Octopus Theme for Art Elements

As soon as I saw that the theme for this month's Art Elements Challenge was "octopus", I was in! First off, I already had a piece designed (not made, yet) that incorporated an octopus pendant, but I also have a love for the underwater creature itself.
For one thing, they're extremely intelligent. As well, octopi have mad skills. Not only do they have several extra sets of "hands" (who among us hasn't wished for that?), but they also have the ability to camouflage themselves. So cool!

Anyway...I've had this altered pendant from Dry Gulch for a good while now. It finally made its way into my Bead Box 6 last month.

As serendipity would have it, Claire chose this magnificent creature as this month's theme. I was all set and motivated to finish the necklace I had already designed. BAM!
I kept the palette of beads simple, choosing aqua blues and white to give a nod to the water in which the octopus lives. Antiqued brass beads were also used to pull in the metal of the pendant, though it has been altered with a rusty patina. That patina gives the pendant a sunken treasure feel. Yum.

I really could have left it at that, but it felt like cheating since it was a project I already had underway. Initially, I had hoped to complete an assemblage piece like I did with the flowers theme last month and the owl theme in February. Alas, I simply didn't have the time. Instead, I pulled together a quick art journal spread using an octopus stamp I found I had.

Those colorful circles are supposed to be bubbles... It was more about me playing with the supplies I had on hand than anything else.

And, I recorded a video so you can watch me create my Octopus Bubbles Art Journal page. 
Don't let me keep you though, this is a blog hop and there's a ton of more octopus-inspired art for you to enjoy. (You can always come back later and watch the video, I'll understand!)

Guest artists: CatEvie and BethHope  (you're here), KarenKathyMelissaMichelleRozantiaSarajoTammy

Art Elements Team: CathyClaireJennyLaneyLindsayMarsha

Thanks so much for stopping by and thanks to Claire for a great theme!

22 comments:

  1. The doodled Octopus is so cute. It reminds me of Oswald the friendly Octopus. I remember making up an Octopus song too when I was younger which focussed on the "eight useful hands" of the octopus. lol!! I dropped out of this challenge as I didnt have suitable beads or components. It will be interesting to see what others have made.

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  2. The necklace is so pretty, the beads are perfect for it!
    The little octopus and his bubbles are simply adorable ^^

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    1. Cat, Thank you! I just feel lucky that I happened to have just what I needed in my existing stash to participate. Of course, had I not had them, I'm sure I still would have come up with something.

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  3. Great minds think alike! 🐙🐙🐙 I love your necklace, the color choices and shapes fit the octopus pendant (and my favorite color scheme!) perfectly! The journal page looks wonderful and the tiny octopus made me smile (and the bubbles are so cool!). Thank you for participating! :)

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  4. Great necklace, I love pieces with mixed beads put together. Your bubbles are fantastic! They look like so much fun to make!

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    1. Karin, Aw, thanks! It's always such a risk to mix beads and hope they work. This one came together well for sure. I appreciate your agreement on that. Those bubbles were fun, and I'm glad I was able to use my underpaper. I hate throwing anything away when I know it can be used somehow.

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  5. I love that stamp it made me smile :D Your necklace is perfect with those colours and that pendant is awesome!

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  6. I love the necklace. The ocean colors and the metals pull everything together beautifully.

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    1. Kathy, Thank you! I was happy that I had the right components to get it made for this challenge. Whew!!

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  7. I love that this theme was centered around something you had in mind, and that you were able to bring it out and finish it up. Thanks for the video too :)

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    1. Marsha, Yes, this challenge lit a fire under my butt to actually get something made. I appreciate you taking the time to hop over here. It means so much!

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  8. what a sweet necklace Hope ... and I was mesmerized watching the video ... so many layers go into that!

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  9. Love your necklace - I love that antique rusted look.
    It was fun watching you create the art journal pages - it is amazing to watch how you create those pages out of all the little bits and bobs!

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  10. I really love the necklace! Your choice of beads is perfect for that rusty/crusty looking octopus. I love the bubbles in your journal spread. I haven't watched the video just yet but will after blog hopping. The little octopus stamp is adorable & perfect for your journal spread.

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    1. Cathy, Thank you! I had the hardest time picking out beads when I initially began designing for the necklace. But, keeping it simple and water-y led me to make my decisions for it. As for the video, no worries. It's just a simple spread to accent that cute octopus stamp I found. Thank you for the time you took to hop by!

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  11. Lovely necklace. The blue beads were the perfect complement to the metal colors. Your journal page is super fun. I totally see the bubble effect.

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    1. Tammy, Thanks! It's a blessing I have so many blue beads in my stash. It is my favorite color. I like that it isn't all the same beads so it had a little more texture to the chain. And, I'm giddy that you see the bubbles with my underpaper. It was a lot of playing and fun. I'm glad it came together in the end. :D

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  12. I really love the necklace, the colours just work so well with the octopus pendant. And isn't it great when you have all the bits ready to go?

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  13. As usual, loving your work!!! Cool necklace and cute layout in your journal!

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  14. The beads definitely give an ocean "feel" to the beautiful octopus necklace.

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    1. Thanks! That's exactly what I was going for. I had to limit myself since it is an octopus and any color combo would have worked!

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  15. I'm not sure which one I like more - the necklace or the pink baby octopus :) Beautiful colors, too!

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Thanks for stopping by! It means so very much to me. I love to hear what you have to say.

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