[FINISHED] Craft Challenge #23 - Super Ugly to Super Awesome - Due Dec 1 - Dec 5

Craft Challenge #23 - Super Ugly to Super Awesome - Due Dec 1 - Dec 5

12/14/07 - The winner has been chosen!

CONGRATS to LauPre for her amazing entry entitled:
"Sad Suit to Ruffle-y cute"

Click below to see it:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=212286.0

Click here to read the blog about this challenge: http://craftster.org/blog/?p=151

~~Update 12/7/07 - Time to vote! Scroll up for the poll...~~

Update 12/1/07 - Projects can now be posted here:
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?board=377.0

Your challenge this month is to spend $20 or less at a thrift store and buy something super ugly, tacky or otherwise abominable and revamp it to be something awesome. You must take pictures of the item in it's original state so we can see both the before and the after. It can be a piece of artwork, clothing, figurine, statue, platter, furniture... you decide! Just pick something you think is atrocious but that has the potential to be awesome when revamped in whatever way you see fit!

(Update: Some people have been asking if it's ok to use more than one item as long as the total spent is under $20. This is OK but the results should all come together under one theme somehow.)

(Update: Want to use an ugly item you already own? OK. As long as it's second-hand and just make sure it's really ugly. I mean really ugly.)

Rules:

Post your craft during the period of Dec 1 - Dec 5 2007. No sooner. No later. On Dec 1 there will be a special folder created for entries.
Voting will happen from Dec 6 - Dec 12 2007.
Each participant can enter ONE project.

Originality:

It's probably impossible to know whether your project is 100% original and has never been posted on Craftster or made by anyone else in the past. But if your project was definitely inspired by something you've seen before, then just give credit to that project.

Prizes:

At the end, I'll set up a poll right here and the first place winner will get...

(1) their project in the Featured Projects area
(2) their project in the Craftster Blog

And a copy of these three craft books (winner can receive prize in U.S. or non-U.S.):

	Softies: Simple Instructions for 25 Plush Pals by Therese Laskey Amazon Book Description: Stirred by the Japanese craze for plush toys called "softies," veteran crafter Therese Laskey commissioned acclaimed artists from around the world to create projects to share. From Japan to Israel to Chile to Texas, each artist brings a wicked sense of fun to the 25 cute, weird, edgy, or artful creations offered here: a cupcake pincushion; delicate snow bunnies; a peculiar robot; and many more quirky creatures. Cheeky photos, easy instructions, and ready-to-use pattern sheets make it a cinch to whip up these irresistible gifts. Best of all, a folder at back holds the patterns while spiral binding makes for craft-friendly use.
	Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco Amazon Book Description: Craft, Inc. is the hipster business primer for entrepreneurial crafters to turn what they do for fun into what they do for money. Pro crafter Meg Mateo Ilasco offers a step-by-step guide to everything from developing products and naming the company to writing a business plan, applying for licenses, and paying taxes. Chapters on sales, marketing, trade shows, and publicity round out the mix. Plus, in-depth interviews with such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler, Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, and Jill Bliss provide inspiration and practical advice. Accessible, informative, and more than a little spunky, Craft, Inc. paves the way for today's creative minds to become tomorrow's trendsetters.
	Alternation: Transform. Embellish. Customize by Shannon Okey and Alexandra Underhill Amazon Book Description: Customize your clothes. Transform your world. Do-it-yourself fashion is the most creative, affordable and fun way to create a style that's completely and uniquely you. Whether you're a sewing novice or a savvy seamstress, AlterNation will give you all the knowledge and inspiration you need to create your own trend-setting clothes and accessories. Just dig into the back of your closet or hit up your favorite thrift store, and you'll be on your way to creating a one-of-a-kind wardrobe that will have your friends asking, "Where'd you get that?!" * Convert a men's buttondown into the sleek and sleeveless Office Corset, or combine it with a flowing skirt to create the surprisingly feminine Men's Shirt Dress. * Reinvent a pillowcase and a flat sheet to create the cute and comfy Bedhead Top and Asymmetrical Sheet Skirt. * Pair some ripped-beyond-wear jeans with some trendy fabric to make the Dangerous Cherry Handbag, or cut a few out-of-style pairs into panels for the Denim Corset Skirt. Not only will you learn to make 25+ projects, you'll be bursting with ideas for countless more. Join the citizens of AlterNation! Turn your back on the mall, set your own trends, and show off your style!