Design Team Challenge

You may remember a while back I put out a call for our new monthly Design Team Challenge.  Here are the amazing results from our first round. 

I sent each of our designers my Autumn Wildflowers Pendant and a set of Willow Disk Beads.  Their creations are so unique and I’m thrilled to see how different each designer highlighted the pendant.

Jen Judd – “For this necklace I wanted to include leather, which I love for texture and the casual influence, so I went with a two strand design. The orangy-red leather brings out the subtle color of the Humblebead pendant. Plus, I added to the centerpiece with another art bead pendant from Kristie Roeder’s Artisan Clay. The main component of the other strand is some gorgeous Red Creek Jasper from Dakota Stones. I love the way its organic look works in concert with your handmade pretties.”

“I’ve been in ‘set’ mode lately, so there’s also a multi-strand bracelet and a little pair of earrings that complete the look.” 

Lori Anderson – Her design used kyanite, aquamarine, and carnelian along with silver.  I love how the delicate flowers of the chain enhance the wildflower pendant.

Erin Prais-Hintz 

Erin Prais-Hintz – I was inspired by the pendant that Heather sent. I imagined that these are like the billowy grasses that are along the waysides throughout the state. Wherever you drive, country roads or highways, you see these grasses and wild plants waving in the breeze. I called this main necklace “By the Wayside” from that inspiration.

And the blue ones were so pretty that they need a design on their own. The branches against a bright blue sky reminded me of the limbs of the trees by the Wisconsin River in the winter, starkly outlined against the sky. And “Frost on the Blooms” was born.

 

Cindy Wimmer – “I had fun trying out some newly-learned skills from my workshop with Richard Salley. I etched a copper ‘frame’/backing for the focal and even created a toggle from copper sheet using a stamp I found in a similar pattern used in the disk beads.”

Lorelei Eurto – “I was so excited to finally get to work with one of Heather’s new painted floral pendants. I was following her blog posts about the inspiration behind these, and the different patterning on each of the beads she had been working, really spoke to me. The texture is subtle, and the coloring especially on this oval pendant, was soft and earthy. I love the coordinating beads that she sent as well.

I knew right away that I wanted to use some suede lace, and creating the long wire wrapped lace sections was something that I was just playing around with. Adding in some pretty orange aventurine, and some burgundy buri seeds really makes the colors in the pendant pop. Brass wire, wire wrapping the links together accentuates the vintage flair of the piece, overall. “