Bead Color Ideas: Rainy Days

Here on the West Coast, we don’t get a huge kick out of spring. By the time April showers roll around, we’re already so tired of rain that we can’t wait to start baking in the oven of summer. We don’t even get a lot of rainbows, since the rain is usually accompanied by completely overcast skies. The mild temperatures are nice, of course, but sunshine is definitely a welcome treat.

In the ancient Egyptian tradition of fighting fire with fire – in other words, if you’re going boating on the Nile, wear a crocodile pendant – I thought it would be nice to look for some rainy inspirations and use beads to find the good in rain again. I certainly don’t have a shortage of blue beads to work with, and with gray being one of my favorite colors for fashion, I always have a few bits of it in my stash.

I started by getting out what’s left of my Picasso jet druks – one of my favorite gray finishes. The effect is so like a natural stone and the resulting shade of gray is perfect. I paired these with some patriot blue bugles and robin’s egg seed beads for a cool, smooth palette that reminds me of raindrops on a garden shed or a streaking down a favorite reading window. This palette would be perfect for a cuff bracelet or a twisted multistrand necklace.

Next I found a little mixture of colonial gray and dichroic blue lined TOHO cubes that were perfect for rainy inspirations with their sparkly AB finish – like little reflective puddles. I added some vintage aqua white-hearts for another pop of blue, then calmed things down a bit with a neutral backdrop of bone white. For this palette I’d want to let the cube beads shine, so perhaps it would work with some fringed earrings or a bridged herringbone cuff.

For the final palette I drew inspiration from one of my favorite rain features: petrichor. We don’t get to enjoy the smell of rain much here, since it’s so rarely dry enough to release the dusty-oily smell of petrichor when the skies open up (they’re pretty much always open). I started this scent-inspired palette with some transparent medium topaz for the dust, and some Job’s tears for a hint of gray and their raindrop shapes. Then I finished the palette with a backdrop of storm-cloud navy blue. I’d love to use this trio for a statement necklace – perhaps a collar or a fringed lariat.

What’s your favorite weather for creative inspiration?

Mortira

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April Pinspiration

Spring has sprung, at least in this part of the world, and I couldn't be more pleased. Living on the coast means frequently putting off jewelry photographs, because there's too much cloud cover to let in the right amount of light - so as soon as sunshine becomes the norm, I'm thrilled. Excitement for spring is showing through a lot in my ideas and inspirations, including the Pins I've collected lately. Somtimes I feel as if a winter coat is a sheild that blocks out creativity. Thankfully, it's gone until September or so!

Are you inspired by hints of spring? What new ideas are you working on?

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Bead Wish List: Raindrops

With spring daylight savings just around the corner, it’s almost safe to start dreaming of sunny days, flowers and butterflies. But on this side of the planet, we’re not out of winter just yet, and we’ve got a whole lot of rainy weather to look forward to before the grass starts growing green again.

With that in mind, I thought it would be fun to put a pleasant spin on the rain, with some beautiful raindrop inspired beads. I literally searched for beads described with either ‘rain’ or ‘drops’, and found an amazing variety of inspiring selections. These are my favorites!

Blue Cat’s Eye Faceted Teardrops
From JJM Supplies





Swarovski Sapphire Teardrop Pendant
From Artbeads.com





Mystlic Blue Feldspath Flat Drops
From Lima Beads





Blue Blown Glass Teardrop
From Auntie’s Beads





Desert Rain Czech Glass Spindle Beads
From Zoe and Bruno





Indigo Blue Enameled Copper Crescents
From Happy Mango Beads





Dichroic Rain Cube Bead
From Artbeads.com





Aqua Picasso Czech Glass Rondelles
From BeadandRibbon





Opaque Seafoam Denim Czech Glass Teardrops
From Beads and Babble





Swarovski Turquoise Drop Pearl
From FusionBeads.com





Metallic Rain Miyuki Seed Bead Mix
From Auntie’s Beads





Turquoise Coated Brass Filigree Drop Pendant
From Beadaholique





Glacier Blue Lampwork Spacers
By Atlantis Glass and Bead





Humble Beads Spring Rain Toggle Clasp
From Lima Beads





Teal Blue Glass Teardrops
From Happy Mango Beads

Do you find inspiration in rainy weather? What’s your favorite thing about pre-springtime?

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Inspired by Rain

Today it is a very gray, cold and rainy day in my neighborhood. It’s the kind of weather that makes you want to hide under a fuzzy blanket all day. There is a very good chance that I will spend a good portion of today drinking homemade mocha and watching X-Files on Netflix. Maybe, probably, I’ll do a little beading.

But just in case I want to be a little more productive, I’m going to take the Egyptian approach, and fight fire with fire. Or in this case, rain with rain. If rain also makes you feel about as gray as the sky, some blue drop beads or some dreamy Labrodorite might cheer you up!

Is It Raining? by moodycat featuring bootcut pants

Source: bourbonandpearls.tumblr.com via Lena on Pinterest

Source: witanddelight.tumblr.com via Jamie on Pinterest

What do you like to do on rainy days?

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Bead Color Trios: August Sunsets

The last half of August is sort of an ironic time of year. If you adore summer, it might seem unfortunate that it’s so close to ending. On the other hand, some of the most wonderful things about summer are only beginning. The end of August is usually when the fair comes to town, and it’s one of the best times to see gorgeous, vibrant sunsets.

Although fabulously colorful sunsets can happen at any time of the year - the one shown here is actually from January - they are somehow more spectacular in August. Perhaps it’s because we are enjoying good times, or even lamenting the passing of yet another summer, that they seem so poignant. Or maybe it’s just because we happen to be outdoors, with the horizon in view, more often at this time of year.

Either way, the colors of a perfect summer sunset are irresistible - but can we capture them with beads? This month’s bead triads are a combination of purple, pink and orange. These are some of the most ostentatious colors in the spectrum - they are often used as bold hues in exciting ways. The trick with this combination was to find beads that looked nice together, and to create blends with the same moods as sunsets in August.

One of the first colors I went for was hyacinth orange. The color is unusual and intense, like the world’s most exotic fruit punch. It’s a strong color, so I paired it with equally bold pink and purple. I call this palette Reflected Fire, because it has the qualities of a sunset seen from the beach. The hyacinth fire polish rounds look dramatic with 11/o seed beads in shocking pink and purple lined Rosaline.

Next I went for some very citrusy orange shell coins, and combined them with pink lined crystal peanuts, and purple lined crystal 6/o seed beads. I love the soft, sweet qualities of the seed beads, and they make a great complement for the zesty orange. This trio reminds me of the Old Fashioned Sweets that one can find in shops at heritage themed amusement parks.

I was so happy with the first combination using hyacinth orange, that I wanted to try using it again, this time with Swarovksi crystal bicones. I added vintage amethyst glass leaves and fuchsia lined 11/o seed beads, and got this:

Once I had the beads all set out together, I realized it wasn’t quite right. It’s certainly doable, but there was an opportunity for something even better. I removed the hyacinth crystals and immediately added light tangerine seed beads instead to create Orchard Hammock - a palette that is both fruity and sleepy.

Sunsets come in a great variety of intriguing colors. What combination is your favorite?

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A Flicker of Inspiration: Sunsets

August is here, and that means summer is nearly over. Although we may rush to try and fit in a few more summer activities, the days will grow shorter, and lazier. One of the most telling signs of summer’s end is our reluctance to head indoors. Sitting around the campfire or on the patio until the sun goes down is a great summer tradition, and makes for some beautiful memories. Perhaps these colorful sunsets will inspire your next great beading palette!

1. Post-storm sunset, 2. Palm Tree Sunset, 3. Purple Sunset over Toronto,
4. Pirate Ship Sunset, 5. Spring Storm, Sunset, 6. Fiery Sunset Over Snow Fields,
7. Field at Sunset - HDR, 8. Field Sunset, 9. Mountain Sunset,
10. Simien Mountain Sunset, 11. Mountain Sunset, 12. Gun Beach Sunset, 13. Landscape

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading and Big Huge Labs

Bead Color Triads: Beach Palms

Airlie Beach Palm Tree
by Rob Sangster

Summer vacation is reaching the halfway point, which means it’s time to soak up as much sun as possible before the cool weather of fall approaches. Of course, sun and sand is a way of life for some, and just a quick plane ride away for others. The rest of us pretend that we really love snow!

When it comes to perfect climates, a tropical beach is one of the most common types of imagery. Just look at a palm tree, and you can forget whatever the weather is doing outside. Even when it’s hot, seeing the cool blue waters of the ocean can cool you off. The combination of water, sand and vegetation makes for a great color palette, too. This month’s Bead Color Triad was inspired by the perfect getaway.

The palette begins with a deep, lush green and golden, sandy brown. I always like to include a fourth color for flexibility, so I grabbed swatches in two shades of blue - one for the water and one for the sky. Then comes the fun part - matching up the beads.

The first group, River of Jewels, started with a sapphire rivoli, which is a perfect deep sea blue. I kept going with the jewel tones and added transparent emerald 15/o seed beads, then topped off the palette with some shimmering gold 11/o’s. Although it has very little resemblance to a tropical beach, the palette does have warmth and exotic flair.

I hadn’t planned on literally making a beach palette, but when I paired some wood beads with dyed blue shells, I couldn’t resist. The colors are so vibrant and rich, I decided to cool them off a little with white-lined peridot seed beads. The unusual shade of green can still pass for leaves - I’ve used it in a bamboo palette - but it brings down the volume of this Sunny Day very nicely.

The final palette is quieter than the rest. Dreamscape combines shamrock lined seed beads and aqua blue pinch bicones with golden bugle beads. All three colors are very faint compared to the other selections, and together they have a very relaxing quality. Although this palette looks nothing like the inspiration, it has the same sleepy feel as a hammock under a palm tree.

Which one would you use first?

Copyright 2010 Inspirational Beading