Outfit of the Week 2/3/13

                                                     MintRainbows-->

 <--ScarlettGarnet








                          UnlimitedCraftworks-->

<-- TammyJoFashion

                      EpigramVintage-->

 <--PoisonPuddingFaire

Sustainable Wednesday

I decided to add a new weekly post to my blog--Sustainable Wednesday. Every week, Sustainable Wednesday will highlight various aspects of sustainability, especially focusing on people and their efforts to reduce human impacts and preserve a healthy environment and culture for planet Earth.

We've all heard the cliche--if it ain't broke, don't fix it. However, if it is broke and it can't be fixed, you may find that it can be repurposed and turned into something entirely new. Repurposing is quite the trend these days, but smart, resourceful people everywhere have always lived this way. In today's post, I'll be introducing you to three artisans who make new and beautiful things by recycling used, unwanted and discarded materials. 

Meet Northern Floridians, Jen and Dale. This couple works together to make lights from unusual repurposed objects such as baskets, collanders, and vintage bowls which the sell in their Etsy shop, UpReNew. I love their eye for simplicity and design.

Now, meet Schuan Carpenter, of Seattle, Washington. I fell in love with Schuan's craftsmanship the first time I stumbled upon one of his recycled glass greenhouses on his Etsy shop, Little Mansions Design. They are oh-so-sweet! Each one is made largely from salvaged/reclaimed wood and windows.

 And what about Clone Hardware? Run by Alisa, of Ontario, Canada, this creative little Etsy shop features funky cyber jewelry made from upcycled computer parts and electronic waste. Who knew the insides of your computer were so aesthetically pleasing?

 

That's it for today. Stay tuned for the next Sustainable Wednesday blog post and until then enjoy!

Give a Gal a Handpunch

Using the remnants of an Amazon gift card, I recently purchased a star hand punch and a "flourish" paper punch with the idea of finally making some attractive, upcycled tags for my clothing.

Needless to say, I've been having so much fun! Punching out paper is quite therapeutic and satisfying. I immediately gathered up some paper and cards that have been sitting around waiting for exactly such a moment, and started punching away.

By far my favorite tags came from a recycled cardboard box from some delicious Alaskan smoked salmon we enjoyed over the winter holidays. I was able to get 12+ tags from the box top, each one with a piece of the indigenous styled artwork decorating the package.

I added a personalized stamp to the backs and finished each tag with some satin ribbon. The tags will hang on my clothes from tiny safety pins that can then be reused for something else. 

And when I'm done, it all fits neatly into a 5" by 8" repurposed, wooden box. Until next time. <3



  

Crafting Holiday Style

I've been wanting to make some gifts for family and friends for the holidays, and today I finally was inspired to dig into it. After rooting through bags of fabric scraps I had several nice Christmas print calico and an idea was beginning to form in my mind--a festive garland, something that is durable and decorative and can be reused every year and even be a family holiday heirloom. I cut out some triangles and just went with my creative groove. After adding some decorative trims, I sewed everything up onto a some sweet vintage, red acetate seam binding, and added the final touches--some golden and Christmas style dangles (upcycled earrings and mini wooden toy trains and such). I am totally pleased with the results.

After completing the garland, I was inspired to start rooting around for more holiday fabrics to work with. I found a few bags with unfinished sewing projects some unknown, fellow crafter had never completed (this is one of the things I love most about being the scavenger that I am--discovering other people's unfinished or abandoned projects and giving them new life/bringing them to completion). I was excited to find a set of tree appliques, already cut out and assembled, just waiting to be sewn together, so of course I did!

To the person who cut out and pieced these so lovingly together, I thank you for your beautiful works and the opportunity to bring them to completion with my stitches. They will both be finished into sweet little gifts for someone in my family. I think I'll sew seam binding around the edges and a couple loops at the top so they can be hung using a dowel rod, or bamboo. Or maybe turn them into pillows? We'll have to wait and see where the creative roads take me this time. <3
 

Minimalist, Classy, Mother of Pearl

This past week, my daughter's and I celebrated their father Travis' birthday; he would have been 41 this year. He passed away almost seven years ago now, and though time passes it does not heal all wounds (I hate cliches and that is one of the worst); we merely learn to live with them.  

For me, November is always a somewhat difficult month to get through. The seasonal transition to Fall/Winter always makes me feel a bit forlorn, introspective, and filled with a deep longing to move or migrate. Instead, I hunker down; I bake a lot, cook warm comforting foods and create. 

The last few days I've been working on a series of classic, simple, minimalist earrings made with antique and vintage mother or pearl buttons combined with upcycled jewelry elements. I have always adored the luminous sheen of mother of pearl, and I absolutely love the delicate simplicity of these unique eco earrings. 

One of my first purchases from Etsy was an vintage tin with dogwood blossoms filled to the brim with antique and vintage mother of pearl  and white milk glass buttons. 

If I'm feeling colorful, I might use some of the other vintage buttons I have been collecting.

 I use jump rings and jewelry pliers to link the buttons together for a truly unique classy look.

Below are some picture of some finished pieces, which will be available for sale soon on my Etsy and Copious shops.

Elderberry Vodka

Fall is slowly winding its way across the valley, acorns are dropping, and the big leaf maple is starting to glow. Autumn is such a wonderful time of harvest and abundance. Wild and cultivated fruits beckon with a myriad of colors and textures, and mushrooms are about to start popping up all over the Pacific Northwest. 

Elderberries--Sambucus cerulea are one of my favorite wild fruits to harvest in the late summer/early fall. They can sometimes be tricky to access, but the beautiful umbels of blushing blue berries are worth the effort. 

Elder has a long history of edible and medicinal uses (both the flowers and the fruits) and is a common winter herbal used to activate the the immune system (immuno-stimulant) and as an anti-viral agent. 

For some ethnobotanical and ecological information on elderberry, check out Plants for a Future, The Living Wild Project, or the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plant guide.  

If you are interested in learning more about scientific research into the medicinal properties of elderberry, the links below might be good places to start:

Regulation of Inflammatory Gene Expression in PBMCs by Immunostimulatory Botanicals

Sigma Aldrich Plant Profiler 

Because of the lovely berry taste, even young and picky eaters are apt to enjoy it. I usually make elderberry syrup with some of the berries I collect, and use the rest to make a fruit relish, prepared similarly to cranberry relish. This year I made elderberry infused vodka; it looks, smells, and tastes delightful. 

Elderberry vodka lemonade. Divine!

 

 

Scrap Leather Earrings and OoaK Dog Styles

I have been keeping quite busy this week. For one, I've been thoroughly enjoying my recent excursion into earring making using scrap leather I recently scored whilst a-thrifting and some other upcycled jewelry parts and found objects. Once I decide which ones I want to keep, I may post a few on Etsy to see how they do.

And I've been working on several new custom orders. One in particular is for a new doggy treat bakery and "barktique" that a Furious customer is opening in Lawrence, Kansas. She also sells canine snacks such as the salmon-sweet potato treats below, on her Etsy Shop, the Lucky Paws Bakery.  

All of this makes me happy! Creativity keeps me sane and orders motivate me to be productive and be creative. For this order, I had to come up with a few dog-oriented appliques to sew on some simple summer skirts, shirts, and dresses. Below are a few of my prototypes.