It is Baaaaaaack…

Yup, this highly embarrassing video can only mean one thing: we should never be on camera it is Pinterest Challenge time (not sponsored by Pinterest or anyone else, simply dreamed up by Katie Bower to make us stop pinning and start doing). My go-to part is the outtake. Yes I am saying I am going to pee on myself at one point. Elegance is my middle name.

The whole Pinterest Challenge thing began over a year ago when Katie called me to say that she thought we should challenge ourselves to make one thing each season that is inspired by all the vivid stuff that we have pinned (and call it… wait for it… The Pinterest Challenge). It is a welcome slap of stop-pinning-and-start-doing. And we ended up having such a strong time with our first Pinterest Challenge last summer, our second one in the fall, and our third one in the winter that we are psyched to be back with the summer edition (oops, spring got away from us – how is it July already?). So put on those slap bracelets and bodysuits (what? that is not your choice celebratory attire?) and let us get this Hands-on party began!

The only rule is to do your own personal take on something inspirational that you’ve pinned (and link back to the original creator of the project that inspired you, be it a company like Anthropologie or a personal journal that got your wheels a turning). We especially enjoy to pin things from sites that have “Pin It” buttons at the bottom of their posts since it indicates that they enjoy popping up on Pinterest. The project can be anything: big or small; decor or sewing or cooking related – or beyond! The first time around John and I made a clothespin light fixture for the laundry room, the next time I tackled 38 homemade holiday ornaments, and the last time I faced my sewing demons head-on and somehow made a beanbag-ish pouf for Clara’s reading nook in her closet.

This time I thought I’d paint something. Not a wall or a piece of furniture, but a piece of art. I have only truly blogged about one attempt that I have made in the past few years (this guy) but it is high time that changed – especially since art is my first enjoy. I in fact went to an art university in NYC (I have a bachelor of fine arts – which I never use!). Thankfully, John got me an excellent art supply gift card as part of my Christmas present (and all the supplies I got with it have sat unused in my closet mocking me for the past six months). I have already pinned some ideas, but I am not sure what style I will end up going with – but I will be back with all of the deets when I (fingers crossed) complete the challenge next Tuesday. In the meantime, here is what is inspiring the pants off me (figuratively speaking – no worries I am still wearing pants):

1. Fabric by John Robshaw. My dad used to doodle little repeating geometric things, so perhaps that is why I am drawn to them?
2. Clara art. She painted me something with reckless abandon (more on that here) and I have consistently enjoyed it. It hangs right over my desk, so it totally counts as inspiration.
3. Here is a cool Hands-on art project that I saw on Pinterest (she in fact used a toothpaste lid to make a grid of charmingly irregular circles). You can read all about it here.
4. Kristen over at KFD Designs is consistently inspiring me. I in fact emailed her to make sure she was ok with me pinning her art since she’s a legit artist and I did not want to insult her by pinning it (as if I’d ever be able to do anything this excellent). She was so sweet about it and said she did not mind at all. She does commissioned art for anyone who wants to get this look, and as for me – I am simply using her as my muse. Haha. The color palette certainly has me drooling.
5. Here is another Hands-on art project that was in fact done for a Pinterest Challenge with us. So I thought that was excellent – our little challenge inspired her to make something, and in turn, her result inspired me! Full circle, baby.
6. Here is a watercolor card project, but the glad colors and rough imperfect strokes are certainly speaking my language.

As for other places that I have found art inspiration – Michelle Armas is unparalleled (seriously, total girl crush going on) and this post about making abstract art over on Oh Glad Day has me feeling excited to tackle this challenge. Sure, I might bomb it, but at least I am not sitting around wishing I could get back into painting! There was in fact a time when my room was covered with watercolors, acrylics, and oil-paintings that I had made. Ah to be young and artistic again, haha. Oh and you are likely wondering who else is playing along with me and Katie Bower (aka: The Esteemed Bacon-Eating Pinterest Challenge Founder). Well, we thought it would be lively to ask distinct folks to “guest host” with us each time, so we are thrilled to have:

• Kate from Centsational Girl (she Pinterest Challenged some homemade sweater pillows) <– I had so much lively at last meeting her at Haven!
• Michelle of Ten June (last time she crafted some clothespin vases) <– Clara put her hand on Michelle’s belly at Haven and called what was inside (a boy!). So far she has an 100% accuracy rate of rubbing bumps and announcing what is inside.

So here is the part where I extend my arm with a crooked smile and true paranoia of bombing it in the art department and humbly invite you to join in on the lively by doing your own spin on something you pin! We figured we’d give everyone (and ourselves) the weekend to work on stuff and reconvene next Tuesday morning (the 10th) to share our projects. We are hoping this’ll turn into the same über lively share-fest that we soaked up for the last few seasons (check out all the remarkable linked-up projects here, here and here). So simply drop in next Tuesday to see what we have done – and to submit links to stuff that you’ve completed so we can all check it out. Perhaps we will even pin a few things. And so the vicious cycle continues. In the meantime, do you have any ideas what you will tackle this time around? Is it food, craft, sewing, painting, or furniture related? Would enjoy to hear about what you folks think you will do!

Psst- One more time, for the people in the back: regardless of the fact that I say Pinterest about thirty times, this was not paid or perked by them or anyone else. We are simply eye-candy obsessed gals who are sick of coveting things and downright ready to do them. Well at least one of them…