Accidentally on Trend

 

A week or so ago I spotted the Pantone Color of the Year for 2016. My first reaction to the baby blue and pink, uh - no thank you. And then I saw the spring color palette. Not for me.

But then, as I started seeing the colors everywhere, I couldn't help but notice how trendy and fresh the colors were feeling and that I hadn't really given then much of a chance. I remember feeling the same about Marsala last year. 

But then it hit me as I was looking at some of the entries for the Art Bead Scene's monthly challenge. Our inspiration painting this month was totally on trend in the color palette and color of the year for 2016. Kinda shocking considering the painting was created in 1951 by French artist Maria Helena Vieira de Silva. 

And later that same week I created these winter inspired wobbles and blam, totally the colors of our challenge and hey - is that Serenity Blue and Rose Quartz subconsciously stuck in there. Why yes, I think it is. And then I really started to look into the Color of the Year and spring palette with a new perspective and found a wealth of inspiration.

Here are two more color palettes I pulled from the inspiration painting. I went for a mix of grey and muted colors to balance out blue and pink.

For this palette I would focus more on blue/yellow combo with the pink and rust as small accent.

The HOLY GRAIL Pinterest Board 

for the Pantone Spring Colors for Jewelry Designers

2016 Spring Trends

100 pins of color combinations, patterns, art, fashion, jewelry and beads

I know it's not even really winter yet and I'm already jumping ahead to spring. But in a few weeks everything is going to be new year, new goals, new designs and you'll be so happy to have some spring colors to play to use in your jewelry.

So for this weekend only I'm having a flash sale on my website.

Use code COLORFLASH for 30% off your order. Sale ends Monday.

But check out the Pinterest board first for your inspirations!

www.humblebeads.com

So what do you think of Pantone's Colors of the Year? 

Did you take a look at my Pinterest board and have any different reactions? 

Pantone Spring Colors

Before the holidays I mixed up these colors inspired by Pantone's Spring 2015 picks. I always find their palette inspiring. 

I finally made some time this week to make beads with these colors. 

For this collection I pulled the custard yellow, classic blue, strawberry ice, toasted almond, lucite green, glacier gray and tiny touches of tangerine. The looks so fresh and happy! 

My inspirations were lace patterns, butterfly wings, entwined vines and birds, lots and lots of birds. 

I find as soon as the world turns winter white and gray I am ravenous for color. Thankfully my bead table is quite the color feast!

So which spring hues are you digging? 

Challenges, Trends and Inspirations

Hello 2014! I'm starting the new year out by running full steam ahead.  I always have so many planned projects that never see the light of day.  That's over, time to create with wild abanonded. This is going to be the year I step it up.  Last year I coasted between crisises and had my creative super powers sapped by some pretty awful things that happened in my life.  Hopefully this year will be filled with energizing and exciting events, because that's what I'm planning!

One of my goals for 2014 is too rock the Art Bead Scene's monthly challenges with new beads each month.  I jumped right on it this week and created these amazing caladium pendants. This month's challenge is a luscious textile design from Louis Mailou Jones, you can read all about the challenge here.  You must enter this month - how could you not be inspired by the color palette!

As you can see, I certainly have been!  I created a few heart designs showing my love for nature.  I think you need to see more of that butterfly...

Orchid Butterfly Heart Pendant

My second inspiration is Pantone's Color of the Year - Radiant Orchid.  I just jumped right in with creating pendants based on orchid sketches.  Orchid Pendant.

And I created a second pendant with a stem of orchids.  I kept the backgrounds fresh and clean with a white-wash finish - it just said spring to me with hints of dark brown for depth in the color.  And yes, I am counting down the days until Bead Cruise 2014, a week in the tropics can not get here fast enough!

Tomorrow I'll share my second round of bead inspirations for the start of the new year.