June 1, 2015

Daisies in Micro Macrame: A Color Challenge Reveal

Dry Gulch Beads & Jewelry Color Design Challenge for May
 
Dry Gulch Beads sponsors a monthly color challenge to inspire creativity.  As long as it is newly made specifically for the challenge, anything goes:  jewelry, clothing, paintings - even cupcakes!  This month's color palette (from Design Seeds) speaks to me.  I'm not sure if it is the daisies (love them) or the color palette (notice the teal and turquoise), but I adore it.

Beads and cord in the daisy color palette.

These are the beads and focal pieces from my stash that I thought might work.  (Can you name any of the artists?)  I just finished up a new micro macrame (microme!!) bracelet tutorial last week (Peacock) and I haven't had time to try out every color combination under the sun yet.  Heck, I haven't even tried all of the color combinations rattling around in my head for it yet.  So this color challenge seemed like as good a place as any to start.
 
Micro macrame bracelet by Sherri Stokey.

The first bracelet I made used all of colors from the palette - four colors of cord and coordinating glass seed beads.  I really wasn't sure what look I would get with the different colors and the contrast between them, so I just sort of put the colors in an order I liked and took off from there.  Color placement in macrame is a little different than stringing or bead weaving, etc.  The cord colors meander through the design in a pattern determined by the knots.  I have had enough practice now that I can make the colors do what I want a little bit, but it's still not an exact science.  The cords will go where the cords want to go (that's my story, anyway).  
 
When creating a piece like this, it's always an adventure for me (yes, I'm really that weird).  Once I had the knotting underway, I noticed an actual daisy shape emerging.  I hadn't really intended to do a literal daisy pattern; I'd just planned on using the color palette.  But heck, since I was this close, might as well push it.  I went back to the drawing board and took another run at it.

Micro macrame bracelet by Sherri Stokey of Knot Just Macrame.

In this piece, the round daisy shape is more complete, but this time my petal to daisy center ratio is off.  I told you it was a bit of trial and error!  Third time's a charm, though.  Right?  I figured I needed to fix the ratio and then I had a brilliant thought about "petals".  I replaced the outer row of beads with Magatamas and got this:

Daisy micro macrame bracelet from Knot Just Macrame.

Huh.  Interesting!  So there you have it:  my three daisy palette bracelets.  I think I'm still partial to the first one - something about the color placement in that one appeals to me.  The third one probably most closely captures the photo and the color palette.  It's hard to choose.  They're all my babies :)  And they're all perfect for summer!

Three micro macrame bracelets in daisy color palette.

Dry Gulch Beads has a page set up for all of the challenge pieces here.  I'm off to see how this palette inspired others!


3 comments:

  1. I can't choose a favorite----I love all of them! Great colors, too!

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  2. I am partial to the first one also, but love all three. The colors are perfect. You have a natural ability to combine and blend colors and I love that. Every piece you create draws me in. Beautiful and amazing.

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  3. Beautiful beautiful bracelets. Thank you for submitting to our May Color Challenge. Loved seeing your works documented here! That photo with all the cords and beads is so yummy. :)

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