For this month’s color trios, I divided up 9 out of ten selections in the Spring 2015 Women’s Fashion palette to create three exciting mixes. It took a little trial and error to get the balance just right, then find perfect bead colors to match, but I’m very excited about the results.
I started with moody Marsala, the color of the year. It almost looks out of place with the other colors, being so earthy and dark - better suited to summer than spring. Therefore, I decided to elevate it a bit with a tropical splash of Scuba Blue and sandy looking Custard – it was easy to picture Marsala as a boldly patterned swimsuit on a gorgeous beach. For the beads, I picked garnet Picasso 6/o’s, turquoise white-hearts, and buttercream ceylon. The buttercream doesn't quite have enough yellow to match Custard, and I think the palette suffers a bit for it. Still, I think this trio would look amazing as a rope or multistrand necklace.
Next up I chose Classic Blue, then added Aquamarine and Toasted Almond. The two shades of blue are so different that they almost contrast, so it seemed like a fun challenge to make them work together. The neutral was a bit hard to place, with its nylon stocking-like hue. In the end I went with transparent cobalt seed beads, voluta shell heishi, and perfectly matched aquamarine Swarovski bicones from my forgotten birthstone stash.
Finally, I combined Lucite Green with Strawberry Ice and Glacier Gray. I liked the ice-cream shop quality of the trio, which could be both youthful and classy. Then I realized that I have virtually no pink beads in my stash, and I had to go back to the drawing board. Tangerine was the only color left over, and orange isn’t exactly abundant in my bead choices, but it worked out really well. For this palette I used Swarovski gem pearls in turquoise, lustered orange seed beads, and white-lined black diamond. The colors are actually a little more intense than the originals and don't look anything like ice cream, but this palette is definitely my favorite of the bunch.
What do you think of this year’s spotlight colors?
Copyright 2015 Inspirational Beading and Pantone
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Back in my other life, I was a color professional. I was a member of Color Marketing Group. We would have conventions every year to evaluate color trends across all product types to predict what colors would become next year's most important colors. I am glad to see that you are influenced by the palette and to see what you do with it. It is meant to be just that: a springboard for your creativity.
ReplyDeleteIt's a fun exercise just to play with the Pantone picks, whether you take them seriously or not. Sometimes I discover a palette I absolutely have to use, but either way it's a refreshing way to experiment with color.
DeleteI like combo number 3, looking forward to seeing your work using this color palette.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
Lori in Atlanta