Monday, November 16, 2009

Are You Up For A Challenge?

A few weeks ago, Heather Powers from Humblebeads had this great challenge on her blog revolving around different ways to use or create focal pieces for necklaces. I participated in the challenge and watched the progress of it and it really seemed like everyone was not only inspired, but also having a great time.

Never one to overlook a fantabulous idea, I thought it might be fun to do something similar here. I’ll tweak the idea a bit by having different rules and a different focus, but there will still be a great prize!

So, what is this amazing challenge, you ask? At least, I’m assuming you’re asking or else you’re firing off e-mails to all your friends to come and check out what a copycat loser I am.

Don’t care.

Proceeding anyway.

The challenge is going to be based on my personal bugaboo: color. Y’see, my mind and eyes are AWESOME at matching colors. I can match a particular shade of blue FROM MEMORY exactly. I can walk into a bead store and find you every single bead that is that EXACT shade of blue. What I can’t do is devise color schemes that are NOT monochromatic. At least, I can’t do it easily. I have to force it. And it doesn’t seem to matter how many color books I read or how much color theory I learn. My brain just goes ahead and does its own thing, anyway.

Also, Heather’s challenge was about necklaces so I thought I’d do bracelets. Quicker and easier and my personal favorite thing to make.

So, we have color and bracelets.

Big deal, you say. Why should I care?

Here’s where the interesting part comes in. If you’ve been reading the blog, you know I’ve got a bug-obsessed kid at home. We do a lot of perusing of bug pictures on the internet and I’m always amazed by the colors that nature comes up with and the combinations that are put together. Nature is quite the fearless painter and yet the combinations all seem to work.

So, I’ve gathered some of my favorite “buggy” color combinations for you to use as inspiration.







Beetles - I love that amazing iridescent green. It's almost like they have glitter powder applied to their backs (I can turn anything into a craft project!)









Caterpillar #1 - Who would ever think of green, pale blue, black and orange as a color scheme?









Gaudy Grasshopper - gaudy indeed...but so cool!






Luna Moth (my personal fave).





Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly


Here’s the challenge! Select one of these photos and create a bracelet whose color scheme is inspired by the photo. Post it on your blog with a bit of explanation as to why you chose that particular photo and how you incorporated the color scheme into your bracelet. Come here to the comments and leave a link to your blog post.

Prize: A collection of beading books and, most likely, some beads I’m going to de-stash.

Rules:

1. You can create and post as much as you like, but you will only get 1 contest entry.

2. For anyone who publicizes the challenge today on their blog, Facebook or Twitter, I will put in a second entry – MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE ME A COMMENT SO I KNOW YOU DID THIS.

3. I’m afraid I have to limit this to people with shipping addresses in the U.S. only unless you’re willing to pay the shipping on your prize. If you’re outside the U.S. but are willing to pay shipping, make sure to note that in your comment so I know about it.

4. Deadline to post your entries and comments is 5 PM Pacific on Sunday, November 22, 2009.

5. Winner will be randomly drawn from all the entries on Sunday evening and posted on Monday, November 23, 2009.

That should cover everything, but feel free to contact me with questions.
Are you brave enough to go "bead buggy?"

KJ

24 comments:

Lorelei Eurto said...

Tough Choices!! They are all so cool! I'm totally in. And I just blogged your contest over at my blog. :) Hope you get lots of players!

Cindy said...

What a great idea...and inspired by bugs!!! If I can squeeze this challenge in (I would really love to), I'll be back to tell ya! :-) I will go send out a Twitter right now!

EmandaJ said...

Hi KJ,

I found your blog by following Lorelei. I am up for a bracelet challenge and will be posting a link to your blog on my blog within the Hour.

Emanda
www.ArtemisiaStudio.blogspot.com

thecolorofdreams said...

This is a wonderful challenge. I blogged about it.
Great idea.

Jen Judd said...

Hi!! I found you through Lorelei, too and now I'm all wound up about creepy bug jewelry! haaaaaaaaa I happily posted this along on my blog at www.jenjuddrocks.com. I look forward to the challenge and seeing all the goodies come in!
Jen

TesoriTrovati said...

You are amazing doll, you really are! I love this challenge and really hope that I can participate! Makes me think spring things! Enjoy the day! Erin

Leslie @ Bei Mondi said...

Wow! Vibrant colors. It's too hard to choose.

lunedreams said...

I think that caterpillar just gave me the answer for the turquoise necklace I've been scratching my head over. Cool!

Anonymous said...

Did you just say "bracelets are quicker and easier"? OMG, you can't be serious. I can't create bracelets _at all_. Which is exactly the reason I decided to take this challenge and do all five pictures. I live in europe, though, so I'm going to participate mainly for the fun - I don't know if I can pay the shipping, if the prize is books, it's probably going to be pretty expensive. But I'll see about that if I actually win, if that's OK with you?

Anyway, even if I can't win, here's my first entry (and for me, it was neither "quicker" nor "easier") than a necklace:

http://kiwiken.wordpress.com/2009/11/18/yet-another-challenge/

Artisan Clay said...

Awesomeness! I just blogged about the contest and I will add a link to it on my Facebook fan page!

Cool idea! Thanks for doing this!
http://artisanclay.blogspot.com/2009/11/are-you-up-for-challenge.html

Artisan Clay said...

I double posted it on the Beads-of-clay blog too!

Anonymous said...

I would like to join in as well. And this will be a challenge for me with the vibrant colors, thanks!

Artisan Clay said...

I made one --
http://artisanclay.blogspot.com/2009/11/caterpillar-1-bracelet.html

Lorelei Eurto said...

Here it is! I couldn't pick just one so I did one for each. Cuz that's how I Roooooll.
http://lorelei1141.blogspot.com/2009/11/lot-on-your-plate.html

The Joy of Nesting said...

Hello KJ!!!

I created a little bracelet with the magnificent butterfly colors. You can find it here

http://thejoyofnesting.blogspot.com/

This has been great fun and a nice way to ease back into creating after the trip to the Northlands. :)

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.

thecolorofdreams said...

Close to the deadline but here is my bracelet:

http://thecolorofdreams.blogspot.com/2009_11_01_archive.html#663661630240611092

Thanks so much for this challenge.

Spirited Earth said...

I have never done a challenge before but loved the idea of taking color combos from the bugs.
i just blogged this contest on my blog. thanks for thinking up this interesting challenge.
Nan
spiritrattles.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

There are only a few hours to go in this bug challenge, but i posted it on my facebook page.

Just A Tish said...

I found you link from Dawno's blog and have reposted it on my blog, and on facebook and twitter. (JustATish on all three) I will up date my blog again with my bracelet and let you know when it is finished! this is a real fun challenge for myself to scramble and create something in this short amount of time!

Pearl and Pebble said...

Well KJ, this was more of a challenge than I thought it would be, which makes it even more fun than I thought it would be!! Nothing like the last minute but here is the link to my bracelet. Thanks for hosting:)

http://pearlandpebble.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-little-swallowtail.html

Just A Tish said...

I was inspired by the caterpillar -
http://justatish.blogspot.com/2009/11/last-mintue-challenge-are-you-up-for-it.html

This was a lot of fun!! Thanks for allow me to participate.

Cindy said...

Hi Kelly
Hope you got my entry for the challenge earlier today...I sent you an email this afternoon with a picture of my caterpillar-inspired bracelet! :-) It's also on my blog. Thanks for this fun challenge.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the challenge, it pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Here is my bracelet http://marbelladesigns.blogspot.com/2009/11/color-challenge.html
Sandra

Anonymous said...

I'm posting on my Facebook and twitter.

http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsilverparrotdesigns.blogspot.com%2F2009%2F11%2Fare-you-up-for-challenge.html&t=Are%20You%20Up%20For%20A%20Challenge%3F#/sewandso
and
sewandso at twitter