CiM - Creation Is Messy’s extensive list of colors to a new beadmaker may seem overwhelming. Beautiful colors with amazingly creative names.
Although most beadmakers purchase their glass through their favorite distributors, the best resource to get to know the color ranges is the CiM website.
The site's organization by palette has allowed me to mix and match color families easily.
Over the next few weeks, I will be testing both new colors and revisiting some that deserve a second look.
Today’s post highlights some beads created from the Purple Palette
CiM Plum Unique #3 is creamy pale opal purple that creates unique striations in every bead.
In the set below, there are 2 plain spacers and one round bead with 99% fine silver wire. There is no reaction with the silver and allows the silver to remain bright.
The focal barrel bead has the additional streams of CiM Mulberry Ltd Run an opal purple that on it's own can be quite dark. Layering it over the lighter opal creates more depth in the bead. The silver wire stayed truly bright.
The resulting beads almost have an alabaster look to them.
I treasure the rods of these opal purples as it sold out several years ago. If you are looking for these shades, check with Jean in her CiM archive at Nortel.
In the photo below, this is CiM Mulberry Ltd Run, showing the deep and rich dark purple glass.
CiM Rapunzel Ltd Run is an opaque lavender pink that is bright and cheerful. In the set of beads below, the graduated spacers really appear as a light purple with a pink undertone. This color will shift to a more purple hue in sunlight.
An observation to note is when Rapunzel is paired with 99% fine silver wire, the wire takes on a golden tone and lightly fumes the base glass with a golden hue.
CiM Emperor is a golden transparent purple that is described by one beadmaker that in sunlight it "glows this wonderful deep cherry jam pink colour". In the beads below, it was tested with silver wire and the result was beautiful with no brown reactions to dull the color.
CiM Bashful Ltd Run is transparent greyish purple that is more on the grey side than purple. In the beads below, I tested it as a base glass with coarse Double Helix Aurae silver infused glass frit. When the bead was reduced to bring the metallic shine with the surface, the Bashful glass took on a golden fumed surface which is complimentary to the golden shine of the frit.
