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