Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Is Grey the New Brown?


I'm not sure if it's all the rain we get this time of year, but grey has just been calling my name lately. For me, grey is a nice alternative to brown when you want to have beads that will go with cooler colors instead of warm. Grey adds a touch of understated class, and goes really well with silver.

This week I have been playing with adding touches of grey and black to my favorite lighter colors. The results are sets of beads that I kind of think of as business suit beads. I am of course calling them my Midnight Rain series, and they can be seen over on my website if you are so inclined.

In the 104 COE line of glass, there are a few shades of grey, and I look for the more neutral shades. Grey can look khaki green if you don't pick the right one, and that adds a little too much warmth to the color schemes, in my opinion. I went with Effetre Dark Grey for these, and used clear as my encasing to brighten everything up a bit. You don't want too much grey!

I think the contrast of black added a nice backdrop for these pretty colors, and it sets off the grey nicely. And who doesn't love pink and grey? Pink and grey were big in the 80's when I was a teenager, so the combo is kind of nostalgic to me.

I did wonder if these combos were a bit too dreary for the upcoming spring season, but decided, well, nah. Sometimes understated class can be a welcome change when brighter, paler colors are in season.

17 comments:

  1. Very pretty!

    I particularly like the purple and grey; I've always had a soft spot for that combination.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Beautiful Beads - I love the grey and teal together!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The grey adds a touch of formality to the playful colors you normally use. I like!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Grey is ..greyyyytttttttt! Beautiful beads as usual..

    ReplyDelete
  5. LOVE these colours. Not dreary at all:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. what a great discovery! who thinks of using grey?! now that I think about it, imagine the combinations......hmmmm.......

    ReplyDelete
  7. You can make any color rock! Georgous!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I just absolutely love those grey encased florals.. So beautiful. The grays were my favorite when I first started lampworking. Will have to revisit it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your creations are really impressive and i like it very much. I am a newbie beads jewelry maker too but mine is not half pretty than yours hehehe. Anyway, I am hosting a contest in celebration of my son's 3rd yr. birthday. Would you like to be one of my sponsors? You can give some sample of your creations or a gift card or something in return of backlinks, traffic and subscribers. one of my rules is to subscribe those sponsor who give more than EC credits and Ads space. If you have any questions just email me at gengen_28(at)yahoo(dot)com thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I have always loved grey ~ especially sweaters with grey and pali pinks or blues with them! These beads are Fab!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think they're absolutely beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Simply stunning, I love your work, soft grey is such a great colour it can be teamed up with almost anything. Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  13. Beautiful beads. I really love the addition of black. You rock!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Those beads are gorgeous!

    Just found your blog through ringsurf.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh my God! These beads are awesome!
    I love the colors, the shape, the texture.
    Congratulations.
    Lúcia
    www.fazemosdeconta.com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow! You totally ROCK! When your inspired to create, you definitely inspire ALL of us!!!! ;) Gorgeous color and combos! Using grey with color is one of my fav combinations.... and yours are awesome.

    ReplyDelete