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.
No comments:
Post a Comment