Spring is in the Air

It's the time of year when the mornings are filled with the songs of the birds and the croaking of the frogs.  Trees are budding, grass is greening and flowers are even starting to bloom here and there.  I'm not usually much on pastel colors, but spring just seems to call for them, doesn't it?  So this year I put my own twist on a traditional spring color palette, throwing some khaki into the mix.  Much more my style.

Soft lilac, buttery yellow and soft green combine in a most interesting way.

Periwinkle and aqua.

Even a bit of apricot.

The challenge for me is to use colors in unexpected ways, combinations that don't seem intuitive.  Every once in a while, it results in something fun.

Super Deal on Online Micro Macrame Classes

Boy, oh boy!  If you've had your eye on any of my online micro macrame classes, now is the time!  The nice folks at CraftArtEdu.com have apparently lost their minds and put out a code good for 31% off your entire purchase!  Yes, that's right - whether you buy one class or ten, you can get 31% off using the code march31!  (Find all the details here.) You'll have to hurry, though, the code is only good through April 3, 2016.  

Here's a peek at some of the classes I have available:

Micro Macrame with Raku Part III: The Last of Them

After a month-long binge of knotting, I've come to the end of the road for raku (at least for now).  This raku owl is the last of the ceramic bracelet bars from Star Spirit Studio.

When I commissioned these bars from Sue, I had no idea I would get so wrapped up in them that I'd use all twelve of them up in a month!  It was sort of like eating the whole bag of potato chips in one setting - that's never the intention at the onset.

Each one of the bracelets was different, depending on the predominant colors in the raku on each ceramic piece.   Now that they're all finished, I feel sort of lost!

  

What to do next?

Micro Macrame Bracelets with Raku: Part II

Yes, I'm still at it:

 

 

 

That is all :)

Micro Macrame Bracelets with Raku

Sue from Star Spirit Studio recently made on a batch of custom bracelet bars for me.  I've worked with her before and her raku pieces are beyond beautiful. To top it off, she's a pleasure to work with!

 I like bracelet bars with four holes (two per end instead of one) for my micro macrame bracelets.  I think it keeps the piece from turning around so much and that's a big deal to me since I'm working with small fiber cords.  The bead cord I use has a 35 pound breaking strength and is pretty strong, but it could be worn by constant friction so I avoid that as much as possible.  Anywho... the pieces Sue made for me are ah.ma.zing!

I've been binge knotting and binge watching episodes of Call the Midwife.  Well, I was, anyway, until I ran out of episodes (so sad to see it end!).  Now I'm on the prowl again for a good series to watch on Netflix.  Any suggestions?  I love British dramas, period dramas and crime dramas.  Anyone? 

And there I am wandering off track again...

The colors in each of these bracelets vary slightly, based on the predominant colors in the ceramic, but they're all similar:

 

 

 

What's not to love, right?

I wouldn't think to put these colors all together if it weren't for the colors of the raku, but it works really well.  Who knew!?

If you just cant get enough raku and micro macrame, check out the post here, and here, and here, and here...  Can you tell how much I love these colors?

Raku and Micro Macrame

Valerie Cristo from Clay for a Cure makes some gorgeous raku pieces and recently made some custom focals for me.  I can't say enough about how great she was to work with on my order.  She took the time to figure out what I wanted and why and was able to suggest some ideas I hadn't even thought of.  And if her pretty beads and customer service isn't enough, she donates a portion of each sale to help find a cure for cancer.  Do take a minute to check out her shop - you won't be sorry!

After waiting out by the mailbox for a few days, I was thrilled when my beads arrived.  Just look at the COLOR!  It makes my heart beat a little faster, I swear!  And it has been such fun pulling the colors from her beads and weaving them into intricate micro macrame bands.  

For the first couple of bracelets, I chose some of the rectangular pieces from Valerie.  I love how she used the raku colors in a band across the center and left the rest a glossy white for contrast.  I started with a mix of blues, khaki and a coppery pink, then added a bit of white to the next one.

When Valerie saw them, she asked me to design one for her using the large round bead she made for me!

I don't think there's any greater compliment a jewelry designer can receive than to be asked to make a piece for a bead artist using one of their beads.  And what's better?  Now Valerie is standing out by her mailbox waiting! 

Wanted: Micro Macrame Students

Do you want to learn micro macrame?  If you live anywhere near Omaha, here's your chance!  I'll be teaching a class at the Omaha Bead Affair on April 17th.

This class is geared for beginners as well as people with some knowledge of macrame.  In the process of making this fun wrap bracelet, students will be learning five of the most common macrame knots.  If you have never done any macrame, this class is meant to get you acquainted with knotting and working with cord.  If you've had some experience, it's a good refresher for different knots (and a lot of fun!). 

A materials kit is included in the cost of the class, so you'll only have to bring a pinning surface  In case you're not familiar with macrame supplies, I did a whole post that includes some suggested sources here.  And if you really want to be a showoff, dip your toe in the micro macrame pool by completing this free project.

I'm ridiculously excited about teaching another class (seriously - I have a blast teaching classes).  Hope to see you there!