Entry 2

Time for the next challenge!  I only picked two items to unwrap from the Creativity Box and ended up with these three (possibly four) items.  This looks like a fun group of things to work with.  There is a small tin container.  It was in this container that I found the metal dream catcher key chain.  There is a plastic bag of 11 wooden beads.  The question is whether or not I count the plastic bag as an item as well.  What do you think?

Remember that you do not have to use all of the pieces together as you come up with creative ideas for how to use the different items.  I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments - so please play along even if you don't think you have a good idea.  You might provide the spark of an idea that I need.  :)  Also let me know if you have any questions about this entries items.    Have fun!

Entry 1 - Results

Thanks for the great ideas.  I was excited to read what everyone suggested and I look forward to your further inspirations.  Here is what I have come up with for the first three items.  I don’t think it was clear in the first post that they do not have to all be a part of one creation (that would be a bit too rigid for me) so feel free to have ideas about the items separately or together in whatever combination that sparks your creativity.  They also don’t necessarily have to be “useful” – they can be decorative too. 

The first item I created using the sponge part of the paint brush and the plastic tube was this heart shaped paint stamp.  (I tried it with regular stamping ink, but it wasn’t strong enough to collect the stamp pad ink well, but paint worked great.)  I removed the sponge from the brush base and cut it in half.  I secured the tube into one part of the sponge by cutting a circular slit in the back of the sponge and then using both white glue and hot glue affixing the tube to the sponge.  I then cut the heart shape and glued it to the other sponge and voila! – a stamp. 

Here are some hearts that I stamped with it.

 I was even able to clean it gently in water after making the paint designs.

 The little silver balls were a bit of a challenge.  Since they didn’t have holes in them, they couldn’t be strung.  I liked the ideas of making a game with them, but they are small and very hard to toss or control in any way.  I did two things with them though.  I put a few in a little tiny glass jar which I will later use in one of my three dimensional inspiration boxes.  (If you don't know what my inspiration boxes are, ask in the comments section and maybe I will be "inspired" to do a post about those.)  :)

I also decided to make a maraca or sound shaker with them.  My first attempt was with a clear plastic Christmas ornament.  Not only did they sound fun, they looked cool swirling around the edge of the ball.  But just as I was thinking that I would need to make a video to show you how they looked in motion, they popped through the thin plastic and started spraying everywhere.  I was able to limit the damage and retrieve the balls, but had to throw the ornament away.  I then found a clear round makeup container that someone had given me. This was made of much thicker plastic. I put the balls inside and they made a pretty good maraca-like sound.  I needed to cover the make-up logo and punched a colorful piece of art scrap.  I was going to glue it inside, but when I shook it before I glued it, the circle spun with the balls and made an interesting pattern so I decided to leave it the way it was – at least for now.

I could have decided that I was done since I had used every item at least once, but I still had the paint brush handle.  Again, I tried to figure out how to use it for a game, but was not successful.  I finally decided to make a stick puppet – a two faced puppet actually of my favorite Internet star Tardar Sauce aka Grumpy Cat.  Here is one side:

Here is the other.

Let me know what you think.

I will post the next items for the Creative Challenge in a separate post.  Soon.  I can't wait to see what we all come up with next.  :)

Entry 1 - New Year - New Project

A new month usually means time for a new creative project theme.  However not only is it a new month, it is also a new year – which is a good time to reconsider and revamp how I do things. (I love new beginnings.)

I have done a new project entry for 30 days for each month for the last 7 months.  (I can’t even believe that I lasted 7 months – but I have the online data to prove it.)  It has been fun, but it has also been overwhelming at times – especially when I have been busy with other things.  Knowing that I was coming up on a new semester that was already overloaded with classes to teach, conferences and expos to coordinate, graduate projects to supervise etc., I seriously considered ending this blog and seeing where my creativity led me next.  With the option of restarting the blog once I had more time to work on it again in May.

However, I have loved doing these projects and I have learned a lot doing these projects and so I don’t want to end it entirely.  I wasn’t sure what I would do about this dilemma until Christmas Day when I got this exciting and inspiring gift from my father.

This box is filled with wrapped "stuff" (or inspirations) that he pulled together from his own studio, workshop and probably anywhere else he found things – including my brother’s garage.  I started to unwrap a few items when it “hit” me.  This would be an ideal Month of Days project.  However instead of trying to do one new project every day with a new item, I am going to open only a few at a time and see what I can make separately or collectively with the selected pieces.   

Here is where you all can help me out (PLEASE).   I will post a picture of the two or three items I am working with and leave that up for a few days hoping that you will share with me any ideas or thoughts you might have as to what I can create with the items.  As you can see by the instructions on the box, my assignment is to create things with a novel or intended purpose (which nicely is wide open for all of us). Once I have created something or several things I will post the picture(s) (and probably an explanation) and then put up the picture of the next set of items.  I am going to shoot for 10-15 posts a month and if you look at what is left in the box – you can see that this should keep me busy for several months.

This sounds like a good creative compromise to me – and I think my Dad will like it (and will hopefully participate with us).

Here is the first set of items. 

These were the three items I opened before I got the “inspiration” to use the box for the blog.  I then left the rest of the items wrapped so I can open them at random when it is time for a new project. I love opening things so it will be like an ongoing Christmas for me.

So now I need your help - what can I do with these three items?  They can be pulled apart, altered and used in any way.  The silver bead objects (which made me laugh out loud since I had seen them and said I didn’t need them when they were offered to me during a recent family visit) do not have holes in them.  The look like ball bearings, but are not very heavy.  The paint brush is made of sponge and plastic and the plastic tubing is about 2 inches long.

So put your ideas – or questions in the comment section and see where this month of days takes us. (Let me know if you have any difficulty leaving comments.)