According to the color experts at
Pantone, the two big colors for Spring and Summer of 2016 are Rose Quartz Pink and Serenity Blue. For all the world, those two look like traditional nursery room colors to me. Gah! I really dislike the stereotyping that starts right at birth or even earlier, when the gender is known. Women of my age (uh-hum) worked really hard to break down the narrow definitions of what women (and men) can or should do. I used to know a very nice bead shop owner, who always referred to her staff as "My girls". I had the same knee jerk reaction to that as to the baby colors. OK, I know that lots of people will disagree with me and I also know that many people don't feel as strongly as I do about calling women, girls or using baby pink. I'm just speaking for me and I wanted to give you the back-story for today's earrings.
I decided to challenge myself to create something in Rose Quartz Pink that I would be comfortable wearing!
Copper has a pink tinge to it, so I started with that. These copper charms were made by Melinda Orr of
ORRTEC. I topped Melinda's copper with some speckled pink Czech glass from my stash. The speckled effect helps tone a color down a bit.
Then I added some twisted wire jump rings and topped them off with matte purple lampwork glass beads from
Paradise Beads. I added a couple of loops of antiqued brass wire work to up the rustic look. And for a final touch I added some hand dyed lace trim. The dye is purposely spotty with patches of creamy white and hints of orange, mixed in with the pink. It is not old lace, but it appears vintage.
So do you think I pulled this off? Pink with out the cutesy, baby stuff? What colors do you dislike? Have you ever challenged yourself to use them despite your feelings?
These earrings are available here:
Pink Lace Earrings
I'm confused about the Pantone 'color of the year' business. I koeep hearing posts just like this: "Pantone's decided these are the colors sweeping the year! But I hate them; they're terrible colors!" So then, exactly who're they sweeping with? Pantone just decides these are going to be popular colors--to what end? What're they selling? And why are designers in any field going along with it and attempting to use the colors despite their clear and articulated revulsion to them? What if designers instead took the stance, "You know, Pantone says these are the colors to use--but the colors are dreadful, and Pantone is not the boss of me, so I'm going to use colors I actually like." ...Wouldn't that feel good? Stand up and shout out that the Emperor has no clothes!
ReplyDeletethese are so stinkin cute Linda, you did a wonderful job!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lynn!
DeleteI do think that sometimes those colors are thought of as nursery colors especially when they are together. But I happen to be a fan of pink generally and I really like what you put together. That vintage look lace is a wonderful addition. The dark rustic copper pulls the pink away from being too baby or feminine.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kristi!
DeleteLinda, I applaud the challenge you gave yourself! Stepping outside that box is important, isn't it. If I didn't make myself do that, my shop would be filled with Turquoise and other blue greens of all shades and hues! That gets a little boring. So working with colors you're not initially attracted to can make for some big fun and surprising results. Like these!! They're delightful. And I don't think anyone would mistake them for "baby pink." :) Awesome with a pair of jeans.
ReplyDeleteWell said Norbel and very true!
DeleteThanks Norbel! You totally "got" why I did this challenge!
ReplyDeleteA super pair of earrings! I always love your work!
ReplyDeleteJean
Thank you so much Jean!
DeleteThese earrings are great. Challenge met! I love the hand dyed lace.
ReplyDeleteI love them. They are very understated but purely feminine.
ReplyDelete