Sj Designs Jewelry

Sj Designs Jewelry

The Honey Do List: June 2016

Each Month Sarajo"s husband, Eric puts up a photo to inspire her to use up some of her beads. They call it The Honey Do List. 

They have invited others to play along which I enjoy doing very much!

Here is this month's inspiration and what Eric had to say about it:  I wanted to use a shot from our recent trip to Oregon for this month's challenge.  I took this picture at the Japanese Gardens in Portland, where I noticed the reflection of the ferns on the top of the rippling reflecting pool.  I waited several minutes, dodging small children, until a koi happened by--making the shot even more interesting.  Take inspiration from the color palette, the fish, the ferns, the water, the clouds--whatever strikes your fancy!  

So last night I happened to catch the sunset and I think it is spectacular. What I really think is exciting was the colors and where I ended up this month with this challenge.

I made bead after bead after bead. All month trying to figure out how to reflect the photo. Last minute I found a tin and made a  mostly orange necklace. I can't wear orange but I sure do like it..1 

 

I used Swarovski Crystal beads along with some small Czech beads and a polymer clay bead. I made the tin focal. I used this because the orange reflected the Koi fish and there is a fern pattern on it with a little water swirl 

 The back

June Art Bead Scene Challenge

 I love posters and this one is no exception. I have always enjoyed the play on two dimensional expressing the three dimensional while keeping the two dimensional quality.

"Literary Poster for the Century Magazine", 1896

by John Louis Rhead

20.5" x 11"

Original Lithographic Poster Printed in Colour with Letterpress

This is what I saw, pretty straight forward. I love the braided pony tail. I thought it would be a great earring bead. I saw a bracelet bar with the roses rectangular block but in there I took from it the vine winding back and forth which I used as inspiration for a bracelet bar.

Mostly I saw color, color, color!

I just wanted to show you some of the June colors in my garden too. Probably one of my most favorite colors are coral, or my version of orange.

Coral bells, hummingbirds love them too.

In these photos you see what I have on my South side, or zeriscape garden. These plants can generally handle heat and dry. I also have more of my favorite sunset and coral colors. 

Butterfly Weed.

Snap Dragons.

Fox Tail Lily.

Poppies and Asiatic Lilies.

And my Rugosa in honor of the roses in our challenge this month.

I made this Heart one day when I had a piece of copper wire left over from doing something else and went, "Hmmmm, I'll make a heart and smash it" So That's what I did and it floated around for a few months and, well then here it is as a clasp. I also made the flower bead from polymer clay and the link from a tin. 

Copper bracelet bar with a polymer clay middle.

Beads to reflect the fabric of the dress.

This necklace is a polymer clay pendant with a hand shaped bail. I used Czech glass, red waxed Irish Linen from Lima Beads. I can't remember the blue beads but they are stone strung with matte black seed beads.The side tassel is chain and a Coral dagger to represent thorns. I liked the swirling vines in the painting and I may or may not snip the loose strings.

                                                                         Spring Things!

Here are some of the wonderful things that have been happening in my garden this Spring.

I was greeted by a frog, I think a tree frog though I have not seen one this big in my yard before! He  (or she) was doing a good job at hiding but he was right at my front door so I was glad to discover him! Look at those sticky little toes!

I have several Nine Bark or Viburnum shrubs in my yard. I don't know if they are the same I'll have to look that one up. This one is Amber Jubilee and wow what a beautiful show it gives for a Spring display!

 Dwarf Irises. 

 Bergenia and Sweet Woodruff. 

Bergenia in front of a Coral Belle. 

I love this fern I don't know what it is I found it when I was raking up pine needles. It looks like fingers as it opens up.

I was gifted six hardy Orchids. 

Fan-tab-u-lus Chocolate Iris!

Poppies and variegated Iris. 

First time blooming purple and white Iris with Geum. Creeping Jenny ground cover.