Yesterday was the deadline to turn in 40-50 promotional items to the Craftacular team. All the items from members will be split into eco-friendly bags, and given away to the first 50 customers at each day of the show.

Lemme tell ya…. those bags, will be NICE. I kinda wish I could have one. Okay actually I REALLY wish I could have one.

Anyways, this is what I came up with, being that I don’t really have an easily mass produced and cheap to make product. It’s a magnet that I digitally designed, to show everyone that you “Give a HOOT!” about recycling. I tucked it into the front of a cheery yellow envelope, which has an info card inside about my blog and what I make.

I printed the envelopes with my blog name, then hand stamped this fun tree from the Friendly Forest (<3) collection on each one.

And I’m also giving away the graphic file for this sticker! You can print it out or display it on your website. Enjoy!

A new round of things I have been loving online lately!

pleated purse – pattern

via my spare time along with other fantastic tutorials and crafts

comma shaped felt necklace

etsy artist shupg

thrift store plate mirrors – tutorial

from CraftyNest

cupcake planters – tutorial

a whimsylove creation

bird & branch silhouette sofa

Ami McKay on poppytalk

paper mache blue birds – tutorial

on ultimate paper mache

simple button up window shade – tutorial

from Woman’sDay.com

scrapbook paper wall mosaic

this dollar store crafts project would look great in a craft room

birch tree pleated purse

from a new favorite blog, Karlee Fuchs

bluebell the jackalope plush

by girlsavage on flickr

sterling silver swallow ring

a flickr frind from bbel-uk

layered flower clips – tutorial

the layering of different kinds of flowers creates a beautiful image, from a feathered nest

A new round of things I have been loving online lately!

pleated purse – pattern

via my spare time along with other fantastic tutorials and crafts

comma shaped felt necklace

etsy artist shupg

thrift store plate mirrors – tutorial

from CraftyNest

cupcake planters – tutorial

a whimsylove creation

bird & branch silhouette sofa

Ami McKay on poppytalk

paper mache blue birds – tutorial

on ultimate paper mache

simple button up window shade – tutorial

from Woman’sDay.com

scrapbook paper wall mosaic

this dollar store crafts project would look great in a craft room

birch tree pleated purse

from a new favorite blog, Karlee Fuchs

bluebell the jackalope plush

by girlsavage on flickr

sterling silver swallow ring

a flickr frind from bbel-uk

layered flower clips – tutorial

the layering of different kinds of flowers creates a beautiful image, from a feathered nest

Happy Earth Day all!

So, here is what I have been working on very hard for the past few weeks. Our Columbus Etsy street team challenged its members to find ways to make their crafts more eco-friendly.

At first I thought “Well shoot, I don’t make anything green.” But then after a bit I realized that there were things I already make that I could tweak just a bit, and be better to the Earth!

“Ryan Rhinovirus” cause of the common cold

Last fall I made up a lot of Scented Science guys- yummy aromatherapy felties. I thought they were funny (I still do); guys that look like diseases you’d normally get breathing them in, only they smell yummy and encourage you to sniff them.

Well, there ARE things I can do to make them eco-friendly.

1) I switched from polyester craft felt to wool felt or recycled felt from plastic bottles.

2) Stuffed them with rice, which is renewable, rather than plastic beads or poly fiber fill.

3) I replaced synthetic fragrance oils with plant based essential oils. It turns out, essential oils are more fantabulous than I ever knew, and have all kinds of natural healing and relaxation powers!

And THAT led me to researching more about actual aromatherapy, and mixing essential oils and all kinds of things. I’m really excited and interested in it all now

Scented eye pillow I made from Dollar Store supplies

And this is where I am now

My own 100% natural mixture

My own mixture of rice, flax seeds, tea leaves, and dried orange peel, and scented with a blend of lemon verbena, tea tree and cedarwood. It’s heavenly. Most people who make these use either rice or flax. I decided to use a mix of both, because the flax seeds give a nice pressure on the skin but can produce natural oils that stain the fabric if there are too many, and the rice gives a perfect heaviness.

And now I have gone from almost 100% synthetic materials, to 100% natural!! I am so pleased, and it is a great example that small changes can really make a big impact. So, if YOU think there’s no way to make your arts green, just give it a second thought and see what you can REALLY do.

Gooooo EARTH!

Happy Earth Day all!

So, here is what I have been working on very hard for the past few weeks. Our Columbus Etsy street team challenged its members to find ways to make their crafts more eco-friendly.

At first I thought “Well shoot, I don’t make anything green.” But then after a bit I realized that there were things I already make that I could tweak just a bit, and be better to the Earth!

“Ryan Rhinovirus” cause of the common cold

Last fall I made up a lot of Scented Science guys- yummy aromatherapy felties. I thought they were funny (I still do); guys that look like diseases you’d normally get breathing them in, only they smell yummy and encourage you to sniff them.

Well, there ARE things I can do to make them eco-friendly.

1) I switched from polyester craft felt to wool felt or recycled felt from plastic bottles.

2) Stuffed them with rice, which is renewable, rather than plastic beads or poly fiber fill.

3) I replaced synthetic fragrance oils with plant based essential oils. It turns out, essential oils are more fantabulous than I ever knew, and have all kinds of natural healing and relaxation powers!

And THAT led me to researching more about actual aromatherapy, and mixing essential oils and all kinds of things. I’m really excited and interested in it all now

Scented eye pillow I made from Dollar Store supplies

And this is where I am now

My own 100% natural mixture

My own mixture of rice, flax seeds, tea leaves, and dried orange peel, and scented with a blend of lemon verbena, tea tree and cedarwood. It’s heavenly. Most people who make these use either rice or flax. I decided to use a mix of both, because the flax seeds give a nice pressure on the skin but can produce natural oils that stain the fabric if there are too many, and the rice gives a perfect heaviness.

And now I have gone from almost 100% synthetic materials, to 100% natural!! I am so pleased, and it is a great example that small changes can really make a big impact. So, if YOU think there’s no way to make your arts green, just give it a second thought and see what you can REALLY do.

Gooooo EARTH!