2018 Travel Jewelry Challenge - Winner Announced

Inspiration is everywhere! What better way to remember a favorite trip or moment traveling than hand stamping a custom piece? So we asked YOU for your favorite travel inspired pieces and boy oh boy did you all deliver.

We received so many wonderful submissions and mini-stories. These included a road trip celebrating being cancer free, seeing a momma humpback whale with her newborn calf, and favorite family memories of camping and s'mores by the fire. We've posted most of the submissions below.

We thank you all for sharing your hand stamped treasures and inspiration with us. We've randomly selected and are excited to congratulate Lana Parker!

Submitted by Lana Parker

Lana's story:

My 13 year old daughter designed the attached necklace for our travel agent! My daughter, Paris, is a Junior Olympic gymnast and has never flown before! I have not flown since before 9-11 and was terrified of flying!! So when she qualified for regionals (Tampa, FL) and for Nationals (Rochester, NY)....we had to put on our big girl panties and fly! 

Anyway, my new travel agent talked me off of so many ledges that it was ridiculous! She assured me how the plane wouldn’t crash and how it was safer in a plane than in a car, etc...it was silly! Paris designed, and I made this necklace for her! It's nothing fance as I am a newbie at stamping but we both love working with the Swarovski crystals!

The three crystals symbolize this: 

Green: Start on land

Blue: Fly over water

Green: Return back safely on land!!! LOL!

~Lana Parker

Thank you for sharing your story Lana! We are glad you made it to your destination and home safely :)

In no particular order, please find the entries below.

Submitted by Carmalyn McCracken

Submitted by Cathy Buckley

Cathy Buckley's Inspiration from Alaska

We went to Alaska, and I cut copper sheet and enameled this piece with the colors that were so reminiscent of Alaska!

The cliffs were a clay terra cotta color, the forest so green , and the color of the water in Endicott Fjord amazing.

I then mounted it on a tabbed copper frame that I made.

~Cathy Buckley

Submitted by Chriss Pooler

Submitted by Dacia Hesiak

Submitted by Dacia Hesiak

Inspired from getting out in the wild during the summer. Freehand stamped.

~Dacia Hesiak

Submitted by Robbie Arenson

I was inspired by the mountains and colors of Arizona. These are handmade enamel earrings with garnet and turquoise beads.

~Robbie Arenson

Submitted by Ellie Grossman

I was on a river cruise on the Rhine in Germany this summer and heard the legend of Loreley, the mermaid who lured sailors to their death on the rocks. I sculpted my Loreley out of sterling silver clay. She's about 5 inches long.

~Ellie Grossman

Submitted by Jackie Preisendorfer

Submitted by Jennifer Fiebig

I love using Beaducation's campers and trucks in my camping designs. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of adventures in camping with my family roasting marshmallows by the campfire and wandering about the campground with my cousins. 

 I recently purchased a used pop up camper so my own little family can begin creating our own amazing travel adventures! Maybe someday we'll be able to invest in a full size resort like my favorite Beaducation design stamp, but for now our little camper will do! :)

~Jennifer Fiebig

Submitted by Joannemay Estoesta

Submitted by Kim Winn

Made for my trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

~Kim Winn

Submitted by Larisa Booth

I was selected to represent the state of Wyoming as a local artisan in Yellowstone National Park this summer! This was one of my best sellers, featuring all beaducation stamps. We had so much fun traveling with our little ones and sharing my work with fellow adventurers.

~Larisa Booth, Joy in the Morning

Submitted by Melanie LeGrand

These necklaces were inspired by my recent trip to the mountains of North Carolina. We did some rafting, hiking, camping and antiquing. (Found some really cool vintage blacksmith tools! They are kind of small and dainty. Made me wonder what all was made with them!!) I was so full of love for nature and a simpler life when we returned home. Just left me so thankful and grateful for my little family of the three of us. 

~Melanie LeGrand

Submitted by Melissa Gregory

Submitted by Merrelyn Abelein

Submitted by Merrelyn Abelein

This humpback whale mom and calf were inspired by a dive trip our family took to the Sea of Cortez. We were on the live aboard ship Rocio Del Mar, and were traveling from one island to another and a momma and her calf were very near to us. The calf was obviously very nearly new born as the momma was very gently supporting it so it could breathe...they get very tired having to learn to swim and breathe and get that coordinated!!! Thank you for letting me share my story!!

P.s. The whales were pierced and hand sawn out of sterling silver and originally soldered on to a brass cuff, but my skin was extremely reactive to the metal so I had to saw out the design and riveted it on to leather.

~Merrelyn Abelein

Submitted by Pam Raskin

Submitted by Sara Mawyer

This is a stamped bracelet with longitude and latitude of Kill Devil Hills N.C.!

~Sara Mawyer

Submitted by Janet Sanda

Submitted by Janet Sanda

A bucket list trip with my sister in celebration of her being cancer free after two breast cancer diagnoses in three years. Yahoo!

We started from home in Minnesota, stopped in Pawhuska, OK to visit The Pioneer Woman’s Mercantile and then on to Waco, TX for the Magnolia experience. They called us Thelma and Louise as we pulled into our destinations in a yellow Mustang convertible.

I made this leather wrap bracelet to commemorate the trip.

~Janet Sanda

Submitted by Diana Fileccia

Submitted by Stacy Surman

I created a camping scene using all stamps purchased from Beaducation. I choose to create this scene, because my family and I went camping for the first time this summer. We had so much fun, we hope to purchase our own travel trailer for next year (we rented this year).

~Stacy Surman

Submitted by Stephanie Couch

My family recently went on a tour of northern Michigan. This necklace was made for my awesome aunt who traveled with us! The smashed penny has a pic of the Mackinac Bridge. Also included on this pendant is a Petosky Stone bead and a Lake MI beach stone (used a dremel to drill a hole). I used my MI metal stamp on a tag for that extra something. I hope that she likes it!!!!

~Stephanie Couch

Submitted by Tanda Perry

Submitted by Tanda Perry

We go to a few music festivals. So I made a couple bracelets and a ring to wear.

~Tanda Perry

 

Submitted by Ben n Terah

Submitted by Chandra Handleand

Submitted by Chloe Rose

Submitted by Emily Mazur

Submitted by Emily Mazur

This piece is to commemorate a trip to Seattle with a cruise to Alaska that my sister-in-law went on. She and my brother spotted whales! I sawed the whale tale. I used a curved stamp to create birds and a texture hammer to create water. Then, I stamped the word Alaska. 

I also put a thin piece of rubber between the metal to be the whale skin texture so my whale would not be confused with a mermaid tale. I riveted it all together and then covered the rivets on the front with crystals. The back is brass stamped with our last name and the year of the trip. This was used as a tag on a gift and is now a pendant/small Christmas ornament.

~Emily Mazur

Submitted by Genevieve Whittle Ford

This pendant was inspired by my love of camping - it was made before the UK summer camping season started and before I was able to get away with my 3 kids to enjoy our first camp of the season. I was fooling around in my workshop wishing it were time to get under canvas already. I love being in the wild and the way the open skies and fresh air allow my kids to be "wild" and in touch with nature in a way that just isn't possible in suburban life any more. They eat, play, sleep outdoors when we camp and we reconnect with ourselves and each other away from modern life's distractions. Made with the gorgeous Beaducation tree stamps and vine stamp. The handmade stamp next to the lettering can be either a tent/ campfire depending how you prefer to see it. Stamped in copper with a soldered frame and bail.

~Genevieve Whittle Ford

Submitted by Jane Ellery Diaz Navarro

My summer experience in a Caribbean Island.

~Jane Ellery Diaz Navarro

Submitted by Joyce Lucht

Submitted by Joyce Lucht

This piece, while from one of our travels, was inspired by Lisa! Her tutorial for “Entangled Wire Bezel” in the Summer Preview 2007 issue of Step by Step Wire Jewelry fascinated me. I remember studying the gorgeous photo on the magazine cover, taking in all the bezel's intricacies. It was still on my mind when we took our trip a few months later.

While walking on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in Tel Aviv, Israel, my husband found this unusual piece of sea glass. I needed an unusual setting for it and I used Lisa’a tutorial as a guide. The spirals on the pendant and chain that I made represented the waves of the ocean. The Czech glass beads, light blue to aqua to dark blue, mimic the colors as I looked out onto the sea.

More than a decade later (and improvements in my wire skills), this piece is still very special to me.

~Joyce Lucht

Submitted by TCGRNA

Here is a pic of a shamrock I made and stamped. The trip was last year but I just made the 'ornament' last month. First time I have fold-formed anything and I learned a lot in making it.

The center brown circle is a chestnut from one of our tours in Ireland. Sort of a funny story... hubs found a huge shark’s tooth and I thought he found it in Ireland. So, I made the shamrock and wire wrapped the sharks tooth to it. When I showed it to him he said “I didn’t find the shark’s in Ireland. I found that at Wrightsville beach (NC)”. Groan!! So I soldered a post to the shamrock, drilled a hole in the shamrock, and mounted a chestnut on it. I have it on an ornament stand for him. I am sure it may look strange to people but it is sentimental to him and a fond reminder of our trip.

Submitted by Katie Townes

My family & I make it a point to float down the river in Michigan every summer. This year, my mom & daughter helped me pick out beautiful stones for jewelry.

~Katie Townes

Submitted by Pam Raskin

Submitted by Silly S

Submitted by Sondra C.

Although I didn’t travel out of the state, I DID travel to Disney and I’ve fallen in love with Animal Kingdom! So, I created a necklace with the three Swahili words that are used on The Kilimanjaro Safari, which is my favorite ride.

Jambo - Hello
Twinde - Let’s go
Kwaherini - Go well
And I added a paw print to represent the animals 🐾

~Sondra C.

Submitted by Stephanie T.

Submitted by Stephanie T. 

This bracelet was inspired by the North Woods of Minnesota. Lots of pine trees, wooded areas, eagles (wildlife in general) and the best star gazing around.

~Stephanie T.

Submitted by Tejal Shah

Submitted by Amy Myers

I had planned a trip to the beach. As I got ready for the trip I went to consignment shops and Salvation Army stores and finally went through yard sales for beach clothes and toys for my kids. I didn’t expect to find pieces for a beach inspired bracelet. I found the base chain for the bracelet at our local mission, the charms at a consignment shop and purchase a few new supplies to make it come together. This is my East Coast beach inspired charm bracelet. 

~Amy Myers

Submitted by Jennifer DiLullo Butler

Submitted by Claudine Lietz

This bracelet remembers me of our nice holiday in Crete ️

~Claudine Lietz

Submitted by Dawn Lemie

Submitted by Gisela Schall

It's just a piece of aluminum, but it means a lot to me. Hard times, not really time to be creative. I've looked after my mother for almost half a year. She is 90. Now she is in the hospital. But in a short moment I stamped this piece of aluminum. This piece reminds me of my little travels with my Irish Setter "Lady". 

I do not give up my dream of new travel and a lot of art and creativity. Even making such a small, simple piece of jewelry is another step forward. Never give up on your dreams!

~Gisela Schall

Submitted by Jan Adams

Missing the ocean.

~Jan Adams

Submitted by Claudia Ross

I live in Albuquerque, but I have a friend in Dallas and I am going to see her tomorrow. She told me her favorite colors are yellow and blue, so I made this bracelet for her. Not my favorite colors together, but I hope she likes it!

~Claudia Ross

Submitted by Janice

Submitted by Justine E. 

This is my travel inspired hand stamped leather cuff on a Beaducation camper blank.
My company has just gone through a name change from JKLeathers to Cuffs that Inspire. This lil camper is what our newest project will look like when its completed in just a few months! We are building from scratch, a teardrop camper to use as part of our mobile boutique to travel all over sharing our Inspirational cuffs.

~Justine E.

Submitted by Rebecca Alexander

Submitted by Tracey LoVerde

Earring charms commemorating our drive out to the country in the middle of the night to watch the Perseids meteor shower :)

Orion was really bright in the sky!

~Tracey LoVerde

Submitted by Ashley Smith

Submitted by Julie Hunter

Submitted by Deb Zoglmann

Custom designed and beach inspired ankle bracelet with a special word charm “Breathe ”.

~Deb Zoglmann

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Travel Challenge! Stay tuned for our next giveaway by joining our newsletter, our Facebook group and following us on social. 

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