Another seasonal wardrobe adjustment



This post is sort of a follow-up to the last.  In that post, prompted by Michelle Ward's crusade on seasonal color changes in our art, I mentioned that turquoise/aqua are often my palette of choice.  I use different values and hues depending on the season, but they are colors that often show up.  I usually use lime green, lavendar, or black, sometimes bright blue, as "go with" colors.  But, this season I find myself using a lot of beachy colors with the turquoise. 

It started at our monthly Friday beading session at Bead Soup.  Every month some of us get together and pick a project from a bead magazine that we all want to try, and we work on it, helping each other decide on colors and, when someone gets stuck, on the directions.  It's really fun and it's a great way to try some of the magazine patterns.  In May we decided to work on the components of the "Starlight" bracelet in the June 2010 issue of Bead and Button magazine.  When I chose my colors for crystals and seed beads I ended up with turquoise and aqua crystals with sandy colored seeds.  As I worked, I, along with those sitting next to me noticed, how "beachy" it looked.  I really liked the change.  Looking at the little star component when I got home I decided to dig out all differnt beachy colors of crystals and seeds and use all of them in the bracelet, a different combination for each "star".  This is the result.

I used water colors, sand colors, shell colors, and I love them all!  I even used a pure blue, which doesn't appear much in my palette.  It was such a fun bracelet to make and it's fun to wear.  I have another design that is still in progress that uses these same beachy colors, and once again I chose them instinctively.  So, I guess this is the summer of beach colors for me.  I'm having a great time with it! 

Wire working class

I'm really a bead weaver.  But, I love wireworked jewelry and when I found out that Kristin Robinson was teaching her Ethereal Bangles online, I had to sign up for the class.  Luckily for me, I discovered the class on the day it started, which was the last day to sign up.  I loved these bangles when I saw them over the summer in Belle Armoire Jewelry.  So,  I was delighted that I could learn the ins and outs of creating them from the artist.  It's a great class, with Kristen posting from 1 to 3 videos every other day.  I've learned so much already. 

Here's a picture of the bangles with no embellishment.  They have been shaped and hammered.

Not real exciting from this less than ideal photo, but they really are wonderful looking when they're finished.

Hope you're enjoying fall wherever you happen to be.  Have a wonderfully creative day and thank you to all our Veterans who are serving, or have served our great country.