Repurposing Challenge 2012

Year: 2012
Challenge: to find 12 waste products and give them a new life

Once a month I will find a waste product, such as vinyl billboards, or woven malt bags, and create something new out of it. The idea is to look at our waste in a new way and think of it as material to create/repurpose instead of something to throw away.

You are invited to join in the challenge. Contact me by email (rethinkcrafts@gmail.com) or post a comment letting me know you would like to join in the challenge. All I ask is that you send a photo and short description of what you created. If you can not get your hands on some of the "challenge material" on your own, I would be happy to send some your way. Get those creative juices flowing and think outside the box.

Challenge #1- January
Vinyl billboards

Challenge #2- February
cassette tapes

More information will be coming soon. I am talking with some organizations in town that want to be involved in this project. Hopefully we will have a space each month to have a Kick-Off Event to distribute the challenge material and brainstorm ideas together. I am also finding places to display the creative projects that are made each month.


*Update*
The first meeting of the year to kick-off the project will be Tuesday, January 10th at the Columbia Art Center  at noon.  Materials will be handed out for January's challenge.  If you cannot make it to the meeting on Tuesday, stop by the Art Center and pick up material during their regular business hours.

In my "free" time

When I need a little inspiration I either take a trip to Portland, or start searching online to see what everyone else has been working on. My two new favorite websites are Stumbleupon.com and Pinterest.com. Both are a collection of ideas on a variety of topics; food, travel, crafts, parenting, fashion, diy, science, etc.

On Stumbleupon, when I search my interests, usually crafts, I am taken to site after site of blogs and websites that are dedicated to crafting. They are typically sites that I would not have found otherwise, but have wonderful ideas.

Pinterest shows pins, or images of things found on the web and wanted to share with others. Once again, I usually look at the DIY section and find pictures of projects and ideas others have made. Clicking on an image can bring you to a blog or website and often shows you how to make it too. You can also do a search to find examples of whatever you are interested in. For instance, during Halloween I was looking for costume ideas and found a number of handmade costumes to get the inspiration flowing for my costume.

On each website, you can keep track of your favorite sites or ideas so you can easily go back to them. This has always been the most frustrating part of exploring the internet for me. I constantly wander from what I was originally looking for and want to remember the names and addresses of all the wonderful new sites I discover. Both stumbleupon.com and pinterest.com help me keep organized.

Mollie Makes- A Makers Magazine

I was recently introduced to a British magazine called Mollie Makes. It is all about the art of making and is filled with ideas that I want to try. I have been entrusted with a friend's precious three issues to look over. When she handed them to me, she looked at me seriously and made sure I understood that they were to be thumbed through lovingly, but returned. Once I had a chance to sit down and really spend some time going through the magazine, I understood how precious this magazine is and why she cherishes it so much. It reminds me a bit of CRAFT Magazine before it stopped being published on paper and went to an online magazine. The added bonus of Mollie Makes it that each issue comes with supplies to make your own craft. I promptly added Mollie Makes to my Christmas list and hope I may also get my hands on the back issues.

Let's hope an issue or two come for Christmas so I can include a picture of the magazine soon!!

Paint Chip Holiday Sign

Paint chips cut into letter created this holiday sign. I cut pieces of reclaimed card stock for the background. A local food processing company saved their misprinted and discarded card stock for me to use for projects I did last year for Art Week at a local elementary school.

The paint samples cards came from the paint store. I wonder how many of these I can take for free before they notice and say something...

The only thing I had to purchase was the decorative ribbon.

Beer Advent Calendar

My husband is a beer guy. Not only is he a beer enthusiast, but he has also worked in the brewing industry since he graduated from college. I recently heard about the idea of making a Beer Advent Calendar for the 24 days leading up to Christmas. (Thanks Violet!) What a perfect gift for someone who enjoys trying new beers. I headed to my local beer shop, Volcanic Bottle Shoppe, to find 24 different kinds of beer to wrap up for my husband. The kids each chose a beer or two they thought their dad would like to try. When we got home the kids helped me wrap up the beers and attach a tag to each beer numbered 1 to 24.

I thought wrapping them individually would add to the anticipation of discovering what new beer awaited him each day.

I also included beer notebook made from six-pack packaging so he could critic each beer and take notes... something beer enthusiasts do. The kids and I could not wait until he got home to see his gift. I haven't seen him that excited for a long time! It was a hit!!!