Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Winning Treasury #206

Some words from Iva...

Hey you guys!
I guess it's time I finally sorted through the whirlwind of thoughts and impressions that swept me up after Anna Lisa put me in the spotlight so generously. Thank you, dearest Anna! :)

I know that my pick of the inspiration item was challenging and not necessarily the most relatable image in our shop, yet for me its pull was irresistible. As you must have gathered by now, Rusty and Joe's Scrap Heap is a joint endeavor by my wonderful girlfriend Nina and myself. The photos in our shop were taken by either her or me, except for this one, particularly precious to me since it resulted from our collaboration. I feel like it represents our combined creative spirit more accurately than any other image on display; I see it as a symbol of what you can accomplish when you meet your creative soul mate. I remember the walk during which we discovered the abandoned, derelict trailer park and how the energy of the setting set us in motion. We walked away in animated conversation, returning with props - hats, instruments, beverages - as well as fully developed alter egos we were excited to bring to life. After the shoot I felt elated and vowed to finally open that Etsy shop we had been talking about. And just like that, we finally knew what to call it! I also told myself that if I ever won the NonTeam Challenge, I would enlist others into spinning tales about the adventures of Rusty and Joe. I knew that if I went with a more popular choice of image, it would be a personally disappointing culmination to this story - and so I picked Rusty and Joe.

Going into the challenge, I was hoping for oddball, off key, gently humorous celebrations of the kind of life Rusty and Joe embodied. I was completely unprepared for the insightful and personal treasuries with which a lot of you addressed us. I guess a part of me is still skeptical about online communication, even if I am consistently confronted with evidence that we really do see and engage each other on levels which transcend the superficial. Thank you to all of you who participated and engaged with the image in such fun, creative and insightful ways. By now you're either nodding away or in agreement, so let's cut to the chase and crown the new winner!

My choice of queen is the lovely Christy from poppyandpurl. Her ramshackle won me over the minute I laid eyes on it, as my rambling comment betrayed to anyone who cared to look for it. I was completely smitten with this seemingly casual collection which was nevertheless arranged so carefully, with precision, depth of feeling and a most excellent eye for detail. There was something forlorn about it, yet it was simultaneously deeply comforting and hopeful. You know what it was like? It was like an indie movie. And I'm a sucker for indie movies - in fact, this one looks so oddly familiar I could have sworn I already saw it, complete with a soundtrack by Ed Sheeran. :) Thank you, Christy, for reviving the memories of those hours spent traversing the cinescapes, and for creating your own, so engaging, soulful and memorable, filled with an indescribable longing and a pulse of its own. I love it. Thank you.

All hail Queen Christy! :)




Congrats to Christy!  She will be choosing the inspiration item for Challenge #207 from her shop PoppyAndPurl.  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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