5 Pretty Marsala Color Palettes

As you may have heard, Marsala is Pantone's pick for the 2015 Color Of The Year.  In a previous post, Lesley highlighted some Marsala colored art beads that you may want to incorporate in your designs.

I have heard people complain that they can't quite put a finger on just what this color is.  Its kind of a dusty burgundy hue that lies somewhere between rose and brick.  When I first saw this shade, I could only think to pair it with mauve, but in the meantime, I've realized that it is a lot more versatile than I thought it would be.

If you are a person who struggles with combining colors, you might want to start by looking at color combos in your environment. Fabrics, fashion, house decor magazines, paintings and floral arrangements are all good starting points.

In that vein, I have assembled some collages for you.  Each one starts with a large picture of an object you might see in your daily life.  I've pulled a color palette from that object and then selected beads in those colors.  I hope this inspires you and increases your color confidence.

Pillows are a surprisingly good place to start.  They often combine several colors on a small enough scale that you can visualize it as jewelry. I once made a yellow and gray bracelet inspired by a pillow I saw in a House Beautiful magazine.   Our living room colors were all inspired by one handwoven pillow we have. So pick up a magazine or stroll through a furnishing shop.  Look for a pillow that includes Marsala.  Pay attention to the other colors on the pillow or the colors of the furniture on which it was placed.

 Clockwise:  Pillow from Crate and Barrel, Starry Road Studio, Curious Bead Shop, Fiber Beads, Graceful Willow Beads, Color Square.

I saw this wreath on Pinterest and fell in love with it! I love the angled, sweeping lines and the colors are just so yummy!  I was immediately inspired to create jewelry in these colors.

Clockwise: Wreath from Field and Florist, Captured Memories, Color Square, Wooly Wire Etc., BeadBistroCrafts, Color Square.

Paintings are a wonderful source of inspiration.  You don't necessarily even have to like the artwork.  Just focus on the color combinations.  I found this painting by Monet while doing a Pinterest search for "Marsala art work".

Clockwise:  Painting by Monet, Graceful Willow Beads, Jetta Bug Jewelry, Graceful Willow Beads, Color Square, BobbiThisnThat.

Next time you are wandering through the mall or paging through a women's magazine, keep your eyes peeled for Marsala colored clothing and pay attention to the colors it is paired with.  I love this outfit!  I had fun finding beadie treasures in these colors!

Clockwise: Outfit by LoLoBu, Starry Road Studio, Linda Landig Jewelry, OrlyFuchsGalchen,  Spawn Of Flame,  Wooly Wire Etc.

I found this dress by doing a Pinterest search for "Marsala fashions".  I think this is my favorite color palette that I found.  The coral accents just make the whole thing sing for me!  Love, love, love this!

 Clockwise: Dress found on Pop Sugar, Classic Bead, Curious Bead Shop,  LanaBeads2, Beads By Earth Tones, Wooly Wire Etc.

I also found a couple of earrings in Lesley's shop, Thea Jewellery, that fit the bill, so I thought I'd share them as well.

I'm not suggesting that you design jewelry solely with the goal of being on trend, but if you find these color palettes inspiring, then by all means go for it!  And keep your eyes open to all the fabulous color that surrounds you everyday.  Inspiration is everywhere!

Linda 

Linda Landig Jewelry

Pantone Spring 2015 Colour Trends

So the new Pantone colour trends for spring 2015 are out... I have to say I do tend to make what I like and don't really follow any trends, generally finding that there are only a few colours in this report that are 'me'. I'm actually quite liking this palette though because it comprises some more earthy hues and the beach/ocean tones that I favour. I'm don't work very much in pink or yellow but these versions don't offend me and I love Marsala - the colour of the year.

I had a quick look through my stock when I saw the report and found some things that slot very well into this palette including this cute little memory wire bracelet featuring a very 'with it' owl from Tree Wings Studio...

I've also just done a Raku firing with a batch of ceramic beads which turned out to be bang on trend...all totally planned of course!

The rest of the AJE team seemed to have a pretty positive response to the report too so I had a little nosey around some of their shops to see what I could find and, well, I found a lot.

Like me Jenny has the blues and browns covered but she also has some  lovely 'custard' pieces in her current range...

With her fabulous painted feathers and polymer clay beads Rebekah is rocking Tangerine amongst others...

Caroline and Kristi are already working the 'Strawberry Ice' to great effect in combination with the soft neutral earth tones...

Spring has already sprung in Diana's shop - just look at this luscious mix...

It seems to me that a large chunk of the Pantone palette could have been inspired by this fabulous necklace of Lindsay's - what a great colour combo...



The earthiness of some of these colours really comes through in Karen's work and I really like how these tones are working together...

And like Lindsay's necklace these Wooly Wire coils are just a perfect fit...

Linda is spot on with her colour combination in this single pendant...

And this ccollection of 'Classic Blue, Lucite Green and Aquamarine' from Sue is just heavenly...

So what do you think of this colour forecast then...does it make you smile and inspire you or does it make you groan with dismay...hopefully not the latter!  I've created an Etsy treasury to illustrate how some other bead makers and jewellery designers have used these colours in their work so maybe that will help with the inspiration - just click on the image below to view.

Happy designing for 2015!