Wardrobe Inspiration: Summer Berry

While putting together our Pantone inspired fashion picks last month, I came across this fabulous chunky bead necklace and bookmarked it for later. It has an amazing palette of deep raspberry, orange currant, cream, and black. The contrast between the neutrals and the incredibly juicy colors was very inspiring, and I couldn’t resist using it for this month’s fashion picks.

Summer Berry by mortira featuring leather handbags

I considered going with a colorblocking theme for this collage, and started with a colorful geometric frock with hints of orange. I loved the purple that it added to the mix, and things just started rolling along from there. I found lots of fun accessories to go with a palette of red, orange, purple, and cream. The damask bangle in bright purple is definitely a favorite.

I wasn’t able to find any tutorials for such a chunky beaded necklace, and that’s okay. Assuming you could locate (or make) the big beads, all you’d have to do is string them. Instead, I found some other chunky necklace projects that are great for summer outfits, and a lovely damask pendant project with an easy painted patina.

I love the ingenuity of DIY jewelry designers.
The magpie in me can’t stop looking at this wrapped stone necklace project by Trinkets in Bloom.




The custom clay beads in this chunky necklace project by Katie at Crafts Unleashed make it really adaptable.
I’d love to see it in lime and turquoise!

The floating glass pearls in Beadaholique’s Sea Treasures Earrings have
the same dew-drop effect as our red leaf ones. Very pretty!




These super-easy stamped polymer clay pendants from Doodle Craft are so pretty
they make me want to drop everything and get out my paints.

What’s your favorite berry-inspired palette?

Mortira

Subscribe * Facebook * Google+
Send your beading questions to InspirationalBeading@gmail.com
Support Inspirational Beading for bonus tutorials and more!

Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Wardrobe Inspiration: Seaside Picnic

Our last Pantone-inspired color trio of the season includes a classic combination of turquoise and coral, plus a little of the blue half of this year’s signature colors. As with the Pantone bead picks, I didn’t find any trios that I liked for Rose Quartz, so the final palette includes Serenity, plus Limpet Shell and Fiesta. Pale blue and intense red are always a great combination for summer, so I was really looking forward to exploring jewelry and garments in these colors.

Seaside Picnic by mortira featuring silver earrings

I started with a very beady cluster necklace in pale, smoky blues that are a pretty close match for Serenity. I wanted to maintain a theme with the other jewelry pieces, with round shapes and lots of chunky elements. I was able to find lovely round earrings in both Fiesta and Limpet Shell, plus a great geometric bangle.

Although I really like this palette, I think I would have preferred it with amber and other warm neutrals in place of either shade of blue. The designs themselves definitely work though, and I was able to find a few tutorials to match. These are my favorites:

My Girlish Whims has a great tutorial for a cluster necklace that would work with almost any of your favorite accent beads. The design has lots of potential for layering and patterns, if you want to go with an ombré look as well.

For a slightly less bead-heavy variation, Panda Hall has a great dangle necklace project using a handful of chunkier accent beads. This would make a great stash buster project.

There are a million and one ways to make medallion earrings. This medallion earring project from Jane Chew and Handmade Jewelry Club uses circular brick stitch to create many lovely layers of color.

There are so many great findings for creating your own cabochon settings. This easy photo bracelet project from by Anna H. on Cut Out and Keep can be adapted with any bezel shape and fillings of your choice.

Happy spring, beaders!

Mortira

Subscribe * Facebook * Google+
Send your beading questions to InspirationalBeading@gmail.com
Support Inspirational Beading for bonus tutorials and more!

Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading

Wardrobe Inspiration: Strawberry Soda

Mixing up the Pantone Spring 2016 picks again, I came across another gorgeous trio using Snorkel Blue, Peach Echo, and Iced Coffee. I love the contrast of the blue and pink, and either color would pair off so well with the earthy neutral. Once I had decided on this trio, I couldn’t wait to start looking for jewelry and garments to work with. The colors are fresh and exciting without looking too organic or floral. This is the kind of combination that would be right at home in an ice cream parlor – the perfect place to hang out when spring arrives.

Strawberry Soda by mortira featuring beaded jewelry

I couldn’t resist going with another multistrand necklace for this collage. The cascade of intense blue beads is totally captivating. Rather than contrast it with chunky accessories like in Spring Crunch, I went with very beady earrings and a wrap bracelet. The cut-out sandals and fringed bag join in with the tiny-scale theme as well.

I love how grown-up and vivacious the pink looks in this trio, while the dark blue just sings. So far this is definitely my favorite color combination of the season. The jewelry designs are also very do-able, and I was able to find lots of great projects to recreate this look.

Two multistrand bracelet projects from Beadaholique could easily be adapted to make a gorgeous cascade necklace. The Ahava Bracelet tutorial includes a lovely palette in Snorkel Blue, while the Square Root Bracelet has the cascade look that works so well in our inspiration necklace.

Mini scale maille earrings are the perfect way to recreate our Iced Coffee dangles, and this tutorial by Karen Karon on Jewelry Making Daily is great for beginners. These would look gorgeous in just about any color.

The Peach Echo teardrop and bugle earrings would be super easy to recreate. For variation, I found a gorgeous tutorial for extra large teardrop earrings with a wirework frame by Rena Klingenberg at Jewelry Making Journal.

There are oodles of tutorials out there for making leather wrap bracelets with crystal cup chain instead of individual beads. I like the Leather Wrapped Cup Chain video by The Potomac Bead Company. To get the same look with another take on the traditional method, try the Sonoran Sunset Bracelet project from Artbeads.com.

What’s your favorite combination for salmon pink?

Mortira

Subscribe * Facebook * Google+
Send your beading questions to InspirationalBeading@gmail.com
Support Inspirational Beading for bonus tutorials and more!

Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Friends

Wardrobe Inspiration: Spring Crunch

I didn’t expect to have quite so much fun with the Pantone-inspired spring bead picks this week, but once I got going it was hard to stop. By removing the least inspiring color – Rose Quartz – I was left with 9 gorgeous colors to experiment with. Three color trios just weren’t enough! It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a fashion collage, and I always like to play with different jewelry styles to see how they’ll look in an ensemble. Pantone colors are one of my favorite inspirations for the Wear It Twice collage, which features one great statement necklace and two outfit options to showcase it with.

Spring Crunch by mortira featuring flower home decor

I decided to start the first palette with Green Flash, which I think had a lot more potential than just an aquatic-looking palette. I was really wishing for a more orange-y color to work with here, which I think would have made for an awesome tropical themed palette. Instead, I added Buttercup yellow and Lilac Gray for a rather crisp and fresh palette. This trio really brings to mind the first flowers of the season, as well as those first few shoots of wild grass and the subtle sunshine of spring.

The necklace I found is so delicious with loads of chunky yellow beads in a multistrand design. I also included some lovely leaf earrings and a super chunky lavender bangle. It was rather difficult to find garments and accessories that were close in hue to Green Flash. For the casual outfit I ended up subbing Buttercup for a pale crème yellow top. The green frock dress is definitely my favorite of the two, and would make a gorgeous backdrop for our necklace.

Multistrand necklace tutorials are always easy to find – the trick was choosing just a few to share this time! My favorite is a wonderfully chunky multistrand necklace by Restyle Restore Rejoice featuring multicolored stones. This one would be super easy to adapt to any palette that you like. The best feature is the variety of textures and shapes in the strands, which really brings out the beauty of the beads.

To get a look that’s a little more similar to our Buttercup necklace, this turquoise necklace project from Panda Hall is a great way to go. I love the suede cord straps and the easy seed-bead gather. You could also do this project with a spreader bar. I’d love to try it with some wood or tagua hoops to anchor the strands.

I wasn’t able to track down any faceted bangle tutorials, but I did find one amazing polymer clay project that would look gorgeous in our palette. This tutorial is by CW Art and is featured in the Craftster forums. The two-tone design is great for showcasing a favorite palette. I’m particularly fond of the striped embellishment!

For the leaf earrings, I found a wonderful embellished earring project on Fire Mountain Gems that uses leather scraps and an assortment of tiny beads. This design would be so easy to adapt for your tastes and stash. Just picture it in bright green with little aqua dew-drop crystals, or perhaps some lampwork ladybugs!

What’s your favorite color palette for spring or floral inspired projects?

Mortira

Subscribe * Facebook * Google+
Send your beading questions to InspirationalBeading@gmail.com
Support Inspirational Beading for bonus tutorials and more!

Copyright 2016 Inspirational Beading and Friends

Actions you take from this post can result in a commission for Inspirational Beading.

Fall Jewelry Colors Part Two

In our last color experiment, we explored using purple as a fall color, inspired by Pantone’s color of the year, Radiant Orchid. Thanks to some great pieces in Cognac and Misted Yellow, I’d say it was pretty successful. This time I’ve upped the challenge with the even pinker hue of Sangria.

Although at first glance the color lineup for this fall doesn’t scream autumn, there are several colors that look right at home in the season, when taken individually. For this week’s palette, I chose Aurora Red – a somewhat lighter shade with just a hint of orange. The final player in the trio is frosty neutral Aluminum. What I like about this palette is the suggestion of winter on the horizon, which makes the addition of warm Sangria seem very appropriate for fall.

Frosted Apple by mortira featuring Lauren Merkin

The biggest challenge for this collage was finding the right balance of colors. Too much purple would make things too busy, while too much red would be overly dramatic. Luckily, I was able to find lots of pieces that almost perfectly matched my color choices, including a gorgeous fringe necklace with red ostrich feathers and an element of gray in the leather and chain base.
I couldn’t resist adding some red rain boots to go with the jackets and overcoats. All it needs is a mug of apple cider and there’s no mistaking the autumn vibe.

To create some of these jewelry styles, try these project and tutorials in your favorite colors:

1. This String Feather Necklace Tutorial by Hey Wanderer makes great use of embroidery floss.
Add a few Swarovski crystals and it’s perfect!

2. The Alison Show’s Chevron Fringe Necklace Tutorial
allows for lots of gorgeous color combinations.

3. If you love to wrap, this bangle tutorial from Paperphine is worth a try.
The project uses paper twine, but could also work with your favorite fibers.

4. Would you believe that this gorgeous Embroidered Bangle Project by Alison Strang
started out as a roll of packing tape?



If you can’t find the perfect pair of druzy stones for earrings, you can make your own using beads,
with this Druzy Beads Earring tutorial by Beadaholique

.

These are my favorite Polyvore collages using this week’s picks:

CampusChic by rellenj featuring a chain necklace

Athens by rellenj featuring pink pumps

Ruffled Trench Coat by shuchiu featuring an opi nail polish

How would you use purples and pinks in your fall palettes?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Friends
Pantone and Nicole Miller
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Fall Jewelry Colors Part One

Although the colors that we associate with the seasons are very much ingrained, there can be subtle differences in our ideal palettes, influenced by anything from our childhood experiences to the region in which we live. So although we often think of oranges and yellows as traditional fall colors, it’s certainly not unusual to incorporate greens, purples, and even blues.

This year, the Pantone fall color line up for women’s fashion is definitely unconventional. There isn’t a trace of orange at all, and there is an abundance of red and magenta apparent in colors like Aurora, Sangria, Mauve Mist and color of the year, Radiant Orchid. Even the Royal Blue hides a tiny hint of pink. Compare it to the fall palette for 2010, which includes nearly a full rainbow of colors, and this mix looks a little jarring at first. But is it really so strange?

In a new seasonal collage series this month, I’m taking on the challenge of mixing Pantone picks into trios that look more traditional than the entire palette at a glance. When mixed in the right proportions, any colors can be made to create a certain look or mood, and I hope to do just that - making fall fashions work with all these pinks and purples. Each collage will feature a fabulous statement necklace as always, and a few choice accessories to help inspire great fall designs.

I decided to go with an easy color first, and started my experiment with Misted Yellow, which does look like autumn all on it’s own. After eliminating a few more obvious colors, and ensuring I had enough left over to make two more trios, I finished the palette with Radiant Orchid and Cognac. Then I set out to make purple look at home in October!

Octoberberry by mortira featuring watercolour paintings

Finding the right hues wasn’t an easy task. Misted Yellow was particularly tough to match without accidentally going too pastel or beige. Cognac’s soft and chocolaty look was difficult to uncover under mounds of rich leathers and orangey browns. Finally I had some pieces that I was happy with, including a gorgeous statement necklace with metallic purple chain that almost perfectly matches Radiant Orchid. The hints of yellow sealed the deal. Though it doesn’t match in the least, I still couldn’t resist includin a bright yellow bangle, with a dark amethyst druzy in the center.

To create some of these jewelry styles, check out these tutorials and inspiration projects!

1. DIY Woven Chain Collar Necklace by Honestly WTF

2. Mustard Flower Earrings Project by Beadaholique

3. Bracelet Thread Bracelet Tutorial by Operation Overhaul



4. Sweet Blackberry Collar Necklace Project by Fusion Beads

5. Purple Charisma Necklace Tutorial by Artbeads.com

6. Faux Amethyst Druzy Ring Project by Beadaholique

The purples don't quite match the radiance of this year's leading color, but you get the idea!

And for an extra dose of inspiration, these are my favorite Polyvore sets featuring some of today’s picks:

Cairo by rellenj featuring a black white dress

Venice by rellenj featuring purple home decor

What do you think of the new Pantone line up? Which colors say ‘fall’ the most?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Friends
Pantone and Bibhu Mohapatra
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Throwback Thursday: Turquoise Collage

It’s always enlightening to look back on old designs and marvel at how much our styles and skills have changed. Have you ever compared your first peyote stitch project to one you made years later? It’s usually a big revelation. Of course, beading isn’t the only skill that evolves over time. Today I had a look back at one of my other hobbies, and was amused at what I found.

In July of 2010, I posted the first ever Wear It Twice collage: a look at two different ways of styling a statement necklace. The idea was pretty simple, and so was the first set that I made. Since then, I’ve added a lot of different elements to my template, and moved away from the strict color palettes.

2010's Turquoise Queen by mortira featuring a long blue necklace

Fashion collages are still one of my favorite sources for inspiration all these years later. I think that when you make things for people to wear, it’s important to be aware of trends and style concepts. Knowing what jewelry goes well with certain cuts, prints, and shapes is an important part of both designing and selling jewelry. Plus it’s really fun to play with color and experiment with dressing the designs you like.

2013's Gourd Gorgeous by mortira featuring clip earrings

What’s your favorite creative outlet apart from beading? Do you ever mix them?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Faire Collection: Natural Fair Trade Jewelry

One of the greatest things about being a beader or jewelry designer, is the ability to make choices that influence the world around us. Whether we’re focusing on special materials, working with other artists, making jewelry with a statement, or simply donating our designs to charitable causes, there are so many ways that beaders make a difference.

The fair trade jewelry line formerly known as the Andean Collection is one of my favorite bead related causes. Founded by Amanda Judge, this amazing little company made big changes to the lives of women and their families in South America. Now they are taking their efforts global by creating job opportunities for over 200 beaders and jewelry makers in Vietnam, Swaziland, and Ecuador with the Faire Collection.

Faire Collection designs continue to amaze jewelry lovers with gorgeous natural materials like tagua, acai, and coconut. The incredibly trendy styles are bringing the message of the importance of fair trade products to boutiques around the world.

Today’s Wear It Twice collage features handmade jewelry and accessories from the new Faire Collection. In addition to necklaces, bracelets and earrings, Faire artisans also make hats and scarves with flair. There are some amazing colors available, including bright tropical hues and subtle natural tones. I went with the always stunning combination of bright blue and rich brown, with just a hint of mint. The Geo-Stack earrings are my personal favorite.

Summer Faire by mortira featuring sleeveless dresses

Also included: the Isabella Necklace, the chunky Classic Tagua Bracelet, Lola Hat with peacock feather, Rialto Earrings, and the Infinity Scarf. The natural shapes and patterns of the materials blend perfectly with the bright colors. If you haven't worked with natural beads like tagua before, they are a great way to add personality to jewelry.

If you’d like to learn more about the project and the talented designers and artisan partners, visit ShopFaire.com.

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Faire Collection
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Wear it Twice: Burnt Rainbow

It’s time again to explore the possibilities of combining great garments with beautiful accessories. Usually I like to stick to a simple palette of 3 main colors and perhaps a few accents, but today things got a little carried away.

It all started with an awesome mixed media necklace including cord, chain, and bead fringe with a wild variety of colors. What I wanted to do was focus on the red, orange, and green of the cords at the center of the piece. Although the necklace itself has a great summer vibe, finding summery clothes in these colors would be a challenge. The trick would be to keep it fresh instead of looking like fall.

Burnt Rainbow by mortira featuring a bracelet bangle

Things were going really well with a lovely red dress and top, orange shoes for each, and some fun handbags. Then I started adding accessories to go with both outfits, and suddenly it was a perfect rainbow of deep shades. It still looks pretty summery, and there’s nothing wrong with a little (or a lot) of color!

Here are just a few tutorials and projects to try with mixed materials and rainbow palettes:

Combine beads and fabric in one gorgeous piece with the Turquoise Dreams necklace tutorial from Jewelry Making Journal.

If you love bangles, this Rainbow Wrapped Bangle Project from love u madly is worth a try! It would work great in any color combination or ombre pattern.

Block your colors and get a lot of texture in one piece with a tribal necklace tutorial from DIY fashion blog make it & fake it.

If you prefer a little fringe over a lot, the understated beaded fringe necklace project from A Common Thread is a great way to show off some favorite colors.

A funky Poly Rope Necklace project from dollar store crafts looks like a reverse of today’s necklace design. Switch out the poly cord and rhinestone trim for hemp and brick stitch, and you’ve got a gorgeous statement necklace!

The Going Tribal fringe necklace tutorial from M&J Trimming just needs a few strands of Picasso seed beads or Java glass, and it’s perfect!

And these are my favorite Polyvore collages featuring this month’s best picks. If you're ever stuck for inspiration on outfits, color, or style in general, these collage artists have you covered!

Tribal by emjule featuring Forever 21

Plaid top by kmaryk featuring a nails inc nail polish

Trio by cris-1121 featuring a tan leather shoulder bag

Stella by xandriah featuring black glasses

Do you like to style your outfits with multiple colors?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading and Friends
Collages Hosted by Polyvore.com
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+

Wear It Twice: Totally Random

Themes and palettes are all well and good, but sometimes it’s fun to just throw out all the rules. As I’m preparing all of the details for my submission to this year’s Ugly Necklace Contest, I’ve been craving some more eclectic and freeform designs. And now that heavy coat weather is over, it’s also a good time to experiment with layered outfits and wild styles. With this idea in mind, I went in search for some interesting, exciting, and eye catching pieces to pair with a great statement necklace.

Mix Not Match by mortira featuring chamak by priya kakkar bangles

I started with a chunky multi-strand bead and chain necklace. With a great mix of neutrals, it would be that much more fun to play with patterns and textures. For each outfit I combined pieces that had prints or patterns, with a few complementary colors to bring out the personality in the necklace. I also added lots of chunky bracelets, a few with some great examples of trade beads at work.

If you’re in the mood to let your beads run wild, here are a few tutorials for similar designs in necklaces and bracelets:

This Trail of Turquoise necklace project from FusionBeads.com is the perfect combination of chain and chunky beads. The soft colors work harmoniously with the metals - for extra fun, try adding some striped beads!

For a more traditional approach, combine floating beads and chain in a cascade necklace from HowDidYouMakeThis.com

Daggers and spikes add even more texture in the Gulf Stream Necklace project from Artbeads.com

Like the idea, but want it a little more demure? Pair a handful of bold beads for a smaller statement with a Multistrand Statement Necklace tutorial from HappyHourProjects.com

If you're not comfortable with freeform but want the look, start with a simple technique and add lots of bead varieties. The Vegan Wrap Bracelet from Beadaholique.com provides a great place to start.

Layering bracelets is a great way to add personality to any outfit. The simple seed bead Stratum Bracelet tutorial from AuntiesBeads.com projects lots of color in a totally stackable size.

Natural elements in jewelry look great when they're big and bold. The combination of links, leather, and big beads in Live In Art's Chunky Bracelet Tutorial really delivers.

And here are my favorite Polyvore collages features some of this month’s picks:

Sin título #939 by loveisforgirls featuring a multiple chain necklace

Untitled #1794 by julinka111 featuring a floral messenger bag

Casual Walk *No Backgrounds by synderella featuring Lynn Ban

What’s your favorite freeform technique?

Copyright 2014 Inspirational Beading
Subscribe to Inspirational Beading
Get inspired on Facebook and Google+