I heard recently that the issue of Bead magazine that Maid Marian's Quiver is scheduled for, is going to be a 'colour special' and so I have been doing a lot of thinking about colour. Of course I often think about colour when choosing beads for a new project, but this time I have really been questioning my approach to those choices and trying to gain some level of understanding about the use of colour. I think I have said before, that I am not a natural when it comes to choosing colours. I know what I like to look at and what appeals to me, but when it comes to actually choosing the right beads for a project, well, I struggle. I think I am beginning to realise that the form of the beadwork could be more exciting to me than the colour. When I have an idea for a new project, I first envisage the shape, the stitches that might work and the mechanics of creating that piece and that's when I can't wait to get started. The next step usually involves rummaging around my bead drawers, pulling out a main colour that would probably work and then struggling to find something that I think goes with it. This stage often takes far too long for my liking and can dull my enthusiasm, and for me, it doesn't seem to be getting any easier with practice. All this thinking has given me a few ideas regarding the use of colour in beadwork though, so if you want to know what they are, make sure you get your copy of the April 2010 issue of Bead magazine!
On the subject of Bead magazine, issue 19 is now available and has my Mistletoe Earrings project on page 12, a picture of Maid Marian's Quiver on page 81 and a sneak preview of my Pearls In The Net project on page 119.
Staying with colour, I managed to create a couple of Etsy treasuries at the end of last week. One was to showcase the work of some of my fellow Etsy Midlanders teammates, and the other was just for the fun of it. I always like to have some kind of theme for my treasuries and so this time, colour was the obvious choice!
Right, that's it for this week and now it's back to the beads and racking my brain about what goes together and what doesn't. Let me know your thoughts on using colour and whether you find choosing colours plain sailing or like me, feel that sometimes it can be the hardest part of beading ...
