Saturday, June 30, 2012

Creative Chaos Design Challenge - Blog Hop

If you're looking for the Big Hole Challenge - please click here

Today is the day for not one, but two challenges!

The first I participated in is Sandra's Creative Chaos Design challenge - if you recall, we were sent 4 identical packages and we were supposed to create something with as much as we could of it.

When the package arrived I was mesmerized - in it were a chaotic mix of blue items, not all beads: some seed beads, a leather strip, a funky fuzzy fabric, mother of pearl  beads, buttons, a butterfly, and some I don't know how you call them - those little wheels from a watch :) Plus a surprise - a gorgeous turquoise coloured stone. All in a small box wrapped with a blue ribbon.

Creative Chaos Design (chain, ribbon, bracelet / chocker) :: All Pretty Things
I spread everything on the table in front of me and I suddenly knew how I want to use the fuzzy ribbon. I needed something, though - so the next day I stopped at the local bead store (ain't I lucky to have a bead store 5 minutes from the office?!) and I got myself 2 lengths of chain, fancy chains. I had this idea I've been playing in my head before Sandra's package arrived - I wanted to make a wrapping bracelet. And wrapping I did - with the fuzzy ribbon through one of the chains, and the wrapping ribbon through the others (nothing gets lost in my translation, not even the packaging!).



The funniest part is that after you wrap it twice around your wrist, it is long enough to wear it as a chocker!

Creative Chaos Design (chain, ribbon, bracelet / chocker) :: All Pretty Things

And the best part? It has the most wonderful shades of sky-blue, so it will be worn a lot!

The buttons and the lether strip - I have started them, but couldn't quite finish the idea (vacation and then a short week of making teachers' gifts got in my way), I'll have to re-visit. The mother of pearls are to be combined with the buttons and they'll most likely become a second wrap bracelet, since I don't have that many bracelets and I was looking forward to make myself some.

And what about the seed beads and the little wheels? I was stumped at first - toyed with the idea of wire crochet the seed beads, but I did that before and I was keen to try something new. As for the hardware... in order to wear it on the skin I should have hammered them down and sealed them somehow (I am alergic to all sorts of metals, and they are truly hardwrae, not finished for jewelry wear) and I didn't want to alter them... but how to use them as they were? Nothing a bit of glue won't fix, apparently :) Yes, it should have been rasin - but, hey, I get points for ingenuosity (I learned early on to make do with what I have and replace pretty much everything with what you have on hands - ask my mom how can you make a yummy cookie without sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and not that much flour!) I liked the idea of my first steampunk piece so much that I made a second pendant:

Steampunk pendant (metal, seed beads, hardware, leather) :: All Pretty Things


The funny part? Remember the chocker from above? Look at this combination:

Steampunk pendant (metal, seed beads, hardware, leather, ribbon, chain) :: All Pretty Things

Don't they look cute together?!

And all together:

Creative Chaos Design Challenge :: All Pretty Things

Thanks for stopping by - please make sure you visit the other participants:

11 comments:

  1. Oh I loved what you did especially that steampunk pendant.

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  2. The pendant is really great. Also, both pieces look so nice together!

    Ambra

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  3. This is so eclectic. You have some terrific design genes! The combination of steampunk and soft and "fuzzy" go so well together!

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    1. Thanks, Marlene - I liked the idea of soft & hard combination too... now I need to take the copper lariat off to be able to wear something else ;)

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  4. Love the steampunk pendants! I just flattened my washers down for now, intended on attaching the bracelet I made to a leather cuff later on.. haven't got that far yet lol

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    1. Thanks, Skye - I have a few washers left, I will try them, since I had another idea anyhow :)

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  5. Replies
    1. Mom thinks they're beautiful - thanks, mom!

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  6. I visited this challenge right away, but didn't have time to comment. I'm happy to have a little time this morning to visit your beautiful jewelry again! I love all the amazing product choices Sandra set up in this challenge. You did wonderful work creating with everything! Love your pendant, and the lovely shades of blue chain necklace! Gorgeous, Alicia!!

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I appreciate and love to read your comments!