Green Girl

Going vegetarian or vegan isn’t just an animal-rights issue; it can actually help the environment. Look at British Meat’s statistics regarding the environmental advantages of becoming vegetarian, including the fact that it takes three to fifteen times more water to produce animal protein than it takes for plant protein.

Chloe Jo , the diva behind the Girlie Girl Army’s fantastic green-friendly email updates, recently sent out a list of easy ways to do your part to save the world. One of the updates was pretty interesting for those of you who like to eat and live the vegetarian way, offering a links of veg-friendly shopping and dining resources.

I looked into the links, and I thought I’d repost the best of them here for you. Thanks, Chloe Jo!

Thinking of going veggie, but not sure where to get started? Consider checking out these sites for a jumpstart on your new veggie lifestyle:

• Veg Dining offers a list of vegetarian restaurants around the world. If you’ll be traveling and you’re concerned about where to eat, or if you just want to check out something more exciting than the Subway Veggie Delite Standard, visit Veg Dining to get your recommendations before you go.
• Food Fight is an all-vegan online grocery store. If you want it and you don’t want it to have any animal products in it, Food Fight has it.
• Vegan Essentials is another great option for online vegan health care products, pet care goods, and vegan clothing.
• Herbivore Clothing offers books, clothes, wallets, and other merchandise with a promise of being animal friendly.
•  Urban Decay is fun and funky, and they sell animal-friendly, vegan cosmetics.
• Moo Shoes sells fashionable vegan shoes.

I found this gorgeous cat bed on Rare Bird Finds today, and I had to share it with you. Not only is it a whimsical, wonderful place for kitty to rest her sweet, sweet paws, but it’s made from a discarded computer monitor! What a wonderful way to reuse something and save a little space in the landfills! My cats love to sit on top of my computer monitor…I think the heat warms their bellies. From all the LOLCats on the internet sleeping on monitors that I’ve seen, it’s not an uncommon cat-feature. It probably wouldn’t take your baby very long to make the transition from the top to inside.

They’re just so funny!

If you’re looking for fun, funky, fair-trade and eco-friendly gifts, look no further than Pretty In Peace’s Etsy shop. Her jewelry designs are gorgeous, and she has a conscience that’s just a beautiful. We contacted her to find out a little more about her eco-friendly products, and here’s what we found out!
1. What inspired you to begin creating these designs?

Honestly, I’ve always had an eye for ethnic inspired/organic styles, from home decor to clothing…jewelry was a natural progression although I don’t wear jewelry personally.

2. How long have you been designing jewelry?

I officially dove into jewelry design just over a year ago. Historically, I’ve altered thrift and handed down accessories to better suit my personal aesthetic.

3. Many of the people we feature use recycled materials…do you? I was drawn to your jewelry because you seem to have an eco-conscious tone or message in your designs more so than in the actual process of making the jewelry…but I thought I’d check in, anyway, and see…

I use recycled pieces whenever possible, seldom-but every once in a while I’ll come across a pin or other old piece of jewelry in a thrift shop and rework it into something updated and funky! All of my packaging materials however are recycled and I support fair trade artisans as much as possible when purchasing supplies. What I never use are animal products or their ‘by-products,’ so no silk, bone, coral or leather-ever.

4. Feel free to tell us anything else you’d like us to know about your work!

Pretty in Peace is just one of the many parts of my journey on this quest to make change. I write about it, I design around it, and between us…I’ll soon be sewing about it. Yes! I have a sewing machine and a closet full of stuff ready to be transformed. Consumerism is cannibalizing our environment and I’m all about making change and making do, and I encourage anyone who can do the same to join me and live pretty in peace.

While scrolling through my daily dose of Rare Bird Finds , I stumbled upon these awesome, earth-friendly speakers. They are made from 100% recycled materials, and they fold up for easy storage and portability. You can plug them right into your iPod, and at less than $15, they’re not a bad buy.

The speakers are made by Fashionation, which is a small, Vegas-based group of entrepreneurs creating fashionable, sustainable accessories for iPods and other music devices. They are demonstrating their commitment to keeping their products clean by using recycled materials, as in these speakers, and using sustainable fibers in their products’ creation. Check them out!

While surfing the net this morning, I found a few interesting green links that I thought I’d pass along to you!

• Check out these awesome new Japanese bras! It’s the first time I’ve seen an eco-conscious undergarment! Each bra comes with a removable padding/liner that transforms into a re-usable grocery bag. The bra is lacy and bright red, and the bags seem sturdy. How fun!
• Check this link out for natural flea and tick control for your pet. You wouldn’t put that poisonous stuff on your own skin, so keep it off of your pets as well!
• From organic soy briefs to stationery made from elephant dung, Riverwired’s list of the top 10 green products is sure to give you some new ideas for ways to green up your own life.

Happy surfing!

I spend a lot of time on Etsy looking for exciting things to buy for myself and share with you, and recently, the work of Kathy Reed of A Second Life Designs caught my eye. Using reclaimed and recycled materials, she sculpts some interesting objects d’arte, jewelry, and other earth-friendly goodies. I had a chance to ask her a few questions about her designs, and here’s what I learned!

How long have you been creating art from found objects?

For all of my artistic life really. It began with using ordinary household objects as parts of the armature for papier mache folk art figures and then for polymer clay figures as well. When I took a class from Keith Lo Bue, I realized the possibilities for the beauty in these objects and began using them as part of the composition itself.

What is your process like? Where do you look for material? How do you start a piece and how do you know when you are finished.?

I find material literally anywhere and everywhere…..under your feet, in the yard, flea markets, antique shops, or actually any kind of shop, really. My husband travels a lot and looks for things for me as well. You just need to look at things with “new eyes.”
How I start a piece varies…..sometimes I revel in the idea of having literally thousands of bits and pieces to work with….then I just start pulling random pieces from here and there, discovering how they fit together as I go along. At other times, I’m just overwhelmed by the amount and so I give myself limits…..pick out one or two pieces blind that must be used in the composition and moving on from there. Either way, the whole process feels very serendipitous to me….the right pieces that fit together perfectly just seem to find their way to each other. Being finished means that adding another detail or part will not enhance the piece further. At the same time, removal of any existing element would be detrimental to the composition. Put in words like this, it probably sounds easier than it really is.

My hope is that found object jewelry will entice people to look at the normally discarded in a new way to the point where they might be inspired to actually use some of it differently themselves. I’m greatly encouraged by all the “green” info in the media right now. Historically speaking, a concept generally embraced by the media for a long enough time eventually becomes the norm. I hope we are now finally on our way to significant change.

I think I’m going to get a Genuine Buddy! The 50cc model gets 100 mpg. I’m currently driving a gas-hogging SUV that I inherited from a generous relative. While I appreciate the gift of a car, it’s a real gas guzzler, and in addition to it breaking the bank, I feel guilty for not doing my part to drive greener. I stopped by my local Vespa dealership today, and after looking at a few different models, I think that the 50cc Buddy might be the best match for me. The dealership offered a reasonable payment plan, and the model I’m interested in will be available at the end of the week. I’ll keep you all posted on the process of being it, and I’ll post pictures if I finally do make the purchase!

I’m becoming increasingly obsessed with my yoga practice, and in searching  Etsy for the coolest, greenest yoga bag possible, I stumbled on Tread Threads . She makes some lovely, funky designs using all reclaimed and recycled materials, so we asked her a little about her work. Here’s what we found out!

1. What inspired you to begin working with reclaimed and recycled materials?

I have always been a bit of a thrift store junkie.  As early as high school, I was scouting the racks with an eye for unusual textures, patterns and details.  I think the idea of re-using old materials arose out of those thrift store visits that often resulted in not quite perfect impulse buys that needed to altered a bit to let their sweet vintage print or fun details shine.  I’ve always instinctively turned to the vintage thrift racks or local charity sales to find interesting, cheaper material for my own projects and gifts.  So when I decided to take my hobbie to the next level and start selling some of my work, it seemed like the natural way to go.  I do of course have a mind for the state of our culture and our environment, and as a craftsperson, finding a way to promote sustainable consumption even in art seems like the only way to go.  There are tons of people working with fantastically creative solutions and coming up with really exciting sustainable products, including organic and recycled fabrics.  For me, I see so much good stuff already out there (and potentially going to waste)…so I use it!

2. You make lots of different kinds of things, from clothing to yoga equipment. Which is your favorite?

I’ve really been into the yoga bags recently.  They have a really nice graceful simplicity, and the whole process of constructing them and choosing matching lining fabric and pocket patterns has been a nice sort of zen experience for me in itself.

3. Tell us a little bit about your process. How do you find your material? How do you start a piece? How do you know when you’re done?

At least half of material comes from friends, relatives, and acquaintances who know what I do and have stuff to get rid of.  When it’s time to clean out the craft closet or the linen closet or the whole house, I sort through their stuff for useful treasures before passing the rest on to the appropriate charitable organization.  The rest of my materials are mostly thrift store and charity expo finds.  My favorite things to resurrect are items that are made out of great materials, but have suffered a rip or stain in one or a few places that leave them 100% ruined for their original purpose, but leave 95% of the delightful fabric just waiting to find new life.
As far as creative process goes, it really varies.  Sometimes I have an idea for a skirt or an appliqué that forms first as an image in my head – perhaps inspired by music or art, a character in a book or a walk through my neighborhood – and then I go routing through my supplies to find the appropriate materials to bring it to life. Other times, a particular print or texture inspires me, and then I center the piece on that.  With patchwork, especially, the pieces often take on a life of their own and I  do not know precisely how they will end up when I begin.  I very rarely work from patterns, and if I do, they are inevitably only borrowed from and altered.  The process of both shaping materials and the surprises that come with letting materials shape themselves are really what draws me to sewing.

4. Feel free to tell us anything else you’d like us to know about your products, your commitment to the environment, or anything else!

I’d just remind folks to keep taking those small steps that help lead to a more cooperative, sustainable future.  Everyone has a different lifestyle, and I think for everyone there are different paths to finding the ultimate solution.  Big steps are great, but even little things like keeping a reusable bag in your purse and saying ‘no thank you’ to plastic or growing a small garden and sharing fresh vegetables with your neighbors creates a culture of change.  So find what works for you, then do it.
Sometimes stepping back and thinking about the mess we’re in can be really overwhelming, but I’d encourage people to try to find a positive, creative attitude…and pass it on.

Check out these cool doormats from Acacia , which I found via Rare Bird Finds. Acacia rescues the leftover foamy, rubbery goodness from flip-flop factories to create these beauties. They are made by hand from foam and wire, so each one is unique. The site describes them as rugged and lightweight, and they say they are suitable for use indoors or out. They’re $39.95 at Acacia’s online catalog . Check out their other green merch as well, including these brightly colored recycled glass bowls and these yummy silk robes made from vintage saris.

Debby Arem is a self-described “perfectionist…fascinated by detail, texture, and color.” Her love for details shows up in her designs as well. We fell in love with her pins and other jewelry made from up-cycled computer circuit boards, so we asked her to tell us a little bit about her process as a designer and the inspiration behind her earth-friendly jewelry.

 1. Where did you get your inspiration to start using circuit boards for jewelry?

This is actually quite an interesting story! Back in the mid 1980’s, my husband owned a company that assembled computers! I was in the ‘back room’ one day and saw my very first circuit board and was amazed at the beautiful circuitry and the patterns that were created. I was already a jewelry designer ( but a bead artist at the time designing necklaces for the Smithsonian Institution’s mail order catalog and museum shops) so my mind instantly went to ” WOW - those circuit boards would make wonderful jewelry!” Of course it took me many, many months and many, many attempts using various techniques to figure out how to cut the circuit boards into manageable shapes for jewelry.

2. Where do you find the old boards?

As luck would have it, at the time my husband and I actually had a neighbor who had a very large company that produced circuit boards. If a board was manufactured that had a ‘mistake’ in it, it had to be discarded. That’s when my first ‘dumpster diving’ experiences began! Even though this was really all before the green movement that we have today had taken off, our neighbor listened when my husband and I pleaded with her to not add yet more trash to the landfills or contribute to air pollution by sending these damaged boards off to be burned. Much to our delight, she let us acquire her company’s damaged and ‘useless’ circuit boards rather then having them end up in landfills or be burned where the toxic fumes would be released into the air. Our neighbor’s company has since gone out of business, but we have found other companies who produce circuit boards and are happy to let us acquire the ones that can’t be used when we approach them with the idea of helping to make this world a greener place in which to live rather then just making more trash or contributing to air pollution.

3. I like that you mix the boards with other themes, like the under-the-sea stuff you do. Tell us a little about you message with those juxtapositions, if you have one…

I love mixing old with new and high tech with more earthy elements. I suppose it’s my way of showing that everything has a purpose in this world and everything and everyone can and should be able to work together in harmony if the right attitude is there and people are open to change. My jewelry and even accessories (clocks, picture frames, light switch plates, sun catchers and more) in a sense are all “collages” whether they are only 1 inch in diameter or 1 foot! These collages represent my outlook on life - to mix and match, to blend elements and ideas, and certainly not support the old idiom of “Out with the old and in with the new.” I think it’s important to embrace the past and see how it can join with the now and the future rather then contribute to the throw-away society that was unfortunately created so many years ago.

4. Tell us a little bit about your process when you’re designing a piece. Where do you find the other elements you add? How do you start, and how do you know when you’re finished?

I find my elements just about anywhere, but I am always especially on the look out for odds and ends that have been discarded - whether I find bits of metal in scrap metal facilities, old diodes in electrical warehouses, jewelry factories that have gone out of business or old costume jewelry at flea markets. Anything that has been discarded and is begging to have a new life is fair game! I suppose being an artist and having a B.A. in Fine Arts with a background in silkscreen design enables me to have a good imagination and see designs in my head…layers if you will…that end up becoming the wearable art collages or functional pieces that you find in my Etsy shop and my own website, www.debbyarem.com. Throw away items that others see as junk, I’m able to see and know almost right away how I could use them to become part of a fish for a fish pin, or a bird’s beak on a funky chicken pin or the wings on an angel! And again, just as when I was a silkscreen artist, I inherently seem to know when I’ve added enough elements to make my jewelry or accessories interesting but not overwhelming and too busy.

5. What else would you like us to know about your life, your work, and your commitment to the environment?

Well in many senses, I’m committed to the idea of ‘rescue’ (or ‘recycle’ )in so many ways and areas of my every day life - whether it’s a circuit board that is about to be trashed or an animal that is in need of a new and forever home or a plant that has gone to seed and the seeds can be harvested and used for the next growing season! I believe that most everything in this world can have another purpose or another life if you just open your mind to it. When I’m not designing jewelry and accessories, I volunteer with 2 rescue groups and help place unwanted or discarded dogs and cats to find new homes. In fact, we have 2 dogs and 3 cats, all of whom of course are rescues. And I can’t throw away an African violet leaf if it falls off one of my plants, so I root it and start another one. You don’t want to know how many African violets are blooming in my home right now! I think once you get a mind set of recycling in your life (which my husband and I have had now for over 25 years), you make it your business to do this in as many ways as is possible, and hopefully you will have the opportunity to educate others in the process.