You people never cease to amaze me with the beauty you create. Some of the entries were downright amazing but I can only name one winner and one runner up. Over the years, I have found more joy than you know, seeing your soap creations and what you take from the soap or photo challenges I have offered you. It brings me such happiness when you stop for a few moments in the madness of your lives and really think of the challenge. I know down deep, you know you can take on each challenge, because you will try new things and learn new things (scary things) through self discovery, whether or not your final piece comes out the way you want it or not. Many of my major flops were my biggest learning experiences, which is unfortunate sometimes, but true nonetheless.
Many of you just lurk, but one day, perhaps you will share with us. If you do play along but don't post your pictures, then I can only hope that this blog has inspired a piece of you to think outside the box and expand your artistic expression.
This challenge was to evaluate your physical surroundings, whether it was your street, neighborhood, city, rural landscape, anything and recreate it in a design through soap and explain it.
Mad Oils has sponsored this challenge. Mad Oils is giving a $50 surprise gift set to the winner and a $25 surprise gift set to the runner up. FUN!!
This is the hardest challenge I've had to choose a winner. There are so many really thoughtful, planned out, gorgeous soaps that you all made. There wasn't one bad one! I am so proud of every one of you who tried this challenge. I feel like you really did DIG DEEP.
UGH...This is seriously hard.
The Winner for this challenge is Kimberly MC with her NYC skyline at night!
"This is my first time doing a challenge and I'm happy it's this one. I grew up in New York City. Once in a while, if you're lucky and on the right side of the East River, you'll catch a beautiful cloudy, red sunset that reflects into the water. Those are the days that you find yourself seeing more than dirt stained concrete and man made towers. You realize that even in the concrete jungle, nature somehow finds a way to share her beauty. Scented with leather and colored with activated charcoal and blends of micas, this soap is my way of saying I Love New York." - Kimberly
Kimberly: As you know, I am also a NY girl, and this "scene" you created I've seen a million times. It's very well executed, the colors are perfect and it is structured without being too unnatural and flows without being messy. Great job.
The Runner Up for this challenge is Cin Dee Rella with her piece of South Dakota!
"GRASSLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA U.S.A. My entry is based on my overall description of S.D. I was born and raised in a big city in CT. so when my husband proposed moving to Lemmon S.D. I looked at the map and gasped they won't even have chocolate up there , I can't live like that. We moved, and I fell in love with the emptiness. At first nothing from my previous life was as scary as being out in the middle of NOWHERE with nothing, no house, tree, bird, dog, NOTHING for a 100 mile radius. GRASSLAND dominates the state hence my entry which nearly ended up in the trash as my batch was too brittle to play with. It is colored with spinach powder & parsley, the dirt portion is coffee grounds." - Cin Dee Rela
Cin Dee Rela: This was a very unique interpretation of your locale. Kudos to you for thinking outside of the box on this one. It is not only very good, but a rare piece that shall remain on this blog for years to come. :)
Kimberly will receive a $50 surprise gift and Cin Dee Rella will receive a $25 surprise gift from Mad Oils. Please send me an email jo(at)madoils(dot)com to give me all of your information so we can send it your way!
Thank you to everyone who worked so hard for this challenge and every challenge we have done together. I am proud of you!
Here are a few other entries that didn't make the top two, but made it hard for me...
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| Carla Hughes of Smyrna Beach, FL |
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| Curtis Hayden of Charleston, SC |
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| Gorill Olsen who dreams of coming to the USA one day |
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| Carma La of Minnesota |
If you haven't been chosen, keep your chin up. Don't let this get you down. One of these challenges will be the one where you will shine. Lots of love xoxo Joanna
Until the next Challenge! If you have not joined our challenge gallery group on facebook and would like to, please join us: SOAP CHALLENGE GALLERY
Love, JO
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