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Friday, January 19, 2018

Clay Recipe Links for the Pantone Spring 2018 Fashion Colors

Here is a review of the clay recipes for the Pantone Spring 2018 Fashion Colors.  Click on the photos below for the clay recipes for those colors.  If you would like to see more clay recipes for the Pantone Fashion Colors in the past, click on the "Pantone Color Recipes" tab at the top of this blog.





Thursday, January 18, 2018

Pantone Spring 2018 Fashion Colors Emperador, Chili Oil and Cherry Tomato

When I mixed up the two Pantone Spring colors, Emperador and Chili Oil my first question was why did they add these to this collection?  For quite a few years now, Pantone always had 10 top fashion colors for each season and for some reason they decided to have 12 this time.  In my opinion, these last two do not belong and are more suited to fall.  Due to my (prejudiced) thinking, I also left these color recipes for the very last to share with you!  The other reason was the whole time I was wondering what the heck I was going to do with them!?  lol

So I was determined to figure out some combinations that looked somewhat acceptable and I actually surprised myself!  And I only whipped these stacked mokume sheets up a few hours ago so I didn't get a chance to make anything with them yet but am quite excited to tackle it tomorrow!

So my first combination that I came up with was Arcadia, Lime Punch and Cherry Tomato.  I love how this combination provided enough blending but contrasted as well.  The colors really pop and remind me of a fiesta on a bright summer day.


As much as I liked the first combination, I decided I wanted something a little lighter, so added some of the Meadowlark.  I think I like this one even more and noticed where the red and yellow blended there was some peach peaking through that is similar to the Blooming Dahlia, without even adding any.


Finally I still had to mix up something with the Emperador (brown) and Chili Oil.  After a few attempts I finally came up with this combination that I absolutely love!  While it does not seem like spring or summer colors to me, I find it has a real Southwest or Arizona feel.  So with the Emperador and Chili Oil, I added some of the Arcadia and Blooming Dahlia.  I also played around with the thicknesses which is what I would suggest if you are thinking of trying this combination.


So here are the recipes for the last three Pantone spring colors using Kato clay.  Also, if you have my Clay Color System, then you already have two of the recipes which are noted below:

Cherry Tomato
1 part Kato Red
2 parts Kato Orange

Emperador
Same as clay recipe
"Tanned Leather" # 3-6 *

Chili Oil
Same as clay recipe
"Chili Pepper" # 4-4 *


* Note:  These clay color recipes are created using Kato Polyclay.  Any of the base color "mixes" used are from my Clay Color System.

Tomorrow I will have the recipe cards ready for you to download and print out so you can add your baked clay color chips.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Pantone Spring 2018 Colors Arcadia, Pink Lavender and Blooming Dahlia

I am still playing with the new Pantone Spring colors that I mixed up but am drawn more to the brighter colors than the darker ones.  This "stacked mokume gane" blend includes five of the colors:  Arcadia, Spring Crocus, Pink Lavender, Lime Punch and Meadowlark.


 I tried other variations with only 3 or even 4 of the colors plus different thicknesses until I finally settled with this combination.  I could have used the Pantone Color Blooming Dahlia in place of the Lime Punch could be interesting.  That is the only color I haven't experimented with yet but plan to soon.

Arcadia is more like a teal green which is intense yet soft.  The Pink Lavender is a little brighter than in the photo but is light enough to create contrast with the darker colors instead of using a stark white.  Blooming Dahlia is a peachy orange so would combine really well with the Spring Crocus and Meadowlark.

So here are the recipes for the Pantone Colors Arcadia, Pink Lavender and Blooming Dahlia using Kato clay:

Arcadia
4 parts Kato Turquoise
4 parts Kato Green
1 part Kato Pearl

Pink Lavender
15 parts White Mix # 1-2 *
1/2 parts Kato Violet
1/2 part Purple # 10-2 *
1/8 part Kato Magenta

Blooming Dahlia
5 parts Living Coral # 5-5 *
2 parts White Mix # 1-2 *
2 parts Ecru Mix # 2-8 *


* Note:  These clay color recipes are created using Kato Polyclay.  Any of the base color "mixes" used are from my Clay Color System.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Pantone Spring 2018 Colors Lime Punch, Meadowlark and Little Boy Blue

I have been playing with the new Pantone Spring colors that I mixed up in clay to see which combinations appeal to me the most.  So far I have found several that I really like.  I haven't had time to actually create anything from them yet but I at least have some raw clay samples to show you.

Here are some stacked mokume slices combining the Ultra Violet (I shared the recipe for in my previous post here) along with the colors Little Boy Blue, Meadowlark and Lime Punch.


And my friend/assistant, Linda was busy today making lots of little clay circles in all the Pantone spring colors today.  These are in preparation of a clay day we will be having with my other friend Joanne this Thursday.  I will share the results with you later.


So here are the recipes for the three new colors using Kato clay:

Little Boy Blue

2 parts White Mix # 1-2 *
3 parts Kato Pearl
1 part Kato Blue
1 part Ultramarine # 9-2 *

Meadowlark

10 parts Kato Yellow
1 part Kato Pearl

Lime Punch

15 parts Kato Yellow
1/2 part Kato Green


* Note:  These clay color recipes are created using Kato Polyclay.  Any of the base color "mixes" used are from my Clay Color System.

Monday, January 15, 2018

Pantone Color of the Year - Ultra Violet

I have noticed over the many years I have been mixing up the Pantone seasonal colors, that purple has not been very prominent and especially for the spring time.  In fact the last time a shade of purple was included with the spring colors was 2014 and even then, that shade, (Radiant Orchid), was leaning more towards a magenta than actual violet or purple.

Well not only is a purple in this Pantone Spring palette, it has also been declared as the color of the year!  I imagine all the purple lovers are dancing with joy over this.  I am okay with it but not overjoyed as it is a color that I cannot wear.  But by combining it with other colors like Lime Punch, Arcadia or Spring Crocus, I might actually be able to pull it off!


So I created some pieces using the Mokume Gane technique using just three of the Pantone Spring 2018 colors, Ultra Violet, Spring Crocus and Almost Mauve.  The three colors worked well together and created enough light and dark balance to make the pattern pop.

Scarf Necklace

Snap buttons for interchangeable jewelry

Whenever I play with this technique, each side of the compressed clay sheet is in two different colors -- I like to texture both sides to see which one I prefer.


In this combo, I like both sides and the two scarf necklaces below show the different results.



Just a few notes about these clay recipes.  If you have my Clay Color System, then you already have the Spring Crocus recipe.  The Ultra Violet is pretty much pure Kato Violet with a bit of pearl added.  And the Almost Mauve is white with a slight mauve tint which is obtained by adding a tiny amount of the Ultra Violet mix.  So here are the recipes for these three colors using Kato clay:

Ultra Violet

4 parts Kato Violet
1 part Kato Pearl

Spring Crocus

Same as the clay recipe
Fruit Punch # 11-2 *

Almost Mauve

8 parts White Mix 1-2 *
1/8 part Ultra Violet (above recipe)


* Note:  These clay color recipes are created using Kato Polyclay.  Any of the base color "mixes" used are from my Clay Color System.

Thursday, January 11, 2018

A New Year and Some New Colors

It has been a while since I even felt like going into my studio and play with my clay.  I thought working with the clay might help with the healing process but for the past month I have just felt numb, empty and of course lonely.  I never really understood what grieving for someone so close felt like until going through it myself and is so difficult to explain.

I do want to thank each one of you who left such kind comments and words of encouragement both here and on our facebook page.  Some people have asked if I will still keep the name "2 Good Claymates" and my answer is "yes".  Even though Dave is no longer here, he is still a part of me and was a major part of our partnership in everything.  So he is still my Claymate, if even just in my memories and in my heart.

I finally did get back to my studio to play with some clay this week and had several really good days.  I decided the best way to get back on track was to mix up the new Pantone colors for this spring and managed to create the recipes for all 12.

So I will start out the year by sharing these new clay color recipes with you, along with ideas on combining them, over the next week.





I found this new spring palette rather interesting and we will see what combinations I can come up with as I start to play with them a little more.  Some of the colors I didn't even have to mix up from scratch as they are an exact match to recipes that are already in my Clay Color System.  So if you already have it, you will have a head start.  If you do not have my Color System and like to use Kato clay, it is available in both our Etsy shop (as an instant download) and also our online store (in Canadian currency and will be e-mailed directly to you).

I hope you enjoy what I will be sharing and will find at least some of it inspiring!