The theme for this month’s Art Elements design challenge is forests. There are many different types of forest, categorized by latitude and elevation (tropical, temperate, boreal), the dominant types of trees (evergreen or deciduous; broadleaf, coniferous, or mixed), annual precipitation or general climate, stage of development (old vs new growth), etc. So many forests, so little time.
Continue reading
This month the theme for the Art Elements design challenge is repurposing. Some of the materials and techniques I used for this challenge were reminiscent of my childhood art projects. I don’t remember those projects being as frustrating or messy as the ones I tackled this month. Maybe because there were always adults around to help and to clean up? Technically there was an adult around to clean up this time too. But she’d rather make art than have a clean and tidy home.
Continue reading
Welcome to my reveal for the 2019 Bead Peep’s Swap ‘n’ Hop jewelry design and blog hop challenge. I may have gotten carried away by my enthusiasm for this challenge. I’m probably not the only one. It can be fun to test your creativity by letting someone else choose the design elements for your jewelry, and in turn see how they get along with what you chose for them. I typically participate in design challenges where there’s a set theme but I get to choose my components. But from time to time, I like to push my limits by working with components I might not have chosen for myself. So, here we go!
Continue reading
The theme for this month’s design challenge from the Art Elements design team is luna moths. These members of the giant silk moth family, Saturniidae, are a spectacular subject for art inspiration, from the colors and patterns in their graceful wings to the textures of their fuzzy bodies and antennae.
Continue reading
It’s reveal day for the ‘birds of prey’ theme challenge hosted by the Art Elements design team. This month’s theme was chosen by Cathy Spivey Mendola. The challenge is to make art, in any media, inspired by this theme. There are 446 species of birds of prey, also known as raptors (from the Latin “rapere,” to seize or capture). The are divided into the Orders Falconiformes (the diurnal hunters such as hawks, falcons, eagles, and vultures) and Strigiformes (the nocturnally hunting owls). With 446 species to choose from, there’s no lack of inspiration in this theme. Continue reading
The chosen theme for the We’re All Ears earring design challenge this month is “frozen” as in, that’s how folks were feeling when the “Polar Vortex” swooped down from the Arctic and brought record-breaking cold weather to much of the United States. The challenge is to design earrings inspired by the freezing cold. Continue reading
The theme for the first Art Elements design challenge of the year was the moon. There’s a lot to work with in that theme, from astronomy to myth and everything in between. Where to start? What to focus on? I went a little crazy making things and I’m blaming it on the moon. There was a super moon at the beginning of the month. With an eclipse! Which also corresponded with what some call a “wolf moon.” All together, that’s a super blood wolf moon. So, yeah. I’m blaming it all on the moon. Continue reading
Kicking off 2019 with an earring design challenge is a great way to begin the year because earrings are my favorite kind of jewelry. The We’re All Ears earring design challenge theme for this month is Pantone’s Color of the Year, “Living Coral.” Pantone describes this color as “an animating and life-affirming coral hue with a golden undertone that energizes and enlivens with a softer edge.” I would describe it as a warm peachy red, because I’m not as flowery as the folks at Pantone. Continue reading
This collection of sea turtle mandala necklaces was not created for a monthly design challenge. They were made in between making beads and things for the monthly challenges.
The year 2018 was a year of challenges for Paisley Lizard. As in, design challenges. I participated in at least one design challenge each month. In the process, I tried a few new polymer clay techniques and stretched my skills and imagination. Here are some highlights by month. Continue reading
This month’s design challenge from the Art Elements team is brought to you by the color white. White: the color you perceive when an object reflects all light in the visible spectrum equally. White: the color of snow, clouds, and quartz or limestone sand. White: the color of polymer clay most likely to attract every last particle of lint, dust, and cat hair in your workspace. Continue reading