July Mini Design Challenge for RetroHandmade

Hello all! I know things have been pretty quiet within our team lately with everyone being so busy with kids, vacations, etc. There were 2 of us itching to do a mini challenge for July, so we went for it! Here is the post that went up on my personal blog yesterday, but felt it appropriate to post here as well.

So I finally have the results of the design challenge that I did with Hillary, of Happy Hippy Jewelry on Etsy. It was our July design challenge (a little belated), and my first design challenge ever. Basically, we gave each other a theme and then let our imaginations run wild. Typically, this type of challenge is done in a large group with everyone using the same theme and then a winner is announced, but we modified a bit for just the 2 of us!

Hillary's theme that I chose was "Summer Romance," and this is what she came up with. I have to say that I love that the "couple" are in my 2 favorite colors....Let's Gooooo Mountaineers!


Here's what she had to say about it: "I really tried to represent the coming together and intertwining of two separate souls with the blue and yellow wire wrapped pendant. I added the pink and floral accents to emphasize the idea of romanticism and to add a little bit more of a "summery" feel." She elaborated more on her design process by saying this, "I made the pendant first and really wanted to represent two unique persons entangling themselves and falling in love. I couldn't decide if it was finished and even asked for advice from other crafters, who gave me some great suggestions. I discovered how well the pink went with the bright blue and yellow just playing around with different things. I played with several things and ultimately went with it because it helped soften the overall impact of the high contrast colors without making them "disappear". Pink is also a great color for romance and the floral beads looked appropriately "summery" to me. Ultimately, I think I ended up with something very romantic but unusual and unique, which is what i always strive for."

The theme Hillary assigned to me was "weather." Here is what I came up with!
This is a 3-piece bath towel set that includes a full sized bath towel, a hand towel, and a washcloth. I first thought of using a cloud, sun, and raindrop. Those just didn't work well together. They weren't very much fun. Almost a little sad. So I picked the cutest of the three, the raindrop, and created around that. The umbrella and boots gave me the ability to add some color and interest into the project while still sticking to the theme. I have to say that the rain boots, I thought, were going to be a bit out of my comfort zone as far as getting them to look normal. It didn't take me too long to figure out how I wanted to attack them, and I think they turned out pretty stinkin' cute! This item is listed at my shop on Etsy, 15 Pieces of Flair.

There are 3 of us lined up to do another mini-challenge for August with a September 8th deadline. It will feature Hillary of Happy Hippy Jewelry, Liz of LiDDesigns, and me, Angie, of 15 Pieces of Flair. Our theme this time around will be the same for all 3 and will be....drumroll.......Hollywood Glam! I'm very excited about the prospect and will keep you all posted.