February 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:

I would love to post a spring picture, but we in MN are still in the depths of subzero temps right now.  To commemorate that frigid cold, here is a Bokeh shot of winter lights from the MN Landscape Arboretum.  Hopefully this challenge will keep folks busy until warmer weather arrives!

Boy, I'm wishing Eric could share some real-time spring pictures too!  But MN has way different ideas.  I feel like this winter has been more bitterly cold than it has been in a while, but this too shall pass!  For now, I guess I just have to embrace the snowflakes a little bit longer!  

I've been in a bit of creative slump lately... so I'm grateful to Eric's inspiration to keep me making a bit.  It was also a good kick in the bum to not let some snowflake themed items to languish for another year.  I'll be ahead of the game next winter, right??

First up, a pair of earrings featuring lovely colorized pewter charms by Soul Relica that I snagged in a destash a while back.  Both the color and design of the charms work well with Eric's inspiration photo.  I paired them with some iridescent Czech glass melon drops and a mix of silver plated and blackened findings.  I'm pretty happy with the final effect and they aren't super seasonal feeling either.  

Keeping on the earring theme, since they are my favorite things to make... another fun pair coming right up!  For this one I was focused more on the Bokeh effect of the photo.  The effect reminded me of some charms I've had stashed away from Diana Ptaszynki for a bit.  They are wood shapes that she monoprinted with a gel plate.  I love the layered look of them!  I had some fun vintage lucite melon roundelles that paired nicely and then I added a tiny touch of aqua with some small Czech glass beads.  These are long but super light weight due to the materials used.    

Last but not least, I did manage to make a necklace before time was up!  I've had this ceramic snowflake pendant by my friend Tracee Dock of The Classic Bead forever.  Time for it to see the light of day!  (I'm pretty sure this is the last snowflake I have from her.)  Returning to my stringing roots once again, I used a combination of Czech glass, Vintaj Natural Brass, vintage fluted brass, and moonstone.  

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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Muffin Tin Design Inspiration: Holiday 2021 Edition

 

From time to time I've participated in a muffin tin challenge or, in this case, a create along.  The idea is basically to get those creative juices going by taking a muffin tin or other container, and putting the elements for a jewelry piece in each cup so that you can easily grab and create!  Above you'll find my muffin tin the way it looked when I started.  I have to admit that in several cases working on one of my legitimate muffin tin projects took me off on tangential projects, but I'm going to keep this post to just what came out of my muffin cups!

As the timing for this was perfect for a holiday gift show that I'm about to do this coming weekend at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, a lot of what I put in my tin have a Christmas-y feel to them... or at least a festive winter theme.  (You can find out more about this December Gift Market HERE.)  This was great to get a nice chunk of new designs ready to go!  If these designs don't find new owners next weekend I'll add them to either Unearthed Arts or the Carver County Arts Consortium gift shop the following week.

This first chunk of designs is clearly all about the upcoming Christmas holiday!  The top three pairs all feature upcycled tin discs from my friend Anna Pierson of SagaHus.  The red and white striped acrylic beads in several of the designs are so much fun and make me think of peppermint candies... and now I want a candy cane!  On the bottom I have some fun holly leaves from Gardanne Beads that I paired with Czech glass "berries."  And then there are some holly leaf and berry ceramic charms from Golem Design Studio with red Italian glitter resin and Czech glass.  I hope that these help make a holly jolly Christmas for someone!

Next up a fun little pin with a gingerbread man charm by Blue Hare with acrylic and Czech glass dangles.  I had two of these little guys so when this first one sold I made a second that I haven't taken a picture of yet... he'll go with me this weekend.  The earrings are made with links from a broken bracelet a friend gave me a while back.  A fun way to repurpose!

This last set is more of a random assortment of earrings.  Half of them had been sitting in my muffin tin since the last time I attempted a muffin tin challenge.  Yay for finally getting something made with languishing components!  The top left pair are more charms from Blue Hare with luscious Czech glass and moon glow lucite.  On the right I've got some lovely moon and star charms from Soul Relica that I paired with faceted labradorite and crystal.  On the bottom I've got some ceramic peacock charms with polymer clay discs from Humblebeads, painted brass bead caps, and Czech glass.  And last but not least my very favorite pair from the whole inspiration challenge.... fabulous enameled charms from Gardanne paired with some amazing corrugated vintage brass beads.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to the last few weeks!  If you're local, maybe I'll see you Friday or Saturday at the Arboretuem!