For whatever reasons we haven't had a monthly challenge for a while and I, for one, miss them. They were a bit of fun plus they challenged me think about theme or colourway I might not have otherwise picked. They often got me out of a rut or pushed me in a new direction. Plus is was interesting to see where everyone else's brains went on a theme or did with a colour.
I have contacted Krysia but understand she has had some problems and I know Kaz has been down under for a while, so....
.....at the risk of getting stabbed with bent mandrels, I'm going to stick my neck out and propose a Colour Challenge for May. (If no one stabs me quickly enough or there is a positive response I might even suggest a Theme Challenge as well)
I suggest BLACK & WHITE for May (I'm guessing most of us have some of one, if not both, of these colours handy so it should be an easy restart)
If you've not taken part in challenge before (or need reminding), all you have to do is create something (bead, cab, off mandrel, fused piece, whatever you like) using those colours (not exclusively if you don't want it). It should be new work this month and you should post a picture in this thread for us all to see.
Let's stick with the same deadlines as before so midnight (ish) on the last day of the month however, the mention of deadlines brings on the thought of prizes - In the past these challenges have been sponsored by suppliers who have provided the prize (winner picked at random from all the entries). I'm not making any promises but, depending what the response is like to this proposed challenge (and if I survive the stabbing), I am happy to investigate to possibility of restarting that practice.
I hope this proposed challenge doesn't upset anyone, its not intended to at all. I just thought instead of sitting back moaning about the lack of monthly challenges I'd offer to get them started again.
Great idea ! Nammie :) I have missed the challenges too and have an idea for the colour theme already, so thank you for starting this again. :)
Maybe a number generator thing could pick a person who participated to pick the following months colours? :)
Quote from: GaysieMay on May 02, 2014, 08:16:21 AM
Maybe a number generator thing could pick a person who participated to pick the following months colours? :)
That's a good idea! Perhaps the winner should pick the next month's theme (or perhaps the next but one to keep things flowing without a gap). I did wonder if the sponsors had any say in colour theme as it would be daft to declare something that Tuffnell's etc only had 2 rods of....
yes, I think it is a great idea to revive the challenges and I commit myself to taking part. Promise not to laugh at my attempts.
Having also attempted a couple of pieces from SLT recently I might also start a challenge of Fugly bead of the month otherwise known as over ambitious stretch target!!!!
Ruth
sewnthings
Thanks for picking this up Nammie.....I'll contact you re: how the prizes have worked in the past though you may want to investigate new avenues.
Kazx
Well done for taking the initiative! I have enjoyed these challenges in the past, and I miss them, too.
I get some torch time this weekend, and I recently got some Father Ted's Socks Black that I haven't played with yet, so I might even make something for this.
HOORAH!
Yay cant wait to get some torching done. Hopefully everything will sort itself out for krysia
I love the idea of the fuglie prize as that is one I am sure I could compete for but I will try to make something that resembles a bead in black and white what fun :o :o
I got a bit overexcited on the torch this evening and made my bead for the "proposed" challenge! ;D
Ooh, good, I've missed the colour challenge and for once I have the colours. Granted not a lot of white as my last lot was machine gun frit-in-a-stick and went in the bin! This will make me get out there tomorrow .... Perhaps if we can't get a sponsored prize we could just come up with a prize of our own, most people are happy just to have won 'something'?
Hope Krysia is OK?
Hurrah!
Well that's odd - I was browsing the challenge section last night and considered offering to help out...but didn't want to rock any boats ::) Well done Anna :D
I've not entered one of these before, but would like to support the move to restart them. I'm not sure of the protocol - can I enter more than one item in a month for example? Because I hope this isn't the best I can do for May - a not-very-sophisticated wig-wag egg... a wig-wegg perhaps? Made today, experimenting with some boro blacks and whites to see how they behave together.
(http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx215/aj-da/DSCN9782.jpg) (http://s757.photobucket.com/user/aj-da/media/DSCN9782.jpg.html)
OK Here's a bead I made yesterday, (http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1426/5604171/24134598/409352436.jpg)
I like both of those :) I have so little decent white left that, when I finally get out there, it will have to be the accent not the main colour I think. Have an idea in my head, not sure if it will work or not.
Here's mine... sorry my photo doesn't really pick up the dichro - it's very sparkly in real life. And it also reminds me of a badger:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/14080030566_41075a66c9_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nscQxG)
IMG_1288 (https://flic.kr/p/nscQxG) by Alchemy Lampwork (https://www.flickr.com/people/59807750@N04/), on Flickr
All amazing. The boro black and white plays very nicely together, Pat I love yours - it reminds me of calligraphy.
And Helen, the world needs more sparkly badgers - gorgeous x
If anyone wants yet more challenges, remember the GBUK monthly ones are open to everyone too! (No prizes, members go in the glossi magazine, which everyone can read)
I'd say we were definitely off and running here with some fab beads already!
Just to clarify for first timers (and those with memories like mine):
Yes, all you have to do is post a pic of your black and white efforts in this post.
Yes, you can post as many pics as you like during the month, sometimes its good to see an idea evolve (You'll only go in the draw once for whatever prize I get sorted out)
Yes, we'll take your fuglies too :) No harm in telling us what doesn't work
Yes, the colours can be just an accent (Sue, I have some Soft White if you'd like some posted... ::) )
I'm just waiting for a bit more info about prizes but I will get something sorted out before the end of the month, watch this space....
Quote from: Nammie on May 04, 2014, 05:07:53 PM
(Sue, I have some Soft White if you'd like some posted... ::) )
Thanks but I don't use a lot of it normally so will manage with what I have. There is the vaguest chance some of it made it into tongue pink pile - OH thought all clears should go together and all 'white' should go together when he helped me sort my glass out! I learned the hard way to label everything BEFORE it goes in the shedio!
Quote from: Blue Box Studio on May 04, 2014, 09:15:15 PM
Quote from: Nammie on May 04, 2014, 05:07:53 PM
(Sue, I have some Soft White if you'd like some posted... ::) )
Thanks but I don't use a lot of it normally so will manage with what I have. There is the vaguest chance some of it made it into tongue pink pile - OH thought all clears should go together and all 'white' should go together when he helped me sort my glass out! I learned the hard way to label everything BEFORE it goes in the shedio!
That was a much more measured response than I was expecting :) I was ducking and expecting some four letter words which didn't include 'frit'.... :)
Some lovely beads so far :) im so glad you have restarted this nammie. Hoping to get on the torch tomorrow and make something for this.
Quote from: Nammie on May 04, 2014, 09:28:01 PM
Quote from: Blue Box Studio on May 04, 2014, 09:15:15 PM
Quote from: Nammie on May 04, 2014, 05:07:53 PM
(Sue, I have some Soft White if you'd like some posted... ::) )
Thanks but I don't use a lot of it normally so will manage with what I have. There is the vaguest chance some of it made it into tongue pink pile - OH thought all clears should go together and all 'white' should go together when he helped me sort my glass out! I learned the hard way to label everything BEFORE it goes in the shedio!
That was a much more measured response than I was expecting :) I was ducking and expecting some four letter words which didn't include 'frit'.... :)
You should have said you wanted my normal response to white glass! I do try hard to keep my language appropriate - now I've been made redundant and living off what I can make from beads I'm having to limit my output of F words that cost £2 in the cuss box :)
But thank you for your offer anyway (no expletives needed).
Yay I have required colours, and total lack of experience :)
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2934/13930178649_9212305e4e.jpg) (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paladinglass/13930178649/)
Bank holiday beads! (https://www.flickr.com/photos/paladinglass/13930178649/) by Jeannette Copeland (https://www.flickr.com/people/paladinglass/), on Flickr
Nice calligraphy, Jeannette!
I've really struggled to get any daylight today, sorry about the photo (but they are now made into pendants so can't re-do)
These are black with silvered white twistie - didn't know what effect I'd get but 'different'. Might try it with other colours, as it has fumed the black in places.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5482/14138953805_715f0b558b_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nxpQnB)Black & white (https://flic.kr/p/nxpQnB) by Blue Box Studio (https://www.flickr.com/people/32268455@N05/), on Flickr
There's a very unobvious drop down arrow just above the link, all the sizes should then come up. Took me ages last time to find it.
Nice beads by the way, the silvered white looks lovely.
glad to see this again, well done for 'volunteering' - i may well drag my sorry butt into a cleared out studio and see if I can still make a bead :-[
Quote from: mel on May 08, 2014, 06:57:38 PM
There's a very unobvious drop down arrow just above the link, all the sizes should then come up. Took me ages last time to find it.
So there is. they don't make it obvious! Thanks for that.
I do like those three black lentils Sue.
Thanks Nammie for picking this up, I have been poorly recently so not been on frit for a while but am hopefully starting to get sorted so really pleased to see this challenge as will help me get a starting point to get back on the torch.
Also can I just say what beautiful entries have already been made, all brilliant well done everyone and Sue I really love those lentils x
Quote from: GlassByNiki on May 09, 2014, 07:11:43 AM
and Sue I really love those lentils x
One of them is now a pendant and the prize in PIF180.....
I was quite pleased with them, something a bit different, but having put them on the FB bead selling groups no one seemed to like them, hence 2 making it to pendants.
This is what I ended up making. Playing with a couple of things I haven't done much of before, namely encasing twisties and squishing things into cuboid shape.
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/14161299685_d9474e6aa8.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nzon2p)
Twisting, encasing, squishing - sounds cool and looks great. I like the decoration on the surface of the encasing, giving an added dimension...
I like those Kathy, very unusual :)
Lovely entries already :)
Here's a black and white bead I made the other day. I think I am also going to make a black and white owl especially for this challenge tomorrow too :)
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/13977002917_c71d3a39c6.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ni6N1V)1907987_10152552058783973_6194903342338400127_n (https://flic.kr/p/ni6N1V) by Mad Cat Glass (https://www.flickr.com/people/25295633@N04/), on Flickr
Love that hare Les,my computer is on its last legs and playing up , it takes an age to upload any photos with flickr :(
Its such a pain , I have been using my phone camera and Facebook to sell beads till I sort it out,
Love all the back and white beads shown, was thinking earlier that I should do a black and white floral set,
Sandy
Nice work Les - my shaky fingers make that kind of stringer work impossible!
This is my offering!
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5503/14004013467_4857e29fd7_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nkuej4)P1010822a (https://flic.kr/p/nkuej4) by Essexgirl100 (https://www.flickr.com/people/98646411@N05/), on Flickr
So glad the challenge is up and running again - I've missed it!
Nice to have a theme / colour to push me to get back on the torch!
Beautiful beads everyone. I thought I would give it a go so here is my little bead set using Black & White so of course it looks purple :)
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5494/14026873027_aac6e0ec86_n.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nnvoEp)Black and White (https://flic.kr/p/nnvoEp) by niknaksdesigns (https://www.flickr.com/people/123919158@N02/), on Flickr
(Sorry started a flickr account as my old photo storage have started charging and no idea how to link pictures!!)
*Modified many times trying to figure out how to link the picture and this is the best I can do so hope it os ok.
Heres my attempt with black and white, it started out as a focal bead but all ran into each other so I pulled it into a focal and dont like it very much. :)
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a337/Spuggy/014_zpse535c86c.jpg)
Here is my entry. My very first entry after all these years. lol.
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5553/14230217766_cf380ca9aa_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nFtzYb)DSC_0229 (https://flic.kr/p/nFtzYb) by The Owl Goes Hoot (https://www.flickr.com/people/104797133@N05/), on Flickr
These owl are prototypes I did today. I wanted to do black and white for this months theme but I also wanted to do some new ideas for my owl line.
The one with yellow toes is the actual black and white entry. The other two are additions.
Great work here :)
Here is my entry. Unfortunately his front leg came off but I like him so I kept him instead of binning him
(https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3723/14113721177_799518d1c9_m.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nvbvAi)20140513_142722 (https://flic.kr/p/nvbvAi) by miss_softpaw (https://www.flickr.com/people/94815384@N08/), on Flickr
Lousy photo but it is all I could get :-\
Some fantastic entries to this challenge. If you're just waiting to open the kiln or post a photo before midnight, don't panic, I'm not committing to staying up to enforce the deadline that rigidly and I'm a bit of a last minute merchant myself.....Here's my black and white offering
(https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7362/13973998238_2527a316c2.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/nhQoQ7)black and white swirl (https://flic.kr/p/nhQoQ7) by Nammie's Pics (https://www.flickr.com/people/102536316@N06/), on Flickr
There's purple dichroic in there too, honest, Regis said it wouldn't work in the tutorial and was right!