Main image

Monday, May 31

ECO ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

I chose this Eco Artist because of her charming
designs and reuse of materials. Jaya was kind enough
to sit down and answer some fun and insightful questions,
so that we can meet the person behind the shop.




Tell us how you start your day.
My typical day starts of early, making breakfast for my husband and fixing his lunch for the day. Then I head over to my favorite chair to read my Bible and pray. When I finish my quiet time I do my morning exercises, then start my projects for the day.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in Oklahoma, went to college in Kansas, moved to New Your (where I met my future husband), moved to Washington, moved back to New York, moved back to Oklahoma (got engaged), moved back to New York (got married)…currently we are still in New York… but who knows for how long.

Tell us about how you got started in your art/craft?
I’ve always been good with my hands and have been interested in art and crafts from a very early age. I took a lot of painting and drawing classes growing up and even started college as an Art Major… but I’ve never been as passionate about drawing as I am about sewing. I didn’t discover my passion for sewing and design until after I graduated from college with an Environmental Science Degree. Now I use my passion for sewing and my environmental background to create fun, fashionable, Eco friendly items.



What inspires you?
I love nature and I love vintage! My items are usually inspired by one or both of these two things.

What would your perfect day be like?
My perfect day would consist of get up early and going for a trail run with my husband. Then hitting some thrift stores, flee markets, and estate sales with my mother-in-law. I would spend the afternoon creating a masterpiece from my newly found treasures. Then spend the evening watching an old movie and eating popcorn with my husband.

If you had to choose another medium, what would it be?
I took a woodcarving class in college and I loved it! I would love to do more woodcarving but right now I can’t afford all the equipment and tools… maybe some day.



How is your art/craft Eco friendly?
All my items are made from reclaimed fabric and upcycled materials. I find great joy in giving old and unwanted materials a new life and purpose.


Do you have a studio/workspace outside of your home?
I have a little corner in our apartment where I do most of my sewing; however, because our apartment is so small I have to store most of supplies in my in-laws basement.


What's the one thing you can't live without?
Unfortunately I have to say the internet… when you’re running an online business it becomes a necessity.



Extra: Tell us a random fact about yourself!
I ran cross country and track in college and became an All American in the marathon.


Shop greentrunkclothing.etsy.com
Flickr Green Trunk

Jaya is also a member of The Recyclers Guild Team, read more about us at etsyrecyclersguild.blogspot.com

Sunday, May 30

OUT AND ABOUT



What else should a bathroom look like?
My favorite one can be found at a car wash of all places.





Shave and a haircut two bits? One stop shopping at my favorite car wash.

Friday, May 28

DRAGONFLIES





Darter
Ingredients:
Repurposed upholstery fabric
Scrap cotton fabric
Repurposed fleece jackets
Vintage buttons
Recycled plastic shopping bags
(SOLD) Flutter
Ingredients:
Repurposed velvet
Scrap cotton fabric
Repurposed fleece jackets
Vintage buttons
Recycled plastic shopping bags

JACK





Ingredients:
Repurposed terrycloth robe
Scrap fleece
Scrap cotton fabric
Vintage buttons
Scrap ribbon
Recycled plastic shopping bags

Adopt Jack

CIRCUS SET






Ingredients:
Repurposed fleece blankets and jackets
Repurposed upholstery fabric
Scrap cotton fabric
Vintage trims
Scrap ribbons
Ribbon spools
Repurposed plastic lampshades
Vintage buttons
Recycled plastic shopping bags

Circus Set includes: Elephant, Rabbit, & Cannon

Thursday, May 27

TOBY THE ROBIN



Honestly, I am so happy with how Toby turned out! Creating a robin has been in the back of my mind ever since I made my first sparrow, so today I finally took the leap. His plump tummy is the perfect size and his tuft of hair completes his playful complexion.

I hope everyone has had a good week, it's almost over! The days, weeks, and seasons are just flying buy!

FROM THE GARDEN


MILKSHAKE




Let me start off by saying this, I do not have a fear of snakes. I think they are great but this guy actually gave me chills. I'm not so delusional that I think he is real ;) but the pattern of the upholstery fabric resembles scales so much that I was a tad bit freaked out.

Ingredients:
Repurposed upholstery fabric (body)
Scrap felt (tongue)
Repurposed fleece jackets (belly and accents)

Adopt

Wednesday, May 26

COB




Cob is my favorite plush to date. The colors seem to flow so nicely and he seems to have an extra spark in his eye ;)

Ingredients:
Repurposed upholstery fabric (body)
Scrap felt (face accents & tongue)
Repurposed fleece jackets (belly and main accents)

SPENCER






Ingredients:
Repurposed dress slacks (body and head)
Repurposed fleece blankets (belly & face accents)
Repurposed corduroy pants (accents)
Scrap felt (tongue)

Adopt

ROMEO





This fellow is my newest design! I'm really happy with how he turned out.

Ingredients:
Repurposed wool pants (body and head)
Scrap upholstery fabric (tongue & accents)
Repurposed fleece pants (belly)

If Romeo has stolen your heart you can adopt him here

Tuesday, May 25

LOVED IN ANOTHER LIFE


Mort has had a very hard life. The streets have not been kind to this poor rat but he believes that at some point he was loved in another life.

Materials:
Repurposed corduroy pants
Vintage upholstery fabric
Vintage satin

FRESH FISH


Fresh from the sea! My newest Plush Trout was made from a repurposed jacket, scrap cotton fabric, and vintage trim.

KITTY COWL






For the fashionable cat ;)

Sunday, May 23

ECO ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

I chose this Eco Artist because she shares her
love of history in a fresh new way. Alexandra was
kind enough to sit down and answer some fun and insightful
questions, so that we can meet the person behind the shop.




Tell us how you start your day.
I have a full-time job outside of Etsy, so most mornings I get up around 8:00 and get ready for work. I'm not a morning person, so on the weekends I'll sleep in. Then once I get up and get a latte in me, I'll do photo shoots for new items in my shop, or hit local thrift stores or estate sales. I'm often up late all week working on listing items in my shop!

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I grew up in Maryland and went to school in Baltimore County. Now I live in the beautiful and awe-inspiring Boulder, Colorado. I tried out a lot of places in between -- like Seattle, Boise, Portland and even the Virgin Islands! Boulder definitely feels like home, though.

Tell us about how you got started in your art/craft?
I make jewelry and have always loved beadwork, lampwork beads, and wirework. I always toyed with the idea of having an Etsy shop for my jewelry. Unfortunately, I developed a chronic case of tendonitis years ago, which made it impossible to produce enough jewelry over time to sustain a shop.

I've always been interested in fashion and retro looks, so when I learned that Etsy had expanded to include vintage, I thought it would be a perfect alternative for me. I love photography, so taking photos for my shop is a wonderful creative outlet for me as well.



What inspires you?
Animals and beautiful landscapes both inspire me very much. I love all animals and I have a wonderful cat who's been with me for over 17 years. I am also inspired by the beautiful mountains and landscapes in Colorado, particularly Boulder and Telluride. I also love Hawaii and would love to figure out a way to spend part of the year in all three areas! I know, I'm dreaming...

What would your perfect day be like?
My perfect day would begin with sleeping in, of course. Then spending time with my kitty, going for a hike somewhere with beautiful flowers, taking photographs, meeting friends for happy hour or dinner, then relaxing and reading a book or watching a movie. I'm so busy with my full-time job and Etsy that this actually seems like a fantasy! One day...

If you had to choose another medium, what would it be?
I'd love to get back into jewelry, but alas my body is rebelling against that. I'd also like to focus more on photography. I'm seriously lusting after a Diana Mini camera right now -- I love the wonderful photographs people take with that camera -- they seem to transport you back to another time.



How is your art/craft Eco friendly?
Having a shop that features vintage clothing, accessories, luggage and decor is very eco-friendly because it enables finely-made goods to be re-used by people who value them instead of ending up in the landfill. It's a way to recycle wonderful items from the past and value our history while expressing an individual sense of style.

What makes where you live special?
Boulder has such a beautiful topography with huge dramatic triangular rocks called "The Flatirons" that jut out of the mountains right next to town. No matter what season it is, the view is always jaw-dropping. There is a lovely creek meandering through town and a wonderful bike path system which makes it easy to walk or bike where you need to go. There are numerous hiking trails up into the foothills right from town. The city and county of Boulder have been purchasing open space in and around the town for decades, which has limited development and preserved a lot of beautiful green space. (On the flip side, this has made real estate very expensive). There is a lot of wildlife, including prairie dogs, coyotes, deer and mountain lions. It's a wonderful place to live.

Do you have a studio/workspace outside of your home?
No, I do everything for my Etsy shop in our small 2 bedroom condo. We're looking for a house so hopefully I'll be able to expand and maybe even have a room dedicated to my business soon!



What's the one thing you can't live without?
I can't live without pets. My beautiful kitty gives me unconditional love and enhances every day for me -- I'd love to have more pets but she won't stand for it. One day...

Extra: Tell us a random fact about yourself!
Although I'm not practicing currently, I have a masters degree in occupational therapy. In this field you work as part of a rehab team with physical therapist, speech therapist and other allied health professionals to help people recover from illness or injury. Occupational therapy focuses on improving the patient's ability to function by engaging in meaningful activity -- for example, dressing or cooking or crafts or whatever activity is meaningful to the patient.


Shop AlpenglowVintage.etsy.com
Twitter @alpenglovintage
FlickrAlpenGlow Vintage

Alexandra is also a member of The Recyclers Guild Team, read more about us at etsyrecyclersguild.blogspot.com

Thursday, May 20

AND THE WINNERS ARE...


Congratulations to:
Fred Dancer
Penguin Pete
Charles Standford


You three have won the April/May Giveaway! Each winner will receive their own handmade plush sparrow

Since it is spring and everyone is busy, winners will have 5 days to respond to my e-mail before I will have to choose the next winner.

I will be posting the May/June Giveaway within a few days, so keep an eye out! Thanks to everyone that entered!


Winner was chosen by Random.org
RSS Feed