Green EdmondsFestival!

Here it is already September!
Come out to vist me at the Green Edmonds Festival

this Saturday, Sept 13 from 11am to 6pm

So, I made this bracelet and listed it for sale...

It brought back a funny (now) memory that made me smile and laugh at myself.

In the 5th grade I was not allowed to watch scary movies. I had never seen one.
BUT, I spent the night at my friend Patty's house and we stayed up till midnight to watch Nightmare Theater. The name alone should have told us what was to follow. The "Theater" opened with it's Vampire host waking up and lifting the lid of his coffin as he introduced the evenings/early morning horror film that was coming up. At 10 years old, that was almost enough right there.

The movie that was being shown was "Murders in the Rue Morgue". Yes, by Edgar Allen Poe starring Bella Lugosi.
Needless to say, 10 minutes into the movie in Patty's attic bedroom and I was scared to death. The young dancer we were watching was dead in her room, blood was dripping everywhere staining the white sheet on the television and the bloody bracelet on the murdered star was still tinkling, even after her death. A gold bracelet with a little bell.

Well, heart racing and wild eyed, I had to go the bathroom. You would have, too. Down the loooong hallway. In the dark. Alone. I made it to the door (and lived), turned on the light and on the back of the toilet was a gold bracelet with a little bell. (We later learned it belonged to Patty's older sister). I screamed, Patty came running. We both screamed, her Dad came running.
We were terrified and decided, with her father's help, that it would be better to listen to top 40 on her little am clock radio than finish the movie.

I was never allowed to spend the night at Patty's house again. lol

Share my terror and find out how you can have this bracelet for your very own :)

Etsy Recycle Artist Feature: TheGreeneFairy

Look what I stumbled across!

Is this the most awesome, environmentally conscious paper you've ever seen???

Tell me a little about yourself.
I'm Kerry, and I'm a 30 year old transplant from southern WI :) I've been doing arts and crafts my whole life-- lots of happy childhood memories of drawing, bracelet making and other assorted crafty activities! I wound up at UW Madison, where I earned a bachelor's degree in fine art...here I focused mainly on drawing and painting, but also dabbled in etching, beading, and ceramics.


How did you get started making paper?
I first made recycled papers at age 11 ...
I was at Octoberfest in LaCrosee WI with my aunt. Her roommate was an art teacher, and had a booth where people were making handmade paper-- I was hooked from an early age I think. I learned some basic techniques which I picked up again with later, when I got my own paper making kit at age 18. I made paper on and off throughout college (not specifically for a class, but on my own), and eventually wound up teaching an art class at a non-profit organization for 5 years. It was a really fun class-- we made lots of handmade recycled paper! Over the years I experimented with different techniques, and kind of developed my own style. It was so much fun! Recycling is a big thing in Madison too, so that made it extra cool-- to create something fun and beautiful out of recycled materials.

What inspires you to create?
I'm inspired by so many different things. In college, I was often inspired by my own experience, and would put my own personal symbolism into my work. I still am a little,(for instance, my Mr. Chicken series at my other shop, Snitterdog, is inspired by the pop culture I grew up surrounded by), but truthfully, these days I am more inspired by all the things I see around me...I love nature! I used to walk in the woods up in WI-- hence all the leaf and flower paintings. I'm also inspired by other artists...I might see a painting I really like, and just want to go home and start painting! I might see a color scheme or mixed media technique I want to try. When it comes to the recycled papers, I just love the idea of making something new and pretty out of scraps! :) I want to see how decorative and sculptural I can get the paper, and still have it be a functional sheet of paper.

Recycling tips?
Those scrap papers from home and your office really come in handy! That's the main base on my paper and I've found that little tidbits you are inclined to throw a way; little pieces of string, stamps from envelopes you receive in the mail, the old sequins you've had for 20 years and never thought you'd use... often make great additives your art pieces! Sometimes I look at something I might want to throw away and think to myself-- is there a way I could use this in my art? It saves you money, and helps the environment-- extra cool! :)

Check out Kerry's awesome and super affordable

papers in her Etsy store.

TheGreeneFairy

Don't miss her beautiful Artwork, ACEO's and her blog too: snitterdog.blogspot.com

Finally, a journal!

I had to do a lot of looking but I found it, the perfect journal!

It's from this awesome etsy seller that recycles old, unloved books and things into new journals to love. Those of you that know me, know this one was custom made for me long before I found it :-) It was even called a "Skinny Grande".

After moving (under protest) to suburbia and the land of 4x4's and extended cab trucks, I began my caffeine withdrawls. As close as you can get to real espresso is Starbucks. So, I live there. I know where every one is in a 15 mile radius. Let me tell you, seriously, there are less than half in that radius than there is in 15 square blocks downtown.

Now I have a place to write down all those ideas, sketches, tips, phone numbers, event dates, websites to check out... you get the idea.

You MUST run to look at this awesome etsy shop:

Usefulbooks.etsy.com

This seller, Cindy, is one of the sweetest, most gracious sellers I've had the pleasure to work with on etsy. She packaged my journal so wonderfully and sent it out so quickly. It was a much higher quality than I could have ever imagined and I love it. Thank you Cindy!

Featured Etsy Seller: Ivy Lane Designs

This weeks recycle Artist, Merrill
of IvyLaneDesigns

I stumbled across these awesome notebooks and notepads and knew I had to share. I asked Merrill a few questions:

How did you get started making your notebooks?
I made a notebook from a tampon box several years ago in order to cheer up a friend whose toddler had broken his femur. She loved it and the rest, as they say, is history.

What inspires you to create?
Trash inspires me. I see other uses for almost everything. I am developing new products at this very moment that breathe new life into plastics. These will surely rock your socks, so be sure to check my Etsy site regularly.

Your shop features repurposed items. Do you have any good recycling tips?
My biggest tip is to please think before you buy - whether it is groceries or a car. My husband and I drive hybrids and buy everything we possibly can in cardboard rather than plastic. We continue to teach our children by example that we should cherish and protect our environment.

Do stop by, see her great items and RECYCLE, REUSE and REDISCOVER!
http://www.ivylanedesigns.etsy.com/

as Merrill says, Helping the environment, one recycled notebook at a time.