Inspiration in Everyday: July 2017: Koi

It feels like it's been awhile since I've played along again with a design challenge from a newer group on Facebook called Inspiration in Everyday.  The group has been created as a means to share the everyday things we take inspiration from to use in jewelry.  The idea is pretty simple... find something that inspires you to create beads, components, or jewelry, take a photo of it, create something based on that inspiration, and share in the group!  There is an art bead focus to the group and each creation shared should include at least one handmade art bead or component.

While we were wandering around Milwaukee when we visited for the Bead & Button Show last month, we stumbled upon a cool piece of sidewalk art.  We were on a mission to get someplace (probably the next beer or cocktail!) but I still stopped to snap a quick iPhone photo of these delightful koi fish swimming on the cement.  Maybe I was subconsciously inspired by this unexpected artwork, but I ended up buying a cool koi pendant from Diane Hawkey at the show.  

In my usual way, I gathered a bunch of possible beads to play with Diane's pretty pendant and let them percolate on my bead mat (and in my brain!) for a bit while I worked on other things.  Here's a peak at my not-so-controlled-chaos!  Most of these beads made it into my final design!

I ended up using an eclectic mix of materials to play with the pendant... ceramic, Czech glass, copper, cracked quartz, and teal paisley jasper.  I didn't love the look of the black wire loops on the top and bottom of the pendant with the materials I had selected, so I played around with a couple of different options to camouflage them.  For the top loop, I wrapped coils of copper colored wire all the way around it.  On the bottom I was originally thinking that I would have some sort of dangles... charms and or beads... so I started by adding some small jump rings decorated with seed beads that I thought would fall on either side of the charms.  I never quite got the dangle idea to gel (partially because it felt like the focal was getting too big and partially because I wanted the koi have the attention) so I ended up just adding a few more decorated jump rings.  I like the effect... what do you think?

My photos really don't do justice to the gorgeous shimmer or the gold highlights in the pendant, but I promise it's even lovelier in person!  I may have to make Eric get the photo light box and real camera out for this one.

Thanks for stopping by to see the inspiration that I found in everyday!  P.S. If you're interested in my Bead & Button adventures this year, you can read my post on that HERE.

Inspiration in Everyday: May 2017: Apple Blossoms

This month I'm playing along again with a design challenge from a new group on Facebook called Inspiration in Everyday.  The group has been created as a means to share the everyday things we take inspiration from to use in jewelry.  The idea is pretty simple... find something that inspires you to create beads, components, or jewelry, take a photo of it, create something based on that inspiration, and share in the group!  There is an art bead focus to the group and each creation shared should include at least one handmade art bead or component.

This past weekend, Eric and I went on some afternoon wanderings to try out a new local cider maker's tap room as well his new camera.  After a lovely and relaxing sojourn on the deck outside of Number 12 Ciderhouse in Buffalo, Minnesota, we took some time to explore the lovely grounds.  (Their taproom is located at the back of the building at Deer Lake Orchard... and if you like cider you should seriously check it out!)  While Eric was busy putting his brand spanking new camera through it's paces, I snapped a few pictures with my trusty iPhone.

Zestar Apple Blossoms at Deer Lake Orchard, Buffalo, MN

Not quite true to all the colors in my photo, I couldn't resist making something with these sweet copper flower charms by Patricia Healey.  I have to give Eric credit for picking out the Czech glass rondelles for the design.  They are in a color that Lima Beads appropriately called Pumpkin Sky, but I don't think they carry them any more.  I added in some little blue agate rounds nestled into copper plated bead caps to complete this design.

I have an idea for a necklace inspired by this photo too, but it has a vintage pendant that may not be considered an art bead.  I've got a few other things lined up that have more pressing deadlines, but I'll make sure to share if I circle back to the necklace idea!

Inspiration in Everyday: April 2017: Korean Bell Garden

There's a new group on Facebook that I found through the Art Bead Scene blog called Inspiration in Everyday.  The group has been created as a means to share the everyday things we take inspiration from to use in jewelry.  The idea is pretty simple... find something that inspires you to create beads, components, or jewelry, take a photo of it, create something based on that inspiration, and share in the group!  There is an art bead focus to the group and each creation shared should include at least one handmade art bead or component.  

I just returned from a vacation with my husband to visit friends in the Washington D.C. area and I certainly found some inspiration along the way!  On our first full day in town we ended up making a visit to the Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.  Truth be told, we were anxiously awaiting word on our luggage that had taken an unplanned overnight in New York City due to Delta's major network and weather issues.  We didn't want to go too far afield so this was a great way to spend the morning before meeting our friend for lunch.  (Don't worry, we did get our bag that day, but had to return to the airport to do so!)  The day was a bit chilly and windy, but Eric and I still had a wonderful time traipsing around the gardens.

One of the areas of the gardens of particular interest, and my inspiration for this post, is the Korean Bell Garden.  This garden area was created via a joint effort between NOVA Parks and the Korean American Cultural Committee... starting with the original proposal in 2007.  The centerpiece of this garden is the bell itself.  It's called the Bell of Peace and Harmony and was cast by one of the best bell makers in Korea in a way that has been used for centuries.  The bell features traditional Korean images as well as images symbolic of Virginia.  The surrounding pagoda structure was built completely by hand using traditional methods.  The area around the bell pagoda features replicas of ancient Korean monuments and statues, walls and stone structures adorned with traditional Korean symbols, and a flowing water way.

Photo by Eric Wentling

As we circled through the gardens I took several detail photos of artwork from the walls as well as the bell itself and combined them into a collage to share on Instagram.  Seeing those images together is what clicked into place for me... a lightbulb went off in my head and I knew that there was jewelry to be made from this inspiration!

The muted colors and the butterflies in the bottom right panel made me think of a ceramic pendant by White Swan Illuminations that I picked up at Allegory Gallery last summer.  I wanted to capture the idea of the flowers but didn't want to add a lot of color... I had two sizes of white/ivory Czech glass flowers that perfectly fit the bill!  I added in links made with Bronzite, Dalmation Jasper, as well as some other Czech glass beads in an asymmetrical design.  The finishing touch is a tiny brass butterfly charm hanging off the back of the clasp.

Since my first design was so monochromatic, I wanted to do something with a touch more color.  I had the perfect Humblebeads forget me not pendant in my stash to do the job!  I had just bought a few strands of Czech glass spacer beads in a mix of muted pastels that I knew I wanted to use.  I gathered some other Czech and vintage German glass beads as well as some pearls for this strung design.  This necklace is more about the colors in the two floral panels from the wall in the garden as well as the floral motifs from the bell itself.

Thanks for stopping by to check out my designs inspired by what I found in my everyday!  I hope you'll take a moment to stop and see what inspiration is waiting around you!