Last week I gave you guys an assignment, a creative assignment. First, you gave me a list of words. Then I paired them up randomly and gave them back to you. From those two words you were to make something, anything! And you made all kinds of awesome things! There are actually too many to show here, so I thought I’d feature them on the elsie marley facebook page throughout the week. But I can’t not show you a few of my favorites:

Erin is an artist who make fantastic plush dolls. She sells her creations in her shop, Boolah Baguette. She made this alligator sailor for the creative assignment and I totally fell for him: stripy tank, jaunty hat, how could you not love him?!

Tasha forgot all about the assignment until right before it was due (this sentence explains most of my educational career). Then in a stroke of genius she spelled out an Einstein quote with broken eggshells!

This project actually made me a little teary, which sounds weird because it’s all about pickles. Damsel Fly took her two words GARLAND + PICKLE and made a snow globe with pickles having a party inside it! When that didn’t turn out to her liking, she threw an impromptu pickle party for dinner, replete with pickle garnished drinks and PICKLE CONFETTI!! Why did I get teary? Because I had a silly idea for an assignment and someone not only did it, but made it so much better than I ever thought it could be. PICKLE + CONFETTI, who knew it could be so awesome?

Everyone’s vision is so wonderfully different. This textile piece was made by Maria of My Cozy Co, who, “trained as a Marine Biologist but my heart always has been beating for art, craft and design.” The image is a photo transfer of a butterfly swimmer and the water is wool (sheep hair!). I love how this is clever, but not in your face clever. It came together beautifully!

Okay, now for mine. I got the words SQUID + PRINTER, if you remember. My first idea was to draw a squid in a cubicle, but then Lexy (hi Lexy!) commented that I should take this picture of Johannes Gutenberg (creator of the printing press, remember?) and photoshop a squid in his hand. It was too good of an idea to let pass by. While I was cutting out random squid bits, I found that these squid tentacles made a perfect beard for Mr. Gutenberg. I slipped a cuttlefish in his left hand and I have to say I am quite pleased with how it turned out.

I also made this collage I’m calling, “The Wreck of the Epson.” There have been many times I wanted to throw my printer into the sea. Wherein a giant squid will swim up to suck it down into the deep (natch). After putting this collage together I thought it needed something, so I drew a fish…then some more fish…then a bird. I should have stopped with just one fish. But knowing when to stop adding things is a skill in itself. I am so glad you enjoyed (and did!) this creative assignment. Make sure to check the elsie marley facebook page to see more awesome twofer assignments!