Thursday 26 March 2009

Spring in Spain!



I've just returned home after a lovely two week break staying with Simon's parents who live in Spain. We try to visit every year, usually around Christmas, but for one reason or another it was a bit later this year and so this was the first time I have ever seen Spain in spring. Of course I am always on the lookout for beady inspiration and when I visited last January, I was struck by just how much green and orange there was everywhere; clusters of orange dates hanging from green palms, the odd orange coloured pomegranate still clinging to a leafless tree, the glossy green leaves of the orange trees laden with fruit and some gorgeous coppery bougainvillea bracts. I came back from that trip, fired up and raring to go and made several pieces using beads in various shades of green and orange.








This time, there was a much greater variety of colour with splashes of vibrant yellow mimosa everywhere, hot pink mesembryanthemum flowers cascading down cliffs towards the cobalt sea, fields of delicate pale pink almond blossom, pomegranate trees covered in shiny bronze leaf buds, vast areas of sage green olives and artichokes and pure white sails against a clear blue sky. I took lots of photos and made lots of notes, so as soon as I get some free time, I intend to start experimenting!





In the meantime, issue 15 of Bead magazine came out while I was away and I have two projects in this issue; the last in the series of my flower pins Periwinkle Pin which uses increasing and decreasing brick stitch to give the petals their distinctive shape and a simple netted sun catcher which is also shown on the cover!








Thanks to everyone who left comments on my previous post. There is still time to enter my anniversary giveaway, just leave a comment on the 3rd March 2009 entry and I will draw one lucky winner's name out of the hat on April 4th.









10 comments:

  1. What a wonderful trip, Kerrie! I am sure you will use the inspiration to create wonderful, colorful beaded pieces.

    Ileana
    http://ileanasmagicaltime.blogspot.com/
    http://enchantedbeads.blogspot.com/

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  2. Welcome back! Lovely photos, and congratulations on the magazine stuff.

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  3. Welcome back! Glad you had a great time!

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  4. Spain in Spring looks absolutely wonderful! So warm. Bet it was hard to leave.

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  5. I'm absolutely envious of your warm holiday. I sure could use some heat! Your posies are always so lovely!

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  6. Your trip sounds wonderful and the pictures are great. Can't wait to see your new creations that the trip inspired!

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  7. Welcome back - it looks as though you had a lovely time!!! I can't wait to see what you create from the inspirations from this trip!!!

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  8. Isn't the light wonderful near the Med! You've reminded me how much I miss Greece (especially near Easter). I bet your batteries are charged now. I can't wait to see the new designs!

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  9. Sounds like you had a lovely time. Your pictures are beautiful. I can't wait to see your finished pieces.

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