Guest Blogger...Lolos

Recycled Scrap Rings by Lolos

Talking about recycled materials and how I'm trying to turn these materials into something else... I am exploring new ideas and new results.

As you know already I have lots of fabric scraps in my studio. In my other posts I talked about my crazy patchwork and circles brooches from my left-over fabric... Now I wanted to create something else in the same vein with this material. So I decided to make some original, unique and fun rings..

That was easy since I love to wear and make rings,! I can't live without them.


I just cut little circles of fabric, sew the pieces together randomly , decorated it with some beads and buttons and glued the back of the circles to the ring base. Really simple but awesome result at the end.


You can check more goodies by Lolos here

Green Tips::: How to Attract Birds to Your Yard

I really like having birds around. They are nice to look at and free to enjoy. Birds eat pesky insects that may tear up your garden, so they are a green first step towards replacing pesticides.

If you create the right environment in your backyard, you can provide a safe haven for birds. The birds, instead of living somewhere harmful to humans and themselves, will be able to safely nest in your backyard.

Here are a few tips to lure them there.

No Pesticides
First of all, do not use pesticides. The pesticides may kill the birds you are trying to attract.

Proper Trees
If you've landscaped your home for energy savings, you probably have a few trees in your yards. The evergreen trees make a great year-round home for birds, especially those that have berries and seed-producing cones. You'll also want to grow deciduous trees that have berries, fruits or other possible bird eats.

Reduce the Size of Your Lawn
A big lawn does not make a bird-magnet. A large lawn can also consume a lot of time, money, water and lawn-mower gasoline. Planting shrubs or hedges or anything that provides cover for birds is preferable. Bird houses also work as cover.

Water
Birds need water. Any shallow pool of water can provide birds water. A bird bath is a popular method of providing off-ground water to birds. Birds are vulnerable to cat and other predator attacks when they are on the ground. To keep the cats off your bird bath grow prickly plants along its base.

Bird Feeders
Birds are attracted to feeders. Feed them native seeds if possible. Exotic foods can give native birds digestion troubles. You can make your own using recycled plastic bottles. I did mine (see picture above)

::: Green Seller... DebbyAremDesigns :::

I like the way she creatively upcycles computer parts to new useful items. She's a member of the Eco Etsy Street Team

From her profile "I was born in Providence, R.I., and received a B.A. in Fine Arts from American University in Washington, D.C. where I was trained as a silk-screen artist. Silk screening is a challenging craft that involves intricate layering of separately-printed and colored design elements."

"In 1992 I launched THREE RING CIRCUITS (3RC), a jewelry and accessory line of Recycled Circuit Board "geekery" products that use recycled PCBs (printed circuit boards) and "found objects".
This line of recycled Circuit Board products has also achieved national prominence. Some designs are whimsical, some are strictly geometric, but all are examples of unique handmade jewelry and decorative and useful home or office products.
The jewelry and home and office products -clipboards, keychains, magnets, bookmarks, picture frames,sun catchers and clocks are definitely conversation makers!"

Etsy Day::: Etsy.com Etsy.com.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><((((º>

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<º))))><.•´¯`•.¸¸.•. Etsy.com Etsy.com Etsy.com.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><((((º>

<º))))><.•´¯`•.¸¸.•. Etsy.com Etsy.com Etsy.com.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸><((((º>

On Twitter!

I took a picture on my bumper sticker...Hubby's car.

Earth Day ::: Eco Bath Rug Project :::

Earth Day ::: eCycling :::

Donating used (but still operating) electronics for reuse extends the lives of valuable products and keeps them out of the waste stream for a longer period of time. Reuse, in addition to being an environmentally preferable alternative, also benefits society. By donating your used electronics, you allow schools, nonprofit organizations, and lower-income families to obtain equipment that they otherwise could not afford.


Where Can I Donate or Recycle My Old Computer and Other Electronic Products?

Earth 911

My Green Electronics

TechSoup

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC)

more places...

Before donating your computer or other electronics, make sure the equipment is reusable. Donation organizations have limited or in many cases no resources and employees to diagnose and repair hardware. A functional, working system—especially with monitor, wiring, and software licenses—is a lot more useful and requires less upgrading than a nonworking, incomplete computer.

Let's be kind with our Planet.

Earth Day ::: Earth's Cries Recorded in Space :::

I’m going to repost this article in honor to our Mother Earth Week

Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
SPACE.com Tue Jul 1, 12:33 AM ET

Earth emits an ear-piercing series of chirps and whistles that could be heard by any aliens who might be listening, astronomers have discovered.

The sound is awful, a new recording from space reveals.

Scientists have known about the radiation since the 1970s. It is created high above the planet, where charged particles from the solar wind collide with Earth's magnetic field. It is related to the phenomenon that generates the colorful aurora, or Northern Lights.

The radio waves are blocked by the ionosphere, a charged layer atop our atmosphere, so they do not reach Earth. That's good, because the out-of-this-world radio waves are 10,000 times stronger than even the strongest military signal, the researchers said, and they would overwhelm all radio stations on the planet.

Theorists had long figured the radio waves, which were not well studied, oozed into space in an ever-widening cone, like light from a torch.

But new data from the European Space Agency's Cluster mission, a group of four high-flying satellites, reveals the bursts of radio waves head off to the cosmos in beam-like fashion, instead.

This means they're more detectable to anyone who might be listening.

The Auroral Kilometric Radiation (AKR), as it is called, is beamed out in a narrow plane, as if someone had put a mask over a torch and left a slit for the radiation to escape.

This flat beam could be detected by aliens who've figured this process out, the researchers say. The knowledge could also be used by Earth's astronomers to detect planets around other stars, if they can build a new radio telescope big enough for the search. They could also learn more about Jupiter and Saturn by studying AKR, which should emit from the auroral activity on those worlds, too.

The AKR bursts -- Mutel and colleagues studied 12,000 of them -- originate in spots the size of a large city a few thousand miles above Earth and above the region where the Northern Lights form.

"We can now determine exactly where the emission is coming from," Mutel said.

Our planet is also known to hum, a mysterious low-frequency sound thought to be caused by the churning ocean or the roiling atmosphere.

Earth Day ::: Four Tips for Getting Rid of Clutter the Eco-Friendly Way :::

If you want to get rid of clutter in your home, you don't have to just throw everything away. There are many creative ways you can de-clutter your home and still be green.

#1 - Make some money

:The most satisfying, green way to get rid of stuff is to make some green.
:High-end clothes can go to consignment.
:Collectibles do well on ebay.
:Toys, children’s clothing, and knick knacks are yard sale best sellers.
:For large numbers of antiques or vintage china, silver, or porcelain, try an auction warehouse or etsy.

#2 - Have a place in your home

Designate the corner of a closet or your laundry room for housing discards to donate. Try to do this every other month. Keep a hamper or garbage can in your designated spot and whenever you see an item cluttering your home that you or your family members 1) don't use, 2) don't love, or 3) have outgrown, put it in the hamper. At the end of each month, bag the items and take them to a donation center, or call to have them picked up. The Veterans and Big Brother Big Sister will pick up clothing and small household items at your home.

#3 - Have a swap party

My friends and I have a seasonal purge party. We all bring items we no longer need or use: clothes, jewelry, purses, home décor, small furniture, magazines, etc. It goes into a pile in the middle of the room and we all dive in! It is a fun way of getting rid of things, getting a few new things, and catching up with friends. At the end of it, we bag all the items we don’t want and donate them to a women’s shelter. This also works well with a group of moms and the clothing and toys your children have outgrown.

#4 - Re-use your own stuff

Reusing common house hold items for new organizational ways can really save you money. Try thinking outside the box as to the way you use common items. For example, empty gift baskets make great mail bins, in-boxes, planters, magazine bins, small toy organizers and more. Walk around your house and really look at your stuff. Can any of it be used for a different purpose? A bookshelf hung on the wall instead of on the floor, a TV cabinet for a night-stand, a shoebox to divide different kinds of socks in a drawer? Try to think creatively and objectively. Wanna check some great upcycled items and green tips?

Sort, sort, sort

Sorting is the easiest way to take a bite out of a cluttered space. Whether it is a nasty pile of paper clutter or a closet bursting at the seams, sorting is the cure.

When you take a look at a huge cluttered pile or space it can be very overwhelming. By sorting the items into categories you are actually breaking them down, simplifying, into a much more manageable project.

Sort items into the following categories: Keep, Donate, Long-Term Storage and my favorite Trash. Here are the definitions for the above categories:

• Keep--Items used on a regular basis--ones you cannot function without in your "daily living space." Organize your keys so they have a place.
• Donate--Items that are no longer used or are duplicates. You have decided that you can do without this item and would rather give it to someone else for them to benefit from it.
• Long-Term Storage--Sentimental things that you want to hold on to but don't need to have cluttering up your daily living space. Out-of-season pieces of clothing qualify for this category as well.
• Trash--Things that are no longer usable.

Spanglish Team... Member of the Week...Auclairdelalune!

I'm member and Admin of the Spanglish Team. We are featuring Auclairdelalune this week. Her lovely items are made from vintage fabrics or as she says "The past lives of clothes, or where everything old is new again!"

From her profile:

"Au clair de la lune is when elves and busy mommies work on their projects -- and by the light of the moon, through the window of my attic workshop, is where you'll find me on most nights".

You can enjoy more of this great artist on her blog

Bululu Favorite sellers...Earmark

Several month ago I bought a custom made banner from Earmark and I still love it, I've used it when I have some craft shows as a promo item for my shop help me identify my web address, so hopefully potential customer can remember.



From her profile..."BRIDGETTE: Hello! My name is Bridgette. I am a 29 year old, happily married stationer. I went to Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn, New York for Illustration and Design. This is where I met my wonderful husband, Mike, the other half of Earmark. I am in love with traveling and fascinated with new languages, places and cultures. You can often find me practicing, Thai, Italian or German all on the same day...

MIKE: My name is Mike Berndt. I am the Director of Operations at Earmark. I have been married to my wonderful wife, Bridgette for 4 years now and each day is better than the last. I started at Earmark over two years ago and could not imagine doing anything else.

GETTING TO KNOW EARMARK:
We welcome you to our Etsy shop, inside you will find cards, stationery, journals, prints, decor, invitations and so much more. Each design created by us.

Everything we do, we do because we love it. Every item is a reflection of us and our ever changing tastes and ideas."

You can enjoy more of these great artists on their blog

Crafting Tips and Tricks

1.- After painting, set your brushes in fabric softener for about 10 minutes (I have left mine even over night) and then clean as usual. This works for brushes used for all types of paint, even oil based paints.

Then I tried the same thing with hair conditioner after using acrylic paint and it worked too. I was in a hurry and just dropped the brushes into the conditioner until I went back to the craft room... my brushes cleaned up faster and it worked well even after using gesso."

2.- If you have small items to paint that are hard to hold onto, try this... Make a loop using a piece of masking or duct tape and stick it to the back of your project. Now, tape the item to the eraser end of a pencil. Hold onto the pencil to paint the item - to dry, simply place the pencil in a cup!

Giveaway Time!

Well, as you know I'm very proud to be a Co-Admin of the Spanglish Team. And this month we've decided to make Our First Giveaway... hosted by calabaza one of our fabulous members.





To check for more details about the Giveaway check this link, participate and have fun getting some FREE stuff.

P.S: Who wouldn't like to get Free Cool Stuff.

Bululu's Favorite Sellers... Lana Kole!

Here is a online pal that I appreciate very much. I love her shop, she has great taste for design. Her shop name LanaKole her artwork is very inspiring and fresh, gorgeous designs for this time of the year.

From her profile... "Here in the Lana Kole Studio, we specialize in textile and surface design! We do everything from designing fabric to etching glass decor accents and creating beautiful and fun surface graphics -- the hottest new trend in interior design! We work out of our sunny little design studio in Baltimore, Md. We really enjoy what we do and we love making people and their homes smile :) "

You can read her blog and know about her a little bit more.

Reuse, Reuse ...hmmm Reuse

Reuse is using an item more than once. Reuse can have financial and environmental benefits, either of which can be the main motivation for it.

* Reuse with style. Instead of buying new furniture and accessories, look for vintage pieces or those made from recycled materials.

Here is another way of reusing, a glass jar can be use as storage and organizer (buttons, coins, clips, screws and more.

You can look for unique ways of gifts made from upcycled materials. Like this whistle $14 on etsy.com and feel the satisfaction of supporting handmade.

* Drink from reusable glassware.

* Carry a reusable bag with you for groceries, shopping, and take out food. But if you forget, choose paper and recycle it or plastic and reuse.