Muffin Tin Challenge – Finished Jewelry

 One Dozen Earrings – Done!

Heather Powers, polymer clay artist extraordinaire, created a fun challenge she named the Muffin Tin Challenge.  The idea was to use muffin cups to organize everything needed to make a dozen pieces of jewelry and to complete the 12 projects in just a week’s time.  I didn’t catch on to this challenge until Wednesday and then I had other commitments for most of the weekend.  For me it pretty much boiled down to two and half days of marathon jewelry design.  I originally had a couple of necklaces and a bracelet planned in 3 of the muffin cups, but earrings are quicker and so I had to put off the more time-consuming projects for another time.  You can view my beads sorted into the muffin tins on the post I wrote this morning.

So without further ado, here are the first half-dozen pairs of earrings.

This group includes 1 set of copper metal clay charms by Kristi Bowman of Dream Some.  This pair turned out a bit on the heavy side, so I may turn them into necklace pendants sometime soon.

Here are the second half-dozen earrings.

At the center top are earrings which feature a pair of small cranberry and amber lampwork glass beads by Beads and Botanicals, which I  paired with more charms from Dream Some.    The earring just below them also have very cool copper metal clay charms from Dream Some.  The long rectangular dangles on the two bottom pairs of earrings come from Miss Fickle Media.

I may blog about some of these earrings in more detail in the next few days, but I wanted to at least get out a brief post in time for the challenge.  The challenge was stressful to accomplish in 2 and a half days, but I also think it is good to occasionally push myself outside of my comfort zone.  If you visit the Art Bead Scene you can get links to other participants in this challenge.

Here’s a last look at 10 of the 12 sets.  Whew–mission accomplished!  What challenges have you met recently?

Muffin Tin Challenge

A Hot One Dozen…

…and zero calories!  I love baking muffins and used to make them quite often.  I find that I rarely make them any more since the kids left home. But this lovely dozen was so much fun that I’m left with an appetite for more.

Heather Powers, writing for the Art Bead Scene, created the Muffin Tin Challenge.  The rules are as follows:

Fill the cup of a muffin tin with everything you need for one project – so the focal bead, accents, chain, findings – whatever you would need to complete one project and put that in one cup.  Repeat with the other 11 cups.  You now have 12 projects in a portable container ready for you to put together.  Grab your pliers/tools and sit somewhere comfy with your muffin tin and put each piece together knowing all your choices have already been made – your mission is to simply arrange those beads in a sassy design and complete those 12 projects as quickly as possible!  …put together 12 projects by June 27th.  Yes, 12 projects in a week – you can do it!

So here are the first half-dozen filled muffin cups.  I keep most of my beads in baggies, so it is a little hard to see what I have gathered up here.  There are a couple of charms from Miss Fickle Media included in this group.  I’ll be mostly making earrings, and these charms have been begging for attention!

Here’s the second half-dozen.  This group includes 2 sets of copper metal clay charms by Kristi Bowman of Dream Some and a pair of small cranberry and amber lampwork glass beads by Beads and Botanicals, which I plan to pair with one set of the charms.  I have the makings for 2 necklaces and one bracelet here–but at this point I don’t think I’ll have time to do the necklaces by Monday evening.  I will probably substitute 2 extra pairs of earrings.  I think I can do the bracelet though, as I’m just revising a previous design.

Well, there you have it!  Come back again tonight or tomorrow for the big reveal and you can see what I’ve done with this.  You can also visit the Art Bead Scene to get links to other participants in this challenge.