whiplash week 4 finished
Thank you to all the whipup readers who entered week 4 of the whiplash comp - chic to classic. As I was going through the excellent entries and discovering great new crafty blogs I saw this entry and had to post it because I have been thinking the same thing.
“It just boggles my mind that more people aren’t entering in the Whiplash weekly competitions. I know there are over 700 subscribers in bloglines for people reading Whip Up on a regular basis. So, with all of the crafty people out there, where are the submissions??? Is it the fear of being judged? The fear of losing? (I should have wrote this last week). Don’t think of it that way. Forget all about the prizes and judging. It’s all about sharing right? Most people have a crafty/art blog to SHARE their stuff right? So why not start sharing it with other Whip Up readers? For me, I know it has been a great way to discover other wonderfully talented people out there in the blog world, make new friends AND see other peoples take on the different challenges. It’s no fun if you can’t see all the great inginuity and what better way to share all that inginuity than through Whip Up?” Thanks Regina for your great entry and for having your say.
What did you think of this weeks entries - who would get your vote? - What was your favourite new blog find too while we are at it?
Only 2 more weeks of the whiplash challenge - is everyone holding out for the last week to enter?
May 9th, 2006 at 6:31 pm
I know that for myself I have every intention of submitting to whiplash every week! I write it on my list. . but somehow with all the other things on my list it never gets done! It takes me a while to think of what I should do, then by that time I am busy with some other crafty thing - then my weekend is over! I especially feel bummed about it when I look at all the awesome entries and wish I had entered! 2 more weeks left! I will try!
May 9th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
I’m in total amazement that people have the time to finish something so awesome in a weekend. Of course, really the only craft I do is knitting, so it’s not like I can just glue or sew some things together.
May 9th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
I am only sorry I didn’t find this earlier LOL And of course it would be nice to win a prize, but I would do this without prizes too. (Just a hint - when the prizes are over, could you still continue LOL)
This week was amazing too. I just love to see all these ideas and creations… and everyone has something that deserves an honorary mentioning… but - one has to choose…
I think Soooz’ A Beetle Drive! is funny and great and a wonderful idea, but I like Ann Wood’s Bird Style best. The boat and the horse were wonderful too.
So I have to say that her blog stands out this week :-)
May 9th, 2006 at 7:17 pm
Well said. The only reason I did not enter this week was lack of time. …I guess I’m not alone.
The week I entered the whiplash contest my daily visitors more than doubled.
May 9th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
Well for me this was the first week I could connect with the theme. I didn’t want to submit something until I felt like it really had something to do with the posted theme.
May 9th, 2006 at 7:53 pm
I submitted in the first week but have found it hard to get my head around the themes since then. I’ve felt that the titles don’t suit me and no matter how much I try to think of something I just can’t come up with anything. Don’t worry, when the title suits me better I’ll submit. Perhaps the themes need to be more general or something like ‘red’ or ‘anger’ or ’smiles’, one word type things. Just a suggestion! Feel free to ignore. : )
May 9th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Maybe not that many crafters are interested in themes. I haven’t seen one yet that inspired me to make something.
May 9th, 2006 at 8:00 pm
I like the felt baby wingtips (though the model dolls legs are a bit creepy), Claire the chic teddy and the mother’s day tiara out of candy.
I’ve had every intention of entering each week of the competition. First I get stymied by the theme. But then after watching the first couple of weeks, I decided that I needed to loosen up about the theme. It’s not really how perfectly you embody the message. Then it comes down to time. My crafting hours are not many and I have a good many projects already going on, so before I know what’s happened it’s the end of the weekend and I haven’t even put any ideas on paper. this week i have a different tactic - i have an idea in my head that I think could could work for many themes and it’s something i need, so hopefully i’ll enter this week.
May 9th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
For me its these particular themes. I haven’t felt a jump of inspiration inside me from them. I’m in line a bit with Amanda’s suggestions of theme types- open to interpretation, yet everyone gets a picture immediately in their head at the mention of it.
May 9th, 2006 at 8:26 pm
Like the others said, lack of time is a big factor. From the time the theme is announced until the deadline is a pretty fast turnaround for me… not quite enough time to get an idea, gather supplies, do the project, photograph it and post it on my blog. Also the themes have been kind of hard for this crafter to wrap her pea-brain around. But hopefully one of these days I can make it happen! I love the concept, with or without prizes!
May 9th, 2006 at 8:34 pm
Knitting, the craft I like to partake in, is *very* slow going. I like the idea of the contests, but I’m not about to set aside the other projects I’m working on to, well, “whip” something out. I don’t like to rush things, don’t like to kill my wrists to meet deadlines, and am happy with what I’m already working on. Truthfully, I’m a bit insulted by the letter in the post. I like this blog, but my crafting life doesn’t revolve around it. I hope that’s not considered a character flaw by too many people.
May 9th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
lack of time, lack of time, lack of time… and none of the themes have inspired me yet.
I’ve been enjoying reading the submissions, and the prizes are neat.
Perhaps you could make a specific place for people to post their comments/questions about whiplash entries (or point them to it if it already exists). We keep seeing whiplash-related comments at the bottom of totally unrelated posts.
May 9th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
I think it would be fun to enter, but I just don’t think that a week is enough time for me to complete something with so many other projects on the go! I like the month-long competitions and projects and challenges… they give me more time to think and complete. :)
May 9th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Pretty much what’s been said already: time, time, time & themes that don’t always click or don’t click fast enough to complete the idea.
eg. I had a great idea for “no fear”, but was smacked down by illness. I have the half-finished project lying on my craft room floor, waiting for my loving attention :) The “chic to classic” theme was so hard for my brain to translate, that I can’t even see it in this week’s entries! This isn’t to say that there is anything wrong with the theme or the entries [which are ALWAYS fantastic!], it just means that *I* can’t interpret it.
I agree with the above suggestions of keeping the challenge going, even after the 6 weeks are up. We don’t need prizes as incentive! Look at “A Month of Softies” and “Tie One On” - no rewards, but mass participation. I like the suggestion of a broader theme too; a bit like “Illustration Friday” for crafters.
If you build it, they will come ;)
May 9th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
Well, for me my lack of participation is due to not having a) a blog or b) a digital camera. I am subscribed via Bloglines but that doesn’t mean that I have the means to participate.
May 9th, 2006 at 9:40 pm
same for me! time time time! i have been watching the competition every week planning to participate but then i end up having to work and don’t have enough time to enter. but this week i hope to get it together!
i like the themes, i find them very open to interpretation. just hafta get the time to do ‘em! :)
May 9th, 2006 at 10:36 pm
I had the same thought too…it must be the time factor (basically over the weekend). Anyway we can extend it? It would be great to see more participation since the themes are fairly broad, subject to personal interpretation (I was looking all over for a baby chick to make over, but no luck)
May 9th, 2006 at 10:38 pm
I have enough crafting in progress that I don’t need to add projects suggested by sources outside myself. That being said, I suppose that if I had felt some connection to any of the themes, I might have considered doing something anyhow. But none of the themes so far have made me feel that “click” that you get when you know a project is for you.
I have also felt the weekly nature of these challenges has overwhelmed the Whip Up blog. I’ve enjoyed Whip Up since it started. Lately, the plethora of posts about crafting has been severely curtailed by a tidal wave of posts about the weekly challenges, to the point I’ve been considering unsubscribing at Bloglines. Monthly might be a better idea the next time you want to offer challenges.
Bottom line: The challenges have sort of made Whip Up “all challenges, all the time”, and have reduced the pleasure I got from visiting. Cut the frequency of the challenges, and bring back more of the crafting posts. They’re what make Whip Up a blog worth reading.
May 9th, 2006 at 10:39 pm
the great thing about themes is that they give you a guideline. but that’s just that, a guideline.
the great thing about creativity is that it allows you to be interpretive. instead of thinking themes as constrictive, why not think of them as something to help rein myriad ideas and whims?
i think that fear runs somewhat rampant in many craft communities, which is somewhat ridiculous given how easy it is have a blog- which is a platform for sharing.
the whole point of the comp is to have *fun,* not be hemmed in (pun intended) by your own self-imposed definitions. themes are meant to be explored, and not a means to frustrate.
May 9th, 2006 at 11:02 pm
kudos to the fearless whip up! i think that challenges in life, art, and crafting are just that… challenges. sometimes we connect with them and learn something from them, other times, we sit back and hopefully learn from others.
i like the fact that there has been an opportunity for me to look to a place, completely outside my circle of comfort to engage my thought process in a new way.
the pressure of time is good for me peronally to see if either it speaks to me, is important to do it - and i can do it now, or not. If not, I can still have the listen and enjoy what others have to say and do with the challenge.
“whiplash” says quick to me. a month would be a “labor of love”…
i agree with betsy’s statement above too … a theme is a jumping off place. if your crayon box only has one color left in it, think of all you can do with that one color!
down with fear!
May 9th, 2006 at 11:11 pm
I just stumbled onto this site on Sunday evening. I plan on entering the next challenge though - sounds like a lot of fun! I had a great idea for this week’s if I had only seen the site sooner. Bummer for me. Maybe I’ll make it anyway and post it.
May 9th, 2006 at 11:35 pm
Folkcat pretty much speaks for me — I wasn’t very articulate this morning.
Additional thought — whiplash itself is PAINFUL, if you’ve ever had it, and while I applaud the creative naming, it’s not exactly a feeling I want to invite into my life. A small turn-off. I can imagine the effect on my schedule/free time would be equally painful.
May 9th, 2006 at 11:39 pm
I’ve been loving the entries, I just haven’t had the time over the last few weekends to put something together. Maybe this weekend. :)
May 10th, 2006 at 12:11 am
The turn-around is too quick for me. I have a fulltime job and a small child, so I can’t devote a day on the weekend to the challenge. If the turnaround were longer, I’d be interested. I don’t want to do something fast that I end up not liking just to participate.
I really liked this week’s theme. It was challenging. I was surprised by how many people misquoted it, though. Lots of people wrote “classic to chic” when it was the other way around. I think the actual theme was a lot more interesting, but the way it was written confused people somehow.
In short: I’m sorry I couldn’t particpate in this week’s theme, because I liked it, and I wish the time allowed was longer.
May 10th, 2006 at 1:05 am
Add me to the list of people who have too many things already going on/not enough time/didn’t quite connect with the themes (although, to be fair, due to the aforementioned stack of WIPs and time restraints, I didn’t truly brainstorm the themes). HOWEVER, I have enjoyed the contest. It’s been fun and inspiring to see what others have done. It’s a different kind of inspiring, too, knowing the timeline and impetus for their creations.
One thing I think you have to remember when you’re running a contest like this is that for every person who enters there are a number of others who almost did. That’s perfectly normal. Expected, even. In a way, that means that the ones we do see are “finalists-” they made it through the “first heat” of figuring out a project and time to make it where so many others fell aside. And that’s OK.
I can pretty much assure you that I won’t enter any upcoming week of whiplash. I’m in the middle of knitting up a hat and shawl, both of which I’m really enjoying. In odd moments I’m making motifs for a long-term project that I’m excited about. I’ve got fabric waiting to become kicky summer skirts and need to jump on that so they’ll be ready just as soon as a warm enough day comes through. I need to slipcover my living room chairs-have the fabric standing by, but haven’t gotten around to making up the pattern pieces from that roll of brown packing paper. I can’t wait to have those covers done. When they’re done, I’d like to have new throw cushions, too, and I’m using some daydreaming moments to figure out what sort of embellishment I might like to make to apply to those. Those projects more than take up my crafty time, and I don’t want to put any aside for a contest project. And heck, even if I did, I’m so here there and everywhere these days that I’d probably not get a picture taken and uploaded by the deadline. So I really don’t feel lead to participate in the contest. BUT I’m very glad others do, and seeing what they’re doing is giving me ideas for what might go on those cushions, or find it’s way into my WIP basket once the hat or chair covers are finished, or…
May 10th, 2006 at 1:08 am
My vote: The classy dance sweater and chic leg warmers!
Why I don’t enter: It’s not the time, as I can get my head around the idea that the essence of “whiplash” is quick. It’s that I just haven’t had that lightning bolt of inspiration for the themes (YET) within the time-frame. I did have a FEAR idea, but it was a few days too late. I have great fun checking out each week’s Whiplash entries and I think it’s a great way to jumpstart creativity (when the planets are aligned for some of us). I agree that it could probably keep going even without the prizes.
May 10th, 2006 at 1:12 am
I’m in agreement that I havn’t been “feeling” the themes really… It’s also unfortunate that I’m really only a knitter as far as crafting goes and for me to come up with a pattern in a weekend is rather difficult…
I love the competition though and love seeing others results!
May 10th, 2006 at 2:41 am
Children. Two of them. I get maybe an hour in the evening to craft, usually spent on something that seems to have been going on forever and I want to finish. All crafting comes at the expense of housework - it’s not that I’m particularly house proud, but we always seem to be about to run out of clean underwear/crockery/places to sit. It’s a real struggle to balance family life, a home, commitments etc with finding time to do things for me, getting uninterrupted time to create. So a competition that’s run over a weekend is totally not happening for me, and I imagine that’s the case for most (?) crafters with families. For one thing, it’s the only time we have to spend together as a family, when my husband’s not working. I agree with Folkcat too - I’ve enjoyed Whipup as it is, without the competition. Now there’s an added pressure saying “Go on, do this,” which I really don’t need. It’s great if you’ve got time, but I’m feeling depressed enough about the lack of it without being urged to produce something on such a tight deadline. And why is fast necessarily good? Sorry if this sounds negative, I love Whip-up as there’s so much inspiration here. Just that a weekend comp is unrealistic for a lot of us.
May 10th, 2006 at 3:59 am
Even though I know the themes are interpretive and for inspiration sake none of them have inspired me, yet. I have other things on my needles/wheel/machine that are inspiring me right now so…
That said it is a fabulous thing and I have really enjoyed exploring how other people have been inspired and interpreted the themes!
May 10th, 2006 at 6:02 am
i think the theme thing is a big reason why i haven’t entered every week too. the last two weeks haven’t inspired me to make something but the week i did enter was because i saw the theme & was like “Yes” the idea was there. I did want to enter just to enter a contest but because I felt like I had something to add & share. I pondered really hard on this week’s theme & nothing hit me…
May 10th, 2006 at 9:16 am
I’ve really enjoyed the competition quite a bit - both participating and seeing what other people come up with. I’ll admit that each time I read the theme, I have no idea what to think whatsoever. But to me, they are purposefully vague and confounding so that you can interpret pretty broadly. It’s interesting that some decide to interpret quite literally and I can instantly see the connections, and others not so much.
It is definitely difficult to find the time to participate, especially with child(ren) and/or lots of other projects going, but I also like being asked to think outside of my usual work and responsibilities and come up with something relevant. I think it sort of helps me think about my own work in other ways. But I do hope that more people decide to participate. It’s been a great way for me to discover great crafters and artists that I otherwise wouldn’t know about.
May 10th, 2006 at 9:24 am
I love seeing what comes out of this! I entered because I had a total idea for the theme. That said, my husband also thought I was a crazy headless chicken lady as I worked on it, insisting on getting it done by Sunday. I never get anything done by Sunday! It was fun and I’ll probably do it again. Now I just need to work on harnessing that whipup energy and putting into more practical projects, like drapes. (I guess I could have worked the classic chic on the drapes…)
I think there’s a bunch of nifty jewelery this week. The baubles, the pinwear, and the tiara are all fabulous accessories. Oh, and the birdies too.
May 10th, 2006 at 10:42 am
I have had a blast participating but I always have been in a rush to finish and post on Monday evening.. And I am a fast craft girl.
As far as the themes go, I have been lucky. I have lots of projects on my “crafty to do list” and I just pick the one that I can mentally manipulate into the theme. I can definitely imagine skipping a week due to a lack of time or inspiration.. but so far I am using it as a catayst to finish up half baked ideas.
May 10th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
I’m with you, Betty. I have been using this as a way of getting creative with my stash. I have a long list of “to do”, but I don’t have much money - or let’s say that I wish to use my money to other things than crafting material - but I do have a desire to create and some stash.
I think this is great, because the projects are small - three days isn’t much time - and I have to think from my stash, not from the project. That kind of thinking suits me, and perhaps I’ll benefit from this by continuing to use my stash and make it into small projects - these are artworks, and I can always give the end product as presents to people around me, if I don’t want to keep them myself.
I also like the short timeframe, because it forces me to not be so critical with my ideas, designs and creations. To my great surprise my ideas, designs and creations are not as bad as I like to think. I actually like what I do, and I’m happy with the skills part of it - and other people seem to like what I do too!
On top of that comes the joy of creating things, the work that keeps my mind from the shoulds and woulds, and the satisfaction of finishing something and being pleased with it. (I suppose that my perfectionism, self-critisism and bad self confidence shines through here LOL)
The pay-off is so huge in many different ways…
Maybe one could separate whipup and whiplash? Give whiplash an own blog so that Whipup readers don’t need to get annoyed by the whiplash posts.
May 10th, 2006 at 1:55 pm
This is the most inspiring blog - but, like so many others, the big barrier for me around the whiplash competitions is simply time…there is just no way that I can make something creative and innovative in a weekend and do all the other things I need to do. The competition idea is fantastic, the theme’s are great (and easily interpreted in many different ways), and the prizes are awesome…but it just isn’t going to happen. Any chance of making the last few challenges one week long, rather than one weekend long?
May 10th, 2006 at 5:01 pm
For me it’s either a question of Time or of going: “ohmygod, how am I going to come up with something cool to fit the theme” until the very last minute, and then it’s too late :o)
I love the Whiplash idea, and hope that you’ll be having these competitions again in the future. I thought that this was an ongoing thing, now I see that there’s only 2 weeks left!
This week, my 4 Favorites are:
- A Beetle Drive!::Soooz
- bird style::annwood
- Mrs. Peel Desktop Chic::Kelaine
- Claire, the chic teddy::tatti
(I was surprised too that more people didn’t enter - do a lot more people vote though?)
May 10th, 2006 at 8:13 pm
I’m like Jen, above, in that I don’t own a digital camera or have my own blog. So I’ll just enjoy looking at other people’s entries. I also feel that there is an awful lot of whiplash on whipup these days–I really enjoyed it before whiplash started, and now there seem to be so many posts promoting the challenges all the time. Since I’m unable to participate, I’m not that interested in seeing so much about it and I start skipping over it. I’d love to see them as separate blogs!
Also, of course, the time factor, and I’m not huge on themes. But what the heck–you’re never going to please everybody. You shouldn’t be aiming to get *everyone* to participate. It’s great that you get so much participation already.
May 10th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
i am having a hard time getting my head around anything creative…but today i am reorganizing my ‘craft’ room..and hope to get some results for this weeks competition!!!
thank you again for the chance..even though i havent been as inspired to enter as some of the amazing crafting ladies here…
May 11th, 2006 at 6:19 am
thank you so much for your different views and for expressing them here. I will certainly be reviewing things and looking into all the different responses.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:58 am
I LOVE the little birds, and also the chic teddy.. so i vote for both of those :)
Last week was my first time entering the competition (the little phobiapins) and also the launch of my fist ever blog. So for me last week was a big deal.
As far as entering this week, well.. I wasn’t feeling the topic and I also currently have a house guest that I am entertaining until sunday. Not to mention that I have a full time job that requires a lot of my time.
I personally really enjoy visiting this site and also looking at all the goodies that are submitted by those who can submit something.
I look forward to week 5’s topic and see if I feel up to the challenge. :)
May 11th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
I’ve been enjoying entering the contest weekly. It’s certainly been a stretch as I work uber-full time (including weekend days) and I’m taking a course and I’m changing my life and I’m in an art show and the list could go on and on… but somehow I’ve managed to fit it into the schedule though the apartment is pretty darn messy. I guess I can’t really use time as an excuse for not exercising as I managed to fit this in…
The themes have consistenly thrown me for a loop but that’s good as I’m stretching my brain. I haven’t really been making things that I would normally make in my art practice but thats also good as I can certainly use ideas and inspirations in future projects.
I love how many people have come to visit my blog since entering the contest. I’ve met so many wonderful artist-bloggers! My favorite part after making something is looking at everyone elses interpretation of the theme.
I like that there is only six weeks of whiplash. I certainly couldn’t participate every week if it was longer. That whole pesky life thing… But I could see it being a yearly annual craft bonanza.
I do wish that we had a better forum spot to discuss the theme and the entries as a group.
I’ve noticed that when I talk to a lot of my artist/crafter friends they are very shy about ‘entering.’ I know people who would amaze with their work and theme ideas but there is a certain shy/humbleness that visual artists have…
My favs for this week are the embroidered pink poodle and the leg warmers.
May 11th, 2006 at 3:01 pm
I hope I manage to get my meaning through in english…
For many people there may be a clash in the terms craft - creativity? Themes like these and a short timeframe really gets my creative juices flowing, but leaves little room for good craftmanship. Like so many said; there is other things to be done. I have used the opportunity to exercise my creativity and to be brave enough to enter my work among so many excellent crafters. The word “competition” is in itself a challenge to get around. Prizes are not essential, but it was great fun winning one! (Book arrived safely, thank you!)
I am sad I did not find time this week to even try to come up with an idea. Unfortunatly week 5 will probably not be any better. But even if I have not made anything myself, I really enjoy what all the others have done. I learn so much from all the solutions.
May 11th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
I made an entry (in english under the picture) in my blog and wrote about my thoughts on Regina’s post.
I do love the challenges that has come with the Whiplash and how the creative mind gets so many input from reading Whipup and this part of it.
May 11th, 2006 at 3:05 pm
“Roses and Pearls” gets my vote this week.
May 11th, 2006 at 6:58 pm
I found the letter posted a bit insulting too - criticising me for not having the time to participate but for reading the blog anyway.
I love reading this blog - I pop on while I’m at work for a few minutes inspiration and calm and a a change from my everyday life.
When I have time I craft, but like so many other people here, I don’t have a huge amount of time. That’s one of the reasons I find this site so appealing - a lot of the ideas are small ones that are do-able.
I haven’t posted anything here, and haven’t entered the whiplash competitions (which I love and think are fine here as occasional month-long things) simply because at the moment my main craft is knitting, and I’m teaching myself new skills - projects take a while, and there’s nothing particularly post-worthy about what to most people would just be a poorly executed pair of socks, for example. (To me they are wonderful and I’ve put them on my blog).
When I get time, I will try to join in, but in the mean time I just love reading this, and seeing what other wonderful people have made. I don’t really see a problem with that.
May 11th, 2006 at 8:16 pm
I loved the short timeframes, and think a theme is essential. If I would have been given longer to do it, it is much less likely that I would have actually DONE it, but the short time frame said– “better get started NOW.” Neither of my projects took that long, esp. the pillow. I do have to say though, that I was a little disappointed that I technically could not win twice. (just being honest here) The prizes are not important at all to me, and I guess maybe winning shouldn’t be either, but what is the point of entering the competition if you have no chance of winning? Would it have been different if it wasn’t two weeks in a row? I might consider entering in the next few weeks if I would be under consideration again. May be these kind of rules could be clearer- although I totally understand that this is the first time for the comp, so things will be learned from this experience.
May 15th, 2006 at 6:41 am
The idea of whipping something up in a weekend (or less!), photographing it, and posting it on a blog doesn’t appeal to me at all. Because my free time is limited, especially on a weekend, the kind of crafts I make are completed in a span of months, not hours. At the end, I am more satisfied with the result, and it is something that I truly care about and love. While some of the whiplash entries have been interesting, I have seen nothing that inspires me. The main thought I have is, “Hmm, this definitely looks like it was whipped up in the shortest time possible.” Being spontaneous is great, as is brainstorming around a theme and running with it. But when it comes to craft, something made really fast looks….well, rushed and not very nice. The blogs that are updated the most tend to also use small/fast projects that may have some appeal, but mainly the look (to me) is that something is being hastily made for the purpose of creating a post. I am too slow with my projects–one reason why I don’t blog.
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:32 pm
[...] This week’s theme on Whip Up was Yarn. Thursday, as I finished up my Mom’s presents, I spun my wheels trying to think of an idea. I was determined to enter this week since I’d not found made the time since the first challenge. I could fill a book with my thoughts about the recent Whip Lash commentary. Let me just say Kathreen, your gracious, generous and passionate spirit are a true inspiration. Thank you. [...]
September 7th, 2006 at 2:58 am
VERY GOOD I THINK http://www.sis.utk.edu/Members/derik/4.html