Love 2 DIY on the Weekend~ MAKE it!

So you Love 2 Upcycle~ which goes to say you Love 2 DIY! Well, you're not alone! Aside, of course, from the nearly 2000 members of our team of Upcyclers on Etsy, there are millions out there around the world. You're in great company. Innovative, creative and imaginative~ Upcyclers are truly genius in their own way! I came across a fellow community of Upcyclers, but they call their group MAKE! They showcase their projects on Flickr and subscribe to a magazine of the same name at Makezine.com ~ you can find great articles there and thousands of photos in their group pool on Flickr. So if you're looking for some inspo for this weekend's project, here's a few to get you rolling!

Most of the projects are on the geek side, technology tweeked and manipulated into new uses, but there are some on the organic side of the spectrum as well. I only made it through about a dozen pages of the gallery so far, but I look forward to checking out a lot more! Don't forget that Upcyclers have their own Flickr group! You can catch some inspiration there too!

Weekly Giveaway: The ReGiftables!

It's that time again~ We have a new giveaway ready for one of our lucky readers to win! This week, our sponsor is The ReGiftables! But before we tell you more, let's all send Congrats to Susan D.~ #26! She's the winner of Art Recycles' cute and clever Tuck-It-Board: "Keepers"! Our thanks to Tracey for sponsoring the giveaway and to all who entered!

Now, on to this week's Giveaway...

Elyse Hutchinson has been dreaming lately~ of all the endless possibilities of upcycling! She says she lies awake at night with images of her crafty ideas dancing in her head. And the results are amazing! She calls her shop The ReGiftables and one of her product lines are upcycled gift cards turned into gorgeous jewelry, and Elyse is kind enough to "ReGift" one to us!

Elyse earned national recognition for her jewelry when she was chosen as a finalist in Bobbie Thomas' DIY Craft Challenge on the Today Show! Her products have evolved beautifully to now include charms, crystals and other embellishments. My personal favorite are these dragonfly earrings with dangling purple Swarovski crystals!

I can't wait to hear about your favorites~ it'll be one of the ways you can enter our Giveaway!
Here's a peek at a few more of her creations, then we'll tell you about all the ways to enter...

Elyse started her upcycled designing at a very young age, creating dollhouse furniture from egg cartons and tiny pillows from socks! We're proud to have her as a member of Upcyclers and can't wait to see where her imagination takes her in the future!

If you'd like a chance to win her beautiful Re-Carded Purple Blooms Necklace, it's easy:

First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.
Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!
  1. Check out The ReGiftables on Etsy and favorite the shop! Tell us here which item is your favorite!

2. Follow The ReGiftables on Twitter!
3. Like The ReGiftables on Facebook!
4. Tweet this Giveaway on Twitter or Share it on Facebook!
5. Pin one of Elyse's items from her shop on Pinterest!


Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, March 4th!

Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator.

Good Luck!
 
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

Countdown to Christmas Giveaway Extraganza~ Day 4!

Are you ready for Christmas? We're counting down the days and hope you'll take a little break and enter our 4th Giveaway, this one is from Mello Stuff~ owned by a pair of creative sisters one of whom you should recognize~ Mel.

Mel is one of the leaders of Upcyclers, and, in fact, she's also one of our charter members. I am also proud to say that I can now call her my friend, whose encouragement and support for myself and our team has been a constant source of strength for me. Her kindness and willingness to reach out to our members and to myself is what she sometimes forgets is critical to our success, and occasionally disparages herself for being "low-tech". I have reminded her and many other members that being tech savvy is not the most important part of what we do. It is the creative upcycling process and the opportunity to bond with like-minded artists/upcyclers that is valued most in our team. That is why we are such a wonderfully diverse Etsy team~ each with our own strengths, talents and purposeful goals. And it is during the holiday season that we should take time to remember those that we love and appreciate the most~ not just by giving material gifts, but also by giving heartfelt thanks!

So THANK YOU, MEL! And thank you for generously sponsoring Day 4 of our Countdown to Christmas Giveaway Extravaganza!

Melissa and Lori {Mel ~ Lo Stuff} upcycle broken jewelry into amazing new wearable art that makes a bold and innovative fashion statement. Popular and imaginative steampunk style and altered art techniques are incorporated into their unique, one-of-a-kind jewelry. Necklaces, bracelets, rings, brooches and barefoot sandals can be found in their Etsy shop.

Such is the piece you have a chance to win now! A tiny butterfly earring that lost it's mate has found a new home among watch parts, silver chain, polymer clay, and acrylic paint assembled on an adjustable silver ring.

Mel and Lori are the perfect compliment to one another~ Mel designs and hand-assembles their jewelry using every imaginable implement, including hard to find gemstones and vintage watch parts. Lori is "quality-control central", keeping Mel organized and listing the artful, upcycled creations online in their Etsy shop. Together they have successfully developed a niche for themselves on one of the world's most popular handmade venues!

So by now, I'm sure you are convinced that Mello Stuff is the source for wearable art! If you'd like to take advantage of this opportunity to win their tiny butterfly steampunk ring, now is your chance!

First, be sure you are a follower of this blog, Love 2 Upcycle~ not a follower? Just look to the left and click. Voila! You are a follower. But you haven't entered yet.

Now, you can choose 4 of the following ways to enter, up to 4 times!

1. Check out Mello Stuff favorite her shop add Mello Stuff to your circle.
2. Tell us here in a comment about your Favorite item in her shop! 
3. Become a fan of MelloStuff on Facebook!
4. Tweet or share this Giveaway!
5. Pin one your favorite items from Mello Stuff to Pinterest!

Remember, only 4 entries count, and each one must be left in a separate comment! If you don't have an email listed on your bio, leave it here in one of your comments. Deadline to enter is Midnight, December 23rd!

Winner will be randomly drawn using Random.org's generator.
Good Luck and Merry Christmas!
Would you like to Sponsor a Giveaway on Love 2 Upcycle? You don't have to be a member of Upcyclers to be a sponsor, all Etsy sellers of upcycled or eco-friendly products are welcome! But of course, we'd love for you to join the team!

It's a Wacky Wednesday!

Valerie from Additions Style, our weekly contributor for Meet and Greet, is away this week. So since things are a bit wacky for me without her (miss ya, Val!) ~ why not a fill-in post about some of the wackiest upcycled things I could find out there in virtual space!



Amy Winehouse, she's not~ Amy NUThouse, she is!

How about a hand for these hands? or two...

Bad Hair Day? Try this for a fix...

And if that doesn't work, try covering it up with this...

Maybe if you wear these, no one will pay attention to your hair?

But let's not forget the guys~ Isn't Father's Day coming up in a few months?

And if you don't like to WEAR your undies, you could always CARRY them...

Well, this has been fun~ and you know what they say: Time Flies~ When you're havin' Fun!

All kidding aside, these creations show the ingenuity and imagination it takes to create something so wacky but clever! The vision of these artists is what keeps us intrigued and helps bring attention to the upcycling movement~ and for that we love them!

Have a favorite? Tell us which one you thought was the wackiest, or share a link to one of your own favorites with us. Valerie will be back next week with a new interview with a member of Upcyclers~ and Tune in tomorrow to find out what our Team Challenge for April will be. We'll also tell you who won this week's DIY Giveaway!

300+ Love 2 Upcycle~ That's a Whole Lotta LOVE!

Over 300 

PopTopLady

Artists have joined Upcyclers,
our Etsy team of artists who Love 2 Upcycle!
An amazing feat to accomplish in just over two months...

We have welcomed some of the earliest sellers of upcycled products on Etsy, like Pop Top Lady, one of the first to sell crocheted pop top creations. Another new member, OhNoUDidn't! Designs has been creating original recycled snack wrapper fashions since 2004, and now sells on Etsy.


Proudly diverse, our members create products from every material you can imagine! And for everyone also: men, women, children, pets! Then there's products for your home, garden, vehicle, patio, office... All with one common thread: Reducing waste. We have shop owners who have just opened as well, some who have just discovered their talents, self-taught and driven by their dreams. Others have been selling on Etsy since the beginning. Some of our artists have been schooled in the finest institutions, some have been taught or inspired by parents or relatives. And then there are those who, having had their own children, decided to instill a love for the planet, creativity and self-sustainability- or just wanted to be able to stay home with them!

Their stories are wonderful to read- little snippets of inspiration shared by a community of like-minded individuals who happened to find a niche for themselves with others who...
Love 2 Upcycle!

Sustainable Kids- Eco Warrior Polo

OhNoUDidn't! Designs

Igrek & Zed Dry Goods Co.

Recycled State by John Birdsong

Voight Metal - Robot Banks