A White Christmas & a Boxing Day Surprise

Had to take a 'housie' - it looked so cute all decorated in snow

Who says wishes never come true? 

Yesterday morning, we woke to a Winter Wonderland; the world outside our door decorated with a liberal coating of snow.  And it hadn't stopped snowing; there was more softly drifting through the chilly air like party confetti.  Snow Day!!!!

This being Seattle - we weren’t sure how long it would last.  By some accounts this was Seattle's eighth White Christmas since 1909!  Which is how we found ourselves wandering the neighborhood in the early morning light, drinking in the sights.  Pre-coffee, pre-presents, predawn, just us and the snow.

wandering the neighborhood in the half-light before dawn

Cherry trees limned with snow

It was a wet, heavy snow and I love how it highlighted all the little tree branches. 

These are photos of some cherry trees.  The snow made it easy to see the variations in branching patterns between different tree species.  Even the littlest branches of the cherry trees provided nice stark, dark lines of contrast.   That’s likely the reason they were also my most successful tree photos.

What an amazing way to start Christmas morning!  And sure enough, by late afternoon, the snow had begun to melt.  Today, there's still snow on the ground, but it's gone from all of the trees.

Snow equals Snowflakes!

In celebration of our first Snow Day in forever, our first White Christmas in even longer, and as a little gift for Boxing Day, I'm putting together a free bonus snowflake tutorial for anyone who has ever purchased my Snowflakes and Stars tutorial, or one of my snowflake kits.  This includes people who have taken one of my Snowflake workshops. 

How do you receive your copy?  Simply let me know where and when you purchased the tutorial (to the best of your memory).  On New Year's day, I'll send you instructions for the snowflake pictured in my earlier post, Hoping for Snow, (and below).  It's a 'decorated' version of my basic snowflake.  Make sure you include an email address, or some way to contact you!  If you send me a picture of one of the snowflakes you made, I may include a little extra bonus.  Yep, a little bribery because I'd love to see your work.  :)

Don't have the original pattern?  Purchase it between now and New Years, and I'll send you the bonus instructions, too. 

I'll send out instructions for this beaded snowflake on New Years

(Speaking of snowflakes, if there are friends who have a Cricut cutter and would like me to share how I made the paper ornaments, let me know.  They were really easy; the snowflakes are stock images that I combined with a circle frame).

 Happy Boxing Day! 

Boxing Day Lantern Ornaments with a Beaded Tassel

It's become something of a tradition to post a little something special for Boxing Day on my blog.  Last year it was a paper box pattern, the year before a limited-time free download of my Beaded Acorn earrings tutorial.  This year, I decided to combine two of my current favorite crafts:  paper crafting and beadwork into a little Lantern ornament.  Depending upon the colors you use, I've found this pattern works pretty much year round.  In this sample, I've optimized for the winter holidays. 

What you'll need: 

• Index paper or cardstock (8 1/2 x 11")
• utility knife, steel ruler & cutting mat OR paper cutting machine.
• Bone folder & ruler
• 2 skeins embroidery floss
• Playing card
• Assorted beads
• Beading thread and needle
• PVA glue

 Instructions

The Basic Lantern Pattern

Download and Cut out Design:  Save the image of the basic lantern pattern above and print it out so that each box equals one inch (1") square.  Refer to the rulers on the left and top edges of the image.  Use this as a guide for cutting out your paper pattern with an utility knife and steel edged razor. 

Or, if you have a paper cutting machine, you can download a copy of my design, which fits two lanterns on a single sheet of cardstock.  I designed the pattern in Cricut's DesignSpace.  And because I hate wasting paper, I filled the rest of the sheet with some little gift cards and tags. 

Lantern's cut out - time to fold

Score and Fold:  Once the pattern is cut out, it's time to fold the lantern along the scoring lines.  Refer back to the pattern above - the dotted lines indicate folds.  I find it's easiest to do this with a bone folder and a clear, quilting-grid-style ruler. 

• Work from the inside/back of the paper.  
• Score each fold-line first by lining up your ruler, then running the tip of the bone folder down the line along the edge of your ruler.
• Then, without moving your ruler, slip the bone folder underneath the flap and use it to help fold the paper up along the edge of the ruler.  I couldn't get a good picture of this because it required more hands than I had available.
• Remember to score and fold the little overlap flap at the left edge of the design, too.  Use the pattern photo above as reference.

Create the Tassel
Now, it's time to make the tassel.  A while back, I wrote a detailed blog post on how I make my little tassels, so I won't repeat the entire process here. 

A quick review from my 2011 post

This time around, I ended up using a couple of playing cards stacked together for stability, because I liked their size.   I wound the embroidery floss around the cards width-wise, using about 1 1/2 half skeins.  Once I had the thickness I wanted, I tied off the centers on both sides of the card, and cut the ends from the edges of the card using the utility knife (Exacto blade).

going for the look of candle flames

This method makes two tassels.  I decorated the tassels with a little beadwork, including some peyote stitch around the neck, and then a beaded 'chain'.  Adjust the length of the chain so the tassel hangs where you want it. 

testing the length & fit

Putting it all together:  Finish the chain with a larger bead that will hanging inside the lantern, and a larger bead above the lantern, then a little loop of beads.  You need a large bead inside, and a large bead outside to act as 'stop' beads so the tassel stays where you want it. Test the fit with the lantern to make sure this works.  Adjust your beading if necessary. 

Now it's time to glue it all together.

Gluing the bottom - fold in the back first

Gluing the Bottom.  Start by folding in the bottom flap of the back (solid) side.  Apply glue to the outer (under) side; then fold in the two side panels and make sure they adhere well to the back flap.  Apply more glue to the bottom of the side panels. 

Before you fold in the bottom front panel, make sure that you apply glue to the outer edge of the little side flap.  Take a look at the next photo below.

Glueing it all together

Adhere the side flap to the inside of the front panel, and fold the front bottom into place to complete the little lantern.  It can take some massaging to get the glue to adhere the little flap firmly to the front panel.  Take time to line up the edges for the cleanest finish. 

The finished ornament

Final Notes:  I used solid-colored paper for my lanterns, and decorated the outer side with designs 'drawn' with a metallic gold pen.  But you can change the look simply by changing the color palette or using patterned papers. 

Next I want to make one using dark blue paper and silver ink, then make an 'icy' tassel to go inside the lantern.   Then I'd have Fire and Ice! 

So there's my quick little "Lantern" ornament idea. 

Happy Holidays!

Full to Bursting

Thanksgiving Pies - Almost as good as Beading!

Full to bursting - that seems to be the theme, heading out of Thanksgiving weekend.  Tables loaded with food, homes filled with family and friends, tummy's full of turkey and all the fixings.

And now my Etsy store; overflowing with beading goodness.  More beading goodness than ever before (and possibly ever again), topping out at a grand total of fifty one separate listings.



My focus is in a state of transition. I think I know where I'm going - into larger scale, freeform beaded sculptures.  There are also a couple of book projects I'm mulling over.  In order to clear space (both mentally and physically) for my new work, I've decided to divest myself all of my beading kits, including several that I've made specifically for in-person workshops in the past.  It's time to find new homes my beading kits. Once these are gone, I'm not planning to make more.   Time for a change!

If you've ever wanted one of my kits, this is a great chance, although quantities are extremely limited.  I have one or two kits left in many color ways and designs. Here's a few highlights of what's available:

Catch of the Day Pendant in fiery 'fiesta' colors

Catch of the Day Pendant and Necklace.  This design started with a right angle weave bezel around a flat, oval stone.  You can guess what happened next; I had to see if I could turn it into a fish.  And this pendant/necklace was born.  I particularly love the fact that since the fish lays flat, you have two different 'faces', and they don't have to be the same.  It's a two-for-one design!  I also love the 'fishing floats' made from felted beads with beaded bead caps.  I have kits in bright fiesta colors, in blues & greens, and as a stand-alone pattern.  (If I can find the felted beads which seem to have gone walk-about, I may have a couple kits in the black & silver colors, too)


Fancy Fish:  I have kits in three color schemes, and have also listed some turquoise-blue dyed magnesite and red-dyed magnesite core beads.

Snowflake Chains: I just finished updating this tutorial, and am now offering it as a stand-alone pattern.

I've also updated Snowflake & Stars; cleaning things up, and adding some additional inspiration/gallery photos.  If you've already purchased the pattern, email me and I'll send you the update. 

The Snowflake Collection includes both of my Snowflake patterns at a reduced price.

If you already own my Snowflakes and Stars tutorial and would like the Snowflake Chain Ornament, I'm happy to set up a special, half-price listing especially for you.  You'll also find the last of my Snowflake Kits in Cobalt & Gold, and Peppermint Twist.

Interested in Right Angle Weave beaded beads? 

I've updated my Criss-Cross Lantern Beads tutorial, and am offering it as a digital download.  Or you can pick up a free copy of my Lantern Bead tutorial with purchases of my second paperback, Corsets, Caps and Stays: Elegant Beaded Beads with Right Angle Weave.

I've also listed a number of kits featuring my original Corset Beads right angle weave beaded beads.  You'll find singles in several colors and a couple of sets, including my favorite Yule Tidings Collection, which has everything you need to create six holiday beaded beads, and quickly turn them into ornaments or pendants. 



Prefer my Personal Planets freeform peyote beaded beads?  I have kits in my Quinacridone Summer and Sea Breeze colors.  In my Beading Supplies section, you'll find sets of the 26mm round core beads I use for my beaded beads.

Speaking of freeform peyote,  I have three kits left for my Ocean Currents bracelet.  Please look closely at the second image in the listing as the lampworked beads included in the kit are similar, but definitely not the same as what I used in my original cuff.  I got as close as I could, but....

And if you're interested in freeform peyote ruffles, I have a small number of brooch kits leftover from a workshop I taught a while ago (Dragon Thief and Ocean Shores).  These have the exact beads I used in my Underwater Fantasy Stone Brooch series in Explorations.


Once a kit sells out, there likely won't be any more (maybe an occasional onsie-twosie leftover if I prep kits for an in-person workshops).  Kits will only be available on my Etsy store through Thursday, December 15th.  My last shipping day will be that Friday. After that, I'll still have all of my ebooks and automatic downloads, just nothing that requires shipping. 





 

Let it Snow this Sunday at Fusion Beads

I love the soft, vintage colors of this 7-pointed star ornament

Looking at the ten-day forecast for Seattle, it's looking far more likely that we'll have a Wet, rather than a White Christmas.  But no matter! There will be snow flurries a plenty this Sunday at Fusion Beads, where I'll be teaching my third-annual Snowflakes and Stars workshop. 

Happen to be in Seattle this weekend? 
Whether you need a quick last-minute gift or simply want to treat yourself, consider joining me for an afternoon of some holiday beading fun. 

Not in town?  My Snowflake and Stars tutorial is available through my Etsy Store as a PDF download.  It's also not too late to claim your free copy of my Snowflake Chains holiday special.  I've extended the offer through January 2nd, 2016.  

Snowflake Chains - Update for my Snowflake & Stars Tutorial

Cover page for Snowflake Chains special update

Snowflake Chains, I like to think of them as the Daisy Chains of Winter.  Most of the snowflakes I create are stand-alone, solitary individuals.  But sometimes, I want a spill of snowflakes.  That's when I start making snowflake chains.

I spent last week writing up the instructions for how to make these chains as a special update for my Snowflakes and Stars tutorial, my original PDF tutorial.  It's still one of my favorites because it offers so many possibilities.  Like real snowflakes, there's infinite ways to vary the basic patterns to create new designs.  It's a pattern I tend to revisit every year as the holidays approach.

This latest update includes a quick review of basic snowflake construction, then shows how I made the second and third stars in the line.

Earrings made with Snowflake Chains

If you already own a copy of my basic tutorial here's what you need to do to claim your FREE copy of this update:

1. Sign up for my mailing list (if you're already on my mailing list, then you're a step ahead)
2. Let me know where you purchased a copy of the original tutorial (this also includes snowflake kits and in-person workshops). 
3. Bonus: Send me a photo of one of the snowflakes you made using this tutorial.  This last isn't strictly necessary, but I think it would be fun to put together a blog post showcasing everyone's snowflakes. 

Otherwise, you can claim your free copy of this special update when you purchase a copy of the base Snowflakes and Stars tutorial from my Etsy store.

1. Sign up for my mailing list (if you're already on my mailing list, then you're a step ahead)
2. Purchase the tutorial on Etsy.  Write "SnowflakeChains" in the notes to seller on Etsy.  Make sure to include your email as well, so I can send you the link to download your special update!

 This offer is good through December 24th, January 2nd, 2016. 

The base tutorial - Snowflakes & Stars

As I noted in my previous post, I'm trying to simplify my life as a solo, working artist.  It can be so hard to juggle the time necessary to produce and document my work, write my patterns, design the illustrations, and keep up with everything else.  I love what I'm doing, but I have to learn to do it smarter if I want to be able to continue.

At the same time, I am incredibly grateful to my friends and supporters who have helped me continue to work in the field.  Without you, I wouldn't be able to do what I love.  With all of that in mind, I've decided one way to simplify things while also saying thanks to you, my strongest supporters, is to announce updates to my various tutorials via my newsletter.  I'll follow up when I can here on my blog, but the primary source will be my email newsletter.  If you own the original pattern and want the update, my newsletter will include simple (I hope) instructions on how to claim it.  And if my instructions ever seem crazy, just let me know that too!  :0)


Happy Holidays!

Oh, and in case you're interested, I will be teaching my Snowflakes and Stars workshop in person at Fusion Beads in Seattle this Sunday, December 20th from 2:00-5:00pm.  This is the closest to Christmas that I've ever taught this class.  If you're in the area and would like a beady break from last-minute holiday prep, come join me!

To sign up, you'd need to call the store at 206-782-4595.

782.4595#sthash.YxKepKSa.dpuf

New PDF Tutorial: Criss-Cross Lantern Beads with Right Angle Weave

Preparing for a workshop early last month, I pulled out the pattern for my Cap Beads from my book Corsets, Caps & Stays: Elegant Beaded Beads.  What would happen, I wondered, if I used some of the fun, shaped beads that have come out since then?  My new Criss-Cross Lantern beads are the result. 

I promised my students that I'd send them the revised instructions, including this variation.  And here it is, nearly a month later!  I've heavily revised the original pattern, doubling the number of detailed bead diagrams and added all-new instructions for the Lantern Bead variation. 

The Lantern Ornaments Beaded Beads PDF pattern is now available in my Etsy store.   To celebrate its release, I'm offering a special deal. 

 
2015 Holiday Special

** If you purchase a copy of my original Corsets, Caps & Stays book (either paperback or digital versions) now through December 15th, I will include the download code for my Lantern Bead PDF tutorial with your purchase. 

** Also, for friends who already own a copy of my original Corsets book and are on my mailing list, my next newsletter update will include instructions for how you can claim your free copy of this new pattern.  

To simplify my life, I've decided to post all free updates via my email newsletter from now on.  There's only one of me and trying to keep track of who purchased what, from where, and when gets to be sooo crazy, especially since I have no way of tracking Amazon sales.   Trying to track everything takes up a tremendous amount of time that I could otherwise use for designing, beading and writing.  From now on, I'll post update opportunities in my email newsletters, along with simple instructions on how to claim your PDF updates for my patterns that you've previously purchased. 

Not on my mailing list?  Click here to sign up.  Normally I send out one to two email updates per month, sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less.  It all depends on what's going on. 

This month, I've decided to get ambitious!  My plan is to send out a special update every Wednesday, starting tomorrow for the next three weeks, with a new pattern addition or update code.  If you already own the base pattern (or purchase it during my promotion), you'll receive the updates for free.   Next week I'll be sending out an addition to my Snowflakes and Stars tutorial.  This is my way of saying thank you for helping to make it possible to do what I do! 

Signs of Fall - Beaded Acorns

my 'acorns' look right at home with their forest counterparts

The weather here in Seattle is cooling fast; the dog days of summer are gone and we're quickly heading into fall with a week's worth of rain.  The leaves haven't started turning yet, but acorns are falling everywhere I look.

Walking home last week with a pocket full of acorns, I decided to pull out my beaded acorn earrings tutorial.  Never fully satisfied, I reworked things, adding several new diagrams and brand new photos.  The tutorial's now up on my Etsy store.

I lied - one single branch on the tree outside my front door has turned!

Happy Autumn! 

A Little Gift for Boxing Day - Acorn Earrings Tutorial

I created these little acorn earrings earlier this Fall for the Creative Spark, an online magazine produced by Hope Smitherman and Znetshows.  I thought I'd share the tutorial here as well as a little something special for boxing day. 

Download the PDF tutorial now.

The download link will only be active through January 2nd, 2015.  You may share the link with friends and/or on social media through the 2nd.

After that, the tutorial will still be available in the Fall issue of  Creative Spark magazine. 

Happy Boxing Day!

Karen

Newest Issue of Creative Spark is Now Live!

Click to view Creative Spark Winter 13-14 on GLOSSI.COM

The latest issue of Creative Spark, (the fabulous on-line beading magazine produced by Hope Smithermanhttp://znetshows.com/ and ZnetShows ) has hit the newstands, er airwaves, er Internet.   This time around, the focus is pearls, with a little crystal sparkle thrown in for good measure and features the original jewelry designs from eighteen designers, including yours truly.

I fell in love with Christina's Champagne necklace!

But that's not all.  Besides the eye-candy and inspiration of seeing so many designs (I loved seeing just how unique the designs all were, starting from a similar set of materials), there's also: 

Like my Primrose Bangle?  There's a free tutorial!

Color:  Check out Amy Severino's gorgeous color palettes in winter themes

Creative Spaces: Enjoy a peak into each of the designers' work spaces as we were all asked to share pictures of our studios. 

Community:  Be inspired by a gallery of bracelets created for the 7000 Bracelets of Hope project.

Classes:  Check out three diverse tutorials from design team members (including a little right angle weave project I worked up) and a fourth tute from one of ZnetShows wholesale buyers.

And because it's entirely digital, Hope was even able to embed a video tutorial (as well as a couple other surprises)!  How cool is that?

Best yet?  It's absolutely free to download.

Don't just take it from me - give it a click and check it out for yourself.  (A note to tablet users - because it is sooo image heavy, I had a little trouble bringing it up on my iPad.  It's best to start it loading and then walk away for a little bit.)

ZnetShows is even hosting a giveaway for those willing to help spread the word about this fabulous resource via social media.  The full details are included in this post on ZnetShows blog.  (As a designer, I'm not eligible for the giveaway - but you certainly are!)

Let it Snow Beaded Snowflakes

Snowflake by Helen L. - this one reminds me of a Celtic knot

We had a great time at Fusion Beads this past Saturday working on Snowflakes and Stars.  Here are a few pictures from the class, spruced up for the holidays. 

Three Snowflakes by Vala R - she planned to finish them up later

a lovely Snowflake by Kelli J.

Two colorful stars by Sam S.

Teaching the class, several of my students had the same issues knowing when to add the bugle bead finials, and several people wanted diagrams for my newer snowflake combos. 

It got me thinking, and I spent the day putting together an four-page addendum to my Snowflakes and Stars tutorial.  The update is available for immediate download as an extra file when you purchase my PDF pattern and I'll include the download code with any new kit sales, too.   I've also sent Etsy convos to everyone who's purchased a snowflake pattern or kit within the past year.  So check your inbox if that's you.  If you purchased your copy more than a year ago, email me (or leave a comment) with your Etsy username and I'll send you the update code as well.  One of those little extra things I can do for my blog readers. 

Oh, and the frames are from the holiday version of an iPhone app called Postage, but it doesn't seem to be available in the App store anymore. 

Kit Making - What format should I offer the instrutions?

I've been busy with a new round of kit making, filling in gaps where inventory has run low and putting together some new kits as well (some already available on my Etsy shop and some of which should go live within the next week or so).  As part of this, I've revisited the issue of the format of the included instructions.  Specifically - should I continue providing the instructions as printed pages, or should I move to a digital format - either as an included CD or as a digital download. 

As part of this process, I put together a Pro and Con list for each of the three format, trying to look at things from both my and my potential purchasers perspectives.  Here's what I came up with:

Paper Copies
Pros

• The kit is immediately complete, without need for further work on students part
• No need to have computer/internet access
• Hardest to reproduce - though not by much

Cons

• Weighs more - increases shipping rates, especially for international packages
• Bulky - especially in the case of my fish tutorial, which is 24 pages long
• Costs more - ink costs keep going up, and I have to pass those increases along in my kit prices. (I spend nearly as much on ink in a year as I do on beads).
• The instructions are printed on my inkjet printer, so if they get wet, the ink will likely run

CDs
Pros

• Instructions are part of the kit
• Purchasers can print multiple copies for their personal use if first copy is damaged
• Purchasers may also load the file onto their digital devices (tablets, iPads) if they like

Cons

• Many newer machines don’t have CD drives - could make it difficult for some purchasers
• CDs are fragile, and could be damaged/broken in shipping
• Ease of printing multiple copies makes it tempting to print extra copies for friends
• To make them look nice, I’d have to print CD labels - one more layer of complication

Digital Downloads
Pros

• I already offer a number of my tutorials as digital downloads - people seem comfortable with the format
• Purchasers will likely have the instructions well before their physical package arrives
• Purchasers can print multiple copies for their personal use if first copy is damaged
• Purchasers may also load the file onto their digital devices (tablets, iPads) if they like
• Purchasers may access the download from anywhere with an internet connection
• No printing or CD costs
• More and more people are comfortable with digital formats

Cons

• Instructions not an immediate part of the kit - Purchasers must take an extra action to access instructions
• Students must have an Internet connection to download instructions (but if they purchased my kit through Etsy, then they obviously do)
• Ease of printing multiple copies makes it tempting to print extra copies for friends
• Etsy doesn't have a built-in system for dealing with digital content as part of a physical sale, so I will have to email the download code to the purchaser, instead of allowing Etsy to provide it.

There are definite pros and cons for each format.  After way too much thought, I've decided I'm leaning toward digital downloads.  I think it's a clean, streamlined approach.  Personally, I like having my tutorials on my iPad - it's far more convenient for me than having to keep track of lots of pieces of paper, especially when I'm working out in my garden and there's a breeze.  For the download, I will email the Purchaser within 24 hours (48 hours over weekends) with the download code and will also include download instructions inside the kit itself.

But, I'm moving slowly.  So, through the end of the year if you purchase one of my older kits for which I've already printed instructions, you will receive a printed copy.  Unless it adversely affects shipping costs (such as in international packages) in which case I will send you a digital download code instead.  For newly minted kits, you will receive a download code for the instructions.  The instructions will be in PDF format. 

And, as a fail safe during this transition, if you have a preference as to which format your instructions come in - printed or digital download - let me know.  Send me a note with your purchase and I will make sure you receive whichever you prefer.

So that's where my thoughts are at present, but I'm curious if you have any preferences, one way or the other?  Let me know!  While I make the kits, I make them for people like you and your feedback helps me stay on track.  

Fancy Fish Redux

The fish are checking out sample pages from my new tutorial

This week has been a flurry of sorting and purging to move my studio and renewed work on my Fancy Fish Tutorial.

Our Destash Sale last weekend was a bust in terms of finding new homes for our old inventory.  Turns out it was openning day for ticket sales for the Mariners and there was a Sounder's game, so the few people who did try to come couldn't find parking.  Ouch!

The hours spent in the studio waiting for visitors were productive time however, as I continued to sort through my stash.  It's really frightening how much I've collected over the years.   I'm looking for new homes for much of my fabric collection from when I used to do costume design, wearable arts and crazy quilting.  (Thanks to a link I found in my inbox this morning, I may try consigning some of it through Our Fabric Stash.  Talk about timing!)

While sorting through tubs of fabric, buttons, lace and who knows what, I also came up with a better way to organize my Fancy Fish Tutorial and ideas for several additions.  Luckily, the kind souls who'd purchased my tutorial were willing to wait a couple of days for delivery.  So it was back to the the drawing board and several more rounds of edits.  I finished it up Tuesday evening just before bedtime.  And sighed with relief.

The latest edition topped out at twenty-four book style pages.  This is my most detailed tutorial yet and the diagrams are the prettiest I've ever created.  I showed my newly refinished tutorial to my husband (who had been out of town for the past week) and my best friend yesterday and got a tongue lashing from both for underpricing my tutorials.  Chatting via email with one of the people who'd purchased my tutorial, she agreed that I'd underpriced it - especially since my license allows the purchaser to sell items they make with my pattern at local craft shows and galleries.

Bowing to their wisdom, I raised my price a little on Etsy.  However that didn't seem fair to my blog readers who knew the old price.  So, through the end of the month, you can still purchase my Fancy Fish Beadwoven Friends PDF tutorial for the old price by using the coupon code BLOGFRIENDs, which will take $3 off at checkout.  This coupon is only good for my Fancy Fish tutorial, please!  

Complimentary Colors and Opposites Attract

Can't believe it's been a week since my last blog post!  It's been rolling deadlines for the past month and looks likely to continue through Bead Fest at the end of this month.  But I did get the class proposals in last week, and just submitted my book project for review - should hear back on that by tomorrrow, keeping my fingers crossed.  In the meantime, I've promised to write a post on complimentary colors.

Fall is my favorite season.  I love this time of year, as Summer and Winter fight it out for supremacy. The days are still sunny and warm here in Seattle, but the nights are cool and chill.  We're still using our summer sheets, not quite ready for flannel yet, but I had to find an extra blanket for the bed.  And I love the colors.  One of the trees outside our house has turned a bright scarlet while the other is still mostly green - a perfect complimentary color combination.


Everywhere I look the trees are layered with red, orange and green leaves.  And since we're at the end of the dry season, there's golden brown grasses and bright blue skies.  It's funny that once the rain begins the grass will green back up and stay green through the winter, but our 'sunnier' days will tend to have bright white skies instead of blue.  So I'm definitely enjoying the blue while we have it.  To top it off, the sunrises lately have been magnificent; in shades of violet and purple and gold.

I seem to particularly like blue/orange color combos for earrings

Like Summer and Winter, complimentary color combos draw both warm and cool temperatures into play.  You're pulling not only from opposite sides of the color wheel, but also from opposing color temperatures. 

Take the Blue/Orange compliments: here you're combining orange, the hottest color on the color wheel, with blue the coolest.  This makes for a particularly dynamic color scheme, but also poses its own sets of problems as the two vie for dominance. 

reds and greens in my Autumn Rain freeform peyote bracelet

I created my Autumn Rain freeform peyote bracelet nearly five years ago now, attempting to capture the particular colors of the season.

It's funny in that I usually think of it as "red", but in truth, it has a strong green component.  The green is simply more muted and darker, taking on the role of branches and shadows while the reds do their best to steal the show. 



 I also love how the transparency of the beads, glowing just the way that fall leaves do when the sun hits them just right.  I've never been able to capture that as well in any other medium.

Looking at the combinations on a standard color wheel, I noted the following, which I thought I'd share:

Orange and Blue: some value contrast, strong color temperature differences

Purple and Yellow/Gold: strong value contrast, some color temperature differences

Red and Green: smallest value contrast of the complimentary combos, some color temperature contrast, too.

burnt orange & phthalo blue acrylics color mixing study

And if you mix two compliments together, you end up with really interesting neutrals - sometimes greys, sometimes blacks, sometimes browns.

It's funny, but I really don't seem to use the purple/yellow colorway in my beading.  Looking through my work, the closest I could find was a thread painting sample I made years ago.  It's free motion embroidery, which I haven't touched in ages but is very nearly as slow as bead weaving.

Think I may have to look at a project in purple and gold.  In November. 

For now I'll just keep trucking away.  And in the meantime, I'm slowly adding to my latest Pinterest Board on, you guessed it, Complimentary Colors. 

Analogous Colors - Kissing Cousins or Noisy Neighbors?

For this seventh installment of my weekly design series, I'm continuing along with the color wheel, this time looking at Analogous Colors. 

Analogous Colors are next door neighbors on the color wheel.  They go together quite naturally due totheir close proximity.  In fact, sometimes it can be hard to decide where one color leaves off and the next begins. 

Take the paint color Cadmium Yellow Medium for example.  Is it really, truly yellow, or is it orange?  My eye tends to say it's the later, especially when compared to the bright, sunny shade of Lemon Yellow. 

A quick peak at the two color charts to the right and you'll see what I mean.  That's where the 12-step color wheel comes in handy.  In my world, I label Cad Yellow Med yellow-orange and count it good.

But from paint mixing terms, you can see that it is a yellow, because when mixed with blues I get a series of green intermediaries, not browns or neutrals (this is something I'll revisit again next week when I talk about complimentary colors). 

Cad Yellow Medium and Lemon Yellow are also great examples of warm and cool hues of the same color.  I'll let you guess which is which. 




Here are a couple of other Analogous Color Combos from my painted color studies. 

Cadmium Yellow Med again, this time paired with Napthol Crimson, which is a fun red with a bit of blue undertones. 

The vertical swatch of red in the top right hand color is an unmixed example of the crimson.  Mix it with just the teensiest bit of cad yellow and you get the bold red of the horizontal stripe.

So warm and yummy!  You could totally turn this into a fall color scheme.

The purples in this mix are quite warm, indicating that both the red and blue had distinct red undertones.  

This color combo is very dramatic, and makes me think of Flamenco.   Probably because the purply reds make me think of shadows in the ruffles and flounces of a flamenco dress. 

Here's my Spanish Dancer freeform peyote bracelet again.  I debated adding it to this post, but I just couldn't write a post about analogous colors and not include it.

It's has an extended range, encompassing half the color wheel from yellow-orange all the way through to violet, but it's definitely an analogous color combo in the ways that the colors flow from one to the other. 

And here's one of my little Fancy Fish.  I made this one for my husband, so I was going for more masculine colors, so I stuck with the blue/purple sides of the color wheel. 

It's almost the same colors as a Japanese fighting fish (except its fins were a deep purple-black) I had in college and I figured, what could be more masculine than a fighting fish? 













So now it's your turn?  What are some of your favorite analogous color combinations?  I'd love to see them.