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

The SJ Designs Jewelry Honey Do List is going strong... And it's time for the April reveal! Woo-hoo!

This month's challenge was all about beer--beer bottle labels, specifically. After all, so many craft beer labels are quite artistic, and the idea was to use a bottle label as inspiration for a jewelry design.

Not my picture!
A sample of different beer bottle labels and matching beads, courtesy of SJ Designs Jewelry

...And, well, it definitely was a challenge!

You see, there are times that I do creative exercises like these, and everything just falls into place. Everything goes exactly as I want it to, and the end result is spot on. Other times, everything is a struggle, and at some point I end up throwing my creations across the room. 

...Yeah, this was definitely one of those latter times! 

In fact, my first challenge had nothing to do with jewelry at all... My first obstacle was finding a beer to use! 

It should be noted that I am no beer connoisseur, and I admit to not being a huge hops fan. (I suppose it's an acquired taste that, well, I haven't acquired.) My husband and I don't often drink beer, or any alcohol really--not because we're opposed to it, it just doesn't occur to us.

So, yes--my first task was simply to find a beer to use as inspiration. 

Thankfully, I went to a un-housewarming party of some good friends of mine (they're moving soon, and wanted to celebrate)... And they had beer! Hurray! To their amusement, I took pictures of many beer labels... And eventually, I decided on two of them to use for this challenge. 

Here is the first one:

You can also see a jewelry project to the left, and more beer and crayons in the back.
It was my kind of party.

So! Using that bottle as inspiration, here is what I made:

The large focal bead is actually a paper bead--not made by me, but by PaperBeadGirl. (The same goes for the other four paper beads in the chain.) My mum gave those beads to me as a present, and I picked them for this project because the striations made me think of both the label's turntable and its background blocks of color. 

Also used in the design: dyed cheesewood, vintage German acrylic, carnelian, tiger-eye, and gold-tone metal. 

As a quick side-note, I should mention that my original plan for this necklace involved a large tigereye donut instead of the paper bead focal. Unfortunately, the color balance was all wrong, and the gold center I wanted to give it ended up breaking, and all in all it definitely didn't turn out the way I wanted!

One of the other problems I had with this necklace was that I wasn't sure how long to make it. Eventually I solved this by adding waxed cotton cord to both ends--dark brown, reminiscent of the brown of the bottle. They can be tied in the back, which means the necklace can be as long or as short as the wearer wants it to be.

Something that went well, though: the earrings. The matching earrings are also made with paper beads from PaperBeadGirl--again, due to their color and their turntable-esque appeal. They are paired with carnelian and more dyed cheesewood... And they turned out exactly as I wanted them!

Overall, I like this set... It's not quite the design I had in mind when I started, and it doesn't quite match the bottle, but it is still very pretty and definitely pushed my jewelry-making boundaries.

And now for the second set.

The second bottle that I picked was a bit brighter, and more summery (and I didn't actually drink it, so don't ask me about the flavor):

...And, from that inspiration, this is the citrusy set that I made:

Unlike the previous set, this set actually fell nicely into place. While the colors don't exactly match (the bottle was more orange, and the necklace is more pink), the coin beads make me think of lemons and other things citrus-y. Paired with both gold and copper, I think I captured the feeling of the bottle!

So, there you go! Those are the two sets that I made for this month's beer-inspired challenge. Halfway through the month, I honestly thought I wasn't going to have anything to show for my efforts... I'm so glad that I stuck with it! 

As always, thanks to SJ Designs Jewelry and her husband Eric for putting this challenge together! 

And thank you for reading this blog post! I truly appreciate you stopping by, and I hope that everyone has a wonderful day!

Wednesday's Worktable

On today's worktable: seahorses!

...Well, different shades/shapes of Czech glass and brass seahorse charms, to be more precise:

And just what inspired today's theme, you ask?

My trip to the Newport Aquarium yesterday! Along with one of my very best friends, I got to go to the Aquarium and experience the new seahorse exhibit. What fun!

Not my picture! This one, and the two below, were taken yesterday by my co-adventurer.

There were many different kinds of seahorses there--as you might imagine--but our favorites were the Dwarf Seahorses (above) and the Weedy Seadragon (below). As one might expect from their name, the Dwarf Seahorses are absolutely tiny--less than two inches long! And the Weedy Seadragons? They just look cool:

Also not my picture! All credit goes to my friend and her phone's camera.

It was a really fun day--as our outings tend to be. In addition to going to the Aquarium, we even took a trip to Michaels, where I picked up these beads to commemorate such a happy day. (And what can I say, they were on sale!)

...Now, what I'm going to make with those beads, I'm not entirely sure. There will be earrings, definitely. I'm toying around with a few necklace ideas, too, but nothing concrete just yet. Still, it's super fun to play around with options--just like it was super fun to see the seahorses in person!

So, there you go... That's what I'm playing around with today.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

We're All Ears: April Inspiration

It's the third Friday of the month (already!), which means that it's time for the We're All Ears April reveal! Woo-hoo!

This month's inspiration, perfect for Spring, was all about fiddlehead ferns--their gently unfolding leaves, and the unfurling spiral that gives them their name:

Not my picture!
From the Earrings Everyday blog post introducing this month's theme.

It was the fiddlehead's spiral that caught my attention for this particular challenge. As soon as I saw the above picture, I knew what I wanted to make.

And so, from that inspiration, I made this pair of earrings:

I made the spirals are made out of heavy gauge wire, and accented them with crystal teardrops and filigree leaf charms. These earrings actually turned out exactly as I had pictured them--and, all in all, I think they do justice to the inspiration! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by, and be sure to check out what everyone else made! (Found here.)

Have a wonderful Friday, everyone!

The Jenny Monthly Challenge - April Edition

I have really been struggling to figure out what to do for this month's challenge. (You actually probably guessed that, since the month is almost half over, and I am just now posting this. Heh.)

Still, after much debate, inspiration struck earlier this week. Hurray!

So, what's my April Challenge, you ask? 

This bag is my April Challenge:

Ah, yes... Still life with vintage teapot, catapult, dinosaur, and BAG.
Oh, and a lovely card from my mommy.

That bag?

Is from a local consignment shop--one that is I can easily walk to, but only recently visited. (And by recently, I mean the last week of March. It's called Shoes Included, for anyone interested.) It's a shop that has all sorts of treasures, from shoes to furniture to jewelry (there is currently a piece from South Africa in there that I'm drooling over!). 

When I first went in, I expressed interest in some of the less expensive jewelry--which shouldn't be a surprise, because I'm always looking for things that I can repurpose. I explained to the owner that I make jewelry, and she told me that she also had pieces of misfit jewelry to sell--lone earrings, that sort of thing.

So, what's in the bag?

Jewelry pieces are in that bag!!

I. Am. Thrilled.

Seriously thrilled. I love unique components, and I love repurposing things. It's always fun when you can take something and give it new life!

Here are some of the lovelies, laid out...

...And so, my April Challenge is going to be to make something using components from the bag. 

One of those purple necklaces, dismantled. What fun things to play with!

Now, I'm sure I'll mix in other pieces supplies from my stash, too, to make the finished pieces. That is perfectly acceptable. My main goal is just to use some of what I picked up--I have a whole bag of goodies, after all!

(For example, I can already tell that a lot of these components are big--and while I like making statement necklaces, I tend to use smaller components to do so. So, it's time to rummage through my supplies to find things to complement them... or challenge myself to make something big and bold using big and bold beads!)

So, there you go, that's my Monthly Challenge for April! Be sure to come back on Friday, April 29th to see what I end up making!

...And, yikes, that's not too far away. I better hop to it and start creating! Wheee!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Wednesday's Worktable

What have I been working on this week? Mostly figuring out what to do for April's Monthly Challenge! (More on that in a bit.)

Oh, and I've also been working on this:

A tassel necklace in the making!

I've been poking around at that combination of beads for a little bit now, but it's only been recently that I've actually done anything with them. From top to bottom, that collection includes: carved soapstone focal, glass, tigereye, yellow-green opal, Czech glass, and two shades of wood.

...And I would say it's coming along nicely, don't you think?:

The focal and tassel have been hung on a three-strand necklace, comprised of leather, brass chain, and copper chain--a combination that I actually put together for one of last month's Challenge pieces, and didn't end up using.

I'm pretty much done with it... Although, now I just have to decide if I want to leave it at 8 strands in the tassel, or make it 10!

So, that's what I've been up to! Making a tassel necklace, because tassel necklaces are fun. :)

Oh, and in regards to my Monthly Challenge... I think I've finally figured out what I'm going to do for it! Hurray! I've taken pictures, so I should be announcing it either tomorrow or Friday. Be sure to come back to see what have decided to work on!

Until then--have a happy Wednesday, everyone!

Sale at Wonder and Whimsy!

Go to Wonder and Whimsy, and use the coupon code APRILSALE16 for 20% off your order!

Pixie Bells

I have decided that, in May, I'm going to have a big shindig on my Etsy store. Lots of new jewelry, new stories, and a new look (hopefully)!

It's long overdue... After last year's unintentional sabbatical, I have a large amount of beautiful inventory that needs to be listed--and I have quite a few lovely pieces currently listed that need to find homes. 

Pretty as a Button

So! To make room for more inventory--and to find homes for previous work--I'm having a sale! 

What doesn't sell, I may end up repurposing or incorporating into something new... So, if there's something there that you've been wanting, now is the time to get it! (Or let me know, so that I don't end up repurposing something you love.)

Fae King's Roses

Again, the coupon code is APRILSALE16!

I hope you find something that you love! And be sure to stop by in May--so many beautiful things are coming! I'm excited!! :)

Wednesday's Worktable

On my worktable today: more long necklaces!

Well, okay, only one long necklace. But! I do have plans for several more. I'm just making a few other things first, like the pieces that I started-but-didn't-finish in last month's flurry of activity. (And a few more challenge pieces, too... Like the piece that I just finished for this month's We're All Ears challenge. Woo!)

So, yes, long necklaces. This is the one that I'm currently working on:

The pendant is Indian Agate--and is not like any other Indian Agate I currently own. Everything I have is more on the green/brown/orange-cream scale, not this lovely red-and-mauve color. 

So! Not to be deterred, I have paired it with garnet and glass (both cat's eye and shiny purple).

The final necklace will be nice and long (about 36 inches, give or take), much like the similar ones I posted about in Part 12 of March's Monthly Challenge Reveal.*

My plan is to make a collection of them, and list them to my store. Ah, my poor long-neglected store. That hopefully will change this month... I really need to start moving some of this inventory backlog! :)

So, there you go. That's what I'm working on this week: playing catch-up from last month, and having fun with a unique Indian Agate pendant.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!


---
* - If you don't feel like clicking that link, these are the other necklaces I was referencing:

I want to make one in every color... Wheee!

Hello, April!

...and hello, April Fools' Day!

This morning, I was attempting to come up with a pithy and clever April Fools' shenanigan to post here. Nothing mean-spirited, just silly. 

And so, I made these:

Random artichoke earrings for the win!

Only, I think the joke is on me, because I really like them. Apparently nothing quite says whimsy like vegetable earrings!

...And that's all I've got. After yesterday's post-a-thon, I don't have the brain power to say anything introspective about March, or forward thinking about April. And that's all right, because I made artichoke earrings, and they make me happy. Yay silliness!

Have a wonderful day--and a wonderful weekend, and a wonderful month--everyone!