Pretty Palettes March Challenge

The Pretty Palettes challenge for this month is inspired by this gorgeous photo of tulips taken last year in Molly Schaller’s front yard

March 2017 Pretty Palettes Inspiration

Such bright happy colours make everything feel so good don’t they? The goal of the monthly challenge is to get participants to purchase and try the great beads available in the Halcraft Bead Gallery collection available at Michaels. I have purchased many of their beads and they are good quality but one of my goals this year is to use beads that fit from my large stash before going and buying more. I was able to do so for this challenge

Last fall Denise Yezbak Moore posted this lovely necklace with the instructions to make it.

Endless Summer Fringe Necklace

At that time I had tried to make my own version, using colours very similar to this month’s colour palette but just could not get it to hang correctly. That failed attempt sat on my bench ever since. I would pick it up and look at it trying to figure out why and just put it back down. Well this month’s photo was the perfect kick to try again and this necklace came about

In the Tulip Field Necklace

I used glass rounds, brass wire, chain and clasp, a gold plated flower cap and cotton floss for the tassel. Matching earrings came together next

In the Tulip Field Earrings

I’m so happy with how well they work together

It was so much fun finally conquering that necklace I wanted to extend that feeling. Same as with the necklace I had some cheerful orange and yellow faceted glass beads sitting on my bench for months. They were there for so long I forgot why I had pulled them. I matched them with wood beads, more brass, a large rudraksha seed from India and two polymer clay flowers for this necklace

 

Spring Flowers Necklace

The rudraksha seed didn’t quite have the appeal I was looking for so I decided to add Gilders Paste in copper. Not quite thrilled with how that turned out I added more Gilders Paste, this time in African Bronze which added a nice olive green touch. It’s very subtle and can barely be seen in the photo but I’m happy with it.

With some of the beads left over and 2 more of the poly clay flowers I made these matching earrings

Spring Flowers Earrings

Even though I don’t think it’s necessary to make matched sets, I like how these both turned out

The same as the last few items I created these pieces will be going to the Dufferin County Museum where they will be for sale in the gift shop from April 3^rd until Sept 5^th

Please visit the Halcraft blog for the blog reveal to see what everyone else made

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day