I worked on a project today that I don't think I can share with you yet. A friend of mine has a line of jewelry components and she asked me if I could play with them and create something for a book she's working on to accompany the component line. I was honored and more than happy to be involved in the project. And she sent me a big box of stuff to play with.

So that's what I did today. And it took more effort than I anticipated. I found it was much more difficult to design a piece that I hope pleases someone else than it is for me to create a piece for myself or to give as a gift. Plus, I had to consider the practicality of the design from the shoppers perspective. So I find myself thinking about all of the jewelry designers out there who struggle with this every day. Will someone buy my piece? Does it please me or will it please the public or at least someone else out there?

Plus, it's possible that I felt additional pressure since this felt more like a challenge--here are the pieces I want you to work with, what can you create with them?--and that's a different method of designing than I'm used to. But it's good to break out of your box and try something new once in a while. Figuring out the coolest, most appealing piece of jewelry I could make out of these very cool components was my goal and I'm pleased with my results, though there were many false starts to get to the final pieces. Hopefully I'll be able to share photos soon enough. I should have saved some of the photos of the false starts and let you all vote as well!