Take it Further July Challenge

Challenges / Take it Further challenge

The challenge this month is perhaps a bit obvious but I am going to ask …
What is it to be at the half way mark?

For me three word lead to a mix of ideas. “Half”, “Way” and “Mark” all lead off into interesting directions that can be represented in all sorts of ways. So that is the challenge for this month

The colour scheme was taken from the screenshot of the design produced by the Flower maker I wrote about yesterday.

Remember that the colours can only ever be a suggestion as computer screens display colours differently. The aim is to be as close as possible to the colours on your screen. From ColourLovers you can download swatches to use is Photoshop, Illustrator, or in a CSS file.

As usual when you have worked the idea swing back to this page and leave a comment with blog or flickr address so that people can take a look at what you have been working on or done. There is a flickr group for the Take it Further Design Challenge and Debra Spincic has set up a another TIF blog. Please remember if you use Debra’s TIF blog to swing by here too!

As I have mentioned before over on Stitchin Fingers in the Hand Embroidery group we are going to have a stitch along which starts today! If you have not yet checked out the stitching fingers community please do, as we have grown to over 750 members and the site hosts all sorts of challenges, and swaps. There is a even a Take it Further group formed there too! So do make a little time to visit it poke around and you are welcome to join in on the fun just join!


90 Comments

  11. My response to this challenge, was very positive, I talked of celebration, but with time to reflect celebration has become ‘pleasure’ with a caveat! Classes last month, real and virtual have helped me recognise that I’m only half way there …….. at the most! I can take a technique or idea and process it but then when I use it, I don’t take ownership of it, I don’t develop it into something that is mine. How I use an idea or technique is mine, but there isn’t that push, the exploration of the ‘What if?’ that really will take things forward.

    http://bilsblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/july-tif-challenge.html

    Lindab
    Reply

  12. Well, it’s the first of August I finished this challenge last night.

    I didn’t blog about it before hand as I wasn’t sure until the last minute whether the idea would work. It was really an experimental piece of sorts because I tried different techniques to those I have tried in the past. All in all as a piece of work I don’t particularly like it but it says what I wanted it to say, well I hope it does.
    So here goes:
    Half Way Mark to me made me think back to the hot summer exam days. Sitting in a hot classroom in silence watching the clock tick by trying desperately to finish my exam paper before the time was up. I would always be thinking whether I had reached the half way mark of the exam. Half way through the time and was I half way through the paper yet. Well, as it was Summer I wanted to try an image of my sunflower in the garden, so this in a subtle way became my clock. You can see the finished image on my blog. Right on to the next one. Good Luck everyone Cheers Tricia

    Tricia Cook
    Reply

  30. I posted a July challenge piece yesterday on Stitching Fingers photos. This challenge compelled me to try a landscape on the new needlefelting machine. Thanks for the colors and the theme!

    Looking forward to August’s challenge.

    Connie
    Reply

  55. Posted my July piece. I decided if I left it any longer I would keep adding to it. As it is I am still not sure I am halfway or three quarters!! I used both the colour scheme and the subject. Grace

    Grace Lister
    Reply

  57. My July piece is half done. I don’t know if I want to add more. As it stands it is half way there but if I finish it I am not at the half way mark. I have used the colours which are unusual to me but work well. I will have another think about the word “Mark”. Grace

    Grace Lister
    Reply

  60. Just got a chance to look at this month’s challenge today after a cross country move and starting a new job. Not sure if I’ll be able to do this month’s challenge, but will give it some thought and see what I can come up with. It was fun to finally be back with the group as we just got our internet service set up today after being offline pretty much for two weeks. How we have become dependent on it. And I have really come to feel a part of the TIF community and have really missed it. Glad to be back seeing what everyone is doing.

    Deb
    Reply

  64. Further thoughts of the meaning of the word “Mark” have been going round and round in my head. We embroiderers make marks each time we pick up a needle but then that led to marking time. A clockface? Or marching feet? Too many ideas at once I think. Grace

    Grace Lister
    Reply

  66. My initial thoughts went to the cliche of a glass half empty/full, then the notion of a window half way open or a door. That’s what’s been rattling around in my brain but today a vivid image of an hourglass filled with words and scenes from my life has trumped those first responses. Now to create what my mind’s eye sees.

    Judi S
    Reply

  68. Still thinking about the words. Half way is fairly straightforward but connecting them to the other one I find hard. Perhaps I will treat them separately and then put them together afterwards. I like the colour palette this month, very subtle. Grace

    Grace Lister
    Reply

  70. I finally finished my blog piece for June. Check it out here at http://www.barnyardchatter.blogspot.com.

    As for July (I’ve also posted about this topic) I’m glad I’m still here, trucking along AND have reached the half way mark. Yippee! Let’s see what I come up with next. My first thought is just what Sharon said, I’m thinking about the words separately. Who knows how this month’s will end up.

    Grace
    Reply

  74. For such an obvious concept this one certainly has me stumped! I’ve already written pages of ideas and discarded most of them for one reason or another. It’s going to be fascinating to see what I finally end up with!

    Magpie Sue
    Reply

  77. Again there is more to it than I thought before, Sharon. This month I’ll be 48. Am I halfway, or way past it? I’ve snorkeled some pictures up to visualise this month’s theme. See my thoughts on my blog and maybe you’ll find some inspiration? I do hope so…

    mieke noor
    Reply

  78. I finished stitching on my June piece. I still intend to make it into an eyeglass case. I can’t seem to post my comment with my blog address in in though, as it says “discarded”

    Karrin Hurd
    Reply

  81. On your blog today Sharon, when talking about samplers, you said, “I have always been interested in autobiographical statements in fiber. Often the way women tell their stories if via the medium of textiles.” TIF has given me the opportunity to do this. Each month so far has brought up personal thoughts and memories that I would like to leave in visual and written form for my family. I intend to make a fabric book out of my 8″ squares. However, I don’t know where to take July. Hmmmm…. waiting for that inspirational thought.

    Gayle Schipper
    Reply

  82. I’m almost finished with my May block, I have the June block pieced but not started on the embellishing. Now, I’m going to force myself to put this project away until August.

    I’ve just started Sharon’s Journal class at Joggles – and it is starting out to be very interesting and fun. I also have two deadlines – both projects have to be done about August 1. As soon as the rush is over, I will return to my TIF project and get some pictures posted.

    See you here in August,
    Marci

    Marci
    Reply

  83. “half way mark” right now I think I was half way nuts to sign up for this. grin. I know the color palette will not work for me this round, so will put my thinking cap on and see what I can come up with in the next couple weeks.
    Busy month here as its state quilt convention, and quilt show, so lots of hours not spent stitching.

    Joan
    Reply

  86. … is the glass half empty or half full?
    Am I half way there already? Or only half way there?
    … not that I am even AT the half way mark yet … in fact I kind of … er … have not even got started with these challenges yet, so I am still on the starting line! … oops …
    btw – LOL @ the picture you used for the pallette … after reading your post about it and following the link I “lost” at least half an hour at that B%^&^%&& website last night! LOL
    (but it was fun to play with 😉

    Andrea
    Reply

  87. half way down the mark. hmmm that’s the situation of my corridor. half painted.the color is gorgeous though 🙂
    will try and think about something deep and meaningful, although it’s really too hot for much brain exercise:)
    beautiful colorway!

    neki desu

    neki rivera
    Reply

  90. What an excellent challenge. I’ve only recently learned (had the courage???) to reflect on previous work so that will be my focus. The theme will be one of celebration I suspect as staying with this challenge was a huge unknown for me. I had no idea whether I would be able to work to an idea – my previous starting points had always been colour and shape.I didn’t know whether I could work with words/ideas. Not only have I found out that I can, I’m positively enjoying it. My next challenge will be to see whether I can work to my own words – not yours! Thanks for the last six months!

    Linda
    Reply

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