The AUGUST Craft Challenge

When I received the packet of items for Christy Nelson's August Craft Challenge, I ripped open the envelope, dumped out the contents, and said -- out loud -- "What in the WORLD?" I was not prepared for the random assortment enclosed: some black tulle/material; a baggie of blue beads; a baggie of random hardware; some super sticky, "extreme" adhesive squares; and a brown parchment-type paper with random, oddly named animals... and little details (in Spanish?). (Am I out of the loop here? What ARE these things!?!?!)


At any rate, I placed the craft items in a cabinet for storage... and started thinking about what I could possibly create with those things. After weeks and weeks, nothing came to me, so I finally pulled the items out the other day and left them out on the kitchen counter, where I was sure to see them... and think about them... and hopefully figure out what I would make!

Today, an idea finally hit me: I could make a frame!

Now, I have no clue where I got THAT idea, but I just went to work! I grabbed an unused, inexpensive, plain, black metal frame and a few extra items (some black and white giraffe-print fabric, string, and Mod Podge), and I started cutting out the little animal squares and making small strips of fabric.


Then I strung some of the beads. I pasted a large square of the black fabric on the cardboard that came in the frame, and I arranged the little parchment animals around the edges. I added some of my black and white giraffe fabric (with those AWESOME adhesive squares) and arranged the blue beads on the top and the bottom edge. I also tied fabric strips to the top of the frame and glued on some of the hardware pieces, along with a small strand of blue beads, just for some added color and decor! :)

When I put the frame back together, I was quite pleased!


I even tried it out with one of Iain's latest photos (that needed a frame, anyway).


Hooray! I met the challenge for this month.... AND I got a really fun and unique frame out of it! It's now sitting on the dresser in Iain's room! CUTE! :)


(You can see my post about June's challenge HERE! And you can get in on the crafty fun by visiting Christy's etsy store, HERE!)