Right Round Baby

Coasters don't get any rounder and cooler than this set of 4 wooden coasters made from an old skateboard! 2Revert has taken recycled skateboards to a new level of ingenuity and I gotta say, I quite like it...



~Kate

Mirror Mirror

On the wall... Who's the eco-friendliest of them all?

It's this contemporary circles mirror by BululuStudio!



This decorative mirror is not only aesthetically beautiful, but being as it's made from reclaimed pine wood, it's a wonderful "green" piece that you can and SHOULD add to your home.

Let's Spoon

With a vintage spoon turned mirror! I can totally picture the Little Mermaid sporting one of these under the sea...


Mirror by TaDahpdx

Felted Beauty

Tanisalexis created this beautiful hand felted vessel, which has as many uses as the mind can imagine! I love the idea of putting a potted plant in it especially. This piece would add color and vibrance to any room!

Mixed Tapes Live On!

You too can kick it old school with goodkarma's mixed tape pouch!

Orphan Love

One of my husband's co-workers found out that I was a knitter when she saw him carrying around an iPod sock I'd made for him. A few months later she asks him if I'd be interested in some yarn that she had from when she herself tried taking up knitting. She had no need for it anymore because knitting didn't really stick for her.

Of course I said yes to her yarn. I'm not some sort of monster who'd let perfectly good yarn end up in a landfill or something. So husband-man brought home a whole plastic tote worth of this orphaned yarn for me. It's not the kind of yarn I generally gravitate towards in stores, but I feel an obligation to try to make something suiting out of every kind of yarn I have. And so here is what I recently made out of one of the orphaned skeins I received:



The yarn used for this chain link scarf is acrylic, and ends up being great for this purpose because it keeps the links in a wonderful oval shape, and the scarf is still quite comfy, not to mention stylish!



Do you use any orphaned materials you come across or are given? I'd love to hear about what they are, where they're from, and what you turn them into!

~ShutterKate

Knitting is B-A-N-A-N-A-S!

Especially when you knit with yarn MADE from banana fibers, like this beautiful skein from blondechicken...


"This unusual yarn is handspun from recycled banana fibers. The fibers are collected by women in Nepal from the remnants from the sari weaving looms. They sort it by color and handspin the fibers and sell it through fair trade co-ops that provide educational opportunities. Banana fiber was extracted from banana trees (bananière , in French)-mostly their stems and leaves. When it comes to my home, I dye it in soft shades that aren't offered by the co-op. Bananiere is an incredibly strong yarn and will knit into beautiful (and unique) bags and shawls."

I'M SORRY THIS WEEK WAS SO POST-LITE!

It's been bugging me that I haven't had time for Eco Craftiness this week, but I've been busy working on projects, and ESPECIALLY getting ready for the Handmade Faire in Medford, NJ which I will be selling at tomorrow!

This is my first ever craft show, so I'm a bit overwhelmed, especially because I'm the type that needs to think of everything that is necessary in order to be prepared in advance. Yet I know I'll still forget some things, especially because this is my first time.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade Shutterkate.etsy.com

Wish me luck and I hope to see you there if you're close by! Check out just some of the stuff I'll be selling at this show above.

~Kate

Oooh Random Taggage!

Rikkianne over at ChakraPennyWhistle tagged me. Here it goes...

Let's start with the rules:
Link to your tagger and list the rules
List 7 random facts about yourself
Tag 7 people
If you're tagged, play along and pass it on!

Ready? Here's my random seven:

1. Anything less than 8 hours of sleep and I'm exhausted for the day.
2. I take entirely too much pride in the music I like even though a lot of people don't know of or think it's anywhere near as great as I do.
3. I passed by Matt Berry walking down a street in London and my knees got weak.
4. I love Jane Austin books but hate Jane Austin hype, even though I probably add to it.
5. My immediate family all moved to Florida and I remain n NJ because I am not at all fond of the Florida's climate or the planning/development that's gone into most of it.
6. Every few months I seem to switch to a new type of caffeinated beverage that I become obsessed with.
7. My mind and body keep telling me they're ready for kids, but my living space and wallet keep reminding the former two that it's just not practical right now.

Okay you are up....

Steph
Foochuck
Kim
John
Jackie
Kara
Courtney

~Kate

EcoEtsy's Auction for a Cause!

You need to get all up on EcoEtsy's auction for a Cause.

EcoEtsy is a group of artists and crafters that sell on Etsy.com. Members from the group have donated handmade, eco-friendly goodies that add up to a worth of over $300 retail. These goodies are being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The highest bid will be donated to the Nature Conservancy.

All the info on the auction is here, along with details on how to bid!

You can check on the status of the auction by looking for updates on EcoEtsy's blog.

If you'd like details on what was donated, check out the forum post on the auction here.


I personally donated a set of dish cloths like the ones above, but in light blue, dark blue, and cream.

Get your bid in soon, as this auction ends on October 30th! This could be a fabulous way to help the environment and get a basket full of eco-friendly goodies that you can keep for yourself or turn into fabulous holiday gifts!

So get bidding!!!