I chose one of my personal favorite nursery rhymes, Little Bunny Foo Foo. For those who might not have heard of it, Little Bunny Foo Foo liked to hop through the forest and scoop up field mice. Our furry friend would then bop the mice on the head! The fairy did not like the mice getting bopped, so she warned Bunny Foo Foo to stop or else. Unfortunately, Little Bunny Foo Foo did not take her warning seriously and continued to bop the mice on their head. The fairy gave the rabbit a few chances before finally turning Little Bunny Foo Foo into a Goon as punishment.

I worked in a swinging arm for Bunny Foo Foo so the mice could get bopped on their heads! Mice characters were included with mushrooms and grass creating a forest home for our friends. I also created the fairy that warns Little Bunny Foo Foo to stop. Since Bunny Foo Foo did not take her warning, I also made the Goon figure.  The Goon and Bunny Foo Foo are equipped with tiny magnets, so they can be swapped out on the nail tip depending on your taste.

Click here to watch her video diary. 

Two things stand out to me when I think about Las Vegas: the casinos and the shows.  For my casino hand, I created a slot machine that hit the jackpot.  The iconic Triple 7’s means the coins will fly out of my One-Armed Bandit.  I also included the greatest poker hand possible, a Royal Flush. Of course, it’s all hearts!  To represent the fabulous Vegas shows, I made a classic showgirl. I used real feathers to make her headdress and finished it off with a crystal base. For my color schemes, I naturally went with roulette black and red for my casino hand and costume pink for the showgirl hand. After this week’s challenge, I feel like making a trip to Fabulous Las Vegas!

Click here to watch her video diary. 

Click here to watch her video diary.

For my zodiac sign hand, I went with an Aquarius theme. I used blue colors with a feminine feel. I included the constellation Aquarius for some extra star power. I also designed a latitude and longitude nail that is the coordinates of where I met my husband. The shooting star represents my marriage with a star each for my husband and I. These stars represent how our stars crossed paths and connected us. I created a locket in the shape of a compass for the embellishment on my Aquarius hand. My mom was also an Aquarius, so I copied an Aquarius from one of her old charms inside the locket to represent her. Even though she is not with us any more, I know she is there when I look at the stars.

For the other hand, I went with an Aries theme for my compatible sign. My husband is an Aries, and we are definitely compatible! I went with a more masculine theme with the red color for Aries. My embellishment for this set was to sculpt a ram, the sign for Aries. I also included the constellation Aries for some extra depth. I feel like the two sets work together just like the compatible zodiac signs: the blue and flowing Aquarius sitting beside the fiery red Aries. Being able to put the personal touches on this challenge made it so much fun.

Click here to watch her video diary. 

My piece draws inspiration from two pieces created during the Romantic period. The great Romantic poet John Keats wrote a short piece where he wished that he and his lover were butterflies. Keats wished they could spend three summer days together as butterflies because they could love more than would be possible in 50 common years. The other piece that inspired my creation is Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens. In this, Death appears at midnight on Halloween and calls the dead from their graves. They must dance until dawn while Death plays his violin.  When the rooster crows, the dead must return to their graves until next year.

Working with these inspirations, I created an art piece representing a macabre romance. A skeleton couple has been called by Death to dance on Halloween in an English Garden. They were lovers when they were alive, and this is the one night each year they can be together. The butterflies in their hands represent their love much like the butterflies Keats created. The reflecting pool in the garden gives us a glimpse of what the couple looked like when they were young and in love. The sun coming up in the back signals the end of their night. As the butterflies fly away, the couple returns to their graves. There, the lovers wait patiently until Death calls them back to the garden where they will meet and dance again next year.

Click here to watch her video diary.