CAT Productions

Recylcing with Mary Janes Farm

2011-07-15T16:55:00.000-05:00

The latest issue of MaryJanesFarm magazine (August-September 2011) is labeled the "Nifty thrifty issue," and it has lots of great ideas for recycling and reusing!

One story talks about reusing an old coat to make stuffed bears and bunnies. Another shows how to turn T-shirts into skirts. There are reuse ideas sprinkled throughout the magazine.

Every issue of the magazine ends with a column by "city farmgirl" Rebekah Teal. She writes about learning the art of "reuse" from an older woman she used to visit.

If you've never read MaryJanesFarm magazine, this is the issue to pick up.

Creating eco-friendly mail

2011-06-14T15:53:00.003-05:00

Now, you can send an eco-friendly message just by putting a stamp on an envelope. In April, the U.S. Postal Service released the new "Go Green" postage stamps, along with a wide variety of great items to complement the stamps.

There's even a special section of the U.S.P.S. online store dedicated to the "Go Green" line of products.

The stamps are "Forever" stamps, for use on First Class mail. The stamps and philatelic products can be ordered online at usps.com/green.

The U.S.P.S. has been environmentally friendly since 1899 when it tested the first electric vehicle in Buffalo, NY. Today, the agency operates more than 44,000 alternative fuel capable mail delivery vehicles across the country, including ethanol, biodiesel, compressed natural gas and electric. Since 2005, USPS has increased its use of alternative fuels 133 percent, and since 2003, has reduced its facility energy use 28 percent. To learn more about USPS sustainability initiatives, visit the USPS green newsroom and usps.com/green.

The Postal Service chose the Go Green stamps as this year’s social awareness stamps to help raise awareness about helping the environment.

In addition to offering the stamps and the typical philatelic products (first day covers, digital postmarks, etc.), the Go Green line also includes tote bags, postcards, playing cards and a family activity kit, which includes stamps, a poster, fold-and-mail stationery and access to online games.

(If you read my 365Letters blog, I apologize for the similar posts today, but I thought this topic was worthy of both blogs.)

What are you recycling today?

2011-06-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

At our house, we're collecting aluminum cans to sell to the local scrap metal place. My daughter's Girl Scout troop is using the money they earn by selling the cans to help the local animal shelter and Humane Society. It's the troop's Bronze Award project. They combined recycling with helping the animals.

Have you been recycling lately? Leave a comment about how you're recycling.

Recycled Halloween?

2010-09-28T11:34:00.000-05:00

I know Halloween is a fun time for kids. They get to dress up in fanciful or frightful costumes and get free candy!

But, it always seems like such a wasteful holiday to me. The stores are full of new costumes that will barely stay in one piece through the end of Oct. 31. Then, they lay in shreds on the closet floor. And, then there are plastic pumpkins, skull-shaped flashlights, glo-sticks and piles and piles of candy wrappers.

Do you have any ideas for making Halloween more eco-friendly? What do you do to reduce Oct. 31 waste? Share your ideas!

I have some stickers (above) in my Etsy shop that are made from handmade paper, created from junk mail and other sorts of paper trash. And my Halloween tags (at left) were made from the leftovers of another project. Do you have any ReduceReuseRecycle Halloween decorating ideas?

Back to school cleaning

2010-07-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

Oh, sure, everyone's heard of "spring cleaning," what about back-to-school cleaning?

Wouldn't it be great for the kids to head back to school with everything all neat and orderly at home! If your house is anything like our house is, somewhere in your child's room are piles of pencils, scissors, rulers, etc.

By doing some back-to-school cleaning, you may be able to save a lot of money on school supplies!

However, if your child needs a selection of different items than you have bought in the past, or if you just like to start the new school year with new supplies, you may still want to go shopping. Still, you have that pile of used school supplies that you pulled out from underneath your kid's bed.

What should you do with them? How about donating the gently used school supplies? A local thrift store will be happy to take the items and re-sell or give them to families who are needing less expensive options. The school, too, may be able to find a family who will appreciate your used items. If those options aren't working for you, try a church or day care center for donating those barely used colored pencils, scissors, etc.

It'll lighten your load a bit and help out someone else.

Celebrate!

2010-04-22T13:34:00.000-05:00

Today is Earth Day! Celebrate! Do something earthly! Do something eco-friendly!

There are many great ideas out there for celebrating Earth Day. The Environmental Kids Club at the EPA's Web site has lots of fun things...games, art projects, etc.

(The Earth Rise photo is courtesy of NASA and features the view of Earth from Apollo 8.)

Don't forget Earth Day tomorrow

2010-04-21T14:24:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, April 22, is Earth Day.

Celebrate!

What do you do to protect Earth?

The Earth Day clip art is provided by and copyrighted by Bobbie Peachey,
http://webclipart.about.com

Eco-friendly Pen

2010-04-20T11:58:00.000-05:00

Over on my 365Letters blog, I've been writing about Earth Day topics. Today, I was digging around looking for some information on eco-friendly ink and pens. I came across a TreeHugger Forum discussion about the DBA 98 pen. It's 98 percent biodegradable and contains eco-friendly ink made from water, non-toxic pigments, glycerin (a food-grade sugar alcohol), and sodium benzoate (a food-grade preservative). Check it out!

Reusing stuff in the garden

2010-04-16T15:31:00.000-05:00

In many parts of the world, it's the time of year to start planning your garden.

The garden is a great place to reuse and recycle many items. The Frugal Gardening site has a great list of things that can be reused in the garden. Check it out!

Jewelry from "trash"

2010-04-14T11:13:00.000-05:00

Last week, my daughter's Scholastic Book order came in, so she had a lot of reading to keep her entertained over the weekend. One of the books she had requested and that turned out to be one of the favorites was titled "Make Your Own Recycled Jewelry." I can't seem to find it out there on the Internet, except for in Scholastic flyers, but it has lots of fun directions for making paper beads, jewelry from bottlecaps, etc. Anna had fun turning all sorts of "trash" into cute jewelry. Look around and see if there's anything that you don't have to throw away today.

Recycled Frogs

2010-04-13T14:47:00.000-05:00

Since April is National Frog Month, this is a great time to create some froggy art from recycled materials.

Here is a Frog Garden Sign made from old soda cans, bottle caps, some paint, scraps of wood, etc. I'll warn you, the first photo of the sign was deleted, but if you'll scroll down on that GardenWeb page, the photo was reposted. And, there are directions there, too.

And there's a Frog Treasure Keeper featured on the cover of the latest issue of Family Fun Magazine.

There's a great Frog Hat and a papier mache frog here.

Frogland has some great frog information and links, and Dorota, who created Frogland, drew the artwork at the top of this page.

Recycling old cards

2010-01-25T12:57:00.000-06:00

I know it's almost February, but do you have a stack of Christmas cards still sitting around because you can't bear to throw them away, yet you're not quite sure what to do with them? And, now Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Do you have a box in the closet stuffed full of old Valentines? Why not adopt some of the Christmas card re-use ideas and make some fun Valentines decorations.

Here are some Web sites with some ideas for reusing greeting cards (they may have some ideas that are similar to the others, but I think each link has at least one unique idea):

Make Stuff

Family Crafts

Activity Village

Living a Better Life

Making Friends

St. Jude's Ranch for Children (St. Jude's is a nonprofit corporation serving abused, abandoned and neglected children and families. They also sell recycled greeting cards online.)

Shopping for Recycled/Reused items

2009-12-03T10:07:00.000-06:00

Do you like to buy things made from recycled things?

Etsy is full of artisans selling wonderful items made from recycled items. Not everything on Etsy is recycled, but a lot of it is. From necklaces and notebooks to teddy bears and tote bags, so much on Etsy has been repurposed, recycled, upcycled and remade into delightful new stuff.

Where do you shop for recycled goodies?

Recycle This - Great Web Site!

2009-12-02T10:19:00.000-06:00

I recently came across the Recycle This Web site. Have you ever wondered what you should do with old VHS tapes, egg shells, floppy disks, cell phones, tires, keys, flip-flops, sunglasses? Recycle This can tell you exactly what can be done with all those things and much, much more.

The couple who produce the site live in England, so some of the posts might pertain to directly to the UK, such as the post "How can we make doorstep recycling better in the UK?" But, most of the Web site is applicable no matter where you live. You don't have to be British to turn an old suitcase into a pet bed or to use it for storing out-of-season clothing.

With hundreds of posts on dozens of topics, it's easy to spend a lot of time reading all of the great recycling and reusing ideas on Recycle This!

More Christmas recycling ideas

2009-12-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

Aimee Wood at BellaOnline has some great Christmas recycling ideas!

Check out her article!

Recylcing and Reusing at Christmas

2009-11-30T12:08:00.000-06:00

Does it seem like there is a lot of waste in your Christmas celebrations? The gift wrap is wadded up and thrown away. Maybe you save the cards after Christmas, but then what do you do with them? The envelopes, the gift tags, the ribbon....so much trash.

This Christmas, before you rush out and buy new wrapping paper, check to see what you already have stored in the back of the closet. If you've used all of that up, try making your own wrapping paper with newspaper pages or paper grocery sacks. Use paint or ink to add holiday decorations, such as Christmas trees, stars, etc.

Do you need holiday gift tags? Instead of buying a new package, look through last year's Christmas cards that you saved because they were too pretty to throw away. Cut them into gift tags, using the back side for the "To and From."

Having a holiday party? Make name tags for everyone decorated with vintage Christmas seals or images cut from leftover wrapping paper.

Other uses for old Christmas cards or vintage Christmas seals/stickers? Frame for holiday art to decorate your home or to give as gifts. Or, arrange artfully and laminate for use as place mats.

Etsy finds!

2009-09-29T11:59:00.000-05:00

Etsy is such a fun place for finding recycled, reused and repurposed items!

Take a look at these:

Glamorous Recycled Vintage Negatives Earrings made from vintage 8mm film strips at Tomate d'épingles etsy shop.

Steampunk Vintage Button Necklace made from vintage clock parts, buttons and an antique chain at Callooh Callay's shop.

Pencil Box for School or Office made from fused plastic bags at ECO by Limitz on Etsy.

Everything about these Individual Woodgrain Cards is reused...the paint, the paper, the envelopes! Find them at the Reuse First shop on Etsy.

These Magazine Coasters put to great use something that normally would be tossed out with the trash! Rubbish Remade on Etsy has lots of nice things made out of paper.

At Debby Arem Design's shop on Etsy, these Recycled Computer Circuit Board Mini Magnetic Clipboards are great!

If you're looking for some great items that are eco-friendly, recycled, repurposed, reused, etc., head over to Etsy and take a look around!

Reusing everyday items

2009-09-28T11:57:00.000-05:00

My 9-year-old daughter is one of the reusing-est people I know. She can find a use for just about any piece of what-looks-like-trash.

This weekend, she picked up a subscription card that had fallen out of a magazine I was reading. She rolled it into a cone and immediately hit on the idea of turning it into a flower holder...an artificial flower holder, holding flowers she planned to make from a variety of items around the house.

So, with a little glue and some paint, she had the card looking like a vase. Then, she used some coffee filters and I don't know what else to create some flowers.

If you're looking for some ideas on what to do with the everyday stuff that might be trash, try Earth911.
The Web site's "Reuse Everything You Can" section has an article called "Get Those Reuse Ideas Flowing," with ideas such as using egg cartons to store miscellaneous items like ping pong balls and hair ties. If you have more ideas for that article, click on "Contact Us" and send them a suggestion.

The Web site also has a search engine for finding a recycling place near you. Look around the Web site; maybe there's some information there you can use.

Cute items!

2009-09-25T10:53:00.006-05:00

Recently, I'v been finding New Leaf Paper products at an area thrift store.

This little "Found Space" journal is great...it's printed on 100% post-consumer, recycled paper. The "packaging" is recycled product packaging. In this case, it looks like a box of Annie's organic white cheddar and pasta shells. The New Leaf Paper info is printed on the "inside" of the Annie's box. It's all held together with a couple of loose leaf rings.

A few weeks ago, I featured some New Leaf Paper Karma Cards on my 365Letters blog. You can read about them here.

I've been to the New Leaf Paper Web site, but I don't see anything like this on there. But, I do find the products listed online at a variety of stores. I'm sending an e-mail to New Leaf Paper and will update to let you know if they're still making these products.

I just love this kind of stuff!

UPDATE: See the first comment below for information from New Leaf Paper! The place to go is www.newleafproducts.net. Lots of wonderful things there!

Favorite magazine closings

2009-03-03T10:19:00.002-06:00

If you count my work on the "Bulldog Barker," the student newspaper at Plainview (Texas) High School, I've been involved with newspapers and print-media in general for 28 years, about two-thirds (⅔) of my life.

I've worked on newspaper staffs (still do), owned a regional magazine and freelanced for a variety of newspapers and magazines.... That's what makes all of the recent magazine (and newspaper) closings so poignant for me, especially when it's my favorite magazines. I just cringe with each announcement....Craft Magazine, Hallmark Magazine, Country Home, Cottage Living, Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion...

Maybe it's anachronistic or archaic to still appreciate paper products in 2009, but I do. I like the portability, the salvability, the share-ability of a "real" magazine.

Don't misunderstand...I'm not anti-electronic age. I've been using computers for almost as long as I've been working for the print media. I started out taking "computer math" in high school, wrote newspaper articles on VDTs (video display terminals) in college and used computers at every newspaper job I've ever had. My husband had one of the first Compuserve e-mail accounts, and he signed me up as soon as he could. We were linking up with others around the world on Compuserve's Forums before "the Internet" and "World Wide Web" were household words.

Yet, we've maintained our love of paper...magazines, newspapers, books. I understand how cool the Kindle 2 is. I know it's portable. I know I can save electronic magazine articles and pages in my computer. I know I can send links and even electronic clips to other people via e-mail.

But, still, I like paper. And, I'm going to miss magazines.

Greening up lunch

2009-02-20T09:27:00.004-06:00

My daughter takes her lunch to school every day. This makes for a healthier lunch for her, but it also creates a lot of trash, from juice pouches to plastic sandwich bags.

In past years, she's taken juice in a plastic, reusable juice box that she brought home and we washed. But, apparently that's not the cool thing to do in the third grade, at least not where we live. So, she begged to take another type of drink. I'm sure her first choice was a soft drink, but we vetoed that. Juice boxes and pouches are acceptable from her point of view, but I cringed at the amount of trash we were producing.

Recently, I found Honest Kids Drinks with information on the box about earning money for schools by recycling the pouches. When I went to the TerraCycle Web site, I found out they also donate money to schools for CapriSun pouches, too. And, CapriSun has 100% juice drinks, so that's good, too.

TerraCycle not only donates 2 cents for every pouch collected, but the company takes the empty juice pouches and make purses, backpacks, messenger bags, etc., which they sell on their Web site. I like supporting a company like that.

Now, if I could just get my little girl to remember to bring home her juice pouches!

If you'd rather make the purse yourself, try these directions at Henrietta's Handbags and Purse Patterns. I mentioned the Web site last year in a blog entry about making a purse from magazine pages.

Quote of the Week

2009-02-18T10:15:00.002-06:00

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

-- Leonardo da Vinci

Recycling Plastic Bottles

2009-02-17T10:02:00.002-06:00

I'm always on the lookout for ways to recycle all the trash we generate. More specifically, I'm looking for ways to re-use what normally is thought of as trash.

The recycling part is fairly easy....save the trash and then take it to the recycling center, although since we don't have one in our town, we have to drive about 70 miles.

And, some re-using is easy...sturdy plastic containers, such as coffee "cans" and chocolate milk mix boxes are immediately put to good use storing other things, such as packets of garden seeds, candy, foods we buy in the bulk bins, etc. My 8-year-old daughter always has a good use for empty paper towel tubes, and if she doesn't grab them, my husband cuts and folds them into seedling planting pots.

One thing that is difficult for us to figure out how to recycle is plastic bottles, the ones that laundry detergent, milk, shampoo, etc., come in. But, I kept searching until I found a solution — make beads from the plastic. The Threadbanger Web site has a great tutorial on "How to Make Beads From Old Plastic Bottles." I haven't tried it yet, but I have the bottles, and I have a heat gun, so it won't be long!

The way I figure it, one less plastic bottle in the landfill will help Mother Earth.

Lots of recycling ideas!

2009-02-04T13:47:00.003-06:00

Over at www.families.com, Mary Ann Romans has a blog on frugality that has many ideas for reusing everyday items that normally end up in the trash. Many of her suggestions are rather artistic.

For example, she gives directions for turning cans into candle holders, earrings into lampshade decorations, worn-out clothing into rugs and many other interesting projects.

Pay her a visit and see what you can do with your trash!

_____________________________________________________

On another note, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that my newly listed Vintage Red Purse has been listed on the Vintage Bulletin blog in a collection of vintage Etsy picks. Look for the Etsy mini on the left side of the screen.

Thanks to the Vintage Bulletin group for including me!

Funny Valentines!

2009-01-19T12:13:00.005-06:00

I just listed these funny, vintage sticker sheets in my Etsy shop. They are from a teen/kid magazine from the 1970s and '80s called "Dynamite."

From what I can find online, they came with or through the book order forms we got at school. I didn't recognize the stickers right off the bat, but once I saw pictures of the magazine online, I remembered them. I'm sure I had the covers of some of those magazines taped to my wall!

I also listed a set of tiny hearts made from handmade paper. And, the "With Love" stickers are still listed. Maybe they'll be just what someone is looking for to make their Valentine complete!

More trash news

2009-01-16T15:11:00.002-06:00

Now that Dave Chameides' 365 Days of Trash are behind him, he's started up a new web site/blog called Sustainable Dave. Have you seen it? Lots of great information there!

Check it out!

My new blog

2009-01-05T16:30:00.002-06:00

I just wanted to let you know about my new blog, 365Letters. It's all about my new project to write a letter a day every day in 2009. I hope you'll visit the new blog!

I'll update this blog tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T08:40:00.001-06:00

I'm wishing you a very happy new year. May you experience great joy and happiness throughout 2009!

Looking forward to the new year!

2008-12-30T09:35:00.003-06:00

Happy New Year! Just two more days...I can't wait! So many exciting possibilities await!

I came across this nifty little Web site with lots of great ideas for reducing what we buy and recycling our trash instead of sending it to the landfill/dump. RecyclingGuide.org.uk has lots of great information. One section offers instruction for making a variety of toy musical instruments for kids from boxes, cartons, etc. Another page suggests alternative uses for everyday items (turn old clothes into seat cushions, for example).

There's even a blog. Much of the information there pertains to the UK, but some of it is useful no matter where you live. The Yoyo paper business that collects used paper from businesses and returns to them recycled paper sounds great!

Lots of great ideas for making the world a better place in 2009!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-24T09:34:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Good Wishes, to everyone!

Let's play Christmas Tag!

2008-12-22T11:20:00.005-06:00

I've been tagged by Natasha at Creative Nachos! She turned it into a game of Christmas Tag. She sure sounds like a fun person to be around at Christmas!

Like Natasha, I usually wake up early on Christmas...now that my daughter is 8, I have someone else to enjoy the early morning festivity with!

Here are my five Christmas-related tidbits:

1. I collect Santas. I have old ones, new ones, large ones, small ones. I have old-world Santas and new-world Santas. I have stuffed Santas, and I have porcelain Santas. I even have some dough-art Santas that I made myself. I love my Santas!

2. I think the real Santa wears green gloves. Well, they could be mittens, but "green gloves" sounds better. Many of the Santas in my collection have green gloves. No matter how many Santas I already have, I rarely pass up the chance to buy a new one with green gloves.

3. One of the "funnest" things to do at my parents house on Christmas is for me, my brother and my sister (likewise grown and with kids of their own) to search my parents' tree high and low for all those ornaments we made as kids. There's the one with Deena's first-grade picture on it! And, there's the one Kevin made out of Popsicle sticks! And, there's the one I found in the field on the way home from school! What fun!

4. My favorite traditional Christmas carol is "Away in the Manger." My favorite new Christmas song is "A Baby Changes Everything," sung by Faith Hill.

5. I also collect vintage Shiny Brite ornaments in their original packages. I usually won't buy them unless I find them cheap at thrift stores. I bought most of my collection for 50 cents, maybe 99 cents, a box. I usually just display them under the tree...boxes and all.

OK. Now for the next part of this game of Christmas Tag. I have to post the rules and then pick and notify six other bloggers.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Here's the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share 6 facts about yourself on your blog; some random, some weird.
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as their links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been “tagged” by leaving a comment on their blog.

And, here are my picks:

http://art2theextreme.blogspot.com/
http://mayhemarts.blogspot.com
http://salinashomejournal.blogspot.com/
http://www.thegildedbee.blogspot.com/
http://michellescharmworld.blogspot.com/
http://moxylyn.blogspot.com/

Merry Christmas! Now, tell me about your favorite Christmas memories or traditions!

Staying 'green' on Dec. 26

2008-12-22T10:17:00.003-06:00

I've always liked a "real" Christmas tree best, because of nostalgia, I guess. That's what I grew up with, and that's what makes it seem like Christmas to me. But, we decided this year to get a "living" Christmas tree, one that we could plant after the holidays. Alas, that didn't work out for us. The price tags on the few at the little local nursery were just out of our budget range.

The days ticked by, until it was really too late for us to do anything but put up a little artificial tree a friend gave us last year. We'll save the living tree for next year.

Fortunately, this year, we'll be at my parents' house for Christmas Day, and they have a big tree and lots of decorations up. So, our daughter, Anna, will be happy with the little tree at our house and the big tree at Ma and Pa's house.

In the past, though, we've always had a dilemma about what to do with our "real" tree after Christmas. I found some great ideas at www.Earth911.com. It's a great Web site with ideas for Treecycling, post-holiday tree uses, and starting a Christmas tree recycling program in your community. Check it out!

And, have a very merry, green Christmas!

Dreaming of a 'Green' Christmas

2008-12-19T09:15:00.002-06:00

If you're anything like me, you're dreading all of the trash that will be generated by the upcoming Christmas holiday. At our house, the wrapping paper, ribbon and packaging fills up at least one large trash bag, sometimes several. It's such a waste.

I found this great article on BellaOnline...it's all about Christmas Recycling!

There are some wonderful ideas there, like making your own gift bags. Read the article for lots more ideas.

One idea that I have is to get unused newsprint and decorate it yourself, or let your kids decorate it, with Crayons, rubber stamps, paints, etc. that you have on hand. Check with your local newspaper to see if they have "end rolls" to give away or to sell for not too much. See if you can look over their stock and pick out the biggest roll. If you don't use it all for Christmas, you'll have craft paper for the new year!

Here's wishing you a very, merry "Green" Christmas!

Crafting disaster

2008-12-18T16:17:00.002-06:00

My 8-year-old daughter's third-grade class exchanged "Stocking Stuffers" today. Each child needed to bring 18 small gifts. They decorated Rudolph bags for the goodies.

She decided that she wanted to make handmade soap in Christmas shapes for everyone. No problem. We've never done it before, but with the glycerin, melt and pour soap, I figured it would be fairly easy. And, it was.

We found some molds and bought the soap, fragrance and dye. Anna had seen on that kids' show "Cake" that you could put glitter in the soap. So, she found some little glitter stars. Only, they weren't so little.

After we had all the soap made and packaged into 18 little bags with tags, I used one of the rejects. The little stars were made from razor-sharp metal! Not something we needed to be handing out to kids. As I tried to wash my hands, I could just envision screaming kids all over town as they tried to use Anna's gift.

So, at 6:30 this morning, I started making a new batch of the little soaps -- without the sparkles -- hoping it would harden fast enough. We got to school with just minutes to spare.

At least we figured it out beforehand and not after some irate parent called me up over the holidays!

The good news is, I have a little crafter on my hands. She can't wait to make more soap, and she wants to open her own Etsy shop. I told her I'll have to investigate all the rules and regulations about making and selling soap, even if it is just the melt-and-pour kind.

Check out The Gilded Bee on Etsy!

2008-12-16T09:54:00.007-06:00

I came across The Gilded Bee Etsy shop and blog yesterday and just fell in love with the products Sasha Lynne North offers there. They are so pretty and romantic, that I just had to feature the shop on my blog! Be sure to click on over there and check out what she's offering.

Here's a little interview I did with Sasha:

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself….where are you from? What kind of art do you create? Etc.

I’m from Rural Southwest Iowa, USA, I’ve lived in the country since I was 2.
I make my own clothes, am a milliner, I cook and bake a lot, I write the recipes on this blog: labeebonvivant.blogspot.com. I have a nice big garden so I can grow organic produce and flowers, I have 3 cats and a Collie, I draw and paint. I have been home schooled K-12 grades, as have my sisters and cousins. I love collage (think somerset studio) and those elements make their way into my projects often.

Q: Many of the items in your Etsy shop are made from paper…why do you choose to use paper in your projects?

I have many passions material-wise, I decided to do the paper items because I have worked with them the longest out of all the materials I have used, and I love working with them.

Q: What inspires your artwork?

Beautiful colors. I love to walk into a paper store, and hold up a solid sheet of paper and just imagine. Other things: My garden/the outdoors/David Austin Roses. Buildings, fish. Vintage artwork and ads, textiles, even something like a towel, Japanese papers etc. Almost anything…

Q: Your Etsy profile mentions your love for vintage things...what do you like best about antiques?

Mmm, the finishes are often times different, such as on vintage glass ornaments. The detail work on furnishings. I love the opulence of the Victorian/Edwardian Ages, the velvet, the silk, the tinsel, the flowers. I love to hunt for/collect vintage millinery flowers on my antiquing trips. I love the detail work on garments, and I am crazy about 50’s fashion. I’m in the process of starting another blog for fashion related stuff and handmade garments/hats and accessories.

Q: Your shop has an unusual name...what's behind the name “The Gilded Bee”?

I just thought of it a couple of years ago, I liked the way it sounded. I decided it would make a great name for a stationary shop. I came up with it long before I had heard of Etsy, and when the time came, it clicked.

Q: What can Gilded Bee fans expect to see in the near future? What are you working on now?

Oh my, my house is covered with glitter and crafting stuff everywhere, I have ideas coming out of my ears. Always more tags, I didn’t realize how addicted I was to them till I started listing more. Stationary with candy, cake and ice cream, more ribbons and trim, more envelopes, both solid and patterned and both large and miniature, thank you cards and invitations, more flowers, both ribbon/fabric and paper, gift and favor boxes, labels and stickers and whatever else I dream up.

Why buy 'recycled'

2008-12-15T10:41:00.002-06:00

I doubt any of us need experts -- whether they're economists on the news or professional organizers on HGTV -- to tell us we have too much stuff and most of what we buy nowadays is junk. Now, some of us may be working to remedy the problem in our lives, but the problem still exists for most people.

If you haven't seen "The Story of Stuff," please do so now! Be sure to click on The Story of Stuff blog, too! It's very enlightening. And, it shows us why if we're going to buy more stuff, it's better to buy recycled, vintage, reused, repurposed, upcycled, etc.

While we're on the topic of recycling, visit this Web page for instructions on how to make a small-sized geodesic dome for kids to play with. The materials? Old newspapers!

We haven't made one, yet, but it looks like great fun!

I've been Tagged

2008-11-28T13:04:00.002-06:00

Tag You’re It!

I’ve been “tagged” by Deckled Edge Bindery and Expressive Papers. Thanks! This is a fun way to see what’s out there, read some great blogs and see lots of pretty things. It’s perfect for right before the holidays.

Now it’s my turn and maybe yours. Here’s what you need to do.

1. Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog – some random, some weird.
3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs.

My list of random facts:
1. I have lived in 10 different towns (one of them twice) in three states.
2. I have been to 26 states and plan to visit the remaining 24.
3. I have been to 6 countries, including the US.
4. I am a collector - books, Santas, cat figurines, real cats, red and white enamelware, red-handled vintage kitchen utensils, old cookie cutters, and more.
5. I have 17 cats (at least), but I live out in the country, so it’s not so bad.
6. I love paper.
7. I love genealogy and have traced my family tree back many generations.

Here are the 7 people that I’m tagging: (If you've been tagged before, I apologize. But, this just gives us an opportunity to get to know you better!)
Expressions by Devin
In the Swan’s Shadow
One World Organic Clothing
The Card Tree
Little Red Cottage
These Are The Things That Occur To Me In My Dreams
Ben McFuzzylugs Crafty Bits and Dog Agility

Flickr's ReUse Project

2008-11-26T14:00:00.003-06:00

I just love this site — The ReUse Project! There are so many great projects — and great ideas — here!

From a necklace made from magazine pages to napkin rings made from old wooden spools, from a collage postcard made from found art to cushions made from broken umbrellas, today's front page has lots of great items!

Check it out and get some great ideas!

New Christmas on my Etsy page

2008-11-26T10:36:00.005-06:00

I've been away from my blog and my Etsy site for a few weeks, but I'm back on task now.

There are several new items in my Etsy shop. They're mostly vintage paper items. I hope someone will find them for scrapbooking, cardmaking or collage projects!

Many of these items also look great framed, as wall art!

Sale in my Etsy store!

2008-10-14T12:04:00.003-05:00

Hurry! There's still time for sending Halloween greetings!

And, I have just the thing for you! Halloween stationery and stickers!

The best news is....they're all on sale! Check out my Etsy shop!

Still time!

2008-10-07T13:23:00.003-05:00

There's still time to order some Halloween stationery or stickers! This black stationery set, complete with matching envelopes and stickers has just the right amount of spooky atmosphere! Visit my Etsy shop for this set and other Halloween items!

How wonderful!

2008-10-07T12:50:00.002-05:00

I received the most delightful package in the mail yesterday....all the way from Surrey, England! It's a beautiful, customized stationery set from Giulia Mauri of The Card Tree.

I just love my writing set and can't wait to write some letters!

Thanks, Giulia!

How-to Make a Purse from a Magazine Page

2008-09-26T15:11:00.003-05:00

I am always looking for different and exciting ways to reuse all the stuff I have.

This how-to is great at Henrietta's Handbags and Purse Patterns is great.

The site gives instructions for making a purse from magazine pages.

While you're there, go to the Site Map and scroll down to the Free Handbag Patterns and Purse Patterns link. There are several other eco-friendly ideas there. The site also sells purses and handbags made from a variety of materials.

Note to crafters: Please read the FAQ section on the Henrietta's site. The patterns are copyrighted, and crafters must sign an agreement to share the revenue you make.

The Card Tree shop is one of my favorites!

2008-09-23T09:28:00.009-05:00

When I first saw Giulia's TheCardTree shop on Etsy, I fell in love with it! The shop is full of beautifully elegant notecards, cards and writing sets....all made from recycled paper! And, then there are the eco-friendly Fair Trade Organic Cotton tote bags, painted with some of Giulia's images.

Then, I saw some of Giulia's other art work. My favorite is The Card Tree, a watercolor. Her other works are beautiful, too, but maybe it is my own love for letter writing that draws me to her The Card Tree, see it to the right.

I sent Giulia a few questions about herself and her art, so that you, too, can get to know her better. Here are her answers:

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself….where are you from? What kind of art do you create? Etc.
My name is Giulia Mauri, I'm 23 years old and I come from Castelfranco Veneto, Italy. I studied Art at High School at Nove (Vicenza, Italy) and then graduated in Visual Arts from the Univerisity of Art & Design of Venice. At University I followed many different courses like history of dance, history of cinema, history of music, modern history and philosophy. I am pleased to have a solid background in which I can relate to my Art.

Q: What kind of art do you create?

Through watercolors I mainly tell stories of people - real and imaginative. I like to describe my feelings about those stories using colors and shapes. I do lots of monochrome paintings, and I'm very attentive to define characters' posture and their manners. I love working as a CD Cover Designer. I have done one project of this kind so far and it was a lot of fun! When designing for things such as CD Cover, Art is applied to everyday life objects and items. That's also why I like to create things to sell at The Card Tree shop, like writing sets, cards and reusable cotton bags.

Q: Many of the items in your Etsy shop are made from recycled materials…why did you choose to use recycled paper in your projects?
Actually all the paper goods in my shop are made of recycled paper.
I have chosen to make my arts and crafts totally Eco-friendly because it is an effective way to save the planet; plus it makes me feel good!
When buying or selling recycled paper items, you can effectively save the remains of the forest that we have left in the world. Trees are a limited resource, and we have to teach our children to appreciate and protect them.

Q: What inspires your artwork?
I get inspiration from stories and tales that draw my attention and certain colors - like red, turquoise, blue and green. I am also very lucky to live in a very beautiful area: surrounded by the nature and the animals. Nature is a great resource of inspiration, it is constantly changing with the weather and the seasons...

Q: What types of things do you think people can do in their everyday lives to be more "Eco-friendly"?
I was going to talk about Reduce-Reuse-Recycle, but I figured why not visit www.Etsy.com?!

Q: I see that you have several writing sets in your shop, do you write letters regularly? What kind of a response do you get?
I love writing letters but I also understand that this might seem like an old fashion way of communicating. To me though, it's very personal and I just love it. In a letter you can fit so much more about yourself, than the ordinary card or postcard.
My friends love receiving mail from me, they say that my letters always hold a secret inside. I love receiving mail too, after about 10 years of correspondence with friends around the world I have boxes full of memories...

Q: What can Giulia Mauri art fans expect to see in the near future?
As my little Eco-friendly craft business grows, I would like to get my cards professionally printed on Eco-friendly cards and inks. I'd like to get involved in other Music-Art projects and get my personal web site up and running. This will have a gallery to view all my art works.

Q: I appreciate your taking the time for this interview! Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you very much Carla for giving me the opportunity to talk about my work!

Nothing is trash!

2008-09-15T15:18:00.003-05:00

I just love the concept of not throwing things away!

I found this great blog on how to make a purse from potato chip bags or candy wrappers. Take a look at her detailed directions! http://candywrapperpurse.blogspot.com/

On the purse-making blog, she references this Web site that explains how to make the chains she uses for the purses — http://www.gumwrapper.com/build.htm. It's not hard...I've done it! While you're looking at Gary Duschl's Web site on how to make the gum wrapper chains, click to his Main Page (link is at the bottom of his page) and see what he's done!

With tricks like these, we can save almost anything and make something useful out of it!

New Etsy mini on page

2008-09-09T13:19:00.005-05:00

Today, you'll find an Etsy mini for MyCozyCreations on this page. My Etsy mini is on her blog, too. Visit it at MyCozyCreations.blogspot.com

The lunchbox napkins and cloth tote bags are definitely earth-friendly! And, they're cute, too!

While you're at Etsy, visit my shop and see the new Halloween items I listed yesterday and today, as well as the new repurposed envelopes! Keep checking back for new items as often as I can get them posted!

Great blog and how-to site

2008-09-05T14:06:00.002-05:00

Here's a wonderful blog and how-to site in one: http://www.myrecycledbags.com

She has photos of her projects, bags made from recycled plastic bags, plus a how-to and patterns section, showing you how to do it yourself. One page shows how to make "yarn" from plastic bags.

Plans for this blog

2008-09-05T09:37:00.003-05:00

My plans for this blog include having a weekly Artist Spotlight, featuring information about a recycling artist and/or crafter who creates their work from recycled, reused, repurposed, etc. materials. If you'd like to suggest someone for the spotlight, please leave me a comment. I have a lot of favorites, but I'm always interested in someone new.

I'll also have a weekly Focus on How-To post, featuring some of the best how-to sites on the Internet, specifically how-to recycle, reuse, repurpose things into useful or decorative items. Again, if you have a favorite How-To segment out there, let me know, and I'll check it out.

At least once a week, I'll write a longer post, like yesterday's, about some of the things we do around our house to recycle, reuse and repurpose as much as we can. Additionally, I'll try to add shorter posts daily, mentioning some of my current projects.

This weekend, I'll be working on making handmade paper infused with Texas wildflowers.

I hope you'll be checking back regularly to see what I've posted on this blog.

The good and the bad

2008-09-04T09:29:00.005-05:00

The positive, eco-friendly, 21st century spin on it is that instead of automatically throwing things away, I look at them from every angle to see if they can be re-used in some way. You know, the second of the three Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Can this bag from the produce section be re-used? Why buy a fancy incense burner when the lid to this can of corn will work just as well?

The "you're just like your granny," 20th century, not-so-positive view is that I'm a pack rat, saving trash because it might be useful someday. The store sells new, clean plastic bags, if I need one, and that jagged piece of metal that was cut off of that can of corn is just garbage.

The pack-rat syndrome wasn't such a big deal when we lived in a big house in the city. We had a basement, a two-car garage, an attic and three walk-in closets in my master bedroom (the previous owner had a penchant for "adding on"). So, I had places to store all my stuff.

However, we left that house and all its space when we moved to the country. We have quite a bit more land to roam around on, but closet space is very limited. In fact, in the entire house, we have only two closets, and neither are big enough to be considered "walk-in."

Indeed, we do have a barn, but storing things out there requires Fort Knox-type security to prevent the wildlife — raccoons, opossums, rats, skunks, etc. — from digging in and making a fine nest out of a scrap of gold lamé.

So, we've trained ourselves to think "re-use" whenever possible. Some re-using practices are simple things that generations of my family have done, such as writing the grocery list on the back of a used envelope and then storing necessary coupons, notes, etc. in the envelope during your shopping trip. We use both sides of every piece of paper; we let our daughter use empty paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls for art projects. Some things we do are straight out of decades-old Heloise columns....re-using the mesh produce bags (that contain grapes, lettuce and other fruit and vegetables) as dish scrubbers.

Other re-use ideas are a little more out-there — saving cardboard product boxes (cereal boxes, tea boxes, etc.), turning them inside-out and re-gluing them to make a perfectly usable, plain box; cutting up other product boxes into rectangles and re-using them as postcards; cutting and gluing magazine pages into envelopes; blending up scraps of paper in the blender and making new sheets of handmade paper.

When I found Etsy, I was ecstatic! So many of the artists on the site for buying and selling homemade things are into recycling, reusing and repurposing things that might otherwise be trash. I'm still working on getting my Etsy site full of products, but it's getting there.

Halloween stickers!

2008-09-03T12:02:00.006-05:00

These stickers are the latest items on my Etsy site!

They are stickers made by me using handmade paper (made by me). I just stamped the Halloween image onto the handmade paper then tore out the images. Then, I ran the stamped pieces through my sticker maker, which was loaded with permanent, acid-free adhesive.

They're great for decorating letters, envelopes, scrapbook pages, and more!

This set is listed on my Etsy site: www.catproductions.etsy.com and includes three yellow stickers as well.

Recycling by reusing

2008-09-02T16:00:00.000-05:00

This blog will focus on all the wonderful ways there are to recycle trash by creating something new from it rather than throwing it away.

Most of my projects involve paper, but I'll feature blogs, Web sites, etc. by others that make new things from all sorts of old things.

I have an Etsy shop at www.catproductions.etsy.com. Please visit it and see what all is there!

Feel free to comment with your favorite recycling/reusing ideas or to let me know about an interesting shop or blog.