Reveal - SJ Designs Jewelry Honey Do List October Design Challenge!

It's been awhile, but I'm happy to say that I was able to play along with this month's Honey Do List challenge! Yay! (And, to be fair, I actually made things for the last few challenges--I just didn't get a chance to blog about what I made. Heh.)

For those who don't know/don't remember, the Honey Do List challenge is the monthly challenge that Eric Wentling has been giving his wife Sarajo over at SJ Designs Jewelry.

This month's challenge was inspired by the following, taken by Eric while he and Sarajo were visiting Disney World in Orlando:

Not my photo!
Photo from the SJ Designs Jewelry Blog.

Oh look--it's a photogenic giraffe!

I honestly wasn't sure what I was going to make for this challenge, but I rooted around in my stash and was delighted (and rather surprised) to find that I actually had a giraffe--and matching beads--in my collection:

The giraffe itself is handcarved wood, and was salvaged from a broken vintage necklace. And so, with it--and the coordinating beads--I made this asymmetric necklace:

Materials include mookaite chips, peridot, wood (green rounds and tan stacked cylinders), clay, brass, and copper. I am personally quite fond of the various shades of the mookaite; I think they do a good job matching the dappled look of the giraffe itself.

Also, I realize that the color scheme is a bit brighter than the inspiration picture... But, hey, at least there's a giraffe! And there's a tassel, which I think mirrors the tree fronds seen in the photo. (Which I also admit is just an excuse to have a tassel, but that's okay too. *grin*)

This necklace went through many, many iterations before I finally settled on the current design. The straight, rigid legs of the giraffe added a whole extra layer of challenge. I wanted to make it into a focal, but the location of the hole (and the aforementioned legs) was hindering it from laying correctly. 

Incorporating it into the side of the necklace seemed to be the answer. Asymmetry has never been my strong suit, but it works! At least, I think so. :)

Overall, I think that this is a whimsical and happy necklace. I enjoy the mix of colors and materials--and how it is rather unlike anything else I have ever made. I also enjoyed overcoming the challenge posed by the giraffe bead--it's always fun to feel clever!

So, there you go! Thank you so, so much for stopping by to see what I made for this challenge... And thank you, Sarajo and Eric, for letting me play along! I look forward to see what next month's challenge will be!

Have a wonderful night, everyone!