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Inside the Studio: Humblebeads

January 8, 2016

Each week one of our contributors gives you a sneak peek into their studio, creative process or inspirations. We ask a related question of our readers and hope you’ll leave comments! As an incentive, we offer a prize each week to encourage you to use that keyboard and tell us what you think. The following week a winner is chosen at random from all eligible entries. And here are the results from last week!

This week’s winner is Kathy Lindemer. Congratulations! You have won a $25 gift certificate to Tesori Trovatti! Please contact Erin to claim your prize!

Hello! I’m a little late today but that’s because I was busy finishing up these beauties and wanted to share them with you for today’s Inside the Studio. 
One of my goals for 2016 is to relaunch my illustration career. I love beads, writing books and making jewelry but my first love is drawing and painting. In case you don’t know I went to art school and then fell into beads while I getting my BFA. You can find my artwork at heatherpowersart.com, if you are curious. 
So anywho, I’m been painting and drawing every day this week as part of my daily creative process. I just wake up a little earlier and pull out my supplies and inspirations. I discovered the zebra pansy on Pinterest this week and had to paint it. (pictured above) I couldn’t help but notice the colors were the same as our inspiration painting this month and decided the next step was to make beads inspired by my art. 

I started with mixing a color palette in polymer clay inspired by the one I shared yesterday. Love the fresh mix of yellow and navy thrown in the serenity and rose quartz.

Some of the beads are my standard graphic designs and then the you can see where I made disk beads inspired by the flower petals of the zebra pansy.

And of course pendants that capture that graphic design of the petals. Love the 50’s design vibe that these pendants are sporting.

 Yep, seriously loving these colors right now.

And finally back to these disk beads with the petal design in navy and white. So those are it, the first new Humblebeads of 2016, inspired by my art and art history.

You can find the new beads in my Humblebeads Etsy shop if one is calling your name.

___________________________________________

So let’s start the weekend right and do a $25 Humblebeads.com giveaway! Leave a comment below to enter in the random drawing.

My question this week – what’s the most unusual place you’ve found inspiration for your jewelry?

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34 Comment

  1. Kathy Lindemer
    January 8, 2016 at 10:51 pm

    I am thrilled to have won a gift certificate to Erin's shop.

    Heather, I absolutely love your blue and yellow floral sketch and the beads that are inspired by it. They are beauties.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:02 pm

      Thank you Kathy! Enjoy your prize from Erin.

  2. beadrecipes
    January 8, 2016 at 11:33 pm

    Well I'm currently being inspired by the colours of metal in the remains of a house destroyed by bushfires, against the background of the bush and the sky. I think that's pretty unusual! Love your new beads, great colour combinations!

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:03 pm

      I'm sorry to hear about the house. Maybe creating through it will be healing.

  3. ShantyChicBeads
    January 9, 2016 at 3:47 am

    It was in a puddle!!! I saw the reflection of the trees and sky and was completely mesmerized.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:04 pm

      Just takes a moment to see beauty in the most unlikely of places!

  4. ShantyChicBeads
    January 9, 2016 at 3:50 am

    Forgot to say enjoyed seeing your new beads. I especially love the lavender spirals and waves and my fave is that one with a nice pop of navy in it.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:15 pm

      Thank you – there were fun to create!!

  5. graypeape
    January 9, 2016 at 9:26 am

    I work at a bookstore, and I get inspired by bookmarks, particularly ones with quotes on them. The images and colors of the designs and the imagery of the quotes can be very helpful!

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:05 pm

      I bet they are little works of art!

  6. Kristen
    January 9, 2016 at 12:40 pm

    I like to take photos of rocks and tree bark. The textures are amazing up close! Now I need to figure out how to transfer that to my jewelry!

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:06 pm

      Have fun with that challenge!

  7. Katherine Thompson
    January 9, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Wow! Your zebra beads caught my eye right off the bat!I guess the most unusual place is in the garbage. I am constantly picking out scrap metal from my husbands pile of recycle. Basically I look at everything, even my dogs hair
    http://barnburd.blogspot.com/p/my-gardens.html – he's in there

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:07 pm

      One man's trash is another woman's treasure – love that. I'm married to an assemblage junker so I get it!!!

  8. Alice
    January 9, 2016 at 3:30 pm

    I love your new beads. And your art is wonderful. It might seem strange but I get colors and patterns off of the Puff cube boxes but mostly I get it from nature.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:08 pm

      Those boxes do come in some amazing colors and patterns!

  9. Klassy Joolz
    January 9, 2016 at 5:21 pm

    You make blue and yellow look great together! Love the flowers.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:15 pm

      Thanks! The inspiration painting made it easy!!!

  10. freshbakeddesigns
    January 9, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    Photos of intricate tile floors…the older, the better!
    Congratulations on returning to your first love, Heather!

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:11 pm

      Architecture details of all types are pretty amazing. I took a trip to NYC about 10 years ago and wandered through the famous building taking pictures of tile, mouldings and ceilings! They just don't make things like they used to.

  11. Erin S
    January 9, 2016 at 7:14 pm

    I often get inspired by mechanical things. I once was inspired by a photo of some hardware for a shower door. 🙂

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:11 pm

      That reminds me of the sink commercials with the women wearing jewelry inspired by the sink hardware!

  12. Deb
    January 10, 2016 at 2:58 am

    I love those zebra pansy disc beads – they're beautiful!

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      Thank you Deb!

  13. Elizabeth
    January 10, 2016 at 3:03 am

    I love your new work, Heather. The most unusual object that has ever inspired me has been a pattern at a chair in a hotel. The colors lent itself to an extruded retro cane that became many items of jewelry and beads. The world can be one big muse when we are open to it.

    Elizabeth

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:12 pm

      A good reminder of your trip too!

  14. thecolorofdreams
    January 10, 2016 at 4:52 pm

    I sometimes get inspiration from looking at colorful printed rugs in hotels and places that we visit. I take a picture with my phone so that I can remember the colors and patterns when i get home.

    1. Heather Powers
      January 10, 2016 at 7:14 pm

      I'm a floor gazer too – you never know what treasures are below our feet!

  15. Debra Gibson
    January 10, 2016 at 11:56 pm

    I love your new beads! Let's just say inspiration for me comes from all around me! Sometimes at work I will see a piece of jewelry they are wearing and I think to myself "I think I can make that with polymer clay and make it even prettier! If I'm stuck and my muse is on a walk about, then I go for a ride to the woods and take a hike by the river this always helps me! Thanks for the chance to win! Happy New Year!!

  16. Terri
    January 11, 2016 at 4:56 am

    You are starting the year off with a bang…you new designs are fab! Wonderfully designed for this month's challenge. Inspiration…unusual….hmmmm…One of my favorites was when I was inspired by a gymnast and the ribbons the use in the floor routines.

  17. Cory Tompkins
    January 12, 2016 at 1:01 pm

    I'm inspired by shapes and textures, a beautiful architectural design can spark my creativity. I love your painting Heather!

  18. Photo Editing Company
    January 14, 2016 at 4:13 am

    I really love your beads they are beautiful and amazing

    photoeditingcompany.com

  19. Carolyn
    January 14, 2016 at 5:54 am

    Love your new beads.

    The most unusual inspiration was the oil or gasoline spots in parking lots that have been mixed with water.

    Carolyn
    [email protected]

  20. Ann Schroeder
    January 16, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    Your drawing and the pendants you made based on it are beautiful. I also love the illustrations on your page.

Comments are closed.