What inspires me?

What inspires me? Consider that I design some of our InspirationFX to inspire you, what actually inspires me?

I start with a focal piece, and generally - I am inspired by the colour of it. Sometimes I go looking for the beads to work with the focal bead - sometimes they reach out and bite me.

This tawny tablet bead was just hanging out on my desk, when I happened to be pulling out pearls for another project. I just put down these brown pearls next to it, and Wow! I was struck by how perfectly they went together. Gold spacers seemed natural - silver would have been too harsh for the warm colours of the pearls and bead. I needed spacers - the pearls weren't long enough for a necklace at a length I wanted without them.

In this case, it is another of my focal beads - I have been experimenting with a quite wonderful (and very expensive!) silver-rich glass. (There is only one colour of glass used in this bead - all the different colours are a result of the way the glass reacts in the flame.)

In this case - I went looking for beads to go with it - pearls and crystals. I was thinking pearls because there are some lovely metallically, coloured pearls in the store right now. After the success of the necklace above, pearls are on my mind. I have no idea how I'm going to hang it with that honking big hole. Marg suggested Kumihumo, or a silver lining. Both are good ideas, but unlikely to happen soon - so I'm thinking multiple strands. I want a contrasting colour to go with all that sage and teal - I was thinking copper, but the gold pearls seem to pick up gold highlights on the bead, so I may go with that instead.


In this case - I made the focal bead in memory of a beautiful stone donut that I had that was Ametrine. I had strung it, and really liked the necklace, but the stone was flawed, and it broke and fell off the necklace and I lost it.

For years, I've tried to purchase another, but, no luck. So, I finally made my own. Rather than adding it back to the original necklace, I've chosen amber and amethyst to go with it. Again - gold findings to go with the warm colours. Probably multiple strands - and some seedbeads as filler, and to loop through the focal bead. Can I really call it a bead at this size?

What inspires you? Your outfits? Events to go to? Memories? All of these? Something else?