Craft Wars: Hanging Out & Wine Time

Craft Wars

Episode 9

Hanging Out & Wine Time

As my Craft Wars Season 1 coverage is ending, my posts must go on to other craft adventures...  I am so excited to let you know that the momentum for my crafting passion is going sky high.  There is a lot to the saying "you get out what you put in".  I have an entire Pinterest board devoted to motivate me when I need a pick me up...  My favorite inspiration right now are the mantras that if you don't try you will never know what if.  To me, I am giving myself goals that seem unrealistic -- day dream beleiver if you will.  But, I am putting small goals to get me to big goals and I'm reaching those small goals.  So, you know what...  I'm doing great.


I would love for you to follow me on Pinterest.  Not all of my boards are crafty... you see I draw inspiration from a lot of different places.  Right now, I'm seriously digging on NYC Fashion Week and just the excitement that lies in that city.  I also draw a considerable amount of inspiration from my (now) hometown of Riverside.  I take photos almost daily of the beauty amongst my life in Downtown Riverside.

A photo from my walk home from Power Barre Class last night.  Simple beauty in my hometown.

But, I should really blog about Craft Wars -- that's why you're here today!!!  This week's episode put the crafters to the test to create a fabulous chandelier and a wine and food display.

The Contestants

Marylena Sevigney
Holderness, New Hampshire
(web: www.marylena.com)
Marylena is an art professor at a local university (talk about a professional!) and her skill sets are developed in various mediums.

Daniel Lavitt
Los Angeles, California
(web: http://daniellavitt.com/home.html)
Daniel is a multimedia sculptor with an MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Beckie Farrant
Greenwood, Indiana
(web: http://infarrantlycreative.blogspot.com/; twitter: @infarrantly)
Beckie is a blogger and does home decor crafting.  She is an upcycler and is excited to show her skills and impress her blog audience.

Pop Craft Challenge (1 hour timed)

This week Tori announced to the contestants that they were to create a chandelier using (pardon me while I gag) mini-blinds.  Talk about a test in upcycling!!!

Beckie began constructing a 2 tier chandelier using embrodery hoops (and I might mention those embrodery hoops really were put to use this season on various projects!).  She cut down the mini-blinds and (uh oh) hot glues the trimmed mini-blinds to the embroidery hoops.  I do like the design because it's modern and has clean lines and is spray painted in blue and gray.  But, will the glue (and Beckie) withstand the heat?

Daniel is creating an "organic shape" with a twisted spiral armature wire.  He strings the blinds along the wire and that takes some time (remember, it's 1 hour for pop craft).  Unfortunately, the wire collapses - it can't take the weight of the blinds.  It's a craft-tastrophy!!!  But alas, Daniel finds a solution in fishing line which helps to support the weight of the mini-blinds.  He adds a final touch to the blinds with some bling (which I really liked... but who are we kidding, I'm not a judge!)

Marylena has the idea to create a basket weave chandelier with curlicues -- she says "think 80s hair" and whimsical.  Hmm, this could get interesting!!! 

The judges now provide their assessment...

Marylena is praised for her fun and whimsy 80s hairdo when Judge Jo says she loves this one and the curlicues.  Judge Erica says she loves the amazing orbital structure but not the curls, it's too haphazard.  Judge Stephen says he doesn't like the glare of the light bulb, but overall
her plan was good.

Daniel is next up -- Judge Erica likes this chandelier but the top is a bit sloppy.  Judge Jo says this is a good job, but the bling was too much.  Judge Stephen echoes Judge Jo and says if you do bling you must go big (spoken like a man who's fortune is made off glitter - right?) 

As for Beckie, Judge Stephen says that the use of the blinds was predictable and he's concerned that her spray paint is splotchy (ouch!).  Judge Jo says that using the vinyl blinds was not the right way to go, she should have used the metal ones.  Judge Erica says she is simply not wowed by it.

So, (drumroll) the judges decide that BECKIE and her chandelier should go hang elsewhere...

Master Craft Challenge (5 hours timed)

This challenge is one of my favorites, probably because I could really appreciate the winning contestant's display.  For this master challenge, Daniel and Marylena must craft a food and wine display from barrels, wine labels, corks, bottles and crates!

Daniel wants to craft an enchanted vineyard with a lattice, windows, archway, table top and bottles that will be used as lights.  He creates wine label coasters with Mod Podge, chalkboard displays (for labeling food/cheeses) and rope placemats. 

Marylena decides to create a giant grape display with Plexiglas tables - which she covers with paper to cover up the messy glue job on the transparent surface and stainless steel bowls which (should) imitate the effect of grape bunches.  She creates a cork cluster that looks like grapes and cuts cookie sheets to look like grape leaves.  The leaves are placed on the bottom/skirt area of the tables.  Marylena encounters a hot glue issue when her wine bottle light begins to melt the glue (darn you - son of a biscuit - hot glue!)

The judges address Marylena's display and Judge Jo says she cannot see the grapes as inspiration, but the cork cluster sculpture is fabulous.  Judge Stephen is bothered that the display needed more color -- the stainless steel bowls just look like they are upside down (I agree!).  Judge Erica likes the use of the baking sheets and agrees that the cork sculpture looks great too. 

As for Daniel, Judge Erica says his bottle lanterns are good but the duct tape on the bottom of the glass is not good (details matter!)  Judge Stephen likes the corks ornaments (corks adhered to styrofoam ball) but he can see the styrofoam (again, it's the details!) and offers that he should have painted the styrofoam and dusted it with saw duct -- he ends with the statement to Daniel that his work is a "facade of neatness, but you work is messy" (oh no he didn't, but he's right!)  Judge Jo says Daniel needs to work on completion of projects.  Uh oh, seems Daniel is being called on the crafty red carpet for his failure to be thorough.

In deliberations, the judges say that Marylena has a cool twisted wire grape vines but she should have painted her cookie sheet leaves green, and her attempt to cover up the Plexiglas with paper covers.  Daniel also has issues because his projects are not focused on completion, he has produced quantity but not quality, however his theme is cohesive.

And in the end, the judges determine they can overlook the quality issues -- because the theme played out by the winning display was a good one - and the winner is DANIEL!!!

With that, I would like to go get my own glass of wine!  Comment below if you are crafting this week and tell me what project you have going on.  I love comments!

Happy Scrapping!

- Rina