We're All Ears :: January Reveal

So in the span of 2 weeks I have come to a morphing conclusion about Marsala, the Color of the Year. It is actually starting to grow on me!

I found that I actually have more things in my closet and life that are this color. I love it paired with grey and navy and lavender. I can see it with silver, gold, brass, gunmetal and copper. I guess I am entitled to change my mind!

Just when I was thinking that I might not have the right shade of bead, I got a surprise package in the mail from Cindy Martin-Shaw. She has been making components and she was working on Marsala colored ones and she thought I might like to have some. How right she was! I was so delighted by her kindness in thinking of me. And now I had just what I needed to make my earrings for the reveal.

The first pair, called Marsala Medallions, feature these domed rounds with a heavy embossing on them. The color is that perfect shade of dusky Marsala. I wanted to try to pair the Marsala color with some of the others on the list of Spring 2015 shades. I chose to use Strawberry Ice in the form of cherry quartz faceted rondelles atop some vintage rhinestone drops. I like the almost monochromatic palette this creates and the dangles make these a bit longer and swingy, the way I like them.

For the second pair, I added drops of mauve pearl headpins with diamond faceted pyrite ovals. The pyrite, also know as 'Fool's Gold,' leans more to the Custard color. I gave the rings a little bit more interest with love knots in black gunmetal rings. I tried all sorts of ear wires, but couldn't find any that worked, until I swiped the ear wires off my piece from last month's reveal! I know, cheating. But I really like the paddle effect. Unfortunately, these ear wires are in a gauge that is too thick for ears, so I will have to recreate these in a smaller size. I call these Marsala Spark because I learned that when you strike a pyrite rock with a hard object you can get a spark!

This third pair, called Marsala Flora, was really more of an accident. I happened to have a bag of these lovely bead embroidered components lying on the table from my friend Kristen Stevens. I tried putting these lovelies with all manner of beads... glass, gemstone, hematite, drops, dangles and rondelles. I just couldn't find the right beads to go with them. And then I realized that it was because they were so very special on their own. So I dug out a special pair of sterling silver ear wires I had been hoarding and that was that! You shouldn't mess with perfection. I really can't lay claim to this design (thanks to Miss Kristen for the pretty beaded components!), but I did wear them today and I love them! Something new for me!

Which color in the palette do you think you will work with this year? Let's see what you made!

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We're All Ears :: January Inspiration

I am not really one to follow trends too much, but I do find it fascinating to watch the Pantone Color of the Year predictions.
Mostly, I think they get it wrong. 

Do you remember last year's Radiant Orchid? The orchid purple-pink showed up on all sorts of things in 2014, and will likely continue its dominance into 2015 (since most of us are much more glacial in changing despite what the color trend 'Influencers' would like), but I am not so sure that it is a color that I could live with long term. It seems something that might be fine in small doses, like on fingernails, not walls. So I never fully embraced the Radiant Orchid color for the year.

When they announced the 2015 Spring Color palette, I have to say that I was a bit underwhelmed. Sure, sherbet tones are somewhat expected for the spring, but what I didn't like was how greyed out and muted they were. Even in its truest form, Marsala, the 2015 Pantone Color of the Year, described on their site as

A naturally robust and earthy wine red,
Marsala enriches our minds, bodies and souls

is a lovely color. I confess that it is always my go-to for lipsticks and pedicures. I even have a pair of suede boots in this shade (I must be ahead of the times!). But when paired with all the other tones, it really reads a bit sad to me. 

I want bright tones that slap me in the face and wake me up from my winter slumber! When spring rolls around I am ready to dump the grey and washed out tones of winter. These are a bit ho-hum to me.

Still, there are some gems in here...Like the fresh Lucite Green, the strong Classic Blue, and the quiet Glacier Gray. So maybe I will be able to find something in there that I like.

What colors do YOU like from the 2015 Pantone Spring color forecast?
What will you be wearing - or creating with - in the coming year?

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Friday, January 16th.

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