Honey Do List – February 2021

Tags

Honey Do List Challenge, Now That's a Jig!, Sarajo Wentling, SJ Designs Jewelry

Sarajo of SJ Designs Jewelry generously shares her Honey Do List challenges with us. Her husband, Eric, is a talented photographer. He chooses a photo each month to inspire our creations. The photo this month was right up my alley. Eric took it on a trip to London.

Photo by Eric Wentling

There is so much to work with here. But what struck me first was the red heart and the chain link fence. I love the contrast between what could be thought of as hard and soft, colorful and not. I wanted to use those two images to make earrings.

My wire work is not perfect, but it was good practice and looks kind of like weathered fence links. I find it difficult to take pictures of earrings, but I think they look fabulous on. The hearts swing inside the frames, so they have great movement. (Someday I hope to get a Now That’s a Jig! if they are ever available again, so I can make amazing things with steel wire!)

This was a very fun challenge. Thanks Eric and Sarajo! Check out Sarajo’s blog to see what she and others made for this challenge.

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

Tags

#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.

Distracted Jewelry

Tags

Bead Soup, Bead Soup Cafe, Honey Do List, Lisa Peters Russ, Lori Anderson, SJ Designs Jewelry

When I was making this necklace today, I thought about how a lot of my jewelry comes about because I’m looking for something and before I find it, I’m distracted by something else. I guess it is a method that works because I like my distracted jewelry!

About a week ago as I was falling asleep, I suddenly had an idea for a necklace using a Lisa Peters Russ pendant. By the time I got into my studio, I remembered an idea I had for the current Honey Do List from SJDesigns Jewelry. The things I was trying were not working out, so I went to look for the Lisa Peters pendant. While I was looking, I saw my box that includes beaded beads. Over the last few months, I had several ideas for some vintage Czech beaded beads, so I took a look at those. That is the necklace that came together. The other ideas are still around, but I made the one that came together first. 

I had gotten this great red tassel from Lori Anderson of Bead Soup fame. I thought it would look great with this vintage red beaded bead. I added a cloisonné bead on top. The strand is made from hessonite garnet nuggets, seed beads and Czech glass. I brought the red in again at the back with a vintage lucite box clasp. 

This was as much fun to make as it will be to wear. I need to clean up a little in my studio so I can work on the other projects still to be 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!

Bead in the New Year with Allegory Gallery – Week 1 Wrap Up

Tags

#beadinthenewyear, Allegory Gallery, Allegory Gallery Design Challenges, Andrew Thornton, Heather Powers, Humblebeads, Maire Dodd, Miss Fickle Media, SJ Designs Jewelry, William Jones

As I said in my last post, Allegory Gallery has put together a calendar of prompts for each day in January to help people be more creative and take time for themselves, something they saw many people post about as goals in 2019. I’m going to try to do a weekly recap of what I’m making. I don’t know that I’ll get much else made this month (although I do have the start of idea for the SJ Designs Jewelry Honey Do List challenge for this month.)

Day 1 – Make a pair of earrings

I am having a really fun time participating in the challenges. It’s eye-opening and inspiring. I’ve found that I actually do have more time to bead than I’ve been taking. I like to bead first thing in the morning, so I save it for weekends. But I’ve now make some really great things on workdays. I think I’m more relaxed doing more beading.

Day 2 – Create a new bracelet

I’m also realizing that when I have a simple idea, I should just go ahead and do it! I’ve had the idea to use this beautiful chain and clasp as a bracelet since I got it from Miss Fickle Media. I finally did it. Charm is by Maire Dodd.

Day 3 – Put together a necklace

I’m using the prompts to also finish projects that have been floating around in my head for a while. This is a more recent one, but I hadn’t done it yet. Mary Redman and Walter Gross gifted me with some beads, and these large speckled vintage plastic beads really struck me as wonderful. I had an idea right away. The prompt gave me the push to put it together.

Day 4 – Make a matching jewelry set

Think outside the box and be ok with good enough. I initially thought of a jewelry set as necklace, earrings and bracelet. I don’t do that, so I thought maybe I’d skip this day. Then I realized a set could mean something else. I hadn’t worked ahead so besides having little time after work, I also had no light for the picture. I went simple with my stretch stacking bracelets and took the best picture I could. Done is done, and I’ve got some cute, casual bracelets.

Day 5 – Use an art bead

I rarely start making without an idea. For this, I just sort of looked at art beads in easy reach to see if an idea came to me. When I saw this faux tin focal from Humblebeads, I got out my turquoise colored beads and these chrysocholla looked perfect. I kept trying to design something, and it just looked flat. I worked at it, adding and taking away, and finally came up with something that I think really works. I think sometimes I give up too soon or hang onto a design idea too long. The timeline of the challenge forced me to move along.

Day 6 – Fashion a design using Czech glass

I had been meaning to make this project, one of Heather Powers’ Bead Table Wednesday tutorials, since I got the faux tin toggle from her. I saw the toggle when I picked out the focal from the last project, and knew this project called for Czech glass. I’m so glad I got this done and am thrilled with how it turned out! I love the colors.

Andrew Thornton has addressed some people’s concerns about staying on track or being “behind”. He reminded us it’s supposed to be fun above all, you can participate as much or little as you like and post any project on any day. However, it you want to challenge yourself to finish all prompts, figure out some time management strategies. I am working ahead, but I’m pretty slow and can only finish one or two projects on my best day. But that’s ok. I’m having a lot of fun, and that’s the point!

Thanks to Andrew and William Jones of Allegory Gallery for this wonderful idea. If you would like to check out what folks are making based on these prompts, visit the Allegory Gallery Design Challenges Facebook page. Scroll through the feed or visit the album to see them all!