Reduce, Reuse,Recycle

Glass jars and bottles have so many new upcycled uses. Save your glass to create beautiful new items. There are thousands of products out there that come in reusable glass jars.

* Pasta sauce jars
* condiments
* pickles
* olives
* canning jars
* wine
* beer
* water any other jars or bottles we buy from grocery store can be re-used.


Recycling glass is wonderful for the environment. We save resources and energy by recycling glass in comparison to making new glass.


Reusing glass is even better than recycling.

Ive been saving my glass jars and bottles for an up coming project Ill be working on. Im going to etch, paint,fuse,slump all of my glass into new items I can use around the home.

Im so excited for this project.Some of the new items ill be creating include:

* Organizers
* tea bag caddy
* Coffee bean holder
* utensil caddy
* outdoor garden lighting

New online retailer opens for mompreneurs

New online retailer opens for mompreneurs


What a great new idea for start ups!!!

Recycle/Reuse/Upcycle

Three R's of CDs in the digital age: resell, reuse, recycle
by Ashley Cullins
April 07, 2011



Ashley Cullins/Medill

CDs can be used as easy, light-reflecting candleholders.

A cathode lamp is one of millions of ideas for projects made with used CDs.
Cullins -Etsy

"Kusudama is traditionally a Japanese art of paperfolding that results in a beautiful ball of flowers. This particular piece is a modern update of my own invention, utilizing a single hemisphere and repurposed CDs!" - Cybele
Cullins - Reckless

Ashley Cullins/Medill

Reckless Records sells used CDs starting at $1.99.
Related Links
CD Recycling Center of AmericaMRC Polymers, Inc.GreenDiskReckless RecordseHowEtsy - CybelesqueEtsy - Oddartist

CD sales slowed 12.8 percent from 326.2 million units in 2010 to 373.9 million in 2009, according to Billboard.com. Meanwhile digital track sales managed a one percent increase that same year.



Not everyone has given up on CDs. “I really like listening to an album from beginning to end, “ said Beth White, 30, a lawyer from Ravenswood. “My primary source of music is my iPod, but there are certain albums where I like to listen to the CD or the actual album.”



But what can digital music junkies do with their defunct disks? Reselling, reusing and recycling are all viable options.

Resell

Consumers can resell CDs in good condition to stores such as Reckless Records in Chicago. The store accepts all genres of music, but the disc must work and come in its case with the original artwork inserts.

Customers can bring in any volume of CDs and the staff will look at the items individually to determine a value on the spot, said Robbie Hamilton, floor manager of the store at 26 E. Madison St. The customer can choose to accept cash or store credit worth an additional 20 percent. So if Reckless decides your Backstreet Boys CD is worth $5, you can choose $5 cash or $6 store credit.



Hamilton said the digital revolution has hit sales of CDs harder than DVDs, while the business overall has remained consistent. The collection at Reckless includes not only new and used CDs, but also vinyl records, DVDs and even cassette tapes.

Reuse

CDs can be reincarnated into simple drink coasters and candleholders, or incredibly creative artwork and furniture. A quick Google search for “uses for CDs” generates about 80 million results.



Cybele, a single-named artist from Las Vegas, makes Japanese-style folded paper flowers out of maps and attaches them to CDs to create unique art. She has been making and selling them on Etsy.com for several months. “I saved all the AOL discs that our mailman used to deliver all the time,” she said. “I also use them for my Miniachair Tableaux.”

She recommended fellow Etsy user “oddartist” who melts down CDs and other media to create bowls and jewelry.



Lifehacker.com features a cathode lamp made from CDs. It’s “a mod bluish torch with which any geek would be proud to light his mother's basement,” according to the website.



EHow.com offers instructions for making driveway reflectors, sun-catchers, clocks, curtains and chandeliers.



Recycle



CDs and jewel cases aren’t generally accepted in community recycling programs, according to earth911.com. But consumers don’t have to choose between storing them indefinitely in a dusty attic and sending them to a landfill.



MRC Polymers Inc., 3535 W. 31st St., accepts "post-consumer" plastics, including CDs.



CD Recycling Centers of America in Salem, N.H., offers a mail-in option for consumers who can’t bring their used CDs to a local recycling center. The CDs, jewel cases and paper inserts must be separated and can be mailed in any quantity. There is no charge for the service, but the consumer pays shipping. The CDs are destroyed and new items are made from the recycled plastic resin.



GreenDisk considers CDs technotrash, along with VHS tapes, batteries, small electronics and hard drives, and also provides a recycling service for a fee. Consumers can mail in their used CDs and GreenDisk will erase the disks and rewrite and re-label them for redistribution. Fees are based on the content and weight of the items being recycled.



Next time you stub your toe on that box of long-unused CDs, consider reusing, reselling, or recycling them.




Featured Etsy Shops
Cyberlesque
Oddartist

CNBC Media Money

Empire
Published: Thursday, 31 Mar 2011 | 4:53 PM ET
Text Size
By: Julia Boorstin
CNBC Correspondent



Etsy is like eBay, but for a niche market — handmade goods. If you've not one of the site's eight million shoppers, imagine a hipster's DIY dream of handicrafts and art. Instead of buying something mass-produced from a giant corporation, you get to browse for a unique gem.

Etsy
Source: Etsy.com
Over 800,000 people sell their homemade products on the site, everything from jewelry and clothing, to furniture and music. There's a lot that makes Etsy different from eBay [EBAY 31.84 0.45 (+1.43%) ], beyond the fact that sellers set prices rather than hosting auctions. On Etsy every item has a story, and the company considers its sellers a community. You can search items not just by variety, but also by the location of the seller. So if you want, you can opt to support just your local Brooklyn or Silverlake handicrafts.

Etsy may be all about shoppers finding unique items, but it's also a serious business. Here's how it works: it's free to set up a "shop" on the site. It costs 20 cents to list an item and Etsy gets 3.5 percent of every transaction. And that's an increasingly large pie: sales topped $314 million last year and are growing fast.

Etsy's COO Adam Freed tells us this is just the beginning.

In addition to international growth the company is seeing growth in all of its categories. And the company is rolling out more features to make shopping more personal. And the more personal the experience, the more the company expects shoppers to buy.

Investors are on board: Etsy has raised over $50 million from top VCs including Accell Partners and Union Square Ventures. And individual investors are also hungry for a piece of the business. Etsy was the third most traded company on Second Market last quarter, behind only LinkedIn and Facebook.

Etsy's community has had its problems. Just this month it faced major outcry after buyers found that feedback posts, purchases and user profiles, and on occasion even real names, were made public. The company responded by tightening its privacy settings. COO Freed tells us that it takes its members (shoppers) privacy very seriously, and that the company made a fast feature change as soon as it realized there was an issue. Freed seems to understand that even with "communities" like Etsy's, people need to be able to maintain their privacy.

Etsy Photo Shoot Video

For a behind-the-scenes look at our big Etsy photo shoot and to learn more about Etsy power sellers, watch this video:

Recycle/Reuse/Upcycle

The Blue cobalt dish was just completed. I turned a blue cobalt water bottle into a beautiful amazing dish. The dish is cleaned,sanitized,fused,slumped,etched and wire wrapped with beads. I LOVE it! Let me know what you think.

Recycle Glass

How do you reuse/upcycle different items in your everyday life?

I guess its time to stop buying new glass for my glass projects and start using what is already available. Glass does last forever. I might as well use it. My current project is cobalt glass water bottles and actually they can be used as vases with out even redesigning them.
Ive decided to slump and etch mine. My first one is slumped into a shallow bowl shape and decorated with beads and etch work! So Fun! I love the reusing the items!

Rock N' Roll Is Free

By Matthew Perpetua

March 29, 2011 1:45 PM ET

Ben Harper is taking the title of his new single "Rock N' Roll Is Free" very literally by giving the track away for a limited time. The sunny, upbeat rocker is the first taste from his new album Give Till It's Gone, which will hit stores on May 17th, but for now the song is, as Harper sings, "free if you want it."

 

NBCU and Etsy partner... Contest starts today!

NBCU, Etsy partner

Effort part of 'Green Is Universal' push

By Sam Thielman

For its "Green Is Universal" initiative, NBCUniversal is partnering with online handcrafted goods retailer Etsy to sponsor a recycled handmade goods contest, starting today, as a run-up to the conglom's Earth Week. For the competish, christened "Art of Reuse," do-it-yourselfers are tasked with creating new products from recycled material -- a popular pastime on Etsy. Judges will include Martha Stewart; Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford; and Andy Cohen.
Beth Colleton, VP of the Green initiative, said that environmentally friendly marketing continues to evolve. "The public is more savvy, so they're constantly pushing media outlets and companies for the latest and greatest," Colleton said. "Coming out of BP last year and the disaster in Japan this year, we've seen that headlines in the news make people want to dig deeper."
"Art of Reuse" is promoted online across the 8 million member Etsy community and NBCU's iVillage and on-air via NBCU's cable suite. The contest's top 10 entries will also appear on NBC's "Today" show during Earth Week, April 17-24. Submissions are open until April 11.

Contact Sam Thielman at news@variety.com

Urban Zen, Hand-knitted Spacemen and STEM Education

Urban Zen, Hand-knitted Spacemen and STEM Education

NASA has lately reached out to girls and young women in its efforts to attract and retain students in science, technology, engineering and math. It has partnered with the Foundation for Advancing Women Now (FFAWN), created by singer Mary J. Blige, and even worked with the online art and crafts marketplace Etsy.

Earlier this week, the agency led an education forum in New York City designed to encourage young people – especially girls, organizers said – to pursue studies and careers in STEM. With an audience of more than 200 middle school and high school students, the event featured talks by NASA senior officials and even a Q&A with astronaut Cady Coleman, who was able to participate even though she is living and working aboard the International Space Station.

In hosting this forum, NASA collaborated with fashion designer Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Foundation as well as the Foundation for Advancing Women Now. “By collaborating with organizations like Urban Zen and FFAWN, whose missions are aligned with ours, we can identify and reach out to students who may not otherwise realize the opportunities that are available,” said NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education – and former astronaut – Leland Melvin.

Just a few days before, across the East River in Brooklyn, NASA and Etsy announced the winners of the “Space Craft” contest. Here, entrants were challenged to create handmade art and crafts inspired by NASA programs, including the space shuttle, human spaceflight, aeronautics, science and exploration of the universe.

The goal of this rather unique collaboration was to inspire Etsy’s 5.8 million members – the majority of whom are women, NASA said – to learn more about the agency’s past, present and future exploration programs.

The contest received more than 600 entries in three categories: two-dimensional original art, reproductions of original pieces and three-dimensional art. The two-dimensional entries included paintings, drawings, rings, mixed media, photographs and computer-generated prints. The three-dimensional pieces, everything from wearable art to furniture.

Finalists included the “Major Tom” hand-knitted spaceman and “Space Odyssey,” a stained-glass transom. View these and other entries here:  www.etsy.com/nasa

Crystal Phan's Jewelry from Etsy featured in the News

Congratulations to yet another Etsy seller in the News! Great article in

Wilkes Barre Times....Paper Heroes


Crystals  ETSY SHOP:
 Crystal Phan's jewelry

The Baltimore Sun features Kristen Christy from Little Acorn Products

Congratulations to Kristen Christy from Little Acorn Products on Etsy. She was featured in The Baltimore sun!
Check her shop out her Birdhouses are beautiful. Great decor for children s rooms.

ABC news/GMA features another Etsy Shop...harvest Moon By Hand

 CHRISTINA CARON

March 17, 2011

The Leprechaun Trap

Leprechauns, those mischievous elves of Irish folklore, are notoriously hard to catch. But as legend goes there's a handsome monetary reward if you manage to capture one.
Ann Rinkenberger, mother to Olivia, 8, and Sophia, 10, said her daughters have been making "leprechaun traps" for the past five years. But there's just one problem.
"It is rather annoying," Olivia said. "We never catch them."
There are many different ways to imagine a leprechaun trap, they require only a few supplies and a lot of creativity. The Rinkenberger family uses a cardboard box with unsealed flaps at the top.
Next, they paint most of the box green, but they sponge paint one side grey to make it look like a rock wall. That's because leprechauns love stones, Rinkenberger says. And they dislike following rules, so her daughters add signs that read, 'Do Not Climb!'
Then they create a stone pathway, sprinkled with coins, meant to lure the leprechauns all the way to the top of the box where they'll, hopefully, fall right in. Nearby, there's a tiny tea set with a crumb of bread -- just in case the leprechaun is hungry.
"At the bottom of the box, the girls put some wool or paper towels to 'cushion' his fall," said Rinkenberger, 44.
But the Scandia, Minn. family doesn't just make crafts during the holidays. They also make art for a living. Rinkenberger's business on Etsy.com, Harvest Moon by Hand, sells handmade products and toys. Her daughter Sophia also participates by creating beeswax molds, and Olivia is now eager to help out too.
So far they haven't outsmarted the crafty leprechauns, whose overnight visits are marked by golden glitter and gold one dollar coins. But Olivia says if she ever does succeed in trapping a leprechaun, the first order of business would be to "ask where the money is."

Great news article in Las Vegas Review Journal ...Artist from Etsy

Enlarge Clos

• 
  

By Xazmin Garza
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Posted: Mar. 17, 2011 | 2:04 a.m.
Updated: Mar. 17, 2011 | 7:27 a.m.

When you go to a concert for a singer who once used a meat locker for her closet, the dress code is anything goes. It's not unusual for Lady Gaga's "little monsters" to take a look around their houses and decide something like a rotary telephone, teacup or raw rib-eye will provide that perfect final touch to their outfit.
That might explain why local artist Jennifer Henry has kept herself busy lately designing cellophane dresses for Lady Gaga concertgoers nationwide. Not only do they make for a loud fashion statement, but they also make for a loud fashion statement. The crackle and crunch of the artist's latest creation gets louder with every layer she adds.
"The reason I haven't added zippers," she explains, while crumpling a sheet of cellophane, "is because there's a magical quotient to it. You don't know what it is or how someone got into it. (No zippers) adds to the sense that this is something really special."
It also means customers have to strategically tape themselves into the dresses. Henry does them the favor of including step-by-step instructions, something she'll probably be doing a lot of in the next week since Gaga comes in town March 25.
While she carefully pleats cellophane against the long strip of packing tape hanging from the dressing room door of Flockflockflock, her vintage boutique inside Emergency Arts, a young Lady Gaga fan in Louisiana patiently awaits its completion.
Henry just needs to add a layer of tissue paper for a barrier between the sweat-inducing cellophane and her customer's skin. Then she'll begin working cellophane around a bra she purchased at T.J. Maxx (based on measurements she requested before getting started) to make a corset for the party dress.
By day's end Henry will stuff the finished $60 party dress into a tiny 9-by-9-by-9-inch cardboard box for a jack-in-the-box unwrapping and move onto her next order. It could come from her Etsy shop, one of her more than 1,300 Facebook fans or a Flockflockflock passer-by who takes an interest in one of the shiny, intriguing dresses on the mannequins in the hall.
And, it isn't just teenagers going Gaga who are wearing the dresses. Henry has designed for educators' educators and medical administrators attending everything from costume parties to charity benefits.
For cellophane, it's quite the sophisticated system. Especially considering it all started by accident. In November 2009, Henry and a friend put together a Christmas-themed photo shoot that had their model posing in gift wrapping paper. Henry couldn't find any rolls of gold paper, so she settled on cellophane and taped her subject into the design minutes before her photo session.
Henry took a liking to the ballerina look she created that day and made another cellophane dress for another friend to wear the night of New Year's Eve. It was a hit. Strangers marveled and several asked to be photographed with the woman in the cellophane dress.
Several months passed before Henry made another one. She collaborated with Susan Tosches-Deneau -- owner of Altered Nations, also inside Emergency Arts -- to produce fashion shows using alternative materials. Henry naturally turned to cellophane. The first show celebrated a candy theme which resulted in the artist's first cellophane ball gown. The skirt, a voluminous bubble of purple and blue cellophane and the bodice, a corset of Good & Plenty boxes.
Not long after the candy fashion show, Henry cellophaned local band members Melissa Marth of The Big Friendly Corporation, Aily Iglesias of Jacuzzi Hi Dive and Tracey Miravite of Tracey Hope.
Once she launched the Etsy store, the Gaga orders rolled in. The way Henry puts it, the correlation makes sense.
"The dresses are so bizarre and sort of otherworldly -- the same reason Lady Gaga is so appealing to people," she says.
Angie Scaduto, 26, ordered a green, gold and purple party dress from Henry last August to wear to Lady Gaga's concert here in Las Vegas. Scaduto went with her cousin and a friend, who also ordered dresses from Henry. The three of them considered the concert a "big deal" and wanted to commemorate it with a "big moment" of their own. That's where the cellophane dresses came in.
Aside from a girl with beer cans rolled into her hair, Scaduto says they were indeed the standouts. Fascinated, people pointed and stared and a few snapped photos. Removing the dress left rip marks on her abs, but it was all worth it for Scaduto. Even getting taped in.
"(Henry) wrapped us up pretty good," she says. "It took way less time than it would've taken to find an outfit."
Log onto www.flockflockflockmade.etsy.com for more information on Jennifer Henry's cellophane dresses or to place an order.

From Auction bytes:Etsy owner changing analytics

Auctionbytes-NewsFlash, Number 2498 - March 14, 2011 - ISSN 1539-5065          | Founder Says Etsy Is Working on Analytics, Product Attributes   By Ina Steiner March 14, 2011 Reading AuctionBytes: Founder Says Etsy Is Working on Analytics, Product Attributes

Etsy founder Rob Kalin told users that browsing by category is "remarkably unpopular" among shoppers and has been decreasing in popularity for a couple years. Etsy is working to provide sellers with analytics to help them understand where traffic to their listings comes from - it currently supports Google Analytics for individual shops. In the meantime, Kalin shared some overall data with sellers. Some data on how people arrive at listing pages on Etsy: 30% - from a shop's homepage 30% - from another listing page 22% - from search results 9% - from outside of Etsy.com (external referrer) 5% - other pages on Etsy (Treasury lists, activity feed, blog posts, etc.) 4% - from a category page Kalin also said Etsy is revamping the listing process, and a key part of this is getting better (more structured) data about items. "For example: what size is it? who is it for? what colors? what style? We will then use this data to improve search. Etsy Insights from this data

Are you an artist or Craftsman? Handmade or hand assembled?

Is your work considered handmade or not? Are you an Artist or craftsman?
Hello everyone Im Jenny Reinhart.
Basically I need a break from the social networking!
I wanted to write an article addressing what seems to be two highly controversial topics among artists and craftsman on Etsy.
1) Are you an artist or a crafter/craftsman?
2) Is your product considered handmade or hand assembled and is there a difference?


I’ve been reading blogs, articles, and team threads on Etsy. I was a little surprised to see people putting down other crafters/artists because they felt their work should not be in the same category as their own due to the fact that they consider their work more 
handmade than another seller.

The thread that comes to mind was a person that has a jewelry shop on Etsy, and the seller complained that other sellers tagged their work as handmade instead of hand assembled. Which I completely get, except to outwardly put someone else down because their work isn’t quite what you want it to be, seems ridiculous.(and I do realize the importance of tagging)


If you don’t know the whole process of someone’s work you can’t really say it’s not handmade. I would have to say there are probably some people that throw some beads on a string and call it a handmade necklace. They put no effort into it, but then there are the people who care about their work and put time and effort into making themselves better at their craft. When you are new to a craft it takes time to learn about it and the range of things that can be created with that craft.


Example: My niece purchases beads and makes jewelry with it. She loves it. However evidently its not considered handmade because she doesn’t actually make the beads herself? That doesn’t seem right. Ive seen her sit down, come up with a plan, or design that she wants, and put that plan into action. There is an actual process to it. (She does not sell on Etsy.) 

I create fused glass and etched glass. Most people consider my fused glass handmade and my etched glass not handmade. Its funny to me because I spend more hands on time drawing, cutting and cold working my designs for etched glass work than I do to create a fused glass bowl. 

To me the fused glass I create is transformed in the kiln and even though I hand cut the pieces the biggest transformation happens in the kiln. Should it be called kiln made? My etched glass starts out as a drawing by me, cut and then etched. Its my hands on all the time.
Everything we create with our hands, passionately and with love should be considered as handmade. I realize not everyone is a master at their craft (myself included) but the process of getting there is wonderful and we should be encouraging people to develop their craft not putting them down. Believe me customers are aware of better quality merchandise and price differences. If your craft has  special processes add it to the description. Customers will notice. Don’t be upset people tagging their work as handmade let the customer decide for themselves. If you see someone selling a piece of jewelry as a beginner, offer up suggestions to create their own beads, charms or whatever. Are we afraid of a little competition?


As far as the difference between artist and crafter, Im not positive on this one but for me, I do not consider myself an artist however family and friends have called me one and I let them. I love it. I wouldn’t even consider myself a craftsman. I think to be an artist or craftsman you would have to master your craft. My craft personally is still about growing, changing, and learning new things. So what are we then?
We are creative minds learning and growing from our crafts in hopes of someday mastering the art!
Good Luck to everyone! Enjoy creating!
“Live Life Simply and Creatively”

Choose a locket that will be close to your heart | NWsource

ETSY IN THE SEATTLE TIMES
Choose a locket that will be close to your heart
By Bree Coven Brown

March 9, 2011
NWsource staff


Velvet mechanism from Etsy was featured in The Seattle Times.
Great article. Inspiring...I love when Etsy sellers get recognized.

Lockets have a timeless appeal. They're more than mere fashion accessory -- they can contain a secret, tell a story, hold what is most dear to you close to your heart. Lockets are the perfect, personalized gift to commemorate a special occasion. And for many moms and grandmas, they're a wearable brag book (remember, Mother’s Day is coming on May 8).

I've become obsessed with lockets since I became a mother. The only thing more challenging than choosing which adorable photo of my son to wear around my neck is choosing the vessel to hold that photo. I've been looking for the perfect locket for months, and so far I've narrowed it down to 20. I've been amazed by the many gorgeous choices, vintage and modern, I've discovered along the way.

Have a heart
Lockets have been used for centuries to carry everything from perfumes to poisons, and from good luck charms to locks of hair from fallen soldiers. Heart-shaped lockets gained popularity in the Victorian era, a trend which endures today, symbolizing your beloved's heart resting on your own.

Velouria in Ballard carries a classic vintage brass heart locket ($42) by L.A.-based designer Edna Hart that's feminine and goes with everything. The tiny heart contains a turquoise-colored stone and dangles from a 17-inch, gold-filled chain. Agapantha makes another version ($52), also at Velouria, that jazzes up a brass heart locket with amethyst and coral charms for a splash of color.

Something Silver also offers a collection of lockets, including the Boma Sterling Silver Heart Padlock Locket Necklace ($44), for an edgier, more industrial-looking heart with oxidized padlock details.

Include a secret message
Local jewelry designer Sue Pess makes sterling silver lockets, sold exclusively at Essenza in Fremont, with a personal touch: a poem is installed inside. In the larger, oval lockets, the poem faces opposite the photo; in the smaller, round locket, it’s hand-written on a slim piece of accordion-folded stationery that unfolds in a graceful arc as the recipient unravels the message. The standard poem included reads: "May the sleeper awaken, may the bird be set free, may the door never close between you and me." Custom poetry or text can be included for an additional $20. These lockets come in various lengths and sell for $68-$88.

Vintage to modern
In addition to authentic vintage lockets and new pieces made with vintage finds, many designers are creating vintage-style lockets reminiscent of the necklace's history. Seattle designer Pussycat sells a lovely vintage-inspired brass locket and ivory ribbon necklace ($24) with a filigree face, dotted with a faux pearl. Another Etsy designer, Velvet Mechanism, has created a stunning Steampunk Silver Working Circle Locket Necklace by mounting a vintage Swiss watch on a Victorian-style locket embellished with purple Swarovski crystal (on sale for $39, marked down from $45). And a romantic, oversized, classic cameo locket, adorned by filigree, can be had for $23.99 on ModCloth.com.

But my favorite, at the top of my short list, is the Young Mr. Fox Victorian-style, antiqued brass locket ($28) by ThisYearsGirl, featuring adorable artwork of a young red fox dressed up in his Sunday best.

At the other end of the spectrum, Portland designer FreshyFig's Gunmetal Flower and Silver Locket Lariat Necklace ($36) pairs a modern black flower silhouette with a simple, silver-plated locket to create a lovely lariat with a sterling chain.

And Harry Potter fans will appreciate the Golden Snitch Locket (just $16) made by ViperCoraraDesigns in Monroe, Wash. (even muggles will admire the pretty wings and tiny, hinged brass ball, which opens up to hold a photo or trinket).

Uncommon finds
Bibliophiles will love the vintage book locket, carried by a pair of recycled brass patina swallows ($48), made by Portland artist Verabel. This feminine piece dangles from a delicate gold-filled chain.

The chalkboard pendant necklace ($28) by Haden Designs features a miniature oval chalkboard locket that comes with its own little chalk pencil, so you can write your own message, and change it up, as often as you like.

Laura Bee Designs in Ballard has a lovely locket collection, but it’s their cute, affordable locket alternatives that are truly unique: A mini dog-tag-like window photo necklace on a ball chain ($24) has clear glass to display images on both sides; and the popular photo bubble necklace encases any photograph in a miniature dome paperweight ($35).

Rockford woman turns trash into art - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

Rockford woman turns trash into art - WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader



"Lori's Recycled Chic"
Another Great Etsy shop featured in the news!

By: Rebecca Klopf

ROCKFORD (WREX) - You might think of things like empty pop bottles and old window panes as trash, but one women is turning them into art. The owner of "Lori's Recycled Chic" says if its an odd shape or has an interesting design, she can remake it into a piece you'll want in your home.

"I'm the original dumpster diver," says Lori Hart-Piper.

She started creating her work 13 years ago when she saw a bunch of old window's sitting on her neighbor's curb. She decided to paint them and turn them into Reverse Glass Paintings. From there, she started heading to thrift stores flea markets and garage sales to find other items she could turn into art.

But after awhile Hart-Piper stopped going to shows and selling her work, until last year. She was asked to bring some pieces to Rockford's City Market and she said it made her want to work again.

"That was an incredible experience. It went really well. I wasn't sure if that was the right venue for my art but there were a lot of artisans there," says Hart-Piper.

Now she creates things like mirrors from old TVs, photo frames from Polaroid cameras and clocks from old records. She even uses banana holders or old candle sticks for stands and old clocks for inside of the time pieces. But if that isn't green enough, she also uses old plastic bottles, metal and newspapers to make flower lamps.

"There's a lot of mass produced, lots of the same type of thing. And if you take something old that would that would end up in the garbage and make something new and beautiful out of it, you are not only keeping it out of the landfill but you have a unique, one of a kind piece that nobody else has," says Lori Hart-Piper.

You can see more of Hart-Piper's work at spring "ArtScene" next month. You can also find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/LORIS-RECYCLED-CHIC or on Etsy.com under the shop name "Color Me Funky." The link for the Etsy page is on the side of this page.



Its so inspiring to read so many success stories.