When I saw that the Pretty Palettes September 2016 Challenge focused on school colors, I knew I wanted to use the gold and black colors for the University of Colorado at Boulder. I have no personal affiliation with the school (other than knowing friends who attended). You'll need to read all the way to the end to learn why I chose them!
Rather than use the colors in equal measures, I decided to focus on black with gold metallic accents.
Black and Gold Spirit Bracelet
My Black and Gold Spirit Bracelet uses three shapes and sizes of black Bead Gallery beads by Halcraft:
- Jet 6mm faceted glass rounds (#10401740)
- Black jasper 4mm stone rounds (#10427660)
- Jet 10mm glass coins (#10401626)
I also used a few 4mm gold-plated rounds (#10288413). The beads are strung on gold Beadalon memory wire. I used black and white tassels with gold accents (#10436608) as a nod to the role of cheerleaders in sports. The gold-plated letter C charm (#10488822) stands for Colorado (... or does it)?
Bonus: Bracelet and Earring Set Variation
If you prefer yellow to gold, hurry out to your local Michaels and see if you can find the amber striped shell coins (#10140093) I used to make this variation. These beads are being discontinued, but my local store still had them for sale as of last weekend. Even though these beads are large (20mm), they're very lightweight.
Why I Chose the University of Colorado at Boulder
How does this photo make you feel?
If you're not from Colorado, you probably think this photo of the beaded bracelet around the stuffed animal's neck is adorable.
If you are from Colorado, you're probably hyperventilating.
What's the problem?
The stuffed animal is Cam the Ram, the CSU (Colorado State University) mascot. He's wearing the colors of the enemy (University of Colorado at Boulder). Why would I do such a horrible thing? Am I crazy?
Well, yes. But that's not really the issue here. I made this school spirit mash-up in honor of a little girl I know who has a CU dad and a CSU mom. Who is she supposed to root for? Rather than make her choose, I thought it would be fun to combine the backgrounds of both her parents. (The "C" charm on the bracelet could stand for "Colorado" or for "Cam.")
Go teams!