Upcyclers Creativity Challenge: October Results

October's challenge was full of fun!  Stephanie from OurChildrensEarth challenged us to upcycle broken or unwanted Halloween decorations for this month Upcyclers Creativity Challenge!

All entries can be found on our Pinterest board, HERE!

Here's what this month's judge had to say...

First Place Winner: Alison from Pru Pru

This is an amazing way to recycle old wax from Halloween that most people would throw away. I have never seen this done before. What an original, creative and super cute way to make our world a better place.  You can view Alison's excellent blog post HERE!

Second Place Winner: MaryJeansThings

What a great way to use old Halloween catalogs. Most people will throw these away after the season but I love that they were saved and recycled for the next year. These are beautiful and colorful. What a fun idea to use for parties or family get togethers.


Thanks, Stephanie
Our Childrens Earth

The UncommonGoods Upcycle Design Challenge!

Our team has been invited to participate in the 2013 UncommonGoods Upcycle Design Challenge! The grand prize is $500.00 and there are no entry fees! Here are the basics straight from the UncommonGoods website:

GRAND PRIZE: $500 and an UncommonGoods vendor agreement.

RUNNERS UP: All runner-ups will receive a critique of their work from the guest judges, and UncommonGoods' marketing team will provide tips for marketing and growing their businesses. Additionally, UncommonGoods' buyers will review each entrant's full portfolio and may consider adding the work submitted to the UncommonGoods website in the future.

DEADLINE: September 30, 2013 at 11:59 PM ET

WHAT CAN I SUBMIT? We want to see anything and everything - from handbags to kitchen tools, from gadgets to wall art. As long as your design has an upcycling story, we want to see it!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN "UNCOMMON" ARTIST? Your design should be expressive, it should tell a compelling story, and it should highlight your individuality.

WHAT KINDS OF MATERIAL CAN I USE? We accept all sorts of materials as long as they are safe and animal-friendly-so no lead, leather, feathers, or pearls. We love unique materials, especially those that tell an interesting story, so don't forget to share your medium's tale with us in your product description.

WHAT DO I SUBMIT? We will need your contact info, product info, photos and an optional video. You can share 1 to 5 images through the entry portal with the choice to feature a single item or a collection. We judge each item individually, but would love to see your body of work. If you would like us to view more than five images, please provide us with a website or portfolio link. You can find the entry form located on the bottom of this page.

GOT A QUESTION? Browse through the rules, or send an email to upcycling-contest@uncommongoods.com. Please fill out your contact info completely before you upload your images. Remeber to double-check the email address entered to ensure that it's valid.

So there you have it! You can find out more about UncommonGoods on their website. I know our team has tons of fantastic submissions to offer, let's show them what Upcyclers can do!

Good Luck, Everyone~ and we promise to keep you posted on the results!

Tuesday's Treasuries~ September's Team Challenge

'Upcyclers' September Team Challenge~ Industrial Category' by collagical

This month's theme: Ghouls' Night Out! Please note: some items have been added due to relisting, expiration or for the sake of composition.

Frankenstein Altered Bo... bibliobags $68.00	Spooky Bat Halloween Re... eandvhutch $12.99	Baby's First Dia de... VerdantViolet $51.00	Gothic casket altered a... mellostuff $32.25
Halloween Boo Charm Bra... TerrisTreasure... $25.00	Halloween Bat Earrings ... Gloomstopper $16.00	Pop Tab Headband, Metal... PopTopFashion $15.00	Zombie Girl Handpainted... horrorfemme $30.00
Metal art wall sculptur... metalartdude $55.00	Gothic Halloween Neckla... pennyfarthingd... $22.00	Recycled Wine Bottle Wi... glassgaloregal $18.00	Recycled Rubber Heart N... Junkitlove $6.00
Dr. Who Angel Crying Bo... TheLittlestBoo... $15.00	Hand-painted Sugar Skul... cccook $15.00	Recycled Halloween Char... verycreativecr... $35.00	Skull Cocktail Ring. S... ShopMichL $15.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

'Upcyclers' September Team Challenge~ Organic Category' by collagical

This month's theme: Ghouls' Night Out! Please note: some items have been added or included due to relisting, expiration or for the sake of composition.

BOO Banner EmilyGibbs $68.00	SALE Deacon the Crochet... RadishCatSundr... $30.00	Here Kitty Kitty Garden... GardenWhimsies... $30.00	Black T-shirt dress upc... scrollwork $65.00
Real Glasswing Butterfl... NaturalFlipsid... $28.74	Haunting Wall Hanger ma... thewoodenbee $14.00	Recycled Paper Bead nec... LaneECreations $29.99	Purple Hip Bag, Needle ... TwiceNicePurse... $37.00
Headband of pink flower... fairyshadow $20.00	Halloween decoration - ... CUTandTEAR $12.00	Owl Halloween Autumn Wa... thirtyone13 $25.00	Halloween Party Treat B... debupcycles $7.50
5 HANDMADE Black Cat Gi... babylonscissor... $8.00	Halloween Record Bowl S... ourchildrensea... $18.75	gothic gossamer necklac... NaturallyHeart... $24.00	Hallowe'en Treat Ba... GirlAGoGoDesig... $15.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

The Lesson of the Cherry Blossom...

You have to savor life while you can...Memoirs of a Geisha.

As the cherry blossoms prepare for their delicate descent from the trees, one must pause to ponder the fleeting beauty of one of nature's most breathtaking creations. And such is the philosophy of 'Hakanasa'. It is difficult to translate this Japanese word, but the meaning is closest to evanescence~ the frailty of Life.
 
In recognition of that, we are dedicating our Team Challenge this month to the theme, 'Hakanasa', to bring more awareness to the plight of the Japanese people and their enduring strength and dedication to each other and their country.

Upcyclers, an Etsy team of artists, are bonded by a common appreciation of what our planet offers, abundance of life. We thrive upon not wasting it's gifts and finding new from what may have been discarded~ thereby perpetuating it's existence and value. Our entries will be posted on the team's Flickr group during the next two weeks and can be viewed by the public.

We also want to take this opportunity to tell everyone that this year's National Cherry Blossom Festival is asking for donations for the victims of the Japanese disasters. You can donate to their Red Cross Online Donation Site to help.

Finally, last weekend we had a giveaway as part of our series, Love 2 DIY on the Weekend. We are thrilled to announce our very first giveaway's winner was Mary! We hope she will contact us before Monday, April 4th at noon to claim her prize otherwise we will have to draw another winner. So congrats, Mary~ and hurry! We loved your idea of adding them to your cigar box creations! Be sure to check out our new DIY project tomorrow!