Colour me happy

One look out of the window tells me that weather wise, today is absolutely miserable. It's an early summers day in Dorset and the sky is grey, it's pouring with rain and there's a howling wind. My planned day of gardening will have to wait and will probably now be a salvage operation for the poor battered flowers.

But I refuse to let this bring me down because inside I've got colour to keep me bright and sunny. It's raining, so what? Rain can be colourful...

Doesn't look like this today but I have a good imagination!

Colour has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm taking part in an Etsy team swap and my partner asked me what my colour preferences were and this got me to thinking. I've always liked strong saturated colours but tend to err towards slighty muted, earthier colours. I have occasionally tested out the fuchsia pinks and bright purples, but the colour palettes to which I think I tend to remain faithful are south western, autumn and beach/ocean. To test this theory, I spent a couple of hours online this week just selecting images that had an immediate appeal for me irrespective of the subject matter ( thoroughly recommended way to chill out). These are a couple of the (many) resulting collages...

I've never really been that conscious about picking colours in my jewellery designs and I guess that's because my own preferences make it an entirely sub-conscious act. It did however occur to me that I may be limiting my customers choices. You will never, ever find baby pinks and pastels other than greens and blues in my wardrobe and when I looked at my current Etsy stock - there's not much there either. Neither will you find much in the way of acid colours either - whilst I do quite like these they have a tendency to make me look like I've been dead for a fortnight...so sometimes choice is a matter of practicality! But I guess this is all part of what drives us creatively and you can't force the muse to be something she's not. 

I've just finished a couple of new pieces which are definitely out to defy unseasonal weather...

Copper and lampwork bracelet with 'squiggle' clasp

Copper and lampwork pendant

This bracelet and pendant evolved around the lovely abstract lampwork focal beads by Marieke Van Esveld which have an almost ethnic, tribal motif but not in the colour palette you would normally associate with such motifs. I love them, I think they are fresh and fun and I've tried to capture this in my designs.

I have another set of summer beads to work on which do slightly contradict what I've just said about my colour preferences, but they are just so so beautiful and I have coveted them for so so long, I just had to go for it...

These fabulous enameled lampwork poppy beads are by Mindy Macgregor and whilst they are eye-poppingly bright, the cooler greens and blues just take away any harsh edge - and that's what gets them firmly in with my favourites.

Well now, if you are suffering from the same lamentable weather (or worse!) as I am, then I hope this little tour through the colours of my world might have cheered your day up a bit.  I shall now go and make myself a cup of coffee, play with my beads, oh and maybe browse the newest addition to my book collection...

Enjoy the rest of the weekend :0)