Colour sayings

After I posted with the titles "red and green should never be seen", which is the version of the saying I grew up with, I have had a couple of emails from people with the ones they know.
After much googling it seems there are lots of variations on this saying - I wonder why on earth people felt the need for them all?
Actually looking at them now they all seem to feature green- I wonder if it's just because more words rhyme with it?

But it also seems that not only are there variations on the saying, there are lots of different ending- you can mix and match to your pleasure!

Some I have found are:
Red and green should never be seen...
Blue and green should never be seen...
Pink and green should never be seen...

Some of the possible additions are:
...except on an Irish queen/ colleen
...without something inbetween
...without yellow inbetween
...except on fools and flowers (the only non-rhyming one?)

Other non-related sayinsg I found wee:
Never wear brown in town
Fawn should not be worn
Only wear yellow if you are mellow

I think the theory that these rules are just based on rhyming words does seem to fit.

Back To Beading

I first made these "Sea Urchins" when Carol Perrenoud visited the UK back in 2003 and have always meant to bead another one.

As soon as I started this colour challenge I was itching to bead one with yellow dagger beads and violet seed beads. Which of course are each others complementaries and a combination I have fallen in love with!

Unfortunately I found it hard to track down large, solid-yellow dagger beads in the UK in the quantity I needed- 135.

I did manage to find 20 small ones in a solid bright yellow and some large ones in a transparent yellow but neither were what I wanted.

But last night I raided my bead stash and found these transparent yellow small ones so thought I'd give it a go with them.

But now I've started I'm not sure.

I still used size 8 seed beads but think I should use size 11 instead so the daggers/ spikes are still the same scale as they are on the others.

But can I bear to start again?

Black And White

I love the combination of black and white mixed with a strong colour and the addition of red is one I have used before.

Whilst away in New York I don't have access to all of my bead stash- only what I have bought since arriving here but a quick visit to a craft shops arms me with a crochet hook and some thread so bead crochet it is then!

I bought these striped beads (one of my favourites in the world) and the red ones meaning to bead some kind of spiral with them so that the red beads could stick out and spiral around- and bead crochet fits the bill.

These bracelets are quick to make- maybe 90 minutes start to finish? And are ideal to bead in front of the TV as once you've strung all the beads on it's simply a matter of crocheting.

The first one I beaded:


I then made a smaller scale piece to match:

Lastly one with green beads:

One Red Done

I have now finished one of my red projects for Bead magazine's colour special. I can't finish the next one until I get hold of a nice, strong magnetic clasp.

Then I just need to crack on with my fourth version- which will be red and green.

Red and green is a great example of a complementary colour scheme (using two colours opposite each other on a colour wheel) whilst the necklace I have finished is monochromatic (using just examples of one colour) and the unfinished one is analogous (using colours next to each other on the wheel, with this example using all the colours in the wheel.)

If you want some help coming up with a scheme then this is a great website.

Red and green should not be seen PT 2

Still working with red and this time have decided to match it with its complement- green.



This isn't usually a colour scheme I like at all- not even really at Christmas (which I really like!) so I wasn't too enthusiastic about using it.

But, as has freqently happened during this challenge, once I sat down and worked with it my feelings changed and I like it now.

In fact I can't think of a scheme I have used that I haven't grown to love.

Does familiarity breed love?

Yet more red

I'm still working on my series of herringbone ropes for the red months in my Colour Challenge and have almost completed the red+ mixed colours version. It just needs its hidden clasp added.

I've now started to bead my all reds version and as soon as this one is done I'll be beading one in red and its complementary colour- green.

I began this red version planning to just use reds but found that you could nto see any distinction between them as the rope grew so I went back to the drawing board and added in pinks and red-violets so you could actually see some of the work I was putting in!

Still In The Red

After a busy halloween I'm back to beading and still working away on my latest herringbone rope.

This one is 3/4 of the way done and then just needs the hidden clasp added.

As soon as this one is done I'll be making one all in reds and then I hope to bead one in red and green- as long as I get the time!