Circling Back Behind the Barn

A while back I made a series of beads in the style or feeling of the Prairie Style. Like the architecture of designer Frank Lloyd Wright, who built many houses around the country and had a colorful and creative life. Those earlier prairie beads were neutral colors without a lot of color.


I've had folks asking me for more beads in that style, so I am re-visiting those, making some in oval shapes. Lately I'm playing with so many colors, I've shared a lot of my experiments here on the blog. So these new prairie beads have a splash of color. These are fun to make, I hope they are close enough to the other prairie styles that folks will like them for their designs.


These have a barnwood color look to them, very rustic with a folk art feeling. There's a reddish, ruddy one that reminds me of the buttermilk paint that people used to paint on their barns a long time ago. They have forged copper wire for hanging that has a dark patina on them.

And a blue background that seems like the buttermilk blue paint used in old houses on the interior doors and mantel woodwork. They've been sanded, buffed and polished to a bright shiny finish, as though they'd been handled over many years by many hands.


The shell shape just happened, not sure if I'm eager for the beach, or if it's more of a fossilized stone look. Maybe a bit of both. Several folks around me have been talking about traveling to be seaside, maybe it's seeping into my consciousness from there.

I'm going to make a series of these prairie style beads, in various colors and shapes, like ovals, squares and rounds - So if you need one for a design, they'll be available.