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:
I struggled a bit this month to find a suitable picture, mostly because we are in the depths of white snow, ice, gray skies, and all-around "Blah." So here are some majestic Redwoods from Northern California that we got to see this summer. I had never been to the Redwood Forest and was blown away by the size and beauty of this area. Pictures don't do it justice!
Our visit to the Redwood Forest truly was a highlight of 2022... so awe inspiring! I love that Eric chose one of his pictures from that trip for us to start of the new year. It really captures how small you feel looking up in the midst of these giants.
As is my norm, I started out with some earrings... easy to get something done and know that I would have something for the reveal if time ran out on me (which it always seems to do!) My first pair is very similar to something I made (and sold) before Christmas with a different pair of charms. I liked the first pair so well that I whipped these up in the same style. They feature enameled copper charms by
Lindy's Designs paired with Swarovski pearls, acrylic, and Czech glass.
Next, I decided that a pair of
Vintaj wood pop outs that I had stained in green and brown would work for this challenge. I paired some fun Czech glass and brass for these. I look forward to making time to play with more of this line of products from Vintaj in 2023!
Continuing on the earring design train, I had one more pair up my sleeve. This time I got to use some stunning enameled charms by
Gardanne. Photos just don't do them justice... especially those gold dots! Wanting to keep them at a reasonable weight, I grabbed some fun new corrugated acrylic beads that I snagged and coordinating Czech glass. To go with the gold spots, I used gold plated spacers and gold filled ear wires to complete the design.
Looking through my
Golem lentil collection (trying to find something for a different project) I found a bead that felt really appropriate for the Redwood inspiration so it was time to make a bracelet! I used a mix of wood, Czech glass, and a few gemstone rounds on brown waxed Irish linen and brass.
I had a few other ideas and art beads on my bead mat, but time ran out on me... story of my life! Considering how busy this month has been, I'm pretty pleased that I got this much done. I wish I could say that February will be slower, but that's a lie. Eric and I are hitting the high seas on the Bead Cruise soon with a brief stop at Disneyland beforehand. Should be a fun time and I'm sure I'll be telling you all about it when we're back on dry land.
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 dreams up for us next!
