The theme for the Art Elements design challenge this month was “spring.” I designed a few new pieces of jewelry, inspired by the idea of spring flowers. I also had some jewelry design inspiration from symbols of Ostara, the vernal equinox. And I stitched a little spring something too.

I was a little tempted to interpret the theme as a verb rather than a season – as in move suddenly forward. Because that’s pretty much how the season happens here in the Mid-Atlantic. One day it’s winter and the next day you’re stocking up on allergy medication to combat the onslaught of tree pollen. As an allergy sufferer, I’d like to say I don’t find spring very inspiring. I mean, it’s hard to feel creative when your eyes are itchy and watering and your sinuses are so inflammed it feels as if all the teeth in your upper jaw are falling out. And then there’s the antihistamine-induced brain fog.

But the truth is, spring is visually beautiful here. No, I don’t have any photos to prove that. I’m appreciating spring’s wonders from behind sealed windows for the most part. But you don’t have to take my word for it. You can ask your preferred internet browser to show you images of spring blooms in the Mid-Atlantic. There are daffodils and crocus, naturally. Forsythia bushes and magnolia trees are also in bloom, along with many other bushes and trees that I don’t know what they are. And of course, there are cherry blossoms.

In the Washington DC metropolitan area, cherry blossoms are a big deal. There’s a “blossom watch” to keep track of peak blooming and a festival to celebrate that peak. It’s normally a huge tourist attraction and local event. The festival has been scaled back this year due to the pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped the trees from doing their thing. They’re all: Bloom like nobody’s watching! And they’re blooming earlier than predicted due to the unseasonably warm weather of the past few weeks.

Rabbits, or hares, are a common symbol of spring in some cultures. It’s a fertility thing. Not that rabbits are more, um, productive than many other animals in the spring. They just had a better public relations campaign than say, squirrels. Or rats. Anyway, the fairness of public images aside, rabbits/hares are an Ostara symbol and they inspired one of my jewelry designs this month. It’s a bold statement necklace with shades of lavender, lilac, and violet.

Despite how miserable their pollen makes me feel, I created some earrings inspired by budding trees. It’s not the trees’ fault my immune-system is hyper and goes to Red Alert over completely harmless pollen grains. And I do look forward to the re-greening of the trees here. For one thing, it significantly improves the view from my apartment windows to have fully leafed trees blocking the sight of the highrise on the other side of the parking lot.

The progression of plants that bloom and flower here in spring is impressive. It seems as if there’s something new in bloom every week. I get why people who don’t love winter look forward to all the pops of color. I find beauty in Winter’s more subdued colors, especially because I can see them better without all that pollen in my eyes. But I do get the appeal of spring blooms, even the ones that make me sneeze. So I did include an ode to flowers in one pair of earrings this month.

That’s it for my spring-inspired designs this month. I hope you enjoyed the blossoms, birds, and bunnies in my designs. The jewelry is available in my shop on etsy. The hoop joins a growing collection of embroidery that I have no idea what to do with. I’ll figure it out eventually. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. Please leave a comment if the spirit moves you.