52 Bags of Inspiration was sort of a reverse challenge project I started in 2006. Readers sent me bags of items they didn’t know how to use, and I created projects with them, photographing my process as I worked. The project ended in 2008, and I am no longer accepting submissions—but the articles remain, because there’s some pretty interesting stuff to be gleaned from them.
Here’s a description of the original project. Please note that I am no longer accepting submissions for this challenge.
Wondering about the weird name? Here’s the lowdown about how I originally thought this would work—and didn’t.
Pat sent an interesting assortment of Mona Lisa themed items. See how they were transformed.
Esmeralda sent me “a baggie of stuff both to stump you and to help me figure what to do with it”—was I stumped, or did I turn them into something unexpected?
At my house, everything that holds still long enough will be turned into a book—including Shutterfly envelopes.
For Valentine’s Day, I made a sweet little heart-themed book from Shannon’s oval playing cards.
Lazelle is a middle school art teacher, and she sent me goodies from her smock pockets and desk drawer.
This proves that nothing is safe—not even the paint leftover from middle schooler’s art projects.
An old metal slide holder makes the ideal altered treasure chest.
Three lovely sheets of paper, using three different methods.
My local newspaper put together a Project Runway type project using Barbies. Here’s my entry.
Sometimes, I pile of unrelated items is just a pile of unrelated items—but there’s still some inspiration to be found in them.
