Necessity - The Mother of Invention

You know the saying, well it is true.

I use acrylic raspberry beads for some of the flowers I make. I like to buy them bulk, a gross at a time, because these are often used for wedding flowers. The problem is, that I can only get certain colors from US suppliers. I've been hunting down a peach bead, and finally found them in China.

I've worked in China and I know how things are during the New Year Holiday. Factories and Offices are closed for nearly 3 weeks. That and the fact that it can take up to a month to get shipment set my mind to thinking. Maybe I could tint the White beads I already had.

I was doing the Watercolor process I use on my flowers that I developed because of color limits. I already had a batch of Peach paint. I thinned it a bit with water and dipped the beads in. I use indoor outdoor acrylic, so it's very durable and a bit translucent. I was worried that the paint would cover the Aurora Borealis iridescent finish, but I thought that the paint might just cling to the inside and I could wipe the outside to bring out the "shine". I didn't have to. They came out so beautiful. They are also kind of shaded and more organic looking. I love them so much I will probably only buy white beads and tint them from now on.

I guess the point is, if you don't have what you want or need, think of some way to create it yourself. Don't be afraid to experiment, because you could be pleasantly surprised and after all, what do you have to lose?