Posts filed under ‘green crafting’
recycled t-shirt necklace
Wow! I found this on Whipup and am just so intrigued by it. It’s a necklace from used T-shirts. It can be painted using textile medium. Very cool! I am on a crafty binge I think… You can buy a similar one from Urban Outfitters for $38 but it’s not as nice as this one.
recycled paper dress
Last year I became more and more inspired with recycled materials and paper arts. During my NYC trip last summer, I had visited an exhibit about Brazilian dresign. They had a series of handmade dresses and this was one of them. So brilliant!
2008 altered book swap
This was the last swap for 2008 in my altered book group. I finally gave it back to the owner yesterday so i can blog it now!
This was the cover I got and the CD was my signin. I used scrapbook paper as the background and simply used my Brother label printer for the text and name.
These spreads were based on songs which have special meaning for me: the Beatles’ “In My Life” and Gloria Gaynor’s “I will survive.”
The first is a disco-based page with an art-deco focal image and I have Bette Middler peeking out from a pocket because she is a survivor!
The second is my interpretation of “In My Life” which makes me think of all the homes I’ve lived in. All collaged from magazine scraps. I gessoed a map from a free tourist magazine, added a strip of tissue paper left over from Xmas presents, and cut geometric patterns from a magazine. I love using materials on hand because it makes me feel creative and very green!
Creativity scrap journal
I’m catching up on updating this blog with my projects so it’s not quite in chronological order. Considering I’m a geologist, it bothers me a little bit but then again, the rock record does get scrambled and topsy turvy too!
This was a journal I made at The Daily Observer workshop with Lisa Sonora Beam. I’ve since written a few more entries and added some embellishments into the journal but haven’t messed around with the order, size or anything. It shows that sometimes I can do things quickly and the result is already perfect! I like the color, sizes, textures and variety. It does inspire me to do more!
The method is similar to the birthday card book from the previous entry–find wonderful papers, fold in half, and tie a ribbon around the center. I have an envelope at the back for any loose items I might want to incorporate into the journal. I also included a tag which says “Touch” into the center of the journal because I was trying to incorporate the dual meaning of the word: touch as a sense (referring to the different textures of the book) and touch as a verb (referring to emotional impact). I love the ribbon because it has such a rich feel to it. All of the materials were from the big (and I mean big!) pile at the center of Lisa’s table. Creating something from nothing is the theme of the workshop and the journal and for a green crafter like me, that theme is truly meaningful.
For photos, see my Flickr! set of mini-journals.
Mendocino project
Last weekend, to escape the holiday chaos, we went up to Mendocino to the Agate Cove Inn (which was lovely!). Since it was raining, I planned for an indoor cottage weekend and brought three (!) bags of crafting supplies.
I completed one project which I learned at Lisa Sonora Beam‘s “The Daily Observer” workshop–it’s a mini-journal made from greeting cards. I brought the cards I received from colleagues for my 40th birthday last month. I was very proud that I finished something and that I did it within a month of my actual birthday. [Following the photos, I describe what I did.]
40th birthday mini-journal
As you can see, it’s very simple. I gathered my cards in a nested fashion and arranged them in a pleasing way. Okay, I’ll admit that it took me an embarrassingly long time and unbelievably numerous combinations to set them in an order I was happy with! Ridiculous but I finally did get an arrangement I love. There was a slight complication in that I had a multi-fold card which I inserted off-center. I then used ribbon yarn I had purchased at Stitches West and just tied the ribbon. Easy!
The next step is to journal on any blank pages within the book and at first I resisted. I was planning on adding tags to write on so that I would be able to keep the “integrity” of the cards but suddenly realized yesterday how silly that was! And so I broke down and wrote a few things directly on the cards and it was liberating! I plan to write a little bit more about the parties at work and then include a photo of that day as well.
I realized that I really didn’t want to throw away the cards for such a big birthday but didn’t want the clutter. Storing a mini-journal is much easier and gives more structure to these mementos. Thanks Lisa for the great idea and inspiration!
For photos, see my Flickr! set of mini-journals.
I’m on the “Carnival of Green Crafts”
So exciting! As a new crafter and blogger, I am just so excited to have been featured on the latest Carnival of Green Crafts. But it’s more than just getting a little recognition and some nice visitors to this blog–most importantly is how committed I am to living responsibly and crafting creatively to protect the environment. I actually really like the challenge of reusing materials, saving things which might look like trash, and finding ways to minimize waste. It must be the problem-solving side of me–it’s an extra challenge to face!
Please check out the Carnival (this website lists the entire series and has a link to the submission form). Support the idea of creative and fun and responsible crafting!
