Welcome to Studio Saturday! Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive we offer a free prize each week to bribe you to use that keyboard. The following week we choose a random winner. This week’s winner of Cindy’s Modern Bird is Gaea! Please use the suggestion box on the sidebar to send us your address.
More photos than words today, as I have more orders than minutes! 
My latest seed bead stash, which is telling of my current color inspirations.
My latest seed bead stash, which is telling of my current color inspirations. 
I found these pink pearls at the bead show and had to have them. Why pink? I’m so not a pink person, but they called to me. Of course, my job is to transform them into something that is me. I like the idea of mixing dark woods and maybe gray with them. The remind me of the brilliant sunsets on Lake Michigan.
Some very cool seaweed stuff that I found at the beach last week. I love the colors and design. (Although, not the best photo) I could see this becoming a cane for a series of beachy beads. 
And speaking of beachy, here I mixed one of my new sea urchins with pearls, a few little wood beads that reminded me of driftwood, silver shells, crystals and a seaweed pewter button from Mamacita beads that works as the clasp. I love those! 
Part of my sea urchin collection. I’ve made many more since this, they take me right to the beach. Which leads me to this week’s question: name one thing in nature that is the biggest source of inspiration for your jewelry designs. For me, it’s the ocean. While I’m inspired by many things, the pieces that I love the most have a tie to the water, beach or it’s creatures.
Take a minute to share with me and next week we’ll pick a random winner to receive one of my urchins.
Libby
May 17, 2008 at 1:32 pmI LOVE the seed bead colors! That’s a great photo. And I have been meaning to tell you how much I love your sea urchin beads.
Lorelei
May 17, 2008 at 1:44 pmI love the ocean too. It’s so EASY to come up with ocean inspired jewelry. There are so many art beads out there that lend to this theme! I’m in love with the idea of mermaid inspired jewelry also. I look forward to some pewter mermaids from Green Girl Studios and now I HAVE TO HAVE a seaweed button from MamacitaBeadworks! Love your necklace Heather, with the sea urchin. I could definitely see myself wearing that beauty! Thanks again for such great inspiration!
SweetWillow
May 17, 2008 at 1:53 pmThe sea urchin beads have wonderful colors and great texture. My primary nature inspirations are leaves and trees . I love the way the colors change through the seasons and the movement and sound when the wind blows. My jewelry designs often have leaves or trees as elements.
Gaela
May 17, 2008 at 3:22 pmI don’t live very far from the beach, so I’ve been making seashell necklaces since I was a small child. As I thought about the question though, it’s tough to pick just one thing that is the biggest source for me. So I looked through my stashes… I found tons of ocean themed colours, beads, like mermaids, shells, seahorses and it goes on. But, I remember, my very first purchase of lampwork glass was this awesome 3 dimensional colourful mermaid, and she’s been hanging in my kitchen window for years now-wish I could remember the name of the woman who made her…. I’m in love with those sea urchins, they are amazing!
Carlene
May 17, 2008 at 3:46 pmAre you sure those sea urchins are beads?!? They look so real!
I think the forest is my main inspiration. Lots of shades of greens, fall colors are amazing, and the quiet always clears my mind to let ideas in. Plus there are just so any shapes and shadows lurking out there to be made into jewelry. A favorite spot.
rosepostcards
May 17, 2008 at 3:48 pmFor me the leaves of nature are inspiring. Whether on plants, trees, flowers, it doesn’t matter. There are so many shapes, colors and sizes.
Beth
abeadlady
May 17, 2008 at 4:12 pmI love the color blends in nature, whether it be the forest or ocean. They range from soft pastels to dramatic colors and I draw from them in my work.
The urchins are stunning. They look like they came straight from the ocean floor.
Arline
beadbabe49
May 17, 2008 at 4:19 pmFor my photography, I’m most inspired by light reflecting off water…over and over again, that’s what I’m drawn to photograph.
For my fiber/beadwork, I’m with arline….it’s the color combinations I see around me…many at the beach, but also in the beautiful flowers, bushes, trees, grasses, etc. that are so abundant here in our (usually) mild climate on the coast.
AJ
May 17, 2008 at 6:34 pmWay cool urchins, Heather!
I’m going to stretch the theme a little bit and say that my biggest inspirations are nature spirits 😉 I’m always designing jewelry with dryads and naiads and pixies in mind.
Shaiha
May 17, 2008 at 7:04 pmMy inspiration has be to water. It doesn’t matter if it is the ocean, a river or a lake, I always find something to inpsire me.
Fab Fibers
May 18, 2008 at 12:08 amFlorals and fauna, they inspire me. Water makes me very happy too! I dream about water a lot, isn’t that strange? Oceans of clear blue water.
I love those urchins Heather! They are just great.
Jenny J.
May 18, 2008 at 12:10 amLove your urchins! Inspiration…laughter and smiles. Might be people I know; might be people I don’t know. I want to make them smile and that inspires me. 🙂 Can’t wait to see more of ABS!
sewandso
May 18, 2008 at 7:33 pmTruly inspirational photos. What inspires my creations? I live on the border of the woods, so trees and leaves are my biggest inspiration.
Linda Starr
May 18, 2008 at 8:19 pmLiving plants give me inspiration when working with clay. The flowers, leaves, textures or patterns in leaves, the curl of a petal, the roughness on the bark on a tree, seed pods, seed heads and so much more.
The sea urchins are beautiful and they look so delicate.
Emma Todd
May 19, 2008 at 2:35 amThis new urchin necklace is just beautiful!
It’s hard to pick out just one particular point of nature that is inspiring…I’ve just taken up gardening because of the absolute necessity or “decorating” my front yard. I picked lots of ferns and Hostas and grasses and well mostly leafy things so my Husband exclaimed, “Can’t we have some flowers” Picky, picky I was getting there. I guess my main inspiration there was shape and texture. Nature provides so many incredible shapes and forms, I’m always inspired by. Just to finish the point he seems to ignore the dozen white tulips in full bloom, the lily-of-the valley that were just starting, Not to mention the mums, salvia, gerbers and other things I can’t remember the names of that I had just added. oh well
Melissa J. Lee
May 19, 2008 at 3:00 pmI love your sea urchin beads!! I love the ocean, too. Currently, the biggest source of inspiration for me is the transitional period between seasons, from winter to spring and from summer to fall – the colors, the whole idea of change in nature, it’s wonderful!
Cindy Lietz, Polymer Clay Tutor
May 20, 2008 at 1:08 amI have to agree with everyone here… your Urchin beads are fantastic Heather!! I think your colors and your beautiful necklace scream of peaceful Summer vacations and walks on the beach!
jaimie sander
May 20, 2008 at 1:38 pmHeather,I really love your urchin beads.Last year I found a sea urchin “skeleton”? on the beach in NJ where I live.You would think I found money,I was so excited.My husband thinks I’m crazy because I’m always picking up shells and rocks and small pieces of driftwood,sometimes my hands are so full,I can barely walk.I have been collecting ocean and beach inspired beads for months now,to match a great lampworked bead I purchased that reminds me of an urchin.Lately I find anything in natural,earthy colors inspires me,where a few years ago,bright,neon colors were what attracted me.
Barbara
May 21, 2008 at 6:54 pmI love pink. It’s one of my favorites. Can’t wait to see what you do with the pink pearls.
Caren
May 26, 2008 at 7:52 pmAutumn colors are my favorite inspiration. Though I’m inspired by other things in nature the rest of the year, when fall rolls around I get so excited and the fall colors really influence my polymer bead making as well as any other type of art I do.