Variations on a Theme

By Sherri Stokey

Some of my best ideas just sort of morph into being.  I know that sounds odd, but let me give you an example.  A customer asked me to feature some Mexican Red Snowflake Jasper beads in a micro macrame bracelet.  If you know me at all, you know that red is my Kryptonite.  It's just so hard for me to work into a design that feels right *insert whining here*.  But the customer is always right and the show must go on and all that stuff, so I found an image I felt might inspire me and pulled some beads and cord to match.

*Shudder*  Just look at all those warm colors!  I made a bracelet using these from this pile, and it was fine.

Fine, but it wasn't speaking to me.  I tried, people.  I tried to get the red to speak to me, but it was definitely giving me the silent treatment.  So I went back to the drawing board and pulled out some beads that were talking to me to act as interpreters.

It's turquoise to the rescue (okay, okay - sort of sagey green if you want to get technical about it).  I threw it into the mix and made another bracelet, and this time it sang to me!

I probably never would have had the idea to create this piece from scratch.  The idea came gradually, step by step.  Evolved.

This is a technique I use often.  I think it's because I'm curious.  I make a bracelet like this:

Then I wonder what it would look like if I switched out the marigold for another color and before I know it, I have a coral, a chartreuse and a lilac version:

I also like to use the very same pattern and the same beads, but switch up the cord colors:

Remember this next time you think something isn't turning out quite the way you want.  Maybe you just need to let the idea steep a bit.  Maybe if you let the ideas develop, you'll get right where you want to be!