Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Challenge of Color Blog Hop



This colour challenge and blog hop is hosted by Erin of Tresori Trovati. In the beginning of the month, she presented the challenge along with a palette of twelve different colours. Each participant was to choose one of the colours to work with. You could stick with a favourite colour or go for something completely different and challenging. Then Erin, would select an inspiring colour palette, made by Jessica of Design Seeds, for each and everyone based on the chosen colour.

I decided to be daring and chose a colour I -- and many others with me -- rarely work with: yellow. [Are you surprised if I tell you that of 54 people, only two choose to work with yellow?] Felt a bit scary because I knew this could be really hard unless I got some very familar colours to go with it. I've mostly combined yellow with autumn tones or purple before -- and often opted for either soft almost pastel tones or dulled down nuances (with hints of brown, khaki, apricot/orange etc) when buying anything yellow. Never bright, sunny yellow. But I kind of thought that was the kind of yellow I would get when I made my choice-- and that would be a real challenge for me!

Then Erin sent the e-mail with the participant and palette list where she assigned me Sunny Flower to work with. I had mixed feelings when I saw my palette: the bright, cheery colours are not exactly me. The three colours in the centre felt "safe", like old friends, but the two bright colours on each end felt more daunting, more like unfamiliar territory. Just working with bright turquoise and yellow was a challenge, regardless of the other colours! Pairing such a bright turquoise with what I mostly see as autumn, not summer colours, was going to be tough. But then again, I did choose yellow to get a real challenge, I didn't do it with the expectation of getting an easy autumn-inspired palette to work with.


To prepare for this palette, I did two things: first, I tried the colours in different proportions in Photo Filtre to see how I was going to arrange the colours. That's my doodles above. You can see how I actually ended up with a design similar to the doodles, even it that wasn't my idea at the time. Then I sought additional inspiration at Multicolr Search Lab, working with not just the colours but also the proportions that I wanted to use. I like that tool: not only can you choose colours, but also the proportions of each colour you want in the pictures it finds for you. This is the mosaic of photos I used for my inspiration.

And here is -- finally -- the result of my long preparation and design process:






I knew pretty early one it was going to include seed beads: I'm a "colour junkie" who loves to buy seeds in every possible colour and finish so it was most likely in my seed bead stash I would find colours matching the palette. As mentioned before, I've also recenly rekindled my love for embroidery so it was an easy choice to make when I began sketching: it would be needlework and bead embroidery on ribbon. I've got a lot of satin ribbon as it's easy to find in many different colours -- though, turquoise and yellow ribbons were lacking in my stash. (And so was also a proper stabilizer, which made the ribbon pucker much more that I'd like...) Bought ribbon, forgot to buy fusible web.

From there, the actual design kind of grew of itself, evolving around what beads beads in the stash I could find in the right colours. I often end up modelling a challenge design around the beads at hand, but generally I prefer to design first and get the beads later. I did a few different sketches, but in the end it became something rather similar to my initial doodles. Though with one vine instead of two.





I have used all the colours in the palette (in one nuance or another), but the apricot seed beads used in the flower centres and buds looked very yellow once stitched and photographed, which is a bit unfortunate. While the colour palette is the same as in the image, it looks very different. Not just because there is much more turquoise in the bracelet. The transparent beads let some of the turquoise shine through, altering the perceived colour not least in the flowers.

The yellow ribbon was so bright and perfect for the challenge palette, it felt bad not to use it so I ended up adding it as backing. So what's lacking in terms of yellow on the front, is more than well made up for on the back.

 (The clasp is temporary: it's too heavy for the bracelet, but it's a pretty clasp so it'll stay until I find a better one.)

As for techniques, the vines is stitched in whipped back stitch and the leaves are lazy daisies stitched around beads (yes, I added the beads before the detached chain stitches, not the other way around which is more common). The edges are back stitched with 15/0 transparent turquoise blue beads and yellow thread to add an extra touch of yellow to the front. It was also done because I couldn't decide what colour to use for the beaded edge (once deciding just stitching something with the buttonhole thread used for the vines wasn't going to be working as intended) and once I was halfway done I regretted going with the bleak blue beads. But at that point it would be too much work to undo it all.

Synthetic satin isn't the best fabric to bead or embroider on, but I still do it. It would, how ever, been a good thing to stabilize the ribbon before beginning. Unfortunately I didn't, which is too bad as it probably would've made it easier to keep the ribbon flat and smooth. In some heavily beaded designs it doesn't matter so much if this happens, but here it's pretty visible.

*

While I'm pleased that I could make something with a palette that was challenging for me, I'm (as usual) less pleased with my result. I can see so many flaws in it: the clasp is too heavy, the ribbon is puckering too much, the overall design feels lacking in some element etc etc. But, yeah, I think it's ok. I like the colours and enjoyed stitching it. And that's perhaps what's most important about a challenge.


Now, don't miss all the other participants in this blog hop! You can find the full list of participants on Erin's blog. *edited to add: and now also here below*



18 Tari Kahrs ~ Orange ~ Citrus Tones
35 CJ Bauschka ~ Teal ~ Teal Air
41 Jenni Connolly ~ Gray ~ Paw Tones

42 comments:

  1. I thought your color selection process very clever and it is something I will remember.i really like how you used stitching and beading together. I also don't see any puckering!!....we are our own worst critics! A beautiful result.
    Jenni

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  2. oh what a fun, bright and cheerful colour palette you had to work with. Your creation is stunning, very delicate and love the shine of the satin ribbon...

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  3. Oh my word! I so love this!!! What a beautiful, delicate, elegant bracelet. I really hope you can find a clasp that looks similar to this one, because the style is wonderful. You rocked your color challenge beautifully!

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  4. Your bracelet is just gorgeous! I love the clasp, since it continues the flower theme. Maybe it's just heavy enough to keep the fabric from puckering when worn...? It's great that you stepped out of your comfort zone by choosing yellow, and I think your piece is just fabulous!

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  5. I love your palette! I may use it one day too. What a sweet design. Beautiful!

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  6. I just love your bracelet. It is beautiful. I think you did a great job with this challenge.

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  7. Your bracelet is so pretty! I love the flower design and the satin ribbons. I also like the clasp and think it works well with the design. Hopefully, you can find a similar one that is a bit lighter.

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  8. I would hang those doodles on my wall. Like in one big banner. They're seriously cool! Love the simplicity and elegance of your bracelet, sort of Asian, but in a not-typically Asian color scheme. The yellow satin is gorgeous.

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  9. Are you kinding me, this is amazing. It's all about the process.

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  10. Yellow was too scary for me! Your bracelet turned out great. You skill really shows.

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  11. Yellow! I am not as brave as you to pick yellow, but my goodness, you did an amazing job with this. I love this delicate, happy bracelet!

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  12. I guess I really pushed you into the deep end on color for this challenge, Miss Kristina! But I am in awe of what you did and the process you shared. I know that we are usually the hardest critics on ourselves, I do the same thing with all of my designs, but really this is a marvel. The way you used the doodling and the computer program to get at color proportions is genius. I have never heard of such a thing! Thank you for taking on the challenge of color with me!
    Enjoy the day.
    Erin

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  13. Love the bead embroderyyour colors are so inviting

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  14. First, I applaud you for choosing yellow! I love your design, but more than that, I so enjoyed reading about your project in such detail - I felt like I had a seat, right there at the edge of your bead table, following your process. Learned a lot! Thanks much for sharing your experience with us!

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  15. Wow, what a sweet bracelet. And now you know that bright colors can go very well with your safe autumny colors. Congrats on a job well done!

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  16. what a beautiful delicate looking bracelet! I really love it! And you are right yellow is definitely not an easy color to work with! But you did a wonderful job!

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  17. Wow-what a beautiful and clever bracelet. Really fantasic! Your color interpretation is wonderful, well done!

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  18. Your use of the color yellow is very nicely done, I love your bead embroidery, very pretty!

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  19. Okay... look past the minor catches you see as the artisan. I see a beautiful cuff. I LOVE the ribbon and you pulled in the colors from the challenge palette beautifully! I think you did a marvelous job dear!
    {Hugs!}

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  20. Such a lovely design that does a great job of incorporating your palette beautifully. I love the tools you used to find the right proportion of colors - I'm going to use that one in the future! Your bracelet is beautiful!

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  21. You are definitely brave by choosing yellow and I love your design process. And I can't say enough good things about the bracelet. It is gorgeous!

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  22. Beautiful :)
    You make me want to stab my fingers silly practicing my sewing and embroidery >.< lol

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  23. What a great little design for your palette. I love your doodles and you really did the colors justice.

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  24. What a fascinating creative process you had for this - and how brave you were to pick yellow (I wasn't that brave!) I like the bracelet very much. The turquoise background mimics the sky behind the sunflower in the inspiration photo. So cheerful!

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  25. I think it is lovely. I don't do embroidery and I usually don't do seed beads, I just don't seem to have a knack with either LOL But you, milady, definitely do. I think this is beautiful. I do see the problems you pointed out, but the design is lovely and delicate and used your palette to perfection :)

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  26. WOW! I have to tell you at first glance I was taken back and not so sure but as I looked longer and read further I need to tell you again WOW I never would have thought to go this way but you nailed it!

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  27. Great and challenging palette, and you rose to the challenge -- fantastic job.

    Emanda

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  28. Love the sky blue ribbon and your pretty flowers, it is just perfect.

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  29. I think you did a lovely work. We often are our worst critics!

    Ambra

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  30. I think it's really cool how you used the program to develop your design. It turned out really great!

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  31. What a beautiful cuff - great job! Out of your color comfort zone, and you nailed it!

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  32. LOVE this so sweet and so different it's brand new but feels vintage too . Czech flowers are my favorites!You did a beautiful job!

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  33. How beautiful! Very soft and lovely:)

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  34. Thank you so much for all your lovely and positive comments!

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  35. That is incredible! really gorgeous!

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  36. I think you are being far too hard on yourself, I think this is lovely. Beautiful beading and a spot-on interpretation of the pallette. Be very proud!

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  37. It's gorgeous! Really really gorgeous! Your work is fantastic! What a great idea to do the doodles too!

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  38. I do not know how I missed your blog on the 30th as I thought I had visited them all. But I love what you did, as I especially like bead embroidery and yours is gorgeous. Thanks for your design thought as I am always interested in how other come to their design decisions.

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  39. Thank you so much for your comments, everyone!

    In the end, I have decided to keep the clasp. It felt too heavy when I first attached it, but having worn the bracelet a little more, it does feel perfectly fine as it is.

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