Challenge : Morocco

The challenge of the European Street Team for these two weeks is from creationsbyeve and is called "Morocco".

Source: Fibula [Morocco] (1981.5.2) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The first week I had no idea what to make; then I decided to look at my postcards with traditional costumes from Morocco. And the inspiration bubbled in my head. There is a very striking piece of jewelry, called a fibula, that is part of the Moroccan Berber costume. Fibulae were decorative, symbolic, status indicating, and functional. They were used as clasps to keep capes, mantles and other garments in place. Fibulae from the Islamic period consist of two triangular endpieces, which are pinned into the clothing, and a chain that connects them. The inverted triangle represents the female form.

Source: Fisher, Angela. Africa Adorned. London: Collins, 1984

So, I started to make a fibula from buttons. I made two triangles from heavy brass buttons by sewing the buttons together with strong brown yarn. They are connected to a golden-coloured chain at the bottom and two large golden-coloured metal rings at the top. At the back of each triangle, a golden-coloured brooch pin is sewn. It's for sale in my P8 Button Art and Accessories shop on Etsy.

Challenges : Vikings

Every week the European Street Team at Etsy organizes a challenge to make something with a special theme.
The theme last week was organized by VknO and was called "Vikings".
She writes: "I was thinking of a challenge that has a connetion to my corner of the world. Ok, I'm from Norway where we have a lot of water, some snow and ice, semi-high mountains and a 'ugly' history. Water (Aqua) has been used, snow/ice is just too cold and mountains have to wait till next time.......... cause I have choosen a part of our 'ugly' history for this weeks challenge: the VIKINGS!
I would like to see items that are somehow related to Vikings or to the time when vikings raided and colonized parts of Europe.
In addition to a Viking-connection, there has to be some recycling or upcycling involved when creating the item. It's up to you to decide how much recycling/upcycling as long as it is involved somehow."

After scanning through my buttons, I found some old used bronze coloured ones which reminded me of shields. Then I remembered I had some pieces of leather laying around that once were a leather jacket. So the idea was born, it had to be a viking called Erik with his drakkar ship; the discoveror of America. Two brooches and they are for sale on Etsy !