Memories of Summertime - Crafting Challenge Entries!

we are so thrilled to present the entries for this month's design challenge - Memories of Summertime!  please feel free to vote for your favorite on the sidebar - and get as many people as you can to vote as well!  tweet, blog, pin... spread the word on our talented artists!

Carol's entry - "When I saw these wonderful bright colored buttons earlier this summer, I knew I had to make a fun bracelet with them.  The bright neon colors and the wonderful flower shapes just made me smile!  I created this playful and fun bracelet recently and was so happy with how it turned out.  I think it just screams "SUMMER FUN"!

Colleen's entry - "I love the shore!  I could almost smell the ocean while I painted this blue heron.  This is acrylic on a 5" x 5" archival canvas."

Julie's entry (JulieEllynDesigns.etsy.com)  - "Inspired by weekends at the beach, this Beaded Leather Wrap Bracelet is made with 4mm gold glass beads carefully wrapped on 1.0 mm dark brown leather cording with beautiful flower button closure.  Totally great for your inner beach goddess!"

Karen's entry - "For the challenge, I did a series of 3 paintings on driftwood slices to capture memories of summers at the beach. The driftwood slices are about 6" long and 3" wide and I painted two of them with oil paints.  One is "The Sighting," of a whale seen off the beach and the other is "Catching Waves," or body-surfing at Santa Cruz, which my brothers and I did every summer.  The third slice had such a beautiful flow to the wood I didn't want to paint it.  But it had a natural hole, so I glued a watercolor on the back so you see it through the hole--like a secret cove in the distance.  I added a layer of crystal glaze over the watercolor to give it a liquid look, and added the tiny brass sea stars."

Lisa's entry - "This is a garden ball I made that made me think of summer.  All of the shells (except those tiny white ones) were collected by me on my family vacation on Long Beach Island, NJ this past June.  It was a labor of love, for sure :)"

Mary's entry (UniquelyMaryL.etsy.com) - "This adorable little hedgehog is one of my new 'Dreaming Trees' creations!

The dreaming trees theme centers around a cute little Fiscars tree punch! Each design starts with a foundational drawing with detailed features and a colored body background. I then create prints of the design, cut them out, decoupage it onto wood or recycled cardboard base and then cover specific areas in trees to simulate spines, feathers, manes, bushy tails etc... Trees are punched from scrapbook papers and recycled magazines."

Rebecca's entry - "Memories of the clear sea. This necklace is named for Salacia.  In Roman mythology, Salacia was the salt water sea goddess and wife of Neptune. The stunning 8mm turquoise, clear and black Preciosa Czech beads are befitting a goddess. Not to be outshone are 6mm black Swarovski Pearls and 4mm black and clear Swarovski Crystals.  The glass pendant on this spectacular necklace is a vibrant turquoise, black and copper focal sure to grab attention."

Reshma's entry - "The Aquamarine Blue Bracelet - Summer is the time when you head to the beach. This is a bracelet that I made in shades of blue, aquamarine, sky blue and deep cobalt blue with hints of gold. A bracelet that can be worn with other bangles/bracelets as part of a stacked bracelet -  to the beach or summer soirees! Beads used are czech rondelles and czech matte finish beads. Bracelet ends in a pewter togglle and clasp for ease of wear."