As some of you might know, TheJetty has been around the NonTeam Challenge a while, well, since #21, which was in early 2011. I've seen treasury styles evolve and mature during that time, incorporating more dark, more subtlety, and increasing in beauty. I've seen my own skill and that of my NonTeammates improve as we learn tricks and techniques from each other. I have come to know that most people who enter this challenge put an extraordinary amount of time, effort and care into their collection; it really shows, and it makes judging both a joy and a challenge. It is such an honor to be featured, and I want to you all to know that I felt that honor personally each time I opened one of your treasuries. I am deeply grateful to everybody who showcased the little elm seeds from SouthBeachStreet this week, and also to those regulars who participate in the amazing NonTeam Challenge with me week after week.
After carefully viewing all the fabulous entries, I had a long list of truly exceptional candidates. Reviewing these, I slowly narrowed it down to ones that called to me personally, in that way that treasuries do when they reach out, grab me, and get invited inside through the open doorway of my own work. I sifted and sifted and sifted through, and one kept floating its way up to the top. I looked at its creator - and pushed it down to the bottom of the list. But, when my back was turned, I'd get a fresh waft of baked bread, or the scent of damp pines, or hear the sound of a tea kettle, always drawing my attention back to it. Still I'd push in down to the bottom of the pile. But again, something would call me back. Was it the chill coming off a frosty window hitting my bare arm, a faraway look in a stranger's face giving an undercurrent of romance, or the luxury of a linen table runner? Down I pushed it. But, yet again, there was that spring green surrounded by rich, cool mountain browns that gave it a timeless quality. And the only action in the entire collection, the only sense of purpose to be found in the whole treasury, was the lone moose swimming across a misty lake, coupling its majestic determination with the luck of the photographer. Once more I tried to push it down. But as I sat staring at it, the perfection of the colors, the mood, the individual items, the wildness just outside, the hidden romance, and the beauty made it clear to me that more than anything else, I wanted breakfast at that deeply enchanted chalet! Could I pick that one, really? I went back to double check, and yes, the rules indeed allowed me to pick an NTC leader. I am overjoyed to congratulate Kellie from dahlies with her first NTC win, with her entry: breakfast at the chalet.
'breakfast at the chalet' by dahlies
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Congrats to Kellie! She will be choosing the inspiration item for Challenge #160 from her shop dahlies. She'll also be judging the Challenge. Check the team discussion page for a "Laying Odds" thread to make suggestions / predictions on the inspiration item. We only have today to help choose the item, so please be sure to pop in.
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