facebook group HERE.

 

Inspiration for the June 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:  

While recently in Seattle, we visited the Chihuly Garden and Glass.  Sarajo is a serious glass-o-phile and has wanted to go see this place for ages.  Much of the glass in indoors in somewhat dark rooms so I had a hard time taking good photos.  However, this area, and the gardens outside were much better for my type of photography.  So this month's challenge is glass!

The reveal date will be Monday, June 27.  To make it super easy for you to participate and share your creations, I'll set up an Inlinkz link up so folks can add their blogs or links as they are ready.  Just stop by my blog starting on June 27 and join the fun!  I'll leave the link up open for a while... so you have plenty of time to add your links.  (Last month's is still open... check it our HERE.) No blog?  No worries!  Feel free to send me a picture of your creation and some brief comments and I'll happily share in my blog post.  You can reach me at sjdesignsjewelry@gmail.com  The more the merrier, so I hope you'll play along with me this month!

May 2022 Honey Do List

Good morning and happy Friday! Thanks for your patience with our slightly wonky schedule this time.  We had an amazing two week vacation filled with friends, family, fun, and food.  We got a deeper dive into Seattle, got to experience the Redwoods (including attending a wedding there!), and a good taste of the Oregon and California coasts.  Now it's back to real life and a return to routine.  Anyways... onto the business at hand... the May 2022 Honey Do List reveal!

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

I keep wanting to post Spring flowers or something, but Minnesota is still cold and rainy and not really green yet.  So here's one from our trip to the Inner Hebrides Islands: Iona.  This was a tiny and beautiful island with white sand and rocky beaches.  I figured you could use color, texture, or subject here in some interesting ways.  I know everyone will come up with something cool!  

This month it was all earrings all the time.  Who's shocked?  Anyone??  I thought not.  For me, this one was mostly about the gorgeous colors of the water and sky.  My first pair of earrings feature colored pewter charms by Inviciti paired with coordinating Czech glass beads on niobium ear wires.  

Next, I played with some wonderful ceramic beads from Marsha Neal Studio that I've been hoarding for quite a while.  The texture and glaze of these charms echo the rocky shore just a bit... the Picasso finish on the Czech glass too.  I really need to practice this type of wire wrapping more often and up my proficiency.  

Before we left for vacation I managed to whip up one more pair of earrings.  Regrettably, I don't know who made these charms (I picked them up in a destash.)  This time I found some cuprite and agate beads to coordinate.  

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

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter