We're All Ears :: January Reveal :: Color of the Year

Hello earring peeps!

Time got away from me this month so I didn't quite finish what I was making. But I promise that I am going to keep working on it and in the next few days I should have something to share here. But I didn't want you to suffer because I didn't get the assignment done (and I don't even have a dog to say that's who ate my homework!).

I have been working on some new polymer clay ideas for a class that I will be teaching in Galena, IL this summer at the fourth annual Adornments Retreat. Four days of fabulous beady fun in a gorgeous resort. Can't wait! One of my classes is called Slab Lab. This class will feature making polymer clay slab veneers that will be utilized for modular components that work well with a variety of styles and types of jewelry. So in working with the Pantone color of the year - Classic Blue - I decided to make a slab with that color in it.

I mixed my own colors of clay to mimic the colors in the palette suggestion - Ponder. I liked the very soothing tones and thought that they would look good with the dark and mysterious blue, particularly that last row on the Color Harmonies.

I then proceeded to build up layers of clay, sort of like a tapestry that is embroidered to add detail and texture. I started with little blue leaves and vines. I came up with a way to turn tiny circles of clay into a modern rose and gave it a bit of punch with a gold leaf center. Then to fill the space I added dots of the bronzy brown color. In this technique it is all about the layers, the colors and the textures. It is amazing what you can do with a simple ball-stylus tool!

From there I cut out various shapes. As I was doing this I realized that I needed to do WAY more patterning on this slab, particularly for earrings, which are smaller shapes. This pattern would look really good as larger shapes for pendants, but I stuck to earrings for this challenge.

Next up: baking. Then finishing with some light sanding and buffing. And then making earrings! So I apologize for not having the earrings done. But I wanted you to see where I was going with this so hopefully you will check back in the coming week to see what I made as I will edit this post.

But now it is your turn! Which colors did you pair with the Classic Blue? Can't wait to see!

We're All Ears :: January Inspiration :: Color of the Year

Congratulations to Darlene of darlicousrejuvenations!

You are the random winner of an Emergency Earring Kit for participating in the December Use Your Leftovers challenge! Please email me at enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com with your address so I can arrange to send that out.

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Every year I check out what the people at Pantone decide for us what the Color of the Year will be. And just about every year I have been disappointed. But not this year! I have been waiting and wishing for a good strong blue for years! Now THIS is a color that I can get behind.

A timeless and enduring blue hue, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue is elegant in its simplicity. Suggestive of the sky at dusk, the reassuring qualities of the thought-provoking PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue highlight our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era. 

Imprinted in our psyches as a restful color, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue brings a sense of peace and tranquility to the human spirit, offering refuge. Aiding concentration and bringing laser like clarity, PANTONE 19-4052 Classic Blue re-centers our thoughts. A reflective blue tone, Classic Blue fosters resilience.

Now I don't know about all of that. But I do appreciate this blue, even though I have read some critiques that have caused me to pause a moment. 

I would agree that this blue is definitely a safe choice, particularly since the last few years have been all about much more vibrant and even jarring hues, like Living Coral or Ultraviolet, but not plain-Jane-vanilla. I do like the solidness of this color. I do think it is classic. I find it honest and true. It feels like a very grounded color. It is a good foundation color, something you can build on. And maybe in the world the way it is, perhaps we need to have our feet firmly planted, while looking up at the stars. Grounded + aspirational.

While some of the other more saucy colors of the recent past were better suited for accents in my opinion, not as the star.  I declare that this Classic Blue is a neutral, because I cannot think of any other color that would NOT look good when paired with it. Here are a some color palettes that Pantone suggests work well with Classic Blue.

Now I know that I just said that I thought this would be a great neutral as it goes with every other color. And I do stand by that. However, some of the combinations of these colors in these palettes leaves me to believe that the people of Pantone were drunk when they picked them. Christmas Red-Green-White is "Untraditional"? What I do think is intriguing is this is the first time I care remember that they are actually picking METALLICS as colors. I always instruct people when I teach that metallics are just colors and they mix well together. I quite like that addition and that gives even more exciting options.

If those color palettes don't work for you, or if you just hate this color choice altogether, I have another option for you. Not to be outdone, the big paint companies have jumped on the bandwagon to choose their own Color of the Year, actually months before Pantone. They each have lovely little videos to watch (click the links below) that detail their reasons why, and of course rooms painted in these colors for inspiration. Perhaps one of these three shades will resonate more with you.

Behr selected a light mossy green Back To Nature as its 2020 color.

Benjamin Moore selected the pale pinky-beigey tone First Light as its choice for 2020.

Sherwin Williams went dark and mysterious with this deep blue Naval for the top spot this year.

You know what I think? I think they all got it right. And I actually think that combining all four of these Colors of the Year would make a fabulous palette, don't you?

So tell me, what do you think about the Color of the Year? What color palette do you like the best? Will you be designing with this color in 2020? Do you already have beads to match? Time to break out the blue hues and make some earrings for the reveal on January 17th!

We're All Ears :: Living Coral

I truly didn't think that I would even have any beads for this month's challenge of the Pantone Color of the Year, Living Coral. So I decided to challenge myself with 15 minutes on the clock to pull out all beads that I could find, art bead or otherwise, that was even remotely in that particular hue. I surprised myself! I took a few liberties with the color, trending a bit more to a brighter orange than coral for some beads, but you get the gist.

At the same time I pulled out an assortment of art beads that might work. Found a few!

Next I decided to go back to the color palettes that I shared in the inspiration post.  I decided that I would try to make one pair of earrings for each of the five palettes. That gave me a lot of choices for accent colors! Unfortunately, my time was limited as I started this on Thursday night, and I only managed to make three pair, but at least I have ideas for some future earrings!

And finally, I can reveal to you what I created!

Focal Point Foliage
I came upon these perfect little disk beads from Heather Powers of Humblebeads that were coral with little green foliage. Serendipity! I then found some moss agate briolettes and some faceted Czech glass for some additional hues of olive green and peachy-coral. I love the copper wire and spacers that play off the warm tones of the peachy-coral polymer clay.

Trippy
This palette calls for a mix of bright hues and funky patterns. I had these vintage orange glass beads with the sunbursts. I found these great ceramic headpins in aqua from Michelle of Firefly Studios and rubber O-rings for movement. Perfectly trippy in every way!

Under the Sea
I lucked out in my Humblebeads stash to find these flat tablet beads that had a pattern that fit this palette perfectly. The shapes on the polymer clay beads remind me of coral reefs with colorful fish darting to and fro, like the little coral beads dangling at the bottom and topping it off with a bespeckled midnight blue goldstone.

I have to say that this exercise was a good one for me. Sometimes I let the coral beads take the lead, and other times they were just a supporting cast member to another hue. And even though I didn't have time to work up all five palettes, but at least I have some ideas for Shimmering Sunset, and Sympatico.

Let's see what beauties you made with Living Coral!

We're All Ears :: January Inspiration :: Color of the Year 2019

Drum roll please.....The winner of the Emergency Earring Making Kit is.... 

Sarajo Wentling!

I will send out a little earring goodie package just for you!

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I find the Pantone Color of the Year forecasts rather intriguing. I don't always enjoy their choices, but I do love reading the rationale behind the pick and seeing the color palettes they put together to go along with it. I don't always use this color forecast to determine what I use, but I think that as creatives in any medium it helps to be up on the latest trends, even if I don't want to follow them (I like what I like and don't like to be told what color to use!).

PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral

An animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge

Animating? Yes. It has a quality of being vibrating and shimmering, especially when placed against darker shades, or blue hues, the complementary partner. I also think that this color represents the vibrancy of life, especially since it is actually the namesake of an endangered species in our oceans that I would hope we would all want to fight to protect. So in that respect, I think that it can be a life-affirming hue. So yes, I agree with Pantone's statement about the energizing shade with a softness that makes it approachable.

As usual, Pantone has put together 5 color palettes. What I like most about this is that it shows me possibilities that I might not have thought of for combining colors. I like to see the individual color names (I would love the job of naming colors!), but I also like the color harmonies that show them in connection with one another. I like to use as many of these palettes to inform my choices for my earrings, that is my personal challenge. Which palette are you most drawn to?

I am not sure that I have many beads in this Living Coral color (maybe a trip to the bead store is in order?), but I will try to find what I can to create as many pairs in as many palettes as I can with this special, energetic color. Pick your favorite combination and make one pair (or more!) of earrings to show off. Come back on January 18th for the reveal and add your link!

We're All Ears :: January Reveal :: Ultraviolet

One of my newest Tesori Tesserae ("treasure tiles") on display at the Gallery Q

Purple is a color I can get behind. I don't always care for the colors that Pantone selects, but this one has me excited. Especially since I seem to have all the purple beads in the Universe in my studio! It is a mult-tasking hue that has so many different facets, so many layers. And I love the way purple plays with other colors. I love purple with orange or red, all the shades of blue, emerald or mint green, soft butter yellow and of course, black and white. I love purple!

Right before I found out what the 2018 Color of the Year was, I met a client at the Gallery Q where I exhibit my work. She was looking for fun earrings. In talking to her, she asked me to consider making her some custom earrings and I gladly jumped at the chance. She is always sporting really dynamic and intriguing hats (due to a medical reason), and she said that she had recently ordered a custom made-to-order hat that she wanted me to use as my inspiration.

Isn't this model just the BOMB in this pretty felt cloche?! My client is going to rock this beautiful hat!

Serendipity that the color the year was PURPLE!

First up, I did a variation of earrings that she tried on featuring flattened lentil beads by Heather Powers of Humblebeads. Trust me, they are far more purple than they seem (funky lighting was not working for photos!). I pulled out some tiny brass leaves that I painted in variegated tones of purple, and wrapped a few gold charlottes for some texture.

Second, I did another variation of some earrings that she had seen in the gallery that went with necklaces by the same name that had a sort of dreamcatcher vibe. These little silver charms are so much more lively when I paint them with Vintaj metal patinas. Some of my coveted faceted pearls in a bright magenta color and brought in a spicy copper bead cap and rhinestone rondelles for a bit of bling.

Finally, I used some of my favorite beads ever from Heather Powers. The patchwork quality of these beads and their shape are awesome. I especially love the coral orange colored blooms. I found that I had these little carved coral flowers that were perfect. 

I let the client know that they were in the Gallery Q and she came right over last Friday. I happened to show up when she was looking through my case, so instead of swapping out the displays, I spent time helping her try them on. I let her know that I can go back to the drawing board and she was under no obligation to buy any of them.

We spent a lot of time together that afternoon and she kept finding other things in my case that she couldn't live without, including several pieces that she said she was going to give to friends "who were so nice to her." When all was said and done, she ended up buying all three pairs of earrings...and six other necklaces and bracelets, too! I was flabbergasted! That is the single best day of sales (almost $400!) for me at the Q, ever. I am quite honored. And I told her that she is officially a collector and a Superfan! And I think that she is going to ROCK these earrings with that hat!

I am very much looking forward to seeing what you created with one of my favorite colors! Your turn!

We're All Ears :: January Inspiration :: Color of the Year

Drum roll please.....The winner of the Emergency Earring Making Kit is.... 

Micheladas Musings

Please send me an email at enjoytheday@tesoritrovati.com with your address and I will send out a little goodie package just for you!

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In the history of the Pantone color forecasts, I can honestly say that this year is the first year that I totally agree with their choice. 

Purple.

Not just purple, but Ultra Violet.

There is something about a purple. It is royal and mystical. It is velvety and vibratory. It is cozy yet all-encompassing. It is connected to some of the best icons in my life, like Prince. There isn't a purple that I don't like, I honestly feel like I have hoarded all the purple beads in search of the perfect purple that is not too PURPLE or even PURple, but more like a purple. (Remember that commercial?)

So all hail to PURPLE!

According to the Pantone website: 

A dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity, and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.
I am more than ready to welcome in the idea of being thoughtful and dramatically provocative, combining creativity and intuition with an eye toward a more hopeful future. Because that is how my 2018 has started off....with a creative ultra violet bang! I have hit the ground running and I need the guidance of the mystical purple to light my way!

I fully embrace that this color, more so than the others of recent years, is really something that transcends all seasons. It is a color that works well throughout the year. And I quite like the color combos that the Pantone people have created for us and they also did these cool blended Color Harmonies within each palette. Here are a few of my favorites:

PURPLE HAZE
KINDRED SPIRITS
DRAMA QUEEN
INTRIGUE
DESERT SUNSET
So tell me, what is your favorite color combination with purple? Let's crack into our purple stashes and make an Ultra Violet explosion of earrings for the reveal on January 19th!

We're All Ears :: January Reveal :: Greenery

Heather Powers of Humblebeads does an annual event called the Muffin Tin Challenge. The idea is to gather supplies to work on some projects and place them in the openings of a muffin tin. This is a great way to kickstart your creativity and get you back to creating in the new year after all the hubbub of the holidays has died down.

I didn't grab a muffin tin...I actually say that my entire studio is like a giant muffin tin....but I did manage to trip over trays of beads, muffin tin style, as I was attempting to clean up. So while I didn't really follow the muffin tin part of the challenge, I did use beads that I had lying around to kick-start my creative new year. Actually, I keep a sort of rotating muffin tin challenge happening all the time...when I get new art beads I comb my stash for the perfect accompaniments and put them in a bin or tray for me to stumble on at some later time, a ready-made creative challenge!

I first decided on a few of the palettes that Pantone selected for the Color of the Year: Greenery. Then I started with art beads and grabbed complementary beads that were on each palette. My only requirement was that a fresh shade of green had to be in each pair of earrings. I didn't quite make a whole tray full of muffins, but I did end up making seven pairs. Yea, me!

Which pairing is your favorite?

Time for you to share what you made! This bright cheery green makes me joyful that Spring is not that far off! Let's make 2017 a year of creative joy!