What do the following have in common: bellflower, starfish, cockatoo, and driftwood? They’re all part of Pantone’s Fashion Color Report for Spring 2012. We’ve asked a few of our contributors to create jewelry using this season’s color palette, and you will be inspired by what they came up with!

Start the new season off right with bold jewelry designs: Combine ceramic, Lucite, brass, and glass beads to get a truly standout necklace full of color and texture and create a bright sunny palette by combining green jade, yellow glass, and red bamboo coral beads. Add a touch of sweetness to your jewelry-making repertoire with some pastels: Add some shine to a pearl design with crystals and use some antiqued silver chain and handmade enameled beads to get a delightfully distressed-looking necklace! Create these designs and many more with themes such as Nature’s Hues, Cool Blues, and Warm Neutrals.

Learn how to make rings out of small crystal or seed beads with this issue’s Technique Focus. With just four simple steps, you’ll be making these fun-to-make rings that you can use as your whole design or to accent a design . . . you choose!