SJ Designs Honey Do List – August 2020

Tags

Eric Wentling, Honey Do List Challenge, Humblebeads, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry has a challenge on her blog every month. Her husband Eric, a great photographer, chooses a photo to inspire her jewelry making, and Sarajo invites us to play along.

Photo by Eric Wentling

This month is a burst of color with this summer scene. It is especially appropriate because Sarajo has been raising and releasing monarchs in recent months. I had the perfect pendant from Humblebeads, so I couldn’t resist joining in!

I used a vintage pinch bail to connect this polymer Humblebeads monarch pendant to a strand of rich orange, bright yellow and fresh green vintage glass beads. I feel like these beads capture the summer colors of the photo, almost like the monarch pendant has landed here to drink some nectar.

Thanks Sarajo and Eric for the great inspiration and challenge! If you would like to see what others have made, visit Sarajo’s blog post.

SJ Designs Jewelry Honey Do List – April 2020

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#vintajriseanddesign, Eric Wentling, Honey Do List Challenge, Kylie Parry Studios, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry, Vintaj, Vintaj patina

Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry has a monthly challenge. Her husband, Eric, takes great photos. He chooses one to inspire her jewelry making, and she invites us to play along. The inspiration this month is fancy metalwork from a castle gate in the UK.

Photo by Eric Wentling

When I saw this elaborate lock, it brought to mind a beautiful ceramic keyhole pendant by Kylie Parry I got years ago.

I’ve been working with the Vintaj Rise and Design We-Care package I got recently, so when I wanted to add some metal elements, I dipped into that. I had watched Heather Powers’ videos about her designs with the Vintaj kit, and I used a couple of her techniques here. I hammered and sanded the brass key and used a thicker chain near the bottom with thinner chain further back; that keeps the pendant from flipping around. That is a great tip!

I wanted a tassel feel, so I added a second key and a couple of leaves. I kept one the black of the metalwork in the inspiration and used the same Vintaj Marble patina on the other that I used on the second key.

A small lampwork bead (artist unknown) and a Vintaj ring, along with the chain, complete the look.

The Honey Do List challenges are really fun. The photos are always really beautiful and full of inspiration. To see what Sarajo and others made, visit her blog. And check back after the first of the month to see the next challenge; maybe you’ll be inspired to join in!

SJ Designs Honey Do Challenge – March 2020

Tags

Eric Wentling, Joan Miller, Joan Miller Porcelain, Nikki Thornburg, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry, Thornburg Bead Studio

Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry has a monthly challenge – the Honey Do List. Her husband, Eric, who takes great photos, chooses one to inspire her jewelry making. She invites us to play along. The photos can be interpreted so many ways; it’s fun to see what everyone comes up with, including myself!

This month’s photo is an ornate door in Prague.

Photo by Eric Wentling

The softer color and ornate floral-like designs contrasts so wonderfully with the harder metal and rivets. I just love it.

I had the materials below grouped for a while, but the project just wasn’t coming together for one reason or another. 

I didn’t use the gears or some gunmetal square beads by Joan Miller that I thought I would, but I used everything else. 

The heart pendant, matching rivet beads and black and red connectors are by Joan Miller. The red and grey/silver bumpy beads are by Nikki Thornburg.

I originally thought of doing something with tin or other metal for this challenge, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to use beads that reminded me so much of the inspiration photo. The challenge helped me finish up an only partly there idea!

Thanks Eric and Sarajo! Visit Sarajo’s blog to see what others made.

SJ Designs Honey Do Challenge – October 2019

Tags

Andrew Thornton, Eric Wentling, Honey Do List Challenge, I, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo Wentling does a monthly challenge on her SJ Designs Jewelry blog; the Honey Do List. Her husband Eric, an excellent photographer, chooses one of his photos and challenges us to make something inspired by it. This month, the inspiration is a bit wicked and dark, suitable for October and Halloween.

This is Eric’s photo of a raven from the Tower of London.

Photo by Eric Wentling

It’s so cool and full of inspiration. I had a lot of ideas, and I knew there were at least a couple of ravens in my stash, so I decided to put my focus there and let a raven guide me. I had a gorgeous resin raven pendant by Andrew Thornton of Allegory Gallery.

The background of the pendant has the beautiful iridescent colors that can be found in a raven’s feathers. I wanted to play that up somewhat. There is a lot of color in the photo, but it still looks rough and somewhat dark. I decided to use rough black tourmaline beads, and play up the colors with some matte purple metallic spacers. I used copper findings and a few copper colored beveled beads to bring a little sparkle.

In the end, I don’t find my raven all that creepy. It reminds me of those memes that show a cute little bat saying, “I am the darkness.” But inspiration leads where it leads, and I like my beautiful raven necklace all the same. Thanks, Sarajo and Eric! Visit Sarajo’s blog to see what others have made.

Honey Do List – March 2019

Tags

Cathy Collison, Eric Wentling, Honey Do List, Rich Kibbons, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry posts a challenge each month. Her husband, Eric, takes wonderful photographs. He chooses one to inspire Sarajo’s jewelry designs. Sarajo shares it with us so we can play along. It’s called the Honey Do List.

Photo by Eric Wentling

When I saw the photo this month, I couldn’t believe that I had some beads that looked like they were made based on this picture! I got a small grouping of lampwork beads with colorful circles by Cathy Collison. I think they look just like they colorful wood pieces. I struggled, though, with making a necklace I liked. All the designs I thought of were too mundane or too overworked. So I changed my focus to a bracelet and remembered some wood slice beads by Rich Kibbons. Perfect!

Then I needed to figure out what could go with these beads that would hold their own but not compete. I found some vintage wavy chartreuse beads. I wanted a clasp that would also look like an intentional design element and not just a connection point, something I always struggle with in my designs. I remembered that I have some vintage lucite clasps in an appropriate color.

I’m really thrilled with how this turned out. Thanks so much to Sarajo and Eric for this great inspiration. These challenges are always fun and stretch my creativity. Visit Sarajo’s blog to check out what others made and see what is in store for the next challenge.

Honey Do List – February 2019

Tags

Clayworks by Lisa Boucher, Eric Wentling, Honey Do List, NadiaTerra, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry offers up a challenge every month on her blog. She shares one of her husband Eric’s photos to inspire those who want to play along. This month it is a winter photo featuring a bird on a branch.

Photo by Eric Wentling

I immediately knew the pendant I would use. I have a bird by Lisa Boucher’s Clayworks that reminded me so much of this bird!

To complete the pendant portion, I used a ceramic round also from Clayworks and three beads from NadiaTerra. I tried several designs using wooden beads, but it just wasn’t working. I had some carnelian beads on my table, and I liked the color and sparkle of those. Although it doesn’t show in the photo, I sense a glisten based on my own experience of similar winter days – of breath in cold air, of light on snow.

I used metal spacers between the carnelian and made it long enough to fit over my head. I love the sweet look of this round little bird, both in the picture and in the necklace. Thanks to Sarajo and Eric for the fun! I look forward to seeing what they have in store next month.

 

Honey Do List – January 2019

Tags

Eric Wentling, Honey Do List, Sarajo Wenting, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry has a monthly challenge on her blog using photos by her husband Eric as the inspiration. Fun! This month’s photo is a great architectural shot from a trip to Prague.

Photo by Eric Wentling

When I saw this gorgeous photo, the first thing I thought of is some vintage metal chain I have with diamond shaped links. I was happy to use the chain in the front of the necklace because it’s too pretty to hide! Although all the beams and windows are probably marble or something, I got a strong wood vibe. I used this cool pieced wooden bead and rectangular wood beads that remind me of the windows. The gold rounds bring in a little of the color from the glass in the dome.

This necklace is fun and kind of different than things I usually make. Thanks to Sarajo and Eric. I look forward to the next inspiration photo!

Honey Do List – December 2018

Tags

Artists for Animals Auction, Eric Wentling, Honey Do List, Patti Vanderbloemen, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo Wentling of SJ Designs Jewelry has a monthly challenge on her blog called the Honey Do List. Her husband, Eric, takes great photographs. He chooses one each month to inspire Sarajo’s jewelry making, and she shares it with us so we can play along. I’ve joined up this month; the photograph spoke to me immediately.

Photo by Eric Wentling

I love the bright colors, the cat motif and other strong patterns, so I got ideas related to those things. But I also appreciate the visual of those lovely naked bulbs criss-crossing the area overhead. I thought of a beautiful glass drop that was left in the drawer of an old piece of furniture my parents bought. I intended to make an industrial style piece with that drop and black cord or chain. 

Well, you can see that didn’t happen. Here is the beautiful drop, but when I looked at my black chain, I wasn’t satisfied with any of it. I considered combining some with a short piece of rosary style chain I had with glow-in-the-dark beads since that amused me, but when I came across a baggie of leftover sections of very colorful chain, I couldn’t resist combining them to use with the glass drop. This necklace is so cute!

I couldn’t ignore the cat motif in the inspiration photo. Cats and bright colors, what could be better? In fact, I had made a necklace for myself that would fit well with this challenge. I was planning a similar one with a second bone cat pendant for the next Artists for Animals Auction. I used this inspiration to plan my colors and design.

I used a color block design with a variety of Czech glass, dyed jade, crystal and other beads. Several of the bead colors are from a box recently gifted to me by Patti Vanderbloemen as she gets ready to pack up her studio for a move. So nice! Due to the move, her shop is currently closed. Please check back in a while. I can attest that her work is beautiful because I own some well-loved pieces, and it supports Miracle Horse Rescue.

I’m so in love with this necklace. I love white beads, and I got to use some fun ones here. The focal is by Yvonne Irvin-Faus. When I got into my black and white beads, I found these great black and white eye looking beads that echoed what I feel like are eye shapes on the pendant. I used some large textured beads I believe are from A Grain of Sand, chalk white rounds, fabulous white rectangles, little hatchet shaped black beads I’ve had for a long time and some wonderful large holed red vintage glass on a jump ring for a dangle at the bottom of the pendant. It just came together so nicely. I loved how one of the black and white beads looked at the end of the strand near the clasp to bring that element to the back, but I only had one left in the end. Otherwise, I think it’s perfect.

These three necklaces are the ideas that popped into my head upon seeing the inspiration photo. I’m so glad I participated this month. This inspiration was perfect for me. I had a lot of fun and have two necklaces I will enjoy wearing and another that got me started on my auction items. Thanks Sarajo and Eric! I look forward to participating again. Visit Sarajo’s blog to see what she and others made.