Etsy Trashion in the Handmade Olympics!!!

We've been selected to be on the 'shortlist' for voting in the Handmade Olympics!
Please GO VOTE for the Trashion Team and spread the word!
Here's a part of rikrak's post:



thanks so very much for all of your fantastic nominations in the 2010 Handmade Olympics. what a wonderful celebration of handmade!
without further ado, i'm thrilled to present our judges' shortlist for event #5!


thanks so much to our wonderful judge for this event, the inspiring + always encouraging artist Mitsy of Artmind: the beautiful shop + amazing hands-on blog.






what our judge had to say about the nominations: "Here is my shortlist for the Handmade Olympics 2010. What a joy it was to find out more about all the nominations. I tried to get a diversity of nominees together. It's a gathering of people who do things just because, who share their live and love for handmade through their blog, who are an inspiration to others, who volunteer to make this world a better place through their craft, who raise money for people and creatures in need, who are caring & sharing,... There are so many people out there who forward kindness of all sorts. I'm happy to present the following ten people/organisations (in random order) ."


Etsy Trashion team
People that turn trash into treasures is what this team does. The Trashion Team is a group of artists that create art, jewelry, fashion and objects for the home from materials that were leftover, discarded, or found, and sell them on Etsy.
I think it's fantastic that objects get a second life and get recycled or re-used and the amount of creativity involved is amazing.

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Please see the original post for the additional nominees!

TrashTalk vol.3

We're wrapping up the Trash Talk series for 2009 with an interview I did with Karen Lee of EcoKaren. She has a great shop which features eco-friendly gifts and accessories made from -you guessed it- recycled and repurposed materials!
Here's her take on the Trashion way of life...

Trashion at Home - fisheye

Today's Trashion at Home is from Lori of fisheye and fishlegs.


I love to find old wood furniture pieces in the trash and fix them up into unique works of art. This bar cabinet is one of my favorite transformations.

It started out as an antique radio (!!) Someone had removed the works and had given it a coat of whitewash.

The radio cabinet had small sliding doors to expose the speaker. I had to enlarge the opening to make it a useful cabinet. I cut out the front and made hinged doors for it.


Then I just went to town with paint. The fish design was inspired by a restaurant sign. I filled it with fun patterns.


I added a fishhook with a worm inside one of the doors.


The knobs were made from big glass beads that came from an old candle holder.


For my paint, I use whatever I can get my hands on, leftover wall paint, acrylic craft paint, mistinted "oops" paint from the paint store, etc. And did you know you can tint wall paint with acrylic craft paint? This comes in some intense shades which you can blend with light colored latex wall paint to get the color you want.


So, if you're a little adventurous, save something from the trash and give it a new life with paint!

Interview with Karen from ecogeneration

Shop name: ecogeneration

Shop address: http://ecogeneration.etsy.com

Other sites: http://ecogeneration.blogspot.com
I’m also on facebook and twitter.

What draws you to using trashion materials?
Being eco-friendly and trying to reduce waste and reuse materials I already have are part of my motto – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. I think we have way too much resource that we don’t use. I think it’s our responsibility to use them up before buying new.



What trashion materials do you use?
Leftover yarn from when I was learning to knit and crochet 30 years ago. I stopped when I had kids and then, I picked it up again recently. So I have a stash of yarn that I didn’t throw out. I also have fabric remnants collected after making curtains, cushions, pillow covers, and album covers. I recently learned how to felt wool. I had a small, outdated ski sweater that I felted and I love the result. I made so many items from just one little wool sweater.



Do you remember the first thing you made using the trashion concept?
Kitchen scrubbies with acrylic yarn. They are so much better than the commercial ones I used to buy. They last longer and clean better. Albeit, they are made with acrylic but I had so many skeins leftover from when I was learning and I couldn’t throw them away. So I used it to make scrubbies. Initially, I gave them to friends and family and they suggested that I sell them. That’s how I started on Etsy.



What are your current projects and what is on the horizon?
My head is always working on concepts and designs. That’s my problem; I love to make so many different things. I don’t know how to consolidate my shop into one. I love to sew, crochet, knit, paint, you name it, I love to make anything. So these days, I’m preoccupied with streamlining my ideas. I feel like I have ADD sometimes but my current project is to find just a few to work on. It’s the hardest part about being a crafter/artist…focusing.




Anything else you'd like to add?
I love Etsy. That sounds like a cliché but really, it’s true. I sometimes just scroll and see what others are making, buying, selling, and doing on Etsy. I can spend hours on the site. It’s terrible for my time management but I can really digress on Etsy for hours. And I have to really control myself from buying everything I see. There are so many talented artists on Etsy. I’ve noticed the number of eco-friendly artists who reuse and upcycle materials has been increasing. I think that’s awesome. And I feel so lucky to be part of a such talented community.

TRASHY KIDS~Recycled T-shirt Necklace

My husband happens to be a contractor in the field of paint and trim finishing. We will often recycle our old faded, holey, are shrunken T-shirts into rags for him to use with his stain. My daughter Hanna gets the fun job of cutting these shirts into rags on occasion. As I was coming around the corner to see how she was getting a long, I noticed that she had begun to make herself a bit of jewelry using some of the scraps.

Hanna often gets distracted from her jobs and usually gets in trouble with these distractions but instead of hollering at her for the distraction I commended her for her artistic spontaneity! Shhhh! Don't tell my husband.

Here is what Hanna did.

She simply cut the collars out of three different colored T-shirts and tied them in a knot at one end. She then proceeded to braid the three strands until her necklace was long enough to wear. She added about two more inches of braid (to allow room to tie off) and knotted the end. Hanna then simply wrapped the soft Cotton necklace around her neck and made a loose tie. Voila!

Hanna has informed me that these necklaces can be made into bracelets as well and can be shared with friends. Thank you Hanna for this weeks entry of TRASHY KIDS!

ReUsed News

The peace symbol will turn 51 years old at the end of this month. It actually started as a symbol for the British anti-nuclear movement. However, now it is one of the most recognized symbols in the world. It is recognized as a symbol of protest and of peace.



On a Friday, 51 years ago a demonstration was planned by the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War (DAC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). It was decided that their protest would carry more weight if they had a symbol for it. Other symbols were considered but a semaphore or flag symbol alphabet was agreed on. By super-imposing N (uclear) on D (isarmament) and placing them within a circle symbolising Earth the "ban the bomb" symbol was created.


There are conflicting stories about how the symbol crossed the ocean to land in the United States. But there is no denying how powerful an image it became to the civil rights movement and the antiwar movements of the 1960's and 70's. Later becoming an almost universally accepted sign for peace. Gracing movements from coast to coast and pole to pole, for everything from antiwar to gay rights.

CND has never registered the sign as a trademark, arguing that "a symbol of freedom, it is free for all". It has now appeared on millions of mugs, T-shirts, rings and nose-studs. Bizarrely, it has also made an appearance on packets of Lucky Strike cigarettes.



A decade ago, the sign was chosen during a public vote to appear on a US commemorative postage stamp saluting the 1960s. And searching the etsy shops, it quickly becomes apparent that the symbol is alive and well and in the conscious of many into the 21st century. So, let's explore some peace symbols with some great items from the Trashion Team.

Tomorrow is the big team meeting!

Tomorrow the Trashion team will be meeting in the virtual labs of Etsy! We would love to see the whole team there. Please join us!

When: Wednesday March 4th at 8pm EST (when you are logged into Etsy the scedual shows it in your local time!)
Where: http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php in the Sky room!
All Etsy Trashion members are encouraged to join this team meeting! The team will be discussing organizational changes, streamlining team communication, and brainstorming projects and events. Bring your eco-forward thinking, questions, and ideas!

Team Meeting! Save the Date!

Mark your calendars we have a team meeting coming up!
Etsy Trashion Team Meeting:
When: Wednesday March 4th at 8pm EST (when you are logged into Etsy the scedual shows it in your local time!)
Where: http://www.etsy.com/virtual_labs.php in the Sky room!
All Etsy Trashion members are encouraged to join this team meeting! The team will be discussing organizational changes, streamlining team communication, and brainstorming projects and events.

Bring your eco-forward thinking, questions, and ideas!

TRASHY KIDS~CD Felt Coasters

Materials:

Old CD that is no longer usable,scratched, or just plain unwanted
Felt 2 pieces 6" square
Craft glue
4 Safety pins
Darning needle or embroidery needle
Embroidery floss
Scissors

Instructions:
Place glue on one side of the CD and center it on the wrong side one square of felt. Place the second piece of felt right side out on top of the CD. Pin each of the four corners to hold it in place. Cut all around the CD leaving the fabric stick out about 1/4".


Place the loose piece of fabric wrong side down on the CD and place a few dots of glue between the fabric piece and the CD to hold it in place. Thread three strands of the embroidery floss in the needle and tie a knot in one end.

Make a blanket stitch all the way around the outside edge of the fabric, CD, fabric sandwich. Tie off and clip the threads.

With your threaded needle find the hole in the center of the CD and make one stitch down, up, back down and back up again. Tie the two ends of the thread in a knot and clip the threads leaving short tails.


This coaster can be personalized with a permanent marker by writing the name of the person on it. You can also draw designs or add buttons.


Option: You can cut plastic butter tub lids in a 5" circle instead of using the CD or plastic canvas.

Posted by: Lake Erie Beach Glass
Please email any TRASHY KIDS Craft ideas to Jodie at lakeeriebeachglass@hotmail.com .
Pictures for your projects are welcome! :0)

Trashion Celebrates the Red, White, and Blue!

Congratulations to the USA!



Recycled Record Star by misscourageous.

Tin Hearts by ReSupply

Denim Cuff by buttercupbloom

Pop Top Earrings by LostAndFoundObjects2

Denim and Lace Clutch by samann1121

Team Trashion Encourages Shoppers to Go Green on Black Friday

Going back as far as the 1960’s, the day after Thanksgiving has held the unfortunate title of Black Friday. The name was given due to the madness that happens in highly commercialized places of commerce, but mostly because of the heavy traffic on that day. Folks are at the mall before the sun comes up, cars fill freeways and parking lots, money is burned on mass produced products and the gas it takes to get to them. It can get ugly.

Team Trashion, a unique, eco friendly, international group of artisans on etsy.com visualizes a different sort of Friday following Thanksgiving. Team Trashion wants to encourage families to keep the car in the garage, leave their slippers on and curl up with loved ones and a second helping of pumpkin pie. Doesn’t that sound great?

On Friday, November 28, Team Trashion will provide holiday shoppers with a unique opportunity to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts that are innovative and eco friendly. Buyers will be able to connect directly with sellers at a virtual Trunk Show on www.etsy.com. Over 30 Team Trashion artisans will be showing a varied collection of handmade treasures all created from upcycled, repurposed or otherwise abandoned materials. The Team Trashion Green Friday Trunk Show will be overflowing with holiday shopping opportunities that would make Mother Earth proud. You will not want to miss it!

The Team Trashion Green Friday Trunk Show is at 7pm est – just the perfect time to grab a cup of tea and do a little shopping in the comfort of your own home. Here’s how you get there:

1 - Log on to www.etsy.com If you do not have an Etsy account click here it's free to join, and you'll be glad you did!
2 - Choose the “community” tab at the top of the home page.
3 - Choose the “Virtual Labs” tab at the top of the community page.
4 - Choose the GREEN Treehouse “room” within the Virtual Labs.
5 - Sit back and enjoy the Trunk Show!

It will be great to see you there.

Save the Date...Nov. 28th 2008

Awesome image and save the date card created by http://panoptica.etsy.com!

Sha-weeti Babes in a Bag

Monster Mash Showcase:

ElenaMary amazes us again with her tremendous creativity! Introducing Sha-weeti!She is quite chic with a vintage metal bell for a hat and an apron which holds a book of horrific monsters and ghouls..She comes in a lovely bolt of lightning bag with braided strap and all together is 11 1/2" X 5 1/2"

Carly of http://nectorgirl.etsy.com suppled the materials seen to the right!

Mosters are Mashing on Etsy

Such wonderful creativity can come from swapping unwanted materials!! Hooray for upcycling! I wanted to showcase some of the AMAZING and CUDDLY critters mashing across the Trashion team!

Sweet-tooth Sam the Spider Donated to HOST by thefiligreegarden
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_list_5&listing_id=16335603

Igor-eena From Recycled Body Parts
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16120871

Tresijas made Igor-eena by upcycling materials sent by fisheye!

There are plenty more to cuddle! Just search Etsy for "Trashion Team" and "Monster Mash"

Yellow Walls Designs New Twists on Paper

Materials Focus: Paper

Trashion team member Rebecca Potts of YellowWalls gives new life to paper with lovely twists! We asked her a few questions about reuseing paper and here is what she had to say:

What do you make by re-using paper?

I make jewelry and I'm working on holiday ornament ideas. I also make journals and cards, but haven't posted them yet.

What do you find the most satisfying about your creations?
I love being able to turn my trash into something useful and beautiful. It's also lots of fun figuring out new ways of using paper.

Where do you typically find the paper you repurpose?
Under my kitchen sink, where I keep the recycling and garbage. I literally go through my own trash and take out anything that might be redeemable.

What type of paper products do you use?

Anything I can get my hands on. Cardboard and card stock work really well for my jewelry and for book covers, while thinner paper like all the junkmail and old newspapers are great for recycling into paper pulp.

Where did you learn your current techniques?

I started making paper using a blender, window screen, and my oven when I was about 12 years old. Then during my year abroad in college I got to learn more about paper making from experts in Australia. Now I'm back in school and learning even more from professor Joan Hall. I also learned book-making in college. Jewelry making I mostly just taught myself by messing around with materials. I had a short lesson from a friend about wire wrapping and then took it from there.

Where do you get your inspiration for your projects?

I'm a bit obsessed with maps, so that comes through in some of my work. I also make things based on what my friends and family like - for example, I make lots of elephant images because my sister likes Elephants. Whatever materials I'm using also inspire me with their colors and shapes.

Which of the tools you use is your favorite?
I would be lost without my pliers.

Tell us about a couple favorite items they've made from paper and why they stand out in your mind.

I love the colorful earrings. I'm also excited about these elephant pendants I'm working on.

Any final thoughts you want to share?

Just to stress the importance of the 3 R's right now. It's up to us to make sure our children will be able to enjoy this beautiful planet.


Interested in discovering more about Rebecca Potts and her work? Check out her website. Want a one of her three R jewels for your very own? Go to her Etsy shop!