Wish I was there!

January is either a cold, dreary month in Kansas or a cold, snowy month but whichever is the case, thoughts of warm, tropical places help take the chill off. So the EBW challenge theme for February, Tropical Holiday, was especially fun for me to create. Tropics, to me, is warm sun and sandy beaches. I've been to both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as well as the Gulf of Mexico on vacations and they are some of my fondest memories. I loved walking on the beaches, collecting bits and treasures that the seas washed ashore. I loved the touristy shops, the smells and the colors of the oceans. These were the things I drew on when I started creating my challenge entry. I had an old coral necklace that was begging to be repurposed and it served as the foundation. Using the colors in the coral beads, I made a mix of seed beads and started weaving branch fringe and then I randomly added pewter charms with a beachy feel, pieces of dyed shell and pearls all surrounding another repurposed item, a bone colored fish pendant. It's all finished off with a silver dolphin and wave toggle clasp. This was such a fun piece to make, even if it did take me way longer than I thought it would. I'm hoping it will remind someone else of warm memories and it will find it's way to a new home.