Welcome to a new Challenge Blog-CHALLENGE #1

Does the blogosphere need another challenge blog? We sure hope so, because we've been working our tailfeathers off to get these projects done! But we're having fun --- and we are all about the having fun! That's the biggest thing we want you to come back here for, some fun and maybe to stretch your concepts of what you can do and what you might find appeals to you.

Although our name MIGHT make you think we are only and all about the crafts, that's not the case really. We're going to be shaking things up OFTEN, so stop by and see what's happenin', hot stuff.

Our first challenge is entitled "Flights of Fancy," because it is Springtime and the return of the winged ones is but one marker that Winter is indeed leaving. We're asking you to create something with birds or butterflies or whatever Flights of Fancy means to you.

It can be anything - an ATC, an inchie, twinchie, a mini, a moo, a scrapbook page, tag, bookmark, card, you get the picture.

If you ever feel overwhelmed, refer back to our Opus Gluei Oath. May I repeat - WE ARE ALL ABOUT THE FUN!

Here's my soft sculpture birds. I posted the first bird I made on my own blog but it was intended for use over here all along. I enjoyed it enough to make another one and was thrifty and used leftover fabric from the first bird. Second bird has black button eyes and a belly done in a similar weight fabric as opposed to the felt that was used in my first attempt- to me, this made a huge difference in ease of sewing.

To find a pattern for birds, I simply Googled for a couple and voila! Instant gratification. This bird pattern is available here: http://nelliedurand.blogspot.com/2008/04/bird-tutorial.html

Oh my gosh, her example is so beautiful. As you will see if you compare her example to my wild girls above, I made the pattern my own and I love the results. (Jana here - Rosemary made these birds so whimsical and fun, I would love to have a couple in my craft space. They are really making me smile.) There are loads of bird patterns out there and I think they are so easily adaptable for sewing or papercrafting.

Now, here's Jana!

Hello - Jana here. I started out by making some easy projects for this challenge because I want to make sure that everyone knows that we are here to enjoy the creative process AND that it doesn't have to be intricate or time consuming. My first creation is an ATC. I am taking this challenge as an opportunity to create a deck of Opus cards. A Tribute in the works, so to speak.

Second up are these little medallions. I will probably use them on a scrapbook page, but who knows they may end up on a greeting card.

I had these little square shadow box frames from the $ store that were just screaming for some color. So I obliged. I am very craft-accomodating.

Next I decided to use some scrap papers to make a cover for my notepad. It is my favorite.

Or at least it was my favorite of these projects until I made this Butterfly bracelet. I know that I made too many "things" for this challenge, but I just couldn't help myself.

(Rosemary here again - oh my gosh, are these not cute as can be?- Jana was very very productive in preparation for our grand opening and I love everything she made)

All we ask for you to do is post a link to your blog entry (try to link to your specific post) for this challenge in the comments section. We're going to let this run for a week - to give you at least one weekend to work on something. Have fun, we can't wait to see what you create!