Lessons from A Child May 13, 2008

Yesterday, my 10 year old had a playdate with a friend from school.  Usually when these hook-ups happen, the friends are happy to let my eight year old tag along.  Unfortunately, yesterday, when the boys went down into the basement, I could hear the friend telling my little guy he could not play.  Of course, he was heartbroken and came up the stairs in tears.  Now this presented me with a dilemma.  Do I force the older boys to include the little one or do I allow them some time to themselves?  On this day, I opted to give big brother some “big kid time” by trying to engage my little one in an activity with me.

I had just received over two pounds of vintage buttons from someone on e-bay.  I had been anxiously awaiting these buttons… hoping I would receive many fabulous, unique buttons to create rings.  When I opened my package, I was so bummed to see what looked like a lot of just plain, old boring buttons!  I thought, however, that I could occupy my little guy by having him help me start to go through the buttons to look for anything that might be special.  He was skeptical at first but then after watching me start to put a few combinations of buttons together, he started to do the same.  Pretty quickly, he was out pacing me in creating combinations and surprisingly, his future rings were beautiful!     

I was amazed at what he was creating and watching him taught me a few lessons:

Don’t be afraid to try different or unusual combinations.  Often buttons he put together or the order of how he put them together would never have occurred to me.

Also, he reinforced the old adage. “Never judge a book by its cover.”  I looked and saw yucky, boring buttons.  He looked and saw beautiful creations.  (Checkout his beautiful ring at the top of this post or go to 2monkees to see more of our creations.)

As the dinner hour approached, it became necessary to stop.  We were both sad to put away our creations and found ourselves making “just one more”.  It was gratifing to spend time with my little one in a quiet, creative pursuit…..and it was nice to be reminded of the joys and creativity of a child.

Studio 410 May 8, 2008

For years, I have been seeing artists create beautiful and useful items from old silverware.  However, it was not until I came across the unique jewelry from Studio 410 that I felt compelled to actually feature these creations on Our Great Green Globe.  I absolutely feel in love with this rustic looking necklace.  The combination of the oxidized silver, handmade or recycled charms, and the inspiring saying, SEEK BALANCE, FIND HAPPINESS, is perfect!  This necklace is so beautiful, it would be difficult to tell that the main piece is actually a vintage sterling silver spoon.

Susan Richards, the artist behind Studio 410, lives in Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada.  She is a multi-talented artist who likes to create with her two dogs and cat in her studio.  (In fact, you need to checkout Studio 410 Pets, Susan’s new etsy store featuring eco friendly pet beds, felted wool tug toys and felted wool balls.)  Even your beloved furry friend should be lucky enough to be treated to one of her creations!

Vivienne Strauss May 6, 2008

It was somewhat of a wild weekend this weekend.  Both my parents and my in-laws were in town to celebrate my son’s First Communion (or so I thought!).  We had two baseball games and classic soccer tryouts, First Communion rehersal and a surprise birthday party for me.  (And yes I was totally shocked!)  All of these activities, while very exciting and lots of fun,  left very little time for sleep and/or relaxation.  (It doesn’t help that we live in a hundred year old house and any time any one moves anywhere you can hear every footstep!)  So today when I woke up, I found myself feeling a little like the unfortunate woman, Betty, in this original collage on a vintage reading card by Vivienne Strauss….. a little disconnected and strung out.   Hopefully, unlike this poor glamour Betty, my feelings of being disconnected will be cured with a little nap. 

This talented artist from Portland likes to start her one of a kind creations on some type of recycled material.  I love her bright colors and unusual, somewhat retro looking compostions.  Her etsy shop features her original collages, pen and ink drawings and original watercolors. Learn more about Vivienne, her creations and her vintage collections at www.vivienneart.blogspot.com.

Garbage of Eden April 30, 2008

  Every once in a while, I feel the need to add a little bling to my life.   I found these cool, bright colored bangles from Garbage of Eden on etsy.  An armful of these skinny bangles made by wrapping recycled plastic around a brass bangle is the perfect summer accessory!

Stephanie, the talented artist behind these cheerful bangles, strives to ”design useful and good lookin’ new objects out of materials that would otherwise just sit in a landfill, the streets, or your backyard.”  All of the bags used in these bracelets have been donated to the artist from friends, family or strangers who responded to a post on Brooklyn Freecycle.  What a great way to get the community involved in recycling! 

Not only are these bangles good for the enviroment and the community, but Stephanie donates 10% of the price of your purchase to one of these charitable organizations: Just Food (www.justfood.org), Added Value (www.added-value.org/), Time’s Up (http://times-up.org) and others. 

To learn more about this unique artist, visit her blog at www.garbageofedendesign.blogspot.com.  She offers tips about running a craft business, recycling and shares her love for all things creative!  It is an informative read! 

Vintage Fern April 14, 2008

I would hate to add up the number of hours I have wasted drooling over all the cool works of art on etsy.  It would be impossible and embarassing to calculate.  However, I don’t seem to be able to help myself because I am always amazed at what the talented artists are able to produce.  I love looking at all the colors and materials the artists use.   Recently, while surfing around, I saw a really ingenious idea from Vintage Fern.  The creative force behind Vintage Fern is using vintage pillowcases to fashion dresses for little girls.  These adorable dresses have adjustable shoulder ties to create  a perfect fit for your little angel.  They come in a variety of vintage colors and patterns and are perfect for stretching your tight budget because they can be worn on their own in the spring and summer and then can transition into  winter by pairing them with leggings and turtlenecks.  I love this idea!!

Vintage Fern features many different types of products including purses, wallets, dish towels and pillow coverings.  Take a look at this cute Spring Purse made from a bright green and yellow vintage fabric.   It has a vintage green trim and she has appliqued a very hip and stylish green bird (more…)

Today’s Creative Blog April 4, 2008

Today’s post is taking a little different tactic.  Instead of featuring one specific artist, I wanted to talk about a fun, imaginative blog that helps me drool over all the possible creative outlets I would like to explore if I had a creative bone in my body.  Today’s Creative Blog is a blog that features everything creative-  from housewares, decor, jewelry and yes, even green artists.  The author is “a crafty, over protective mom who teaches fitness.”  She has a good eye for all things creative and a witty voice for relaying her stories. 

One of my favorite features was entitled A Year of Crockpotting and shares the adventures of a mom trying to use her crockpot for 365 days.  I love my crockpot so I was very happy to see this feature.  (I  know, crockpotting is sooooo 1950’s mom but with our crazy sports schedule it makes having a hot meal for the family a lot easier!)

Recently, while perusing this sight, I found a feature on Alexa Lott, an amazing artist who creates one of a kind pieces of art from items she recycles from the trash heap.   Look at this beautiful piece of art (pictured below) fashioned from estate sale finds.

So if you are feeling like you want to get your creative groove on but just need a little inspiration,  Today’s Creative Blog is a great place to see what other inventive types are doing!

Evaseva March 31, 2008

 As most of you know, I just returned from an Austin visit with my little sister.  I got to meet my new nephew (who is sooo cute) and see my other nephew and niece (also both very cute).   It seemed very ironic that while I was there I would discover Evaseva, a unique creator of fun and funky children’s clothes. 

After spending a week with my four year old niece, it became apparent that she is perfect for Eva’s monster t-shirt.  We frequently heard her issuing commands to  my ten year old little boy.  He happily followed orders because his biggest desire is to have a little sister.  As the artist behind this t-shirt says, “This lovely heart can also be a real monster too! Especially when she wants something.”  This about sums up (more…)

Luxedeluxe March 24, 2008

 With all the hustle and bustle of trying to get our house ready to go on the market, I feel like I am in need of some serious me time focused on deep breathing and relaxation- (Either that or a stiff drink.  I guess, the deep breathing would probably be better for me in the long run!)  Unfortunately, the stress of this transition is making it hard to slow down and relax.  When I saw this beautiful, delicate Om necklace from Luxedeluxe, it seemed like the perfect discreet reminder to take a chill pill.   I love the tiny pearl accent to the silver Om charm. 

If the Om necklace proves to be not enough of a (more…)

Ruby Pearl March 18, 2008

The boys and I are off to Austin tomorrow to see one of my little sisters.  She had her third child a few months ago and I cannot wait to meet him!  We lived in Austin for a few years when we were kids and I went to grad school there so I have a soft place in my heart for this city and anything associated with it.  (Salt Lick anyone?) 

When I saw Ruby Pearl on etsy, I knew she was the perfect Austin artist.  I can see all the Texas beauties wearing her one of a kind dresses as they stroll down 6th Street listening to the music of South-by-Southwest.  Her unique creations feature ”her eye for color and putting together bits and pieces of this and that to make a beautiful object.”  Many of her dresses use vintage lace, flowers and scarves from days past to create a modern, wearable piece of art.  What a (more…)

Mvegan5 March 10, 2008

My almost two year old godson is obsessed with owls.  I know I am not biased- this child is a genius.  At 18 months, he was already counting objects correctly and could imitate the sounds of any number of assorted barnyard animals.  One of his first animal sounds was that of an owl.  I loved watching his bright little eyes get bigger as he imitated the who- who of an owl.  Now anytime my sons or I see an owl, we are instantly reminded of my little godson.  Of course, I was attracted to these adorable vintage owl earrings from mvegan5′s etsy shop.  The bright turquoise and green are perfect colors for spring.  These earrings are just one of many owl themed pieces of vintage and recycled jewelry you can find at mvegan5’s shop.

The talented artist behind mvegan5 is a passionate vegan who paints and draws animals “to express and share my love for nature and all living things.”  This artist is the founder of Etsy for Animals, a group of etsy artists who love animals- many of whom donate a  portion of their sales to animal charities.   (more…)