Thomas Dailing Designs, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Some might call it sibling rivalry, but Thomas Dailing thinks his excitement over participating in the Mystery Box Challenge is because he enjoys a good challenge. Dailing’s brother Jim participated in the challenge six years ago and shared with him how fun it was. So when the invitation for this year’s challenge arrived in Dailing’s mailbox, he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
“The idea of taking something that you have no idea [how to work with] and whipping it into something is the ultimate test of creative abilities,” he says.
Dailing admits that he’s been making jewelry for a long time and that very little surprises him anymore. But when he sorted through the materials for this year’s challenge and came across the mammoth teeth, “I was stumped,” he says. “I didn’t have a clue what to do with this.”
