Color Inspiration for Beads of Clay Blog

Being part of the Beads of Clay Professional Artists Team gives me the privilege to work with a number of top ceramic artists in the handmade bead industry.

One thing that we're doing as a team is being inspired by Brandi Hussey (Brandi Girl Blog) and her amazing color palettes.

Over on the Beads of Clay Blog, there is going to be a monthly Color Inspiration post with a couple of her color palettes inspired by an upcoming season or holiday.

July's Color Inspiration palette is based on Brandi's Pier Palette:

And here are some items that are inspired by this palette:

Marsha Neal Studio Pier Palette Textured Disc Beads donated to the BOCPAT Etsy shop. 

Hand Painted 2mm Silk Knot Bundle via Marsha Neal Studio Etsy shop.

Marsha Neal Studio Textured Disc Beads: Sky Cowgirl Palette

Marsha Neal Studio Line Curls Crescent Pendants: Watery Blue Glaze

Make sure and stop by the Beads of Clay Blog to see what items other members of our team have posted for this palette.

Step By Step Wire Jewelry: Color Canvas By Kerry Bogert

I'm so delighted that the August/September Issue of Step By Step Wire Jewelry is now available for digital download (also in print by subscription and newsstand soon)!

*Read to bottom if you want a coupon code*

Kerry Bogert (Kabs's Creative Concepts) used some of my new ceramic beads in a project for her "Color Canvas" featured article in this issue.

The project was inspired by a color palette she came up with from a photo of hers from last summer.

You'll have to see the issue to see the whole article, but here is where you can see the beads that I made in her color palette to match the project!

She used my Chevron and Spiral Beads (just incase you were wondering).

Marsha Neal Studio Handmade Bead Set in Kerry Summer Palette

Upper Left = Textured Disc

Upper Right = Round Bead

Bottom Left = Chevron Inspired Bead

Bottom Right = Spiral Bead

If you want to purchase any of these bead sets for your own project inspired by her color palette, you can grab a set of 16 beads (8 pairs) from my Marsha Neal Studio Etsy shop in any of the four types of beads.

For this palette only, From July 10 to July 25, 2012 you can use Etsy checkout coupon code: KerrySummer

to take 20% off your Kerry Summer Palette bead set.

If you want to purchase another item at the same time (20% code not valid on other items), but want to avoid excess shipping charges, when you make your second purchase while your order is still in my hands, you may use coupon code: FREESHIP to remove the additional shipping charges.

What will you make with yours???

And I think I will do two drawings - just because I like to give stuff away!
DRAWING 1
If you purchase one of these Kerry Summer Palette sets by July 25, 2012:
You will be entered to win another set of beads - your choice of color palette!

DRAWING 2
If you comment here on this blog for every action you do:
Share via Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
Sign up for my email newsletter, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, follow this blog, etc
I will pick a random commenter from this post on July 26, 2012 to win one of the Kerry Summer Palette bead sets (your choice of shape)!

Good Luck with the Drawings!!!

Color Palette Blog Walk - Round Three...

Welcome to the third round of Brandi's Color Palette Blog Walk.

This is my first time on this blog hop, but not my time pulling colors from photos that inspire me.

The theme of this round is "What is the color of your joy?"

For me right now in my life - my greatest joy is watching my little ones…

To watch their faces light up…

To delight in their antics...

To hear them laugh and see them smile...

To watch them explore the world around them and interact with nature…
To wonder about the people they will grow up to be...

One of the other things that brings me great joy is the use of my hand lens and my iPhone.

When running around with two little ones outside I have found that expensive digital SLR's are just too bulky for me to tote. 
And I am too concerned that it would get damaged if I had to drop it fast to catch one of my adventurers…

Diaper & extra clothes bags have been priority in my life for almost 4 years now.

Oh, I can't wait until Riley (almost 2) is potty trained - then we can really pack light with just the extra clothes...

So the joy that the freedom that my iPhone with Hipstamatic app, and pocket hand lens gives me is priceless.

From my color palettes do you think I'm into muted rich tones?

I find these tones very soothing - which also brings me joy.

Well, the thought of soothing, quite time does anyway…
Not that I ever have any of that (or that I ever will again)...

Here are some of the other artists participating in this blog hop.

Make sure to stop by and check out what brings them joy…

Francesca at Francesca Watson Designs -- http://www.francescawatson.com

Lori at Pretty Things -- http://www.PrettyThingsBlog.com

Marsha at Marsha Neal Studio Blog -- http://www.marshanealstudio.blogspot.com

Cindy at Sweet Bead Studio -- http://www.sweetbeadstudio.com

Kerry at Kab's Concepts -- http://www.kabsconcepts.blogspot.com

Cynthia at Ornamental Style -- http://www.ornamentalstyle.com/blog

Linda at Linda's Bead Blog & Meanderings -- http://lindalandig.wordpress.com

Emily at Good Things* -- http://jorpins.blogspot.com

Erin at Treasures Found -- http://treasures-found.blogspot.com

Brandi at Brandi Girl Blog -- http://www.brandigirlblog.com

Jenni at Jenni's Beads -- http://jennibead.blogspot.com 

Shari at Exploring the Wonders of Life -- http://exploringthewondersoflife.blogspot.com

Oh, and by the way, if you like color inspirations like this and want to help me out with picking out some color palettes for the silks I sell in my Etsy shop, sign up for my email newsletter.

I'm almost done with the silk color palette photo update, so I'll be sending out info soon…

And there are sales & giveaways on the horizon - so you don't want to miss out.

Thanks for stopping by!

Think about it every day, realize what it is, then be thankful for it…

Where do you find your joy?

Finding Color Inspiration...

Where do you find your color inspiration?

iPhone Hipstamatic picture of Venice Beach, FL Fall 2011

I tend to look towards nature…

On Etsy it is amazing to sit and look through tons of Artists work to see their color inspirations and palettes they are drawn to.

Especially paintings and photography.

Can I admit how addicted I am to making treasuries from my favorite items?

The colors alone inspire me...

I'm ok with layers from photoshop or whatever program that enhance the image to take it to the next level…

Actually, I find that visually I prefer it - especially in photographs.

Blurred backgrounds & edges with rich muted colors are stunning.

"The Seed" by MoonLightPhotography

The Seed by MoonLightPhotography on Etsy.com

"Bunny Races" by AmberAlexander

Bunny Races by AmberAlexander on Etsy.com

Oh, the colors…

Oh, the artwork!!!

So many talented people out there…

ANNOUNCEMENT:

I've got a contest coming up.

Have to come up with a catchy name & parameters.

I would like to have it be a monthly contest.

Has to do with picking out color palettes and translating them into the silks that I sell through my Etsy shop and website.

2mm Silk Knot Bundles of 10 strings

Will have a monthly blog post where people can add their palettes, then favorites will be picked.

You can help get people to vote by posting links through social media outlets. 

Top 3 to 5 will get pulled, and the ones that sell the most in that next month - the winner will get:

1. The silk palette named after them with a thank you link to their Etsy shop in the listing.

2. A bundle of the silk knots in their color palette (qty depends on # sold).

3. Links to their blog and Etsy shop in follow up blog posts about it.

I think bundles that don't "win" can be submitted again.

And that there is a 3 knot, color palette limit to the number of colors each person can submit each month. Not sure though…

What do you think?

Any fun names for the contest?

Check back soon or watch on my FaceBook page for details!

Pantone Fall Fashion Color Chart 2011...

Designers - Do you keep this chart handy?

Here is a link if you want to get the info from Pantone.

This color chart is a bit of an obsession for me right now.

I'm seriously looking at the "tagging" side of my marketing plan…

Ok, I'm obsessed with it…

I want to figure out how to make my jewelry items in similar color palettes to these fall fashion colors come up in searches higher up and how it all makes sense as to how people look and find your items through the internet as well as Etsy…

*Bamboo, Honeysuckle, Cedar, Deep Teal, Nougat are all pretty close to some of my silk colors.

The others were just "close enough":

#7 Golden Mustard (*Bamboo)

#221 Peach Cobbler (Emberglow)

#219 Honeysuckle (*Honeysuckle)

#223 Concord (Phlox)

#210 Light Sage (*Cedar)

#55 Cerulean (*Deep Teal)

#64 Chocolate (Coffee Liqueur)

#65 Light Tan (*Nougat)

#91 Lilac (Orchard Hush)

#212 Denim (Quarry)

Click HERE to buy this "Fall Fashion Color Palette 2011" Silk knot bundle.

These new colors below - in the 200 series of my color codes - were introduced last year by Ute.

She jokingly tells me she calls the rich muted tones her "Marsha" palette because when I would order from her, I used to always say, make sure you put a lot of those dark, rich, muted tones in there for me...

Oh - Ute…. Marsha wants even more rich muted tones :)

I just LOVE these silks!!!

Actually, I've got a refreshment order going into her and may be adding a few new colors that I didn't carry before in with it.

Oh, and you know I'm going to be glazing up some pieces in this color palette too right?

And with ceramic clays as my main medium, fall seems to be the perfect, earthy season for using clay in combination with colors like this…

I better get on that!

Check back soon...

New Silk Color Palettes Inspired By Nature

Nature through the lens of my iPhone Hipstamatic app inspires my color palettes…

The different combinations of "lenses and film"can give you rich colors that vary from the exact spectrum as we see it with our naked human eye.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Marsha Neal Studio iPhone Hipstamatic Image.

Looking at these photos - is it any wonder that I have a lot of blue-green-purple palette variations?

I'll take these photos with my iPhone Hipstamatic app.

Then the photos get opened in the ColorSchemer app.

From my photo I can pick out all kinds of color palettes and save them to my file.

This is what a screen shot of my iPhone looks like from a bunch of the above photos:

From this point, I can go down to my studio and pull out a bunch of silks that I think go with these palettes.

Colors are not always an exact match, but I like to pull the silks and see what works...

I prefer to see color palettes by using a bit of a the squinting blurry eye technique anyway, so I am ok with working from photos that are not quite perfectly in focus.

And here is a sampling of the new color palettes that are starting to show up in my Etsy Shop:

You can buy these silks from me through my Etsy shop.
Pricing is per strand:
2mm Silk Strands Retail at $3 ea.
4 for $10 ($2.50 each)
*10 for $20 ($2 each)
30 for $54 ($1.80 each)
50 for $85 ($1.70 each)
100 for $160 ($1.60 each)


The Silks as "Knot Bundles" sell as
10 individual 2mm silks in a bundle for $20


I've got a few bundles that only have 5 silks in them for $12.50 each.
This way you can get a sampling without dropping a fast $20.


However, if you want to mix and match a bunch of knots, I will price them out for you according to the price list above for the total quantity your are purchasing.


You can do this easily too by just figuring out your silk quantity total, then selecting one of the "pick your own color palette" listings with the correct total number of silks, then just list the ones you want (including individual colors, OOAK palettes in the shop, named color palettes, etc).


Like always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.
I'll get back to you as soon as possible…


Wholesale inquiries must be willing to meet 100 silk minimum for each purchase consisting of at least 5 of any one particular color and silk type. 
Must have a valid business license.
Email me if you are interested & I'll send you a pdf of the details:
Marsha {at} MarshaNealStudio.com
*remove spacing and brackets in my email address*

Favorites Into Treasuries Again...

Do you ever just fall in love with Etsy Treasuries?

I think they can be challenging to make with you have to make one for a team, or something specific…

But if you are able to create them from your favorites list…

Well, that is all together something enjoyable and quite addictive.

Muted Colors Whisper To Me

Circles and Cycles

What do you think?

Do you like these collections?

What about them speaks to you?

Or do they do nothing for you?

Click on them and leave a comment on the treasury if you don't mind...

A Treasury Inspired By My Daydreams...

Do you dream in color? I know that I must because I often remember vivid colors when I wake up…

I am also a very emotional dreamer, talking in my sleep a lot and having a hard time leaving dream emotions behind. There are times I can't shake the emotions (Dave can tell you some pretty funny stories - we just laugh them off together once we figure out what is going on emotionally).

These colors I am drawn to in life, and one of the things I love about being part of the Etsy community is the opportunity to create collections of some items that could have come from some of my dreams (either sleeping dreams or daydreams).

There is something about being a part of a group of creative people that enjoy life through food, gardening, beading, art, clay, photography, friends & family (did I forget anyone - oh, chocolate and coffee lovers) that we have bonded through meeting in person and here online and have touched each others lives in so many ways…

Well, if you would like, you can click on over to the "Dreaming of Enchanted Woods" treasury on Etsy and leave a comment (I really enjoy reading comments - to see how the overall color and items makes you feel). And you never know - one of these items might end up talking to you and inspire your day (or maybe you'll end up even owning one of them!)

Have a wonderful day!

Color Inspirations: Seed Pod In Decay

Here is another selection of 5 of the 2mm silks inspired by some of the colors in Seed Pod Shells in the photo that follows.

Now mind you, color inspiration does not have to be from a perfect photo (this one was taken with the iPhone and just would not focus properly for me. I was probably rushed that day.)

I often look at things with squinty eyes to just get an overall feel for color hues, shape, symmetry, etc.

Here is the Seed Pod Shell palette from my ColourLovers app:

And the silks are available in my Etsy shop by bundle or website by individual strand.

Color Inspirations: Winter PaperWhites

I am determined to get color palettes picked for some photos before I go to bed.

Marsha Neal Studio Winter PaperWhites (December 2010). 

I picked these tones from the image above...

Here is a photo that I took with my iPhone Hipstamatic app of some paperwhites in bloom around Christmas 2010. I opened the photo up in the ColourLovers iPhone app, which uploaded to colourlovers.com, then I downloaded the palette & saved to my computer, then uploaded here to my blog. Talk about a bit of a P.I.T.A… sheesh!

Seems like there are so many cool things that technology can do, but shouldn't there be a faster way to do this (I know - it is probably me, doing things the hard way… Will have to practice it a bit more).

It's cool that they give you some html code to post so you can find Marsha Neal Studio Palettes on their website (will have to test it out to see if it a direct link. *Nope. I checked… not a direct link. Well click HERE to see my palettes)

Color by COLOURlovers

Here is what I have picked out as far as the hand painted silks that I carry on my website and the colors I think would work in this palette. I have it on my "to do" list for tomorrow to pull these actual colors and photograph them and update this post with them.

I just did a blog post with new photos of the new silk colors HERE.

**Here are the colors I pulled in silks, inspired by the color palette for the Winter PaperWhites...

Oh, and I just added them to my Etsy shop!
And that's all… Pshew - one down...

myPANTONE

I have the "MyPantone" app on my iPhone and I have been fooling around with some palettes from some photos I have taken. When I went to my account online there was a place to share through Blogger, FaceBook, etc. So I'm trying it through Blogger… I was hoping a picture showed up, but nothing is showing during the writing phase except this link:

myPANTONE

Hmmm… wonder how this can work out?

I'm going to give the Big Huge Labs color palette picker a go too…

Here are some of my photographs that I am working with for the palettes. What do you think?

You have to click through a lot to get to the images through myPantone, so I think the ColourLovers (which is the same one - yay! - that I was going to check out through Big Huge Labs) may work out better. They have an app too, so if it works out, I might be able to really use that one…

Now to just figure it out...