SJ Designs Honey Do Challenge – March 2020

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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.

Art Journey #5 – Joseph Cornell

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Andrew Thornton, Art Bead Scene, Art Journey #5, Helen Chalmers, Joseph Cornell, Miss Fickle Media, Nikki Thornburg

I am very excited by the art inspiration for Art Journey #5 with Art Bead Scene and artist Joseph Cornell. Cornell was an assemblage artist, and the works are so intriguing. There is so much interest in each piece, but they don’t seem busy. Some could even be described as spare, though they are absolutely overflowing with inspiration.

When I saw Hotel de la Duchesse-Anne, the canceled stamps in the corner made me think of an assemblage pendant I have by Andrew Thornton that has a canceled stamp in the center.

I was looking for something in my Miss Fickle Media stash when I came across a vintage seed bead and tiny seed pearl strand she made with her handmade brass clasp. I loved the idea of it with the pendant. I wanted more heft, so I made a similar 30″ seed bead strand with a couple of larger vintage lucite beads in the same army green as in the pendant. Further up the strand, I put some large seed beads to draw the eye up. I wanted the strands to hang together, so I used two large hole lampwork beads to string them through above the pendant, the bottom by Nikki Thornburg and the top by Helen Chalmers. That bead has red in it, a nod to the bright spheres in two of the inspiration pieces.

I added a third, shorter strand of pearls. In the inspiration piece Untitled (Medici Princess), the princess is wearing a longer necklace with a medallion pendant with a picture of her father and a shorter strand of pearls. I wanted to get that multi-necklace look in my single piece.

When I was taking pictures, I realized I wouldn’t be able to show the dual necklace look because the part with the pendant is 30″ and the pearls are about 18″, but I hope this photo gives you a sense of it. I added a little keyhole charm from Vintaj that looks like an old found object to add to the assemblage feel.

Old + New

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Nikki Thornburg, Thornburg Bead Studio, Vintage Bead Vault

I love combining vintage and new materials, and the things in this necklace came together so perfectly. I got this heart pendant and matching beads in chartreuse and black from Nikki Thornburg of Thornburg Bead Studio. She even pre-wrapped the pendant. I love something that saves me doing wire work. 

When I bought the set, I had in mind some vintage chartreuse beads I had gotten from the Vintage Bead Vault, which I love. 

I rarely see this specific shape of bead, and I love it. These vintage West German beads are also a favorite color, and the givré element, with the color encased in clear glass, makes them more interesting.

I’m really pleased with how this turned out and how the old and new beads worked together. I have two of the smaller lampwork beads left for another project!

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WIPs

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Andrew Thornton, Cynthia Thornton, Dot Winchell, Joan Miller Porcelain, Nancy Adams, Nikki Thornburg, Round Rabbit, Winchell Clayworks

I’m very pleased with how occupational therapy is going for my thumb, but I’m still not to the point of being able to bead. I got a new exercise yesterday, and in doing it this morning I could only hack one set instead of two. But I can feel that I’m getting better all the time.

So, in the absence of new makes, I will show some old works in progress (WIPs).  These are materials I’ve had gathered for a project for quite a while but have never actually put the piece together. These things may or may not work out in the end. It will be interesting to see whether they come together or I end up releasing the beads back into the wilds of my stash.

The first grouping started with beads by Joan Miller Porcelain.

This heart, and steampunk elements are by Joan Miller. I’m pretty sure I got the chain with these beads in mind. I know I bought the red and gray/silver pair by Nikki Thornburg with this project in mind.

Next up is an idea for a necklace with a hand painted pendant by Dot Winchell of Winchell Clayworks. 

I think these pink melon Czech glass beads will be wonderful with it. I have a Swarovski shank button I got at Mood that could be a good closure. I love this little floral/filigree button. I took a picture of the wrong side; the other side looks like mother-of-pearl. I’m not sure how I’d use it, but it’s worth trying in the design. 

This pendant is by Nancy Adams of Round Rabbit. She doesn’t make beads any more (that’s how long I’ve been hoarding this) but she does still make beautiful handmade items, so still check out her shop. Czech glass and amethyst are perfect for the pendant; the actual design of how the beads will fit together remains to be seen.

Here is a bronze coin by handcrafted by Andrew Thornton (and designed by Cynthia Thornton) with some lovely carnelian calla lillies.

One last project is actually going to be a remake of a vintage necklace my mom bought and then gave to me. 

Look at those gorgeous beads and clasp! I really like it just the way it is, but it needs to be restrung and is just a little short for me. I’ll try separating the beads with some seed beads my mom also gave me to match or add a chain extender in back.

Thanks for reading, and I hope to show you some of these in finished form in the future.

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