February's theme is cabin fever. It is fitting since a blizzard dumped another foot of snow last night and this morning and the wind outside sounds like Siberia. Sally at
http://thestudiosublime.com/ says that color can help snap us out of cabin fever. Here are the colors that inspired me this week. My first photo is the color on my beading board. The aqua, teal, turquoise color family is at the top of my list. They are soothing calming colors.Throw in some green for accents and these kumihimo braids are on their way to being a piece of jewelry.
I went to the local thrift store when I was in town this week and these are the colors that came home with me. Orange is one of my least used colors but that strand of orange shell discs just spoke to me. The brown beads appear to be a natural substance, either wood of a seed pod of some kind. The holes in them will add wonderful texture to whatever piece of jewelry I include them in. The earrings I can see as necklace pendant and bracelet center.
This is my logo and I use it as my wallpaper too. I see this beautiful rainbow of color every day. It took me hours to lay out all of the beads for the photo shoot. Then more hours to separate them and get them back into the proper tubes and boxes. It was worth it though as I get to see this riot of color every day. Sometimes looking at the beads in it can trigger a new design idea.
This is my last photo for this week. It is my square for the quilts, shadowboxes, and ornaments that are auctioned off at the Bead & Button show each year to raise funds for breast cancer research.This is a cause that is dear to my heart as my Mother and sister have both had beast cancer. This is the fifth year that I have sent in a square. The pattern at the top of the photo I got at Bead and Button's website they have several each year to choose from or you can make your own.. Since I seldom do things from other's patterns I needed to make this one mine too. I added clouds, birds, and waves, made the sand multicolored, and moved the one sailboat closer and made it bigger to give the square more depth. I am proud of the tiny contribution that I make to this worthwhile project. If you want to know more about his project here is the link
http://bnb.jewelrymakingmagazines.com/en/Community/Bead%20Quilt%20Project/2011/10/Bead-It-Forward%20bead-quilt%20project.aspx
To see what the other participants found this week in color please click on Sally's link above.
All the color in this post is so happy and cheerful! I love the blues in the first photo, and I have a new appreciation for the work that went in to your logo. The colors are gorgeous! The square you made with the changes is really cool too. Great post, Becky!
ReplyDeleteThanx Annette. Color really does affect our perception of life. I love bright cheerful colors.
DeleteI just love to see shells, stones, seed pods, etc used in jewellery... the colours are so calming...
ReplyDeleteBut I do love all the blue in the first photo :)
I like working with natural elements. It makes me feel more connected to mother earth. Blue is the color I favor. I have more blue beads than any other color and I turn to them most frequently.
DeleteOh, I do love your colorful header Becky - simple awesome! And your square is super - great cause as well. Perfect photos for this week's prompt!!
ReplyDeleteThanx Shel, I know others change their headers frequently but I am happy with mine and it will be a long time before I change mine. The square is only 1 1/2" in size so they don't take long to make. It makes me feel good to know that I contributed to this cause.
DeleteYour bead table looks like you have a fun project in store to make and always like to see what others find at thrift store and garage sales.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I can finish my kumihimo project today. I love going to thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. You never know what treasures you will come home with.
DeleteWonderful colors this week! Your beaded square project is so cool! I envy your thrift store find.
ReplyDeleteThanx Beti. It makes me feel good to contribute to this cause. I frequent thrift stores. It is kind of like a treasure hunt, you never know what you will find.
ReplyDeleteBecky, love your kumi braids. I was just reading Sue Beads' blog about her wire wrapping on the ends which is a great idea. How cool your thrift store actually has beads! I would be a regular there. And what a great quilt square you made. It sure takes us to thoughts of summer!
ReplyDeleteThanx Paula. I can't decide if I should wire wrap the ends or make a polymer clay cones. I am leaning toward the cones. That is why the project is still laying on my bead board. I am a regular at thrift stores, and I usually look at their jewelry first to see what I can turn into something else. Yes I need summer thoughts today as I have to go plow all the new snow.
DeleteI never find useful beads in thrift stores.. but I always stop and look! Your sail boats make me smile!
ReplyDeleteI don't look for beads at thrift stores as they seldom have just beads. I look at the jewelry and see what I can recycle into something new. I'm glad I could make you smile.
DeleteWhat a lovely collection of colours you've chosen for this week. I love the blues and greens, they are so cooling and remind me of summer. The thrift store find is great - I envy people who can pick up something and see something totally different in it - it's a great skill to have and of course recycling - or is it upcycling? - is great for the environment!
ReplyDeleteThanx Diana.I find those colors calming too. I love thrifting. Through the course of my life I have learned to look at things as what they can become. I have had to make due with what I have many times and it has helped me see things differently. Anything that can be recycled does help the environment.
DeleteBecky - I almost went to my bead area for color inspiration for this week. I love the colors you are working with this week. I especially love your quilt square and I think it is great the way you made it your own!!
ReplyDeleteBeads are a huge part of my life so I turn to them often. I'm glad that you liked my square. It makes me feel good to be a tiny part of this project.
ReplyDeleteLots of color here. I especially like the second photo with those beautiful earthy beads. Have fun with them!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that I will have fun with my new beads. I already have a plan for the pair of earrings.
DeleteI love the blues of your beads. What a great color scheme to work with.
ReplyDeleteThanx Michelle. I am partial to those colors and I seem to reach for them first.
ReplyDeleteI never realised that you laid out those beads yourself! Amazing job!
ReplyDeleteThanx Nelly. First I printed a color gradient backround. Then I pulled out beads. I love playing with my beads so this was another way to play with them.
Delete