Thursday, September 29, 2016

Pretty Palettes

Erin Prais-Hintz of Tesori Trovati asked if I'd like to partner with her this month for her Pretty Palettes series she hosts over on the Halcraft site. I always get so inspired by both Erin's designs and her creative challenges. So, she pretty much had me at 'hello' before I even knew what I was signing up for. 

She mentioned that for September she was thinking about a challenge to design using school colors. She let me choose between my alma mater, University of Oregon (go ducks!) or my daughter's current school, Simmons College

As much as I loved my college, I'm just not wild about designing jewelry using kelly green and road-crew yellow. Nope, just couldn't do it. So it took about half a second to decide I'd rather go with Simmons colors of blue and grey. Go Sharks!

Erin sent me a gorgeous stash of blue and grey with druzy in both colors (LOVE druzy) and hematite in both silver and a green-blue hue. I started with the druzy, of course. And used them to bring out the colors in a glass cab I've been hoarding for years. I picked this up in a little hand blown glass studio on the Oregon Coast called Fernhill Studios. I kinda love the weight of this necklace. It is simple with substance. 

I kept thinking I needed to try designing with a shark, but I don't have a shark bead, nor have I ever seen one. But, I do have lots of fish. And so I decided to use a whole school of them for this next design. Plenty of fish fringe in this piece and a bit of shimmer in the silver sequence and hematite. I kept thinking about the story I used to read to Kate when she was little called Rainbow Fish. She loved that one.

So one last design as I really wanted to try out those square heshi spacers in the green-blue hue. I went for an accent color in a pair of earrings. And yes Erin, you're right! They do kind of look like a wild version of a shark's tooth!

Don't forget to hop over to see some of the other designs over at the reveal on Pretty Palettes. And check out Erin's designs! A stunning necklace with coral reds and creamy pearl white. Love the feel of this piece! Go Badgers!

Erin Strother also joined our challenge with with her school colors of purple and white. She created a beautiful piece of amethyst and pearls. Elegant and spirited all in one. So much fun to join these guys in a fun challenge. Thanks for letting me play along this month Erin!

19 comments:

  1. I really enjoyed having you as my Pretty Palettes partner! It worked out so well to make things to cheer on our kids at college. I love piece with the drusy. Those beads are some of my favorites. And the school of fish is perfect! Those earrings a really like a mad representation of a shark tooth! Thanks so much for playing along with me. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  2. You definitely made the right choice :) Blue and grey are awesome together. I love that druzy!

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  3. Love that necklace! Much better in those colors than the colors of that school to the south who isn't very well liked in our little town! :)

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  4. The creations are gorgeous. Blue and grey go so perfectly together. I didn't realize your daughter was going to Simmons. I went to a small college right outside of Boston in the same town as BC. It was awesome being able to take the T right into the city. The MFA was on that same line which I loved. She is going to have a blast being right in such a great, fun college town!

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  5. simple with substance and lots of fringe ... so much to love!

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  6. I try not to leave a comment on your posts until I have visited your links! You are so lucky to have gone to a school in Oregon - such a beautiful State! Mountains and the Ocean...what else could a girl want? Nothing (in my book!) I spent a wonderful two solid weeks in Boston YEARS ago - and I fell head over heals in love with that City! It has so much to offer!

    While I love all 3 pieces you created (blue is my favorite color), that Fringe of Fish necklace is so cool! I love to wear a piece of jewelry that has movement!

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  7. Love the fish necklace. A school of fish never looked so sexy. ALL 3 pieces are gorgeous! The Fernhill glass cab in combo with the druzy looks like something I could see a goddess wearing. Radiant. Warm. Inviting.

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  8. Great choice on the colors. Love those earrings!

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  9. Nothing but big blue drops of love here!!! The Rainbow Fish was one of our favorites too, and it does echo in your Beautiful !!!FRINGY!!! necklace ~ love the style you created in this one!
    The glass cab necklace is beautiful, a bit edgy, great design. And the earrings so pretty and wearable!
    GO SHARKS!

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  10. The blue and grey is awesome. May not be the Ducks colours but they are the colours of winter in the Pacific NW. The Ducks have way, way too many different uniform and helmet colour combos. I didn't go to UW but I like their purple and gold. I went to a performing arts college and our school colour was purple, but I don't think we had any real teams except intramural.

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  11. You are amazing girl!! I love the colour combinations and I love the designs!! Truly, truly love everything!!! Big Hugs!

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  12. I really love the blues! Which is probably totally not surprising. And it is so cool how the necklace is like a school of swimming fish!

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  13. I am absolutely drooling over these pieces and this color palette!!! I think you did the right thing by going with the Simmons palette!! Gorgeous!

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  14. these are my most favorite colors and you brought best with them .glad you shared dear

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  15. Great post my dear, I love this jewelry<3

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  16. I wish I had a beautiful long neck so I could wear long earrings like that beautiful blue beads and silver filigree cones pair. But alas, my genes have cursed me with a short little neck instead!

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  17. Oregon is one state I have never visited but the color palette you worked with reminds me just what I think Oregon would be. All of your pieces are really great and you are right - the first necklace definitely has a substantial feel - looks like a piece you might see on Game of Thrones. I love the movement and how you incorporated metals into the second piece and the earrings are very special. Great job!

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