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Last week I got some seed beads I'd bought from the UK. I often buy without a particular project in mind, selecting whatever colours tickle my fancy at the moment. Right now that includes colour-lined beads (in transparent colours, not crystal). Having decided I'd dare use colourful hues like hyacinth and hot pink this summer -- going to order a few swarovski neon pearls too -- I wanted to get something else than just purples, greens and beiges in that order. Something juicy and colourful. Something colour lined. Choosing between two or three colours, I finally went with pink lined topaz, as you can see above.
I probably should'nt have because this is the most neon hue I've ever bought. It almost hurts your eyes! The colour makes hot pink look dull next to it. So not my style. I wanted a challenge, but this? I'm getting cold feet. But I'm not returning it and probably not selling/swapping it either. After all: used in small amounts bright seeds really tone down and it's often just a matter of finding the right colour combo for them. Still thinking I should've gone with that other peach/hot pink hue or a magenta/fuchsia instead, but I am going to use this one.
While I loved most of the beads I bought, I also made a classic mistake: teal-lined light sapphire looked nice and I could use another blue hue, but I was so caught up in the combo of colour linings and glass colours that I missed the oh-so-important acronym. Two letters that make a big difference: AB, aurora borealis. Not a big fan of AB, though there are exceptions (and that's not even mentioning the gorgeous 2xAB colours available). I've been beading for so many years, I should know to look out for that. But I missed it...
But I have to end this post in a more upbeat mood. The rest of the beads were just what I wanted (including the aqua celsian SuperDuos) and the cassiopeia mini-daggers are lovely so let's end with a pic or two of those. They were only sold in strands of 100 so I had to get that many. Not sure what I'll make with so many daggers, but at least it won't be the colour that causes the design woes here.
I have struggled with that before and also they look different on my computer screen than when I get them. Sounds like you might be able to work with them! Those daggers are pretty!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm really glad I got those daggers eventhough it was a bit more pricey than planned as I had to buy a whole strand. I also want these in 16 mm daggers, but I must say the colour doesn't seem as pretty in square and druks as it does in daggers, judging from the pics I've seen.
DeleteAs for the seeds, I do hope I'll find some good use for them. Fingers crossed.
Love those daggers! It's definitely true when you order online you get things you wouldn't have bought in person. I just say, ah well I'm building my stash. I think your instincts are right that bright hues can be toned down (or used as accents for a shot of color).
ReplyDeleteLove that pink colour. I love pink in all shapes, from Indian silks to Hello Kitty girls' swimming suits. Yes, you have a big challenge there. I'm trying to figure out how to use my Swarovski neon pearls. Those colours aren't really within my comfort zone, but I've decided to wear something made with them before this summer comes to an end. I saw some interesting jewellery by Tom Binns with custom painted neon Swarovski beads at Net-a-porter.com last year. I got kind of hooked on the neon thing then. The prices were outrageous, but now I can make my own designs in neon colours.
ReplyDeleteYou could try and create something with these pink seed beads before making a commitment to Swarovski's neon pearls. If you feel that you like the result, then go on and order some neon pearls. They are not cheap as you know. You could get some lovely daggers or stampings for that money. But if you feel like me, why not try something completely different? I wish that I had ordered a smaller size of neon pearls. So keep in mind that very little of those colours go a long way.