Fall? Winter? Huh?

I so wish I were one of those capable of thinking ahead. I'm just starting to think about summer. Heck it was so chilly here in Los Angeles last night that, for the first time in 11 summers, it was too COLD to sit in the pool and watch fireworks! Is it any wonder I'm confused?

But no, as a beadmaker, I need to be making fall and winter colors NOW for jewelry designers to be able to make jewelry and still sell it in time for the season. So I'm trying to shift my thoughts. As always some color helps!

This is the color chart for fall by Fire Mountain Gems. I will be printing this out and hanging it by my torch for inspiration.

Fall...harumph! OK, I'll try! But I am NOT making snowmen in August!

Color and Design

Color that works together is a hard thing for any new designer to grasp. That one of the reason's I find this year's Art Bead Scene contest so inspiring. By taking color hints from master painters, you have your colors chosen for you.

But choosing colors doesn't have to be difficult. There are a number of websites that let you play with color choices and combos. And Fire Mountain Gems has teamed up with Pantone to forecast jewelry colors for upcoming seasons. They do this months in advance for upcoming seasons.

The swatch above represents the "it" colors for Spring and Summer. The swatch below are the color predictions for fall.




As a beadmaker, I'm always thinking about color and new combinations. I often print up the swatches and keep them by my torch for inspiration.

What's YOUR favorite way of picking color?