First Anniversary in Hubpages – Celebrating with Rainbow Colors
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A year ago, I learned about Hubpages from a photo website that I follow. I tentatively dipped my toes into the inviting waters and published my first hub on May 14, 2009. At that time I was exploring new grounds. I looked at everything with a skip in my steps and a song in my heart. And that’s how my first hub was titled - Song in My Heart. http://hubpages.com/hub/Song-in-my-heart
Now, to celebrate my 1st year anniversary, I’d like to sing once more. This time I’d like to sing about rainbow colors since some of you (Shalini, Green Lotus, Coffeesnob) have dubbed me as “Countess of Color” and somebody (Peggy W) even promoted me to “Queen of Color”. What could be more fitting then than to celebrate my 1st anniversary in full color – the rainbow colors!
The Magic of Rainbows
For a magical experience, nothing beats seeing a rainbow in the sky for me. I always feel some kind of excitement and awe every time I see a rainbow in the sky. It’s as if the freshness of a new beginning is calling. The hint of some miracle about to happen is there. Sometimes, I even wonder if there is really a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Ha ha ha!
What about you, do you feel this magic too?
What is there about Rainbows that spells M-A-G-I-C?
Is it the arc or is it the colors that make rainbows magical?
This started me thinking. So I thought about arcs alone without the colors and tried to see if I feel some kind of magic just looking at arcs.
Well, there is the famous “arc de triomphe” in Paris or St. Louis Arch, or even McDonalds double arc.
When I look at these arcs, I feel some kind of awe at the massiveness of the structure. However, there is no feeling of magic. By elimination then, it must be the colors that make rainbows magical? Yes, I think it’s the colors that make rainbows magical. If that is so, then we can therefore create some magical atmosphere if we use rainbow colors. Right?
So why not create our own rainbow colors? Why not, indeed? But first, let’s examine how rainbow colors come about.
Just a Review about the Making of a Rainbow
I already mentioned how rainbows are formed in my hub about sunset colors. http://hubpages.com/hub/What-Color-Is-Your-Sunset
Basically, rainbows form when there are enough water droplets in the sky. These droplets act like prisms.
When light, (which is made up of many wavelengths of light) enters a prism, it bends and separates into its component wavelengths and we see this as the colors of the rainbow. The violets and blues are the shorter wavelengths and the reds and yellows are the longer wavelengths.
The colors in the rainbow always follow the same sequence, starting from the outer - Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet or ROY G BIV, the mnemonics we were taught in grade school.
So we see rainbows in the sky if the following are present:
a) moisture (water droplets),
b) sun shining from a certain angle, and
c) you, the observer, are between the sun and the water droplets.
In a rainbow, the red wavelength is always at the outer part of the arc and the violet wavelength is inner in the arc. However, if you see a double rainbow as what can happen sometimes, the colors of the second rainbow will be reversed. The violet will form the outer arc while the red will form the inner one.
So now that you understand rainbows, do you notice anything wrong in this Carebears picture?
Now, let’s make some magic. How would you like to make your own rainbow colors? Are you game?
How to make your own Rainbow Colors
If you want to have rainbows with their glorious color, you need not wait for the rain because there are several tricks to bring out those colors anytime you want them. All you need is a source of light (sunlight or flashlight) and water or some reflective material.
You can use either natural or synthetic materials and come up with beautiful rainbow colors.
A. Making Rainbow Colors with Natural Materials
- water as mist– look for sun rays filtering in your garden and create a mist as you water your plants. You can create mist by placing your finger over the end of the hose as you release the water. You will surely get some rainbows in the mist.
You also see rainbows in mists created by fountains or waterfalls.
- water in glass – fill a crystal glass with water and place this near a window with incoming light. Put a white sheet of paper behind the glass and move it a bit until you get rainbow colors on it.
B. Making Rainbow Colors with Synthetic Materials
- CD – hold a cd in front of any source of light (sunlight, flashlight) and tilt it at a certain angle until you get rainbow colors reflected on its surface or on a wall or paper. You can produce rainbows on your wall this way.
- water drops on cd - get a used cd and put this where it catches some angled light. Spray some water droplets on the cd. This time, the water droplets will also reflect the colors of the rainbow.
- soap bubbles – play with soap bubbles under the sun and observe how the bubbles reflect rainbow colors as they are about to disintegrate
Just a Little Bit of Science
The natural rainbow colors created by raindrops and other films of water work more on the principle of refraction with a bit of reflection while the rainbow colors created by the cd and soap bubbles work more on the principle of reflection.
Refraction is bending of light while reflection is bouncing back of light. We talked about how raindrops refract or bend light before, so let’s take up here how cds create rainbows through reflection.
When light hits the surface of a cd, the many ridges on the surface will reflect or bounce back the light waves in different patterns creating the rainbow colors.
Sometimes some of the bounced light waves will add up and create brighter colors. Other light waves may cancel each other and take away the color.
Soap bubbles especially those that are about to disintegrate, also have uneven thickness of surface. Light is therefore reflected in different ways and rainbow colors are also formed.
The same is true for that thin film of oil on the surface of water. The uneven thickness of the oil film also produces rainbow colors when light bounces from its surface.
Notice that mirrors also reflect light or bounce back light. However, since the surface of the mirror is smooth, flat, and has no ridges, all the bounced light waves just cancel out each other. So you only get white light and not rainbows from surfaces of mirrors. It is only possible to get rainbows from mirrors if you submerged the mirror in water. The water will then refract the light reflected from the mirror, and you will see rainbow colors.
Play with Rainbow Colored Things
One other way to surround yourself with rainbow colors is to play with rainbow colored things. These can include colored pencils, crayons, paints, oil pastels, wall papers, just to name a few.
Then of course you can use rainbow colored bed sheets, bags, socks, umbrellas, anything that adds rainbow colors to your world.
Quick Color Reference and their Meanings*
Red – Vitality, Passion, Courage
Orange –Creative Energy, Socialization, Endurance
Yellow – Wisdom, Communication, Happiness
Green –Balance, Nature, Renewal
Blue – Spirituality, Serenity, Truth
Indigo –Infinity, Meditation, Intuition
Violet – Spiritual mastery, Royalty, Mystery
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*Note - Only the positive meanings of the colors are listed here.
If you want a more in-depth analysis of colors, then check out this site given to me by my good friend anglnwu: http://www.deweycolorsystem.org/
Dedication
This hub is dedicated to my “colored friends” – those who indicated their color preference.
Red – katyzzz, LizzyBoo, Varenya
Orange –sspensley
Yellow – tim-tim, antonrosa, genrp
Green – Coffeesnob, Green Lotus, Paul_Gibsons
Blue/Indigo –anglnwu, CrisA, blue dog, regality,
Violet/Purple – Phebe, tony 0724, James Watkins, TattoGuy, I*n*v*i*c*t*u*s, poetlorraine, ladylibris
This hub is also for my other friends who did not indicate any color preference but have been with me through my 1 year adventure here in Hubpages. Thank you very much!
This is in no particular order:
Shalini, Ripplemaker, Habee, dohn121, cosette, tonymac04, D.A.L., Enelle Lamb, DeBorrah K Ogans, wavegirl22, emievil, Jerilee Wei, hypnodude, Amber Allen, Mystique1957, MM del Rosario, Peggy W, Red Elf, theherbivorehippi, franciaonline, Eileen Hughes, Dolores Monet, gramarye, Ann Nonymous, Ben Zoltak, Tatjana-Mihaela, heart4theword, HubCrafter, Sufidreamer, GeneralHowitzer, texashubber, Dream On, Storytellersrus, pinoyconnection, Montana Farm Girl, katiem2, Beth100, mwatkins, dayzeebee, stephicks68, doodspogi, Catlyn, suziecat7, frogyfish, J@ps, Putz Ballard, digitalexplorer, yoshi97, k@ri, Rebecca E, elayne001, JamaGenee, lorlie6, Connie Smith, talits2550, Beth100, Carmen Borthwick, christianesk, jstankevicz, Teresa Laurente, GypsyWillow, jadecircles, cgull8m, apricotmousse, dawei888, Halie Tep, raisingme, Sage Williams, Lee Thacker, Patti Ann, Lita Malicdem, IslandVoice, DoodleLyn, Art 4 Life, soni2006, QuirkyPearl, mod2vint, dyesebel10, Nolimits Nana, MoneyLady, FCEtier, samboiam, aoiffe379, Coolmon2009.
To my other followers/fans who I may have failed to mention, this hub is also for you. Without you, I will not have reached my 300 fans milestone.
Thank you too to my non-hubber friends and visitors. You all deserve rainbows in your life.
Thank you all very much. Thank you Hubpages!!!
First Anniversary Celebration
I wish to invite all of you to my 1st Anniversary Celebration – In Glorious Rainbow Color.
Ok everyone ... This is it ... Dim the lights ... let the drums roll ...
Let’s sing...
And here's a rainbow quote to end this hub.
My Other Color Hubs
Another Rainbow Hub
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Wow! Has it been a year already? Congratulations on a very colorful year on HP - truly you add life to this site. And with your achievement I pronounce thee Goddess of Color (surely that's a notch higher than those titles given to mere mortals! Haha)
Another creative, imaginative and informative hub. Thanks for sharing. And again, congratulations!!!! :D
Oh yes I did, among the other blue people! Haha Btw, Judy Garland's is still the best version of the song :D
jill, congratulations, this hub is a tribute to your work in general. Well thought out, colourful and well worth taking the time to visit. I will look forward to visiting your next year of hubs with anticipation.Good luck my friend.
jill- this Hub is AWESOME. What a great way to start my day. You can be sure that I will be back here many times as it is what I call a "happy hub". Just love it. Honestly I did not want it to end. . but it is a good thing it did as I need to get into the shower and to work!!! With a song in my heart and a rainbow on my mind. .thanks for sharing this. . oh and you can mark me down as a pink lover .. lol. . ok make it red:)
thumbs up and Im going to give this one a tweet!!!!
xoxox
shari
Rated AWSOME and Voted UP! Your photography never ceases to amaze me. It puts all those illustrations to shame (especially the CareBears rainbow :) Congratulations on turning 100 Jill. This Hub is not only informative, it's gorgeous. Thanks also for including the Judy Garland Classic tune - one of my personal favorites. Have a beautiful radiant day and oh yes, thanks for the mention :)
My very colorful Friend,
Wow, you are so amazing! I am always blessed by your hubs -Love the photography and the way you have put together what you researched. I think you might be Red. Your passion shows through your work here. thanks so much for sending me a rainbow today. I am feeling very green today lol...by the way green is my favorite color - so I think you colored me well. Blessings dear
CS
Wow, Jill, this rainbow of a hub is filled with joys and the celebration of life, in the rainbow we see and our make-it-happen rainbows. It's true that life can't always offer us rainbows, but we can make our own, not just from the fun tricks you showed us but as an analogy to life in general.
Congratulations on your one year anniversary. A great milestone and every reason to sing along with Judy Garland. Wonderful!
May the Goddess of Color shine her Rainbow Blessings upon us and bathe our hubs in glorious hues of imagination, creativity and passion!
Many Happy Returns on your first HubPages birthday my dear - we look forward to many more.
I absolutely love the 'writing with rainbow colored pens' picture!
Had to come back for another visit -love the cd with water drops and the soap bubbles rainbow.
CS
Jill my dear friend as usual the photography was excellent, and I recieved quite an education on rainbows. By the way I love em too ! So thank you for another treat and for the shout out. As you well know I think you rock ! And most Impotantly congratulations on one year here at HP. I am totally stoked you are in the gang ! I look forward to more of your great work
Hello anglnwu,
I always look forward to your visit because you never fail to make me happy. You simply have a way with words that make everything you say special.
Thank you very much my dear friend. Did you see your name in the blue list?
I wish you rainbows everyday!
It has truly been a year of innovative ideas coming from you. Truly inspiring for me, a non-writer. Perhaps when I retire (perhaps in 2 years time, hopefully), I shall follow in your footstep. Again, congrats on your one year anniversary.
Most important, many congratulations for your first year here!!! Your hubs are always so special, but this one is definitely one of my favorites!!! Apart from being very informative, this hub is simply wondrous...in days full of rain, as these days are, you have given to me some colours from the sky, many thanks for sharing!!! :D
Wow, Congratulations Jill! :) My gosh, time fries by... Stunning photography as usual and such a beautiful vibe radiating from this hub.. Colours are so potent! and the colours you've captured are just magnificient..Rainbows are so magical!! :D I so love your works, very grateful to have crossed your path.
Look forward to more and thank you for including me in your hub. :)
btw ~ love the rainbow leg warmer adds below :p
I would love that! Hey it's my birthday today too. What a great gift...thanks
Jill, I can see you as a rainbow too. LOL
But definitely some strong red in there i.e. vitality, passion and courage - these come accross in your hubs - although the yellow is ever present too. Ok rainbow for Jill is good. Could I be a rainbow with you. Heehee.. this hub makes me happy! :)
This hub was so awesome, loved the pictures, and thank you for the dedication. I learned something as well:) Great Hub! Rated you Awesome and Beautiful:)
Congratulations, Jill - and thank you for a year of glorious, colourful hubs! You really do need to be promoted to being a 'Goddess of Colour', you know :)
Everytime I go through one of your hubs, I go away feeling so refreshed with the beauty that you lay out there. This one, with all its super visuals is so you!
now thats what a hub is ,simply glorious colors,spellbinding.
you are real jill of all trades.
Jill this was such a fun hub. I loved the rainbow song as well.
You have coloured my day, thank you!
jill of alltrades. I enjoyed this hub big times. It has lifted my heart and spirit. Very nicely done. Magical.
A rainbow is a most beautiful and awesome sight. Another of the creators signatures that he is here. He created. The rainbow for me is God's signature. He is everywhere. He owns it all. I loved to 'learn' some science about rainbows. Thank you for your hard work and sharing the love you have for your friends at the hubs. You and I have about the same milestones. I am honored to follow you and learn more. You shine on jill of all trades. Keep sharing. Hugs to you sister.
congratulations on your hubberversary!! it's an awesome feeling im sure and you have many followers that are amazing in their own way. awesome hub and congrats again
I forgot to thank you! I did see my name :D and it made me feel very special and all warm and fuzzy :D
Congrats on your first year anniversary. This is a wonderful hub. I always love reading your hubs. Thanks for the mention and hope to read your hub on your 2nd year, then on your 3rd year then on your 4th year... :D
Jill,
You deserve a toast on your very colorful first year anniversary at HP! Cheers and congrats! You are an angel for arm-twisting me into searching my name in your latest hub. Thank you so much for the "accolade".
Well the search was only secondary, the great read is primary. Such a lovely presentation as usual. I'll be with you in your next journey to the second and the nth anniversary. Keep hubbing with flying colors!
What a delightful way to celebrate your one year anniversary on HubPages. You truly are the Queen of Color, and if my science teachers in school could explain things as well as you, I would be a far more educated man today.
Thanks for bringing a little color to our lives.
Mike
Thank you for this lovely and colorful Hub. Congratulations on your one year anniversary. You bring beauty to HubPages.
Jill of alltrades! Wonderful hub! Congratulations!
I agree you really are the"Countess of Color!" Who I must say; is gifted with the ability to capture the brilliance of "Light" with your marvelous "photographic eye!" Bravo! Honored to be included on your list!
Thank you for sharing, Peace & Blessings!
Happy anniversary Jill!! This is a beautiful and colorful hub filled with great ideas to mark your special day. I can't believe that it's one year -- how time flies, especially when one spends time reading wonderfully written hubs by you. Oh, let's go and paint some rainbows this coming year! Again, happy anniversary!!! {{hugs}}
Hey Happy Aniversary, Jill and congrats for all you wonderful work here in a year! What a colorific hub and great incentive for partying! Love it and so glad I am a friend of yours! Keep up the great work, another great year!
You are so sweet to mention me, Jill!! Cheers and to the next year! May it be filled with clicks, laughs, color and more great friends! :)
I do see my name there! Thank you for this honor!
What a great Hub! A year does fly by, doesn't it? I'm looking forward to more colors from you - thanks.
Judy Garland - my favorite song - oh, so magical! Thank you!
I am writing on rainbows - will be sure to link back to your great Hub!
Thank you very much! Blessings to you and your family.
This is absolutely beautiful! I am so pleased I found your hub. An excellent and uplifting point in my day.
jill of alltrades. I came back here to read because I needed a boost of color today. This is again a Beautiful writing. You do have a gift breathed in you. By the way the rainbow Gods Signature. After God flooded the earth. Noah's Ark. God put a rainbow into the sky.A promise not to destroy the earth with a flood again. I will find the scripture and get it to you. Many, many Blessings. Hugs to you sister.
Congratulations on your first year at hubpages! You fill our lives with beauty and color!
A very wonderful Hub JJ thanks for the mention... Kudos to your first year anniversary with HubPages...
What a great hub.
Nice hub, I love rainbows. I like the "writing with rainbow colored pens".
. . . . "You've got to make your own kind of music, sing your own kind of song, make your own kind of music . . . and even if nobody else sings along . . . " the mommas and pappas - thanks for adding me here - you are awesome! I've been out of the loop with carpal tunnel and then just getting back has me trying to catch up like crazy - Congratulations on your anniversary! I am so far behind right now that I think I get could more done if I walked backwards! ;-) This is how far behind I am - I am only noticing your hub today - Shame on me! And Bless YOU!
This is beautiful I was just showing my friends this hub I just did on hubpages on the rainbow rose and was looking for raindops in rainbow colors on googles and it lead me to your hub, Imagine that. glad to have found this hub and I look forward to looking at more of your stuff it seems very interesting!! :D if you have some free time you should check out my rainbow rose hub! thanks!











































katrinasui Level 3 Commenter 2 years ago
Hey congratulations on successfully completing one year. You are doing a fantastic job on hubpages. keep it up.