colour stories : Andrea Creates

Since I was completely wrapped up with a crochet project last week I didn't get to blog a whole bunch of lovely things I wanted to share with you all, but one post I could not let pass by me was this utterly beautiful colour story from the fabulous Andrea Creates! Lovely Andrea is yet another incredible talent that I have been following for as long as I can remember, mostly through her colourful Flickr pages. If you don't know about her already, no doubt you will recognise the name from a bunch of my making everyday beautiful favourites!?

Andrea has such an amazing eye for colour, often using both bold and unexpected combinations of fabrics and colours that set her handmade accessories apart from all others. Mix that with the whimsical flair in her designs and her beautiful photography and the results are just gorgeous! I could go on but instead I shall stop there and hand you over to Andrea to tell you her colour story in her own words...

Hello there- Thanks so much Emma for asking me to share my color story with you today. How exciting!!

I've always been fascinated with combining colors. As a child I loved drawing and had a very large crayon collection. I remember arranging and rearranging them in various ways, lining up the pinks and blues and so forth, deciding how they should go together.

My tastes are quite varied. When I was little we traveled a lot, spending half of my childhood in California and the other half in France where I studied interior decorating. I'm sure all of this traveling is where I picked up my appreciation for different styles. Everything from Victorian to Sleek modern.



Today, instead of arranging crayons, I’m usually coordinating fabrics and other notions for the little goodies that I hand-make. Picking and choosing all of the small details for a project is my favorite part of the design process.

I almost always start with an inspiring fabric. It's very hard for me to work with a print I don't love. Sometimes I even make my prototypes with them because I know I'll be more careful.

Next, I’ll gather up potential notions, mixing, matching and deciding which to use. I have lots of vintage buttons and trim to choose from, and love to incorporate those into my designs. Often this is the longest step because I’m a bit of a perfectionist and have been known to indefinitely set something aside if I can't find just the right colored button. (I’m embarrassed to admit I have quite a few ‘WIPS’, or, works in progress!)



If I’m stumped in making a color decision, or need inspiration, I keep a color wheel handy. I've also found quickly flicking through magazines just focusing on colors that pop can be a great way to come up with interesting combinations.

I tend to gravitate towards floral prints and polka dots with quirky color schemes-the more unexpected the better.



My favorite colors are those I wouldn't normally think of putting together. Not really one favorite, just favorite combinations, currently a muted lavender with bright red and teal. My home is sort of a hodge podge of styles and personal knickknacks, but I think that's what makes it interesting. One of my favorite things is a red orange yarn cabinet that I initially thought I’d repaint to complement the silver sage walls that surround it, however I love how they go together now. It was totally unexpected but I totally love it...

Unexpected color combinations- Perfect!

All images: Andrea Creates // shop - blog - flickr

Utterly gorgeous, right!? Thank you so much for sharing your delicious colour story with us Andrea, your creativity is such a joy and inspiration and never fails to brighten my day. Keep up the amazing work!

Emma