Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Bead Color Trios: Swamp Water

One of my all time favorite trendy color palettes is a quartet of vibrant hues: black, orange, aqua and lime green. Ever since I saw these colors used together about ten years ago, they’ve been a source of inspiration when intriguing colors are needed. I’ve used them in everything from spiral ropes and treasuries, all together or in variation.

Swamp Water Color Palette


As a set, these colors are very unique and charming, and grab a lot of attention. Take away the aqua blue, and suddenly you have a fantastic palette for Halloween and quirky fall designs. As a trio, these colors could be made to look rather sophisticated. Add a dash of purple, and you’ve got the makings of a youthful Halloween palette. With dress up day just around the corner, I wanted to experiment with black, orange and lime green, and see what kinds of moods could be created with them. Would they be silly, cute or even spooky?

Witch's Brew Bead Color Palette


The first palette has a lot of punch, and is the one with the most whimsy. I started with pumpkin orange 8/o seed beads and transparent lemon lime 11/o’s. Although pairing up opaque and transparent beads doesn’t always work, these shades go together really well, and the lemon lime picks up enough light for both of them. For black, I added some Czech glass skulls to make a Witch’s Brew.

Storm Drain Fall Bead Color Palette


Darkening the green a little bit creates a whole new look. In Storm Drain, I paired Christmas green vitrail leaf beads with transparent tangerine 11/o seed beads. As a pair, these colors look just like a bowl of fresh oranges, or some fancy party punch. The addition of shiny jet black 8/o seed beads creates a spooky vibe that’s just right.

Frog Spawn Bead Color Palette


Frog Spawn is very similar to the first palette, but the changes in shape add new dimensions. The lustered coral 11/o seed beads aren’t quite as bold as the pumpkin orange, but they do have a kick. I paired these with lemon lime magatamas, and a sprinkling of jet black druks, which blend together nicely with their smooth rounded shapes.

What colors get you in the Halloween mood?

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