Weekly Giveaway: triSERIFtops!

Congrats to our follower: Silver~ the fifth entry in our giveaway last week from Good Memories Cafe! She'll be decorating her garden with her unique, upcycled mini totem from Elizabeth, who created it and sponsored the giveaway. Thank you so much to both of them and all who entered!

Jessie Katz, from triSERIFtops is this week's sponsor and her whimsically designed cards will put a smile on your face and the person you send them too! Designed to be versatile and economic, her 'checkbox' cards are also eco-friendly~ printed on 100% recycled paper using non-polluting renewable electricity.

Jessie Katz is also the owner of DESIGNosaurus~ where she creates and sells her gift card earrings as seen on the Today Show during Earth Week, 2011. She was a Top Ten finalist in the Art of ReUse Contest that focused on upcycled products. We are proud to call her a member of Upcyclers, our Etsy team of artists who Love 2 Upcycle! All of Jessie's jewelry is made from recycled and reclaimed materials, including plastic gift and credit cards, vintage and broken jewelry, scrap wood and more.

Although a full time freelance graphic designer, Jessie still finds time to learn more about design and typography and work on her own personal projects. She sells hand drawn colorful cards, original drawings and quality prints in triSERIFtops. Custom prints of her hand drawn alphabet designs are all available in her Alphabet Poster Series.

Jessie is giving away a set of four greeting cards, including three of her checkbox cards and the 'Congrats' card pictured above! And it's easy to enter~

First you must be a follower of Love 2 Upcycle to enter~ not a follower? Just look to the right and click on the 'Follow' button!

Then you can submit up to 4 entries, each must be entered HERE in a separate comment.

1. Browse and Favorite triSERIFtops and tell us here which shop item was your favorite.

2. Become a follower of her blog:  DESIGNosaurus~ Art, Craft & Graphic Design for tutorials, crafter profiles, inspiration and works in progress.

3.  Like Jessie's page: DESIGNosaurus (Jessie Katz) on Facebook or follow her tweets @ triSERIFtops.

4. 'Tweet' or 'Like' this Giveaway using our Like or Tweet button or Share a link to our Giveaway on your Facebook fan page.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, August 3rd at midnight.

The WINNER will be randomly drawn and announced with our next giveaway~ Thursday, August 4th.

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!

Meet & Greet: TheFanFavorite

For David, Fan Favorite is a labor of love. He takes comic books, novels, and music covers and gives them new life by turning them into wallets, bags, and purses. He also makes custom pieces. So if you have a sports team or wedding invitation you want saved in a unique way the check out The Fan Favorite.

Whale nature wallet

I asked David a few questions and here is what he had to share:

Tell us a little about yourself and what you sell.
Hello my name is David I also have a business partner (Jason). For the most part I sell upcycled accessories (wallets, purses, messenger bags etc). While I love to create for all topics I have had the most success within the comic field.

Avengers comic book wallet

What is your favorite thing about creating?
I love creating a new item from discarded items as well as the whole creative process.

Superman comic book messenger bag

Why did you decide to work with upcycled/recycled/repurposed/vintage materials?
I wanted to work from items that I love (comics, music etc) and still give credit to the original artists. I also love concept of reusing to build something new.

Horse purse unique handmade women's purse

What is your favorite thing about running your Etsy shop?
I love the freedom of the shop. I love that I have sold to people in countries that I would have never reached without Etsy. I also love the support and love that comes from the groups and blogs.

Share links to where we can find you on the web
My Website is www.thefanfavorites.com 
Etsy shop www.etsy.com/shop/TheFanFavorites?ref=ss_profile
Flickr page www.flickr.com/photos/thefanfavorites/
Facebook page www.facebook.com/#!/thefanfavorites

Thanks David for sharing today!

See you next week,
Valerie
Everyday Inspired

Reducing Consumer Waste

Reducing Consumer Waste…and I don’t mean just recycling.

Reducing consumer waste is an important part of sustainability. The importance of keeping waste out of our landfills is crucial to the health of our planet. It is reported that almost all landfills leak or eventually will leak as their liners decay and they leach toxins into our environment. Call it what you want, reducing, upcycling, repurposing or reusing, it is basic conservation of both raw and manmade materials, and reducing waste is crucial to our future.



Consumer Waste can be grouped into two categories:

Post Consumer Waste is generally the waste we routinely discard in our trash cans and at the dump. This is the waste that litters our highways and sidewalks. It is leftover from consumers buying products and either using them or creating waste from buying them. There are many different types of post consumer waste: paper waste like magazines and junk mail, disposable waste like batteries & tissues, broken items we no longer want, food waste, human waste, pet waste and water waste from different forms of cleaning are all considered post consumer waste.

The Wooden Bee upcycles some of our family’s post consumer waste. We reuse plastic containers for storage and organizing. We turn unwanted magazines and discarded beer cartons and cereal boxes into recycled wall art. We recycle shipping and packaging materials in our studio and in our orders. Our stain and paint rags are taken only from old tshirts & towels. Even the Sustainable Supplies section of our shop allows us to find unwanted hardware pieces a new home.




Pre Consumer Waste is a newer term to consumer waste. It is a material that was discarded before it was ready for consumer use. Pre-consumer waste is the reintroduction of manufacturing scrap (such as trimmings from paper production) back into the manufacturing process. Sometimes it is not thought of as traditional recycling, but is an important way to keep large amount of manufacturing waste out of our landfills. For example, if carpet companies can take their scraps and incorporate them back into their products, things like yarn, fiber and other natural resources will be saved from taking up landfill space.

We feel our wood, the main material we recycle, falls under both pre and post consumer waste categories. Sometimes we come across reclaimed wood that is decades old and has served another purpose like a cabinet door. It would obviously be considered post consumer waste. However, a large portion of our wood is left over from the new home construction process, and has been cut for cabinets and moldings but was never used. It comes to us raw, with no paint or stain, and often it never left the manufacturing facilities where it was cut. This wood is then the trimmings of the new home construction process and we are reintroducing it, therefore we feel it is pre consumer waste.




When I first went into business last year, we decided to call our wood “recycled wood,” since it fell into both of these categories. Since then, we decided “reclaimed wood” gave our audience a better understanding of our products as a whole, especially since many people don’t know about the term pre consumer waste. What category our wood falls into could be debated, but one thing is for sure, it is beautiful wood being saved from taking up landfill space!

Quick Tips to help Reduce Your Consumer Waste

• There are a number of online resources:
o Freecycle.Org is a great one! Just look up your local group and start recycling. Or you can check out Upcyclers' own version: Freeupcycle!
o Craigslist is another resource to help people buy, sell and trade things they no longer want or need.
o Etsy has a large selection of vintage items and using their search engines you can find amazing handmade creations made from all sorts of recycled materials.
• In your community, you can find resources like:
o Buy from and Donate to places like Good Will, the Salvation Army, and local church and charity consignment shops.
o Hold garage sales & visit estate sales.
o Donate to your local Habitat for Humanity’s Restore. They take almost ANYTHING for the home (except electronics & clothing) and will even take full gallons of unused paint, if you happened to buy too much or the wrong color.
• If you do have to buy new, try to buy durable.
o Take into consideration product packaging, product life, and the options you will have in recycling or reusing the product once it has come to the end of its shelf life.

Becoming ethical consumers is something that everyone should start looking into. Does value or values determine your purchases? Educating yourself about the products you buy & their affect on the environment is vital to our future and the future of our planet.

Weekly Giveaway: Good Memories Cafe!

Due to technical difficulties, this week's post was delayed until today. We apologize and thank you for your patience!

Congrats to Jacqueline, our 49th entry in last week's Giveaway from Boozy Baubles! We had lots of entries for her beautifully upcycled translucent earrings made from a vintage lavender plate and are so happy you participated, and another thanks to Cheri, too, for sponsoring the giveaway!

This week's giveaway is another example of the creative upcycling re-uses for vintage glass! Elizabeth from Vintage Glass Totems and Good Memories Cafe has created this mini totem for your garden out of a bud vase, vintage sea blue colored ashtray and an old glass percolator top! It would make a whimsical addition to your summer garden as you can see~

And here's another look~

Aside from her Vintage Garden Totem shop, Elizabeth also sells vintage and handmade "Good Memories" in her other Etsy shop. She's always wanted her own shop, a studio where she can share her "memories" and so she left the corporate world to find her creative niche!

You can also visit Elizabeth's blogspot~ "A place where 'stuff' becomes a good memory". Regular features like 'Wordless Wednesday' and 'Sunday Sayings' offer a glimpse into her creative inspirations and thoughts anyone can enjoy...

By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

                                                                                           by Charles H. Spurgeon

Ready to enter our Giveaway?

First you must be a follower of Love 2 Upcycle to enter~ not a follower? Just look to the right and click on the 'Follow' button!

Then you can submit up to 4 entries, each must be entered HERE in a separate comment.

1. Browse and Favorite Vintage Totem Shop or Good Memories Cafe and tell us here which shop item was your favorite.

2. Become a follower of her blog~ Good Memories Cafe or follow her on Twitter!

3.  Like Elizabeth's page: Good Memories Cafe on Facebook!

4. 'Tweet' or 'Like' this Giveaway using our Like or Tweet button or Share a link to our Giveaway on your Facebook fan page.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, July 27th at midnight.

The WINNER will be randomly drawn and announced with our next giveaway~ Thursday, July 28th.

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!

Meet & Greet: ReFinds

Amy loves to work with old and alternative materials and turning unexpected items into jewelry. She enjoys giving you new life to things that would otherwise be discarded.

Amy is inspired by nature and having her Etsy shop lets her support causes she care about. A percentage of the profit from her ReFinds shop is currently being donated to the World Wildlife Fund.

Capacitor Earrings 20 Geek chic in Black

Today Amy answered a few questions about herself and her business here is what she had to say

Tell us a little about yourself and what you sell.
I’m a freelance graphic designer, but my alter-ego loves to make jewelry, hit estate sales and dig through junk shops for cool vintage kit.

Mirrored Secret mini Matchbox Pendant 

What is your favorite thing about creating?
My favorite thing is that moment when I’m so immersed in whatever project I’m working on that I totally lose track of time because I’m having so much fun that no other thoughts enter my head. I guess it’s sort of like a form of mediation. When I’m making something and really loving it, all seems right with the world.

Resistor Tech Bracelet Striped  Brown

Why did you decide to work with upcycled/recycled/repurposed/vintage materials?
I love old stuff. Things used to be built to last (not cheap plastic). I especially love things you can hold in your hand and feel the quality of how it was made. It makes me feel good to help find new life for stuff that might be tossed out just because there’s a newer (but not necessary better) version available. I also get my love of hardwire and odd electronic bits from my dad and my grandfathers. They were playthings when I was a kid and now it just feels natural to work with them.

Gnornish Acorn Earrings Dainty Green Real Acorn

What is your favorite thing about running your Etsy shop?
I’m still new enough to Etsy that it’s the thrill of getting that email that says someone made a purchase. It’s still a little bit of a shock and a rush to think that someone else likes what I sell enough to buy it. I’ve also had a great time learning how to take better photos for my shop. The other sellers on Etsy are great too…so helpful and supportive of one another.

Hanging thermometer old and well worn

What inspires you to create/sell what you do?
My inspiration comes from all over. Sometimes it’s from the materials or from nature, like with my acorn earrings. I went for a walk one day and spotted a huge collection of acorns under a big old tree and thought, “I wonder what I could do with those?” Sometimes it’s from seeing what other people are making and sometimes it’s totally out of the blue – an idea will just hit me usually when I’m cooking dinner or in the shower and not thinking about creative stuff at all.

Share links to where we can find you on the web
www.refinds.etsy.com
www.refindsVintage.etsy.com
www.facebook.com/refinds
re-finds.blogspot.com

Thanks for sharing Amy!

See you next week,
Valerie
Everyday Inspired

Love 2 DIY on the Weekend: Upcycled Flower Necklace!

Check out this quick and easy tute from Mich L. in L.A.~

Do you like this BIG, bold, fun flower necklace?

You could make it in three minutes.  And the only tools you'll need are a pair of scissors and one interesting jewelry finding!  Want to see how?  Here goes.





Question: have you got any of these handsome little studs lying around the house?

Oopsie!  Wrong picture!


I meant these little studs, the metal kind - also called decorative nailheads:

How about scissors and a scrap of felt?

Then you're ready to create your necklace.

First, cut a felt shape to look like a small bud vase. 

Then choose a 2-dimensional flower and one metal stud.

Poke the stud through the flower, then through the round part of the felt.  Like so:

Fold the 'neck' part of the bud vase down onto the points of the stud, then fold the points inward, using your fingernail or the back of a spoon.  They are tiny and hard to see, but they're there - and holding everything together quite nicely.

The neck of your felt bud vase has now become a built-in loop for adding a chain, cord or neck wire...

And voila!  A sweet, studded pendant.

The fun doesn't stop here! Head over to Mich L.'s blog for the rest of the tute!

Mich L. also has a shop on Etsy called Shop Mich L. where she sells her creative upcycled jewelry from vintage finds~ "Take a peek, you might find the perfect unexpected thing!

Weekly Giveaway: Boozy Baubles

Congrats to Lyudmila! She was the fourth entry in last week's Giveaway and that was the lucky number generated by Random.org! Our Children's Earth created the beautiful upcycled woolie case that she won~ We're sure she will love keeping her Nook/Kindle or other treasures in it! If you didn't win, don't fret~ you can find more of their upcycled creations in their Etsy shop!

This week, we have a set of upcycled, tumbled translucent glass earrings with sterling silver french hooks created from a broken vintage lavender plate!

Cheri Smith from Boozy Baubles loves recycling bottles, plates and jars into beautiful sparkling jewelry. She started Boozy Baubles in Oregon in 2009 on an inspiration to combine her glass skills and urban recycling efforts. Cheri was a glass artist and photographer in the 1970's with glass studios in Oregon, Tasmania and Hawaii and is happy to be working with glass again, especially in a way that touches so many people. Aside from her Etsy shop, Boozy Baubles are currently carried in the eight 'Made in Oregon' shops around the state, all University of Oregon gift stores, 'Cap'N Gulls' in Lincoln Ctiy, 'Sibling Revelry' in Corvallis and in 'Imagine Gallery' and 'Shamrock Flowers and Gifts' in Eugene. Cheri started traveling to Europe in 1999 and fell in love with statuary and gargoyles and has been taking their photographs ever since. She started her card line~ Revelation Cards in 2007. She creates greeting cards with "inspirational quotes paired with timeless images" which you can also find in her Etsy shop.

Boozy Baubles make great gifts for your 'passionate about the planet friends'. No two pieces of glass are alike making each recycled glass pair truly unique. Cheri will even create jewelry from your own sentimental vintage glass, just like she did with the earrings for our Giveaway that she made from her Aunt Pattie's plate!

Here's how to enter~

First you must be a follower of Love 2 Upcycle to enter~ not a follower? Just look to the right and click on the 'Follow' button!

Then you can submit up to 4 entries, each must be entered HERE in a separate comment.

1. Browse Boozy Baubles, and tell us here which item was your favorite.

2. 'Favorite' and 'Like' their shop, Boozy Baubles on Etsy.

3.  Like their page: Boozy Baubles on Facebook.

4. 'Tweet' or 'Like' this Giveaway using our Like or Tweet button or Share a link to our Giveaway on your Facebook fan page.

Deadline to enter is Wednesday, July 20th at midnight.

The WINNER will be randomly drawn and announced with our next giveaway~ Thursday, July 21st.

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!

Meet & Greet: TreasuresAnew

Inspired by her Mom's love of antiques, she instilled in Serena a love of vintage dishes and glassware. Because of this love she saves broken china from being tossed away by creating one of a kind jewelry.

Serena also does special orders. If you have a pattern from a loved one you want preserved Serena can turn that pattern into beautiful jewelry.

Broken China Jewelry Pendant Adderley's China

I asked Serena a few questions and here is what she had to share:

Tell us a little about yourself and what you sell.
I live in southern IN, 59 years old, retired, widowed, and sell broken china jewelry. My main interest other than my jewelry is Australian Sheperd Rescue which I have been involved in for about 12 years.

Broken china jewelry Pin Brooch Vintage JH 

What is your favorite thing about creating?
My favorite thing about creating my jewelry is preserving the past. I love the fact that a dish that is over 100 years old can be made into a keepsake that will last for generations. I do quite a bit of custom work making jewelry out of dishes that belonged to relatives who have passed on. I feel as though I'm remaking a memory for that person.

Broken China Jewelry Charm Bracelet

Why did you decide to work with upcycled/recycled/repurposed/vintage materials?
I decided to do this work because I loved antique dishes and hated the thought that once they were damaged or broken that they would be thrown away. They were too beautiful to just be thrown into the trash.

Free Shipping Broken china jewelry Necklace

What is your favorite thing about running your Etsy shop?
I love running my Etsy shop as I have met so many people who love what I do for some of the same reasons I do. It has been a great experience and a lot of fun.

Vintage recycled Alfred Meakin Selwyn Broken china Jewelry Pendant

What inspires you to create/sell what you do?
I am inspired to make my jewelry by the beautiful patterns of the dish and to preserve as many of them as I can. I like to think about where the dish might have come from, was it someones wedding china and knowing that at some point and time that antique dish meant a lot to someone.

You can see Serena's work in her
Etsy Shop
Ebay Shop
Website

Thanks for sharing with us today Serena!

See you next week,
Valerie
Everyday Inspired

Monday's Makeover: Anatomy of a Bathroom Facelift!

This week's Makeover is a repost from fellow Upcycler~ Jacqueline Arroyo from HandArtDesignStudios! Jacqui creates "unique handmade items to bring enjoyment and pleasure to those who have them, and help beautify and enhance their environments." She is also an interior designer and shares her budget and space saving solutions for your home~ that are also eco-chic and beautiful!

Anatomy of a Bathroom Facelift

Creating a new look in the bathroom does not have to cost an arm and a leg.  It can be done inexpensively, with a few well thought out changes.  First of all, think of a concept or theme.  What is this room going to say about you?  What do you want it to do for you, functionally and aesthetically?  Is there a particular feel you are trying to accomplish?

Secondly, you have to think about what colors and color scheme will go with your concept.  Try to not have more than 2-3 colors in order to be most effective.  The more colors you try to integrate into your design, the more potential for something to go astray.

Thirdly, what is your budget, and what can you honestly afford to change in your bathroom?  If your budget is very limited, you can at least minimally change the following:

1)  Wall color
2)  Flooring
3)  One major accent piece in the room, and/or accessories

You can still make a strong impact changing just these few things, and once again, it will not cost too much.

If your budget for both time and financial resources is more generous, then there's a few more things you can add to the list:

4) Resurfacing/painting/ or staining the cabinetry
5) Changing/resurfacing countertops
6) Changing cabinet hardware

Great impact can be achieved with these few changes, but if you are still looking for something more significant in terms of the functionality of your space, then you can add a few more things to the list such as:

7)  Changing the lighting (can make a huge impact on the room)
8)  Changing the cabinetry
9)  Changing the plumbing fixtures.

Take a look a few of the changes I made in my own bathroom to create a completely different space:


First of all, let's talk flooring.  Here's an example of how to make lemonade when life gives you lemons.  After coming home and noticing that one of the boxes of tile I had gotten was a slightly different color than the rest, I figured, well, let's make this work.  So here the slightly darker tile was used as a broken tile border.  In other words, it was made to look as if it was planned that way.

In this photo you can also see some of the cabinetry.  I could not afford to change it, and didn't want to put the time into refinishing it (at least at this time), so I just changed the hardware.  It looks like new cabinetry.  It's amazing what a little elbow grease and new jewelry can do!
 

I spoke about changing one big accent piece in the room.  In this case it was the mirror.  I got rid of the dated wall to wall mirror and instead bought a round piece of wood, a mirror to fit inside of it, and tiled the border with leftover pieces of broken tile from the floor, pieces of broken mirror, glass beads and shells.  This becomes a significant piece for the room not only because of the size, functionality and aesthetics it brings to the room, but also because it is a piece that brings forth and emphasizes the concept for the room.  Can you guess what it is?  I call it "Ocean Tranquility".  You can also see the color of the walls, a nice shade of blue with gray undertones.

 
In a bathroom the shower curtain can also be an impactful accent piece since it is large, colorful, and again can do a lot towards conveying the concept and color scheme of the space.  The only thing is that shower curtains can also be budget busters.  Since I really couldn't find something within my very restricted budget, I figured, if I can't find it, I can make it. But again, I didn't necessarily wanted to go to the fabric store and do the whole thing from scratch. Instead, I sort of improvised and put together a few pieces into a cohesive whole.  I knew I wanted to emphasize the color scheme of chocolate brown and aqua blue, so I found not a shower curtain, but a regular fabric curtain panel in the right color.  I cut it in half and just had to hem the cut edges (actually used iron-on tape, no sewing necessary).  I then found another panel in a shimmery aqua fabric that looked like the pearlescence that is often seen inside a shell, and that became my middle panel.  I then got lucky and found the string window valance also with pearlescent sequins, and it just capped off the curtain beautifully.  In terms of functionality, I didn't have to worry about this being a shower used often, so I didn't bother with the fabric being water resistant, but if I did I could have put a clear shower liner behind the curtains.

And then came the accessories.  Instead of a painting or expensive wall art, this is just a store bought dressing long mirror with a wall paper border affixed to it.  It gives the impression that the piece of art has a mirror matting.  The wall paper border of course is quite special.  I bought just a little piece of it at a historic wallpaper factory (at their once a year sale). Not enough to put around the room, but pretty enough to showcase as a piece of art.

For the other wall, just some shells in some simple boxes on the wall.  Very simple, but effective.

And there you have it, a room transformed with very little money, some effort, and a lot of bargain shopping.

We love Jacqui's ideas and can't wait to share more of them here on our blog~ but if you want to see more right now, head over to her blog:
HandArt Design Studios!