Some new bracelets, and colour questions

This year has been quite a funny one so far. We are still feeling the loss of our little baby girl and things just feel a little out of sync. But I've been trying to sit down and create when I'm in the right mental space and it does help. Bead therapy, eh?! As usual, I seem only capable of creating bracelets and earrings - I find necklaces so challenging! Maybe it's because I rarely wear them, I'm not sure. Anyway, after a few days of making bracelets and earrings, I decided I just had to at least try and make at least one necklace! I actually have managed 5 (five!! Count them!) necklaces, over the past three days and I am quite pleased with most of them (one needs to be taken apart and redone but even that, I think is essentially ok). but as usual, I can't manage to take photos of them that look any good! So they will have to wait for another day. 

HOWEVER, I have managed a few half-decent photos of the bracelets. (And PS, if anyone has any top tips for photographing necklaces and earrings, please leave your comments below! I struggle...) Here's one I posted on facebook the other day, with a clasp by Jo of DaisyChainDesigns and an antique copper link by MissFickleMedia. My 2012 jewellery resolution is to be more adventurous with colour. I so often stick to monochromatic colour schemes (or turquoise and red of course...!) and whilst i do love them, and the textural possibilities they offer, I want to branch out. Two people who I really admire for their colour choices are Malin and Lorelei. They put things together in such a beautiful way. And I'm going to use Design Seeds as inspiration also (thanks, Erin!) So I'm trying to branch out and this bracelet was one of my first goes at that:

Gardenia

I've had some pretty positive feedback on it via Facebook, and I am quite pleased with it myself! It's a little different in design from things I've done before, so I'm pleased with that too. And isn't Jo's clasp stunning? I love working with them, they really make any piece pop. She's got a really good selection available here.

Another colour branch out for me is Sun Street. Originally I thought Rainbow Street, but then I noticed that along with Elukka's gorgeous house being in sunset tones, all the Czech ovals have little suns pressed into them, so Sun Street seemed more appropriate. What do you think of these colours? Do they work for you? I am quite happy with them but they certainly are out of my usual colour comfort zone!

Sun Street 

Elukka's houses just kill me every time - they are a real staple for me at the moment. In particular, this sunset orange glaze, absolutely gorgeous to my eyes.

How do you all feel about colour? Do you have certain combinations that you always fall back on? Do you instinctively know what goes together, unlike me?! I am so interested to hear your thoughts - I love colour, but it's something that I find it easy to be intimidated by.

Hope you are all gearing up to a great weekend! We are off to our friends Andrew and Tom's camply fantastic WInter Wonderland belated Christmas dinner tomorrow and it's always spectacular. Will be great to take our mind off the past two weeks.