Artisan Clay Design Team - January Challenge

I was so excited when Kristie announced that she was bringing the Artisan Clay Design Team back for a few more challenges this year.  For January, she decided to surprise us.  Each team member was sent one of  these beautiful beads.

Beads and Photography by Kristie Roeder of Artisan Clay.

I figured I could work well with anything but those sweet little hearts but was, to be honest, thrilled to receive the donut in the lower left corner.

I pulled out the colors I wanted to work with from - sit down, Sand Fibers is working with what might qualify as bling! - my stash of fire polished beads and then added supporting seed beads to pull everything together. Reversing my usual working order (focal, THEN rope) because I had no clue what treatment I would give the donut itself, I created a (spiral) tubular right-angle-weave rope with a magnetic closure.  Then, yesterday morning, I was forced to make a decision.  Rather than go with "only" a bail, I decided to bead the donut a bezel with more of those fire polished beauties. Only after that did I add the equally blingy bail.

Necklace and Photograph by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers. All rights reserved.

This necklace refuses to photograph well (read: the photographer doesn't know what she's doing) and this is as good a photograph as I could get last night.  I'll try for some better ones before I list this. It also does not have a name yet...but I think "Spring" needs be in there somewhere, don't you?

Update: New photos.

Necklace and Photograph by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers. All rights reserved.

Necklace and Photograph by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers. All rights reserved.

Necklace and Photograph by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers. All rights reserved.

And it just occurred to me how much fun the new necklace would be when worn with this older Sand Fibers design:

Colorful Polka Dots. Photo and bracelet by Carol Dean Sharpe of Sand Fibers. All rights reserved.

I'm excited to see what the rest of the team created this time around.  Click the picture links ot see what our design team has made with this month's challenge beads!

Be well and get going!