One nice thing about magazine schedules is that we’re always looking ahead. Right now we’re hard at work on our June issue and our Beading Basics: Right-Angle Weave special issue, and we’re starting work on August. Since we’re having a very long, snowy winter here in Wisconsin, I’m glad to be thinking about summer and working with some great colors that make me forget the cold and snow outside.

More and more, I find that color is a central inspiration in my designs. Finding a bead in a color that I love in a fun or interesting shape challenges me to design and redesign until I get the result I want. This strand of graduated briolettes has been hanging out on my desk for months, waiting for its chance. I love the bright, light blue, I love the facets — these beads are just waiting to become a necklace. This design could go a few ways: I could work with blues, whites, and grays and make a wintery necklace to match the view outside, or I could use bright or contrasting colors for a completely different look.

What inspires you? Color? Shape? Nature? How do you spark your imagination?