Last week I received an in-progress necklace from Lorelei Eurto that will be auctioned to raise money for the gulf. Andrew Thornton arranged this round-robin project, where each designer gets to add his or her own touch. This was exciting for me—it's my first time designing as part of a group. (Well, technically Beadwork editor Melinda Barta and I did design one challenge project together, but that was very different. She made specific beaded pieces for me and I decided how they would be linked in the necklace.)
For this necklace, I knew I wanted to add sea-worthy colors, so I added some glass beads in shades of blue, aqua, and green: a faceted Czech glass rondelle, a faceted oval, a frosted matte glass disc, and a rough, recycled glass nugget. I also wanted to add a couple of natural elements to reflect the fundraiser theme: a round, white shell disc and a few white pearls. (Some of the beads are higher up on the chain and not visible in the photo.)
It was tempting to keep going, but I was aware that I wasn't the last designer and wanted to leave ample room for the others to make their marks. It was challenging being one of the middle designers in the group. On the one hand, it was nice to have a basic design started, since starting can be the most difficult part. On the other hand, I find asymmetrical designs challenging, so I did have a few false starts and stops, trying to figure out where to add my beads and still keep the piece balanced. Overall, it was a great creative experience and I can't wait to see the finished piece.
The next stop for the necklace is Melanie Brooks of Earthenwood Studio. I can't wait to see what she adds!
Have you ever designed a piece of jewelry as part of a group? What did you think of the experience?