Trashion Outfitters #6

Another week, another great outfit from the Trashion Team shops!! This outfit was put together by wabisabibrooklyn - many thanks for putting this trashion outfit together!!

The outfit starts with a 3 Little Skullies Pink t-shirt by Miggipyn. Great for Halloween, or for anyone that love skulls!!


What to wear with it? This Denim and Lace Micromini Skirt by dismantled would be perfect!



And to carry around all of your stuff each day, this Blue Denim Messenger Bag by pouch would be great! Be sure to check out the lovely yellow lining!


Want to keep your hair out of your eyes? Then this Headband with Upcycled Fabric Applique by GarbageofEdenDesign is what you need!


Jewelry makes the perfect finishing touch, and for this outfit there are these cute Cherry Bomb Earrings by SweetyPrize



and a White Flower Bracelet by reduxdesigns!


What does everyone think? Isn't this a great outfit?

Thanks again to wabisabibrooklyn for putting the outfit together, and to the Trashion Team members for their wonderful creations!

Let's go to the Swap!

This month the trashion street team got all swapped out. About a dozen members exchanged magnets, buttons, cards, promos, coupons, stickers and other freebies in our team promo swap! It was cool to see all the members' designs and get to know all the shops more. Take a peek at some of the awesome designs.

Welcome aboard!

Here are some of our other team newbies!

We don't stop growing :-)

http://blingaling. etsy.com

http://metamorph. etsy.com

http://cremetangeri ne.etsy.com

Thanks for joining us on our trashion adventures.



catherine

http://sweetyprize. etsy.com

Trashion Outfitters - Outfit for a Selkie

Here is this weeks Trashion Outfit, put together by Drew of fairytalefibers!! It is an outfit a Selkie might wear if she were to stumble across Etsy during her visits to shore. Don't know what a Selkie is?? Check out the Wikipedia entry on them http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selkie!

A Selkie is going to need clothes to wear, so let's start with this Mermaid Shirt by Miggipyn


and pair it with this Denim and Lace Skirt by dismantled.


She may be cold after coming ashore, so she can wear this Headband Head Warmer by jen1kanobi for added warmth!


To accessorize, she can add these Jaded Memory Earrings by Trashion Mode:


And what could be more perfect than What The Nets Brought In Necklace by Soujourn Curiosities


and an Adventure Aquarium Penny Bracelet by Stars Dreams and Jewels??



Thank you Drew for an amazing outfit and a great story behind it!! I had heard of the legend before, but never knew what they were called, so I've learned something new!

Don't forget to shop the members shops and the Etsy Trashion Team store - upcycling is beautiful on us and for the Earth!

Etsy Finds: Handmade Rugs

Etsy Finds: Handmade Rugs
Story by anda, EtsyLabs
Published on September 12, 2007 in Spotlight
Photo by Fiveforty

Fall is coming.
Your hardwood floors are getting cold.
You need rugs. You need a lot of rugs. Handmade rugs, woven rugs, hooked rugs, braided rugs, recycled rugs, area rugs. Today's Etsy Find is a handwoven felted wool rag rug by Etsy seller Fiveforty. It's made from recycled old sweaters!

EyePopArt on HGTV!

Check out this awesome news from member http://eyepopart.etsy.com/:

"Please tune in to HGTV this Wednesday night, September 21, at 5:00 pm ET/PT for the show "Look What I Did!" This show is about "homeowners who break the design mold." There will be a segment featuring me and my house! My show is called "Psychedelic in Portland" and it will give you a close up view of my master bedroom/art studio that is filled with colorful mandala murals. I believe there will also be a part where I demo some of the upcycling work I do with vinyl records - you might see me either painting one, or shaping one into a bowl, or maybe even both, I don't know!I am really excited about this as I have waited two years to see it so I hope you guys will watch it and let me know what you think!More info on my blog at http://eyepopart.blogspot.com/Thank you!ChristineEye Pop Art"

Be sure to tune in!

Trashion team spotlight - Interview: Maki Squarepatch

Shop name: Maki Squarepatch
Shop address: http://www.makisquarepatch.etsy.com/
In a nutshell: recycling pre-loved apparels into new stuffs
Tell us a bit about yourself :
Maki Squarepatch is the joint effort of sisters Enqi (boss) and Xin (artist). Together, we built and run Maki Squarepatch to not only encourage people to appreciate the loves behind handmade products, but also to show people that recycling can be colorful, full of life, reflecting memories and tenderness from each individual creation.
Trashion materials: pre-loved clothing, unwanted fabrics, collected buttons & zippers etc.
I transform them into: stitchy-patchy pouches, pencil cases, blankets, toys, cushions, blouses, tees.
How do you do it?
First by picking out clothes that we would like transformed into something else, and what material is easy to work with. And from there, cutting-stitching-more cutting-more layering of colors, sometimes fabric-painting to get the effects we want in each product.
What inspired you to do this and why are you involved in trashion?
We were both inspired by our grandmother, who was not only a super thrifty lady, but who appreciates and enjoys the art and craft. She would collect scrap fabrics and sew table cloths for the house. Also, she NEVER threw away her childrens' clothing, and that influenced us a lot in the practice of: as little wastage as possible, and to cherish what we own.
Do you remember the first thing you made using the trashion concept?
What was it?
Xin: It was 3 dolls made using (only) one baby's Christening gown.
What are your current projects and what is on the horizon?
Our current projects include some preparation for a new series of products which involves the folding of cloth like paper origami, as well as making new blouses from discarded scrap fabrics donated by the local boutiques (we’re in Singapore!).
Why should people buy handmade, and buy from trashion?
If everyone buys handmade, there will be little use of energy for the mass production of goods. Of course, we cannot buy handmade tv or computers, but if everyones' wardrobe or daily needs are 5/10 handmade by an individual/group of artists, there will be no need for so much power to churn and upkeep factory machineries. And if 5/10 of these handmade are recycled, we are helping out the environment and starting a chain that is of no damage or cause for more pollution.

Etsy Trashion asks...

The Esty Trashion Street Team asks its members:
"What is the best place to find items to reuse in your crafts?"

http://bayousalvage.etsy.com/ says “the best place to find stuff is in other people's garbage piles & dumpsters. i have a kit with special tools,gloves and disinfectant spray. good junk is only a hop,skip & a junkpile away...”

http://trashionmode.etsy.com/ says...”My latest hot spot for freebies is the discardpile outside of the library. We also have a recycling facility that lets metake things. I just got a huge box of soda can pull tabs that I'm trying tofigure out how to use and a big stack of disposable aluminum trays that I'mthinking of using to create pendants similar to the soldered type. I mighttry the clear plastic from containers instead of the glass slides. I'llprobably have to add some heavy recycled beads just to add some weight.”

http://reneedesigns.etsy.com/ says the majority of the materials I use are delivered right to my front door as junk mail, magazines and newspapers. Everyone hates getting junk mail but I don't anymore now I know that it can be turned into something really cool. The rest I may find on the street orin thrift stores.”

http://sweetyprize.etsy.com/ says "Where do I not find supplies? I find them roadside in boxes, as I take a walk, at the flea market, and when my mom says 'You want this? I am going to throw it out.'" “

http://bemyshark.etsy.com/ says, “railroad tracks and abandoned buildings are ripe with trashionfodder...it's enough to make me miss Detroit..”

http://donnapool.etsy.com says
I check all the junk mail that comes to my house and all the newspaper ads in the Sunday papers. I check old catalogs and magazines. Now and then I'll check flea markets, used book stores and antique malls for vintage magazines that are likely to have ads I can recycle into my buttons, etc. I also get scraps for my soft toys from old clothes my family is ready to throw out.


http://kae1crafts.etsy.com says “In answer to this question, I have a variety of sources that I use starting with my own discards, closets, junk mail and found treasures in the street and on the beach. Then I accept "donations" from friends and family, prowl and buy at yard sales (especially from their 'Free' box) and from thrift stores. I usually have far more items and ideas that I have time or energy to complete. The Trashion concept has heightened my awareness of what I am throwing in the trash and making me question: Can I make something from this or is it REALLY trash? Even my supply store is filled with used patterns, books and supplies.”


http://Stitchblade.etsy.com says "I find a lot of my materials at thrift stores. There is one locally that sells random garbage bags full for 50 cents a piece. I have also gotten items from Freecycle.org and friends as well as within my own home."

http://sclibertine.etsy.com/ says, “This will sound silly, but everywhere! Generally thrift stores and their dumpsters, and freecycle. The dumpster by my Publix often has random bits, too. I've gotten quite a few things, from three boxes of yarn to horrible Christmas decorations to antique sewing supplies. It's fun, there is honestly no telling what people are looking to get rid of! Piles on the side of the road are a MAGNET to me! I have to stop and look for treasures."

http://jen1kanobi.etsy.com says "my day job; we get items shipped in all kinds of materials that would otherwise end up as waste, it just so happens to be a photolab, so i also score all kinds of scrap matt board, perfect for hard cover journals... my second favorite place to find things is my own family trash, we have excellent recycling in Ann Arbor, but they do not take freezer boxes, which turn out to make wonderful paper beads!"

http://reduxdesigns.etsy.com/ says "most of my jewelry is made from things Ifind in my jewelry box or button stash - reusing what I already have.I've also had good luck at a garage sales and thrift stores. Forclothes, thrift stores are the best, especially where you can buy bythe pound. I dig in and look for fabric and trim rather than at theitems."

http://haptotrope.etsy.com/ says, “There is a place here called "Buck-A-Pound" whereyou literally sit in a pile of all manners of textiles and dig through it.At times I'll close my eyes and feel around me and pull out only the bestfeeling fibers. I'll choose softness, luxury, or texture as my first lineof choice even before color and cut... Sometimes some things even comefrom the trash -- because Boston is a wealthy city with a lot ofturn-over, many people simply but their second hand items on the curb forpeople to take...its so common that we euphemistically donate perfectlygood and beautiful things to "Our Lady of the Curb" and go "Curb shopping" “

http://www.tomatedepingles.etsy.com says "thrift shops! i spend a lotof time in thrift shops, so much so i know all the clercks names, andthey put aside stuff for me to buy! they receive a lot of brokenjewelry, for example, and would normaly throw them out, but they keepthem for me and i use them to create new jewelry out of the salvagedpieces!"

Check out the blog updates and member's profiles for more great insight into these creative minds!

Learn how to crochet & knit plastic bags with HelloKnitty this weekend!

Sunday at the EtsyLabs in Brooklyn, trashion street team member Hello Knitty (http://helloknitty.etsy.com/) will lead a class on how to crochet and knit plastic bags!

If you check out her shop, you'll see all the fab creations Hello Knitty makes with the world's overabundance of plastic bags. But on Sunday, you'll get some tips and instruction from this master. Come out learning how to make accessories and housewares.

Please check out this class listing to sign up: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=7072134

Have a safe trip and see you at EtsyLabs!

Trashion Outfitters #4 - Party!

This week our Trashion Outfitter is Kae of Kae1Crafts! Kae has created the perfect outfit for a party and her comments are included with each one!

I started with this light pink and black party dress from RunzwithScissors:


Then added these snappy pink and black shoes by CrankyPickle.


Now that I'm dressed, I needed to add a few accessories so I wandered over to ellerue for some lovely Revolving Button Earrings!

Then a quick stop by yipestoo for a Survivor Spoon Necklace (not the TV show, but breast cancer survivors - My Mom is one)!



My next stop was the Etsy Trashion shop for a Hand Wrapped Gemstone Ring by tomate d'epingles!


Miggipyn provides a smashing Repurposed Gunmetal Bracelet!

Then I needed a handbag, so it was back to the Etsy Trashion shop for this lovely Black and White one by Fitter Knitter:



Now I'm almost ready to go, but I need a quick check of the time on my Lady Liberty Upcycled Clock by Nature Made Scents:



Since I have a few minutes, I put on my Apron that I found at amuck design

and do a quick kitchen cleanup before I wrap my Hostess Gift that was created by foundthings!


Since my date hadn't arrived yet, I got a couple of chapters read in my current book with my handy Trashion Bookmark nearby so that I can mark my place quickly. Created by Nature Made Scents and being sold in the Etsy Trashion store.


Doorbell rings and I grab my Post-Apocalyptic Scarf created by haptotrope and I'm ready to do!



Thanks to all you lovely Etsy Trashion designers for this smashing outfit.

And thank you Kae, for putting it all together. I love how she included household items with her clothing outfit, and she shopped in the team store as well as members shops. Well done!

Upcycling for Greener Living

See the full article in The Storque

Story by TeenAngster Published on September 7, 2007 in Craftivism
Photo by spookygonk

In the year 2007, being concerned about the environment is not a new or revolutionary idea. The general public has accepted that we’re standing at the crux of an ecological crossroads, and that in order for people to maintain their current way of life, major changes will have to take place in how we raise food, utilize energy, consume products and think about our waste. Just considering the changes necessary for the future can lead many to be intimidated, confused and apathetic about where to start when facing problems as varied as global warming, deforestation, pollution and waste.

Upcycling brings hope as a fresh concept and solution for the many environmental dilemmas the earth currently faces. The idea of taking would-be garbage and reimagining, reusing and reinventing its significance is really quite a novel idea: the materials are free and in frightening abundance, there are (hypothetically) no unhealthy aftereffects for the earth, and consumers gain the satisfaction of reusing something potentially wasteful in a new and exciting context, again and again.

In order to further understand this theory, we must look at its history. The term “upcycling” was coined by William McDonough and Michael Braugart in their groundbreaking book on ecologically-intelligent design, Cradle to Cradle, published in 2002. In the simplest terms, upcycling is the practice of taking something that is disposable and transforming it into something of greater use and value. It’s a question of designing new products that are intended to be reused again and again and yet again with a minimal amount of harmful byproducts, effectively working as a “cradle-to-cradle” model of production. Here's an example from Cradle to Cradle of the upcycling designer's new intentions: imagine a world where people casually discard used bottles designed to eventually biodegrade into food for the plant seeds embedded in their bases.

This idea comes in stark opposition to the “cradle-to-grave” view of manufacturing originally conceived during the Industrial Revolution, which is still primarily in practice to this day. As McDonough and Braugart put it, the cradle-to-grave model is one where “resources are extracted, shaped into products, sold and eventually disposed of in a ‘grave’ of some kind, usually a landfill or incinerator...What most people see in their garbage cans is just the tip of the material iceberg; the product itself contains on average only 5 percent of the raw materials involved in the process of making and delivering it.”

You may ask what the difference is between upcycling and recycling, as they seem quite similar. According to Cradle to Cradle, recycling is actually an example of "downcycling," whereby unrecoverable and unusable by-products are created in the recycling process. By recycling items toward uses that were never intended during their original production process (example: soda bottles into carpeting), they are effectively “wrestled” into a form that requires as much energy (or moreso) to produce than manufacturing a new carpet. In the end, the rug is ultimately still on its way to a landfill, creating “eventual waste.”

Ultimately, if upcycling proponents had their way, it wouldn’t be enough to merely reprocess trash into new products: there would simply be no trash to repurpose. Any product could be continually reused and upcycled into something useful. It’s a noble goal, and one that inspired Etsy in our recent Upcycling contest, where we challenged Etsy users to create an upcycled object to sell on Etsy.

Etsy is not alone in attempting to promote “green awareness.” Embracing a green lifestyle and expressing environmental concern has recently been embraced by the mainstream. A variety of ecologically-friendly and markedly stylish products have hit the market as trendy alternatives to the typical. A recent New York Times article by Alex Williams on the nature of green consumerism and its consequences, entitled "Buying into the Green Movement," stated that the “vision of an eco-sensitive life as a series of choices about what to buy appeals to millions of consumers and arguably defines the current environmental movement as equal parts concern for the earth and for making a stylish statement. Some 35 million Americans regularly buy products that claim to be earth-friendly, according to one report, everything from organic beeswax lipstick from the west Zambian rain forest to Toyota Priuses.”

Matthew Sparkes, a writer for prominent sustainability website TreeHugger.com, commented that the green movement's rising popularity is due to the fact that “people are far more aware of environmental issues now. There [are] also a lot of very cool green products, which is tremendously important. Buying green doesn't mean sacrificing style or quality. Companies like Freitag are making products from recycled materials that are actually desirable. It's things like that which have helped take environmentalism to where it is now, in the mainstream, teetering on the tipping point.”

While buying “earth friendly” products is a commendable choice, the question remains: are these products really helping any existing environmental problems, or are they merely a trendy option that will soon die out? And what of "greenwashing," wherein companies simply present an environmentally positive image to appeal to green consumers, while making no effort to back up their environmental claims? The Times article points out that green consumerism, while a considerate alternative to conventional buying habits, is still just that — consumerism. Buying more stuff, even if it’s eco-friendly, still produces waste, be it in the production process or the after-effects. “Consumers have embraced living green, and for the most part the mainstream green movement has embraced green consumerism. But even at this moment of high visibility and impact for environmental activists, a splinter wing of the movement has begun to critique what it sometimes calls ‘light greens.’”Williams continues to say that “critics question the notion that we can avert global warming by buying so-called earth-friendly products, from clothing and cars to homes and vacations, when the cumulative effect of our consumption remains enormous and hazardous.”

The sad truth is that we live in a culture of consumption, where buying products to facilitate our lifestyle is a fact of life. However, true greens are asking us to change that mindset. The moral of the story is to think before you buy, and to buy in moderation. Conservation is as important, if not more so, than recycling, reusing or upcycling. With all of the options available to the savvy consumer, the simple act of choosing a brand of toilet paper to buy can really become something to think about.

Maureen O'Connor, publisher of green-savvy lifestyle site AlternativeConsumer.com, has the following tips for eco-conscious consumers: “I think it’s important for people not to get overwhelmed by the need to become more eco-conscious. Most of us lead hectic, fast-paced lives. We should do our best to make changes as quickly as possible, but realize that we can’t change our entire life, overnight. Sometimes we just need to step back, slow down and take a deep breath. Appreciate what’s around us, and clear our minds.”

“Start by making simple changes, and being more conscious of our surroundings. Replace the light-bulbs with LED’s in your home and office; use re-chargeable batteries, conserve tap water, and my personal pet peeve — bring your own re-usable shopping bag when you go to the store. Support local farms and businesses (to save energy/transportation costs) and buy organic whenever possible. Lose the Hummer.”

“Most importantly, think about the total life cycle of a product before you buy something: consider how it was created, and what you can do with it or where it will end up when you’re through with it. Recycling, upcycling, conserving and bio-degradability are all key issues today.”

So where does this leave us? Ultimately, it’s all a question of choices. When presented with an opportunity to conserve resources, take it When purchasing products, think about their life span, regardless of how green they may claim to be. It will be a long process to change the way the world thinks about the environment, but with a little forethought and awareness, things can change for the better.

FURTHER RESOURCES
William McDonough, co-author of Cradle to Cradle, has a blog!
To purchase Cradle to CradleTreeHugger

Subscribe to
"Green Headlines from the Blogosphere"
Alternative Consumer
Etsy Trashion Team

Trashion team spotlight - Interview: S.C. Libertine

Shop name: S.C. Libertine- Handmade Vintages and Unusual Trinketries

Shop address: www.sclibertine.etsy.com

Tell us a bit about yourself : Former preacher's kid turned gothy squatter now crazy cat lady, with over ten years of costuming experience and a love of the Absurd.

Trashion materials: Mostly various articles of clothing and fabrics

I transform them into: more attractive and interesting articles of clothing!

How do you do it? Quite a bit of profanity and gin.

What inspired you to do this and why are you involved in trashion?
I look at a bridesmaid dress, and see a fabulous cocktail gown. I look at a skirt and see a bag. It's just the way my brain works. The mass-consumerism of society gets me down, and I like to show the many beautiful ideas waiting to be found in just one simple item.

Do you remember the first thing you made using the trashion concept? No, I've been doing it for so long...it started when I would see something in Vogue, or a historical book, and wanted one.

Unable to afford materials, I use what's at hand.

What was it?
I don't like to wear t-shirts, so I would cut off collars and sleeves, and sew in empire waistlines or sew on other shirts to make a dress...and always Halloween costumes.

What are your current projects and what is on the horizon?
I have oodles, en queue. A velvet skirt and hooker dress are almost a clutch. A vintage robe into a dress. Other skirts into tote bags.

On the horizon, I'd like to make more haute couture (that means "weird" in fashion talk) pieces, and lots of costumes.

Why should people buy handmade, and buy from trashion?
People should buy handmade - at least from me - because there is love and thought and feeling, in everything I do. It is not mass-produced. I sit and spend my entire day, and more, pinning and repinning, sewing and ripping stitches. It is art.

More you'd like to share:

I am very pleased to see I am not alone! My friends think I'm weird, wandering around the Goodwill holding up god-awful 80s vomit muttering, "This is awesome..."

1. Picture one is Marie Antoinette in the works, a bridesmaid dress taken apart and turned backwards, piece of lace and an old skirt

2. Picture two is me as the White Witch of Narnia. The crown is a kid's tiara, plastic flowers, and Xmas decorations. The cape is curtains and Xmas tree trim. The dress is a nightgown, Easter bunny ears, more Xmas decorations, mesh from a tent. The sleeves are pantyhose.

3. This fairy dress is a nightgown, a shirt, a pillowcase, curtains and lace trim found in some trash.

logo contest prize announced!

its a scoodie! designed by haptotrope for the first prize winner of the logo contest.5 other prizes will be doled out at random for anyone who participates.
now get designing!
Word.
Trashy Hapto.

Trunk full o' Trashion - The Storque - Etsy.com

Article available in the first issue of Etsy's The Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/section/events/article/trunk-full-o-trashion/124/

Trashion = Trash + Fashion
The Trashion Street team recently descended upon the Etsy Labs and made us feel guilty for not recycling everything in the world. Their trunk show drew in people from all over who appreciate their guile and creativity.
Check out some of the the designers who spring into action when they see something headed for the garbage can. Here's the flickr set for Last Friday Trunk Shows and a video by Shannon http://blip.tv/file/363589

Trashion Outfitters #3

This week we have our third Trashion Outfit, selected by tomate d'epingles!! Thanks for putting together a great outfit!

For the top, how about this Black Sequin Shirt by dismantled :



And pair it with this Aqua Flower Power Skirt by Runz with Scissors!


Accessories can make an outfit - and this one has some great ones! Stop Sign Earrings by amuckdesign:


Around your neck, how about this Subtle Circles Necklace by Pagano Design Works?



Wrap your wrist with this Gunmetal Silver Beaded Bracelet by groovyvinyl:


And wouldn't this Trick or Treat Ring by sojourn curiosities look great on your finger?

To hold everything you have to take with you, why not this Fabric Sling Tote from pouch?


What a great outfit - I'm ready to go shopping!!!

Trashion Street Team member shops offer a variety of things, not just clothing. Remember to shop Etsy for handmade, unique items!